Peter Pan - Bad and Good News

[Belle1962]

Last summer when we rode PP the ride came to a halt! (we were riding first thing in the AM) And let me tell you that when it stops, its like whiplash for real!! I thought something had happened to the ride, but they must have been stopping it for someone needing assistance, it started back up pretty quick and when it starts back up its a little crazy too!!

Thats when I understood why they do need those lap bars on that ride

That's why my advice whenever people ask about "can I ride XXX?" is to consider not only the ride but what would happen if it had to make a sudden stop. I learned the very hard way that it's not only the ride--it's the emergency/sudden stop. I was injured when test track came to a sudden halt and spent the rest of the week in misery! Luckily it was closer to the end of the trip and not the beginning--but I had to make the 7 hour car trip home!! But I learned a very valuable lesson.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

My question is more about loading - I can still do a couple steps with help. But last time I was there they told me that all wheelchairs had to park outside!! Like in stroller parking!

Does anyone know what the "official" rules are? Or what your experiences are?

We were just there 2 weeks ago with my son using the stroller as a wheelchair. We had no problems bringing his stroller up on the platform and they moved it to the correct spot for us to get it when we got off.

 

[mskermit]

Recently while in MK I met the woman who is the "Area Manager" for the Peter Pan ride. I told her about this forum and asked about how people with mobility problems could ride.

1. Unlike the Peter Pan at Disneyland, the one at WDW is original and has never been totally rebuilt and the equipment and controllers are old.

2. The ride and boarding area cannot be slowed down.

3. If it is necessary to stop the ride for an emergency, the policy is that all Guests must be evacuated from the ride prior to restart.

4. Therefore, people who need lots of assistance to get out of a wheelchair or back into one normally are unable to ride the attraction.

Now the good news.

5. If you get to the ride right at Park opening, or at Park closing you will be able to ride.

6. When there are no other Guests in the ride vehicles they can stop the ride. People with disabilities will be able to board while the platform and the ride are not moving. As the people are in only the boarding area they can safely restart the ride.

7. After one (or maybe two) cycles they will stop the ride when the occupied vehicles are again in the boarding area and the people will be able to unload.

Note that if there are morning or evening Extra Magic Hours, Park Opening is considered at the start of morning EMH and Park Closing is considered as at the end of evening EMH, not the regular, public, Park hours.

great to know!!! this is my favorite ride and so hard to get my daughter on and off. I am so afraid that i wont get her out of the seat fast enough at the end of the ride, so she always misses out. im going to try this in august!!

 

[Schmeck]

Had the same problem with Toy Story ride in DHS. We had a fast pass and came through the fast pass line. Then we were told that we could not enter the wheelchair loading area without a GAC. Didn't have it on us...Dad had it. He carries it and didn't want to ride this ride. After a little pleading we were let on. We always take a GAC card now even if we have a fast pass.

This happened because at TSM, the wheelchair loading area is not part of the FP line at all - it has it's own little area before the stairs.

 

[mskermit]

I was in a personal power wheelchair that I cannot get out of, it does NOT look like an ECV (which I know cannot go into some queues) , AND i had a GAC. I was told to park my ECV in stroller parking and then walk in the exit (about 50 feet), then stand there and wait behind some other people.

Another time I was there, I brought my wheelchair right in to the edge of the moving walkway, and got in there. I can't figure out why I was told to park the chair and walk!

OH NO!! you need to insist that the chair be there when the ride is done! i do it all the time. i always stress to them that my daughter needs this as soon as she gets off the ride and please make sure someone does not take it.some of these CMs are just down right stupid, sorry, when it comes to wheelchairs. first i think they dont realize how important they are to some people, second how expensive they are and hopefully no one will like ours better and take off with it.!! we have had a problem in the past with pirates of the carribbean, a CM would always take our chair and leave it out by the strollers! uuuggghh... just INSIST and make it very clear you would like it available when the ride is done.usually this does work. pirates has an elevator in there for a reason

 

[SueM in MN]

OH NO!! you need to insist that the chair be there when the ride is done! i do it all the time. i always stress to them that my daughter needs this as soon as she gets off the ride and please make sure someone does not take it.some of these CMs are just down right stupid, sorry, when it comes to wheelchairs. first i think they dont realize how important they are to some people, second how expensive they are and hopefully no one will like ours better and take off with it.!! we have had a problem in the past with pirates of the carribbean, a CM would always take our chair and leave it out by the strollers! uuuggghh... just INSIST and make it very clear you would like it available when the ride is done.usually this does work. pirates has an elevator in there for a reason

Pirates has some special design problems I thought it may be good to explain. Those make it difficult to bring someone’s own wheelchair/special needs stroller into the attraction. Although it is not ‘forbidden’, they do try to have everyone walk in, carry a small child in or have people use one of the attraction wheelchairs if at all possible. We have been asked if DD can walk, even though her wheelchair includes things like foot straps to keep her feet in place. We also get asked each time if she is able to transfer to one of the attraction wheelchairs.
They also have looked at her wheelchair before letting us take it into line and checked with CMs at both the boarding area and unload area to make sure it was OK before letting us into line.

The reason for this is that boarding area is in one building and the unload area is actually in another building, down one floor. It is not possible to board at the exit, like at many rides because once guests have gotten off, the boats go thru an area that is just high enough for the boats to go thru.
If the guest can walk/be carried in or use one of the attraction wheelchairs, it is much easier to make sure a wheelchair is waiting at the exit. If it has to be that guest’s own personal wheelchair, it’s harder to make sure that particular wheelchair gets to the exit on time. The reason they look at DD’s chair and check with the boarding and unload area is to make sure they have the staff to get it to the unload area and that it is small/light enough for them to bring thru the behind the scenes area to get it from the boarding area to the exit.

We have been there when DD’s wheelchair was arriving just as our boat reached the exit and there have been people who posted they got to the exit and then had to wait for their wheelchair.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I have a theory, totally don't know if it's right but could it be that the "greeter" CM's aren't at the same ride all day and get confused like "Oh I forgot, this isn't Space Mountain it's Dumbo and the wheelchair procedure is different here"

I can't imagine the training is that bad that these people can't figure out that when I tell them "This is a guide dog, my father is blind and he can't navigate the line by himself, I need to be with him" that trying to send me through the Fastpass line and him through the back entrance will not work.