Riding Twice?

[BillSears]

I'm a paraplegic who transfers into the various ride systems. Occasionally a CM will ask if I'd like to ride twice. I assume this is done because of the effort involved in getting on and off and they like to give a little extra so I don't have to do it as often.

My question is should I ask to ride twice on certain rides or just hope that the CM asks if I want to. I know some rides riding twice isn't an option. Like Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Spaceship Earth, Pirates of the Caribean and probably many others. So what do you think? Is it rude to aske for another ride around or should I just hope that it occurs and be happy when I get the extra treat?

 

[JudithM]

Bill, I do not think it is rude to ask to ride a ride a second time. I have knee problems/mobility issues. Sometimes I have asked to ride again without getting off & back on again - like Splash Mountain, Star Tours, Small World, etc. I briefly explain why I am asking. I will ask if there isn't much of a line behind me. We usually go to WDW during "slower" times. CMs have been very understanding.

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't think it's rude either (espeically if it's not busy, like Judith mentioned). And I agree that when they ask if you would like to do it again, it's because they saw it took effort to transfer in.
We do sometimes ask if DD can ride twice. Sometimes we ask after we board (but before we start our ride) if we can ride a second time if no one is waiting in the wheelchair area. They are usually very nice about it as long as it's not too busy.

 

[ToriLammy]

Originally posted by BillSears
I'm a paraplegic who transfers into the various ride systems. Occasionally a CM will ask if I'd like to ride twice. I assume this is done because of the effort involved in getting on and off and they like to give a little extra so I don't have to do it as often.

My question is should I ask to ride twice on certain rides or just hope that the CM asks if I want to. I know some rides riding twice isn't an option. Like Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Spaceship Earth, Pirates of the Caribean and probably many others. So what do you think? Is it rude to aske for another ride around or should I just hope that it occurs and be happy when I get the extra treat?

I would ask, and we did numerous times but because of the lines Jackie was only able to ride one time on most rides. The only rides she was permitted to stay on were Test Track and Kali River Rapids. At most rides the CM explained that riding twice would be unfair to those in the 70 minute long or longer lines.

 

[Amaris]

I agree! ASK! The worst they can do is say no! When we go to Busch Gardens ( VA) they always let our kids ride twice. For them it is not a mobility issue, but a transition issue ( autism) and it makes life SOOO much eaiser for us because the second ride we can prepare for the transition off of the ride!

Ask Ask Ask!
I would not be shy!

 

[eek40]

I am a non disabled person at this time, but due to a foot problem may also face some of these issues so I popped over here to see how people cope with the issue at wdw....I dont think its rude to ask at all. I see this all the time and think its great because I know how hard it is to move around.
Aimee

 

[Michigan]

I lost count at 5 how many times we stayed on the rapids ride at Animal Kingdom. It was during the off season there was no line and it was really hot. Everytime the raft got to the wheelchair boarding area we asked if we could stay on and the CM said no problem. We always stay on the rides with wheelchair cars for more then one ride if no one else is waiting for the car.

 

[Safari Steve]

By all means, ask. Just know that it won't always be possible (it seems you know that already, though.) It is entirely possible to stay in the doom buggy and ride the haunted mansion a second time. It is also possible to ride again on Spaceship Earth. On attractions where you must board at the unload point, it is much easier if you ask before the first ride. Otherwise, the CM may already stop the ride system or you may not have time to ask at the end of the first time around. If you ask first thing, they will have a good idea in advance.

 

[BillSears]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I'll have to ask now since it looks reasonable to do so.

Steve, the only problem I had with asking for the Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth was that I usually see a line on these waiting for the car that they allow wheelchair guests to use and I didn't want to delay the people waiting behind me. I did ride twice on HM once on an E-Ticket night when the CMs at the HM were just dieing for people to ride.

BTW just 16 more days. I've been playnig my music from the parks CDs in the car, surfing alot of Disney websites during down time at work and driving my daughter crazy because I'm so psyched about it.

 

[Michigan]

BillSears there is no special car on HM or Spaceship Earth for wheelchair users. I don't know how they do it for HM but SE they stop the ride after so many cars. Like if we got on the ride and then you rolled up right after they started the ride they would make you wait for a certain amount of cars to go by before they would stop it again for you to get on.

 

[SueM in MN]

Someone told me once that one of the cars on HM has a door that opens farther than the others (don't know if that is true or not. I'm sure Steve will let us know).
What Safari Steve has posted about the omnimover rides (the ones with the moving walkways) is that they can be stopped only once per ride cycle (which is where the "car counting" comes in).
We've also been told that each ride has a limit on the number of special needs people who can be on the ride at the same time for fire/evacaution reasons. But as long as it's not too busy, that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[BillSears]

Yep Sue that's the sort of thing I was talking about. I'm not sure if the HM has a car with a wider entrance. But they always make me wait till the last car comes around. The cars are numbered 1 to...I think around 140 or so and I'm always in the highest numbered car. The same procedure is used on Spaceship Earth.

I suspect this is so that the CMs know when to bring the wheelchair over because it's always car number "###". It's probably also good information just in case of emergency evacuations.

 

[Safari Steve]

Car #2 at Mansion does not have an "armrest", which allows for a slightly easier slide-in transfer. That is also the only car the ride is allowed to stop on for loading.

 

[BillSears]

Thanks for the info Steve. I thought it was the last car, but I see it's car number 2. Is the armrest thing fairly recent? I don't remember it from my last trip 5 years ago. Of course I've fogotten alot of things in 5 years

 

[Safari Steve]

"Armrest" is more of a generic term... you can't really rest your arm on it... But car #2 is cut away so that the side of the car contours to the shape of the seat.

It's been like that for many years.