Riding up Front in Monorail

[allie_to_you]

I have heard lots of people talk about getting ride up front in the monorail and I'd love to do it...so would my DH. He is in a wheelchair though. Can wheelchairs fit up front?

 

[spiceycat]

I think there is enough room. - the seats are on the sides - so he may have enough room in the middle.

just depends upon how big his wheelchair is.

 

[ducklite]

I'm not sure that a chair can make it through the doorway then take the sharp turn past the drivers seat/console area. It's not very wide at all between the front of the console and the bench seat area. If he can get the chair through, I agree with Spiceycat that there whould be enough room for the chair between the front of the console and the "v" in the front of the cabin.

Anne

 

[Chuck S]

I agree with Ducklite, the door for the front compartment is most likely too small for a wheelchair, and not enough room to negotiate it once inside. If your DH can walk several steps from the loading platform and into the cab it probably won't be a problem, as long as the wheelchair will fold up so it won't be in the way inside the cab. But if he is not ambulatory at all, I don't think it will work.

 

[Forevryoung]

I was with a child in a special needs stroller and they said that we would have to carry her onboard and fold up the stroller to fit. We did it because it was her first trip to Disney and the look on her face approaching the MK was priceless.

 

[loadsapixiedust]

We were not able to take DS who uses a wheelchair into the front of the monorail A real shame as he would have loved it.

The doorway is narrower than an standard chair and there is a step down also. There is a very tight turn once you are through the doorway as you need to pass the drivers seat and control console to reach the passenger seating.

 

[SueM in MN]

We have never tried to ride in the front because I had heard the same as Forevryoung and loadsapixiedust posted.

 

[BCV23]

I'm sorry to say that a wheelchair will not fit upfront as everyone has said.

If your DH can transfer including a step up into the cab and then a step down at the end, it could work. Our daughter has ridden up fron a few times but we've carried her on when she was little or supported her as she grew. Then one of us (actually me because I volunteer) goes into a regular cabin with the chair.

The seats are narrow and angled though so he would also need ample trunk stability (Sue, help me with the right terms, please) as there is nothing to hold onto either.

 

[SueM in MN]

The seats are narrow and angled though so he would also need ample trunk stability (Sue, help me with the right terms, please) as there is nothing to hold onto either.

I think that sounds good - I think basically, you are trying to say he needs to be able to sit with very little support.
That's another reason we never tried to do it. My DD has good enough trunk control that she can sit on a regular chair for a while as long as she doesn't get excited. When that happens, she goes into extension (straightening the hips like you would to stand up). With a narrow seat, it's really hard to stay on the seat.

 

[BCV23]

Thanks, Sue.

BTW, I don't mean to mislead anyone. The seat aren't supernarrow. Maybe 12 inches or so??? But since they are angled and actually face slightly backwards, it just makes for a bad situation unless one has good trunk control or someone to give support. You have to twist to look forward.

 

[allie_to_you]

Thanks everyone! It doesn't sound like we'll be able to ride up front since my DH cannot transfer out of his wheelchair, but we love riding on the monorail no matter where we are! We just can't wait to go...219 days left!

 

[spiceycat]

so sorry to get your hopes up - I forgot about that door. the ramp is definitely too big to fit on this door... (also forgot that).

but I though some of the newer chairs might fit - they are definitely smaller. - that say - nothing can go on this because of the size of the door vs the ramp size.

so sorry!!!!