Ride access

[SueM in MN]

…..They CM told me that the special vehicles are only for those in wheelchairs. In a way that makes sense but in a way, it doesn't.….

I think it’s very possible there was/is a misunderstanding here.
The special vehicles that are wheelchair accessible are only for guests using wheelchairs. Those are designed so that a wheelchair can be rolled right onto the ride vehicle. Most have one seat for a companion and one wheelchair spot, so they are not really useful for people unless they are using a wheelchair OR need that empty space for a service dog.

 

[SueM in MN]

To my knowledge, anyone is allowed to book an accessible resort room. There is no documentation required. Not WDW, but I have an booked accessible room for my parents in the past because the walk-in shower was much easier for my mom to help dad.

We always book an accessible room with a roll in shower because our daughter uses a wheelchair and can’t walk or stand.
Accessible rooms can be booked on line or on the phone, the same as other rooms. There are no questions regarding what the needs are or whether you actually need it. Accessible rooms are basically the same as other rooms except for the accessibility features, so there is no ‘advantage’ for someone to reserve one unless they need the accessibility features.

 

[mamabunny]

... I asked a cast member in the Disney chat and he said no, that they were only for people in wheelchairs ...

I just realized. That's your problem!

Quite often, Cast Members who do not work directly in the Parks don't know exactly how things work for those of us who hang out in this little corner of the DIS.

So, CMs you talk to at call centers, chat with online, or even talk to in the DAS video visit may not always know how things work in the "real world" of the Parks.

(Side note: if you are staying at a Disney World Resort Hotel, and you call the "front desk" you are actually getting a call center. Common knowledge around here, but a lot of Guests don't know that)

Any time you are talking with a CM who is not in the Parks about how things work when you are in the Parks... take what they tell you with a giant grain of salt - like grab the wheelbarrow size grain of salt LOL It's not that they are spreading misinformation on purpose, but they often just don't realize how things work for Guests who are visiting that have a difference or disability. Shoot, there are some of them who have never been to WDW or DL; the closest they ever got to a Disney property was the Disney Store at their local mall.

So... TL;DR believe what the CMs in the Park tell you - they are the ones you will be working with directly as you go through your Disney day!

 

[DisneyOma]

We always book an accessible room with a roll in shower because our daughter uses a wheelchair and can’t walk or stand.
Accessible rooms can be booked on line or on the phone, the same as other rooms. There are no questions regarding what the needs are or whether you actually need it. Accessible rooms are basically the same as other rooms except for the accessibility features, so there is no ‘advantage’ for someone to reserve one unless they need the accessibility features.

Some have bigger showers without the tub - that's a nice feature that can be considered desirable outside the accessible realm.

 

[RoseGold]

Special “wheelchair” cars require a wheelchair. Example would be the safari car. Non-wheelchair people have a few normal rows and they strap down wheelchairs in the front. It doesn’t make sense if you don’t have a wheelchair. You’re much better skipping that slow-loading vehicle and just going on the regular ride. Other rides also have these, like Remy.

It will likely help to have some indicator, like a cane. That’s a clear message that you need help boarding.

IMO, the least accessible ride in this scenario would be flight of passage. The FOP motorcycle style vehicle is unnecessarily challenging and there’s no accessible one.

 

[SueM in MN]

Some have bigger showers without the tub - that's a nice feature that can be considered desirable outside the accessible realm.

That’s what a roll in shower is.
The majority of people who post they got assigned to one randomly are not happy with it - using them can get water on the floor because there is not the tub or bigger ‘lip’ on the shower to keep water in. Also, the total space of the room is usually the same; the larger space needed for wheelchair access in the bathroom usually comes from the bedroom area

 

[Groot]

It will likely help to have some indicator, like a cane. That’s a clear message that you need help boarding.

Not all the time. Before I upgraded myself to a powerchair (yes, I consider that an IMMENSE UPGRADE in my quality in life compared to before.), people would ignore the cane and would just ASSUME that I needed no help.

 

[RoseGold]

Well, the cane is as effective as the user. A cane can demonstrate exactly what OP needs to say, or it can do nothing.

 

[pepperderr]

Special “wheelchair” cars require a wheelchair. Example would be the safari car. Non-wheelchair people have a few normal rows and they strap down wheelchairs in the front. It doesn’t make sense if you don’t have a wheelchair. You’re much better skipping that slow-loading vehicle and just going on the regular ride. Other rides also have these, like Remy.

It will likely help to have some indicator, like a cane. That’s a clear message that you need help boarding.

IMO, the least accessible ride in this scenario would be flight of passage. The FOP motorcycle style vehicle is unnecessarily challenging and there’s no accessible one.

I think they have a vehicle outside of FOP that I can try to get on before we get in line so I will know and be able to practice that. I sure hope I can manage it. I really don't want to miss that one. I am looking into getting tickets for Boo Bash or MNSSHP, whichever one they have this year as a surprise for my sons. We normally don't ride the haunted mansion ride but that might be fun during that event. I see they have a moving walkway but I am not sure how sturdy it is to grab onto the lap bar to help me get in. I read that it is not sturdy and moves easily. I am up in the air about that one. I am afraid it might give my younger son nightmares even though he is 18. My older son would probably like it though. What are your thoughts on that ride?

 

[pepperderr]

Not all the time. Before I upgraded myself to a powerchair (yes, I consider that an IMMENSE UPGRADE in my quality in life compared to before.), people would ignore the cane and would just ASSUME that I needed no help.

That is kinda my situation too. Mostly, everything that I struggle with that most others don't, is not obvious if I don't mention it. In everyday life, I can get along without a cane. I do have one though. The reason I have issues with my knees is that I have hyper flexibility. That sounds like a good thing but it causes me to dislocate my joints way more easily than most people. I can't count how many times I dislocated my knee. I even dislocated the bone in the top of my foot once. The very first time we went to Disney World when my sons were just 4 and 8 years old, I dislocated my hip. I don't even know when I did it. I just walked around Disney in severe pain for at least two days before I realized what happened. I would take pain meds and nothing helped and I didn't understand why. Then one time when I was getting dressed I looked down at my hip and thought, wow that doesn't look right. I pushed on it and it went back in place. I wished I had noticed it sooner! Most places that have steps nowadays are required to have rails so usually I am okay with that. Though I do remember when we took my son to Legoland we went to a show that had steps with a yellow line painted on each step. That really messed me up due to my depth perception problem. I almost fell going down those steps even with the railing because I just could not figure out where one step ended and the next one started. It was the strangest thing ever for me. It makes me think of someone having a stroke or something, I just couldn't differentiate what step was where! I think the yellow lines on each step and the fact that the steps were very shallow actually made it worse for me. The way my eye doctor explained it, he showed me what was supposed to be a + on a piece of paper and asked me what I saw. I told him that I see a line going up and down and another one going across but I could not make it look like a plus sign. He said normally both eyes are supposed to work together to make the image into a + but my eyes don't do that. I am just trying to be prepared ahead of time as to which rides to avoid and which rides I might have more trouble with. DH will gladly help me on and off the rides as much as he can but like I said, I don't want to get up to a ride only to realize after waiting in line, that I can't manage to get on or off of it safely.

 

[pepperderr]

I think it’s very possible there was/is a misunderstanding here.
The special vehicles that are wheelchair accessible are only for guests using wheelchairs. Those are designed so that a wheelchair can be rolled right onto the ride vehicle. Most have one seat for a companion and one wheelchair spot, so they are not really useful for people unless they are using a wheelchair OR need that empty space for a service dog.

I am not trying to use the wheelchair vehicles on every ride. I don't need that and never said I did. I only asked about being able to use the ramp boat on IASW so I didn't have to try to get in and out of a regular boat, and using the vehicle with the door that opens wider on the mine train.

 

[SueM in MN]

I think they have a vehicle outside of FOP that I can try to get on before we get in line so I will know and be able to practice that. I sure hope I can manage it. I really don't want to miss that one. I am looking into getting tickets for Boo Bash or MNSSHP, whichever one they have this year as a surprise for my sons. We normally don't ride the haunted mansion ride but that might be fun during that event. I see they have a moving walkway but I am not sure how sturdy it is to grab onto the lap bar to help me get in. I read that it is not sturdy and moves easily. I am up in the air about that one. I am afraid it might give my younger son nightmares even though he is 18. My older son would probably like it though. What are your thoughts on that ride?

The vehicle is near Flight of Passage close to the entrance - if you don’t see it, ask a Cast Member to help you.
If you need to have the moving walkway stopped, you will need to board at the exit. Guests using mobility devices will board at the exit unless they choose to park it outside and walk in line.
The front of the vehicle is loose - after guests get in, the whole front with the bar is comes toward the seat. If you need to hold onto something, the back is stable. The side of the regular doombuggy slopes down from the top to the seat. The ADA car may be easier to get into because the sloped area is cut out a bit more toward the back, so there is not as much ‘side’ to get past

 

[SueM in MN]

I am not trying to use the wheelchair vehicles on every ride. I don't need that and never said I did. I only asked about being able to use the ramp boat on IASW so I didn't have to try to get in and out of a regular boat, and using the vehicle with the door that opens wider on the mine train.

I understood what you were asking.
I think the CM misunderstood and thought you were asking about the ride vehicles can be rolled onto, not the ADA ride vehicles which have a wider opening or some other features that make boarding easier.
Guests DON‘T need to be using a mobility device to use the ADA vehicles. In fact, even though my daughter is using a wheelchair, we often have to request the ADA vehicles when a transfer is required (because there is not a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle).

 

[pepperderr]

I just realized. That's your problem!

Quite often, Cast Members who do not work directly in the Parks don't know exactly how things work for those of us who hang out in this little corner of the DIS.

So, CMs you talk to at call centers, chat with online, or even talk to in the DAS video visit may not always know how things work in the "real world" of the Parks.

(Side note: if you are staying at a Disney World Resort Hotel, and you call the "front desk" you are actually getting a call center. Common knowledge around here, but a lot of Guests don't know that)

Any time you are talking with a CM who is not in the Parks about how things work when you are in the Parks... take what they tell you with a giant grain of salt - like grab the wheelbarrow size grain of salt LOL It's not that they are spreading misinformation on purpose, but they often just don't realize how things work for Guests who are visiting that have a difference or disability. Shoot, there are some of them who have never been to WDW or DL; the closest they ever got to a Disney property was the Disney Store at their local mall.

So... TL;DR believe what the CMs in the Park tell you - they are the ones you will be working with directly as you go through your Disney day!

Right. That is why I asked here. That is good to know that some of them have never even been to the parks though!