Specific Attractions / Resturants to Do / Avoid in Wheel Chair

[Dan1]

Hi,

DD (who uses a wheel chair) and I are doing WDW for 2 weeks next spring.

I am curious on what specific attractions, rides, shows and yes even restaurants we should do and which we should avoid from the aspect of wheel chair friendly, navigation, etc.

Yes, yes, yes.....before I get slammed by someone .... WDW is a slice of heaven generally for special needs folks and their families; truly it is.

However, like anything in life it is not perfect; and since it will be just DD and I, with me doing all the work, quite frankly I'm looking for hints / experiences of others in a similar situation that I can take into account as I plan our activities in the 4 Parks (she can't swim so as much as I would like to do the lazy river thing in Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, that is not on the table for us).

For example, I do like the restaurant in the Living Seas area and how one can see the super duper 'fish tank' during one's meal. Yet, at least for us on our meals there in the past, we have not been able to sit at a table anywhere except in the back part of the restaurant.

Why? Well, the stairs leading to the tables which are right up against the glass prevent wheel chair access to this group of tables.

It is because of this that I don't plan to eat in that restaurant when we go in the spring. We have had meals there in the past and the menu doesn't excite me any more sufficiently to go there this time knowing we can't get a 'prime' table.

Likewise with regret the Spirit of Aloha dinner / show. Great, great food and nice show. However, the seating are the picnic type of tables and where we were placed for wheel chair seating was to the extreme right that (A) we couldn't see much of the show (B) I got a sore neck because my back facing the stage yet I needed to be attending to DD so I needed to be facing her and (C) it is just not worth 2 DP table service credits (if we go with the DDP) because of A and B.

However, the Legend of the Lion King show at AK was incredible on its own and our seats were right up front; this show we will do at least a couple of times over our two weeks there (not to mention that the Lion King movie remains an all time classic and one of DD's favorites).

It is these types of situations and experiences to which I am referring.

So, thank you in advance for sharing and helping me plan to make this a great trip for DD and a less frazzled me which means an even better time for DD .

Dan

 

[Bete]

Here we are again. First, let me say there are many threads already established about these topics; so, they will be a great source for you. Next, let me say after a trip to Williamsburg this year including Busch Gardens there, I welcome coming back to WDW in December. I go with my mom who is in a wheelchair all the time (90 years old) at WDW and I push all day. First, let me say it's best to alternate your activities; so, you can last longer everyday with pushing a wheelchair. Do a ride, then a show, then a parade, then another ride, then have a snack, then do a ride, then a show, then eat a meal, then do fireworks, and then do a ride. You get the idea. I pace myself and we do very well there. Get yourself a disability guide for each park. It will help you understand what's more doable. There are a few books you can get (need to pay for them; unless, your library has copies) that are with the disabled in mind. You do have to do more planning when doing Disney in a wheelchair and you know that; since, you've been before. Look at some videos about Disney to see if a ride or attraction even interests you enough to try it. I think it does take some planning to make a wheelchair trip more enjoyable at WDW. With WDW being such a large place, pushing a wheelchair is no easy task. You may have to consider a mid-day nap at the resort to get recharged. Also, keep in mind there are caregiver services for pay that will push the wheelchair for you. You do have to pay their admission and meals and an hourly rate, but it might be a nice treat for you not to push one day of your trip. Also, you may be able to even transfer to some rides with the extra pair of hands to help and it may make the trip more enjoyable and memorable. Consider bringing a friend on the trip to help, too. Make them a deal and pay their way for their help or compromise to some degree on the cost. It may work and you'll have some relief. I think my greatest gift to myself is that I never think of pushing the wheelchair as a chore. I find it as a way that we can enjoy more activities together and I'm grateful we can still do it. You may want to try to connect here on these boards with another group who is in a similar situation. There may be a way you can help the other group and they can help you. I wouldn't leave my daughter with any stranger including a paid caregiver, but an extra pair of hands is an extra pair of hands. Maybe, try it for a day.

For your daughter's sake I think I would take in some character meals; I like them and I'm 58, but I'm a kid at heart. At MK. the Crystal Palace is easy to get in and out of and the Pooh characters appear there. The one drawback is I don't like the public restroom there; so, we go ahead of time to the one near the first aid center (right next door) and then we use it again afterwards if need be. I think Akerhus in Epcot-Norway might be another good choice for a character meal. This place is smaller; so, it's not quite as spacious as Crystal Palace, but it's manageable. You have the princesses appearing, here. Both places offer breakfast, lunch and dinner possibilities. If you don't want to do character meals, we like Tusker House in AK and Biergaten in Epcot's Germany. Chef de France is one of our favorites in Epcot's France, but it's tricky there with a wheelchair and the restroom is one of the roughest to get in and out of; so, again, we prepare ahead of time for restroom breaks. Mama Melrose is our favorite at Hollywood Studios and you can get the Fantasmic dinner package there. ALWAYS, make your table, meal reservations with stating you need wheelchair access.

I like the rides where the wheelchair can go right onto the ride. For example, in MK It's a Small, Small World boat ride and Buzz Lightyear and the Jungle Cruise. In Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Mania is a great ride with ride car accessibility, but this is a little jerky of a ride. There are a lot of twists and turns, but we do this ride ourselves probably at least 3 times per trip. Our favorite here is the Great Movie Ride, but my mom is older; so, she appreciates this ride better. In Epcot, the boat ride in Mexico has wheelchair access, Nemo in the Living Seas is good (although kiddish), Living with the Land in the Land Pavillon is a good one, Universe of Energy in Future World has a wheelchair right on the ride.

With regards to the shows, most show places are very big and it's hard to get wheelchair access close to the stage. You can do it at some of them, but it's not worth the pushing aspect in my opinion like Beauty and the Beast in Hollywood Studios. The ramp to go up and down there is very tiring and I'd rather sit in the back then go through the ordeal. At the Nemo show in AK, there is some closer viewing that's not as hard to navigate with the wheelchair, but you need to get there early to get those seats.

I will talk more about rides and such to avoid in another post. Others will chime in, here, as well.

 

[LisaBi]

As the "pusher" for DS (160 lbs) in wheelchair, the only thing I'd like to avoid is Space Mountain. The ramp in the queue is pretty steep, and I have a very hard time with it.

 

[Mary976]

Before I start giving you tips that don't apply to your situation...how old is your DD? Does she transfer out of her chair or want/need to remain in it? Also, do you plan on trying out any thrill rides? If I know the answer to those questions, then I can pick my DD's brain (wheelchair user) about what she likes or doesn't like.

Mary

 

[Dan1]

As the "pusher" for DS (160 lbs) in wheelchair, the only thing I'd like to avoid is Space Mountain. The ramp in the queue is pretty steep, and I have a very hard time with it.

Hi LisaBi,

Thank you for that.

Dan

 

[Dan1]

Before I start giving you tips that don't apply to your situation...how old is your DD? Does she transfer out of her chair or want/need to remain in it? Also, do you plan on trying out any thrill rides? If I know the answer to those questions, then I can pick my DD's brain (wheelchair user) about what she likes or doesn't like.

Mary

Hi Mary976,

All good Q's.

She is a developmentally delayed mid-20's who does not like trill rides (see my now updated response to Space Mountain above).

Her form of CP does not let her walk unassisted, but she can with my assistance get out of the wheel chair into a ride if she has to.

She does not push her wheel chair at all (i.e. I'm the full time pusher).

Thank you for your ideas.
Dan

 

[Dan1]

Hi Bette,
Thank you for your ideas; all are very useful. I'll respond to some of them below.

First, let me say it's best to alternate your activities; so, you can last longer everyday with pushing a wheelchair. Do a ride, then a show, then a parade, then another ride, then have a snack, then do a ride, then a show, then eat a meal, then do fireworks, and then do a ride. You get the idea. I pace myself and we do very well there.

This is a great idea. Last time we were only down for a week so it was rush, rush, rush. This time we are going for two weeks so we will have more time and I don't need to fret if we miss this or that show as we can get any missed show in a few days when we return to the particular park.

Get yourself a disability guide for each park. It will help you understand what's more doable. There are a few books you can get (need to pay for them; unless, your library has copies) that are with the disabled in mind. You do have to do more planning when doing Disney in a wheelchair and you know that; since, you've been before. Look at some videos about Disney to see if a ride or attraction even interests you enough to try it.

All good ideas and yes I have and do plan to look at them. I do find that sometimes better ideas are from those who have been there / experienced that, hence I started this thread.

Also, keep in mind there are caregiver services for pay that will push the wheelchair for you. You do have to pay their admission and meals and an hourly rate, but it might be a nice treat for you not to push one day of your trip. Also, you may be able to even transfer to some rides with the extra pair of hands to help and it may make the trip more enjoyable and memorable.

I had not thought of this before. While not an option currently, as I get up there in decades it is a very good option to consider so I can not worry as much about not being able to physically continue to have her enjoy a magical vacation.

Consider bringing a friend on the trip to help, too. Make them a deal and pay their way for their help or compromise to some degree on the cost. It may work and you'll have some relief.

Not an option (i.e. traveling with a female friend) but a good nugget to keep possibly for future times.

You may want to try to connect here on these boards with another group who is in a similar situation. There may be a way you can help the other group and they can help you. I wouldn't leave my daughter with any stranger including a paid caregiver, but an extra pair of hands is an extra pair of hands. Maybe, try it for a day.

Again, a wonderful idea to keep in mind.

For your daughter's sake I think I would take in some character meals; I like them and I'm 58, but I'm a kid at heart. At MK. the Crystal Palace is easy to get in and out of and the Pooh characters appear there. The one drawback is I don't like the public restroom there; so, we go ahead of time to the one near the first aid center (right next door) and then we use it again afterwards if need be. I think Akerhus in Epcot-Norway might be another good choice for a character meal. This place is smaller; so, it's not quite as spacious as Crystal Palace, but it's manageable. You have the princesses appearing, here. Both places offer breakfast, lunch and dinner possibilities. If you don't want to do character meals, we like Tusker House in AK and Biergaten in Epcot's Germany. Chef de France is one of our favorites in Epcot's France, but it's tricky there with a wheelchair and the restroom is one of the roughest to get in and out of; so, again, we prepare ahead of time for restroom breaks. Mama Melrose is our favorite at Hollywood Studios and you can get the Fantasmic dinner package there. ALWAYS, make your table, meal reservations with stating you need wheelchair access.

Yes, Mama Melrose's is our favorite as well!!!!!! We do plan to do the Fantasmic package for sure which would include Mama!

Tusker House is on the radar for a character breakfast as well (eaten there before but not for the character breakfast). I didn't know about the Biergarten or Akerhus for a character meal, so I'll check those out....good to know re wheel chair access therein, so thank you for that as well.

I like the rides where the wheelchair can go right onto the ride. For example, in MK It's a Small, Small World boat ride and Buzz Lightyear and the Jungle Cruise. In Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Mania is a great ride with ride car accessibility, but this is a little jerky of a ride. There are a lot of twists and turns, but we do this ride ourselves probably at least 3 times per trip. Our favorite here is the Great Movie Ride, but my mom is older; so, she appreciates this ride better. In Epcot, the boat ride in Mexico has wheelchair access, Nemo in the Living Seas is good (although kiddish), Living with the Land in the Land Pavillon is a good one, Universe of Energy in Future World has a wheelchair right on the ride.

DD (and I) were caught unaware about Toy Story Mania's very rapid twists and turns....it was a little too much for DD and she didn't really like it..we were expecting it to be more like the similar genre Buzz Lightyear ride in MK.

With regards to the shows, most show places are very big and it's hard to get wheelchair access close to the stage. You can do it at some of them, but it's not worth the pushing aspect in my opinion like Beauty and the Beast in Hollywood Studios. The ramp to go up and down there is very tiring and I'd rather sit in the back then go through the ordeal. At the Nemo show in AK, there is some closer viewing that's not as hard to navigate with the wheelchair, but you need to get there early to get those seats.

I hear ya on the ramps for the B&B show for the lower level seats; wow they are steep. I didn't know about the Nemo show having seating slower towards the stage......we sat in the back but thought those were the only option....thank you....we'll have to try to wait there sooner to get a shot at those.

Dan

 

[Mary976]

Alrighty then...

My first tip is to get the park map that has the tips for riders with disabilities. That way you won't waste time standing in the wrong place (especially at the MK).

Also, they ask if you can transfer or not, even at rides that have wheelchair vehicles. My DD can transfer, but she prefers a w/c car when available so she can save her energy for rides that require transfer.

MK:
The monorail ramp is STEEP. We use it (rather than the ferry) because DD really likes it. Otherwise we'd take the ferry.

The seating for Monsters Laugh Floor is right up front.
Mickey's Philharmagic seating is in the back, but we thought it was fine.
If you've never tried the new queue for Winne the Pooh, it's very fun and everything is at w/c height. I think your DD would really like it. Mine had a blast and she normally snubs "kiddie" stuff.
Haunted Mansion also has a new queue, I think the review I read said everything there is w/c height as well.
My DD likes all the rides with the wheelchair car: Pooh, Buzz, Jungle Cruise. She doesn't ride Aladdin but I'm sure she would if she was younger.
For the night parade, try to go the latest one, if possible. Then, try the reserved w/c section that is in the hub. DD noticed that the characters tend to look at the reserved section as they are coming around the curve, so if you wave vigorously, your DD might get some waves back.

Epcot:
Spaceship Earth was way cool. You do board at the exit. They take your picture as you get on and then use it later in the ride.
Test Track is a bit wild but milder than some. But if she didn't like Toy Story Mania, I doubt she'd like Test Track.
We tend to hit all the Future World pavilions with the exception of Mission Space. I will say that Ellen is a good place to nap!

DHS:
FYI, DD had the most problems with curbs at DHS. She almost went off a couple times when we were trying to get through a crowd.
DD really liked the Fantasmic Dinner package. We still got there early so we could get the better of the reserved seats. The biggest advantage for us was the chance to sit in a quieter area at first. And we love Mama Melrose as well!
Muppets seating is in the back, but it was fine.
A few years ago we rode the Backstage Tour. DD was super annoyed because wheelchairs sit in the front row for the "water tank" scene and so she got splashed. So we skip that one now.

AK:
The Safari is a blast, but watch out when you load. Every time we rode they tried to tie down DDs chair incorrectly.
DD liked the bird show, and seating was up front.
We liked Rafiki's planet watch more than we expected to. The petting zoo is fun and there's a building with seats and air conditioning.
DD thought the seating was good at both Tusker House and Restaurantosaurus. Flame Tree was tighter seating.

One random note about Downtown Disney:
DD had a tough time getting to the bathrooms at TRex.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure something else will come to me later.
Mary

 

[KPeveler]

I only have time for a short response -

I would transfer for The Great Movie Ride, even though it has a wheelchair accessible car. We were in the back and I really could not hear or see a thing!

Also, get Passporter's Open Mouse - even though I was on here for years and was a WDW vet, I found that this had GREAT advice!

Also, there are a bunch of great touring plan sites, which can help you plan a day without going from one end of the park to the other a million times...

I will answer more tomorrow.

 

[Dan1]

Thank you, Mary, very much for your insites and those of your DD. My DD prefers to stay in her wheel chair as well (more of a comfort / familiarity type of thing)

MK:
The monorail ramp is STEEP. We use it (rather than the ferry) because DD really likes it. Otherwise we'd take the ferry.

I forgot about the steepness of the monorail ramps. You are right, they are a workout. Thank you for that.

If you've never tried the new queue for Winne the Pooh, it's very fun and everything is at w/c height. I think your DD would really like it. Mine had a blast and she normally snubs "kiddie" stuff.

I didn't know about the new queue for Winnie the Pooh. Some days DD is OK going on such rides and other days she's not, which was the case when we were there last. I'll have to look into that.

My DD likes all the rides with the wheelchair car: Pooh, Buzz, Jungle Cruise.

When we went as a family in the 1990's, we tried the Jungle Cruise once and I only have memories of DD having to get out of her wheel chair, try to climb (assisted by me) onto the boat, etc., etc. That really, really, really (did I say 'really'?) turned me off so we have never, ever gone back to that ride, especially now that it is just DD and I. It was a horrid experience.

Can you please give more description of the boarding process for the Jungle Cruise now from what you remember? I liked the ride itself, it was just the boarding process we had to use for DD that turned me off.

DHS:
FYI, DD had the most problems with curbs at DHS. She almost went off a couple times when we were trying to get through a crowd.

Yes, I agree with the curb challenges, totally; I remember catching myself once or twice to not have one wheel of the chair slip off one of the curbs on the main street area of DHS

A few years ago we rode the Backstage Tour. DD was super annoyed because wheelchairs sit in the front row for the "water tank" scene and so she got splashed. So we skip that one now.

I forgot about that; when we were there last we were lucky in that we just missed getting splashed.

AK:
The Safari is a blast, but watch out when you load. Every time we rode they tried to tie down DDs chair incorrectly.
DD liked the bird show, and seating was up front.
We liked Rafiki's planet watch more than we expected to. The petting zoo is fun and there's a building with seats and air conditioning.
DD thought the seating was good at both Tusker House and Restaurantosaurus. Flame Tree was tighter seating.

All good ideas. We haven't tried Restaurantosaurus before; I'll have to look into that. And now that we'll have more time I want to make a point to go to Rafiki's Planet Watch (but need to be careful of the goats trying to snack on different parts of DD's wheel chair).

Dan

 

[Dan1]

I only have time for a short response -

I would transfer for The Great Movie Ride, even though it has a wheelchair accessible car. We were in the back and I really could not hear or see a thing!

Also, get Passporter's Open Mouse - even though I was on here for years and was a WDW vet, I found that this had GREAT advice!

Also, there are a bunch of great touring plan sites, which can help you plan a day without going from one end of the park to the other a million times...

I will answer more tomorrow.

Thank you for that recommendation of Passporter's Open Mouse. I am not familiar with that one.
Dan

 

[Mary976]

I didn't know about the new queue for Winnie the Pooh. Some days DD is OK going on such rides and other days she's not, which was the case when we were there last. I'll have to look into that.


When we went as a family in the 1990's, we tried the Jungle Cruise once and I only have memories of DD having to get out of her wheel chair, try to climb (assisted by me) onto the boat, etc., etc. That really, really, really (did I say 'really'?) turned me off so we have never, ever gone back to that ride, especially now that it is just DD and I. It was a horrid experience.

Can you please give more description of the boarding process for the Jungle Cruise now from what you remember? I liked the ride itself, it was just the boarding process we had to use for DD that turned me off.

For Winnie the Pooh, you and DD (in her chair) ride in your own "hunny pot" and are seated right next to each other. Also, you can ask them to turn the "bouncing" effect of the car OFF if you'd like.

With Jungle Cruise, I'm (almost) positive you can remain in your wheelchair now. I don't think we could have done it with DD otherwise. I checked and don't have any pictures, but I seem to remember SueM has a pic of her daughter on Jungle Cruise (using a personal wheelchair).

Oh and we skip Pirates for the very reason you mentioned above...too hard of a transfer.

Mary

 

[Bete]

From previous posts:
The Biergarten is not a character place, but it has a German oopa-pa band for entertainment. I mentioned it; because, I feel there's good wheelchair access. You are on the upper level, but I feel that makes it quicker and easier to get in and out. It's a fun place. If you get a good table everyone chats with one another and maybe even sings a little or stomps their feet or clap their hands to the polkas.

The Jungle Cruise ride has a special boat where the wheelchair goes in the middle of the boat; there's no transfering. I believe only one of six boats has this capability; so, you have to wait a while to board.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get a photopass and enjoy some pictures with your daughter throughout your stay at the parks. There's a deal right now on the CD if you pre-purchase it. If you are lucky there are special shots that can be taken with special effects; I won't give away too much, here.

We have done the special photo shoots at the resorts, too; this is an extra cost from the above and a little expensive. I may not be totally current on this but the resorts that offered this the last time we did it were Wilderness Lodge, Poly, Animal Kingdom, Grand Floridian and the Beach Club. We liked the Grand Floridian and the Animal Kingdom photo shoots best. We would do one resort on each trip we took; until, we hit them all. We combined this activity with enjoying a meal at the resort, as well. This is great to do for a more relaxed day and skipping some park time and getting away from the crowds.

Learn about hidden mickeys and try to find them yourself everywhere including the resorts.

I think my best overall advice is to take in the street entertainment at all the parks. The park maps won't list this, but some CM's know what time the acts appear on the streets. Steve Soares Prodigy's entertainment website is a great resource for this info; do a search for him. The better search is for his site called wdw live entertainment. Even if it's not your exact week yet you can get a good idea here of what's available to see and then you can fine tune it when you are at your vacation time. Our favorite act is in AK; we love DeVine. You can see her at times in Africa and I know she appears in other parts of the park. Believe it or not, once my mom was treated to her by walking over my mom in her wheelchair; she has stilts. It was amazing and everyone enjoyed how she did this. MK and Epcot have a tremondous amount of street entertainment throughout the park. I'll review Epcot: The Jamminators appear in Future World; they can be found near Innoventions. In World Showcase, most countries have outside acts. China, Germany (except for inside Biergaten), and Norway do not.

Overall comments by park (I did some reviews in a previous post):

AK: If you can take the pushing of the wheelchair we love to do the trails. We walk around the Tree of Life (outside area of It's Tough To Be A Bug). In Africa go see the gorillas. In Asia see the bats and tigers. You will have to go through a few doors here and there. I usually go in backwards with the doors; so, I can manipulate the doors better. At times there are kind folks to help hold the door. Don't forget to watch the monkeys in Asia; there's not much walking there to see them. We love the Safari ride and we had no issues with our wheelchair there. We will do that ride more than once. The early morning is the best for this ride; food is laid out where you can't see, but the animals know and they come out for it. You see more animals that way. It's Tough To Be a Bug is pretty easy with the wheelchair. The Lion King show you already know is a great one to see and Nemo, too. Flights of Wonder we like, too. You have to be energized but we go to Rafiki's Planet Watch. The hill to the train landing is a killer. This is in Africa. Sometimes you can see surgeries being performed by vets there. Also, there is a petting zoo. This adventure is time consuming; so, plan accordingly. I think many pass up this place, but every so often we do it. Get a snack for the train ride.

MK: We pretty much go for the rides that have wheelchair ride car access. Other posts have covered this park pretty good; so, I won't repeat. I will say the one we like that hasn't been mentioned is the Riverboat in Liberty Square. There's a special way into this ride; so, you may have to get some guidance from a CM to get where they do the ramp for the wheelchairs. We grab an ice cream before we board. This is a nice ride where you can have rest from pushing.

EPCOT: The Kim Possible Adventure is something different to do. It does take a lot of pushing around of the wheelchair. This takes place in WS. You would probably do most of the work, but you never know. Try Cool Station (close to the water fountain) and try all the different sodas from Coke that are used around the world. Take in Innoventions:East and West. I would avoid Soarin'; there's just too much pushing of the wheelchair and you would have to transfer your daughter to the ride. I do this ride if I have extra help. If you do this ride (against my advice) I would make sure you are on the bottom row when up in the air for the ride. Next, I think wheelchairs can do the less intense version of Mission Space. For WS, enjoy the movie shows in Canada, France, US, and China. You can play on the drums at the African Outpost. The Mexican boat ride has a wheelchair boat; so, you don't have to transfer there. Avoid Norway's boat ride; it's just too hard without additional help. Take in some of the character greetings offered at the countries. Avoid the smaller shops, but go into the gift shops. Pick a pearl at Japan(you pay for this privelege) and try on a komono. Try on a sombrero in Mexico. Look at the gardens throughout the park. Go into each country and explore what's there. We love Morocco; the artistry is great there.

Hollywood Studios: I would stay away from Lights, Motor,Action! Stunt Show; unless, you have extra help to push. I find this one quite exhausting on my own. It's worth seeing, but I would wait for extra help before attempting this one. If you must do it I would go to the back of the park slowly and rest at times and enjoy a snack or meal along the way. Then be ready for the long haul through the attraction as part two to get there. The Backlot Tour has it's challenges with having to transfer on and off the tram. Magic of Disney Animation is an overlooked attraction. Take in the time and sit in on the drawing session there. There are photopass opportunities at this attraction, too. This is a more restful attraction.

We have explored every nook at WDW; so, just don't pass up on anything; give it all a try within reason.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you go on post 3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread, there is a link to my photo album on the DIS site. You do need to be logged in to do a search ( just use your DIS Boards log in). You can find the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

This is a link to the DIS site's photo pages ( same as in the disABILITIES FAQs thread). Just look for my name and the name click to open my profile. Then click the photo on the right side to open my entire album (if you click where it says “Photos” on the left, it opens only a few pictures).
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/showmembers.php?sl=s

I have many pictures of ride cars/boarding and if you click on the thumbnail photo and look at the description, there are details about how boarding with a guest using a wheelchair works.

Posts 18, 19, 20 and 21 on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs are a post about each park, listing which attractions have a wheelchair accessible car and a bit about transfers required for attractions without wheelchair cars. It also lists where the accessible seating is for each attraction. There were some formatting problems on those posts because I added too many features, like bold, italic or color, so if something does not seem quite right, that’s why.
For Epcot attractions, there is an Epcot FAQs thread stuck near the top of this board which includes pictures and lots of information about wheelchair access.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Dd uses a pediatric w/c but only part time, so some of our situations may not be the same; the queue for nemo is annoying and a bit dark, but dd loves the ride, and all the aquarium tanks in the pavilion. Also loves turtle talk. At DHS I think it's well worth it to take the ramp down, dd absolutely adores the show and being able to be close to the action. One issue we have with a lot of restaurants is hoe close the seating is, it can be really hard to maneuver. You might want to really think about the buffets, they have a lot more foot traffic going on. We didn't care for beirgarten, you can only access the upper level, which was ok, but we really didn't like the food and the show was very short when we were there, also the tables are pretty tight together. I didnt know about the lower seating for nemo at AK either, the seating so far back was why we haven't gone back, we are going in November and will look into it again maybe.

Sorry to ramble, will continue to think about it.

 

[SueM in MN]

Dd uses a pediatric w/c but only part time, so some of our situations may not be the same; the queue for nemo is annoying and a bit dark, but dd loves the ride, and all the aquarium tanks in the pavilion. Also loves turtle talk. At DHS I think it's well worth it to take the ramp down, dd absolutely adores the show and being able to be close to the action. One issue we have with a lot of restaurants is hoe close the seating is, it can be really hard to maneuver. You might want to really think about the buffets, they have a lot more foot traffic going on. We didn't care for beirgarten, you can only access the upper level, which was ok, but we really didn't like the food and the show was very short when we were there, also the tables are pretty tight together. I didnt know about the lower seating for nemo at AK either, the seating so far back was why we haven't gone back, we are going in November and will look into it again maybe.

Sorry to ramble, will continue to think about it.

There are 2 sets of seating at the Nemo show in AK.
The majority of the seats are the last row of seating in the theater. Those allow you to have an over view of the entire stage.

There are a few seats in the middle of the theater. They get you closer, but it may be more difficult to see the entire stage. Those seats are not used if it is raining or wet outside because part of the stage includes wings that jut into the middle of the theater. If it is wet outside, the entrances on that level allow moisture to get in, possibly making it slippery for the performers.

The last seats are at the very front row on the right side, as you face the stage. That section is for the Nemo dining package at Tusker House and there are several wheelchair spots there. They are very close to the stage, so you get a close up view of the performers. But, you will not be able to see the entire stage. THere is a fairly steep and winding ramp to get down there (not as bad as the monorail).

There is a wheelchair accessible Jungle Cruise boat, which has a lift for the wheelchair. It came into use some time in 2007, or possibly a bit earlier (don’t want to find my original picture to see when exactly the first picture is from).
Here is a picture of the first part of the process:

The platform lifts up to dock level, is turned to face the dock and then opened to form a ramp to roll the wheelchair onto the platform.

After the wheelchair rolls on, the ramp is put back up and the platform is turned to face the front of the boat. The platform is then lowered back into place for the ride.

This is DD on the boat. The guest with the wheelchair rides up a little higher than other guests, giving a good view.

For any attraction, when they ask if she can transfer, that is the point where you would say that you prefer a wheelchair accessible vehicle if they have one, or if there is not one and you plan to transfer, ask if they have a transfer vehicle, which has features like wider door opening that make transfers easier.

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's a link to a thread from May where I gave specific info about MK transfers and a lot of pictures :
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2715921

 

[Dan1]

Thank you, SueM, very useful.

Thank you to ireland_nicole, KPeveler and Mary976 as well; it is great to get different opinions / experiences on this.

Dan

 

[KPeveler]

Dan - now that you know the Wanda is the wheelchair boat, you can ask for it by name... it's fun to see the looks on the CMs faces when you know the names

I do that with the Uci (pronounced Uki) in DL. It was down for 6 months or more for refurb. There were new CMs, so when I went by to check on when the Uci was coming back, sometimes they had not even heard of it. It was really funny when I knew more than the CMs

 

[SueM in MN]

A funny story about the Wamba Wanda boat at MK.
I knew a CM who worked on Jungle Cruise at the time they were developing the boat and he was keeping me updated on the progress.
He said they had designed this neat boat with a lift to bring a platform up to dock level and then back down.
The Engineers and Imagineers were all excited to give it a test run and.........


The first time they trialed it, there was too much pressure on the lift. So, instead of pressing down on the boat to stabalize the lift and raise the platform, the motor pressed down so hard that it pushed the boat down in the water and swamped the boat.

They had to do some refiguring and rearranging to get the boat to work correctly.
We've been on it many times and it is rock solid during the transfer and works great - now!