New Queue at Winnie the Pooh

[bedogged]

Has anyone experienced the new queue at Winnie the Pooh? I was wondering if you can drive an ECV though the line now or do you still have to transfer to a wheelchair?

 

[dclfun]

I haven't seen the new queue, but if scooters don't fit in the accessible ride vehicle then I'd wonder where they'd store them all while scooter-users are riding? ---Kathy

 

[iuki]

Has anyone experienced the new queue at Winnie the Pooh? I was wondering if you can drive an ECV though the line now or do you still have to transfer to a wheelchair?

I was there on Thanksgiving, and the CM said that I would have to park the ECV and walk the que to the attraction. There was no way that I could walk that distance without being in a lot of pain. Therefore, I won't be riding that attraction.

 

[KPeveler]

I was there on Thanksgiving, and the CM said that I would have to park the ECV and walk the que to the attraction. There was no way that I could walk that distance without being in a lot of pain. Therefore, I won't be riding that attraction.

The CM should have probably said that you would have to transfer to a manual wheelchair. My understanding is that most Fantasyland rides cannot handle ECVs - I was not allowed to take my powerchair into Peter Pan - I was told to park it outside and walk.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

The CM should have probably said that you would have to transfer to a manual wheelchair. My understanding is that most Fantasyland rides cannot handle ECVs - I was not allowed to take my powerchair into Peter Pan - I was told to park it outside and walk.

The reason for that with Peter Pan is because they can't stop the ride and you have to be able to walk to board it.

 

[KPeveler]

The reason for that with Peter Pan is because they can't stop the ride and you have to be able to walk to board it.

I can walk to board it no problem. I just cannot walk the 50-75 feet he wanted me to do. I was always allowed to bring my manual wheelchair up to the belt so I can load much closer. And I know many people who ride that who cannot walk, but are lifted on by someone.

But, this was not the only CM who confused a power chair with an ECV that trip, so it could have been that.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

The problem with Pooh Bear is not the queue itself, but the station. Without seeing layout, I can't help you much, but having worked the ride, I can give you some perspective.

The ECV can handle the turns just fine in the queue itself. But once you get into the station, you have to do an almost 180 degree turn to get to the exit part where the ECV would have to stay during the ride. This is not within the turning radius of most ECVs, plus the turn is very tight. I saw it happen once when I was down there. A new greeter either forgot her training or wasn't paying attention and allowed an off site ECV (so smaller than ours) into the line. There wasn't enough room to make the turn, and he ended up running over the foot of the merge point/grouper CM. This resulted in severe bruising to the muscles and bones in her causing her to have a to wear a boot and be on crutches for a few weeks. Additionally, like KPev has said, the accessible honeypot would not be able to handle an ECV. We have a hard enough time with some of the bulker power chairs.

At least when I worked there, we kept up to 3 wheelchairs for guests to use in line. I'm quite surprised that option was not offered to you as an ECV user. I have never heard a CM tell a person they had to walk the length of the line. Standar protocl is that if a line is accessible to wheelchairs but not ECVs, we keep wheelchairs that we then offer to the guest to use for the duration of the line.

As for Peter Pan, Im' trying to remember what we did. I worked there when they still loaded people at the exit, which I'm being told now is no longer true due to the short amount of time to get one group off and one group on. I believe that when I was there we let people take their wheelchairs up to the moving belt, but then had them walk once they were on the belt itself.

As for the rest of the attractions in fantasyland, here is how it was as of January 2007:

-Small World: Alternate entrance was the exit. ECVs could go in the exit (I think) but not the ride itself. We do have accessible boats, which means that if you use the alternate entrance, you will be waiting, sometimes awhile. It tended to get backed up quickly.

-Peter Pan: Alternte Entrance was exit. Guests had to be able to walk on a moving belt and transfer by themselves or with the help of a party member. We are not allowed to stop that ride, so it had to be done within a fairly short time.

-Philhar: Completely accessible through the standby line, including ECVs. Once in the lobby, go down the queue to the right and you wil lbe directed to the accessible row in the back of the theatre.

-Dumbo: Alternate Entrance is in the exit. You can take ECVs and wheelchairs. Will need to transfer to your Dumbo, the CM will then move your ECV or wheelchairt to the location in which Dumbo stops.

-Snow White: Accessible entrance is near the exit. You will go to a holding area. ECVs and wheelchairs can be brought into the accessible entrance, but transfer to the ride vehicle is required. Note that there is very little leg room in the ride vehicles which sometimes causes difficulty in transferring.

-Tea Cups: wait at the designated exit door. You will see a sign. DO NOT enter the ride area while the ride is in motion. Wait for the CM to approach you. (Yes, I have had that happen).

 

[bedogged]

Thank you all for all the information, in particular Butterfly's. I just couldn't understand why they would make a new queue and not make it ECV assessable? Now I understand the logistics of the problem.

FYI as of Memorial Day this year, Peter Pan loading was done at the handicapped flag where you were taken in your ECV the back way to the ride. I could transfer so I walked from there.

 

[koolaidmoms]

For PP we took DS's wheelchair up to the belt (through the FP area - we did get FPs so that we would not hold others up) where we waited until we could board with him as recently as our last trip. Someone took the wheelchair and set it aside until we came back and could collect it off to the side.

Hope this helps some.

 

[KPeveler]

For PP we took DS's wheelchair up to the belt (through the FP area - we did get FPs so that we would not hold others up) where we waited until we could board with him as recently as our last trip. Someone took the wheelchair and set it aside until we came back and could collect it off to the side.

Hope this helps some.

This is what I tried to do with my powerchair, which they apparently thought was an ECV. I was directed to the exit and told to park it outside in stroller parking and walk in. This is not really an option for me, so I was simply told I could not ride. I have always just brought my wheelchair up to the belt and loaded from there, no problem.

 

[dclfun]

Last time we were at MK guests in w/c's were no longer going through the exit but there was a different entry point.---Kathy

 

[maroo]

This is what I tried to do with my powerchair, which they apparently thought was an ECV. I was directed to the exit and told to park it outside in stroller parking and walk in. This is not really an option for me, so I was simply told I could not ride. I have always just brought my wheelchair up to the belt and loaded from there, no problem.

That is just unacceptable.

It sounds like a training issue to me. I can understand...sort of...how a CM unfamiliar with wheelchairs could confuse the two...but one has a joystick and one does not...and the ones with a joystick should be able to just about anywhere that people walk - and they should have an alternative...not being able to ride should not be the alternative.

 

[KPeveler]

That is just unacceptable.

It sounds like a training issue to me. I can understand...sort of...how a CM unfamiliar with wheelchairs could confuse the two...but one has a joystick and one does not...and the ones with a joystick should be able to just about anywhere that people walk - and they should have an alternative...not being able to ride should not be the alternative.

That was not the only CM who thought my powerchair was an ECV that trip - I can understand the ECV having a problem at many Fantasyland attractions. ECVs take a LOT of room to turn, whereas my powerchair turns in its own radius.

 

[maroo]

That was not the only CM who thought my powerchair was an ECV that trip - I can understand the ECV having a problem at many Fantasyland attractions. ECVs take a LOT of room to turn, whereas my powerchair turns in its own radius.

exactly!

I had one CM that couldn't tell the difference, but once I explained the difference, he was fine and let us in the line.

 

[SueM in MN]

We rode in October with DD's manual wheelchair before the new queue was completed. They were running the whole line through the Fastpass line. I can say from our experience and seeing the pictures of the completed project that they did change the queuing area, but did not change the load area.