Ride Queues & ECV Access

[DanielleStar]

Hi, just joined Dis Boards today! I am a full time small mobility scooter users. It is really tough for me to get into a standard wheelchair from my EVC and then to the ride vehicle. I much rather prefer transferring to the ride (or walking a short distance holding my companion’s hand) from my EVC. Which attractions below allow me to do that?

Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania
7 Dwarfs MT
Haunted Mansion
Under the Sea
It’s a Small World
Star Tours
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain

 

[gap2368]

Tower of Terror not sure I think you have to use a wheelchair and it is a pretty fair walk to the ride
Toy Story Mania you can stay in very close the ride itself
7 Dwarfs MT you can stay in very close to the ride itself ( right before you get to the ride you will exit the line thought the rope)
Haunted Mansion. one day my friend could take he ECV through the line the next day she could not if you really must stay in it talk to the CMout front to see if they can accommodate you going when it is not busy ( like the wait is not long) might give you a better chance of being accommodated
Under the Sea. I believe you can take your eCV in this line
It’s a Small World yes but you need to park it at the bottom of the ramp and walk a few feet to the ride
Star Tours not sure on this one
Splash Mountain not sure but I think you can ( I do not like this ride so do not ride it that often)
Big Thunder Mountain you will go to the exit to ride you will leave your ECV outside and walk a few hundred feet to a holding area where you will wait your turn to ride ( normally 5-10 minutes)


You can always try to talk to the Cm and let then know your needs while they might not be able to accommodate you if you never ask the answer will always be no and I find they do try and help you out if you just ask nicely ( now this does not always work but you can try)

 

[SueM in MN]

It never hurts to nicely ask the CM at the ride entrance, but sometimes there isn’t anything they can offer.

TO ADD TO WHAT the previous poster wrote

Tower of Terror not sure I think you have to use a wheelchair and it is a pretty fair walk to the ride
the line is listed as must transfer from ECV to wheelchair. Even if the CMs would suggest another way besides the regular line, I agree it would be a pretty far walk

Toy Story Mania you can stay in very close the ride itself
agree - very close. The ECV would be parked less than 10 feet from the ride vehicle (could be closer and moved after you transfer)

7 Dwarfs MT you can stay in very close to the ride itself ( right before you get to the ride you will exit the line thought the rope)
the queues are wheelchair and ECV accessible.

Haunted Mansion. one day my friend could take he ECV through the line the next day she could not if you really must stay in it talk to the CMout front to see if they can accommodate you going when it is not busy ( like the wait is not long) might give you a better chance of being accommodated
Haunted Mansion is listed as having wheelchair and ECV accessible lines, but as was mentioned, it’s variable. My guess (only a guess) is that it probably has to either do with staffing or how crowded/long the wait is. The longer the wait, the more people are loaded into one stretch room.
Your walk would still be about 15 feet (assuming you can park still inside the building near the unload/accessible boarding area. Wheelchairs are parked there, but ECVs are usually parked outside in the ‘pet cemetery’ area of the exit courtyard

Under the Sea. I believe you can take your eCV in this line
the attraction is listed as guests with ECVs needing to transfer to a wheelchair. I think the main issues are the dimness and that the line snakes around (even the Fastpass line). Just before reaching the boarding area, guests using wheelchairs are brought forward about 25 feet to wait in the unload area. I have seen ECVs parked there, but don’t know if they were in line or come in the exit, which is down a wide hall from the unload area.
That’s one to ask the CM at the entrance.

It’s a Small World yes but you need to park it at the bottom of the ramp and walk a few feet to the ride
You can use it until the bottom of the ramp that leads to the accessible boarding area/mobility device parking area. I would strongly consider transferring to an attraction wheelchair for Small World. The boat seats are low and many people find them difficult to get out of. You would also need to walk down a ramp about 25 feet and wait on the ramp to board.
If there is no one ahead of you, the stand may only be a few minutes, but there could be several groups ahead of you.
If you transfer to a wheelchair, you could roll right onto the accessible boat.

Star Tours not sure on this one
it is listed on the park map as must transfer from ECV to wheelchair. I could have sworn I saw someone in the accessible waiting hallway using an ECV, but it was dark and I might be mistaken. It’s possible that ECV size may make a difference. We bring our daughter’s wheelchair to the ride vehicle door, then transfer her and the CM takes it out. When our ride is over, the CM brings it back through the same door. After putting her in, we push the wheelchair down the space in front of the first row and out the exit door used by other guests. It’s not a very wide space, which could make it not ECV accessible.

Splash Mountain not sure but I think you can ( I do not like this ride so do not ride it that often)
Splash Mountain queues are accessible until the point where the lines reach a set of stairs. At that point, there is an accessible pull off point that takes you to the exit side of the track. Guests can park their mobility devices there.
I would count Splash Mountain as one of the harder ride vehicle to get in and out of.
Guests need to step over a high side to get into and out of the vehicle with little to hold onto. The space is pretty tight.

Big Thunder Mountain you will go to the exit to ride you will leave your ECV outside and walk a few hundred feet to a holding area where you will wait your turn to ride ( normally 5-10 minutes)
nothing to add

 

[mamabunny]

It never hurts to nicely ask the CM at the ride entrance, but sometimes there isn’t anything they can offer.
...
Star Tours not sure on this one
it is listed on the park map as must transfer from ECV to wheelchair. I could have sworn I saw someone in the accessible waiting hallway using an ECV, but it was dark and I might be mistaken. It’s possible that ECV size may make a difference. We bring our daughter’s wheelchair to the ride vehicle door, then transfer her and the CM takes it out. When our ride is over, the CM brings it back through the same door. After putting her in, we push the wheelchair down the space in front of the first row and out the exit door used by other guests. It’s not a very wide space, which could make it not ECV accessible.

I have (on multiple occasions) taken my personal mobility device all the way to the door of the Star Tours ride, and then a CM parked it for me in the hallway. However, my device is not a "standard" scooter - so I don't know if that has any bearing on it, however I just ask the CM nicely if I can drive on through, and away we go!

@gap2368 and @SueM in MN have covered everything really well

 

[DanielleStar]

Thank you everyone who replied!! I truly appreciate your comments and suggestions. I’m sure I’ll have my questions before my trip next April. Thanks again

 

[lanejudy]

Nothing to add but wanted to say

 

[gap2368]

One thing to add about BTMRR the load unload can be at different places depending on how many trains they are running 95% of the time the CM are very good about moving the ECV when you unload on the other side sometimes they do not. The walk is kind of long down a hill so you might want to let the CM know you need your ECV moved or double check that they will move it if need be.

 

[Simba's Mom]

At the Nav'i River ride in AK, you do that, but I hope, like you said, that you have a companion. It's dark in there, and the few steps that I had to walk to the ride were a little scary for me, since I was solo. I can't remember where else I encountered the darkness in walking to the ride, but I think I remember one or two others.

 

[tobikaye]

Under the Sea - We have only done FP with an EVC, but we took the EVC all the way through the FP queue and then it was parked about 10-25 feet from loading.

 

[KPeterso]

Under the Sea. I believe you can take your eCV in this line
the attraction is listed as guests with ECVs needing to transfer to a wheelchair. I think the main issues are the dimness and that the line snakes around (even the Fastpass line). Just before reaching the boarding area, guests using wheelchairs are brought forward about 25 feet to wait in the unload area. I have seen ECVs parked there, but don’t know if they were in line or come in the exit, which is down a wide hall from the unload area.
That’s one to ask the CM at the entrance.

Star Tours not sure on this one
it is listed on the park map as must transfer from ECV to wheelchair. I could have sworn I saw someone in the accessible waiting hallway using an ECV, but it was dark and I might be mistaken. It’s possible that ECV size may make a difference. We bring our daughter’s wheelchair to the ride vehicle door, then transfer her and the CM takes it out. When our ride is over, the CM brings it back through the same door. After putting her in, we push the wheelchair down the space in front of the first row and out the exit door used by other guests. It’s not a very wide space, which could make it not ECV accessible.

Just wanted to add on to both of these items. For Under the Sea, we have always taken the ECV all the way into the attraction through the line and parked it about 10-15 steps from where we board and get off. For Star tours, we used to have to get a wheelchair, but last September, we were told we could take the ECV all the way to the ride. We would ride up the queue and then be sent down a long hallway to the exit side and would be boarded from there and the ECV would stay at that spot the whole time. They would let the CM know that they had passengers boarding from the exit side.