Space Mountain accessibility

[MulanMom]

It's been about 3 years since our last WDW trip. My DH has MD. His mobility has been deteriorating gradually since his diagnosis ten years ago. His bone structure is such that at first glance, he looks like a big, strapping guy. Anyway, he's got braces on his legs and is in an ECV. In the past, we've had huge issues with allowing his ECV into the line at Space Mountain. It usually entails about 30 minutes of discussion beginning with the cast member at the line entrance and ending with whatever manager/supervisor is in charge that day. In the past, we've tried to avoid it by getting a GAC card at City Hall, going so far as to bring along a dr's letter, but sometimes that didn't even help. The issue was transferring into a manual wheelchair. DH looks like he can move a manual wheelchair through the line and up the long hill under his own power, but he cannot. Muscles in his arms, in addition to his legs, have simply wasted away. Ultimately, DH was allowed to bring his scooter into Space Mountain, but the whole experience of having to justify it is very dispiriting.

We are going to try a WDW vacation again. Has Space Mountain undergone any refurbishment? Are they still requiring transfer into a manual wheelchair? I looked it up in the disabilities guide for WDW and it doesn't appear so...which would be a huge relief. But I was just wondering what peoples' recent experiences have been.

TIA for any input you can provide.

 

[aubriee]

I can't answer if an ECV will be allowed or not. I'd be more concerned if he'd have the muscle strength to be able to get out of the car once he got in. Sometimes I have a hard time getting out when the ride is over. You have to push with both your arms and legs.

 

[SueM in MN]

I can't answer if an ECV will be allowed or not. I'd be more concerned if he'd have the muscle strength to be able to get out of the car once he got in. Sometimes I have a hard time getting out when the ride is over. You have to push with both your arms and legs.

Besides being hard to get in and out, there is a limited time to get in and out.
If it takes longer than the time allowed, the ride will go into shutdown.

The renovation did not make it any more accessible - it is still listed by Disney as an attraction where guests using ECVs must transfer to a wheelchair and then make a second transfer to the ride car. It may have been missing from some lists temporarily while it was being renovated, so that may be why you didn't see it. Here's a link to the Disney website that shows the access:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/space-mountain/

It has always been that way, as far as I can remember. That is why being allowed in with an ECV involved a long discussion - the CMs are actually not supposed to allow it. Having a Guest Assistance Card or not doesn't make a difference. The attraction CMs would need to get the manager involved because using one in line is an exception. The manager may or may not allow it.

I dont remember why the attraction is listed as requiring a transfer, but it may be lack of space at the boarding area or difficulty with getting an ECV from the loading to the unload area.

 

[Mary976]

DD (uses a manual chair) rode Space Mountain a couple times on our last trip, after several trips where we skipped it. I couldn't remember what the problem was with the ride until we actually got in line, but then I realized there are actually a couple tricky points.

The first is the line on the way in. It's narrow in parts, steep, and has some tight turns. I pushed DD part of the way up.

Then, you have to be quick to load into the car. It's basically a transfer to the floor and then a transfer over the side of the car into a narrow seating area. There is not a lot of room to maneuver your legs. I'm sure DD could get in on her own, but I give her a hand because of how fast it goes.

Getting off is basically the reverse. Again, I think DD would have a hard time getting out in the requisite time frame without assistance. We pulled her out and then worried about getting her back into her chair once she was on the ground already.

The worst part, however, is the moving walkway on the way out. We asked multiple cast members on multiple occasions if there was another way out, and were told each time the only way is the moving walkway. The issue is that the walkway goes down (and what feels like a 45 degree angle!) then it's flat again, then it goes back up at the same angle.

Here's a pic looking down, you can see the flat part at the bottom.

I thought of spinning DD's chair around so she wouldn't fall forward, but there is no room to maneuver because your chair is right up on the side.

On the down ramp, DD leaned back and held on to the moving handrail. Then on the way up, she leaned forward. Even then, her chair rolled back onto it's anti-tip bars (fortunately she had them installed that day). I then had to brace her chair with my body. The tip bars worked fine but I don't trust them to support the full weight of the chair for an extended period.

So, all that is to say, even if someone using an ECV thinks they can manage the transfer on/off, I wonder if there is also a safety issue with having an ECV on the ramp at the end.

Sorry I don't have better info for you. We were hoping for an improvement after the refurb as well.

Good luck with your trip,
Mary

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you for the great explanation, Mary.

 

[MulanMom]

This is what I read in the online Disabilities Guide . . . http://www.disboards.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=41471204

>>Space Mountain


Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom Theme Park is a rapid, 2.5 minute rollercoaster-type thrill ride with sharp turns and sudden drops where kids, teens and adults are invited to rocket through the darkest reaches of the galaxy.

Location: Tomorrowland

For safety, Guests 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 ride. Expectant mothers should not ride.

Height Requirement: 44" minimum

Guests must transfer from their wheelchair or electric convenience vehicle (ECV) to the attraction vehicle.

Due to the nature of the experience, service animals are not permitted on this attraction.<<

Bold type is my own emphasis. However, on a pdf of the Disabilities Guide for MK, it does show a symbol that you have to transfer into a manual wheelchair, then to ride vehicle.

DH does have the ability to get in and out of the ride vehicle. It's awkward, but his docs tell him he's a great compensator...and he is. He's fighting this disease every step of the way and trying to maintain and do as much as he "normally" can. It's been three years, so who knows what his experience will be with that.

With the ECV, usually we've driven it up to the loading area. DH is able to be ambulatory for short distances and can wait in the queue immediately adjacent to the ride loading area. When we disembark from the vehicle, his ECV is waiting for him. We did have an issue with the ramp exiting the attraction. Placing a heavy backpack on the back of the seat caused the ECV to tip back. Easily remedied by placing backpack on floor of ECV, or weighing down the front so that doesn't happen.

Thanks for the feedback. With what I read online, I was hopeful we could avoid the whole process of explaining/getting approval. Now we know to expect the worst...but hope for the best!