Question about rides with steps

[debraW76]

My mom is going with us this fall and has lots of trouble with steps. She can walk and manage to get around anywhere at home but has trouble with lots of walking (especially in the heat and humidity).

Our first trip together she refused to rent an ECV. She was miserable and by the third or 4th day she retired to the room for the remainder of the trip.

Trip #2 - finally on our last day she rented one in EPCOT and couldn't have been happier.

Trip #3 she rented one again at EPCOT but opted to walk in MK. She couldn't get on the train because she couldn't step up to the platform. I asked the CM if she could use the wheelchair ramp and they said no because that was for wheelchairs only. I explained that she couldn't step up into the train and finally another CM came and lowered the WC ramp for us. The same day she rode Snow White with me. It took a while for her to get in because she has trouble lifting her legs into the car. But that was nothing compared to the trouble she had getting out of the car at the end of the ride. She couldn't lift her leg over the side of the car and wound up having to almost crawl out backwards. The CM operating the ride looked annoyed that she was having trouble and had to temporarily stop the ride to wait for her to finish unloading. I think this embarrassed her as she wouldn't ride anything else the rest of the trip.

She is a big woman but that is really not her problem, Her main problem is lifting her legs. She has been like this since her heart surgery. She can't climb stairs and has trouble getting in and out of most automobiles. Basically anything over a 3 inch step she has to have a strong handle for both hands and also someone in front of her and/or behind her also assisting.

I really want her to have a good time this year and to enjoy at least some of the attractions but am not sure how to help her. She has already said she wants to only do theater style attractions. If she is not interested in riding that is one thing, but if she is not riding because she doesn't think she can, then I want to help her.

When she rented the ECV, she would ride up to the entrance to the line, park the ECV, and walk through the que with us. Then after the ride she would find her ECV and ride to the next attraction.

What can/will Disney do to help us? Do you think that because she parked her ECV and walked through the lines with us that the CMs assumed she wouldn't have any trouble? Should we instead have her ride the ECV all the way through the line so that the CMs will know she needs assistance? Should we get a GAC card that just states she needs to be able to use the wheelchair ramp to load and unload?

On rides that continuously move, Are there special loading/unloading stations for guests who may take longer?

Also, I told her about the offsite rental companies and she has agreed to get an ECV for her length of stay instead of just renting one after she is too tired to walk!!

Any other information or helpful tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[KPeveler]

You can speak to CMs about a GAC that would allow her to avoid stairs in queues, and some rides can be slowed to give her more time to load and unload from rides.

She really should keep the ECV all the way through the line - there is no reason not to, as most lines are accessible and you will use the regular line, and it will let her save her energy for things she has to walk through. The ECV will let CMs know she needs to avoid stairs.

There are some rides that she will not be able to use the ramp without having a wheelchair or ECV just for safety reasons. For example, Jungle Cruise, you cannot use the lift to get down into the boat without a wheelchair, as the wheelchair stays on the lift (there is no seat).

She may want to ask about a wheelchair to transfer to on some rides, so she does not have to climb anywhere. For example, a wheelchair can just roll onto a special Small World boat - no climbing.

I will be back later to give a better answer (in a bit of a hurry now), but I hope this helped for now

 

[debraW76]

Thank you. That is the exact type of information I am looking for.

My mother can walk, she just can't walk long distances without lots of breaks. She can physically walk through the line ques because they generally are slow moving. And since she is physically able, she feels shy about riding her ECV through the line.

I will try to convince her of staying in the chair and riding it through the line but this will be a struggle as it was difficult just to get her to agree to rent an ECV.

I think what she needs the most is the GAC card that just tells CMs that she needs extra time to load and unload. I will also take the time to re-evaluate all of the ride seats to see which ones she may want to stay in her chair for. Anything that will require one to lift their legs over I will recommend she stay in her ECV or maybe transfer to a wheelchair to enjoy the ride.

I really want her to have a good time. So many times she goes with us and just waits outside. She always says she is just not interested, but I think it is because of the difficulty she thinks she will have if she tries.

She didn't even want to ride TSM and I couldn't convince her that she would enjoy it.

Isn't there a thread that shows all of the types of seats?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

The majority of attraction lines in WDW are "mainstreamed". This means that a wheelchair or ECV will use the regular entrance and line all the way to either a show seating or ride load area. If a line is not mainstreamed there will be signs and/or Cast Members to direct you where to go.

If a show, normally there will be spaces to park a chair or ECV and there will be seats next to the space for other members of the group.

If a ride, usually you will have to transfer to a ride vehicle, although some rides will allow a person in a wheelchair to remain in their chair. If you have to transfer to a ride, and unload is not at the same location as load, your ECV will magically appear at the unload area.

If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information. Note that Post #2 discusses mobility and equipment. Post #3 had a wide variety of information and links; it might be a good idea to look at the various park "Guidebook For Persons With Disabilities" for more detailed information.

Note that a GAC is not given for mobility and/or stamina needs, only the recommendation that a wheelchair or ECV be rented. And when at load or unload, all that is needed is to take the extra time, it is not necessary to tell the CM. The exception to this is if there is a moving belt, let the CM know so it can be slowed down. (Peter Pan and Tomorrowland Transit Authority they cannot slow the moving belt.)

Or, if you want an easier route to the FAQs, click on the link in my signature.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you. That is the exact type of information I am looking for.

My mother can walk, she just can't walk long distances without lots of breaks. She can physically walk through the line ques because they generally are slow moving. And since she is physically able, she feels shy about riding her ECV through the line.

I will try to convince her of staying in the chair and riding it through the line but this will be a struggle as it was difficult just to get her to agree to rent an ECV.

I think what she needs the most is the GAC card that just tells CMs that she needs extra time to load and unload. I will also take the time to re-evaluate all of the ride seats to see which ones she may want to stay in her chair for. Anything that will require one to lift their legs over I will recommend she stay in her ECV or maybe transfer to a wheelchair to enjoy the ride.

I really want her to have a good time. So many times she goes with us and just waits outside. She always says she is just not interested, but I think it is because of the difficulty she thinks she will have if she tries.

She didn't even want to ride TSM and I couldn't convince her that she would enjoy it.

Isn't there a thread that shows all of the types of seats?

If you look in the disABILITIES FAQs thread, you will find information about Guest Assistance Cards in post #6 of that thread.
I agree with KPeveler that it would just be easier in some cases to use the ECV (or a wheelchair) in line. If she chooses to walk in line, she would need a GAC that allows her to use the wheelchair entrances. This would not shorten her wait or her walk in line, but would allow her to use an entrance that is accessible (i.e. no stairs) and would be boarding in a place that allows the CM to stop the moving walkway, for those attractions with moving walkways.

This is a link to a recent thread about guests who need more time to get on and off attractions. It should be helpful.

For attraction ride photos, allearsnet.com has a ride car photo page, but many of the pictures do not show the step getting in because they were more showing the type of seat and the size of the seat.

I do have photos of most ride cars, but only have a few posted on the wdwinfo photo pages (so many photos, so little time

If there are some specific ride cars you are interested in, let me know and I will find them in my photos and post them.
Some - like this wheelchair boat at Small World, do have a ramp she could walk down.

But the seat is very low to get up from. The ride boat in Mexico is very similar.

Others have a wheelchair car, but it is converted by removing one seat and folding down the ramp. It has only one seat and the ramp would not be easy to walk up because it is ‘bumpy'. THis one is from Triceraptop Spin at AK, but there is a similar car at Aladdin at MK and Toy Story Mania at the Studio.

Some, like Splash Mountain, Pirates and Maestrom (in Norway at Epcot), are such a far step down that I would not recommend them.

This is Pirates.

Others are a very small step or nearly even, such as Haunted Mansion

This shows the transfer doombuggy, which is a bit bigger opening, but the step is the same.

 

[debraW76]

Thank you Thank you Thank you!

I did read the FAQs but didn't really find the answer to my specific question. She seems to be in between mobility needs. She needs the ECV for most of the long distance walks (parking lot to park, land to land, etc). But she wants to stand in line with us (which she is physically capable of). Then once we reach the actual ride/attraction, she may need special assistance loading/unloading.

I've put a lot of thought into this and think that what she really needs is the ability to load/unload using the wheelchair ramp, even when she chooses to leave her ECV outside. I am afraid though, that without a GAC that gives her permission to use the wheelchair ramp even when she is walking, we will have the same trouble we did at the train station.

The easiest solution may be to convince her to ride her ECV through the line. But from what I have read they only allow up to 5 to ride with her if she remains in her ECV or moves to a wheelchair. Since our group is 9, this means we will always have to divide our group up. Not something i really want to do.

The link to the allears "attraction vehicle photos" was exactly what I was looking for. The thread about 'what if I need more time.." was also quite helpful.

I emailed Disney this morning and am waiting for them to reply. I think what I need to do is to categorize all of the rides into three groups:
1. Attractions she can experience with no special accommodations (i.e. Monster's Inc)
2. Attractions she can experience with special assistance (i.e. IASM - using the wheelchair accessible boat).
3. Attractions she probably will not be able to experience no matter what (i.e. Astro Orbiter).

For ones I can't easily put into a group, I will refer to the photos and will ask here if it is not obvious. She is coming over Thursday so I hope to have all of the info for her before then so she can look over it.

I just hate the thought of her going to Disney and not participating because she thinks she can't.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you Thank you Thank you!

I did read the FAQs but didn't really find the answer to my specific question. She seems to be in between mobility needs. She needs the ECV for most of the long distance walks (parking lot to park, land to land, etc). But she wants to stand in line with us (which she is physically capable of). Then once we reach the actual ride/attraction, she may need special assistance loading/unloading.

If you have not looked at the EPCOT FAQs, there are some pictures of some of the Epcot attractions - I have not had time to make entries for all of them, but have been trying.

Would special assistance include slowing or stopping the moving walkway for those attractions with them?

Does she have any difficulty getting up from a very low seat if she does not have a step to step over?

What about walking up or down ramps?

These are the attractions with warnings - they are marked with a red triangle on the park map and also on a sign at the entrance to the queue.
The wording for the general warning is:
WARNING! For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.

Some of these will be out anyway because of the need to step into or out. Are there some that she won’t be able to ride anyway because of the general health warning? (specifically thinking about the heart surgery history).

For Epcot here are the attractions with warnings:

• Mission Space the sign outside the attraction says that pregnant women are advised not the ride both the more tame (green side) and the more wild (orange side)
• Test Track

For Magic Kingdom:

• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
• Space Mountain
• Goofy's Barnstormer (this doesn't have a triangle warning sign on the map, but does say that pregnant women should not ride, so is not completely tame)

For Disney Studio

• Star Tours
• Rock N Roller Coaster
• Tower of Terror

For Animal Kingdom:

• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Kali River Rapids
• Expedition Everest
• Primeval Whirl
• Dinosaur

The easiest solution may be to convince her to ride her ECV through the line. But from what I have read they only allow up to 5 to ride with her if she remains in her ECV or moves to a wheelchair. Since our group is 9, this means we will always have to divide our group up. Not something i really want to do.

There are certain attractions where the group CAN only be that size. For example, if you look at the Small World wheelchair boat, there are only 6 seats on that boat since the middle is removed to make space for a wheelchair to drive down the ramp in the middle. So that means, the largest number who can ride on that ride car is 6 walking in, plus one with a wheelchair.
Toy Story Mania has a similar situation. The ride cars that are normally dispatched out of the accessible boarding area is 6. So, the rest of your party would be separated anyway.

 

[Bete]

You will probably not like what I have to say; I'm sorry. I think it's time to adjust the trip to doing more shows and attractions rather than rides with her. There's even a lot of street entertainment going on all the time in the parks to enjoy. There's some info on how this all works available, here on the DIS. All the info given above already will help with the rides, but no matter I think it's time to take it easier with mom some. By all means do a wheelchair transfer, as much as possible, with the rides that are capable. I would be afraid of using wheelchair ramps to walk down and up from the rides with her. They were not designed for that purpose. They could be slippery and steep and you don't have handles there, etc. I would make sure two in your party are helping her at all times with these rides if you insist on doing them, one holding each side of her. They're not designed for three people to be there, either; so, you just need to be very careful. Wearing a gait belt might help too with those assisting her. It's not worth a fall to do a ride. I use to panic some helping someone on a ride and then rushing to get on the ride myself.

Part of the problem with the ECV in the queue ride lines may be all the twists and turns that you need to do to get to the ride. Also, some ride queues are very narrow and it's a bit tricky using an ECV to make so many zig zag turns in tight quarters. This could be what's turning your mom off in using an ECV all the way to the ride. There's no really good answer to this problem other than someone else driving it through the hard part of the ride queue and letting her back on when it's easier.

I have an Alzheimer's mother who has mobility issues. She uses a walker around the house, but for travel we have her in a wheelchair. Obviously she couldn't operate an ECV. My hubby is diabetic and walking is too hard for him, now and he uses an ECV. Anyway, we've adjusted to how we enjoy WDW through the years. I'm thankful we took our grandkids when we could handle more and do the roller coasters, etc. But the reality is we can longer do it in that manner. I would never stop someone else in our party enjoying everything they could enjoy, but I understand everyone will not be able to do this as the years go by. I still feel there's reason enough to come and enjoy WDW.

With 9 in your party I would think you could take turns being with your mom while others enjoy the more difficult rides. Take a break and smell the roses; enjoy some good conversation with her while others do the harder rides; find some hidden mickeys, take some pictures or video, have a drink and utilize a restroom with her; etc. These can all be great memories, too. Allow your mom to take a well deserved break with dignity. Make it feel special to be with her while others enjoy the harder rides.

If your mom wants to do a ride then by all means do your best to accomodate her with safety being number one.

I'm happy to see you are trying your hardest to make it easier for your mom. God Bless.

 

[debraW76]

If you have not looked at the EPCOT FAQs, there are some pictures of some of the Epcot attractions - I have not had time to make entries for all of them, but have been trying.

I did look at them and the pics are great for reference. thanks so much

Would special assistance include slowing or stopping the moving walkway for those attractions with them?

For some it would help. But for others even slowing down or stopping wouldn't help

Does she have any difficulty getting up from a very low seat if she does not have a step to step over?

She actually prefers low seat as she is only 5 feet tall and has very short legs. The sitting/standing isn't a problem for her.

What about walking up or down ramps?

Not a problem at all for her. She can even use stairs when she has to. I have steps in my house and she visits once a week. But she doesn't use the front steps because there is not a handrail. Instead she enters through my basement and uses internal stairs where there is a handrail and the steps are shorter. It takes her a while but she can do it. But obviously if there are stairs next to a ramp - she would prefer the ramp.

This just reminded me of another incident we had a few years back. We were entering the train station at Frontierland. I told her to walk with me up the wheelchair ramp to the station while my husband took the 6 kids (then ages 2-8) up the stairs. The CM at the top kept yelling at us to stop and to enter using the stairs. I didn't want to yell back so I waited until we got closer where I could talk to him in a normal voice. All the while he kept yelling at us that we couldn't enter that way. It was for wheelchairs only. Once we got to the top I tried to explain to him that my mother has a hard time with stairs and he kept insisting that the wheelchair ramp was for wheelchairs only and not for people who could walk. Finally he let us through but was not happy about it.

These are the the type of incidences I want to avoid this trip. This is where I think a GAC would have helped because I could have just showed him the card and not had to argue with him. I am not trying to sneak past anyone in lines. In fact my husband beat us to the front of the line using the stairs and he had to wait on us. I just want her to be able to use the wheelchair ramp instead of the stairs without having to explain myself to every CM.

These are the attractions with warnings - they are marked with a red triangle on the park map and also on a sign at the entrance to the queue.
The wording for the general warning is:
WARNING! For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.

Some of these will be out anyway because of the need to step into or out. Are there some that she won’t be able to ride anyway because of the general health warning? (specifically thinking about the heart surgery history).

For Epcot here are the attractions with warnings:

• Mission Space the sign outside the attraction says that pregnant women are advised not the ride both the more tame (green side) and the more wild (orange side)
• Test Track

For Magic Kingdom:

• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
• Space Mountain
• Goofy's Barnstormer (this doesn't have a triangle warning sign on the map, but does say that pregnant women should not ride, so is not completely tame)

For Disney Studio

• Star Tours
• Rock N Roller Coaster
• Tower of Terror

For Animal Kingdom:

• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Kali River Rapids
• Expedition Everest
• Primeval Whirl
• Dinosaur

With the exception of the Safaris (which she has ridden and loved) I don't think she would be interested in riding the others. Coasters and water rides just don't interest her much anymore. I am more interested in accommodating her for family type rides like Jungle Cruise, Pirates, etc.

There are certain attractions where the group CAN only be that size. For example, if you look at the Small World wheelchair boat, there are only 6 seats on that boat since the middle is removed to make space for a wheelchair to drive down the ramp in the middle. So that means, the largest number who can ride on that ride car is 6 walking in, plus one with a wheelchair.
Toy Story Mania has a similar situation. The ride cars that are normally dispatched out of the accessible boarding area is 6. So, the rest of your party would be separated anyway.

Good point. Even without loading/unloading issues our group would be divided up on some attractions. That would be fine for (IASM for example) if we were in boats in front of/behind each other. I just don't want our group to split up in the line to where one group gets out much sooner than the other.

You will probably not like what I have to say; I'm sorry. I think it's time to adjust the trip to doing more shows and attractions rather than rides with her. There's even a lot of street entertainment going on all the time in the parks to enjoy. There's some info on how this all works available, here on the DIS. All the info given above already will help with the rides, but no matter I think it's time to take it easier with mom some. By all means do a wheelchair transfer, as much as possible, with the rides that are capable. I would be afraid of using wheelchair ramps to walk down and up from the rides with her. They were not designed for that purpose. They could be slippery and steep and you don't have handles there, etc. I would make sure two in your party are helping her at all times with these rides if you insist on doing them, one holding each side of her. They're not designed for three people to be there, either; so, you just need to be very careful. Wearing a gait belt might help too with those assisting her. It's not worth a fall to do a ride. I use to panic some helping someone on a ride and then rushing to get on the ride myself.

Thank you for your safety concerns. I have also considered this and put that in my email I sent yesterday to Disney. My mother doesn't want to do a wheelchair transfer - getting her to agree to the ECV was a huge battle. If she would transfer to a wheelchair then I don't think we would have any issues being reasonably accommodated. The problem is she wants to walk through the line with us (which she can without any problems) but when we get to the attraction loading area, CMs assume that because she is walking she doesn't need help or assistance.

Part of the problem with the ECV in the queue ride lines may be all the twists and turns that you need to do to get to the ride. Also, some ride queues are very narrow and it's a bit tricky using an ECV to make so many zig zag turns in tight quarters. This could be what's turning your mom off in using an ECV all the way to the ride. There's no really good answer to this problem other than someone else driving it through the hard part of the ride queue and letting her back on when it's easier.

Hmm. I haven't thought of that. Maybe. I will ask her about this.

I have an Alzheimer's mother who has mobility issues. She uses a walker around the house, but for travel we have her in a wheelchair. Obviously she couldn't operate an ECV. My hubby is diabetic and walking is too hard for him, now and he uses an ECV. Anyway, we've adjusted to how we enjoy WDW through the years. I'm thankful we took our grandkids when we could handle more and do the roller coasters, etc. But the reality is we can longer do it in that manner. I would never stop someone else in our party enjoying everything they could enjoy, but I understand everyone will not be able to do this as the years go by. I still feel there's reason enough to come and enjoy WDW.

With 9 in your party I would think you could take turns being with your mom while others enjoy the more difficult rides. Take a break and smell the roses; enjoy some good conversation with her while others do the harder rides; find some hidden mickeys, take some pictures or video, have a drink and utilize a restroom with her; etc. These can all be great memories, too. Allow your mom to take a well deserved break with dignity. Make it feel special to be with her while others enjoy the harder rides.

The 9 in my party consists of myself, my husband, our 5 small children and my mother-in-law. For rides that one of the younger ones cannot ride, one of us will be waiting anyway.

If your mom wants to do a ride then by all means do your best to accomodate her with safety being number one.

That is exactly what I am trying to do. I just want to know in advance which rides needs no special accommodations, which can be reasonably accommodated and which ones she should probably skip altogether.

I'm happy to see you are trying your hardest to make it easier for your mom. God Bless.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[SueM in MN]

A GAC to use the wheelchair entrances and avoid stairs would be helpful because she would be able to use the areas without steps.
For some of these, though, the ‘accessible’ way does lead to a ride car or area that is separated off from the rest of the ride cars, so they do generally limit it to wheelchairs only (I am thinking of the MK trains).

You also DO need to be prepared to split into 2 groups (one of them no larger than a total of 6) in case you are asked. When they do split groups, it is usually for good reasons, such as:

• accessible waiting area is small and a large group will fill it up
• the ride car does not fit more than 6.
• you may be waiting for a specific ride car and a large group means that other guests who need that accessible boarding area, but do not need the special ride car will not be able to get by
• the accessible boarding area is the exit and a large group waiting becomes an impediment for guests who are exiting.

You will save yourself a lot of aggravation by just being ready to split if you need to. Figure out ahead of time who will be in which group, make sure each group has someone with a cell phone and knows the general area you plan to meet in.

The rest of this post will be about Magic Kingdom.
I am leaving out these attractions which have warnings, since she would not be riding anyway.
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
Space Mountain
Goofy's Barnstormer

Also, for those attractions with wheelchair accessible cars/boats, the attraction does have some available, but may not have extra wide chairs.

Main Street USA.
Main Street Vehicles - These are not accessible since there is a fairly large step up into the ride car and/or horse drawn trolley.
This picture shows the trolley (it's in a parade, but is the same trolley)

Railroad at Main Street Station - VERY long, steep ramp. Guests with wheelchairs can get on at this station and get off at any other station. Most users of ECVs will need leave their ECV at the station to get onto the train and make a round trip.
As you already know, the step up to the train is fairly high. This picture shows the wheelchair accessible train car. It can hold several wheelchairs, but has only one bench for the rest of the party. At the stations, there is something blocking access to this first car from the rest of the station so ambulatory guests can’t just get on this car.

Adventureland
1. Attractions she can experience with no special accommodations.

• Tiki Room - show with benches, which have backs. Guests with wheelchairs/ECVs are shown in first. Wheelchair/ECV groups may be able to stay together while waiting and can sit together.

2. Attractions she can experience with special assistance

• Magic Carpets of Aladdin (only in a wheelchair using the wheelchair accessible ride carpet)
• Jungle Cruise (only in a wheelchair using the wheelchair accessible boat)

This is the regular Aladdin carpet, which has quite a step up; probably 8-12 inches.

This is the wheelchair accessible Aladdin carpet - the back seat is removed to make room for a wheelchair. The ramp can’t be used to get into the seat. The front seat can be used by other guests in your party (1-2 adults)

This shows the step into and out of the Jungle Cruise Boat.

This shows the wheelchair accessible boat which has a lift. The lift can’t be used without a wheelchair.

3. Attractions she probably will not be able to experience no matter what
Pirates of the Caribbean - getting in involves a big step over the side of the boat (similar to stepping over a tub), down one step to the seat, then a second step to the floor of the boat. Given what you have said about her difficulty with Snow White, this would not be doable because it is much more difficult than Snow White.

Frontierland
There is only one attraction she will be able to do - Country Bear Jamboree, which is a music show. Depending on the number of guests with wheelchairs, you may be able to wait together (waiting area is a chained off area of the general waiting area). There is limited space for companions sitting with the guest using a wheelchair; other members will sit elsewhere in the theater.

Liberty Square
Hall of Presidents - no problem, with or without an ECV/wheelchair. Limited number of seats to sit next to wheelchair/ECV, so the rest of your party will sit elsewhere in the theater.

Liberty Square Riverboat - mobility access is to enter thru the exit on either right or left. I have not been on without a wheelchair, so can’t recall if the regular line has stairs. Sometimes, the boat is quite full to the point of being standing room only.

Haunted Mansion - probably doable. There is a moving walkway, which can be slowed or even stopped if you are boarding at the exit. You do need to tell them what you need - don’t assume they will slow or stop it. Boarding there means missing the preshow, so I would send only a few people with her and have the rest of your party follow the ‘regular’ way in. They can easily meet up with you in the exit courtyard after the show.
I already posted a picture of the Haunted Mansion ride car; it is a very small step in - close to being level with the floor. Each ride car fits 2 adults, with one small child (if the adults are small to medium size).

Fantasyland
1. Attractions she can experience with no special accommodations.
Mickey’s Philharmagic - a show which can be experienced with a wheelchair or ECV. If your party is not split before going in, you will be split in the theater since there is one companion seat per wheelchair/ECV.

2. Attractions she can experience with special assistance
Small World - I already posted a picture of the boat. Be aware that the ramp is a bit steep at the end and there is nothing to hold onto except for the seat backs. The wheelchair boat seats 6, plus one wheelchair. The regular boat seats many. She could drive an ECV to the boarding area and switch to a wheelchair.
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - only in the wheelchair car. I have never seen them do anything to make this car ‘accessible’, but it may have seats for 2 guests which flip down to make seats for ambulatory guests to ride and up to make room for 1-2 wheelchairs. A total of 2 guests can ride. This is the wheelchair honey pot which has a flat entry in:

This is the ‘regular’ honey pot which has about an 8-12 inch step in:

3. Attractions she probably will not be able to experience no matter what - based on the fact that you stated she had problems with Snow White, these attractions are at least as difficult as Snow White.
Snow White - is about 8-12 inch step up; comes to complete stop for boarding and unloading

Peter Pan’s Flight - this is about 6-10 inch step up, with a moving walkway which can’t be stopped or slowed

Carrousel - one website says it has a ramped area and a wheelchair accessible chariot, but this picture is from May 2010 and I was told by a CM that it is the only chariot. It is listed in the Guide for Guests with Disabilities as guests in wheelchairs need to transfer.

Dumbo - there is an ADA transfer Dumbo, but the step up is the same, about 8-10 inches. THe only difference is that the side opens wider.
This is the ADA transfer Dumbo

This is the ‘regular’ Dumbo

Mad Tea Party - getting in involves about a 6-8 inch step over the saucer and another large step (at least 12 inches) over the side of the cup.

Tomorrowland
1. Attractions she can experience with no special accommodations.
Carousel of Progress - show. Guests with wheelchairs can sit in the wheelchair in the show at the end of a row. The rest of your party can sit near them.
Monster’s Inc, Laugh Floor - show. Guests with wheelchairs and ECVs can stay in them for the show. The rest of your party can sit near. They may limit the number of guests with wheelchairs in the waiting area, but this is just a chained off area of the regular waiting area.

Stitch’s Great Escape - guests can stay in a wheelchair for the show. There are some stairs, but you can choose a path to avoid those without using a GAC. SCARY SHOW, so may not want to go to if you have young kids.

2. Attractions she can experience with special assistance
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin - has a wheelchair car which you must be in a wheelchair to use. The back of the car folds down to form a ramp and the wheelchair can be rolled in. There is only one seat in this car for a companion and it is only used when needed for a wheelchair.
This is the regular Buzz Car, step up is about 6-8 inches.

This is the wheelchair car

3. Attractions she probably will not be able to experience no matter what
Tomorrowland Transit Authority - Riding this involves going up a steep moving walkway to get up to the station at 2nd floor level. The boarding and unload area has a circular moving walkway, moving at the same speed as the ride cars. About a 6-8 inch step up.

 

[debraW76]

SueM, thank you so much for all of this information. You just saved me hours and hours of research!!

I was just hoping to get pointed to the right direction so that I could categorize the rides but you went ahead and did all of that for me. I am almost in tears right now because of this nice gesture.

 

[SueM in MN]

You are welcome.
This is something I have been trying to find time to do for a long time.
I have hundreds of pictures, just needed to sort through and post them.

Are you planning to go to any of the other parks?

Epcot should be fairly easy to figure out with the Epcot FAQs thread, but I have few pictures posted of the other parks (but do have pictures of pretty much all of them).