Specific ride/attraction questions

[eternaldisneyfan]

I have access questions for some specific rides/shows. I am referring to electric wheelchairs NOT ECVs. I have to plan this trip for July (next month) so please help!

Animal Kingdom:

Wildlife Express Train- How many wheelchairs does it hold? How far a part are they? Is there a seat for a walking attendant?

Conservation Station- How wheelchair friendly is it? Can you see the attractions and participate in the exhibits?

Kilimanjaro Safaris- Does this ride still have spots for electric wheechairs? How many wheelchair jeeps are there and how far apart do they run?

How rough are the streets in AK? Are they cobblestone, brick, etc.? Is there any smooth pavement?

MGM:

Backlot Tours- Will two electric wheelchairs fit side by side?

Lights, Cars, Action Extreme Stunt Show- How hot does this show get? I am planning on taking the elevator to the middle wheelchair seats. How many places are there? Is there a seat for a walking attendant?

How is Journey into Narnia accessibility and appeal?

The Great Movie Ride- Last time I rode this (4 years ago), I had to ride sidewise. I now have a shorter chair. What length/width wheelchair allows you to sit facing forward?

Tower of Terror- How difficult is the transfer? Is there a time limit to transfer? How rough/jerky is it?

Magic Kingdom-

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin- What length chair will fit (I didn't fit last time)? Where is the spinner?

Space Mountain (for mom)- Are there steps up and/or down to get into the vehicle? How big are the seats/how many together? How rough is the ride (mom can ride Star Tours-barely-with just the lap belt)? Is there a time limit to load?

"its a small world"- How many wheelchairs does this ride accommodate?

Peter Pan's Flight- Will they stop the ride (if you ask and explain the need thoroughly)? If not, how long do you have to get on and how hard is it? Does the lap bar automatically close/when does it come back up? My Dad would have to carry me on, sit me down, steady me, turn himself around, and sit down. DSis was injured on Haunted Mansion (DL) because they wouldn't stop the ride...How does Peter Pan loading compare?

Magic Carpets of Aladdin- What is the maximum length/width of the wheelchair accommodated? Is there a weight limit? My electric wheelchair is about 300 lbs without me (I weigh 67 lbs). Is the lever to move the vehicle within reach? Would my Dad be allowed to ride with me?

Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh- Where is the button to make the honeypot bounce?

Jungle Cruise- How many wheelchairs does the wheelchair boat accommodate? Is there a special procedure to get on the boat?

Pirates of the Caribbean- How do you transfer to the new boat (revamped attraction)? Will they stop the ride (how long)? Are there more drops/is it rougher?

Spectromagic- How is the wheelchair seating? How much is there? How early do you need to get there? My Dad needs access beside me, behind me, and in front of me (for feeding tube, vent, and suctioning). Would this be a problem? There are four chairs in our party so we could spread out.

Wishes- How is the wheelchair seating? How much is there? How early do you need to get there? My Dad needs access beside me, behind me, and in front of me (for feeding tube, vent, and suctioning). Would this be a problem? There are four chairs in our party so we could spread out.

Epcot:

Spaceship Earth: How far back does the seat tip? How is the transfer? How many people fit in each row? Will they stop the ride to load (how long)?

El Rio Del Tiempo: What size/how many wheelchairs does it accommodate?

Mission Space Advanced Training Lab (NOT the ride): How wheelchair friendly is it? Is it crowded? Are any of the exhibits within reach? Do the ride passengers exit into this area?

Turtle Talk with Crush- Where do people in wheelchairs sit? How is the view?

Illuminations-How is the wheelchair seating? How much is there? How early do you need to get there? My Dad needs access beside me, behind me, and in front of me (for feeding tube, vent, and suctioning). Would this be a problem? There are four chairs in our party so we could spread out.

Is the Wonders of Life Pavilion open in July?

Okay, that's it. Thanks!

Christamae

 

[Juliah]

Hi Christamae,

We have been to WDW a number of times with our twin daughters (now age 19) who use power chairs. I'll take a stab at the ones I know...

Kilimanjaro Safaris -- there is only room for one wheelchair in an accessible safari truck. I don't know how many trucks there are with wheelchair space or how often they come around.

Conservation Station -- I remember both the girls rode the train at the same time. Afraid I don't remember much else because we haven't done it for a number of years.

It's a Small World -- we've been on it with two pediatric power chairs (Quickie with 14" seat width).

Magic Carpets of Aladdin -- When we tried it several years ago, we were not able to get our daughter's pediatric power chair on this. The problem was not the size of the chair or the weight; there was something on the floor of the ride vehicle that the batteries under the chair hung up on. Apparently, it was designed for a manual chair that has nothing under the seat between the wheels. So...I guess the answer is, depends on how your chair is configured, but since you have a power chair with vent and so on, I would be surprised if this ride would accommodate your chair.

Jungle Cruise -- holds one wheelchair

Parade viewing at MK -- our experience is that they like to pack the wheelchairs in pretty tight and don't want family members between the chairs, so you will need to talk to the CM at the viewing area about why you need your dad next to you. You might also mention that you can't have anyone seated on the curb in front of you because of the danger of dislodging a tube or something; CM's have sometimes allowed children traveling with other wheelchair guests to sit on the curb in front of our DD's during the parades.

Wishes -- don't know the specifics since we just staked out a regular place on the curb when we saw it, but just wanted to mention that you can see it from around the park, not just Main St.

El Rio Del Tiempo -- we've been on it with two pediatric power chairs (Quickie with 14" seat width).

Illuminations -- Our favorite wheelchair area is at the entrance to the World Showcase (from Future World) because it has the best view of the areas we've tried. It's off to the side of one of the stores. There's a little more elbow room here than the viewing areas for the parades in MK, though you'll still need to get there early to make sure you get four wheelchair spots.

Sorry I don't know about the rest, but I'm sure others will.

Good luck. I hope you are able to work your trip out.

 

[SueM in MN]

NOTE: I started typing this and then thought I posted it before we went out to dinner. I didn't, so I'm posting it now without knowing what others wrote.

Kilimanjaro Safaris- Does this ride still have spots for electric wheechairs? How many wheelchair jeeps are there and how far apart do they run?

I don't know how many wheelchair jeeps there are, but at the time we were there in March, they were running about 10 minutes apart.

How rough are the streets in AK? Are they cobblestone, brick, etc.? Is there any smooth pavement?

They aren't really cobblestone; most of them are supposed to be like concrete. Some have leaves molded in.

How is Journey into Narnia accessibility and appeal?

Wheelchair users are put into a waiting area that is roped off from the regular waiting area. They enter the "preshow" area of the building before the other guests. The preshow is a large room, fairly dimly lit, with the wardrobe doors in front of the audience. The CM talks a little bit about the movie and then the doors open to "Narnia". The wheelchair users enter first. The room has a large screen built into the wall to actually look like it is the hills/country of Narnia. Around you are trees, the lampost and simulated (not cold) snow. They show a short film that introduces you to Narnia and then the Witch appears on a ledge high above and behind you to the right side. After she makes her appearance, the doors enter into another room. That room is long and narrow and holds some costumes and props from the film on showcases on each side. I'd suggest that you just hold back when the group enters that room and be the last to go in. By the time you actually get into the room, most of the people will have already gone thru the room and you will have a better chance of seeing things. The stuff appeared to be arranged so that you could see it pretty well either standing or seated.

The Great Movie Ride- Last time I rode this (4 years ago), I had to ride sidewise. I now have a shorter chair. What length/width wheelchair allows you to sit facing forward?

My DD has only been to WDW with her manual wheelchair. My DD's wheelchair fits fine - the total measurement of her wheelchair is 27 inches wide and 49 inches long from the tips of her toes when she sits in the chair to the back of the backpack she carries on the wheelchair.

Tower of Terror- How difficult is the transfer? Is there a time limit to transfer? How rough/jerky is it?

There is not a time limit for transfer (or was not, the last time we went). The ride itself is a pretty smooth elevator ride up and down. What makes it jerky is that you are going up and then abruptly stop and go down. If you only went up once and then down, I would actually like this ride. But, you could have a lot of times up and down and may go all the way or up a bit, then down over and over. You can pull your wheelchair up pretty close to the ride. I'm not sure if it is possible to be close enough to do a sliding transfer or not because we lifted DD on.

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin- What length chair will fit (I didn't fit last time)? Where is the spinner?

My DD's wheelchair fit. They have a neat arrangement there where the back of the car actually folds down to become a ramp. The wheelchair pulls in and then they rotate the floor so you are facing forward. They close up the ramp and you are secured in. The spinners might be a reach if you don't have good range of motion.

Space Mountain (for mom)- Are there steps up and/or down to get into the vehicle? How big are the seats/how many together? How rough is the ride (mom can ride Star Tours-barely-with just the lap belt)? Is there a time limit to load?

I have not ridden this in a long time, but I can answer the part about the seats together - the seats are one in front of the other, so you can't sit next to each other.

"its a small world"- How many wheelchairs does this ride accommodate?

I believe it can hold 2 at once. In this picture from allearsnet.com , the double grey lines are where the wheelchair tires stop (one set of white lines for each wheelchair).

Peter Pan's Flight- Will they stop the ride (if you ask and explain the need thoroughly)? If not, how long do you have to get on and how hard is it? Does the lap bar automatically close/when does it come back up? My Dad would have to carry me on, sit me down, steady me, turn himself around, and sit down. DSis was injured on Haunted Mansion (DL) because they wouldn't stop the ride...How does Peter Pan loading compare?

I think Peter pan at MK is the same as Disneyland. It's not that they won't, it's that they can't stop it. They can't even slow it (although, they can make an emergency stop, for example if someone falls as they are getting on or off). A CM explained to me that it is becasue of the drive system for that ride; it switches from a cog system on the bottom of the boat to a ride system at the top of the boat. Also, because the boats are suspended in the air, they are worried about people panicing if it stops. We can no longer go on that ride because there is not time for my DH to lift DD out of her wheelchair and into the ride car.

Magic Carpets of Aladdin- What is the maximum length/width of the wheelchair accommodated? Is there a weight limit? My electric wheelchair is about 300 lbs without me (I weigh 67 lbs). Is the lever to move the vehicle within reach? Would my Dad be allowed to ride with me?

My DD's wheelchair fits. I don't know about weight since we haven't gone with her power chair. The wheelchair rider is in the front (I think - I don't ride this, DH does and the computer that had pictures of this on is not accessible to me right now). I do know that you can control the height and the pitch, but whether you, the wheelchair user control both, I don't know.

Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh- Where is the button to make the honeypot bounce?

You don't control the bounce. The bounce is turned on (to be like all the other honeypots) or off (so it just moves along without bouncing) by the CM before you are secured into the honeypot.

Pirates of the Caribbean- How do you transfer to the new boat (revamped attraction)? Will they stop the ride (how long)? Are there more drops/is it rougher?

I don't believe they were changing the style of the boats. There is no wheelchair boat; you do have to switch to a manual wheelchair or have someone able to move your own wheelchair from the boarding area to the exit (which is actually in another building). The boat comes to a complete stop for boarding and unloading. You can take as long as you need. There is only one drop and it probably feels longer and faster than it really is because it is in almost total darkness. Here is a picture of the Pirates boat from allearsnet.

Spectromagic- How is the wheelchair seating? How much is there? How early do you need to get there? My Dad needs access beside me, behind me, and in front of me (for feeding tube, vent, and suctioning). Would this be a problem? There are four chairs in our party so we could spread out.

The entire back row is wheelchair seating and the 2 rows in front of that are for the ambulatory members of the wheelchair party. The wheelchair spots are just empty spots with a bench seat next to some of them. We usually get there about 1 hour early. You may see a big line of people lining up earlier. Wait until you see the line moving. They start letting people into the amphitheater about 1 1/2 hours or so before the show starts. If you get in line too early, there are too many people. If you wait until they have started letting people in, it is much easier. Their is a CM usher for the wheelchair parties. Have your dad explain what you need (you would probably be best on the end of a row - that way he would have access to you from in front, behind and from the aisle. If you need the spot on the other side of you left empty too, explain that to the user CM.
There is a Companion Restroom inside the theater, as well as a snack bar.

Wishes- How is the wheelchair seating? How much is there? How early do you need to get there? My Dad needs access beside me, behind me, and in front of me (for feeding tube, vent, and suctioning). Would this be a problem? There are four chairs in our party so we could spread out.

There is no seating for WISHES that I know of. We watched from Fantasyland, which probably did not give the best view, but we could hear the music well and it wasn't crowded.

Spaceship Earth: How far back does the seat tip? How is the transfer? How many people fit in each row? Will they stop the ride to load (how long)?

2 people will fit in each row. They can stop the moving walkway completly for you to load and your wheelchair can be pulled up very close (even touching) the ride vehicle). The hardest part of the load was that the car door doesn't open very far. You board at the exit and will be getting in and out the same side if that makes a difference. I took my DD on and transfered her myself. She can do a pivot stand and weighs 82 pounds.
My guess is that it tips back about 15 to 20 degrees (but just a guess).

El Rio Del Tiempo: What size/how many wheelchairs does it accommodate?

The boat is basically the same as the Small World boats that I posted a picture of. I believe they can only accomidate 2 wheelchairs.

Mission Space Advanced Training Lab (NOT the ride): How wheelchair friendly is it? Is it crowded? Are any of the exhibits within reach? Do the ride passengers exit into this area?

The ride passengers exit into the area, but they are in a main pathway and the exibits are sort of further in. There is a large interactive group game in one area. This is a picture of the area, which is separated off from the walkway:

The game controls are accessible from a wheelchair and my DD loved it. The picture shows the buttons you need to hit.

Turtle Talk with Crush- Where do people in wheelchairs sit? How is the view?

They have designated wheelchair spaces at the ends of rows. The view is as good as anyone else. Children will be in front of you sitting on the floor. The waiting area for wheelchair guests is roped off from the main line (they limit access into the waiting area since there are limited wheelchair spots in the theater). A very cute show.

Illuminations-How is the wheelchair seating? How much is there? How early do you need to get there? My Dad needs access beside me, behind me, and in front of me (for feeding tube, vent, and suctioning). Would this be a problem? There are four chairs in our party so we could spread out.

We don't normally use the wheelchair viewing areas for Illuminations because the times we did use them, it was very bsy, vey crowded and DD did not tolerate being in one area for that long a time - I would say an hour ahead of time. The wheelchair viewing areas might be busy or not the night you are going - there really isn't much way to know what the demand will be on any given night. I'd suggest asking the CM at Guest Services or at the viewing area. The other thing you want to be aware of is which way the wind is blowing - you don't want all the smoke blowing on you. We've had very good luck just finding our own spots for Illuminations, Just pull up along the fence surrounding the WS water.

Is the Wonders of Life Pavilion open in July?

I believe Wonders of Life is not going to re-open (but might be wrong)

 

[Absimilliard]

I'll try to answer those 2 as best as I can.

Lights, Cars, Action Extreme Stunt Show- How hot does this show get? I am planning on taking the elevator to the middle wheelchair seats. How many places are there? Is there a seat for a walking attendant?

There's quite a few spots for wheelchairs and what they did last july was they kept the row under the wheelchairs free for the people in your party. One person can sit next to you on a small bench.

As for how hot it gets, there's 2 fire effects in the show. 1 on the "stage" and the other one in the river, followed by a large explosion. Its not that hot, compared to other stunt shows and rides I've been on. The height you're at means you won't feel much of the heat.


Space Mountain (for mom)- Are there steps up and/or down to get into the vehicle? How big are the seats/how many together? How rough is the ride (mom can ride Star Tours-barely-with just the lap belt)? Is there a time limit to load?

I suggest she skip it. The seats are leather and well padded, but lack leg room. Its in line seating, 3 in a row per car, 2 cars tied together. Its one person to a seat and its pretty level with the loading dock. The seats are ok, but in my case at 6'3, 260 lbs, I only fit in the back or middle seat of the car. The lap bar is a "T" shape bar that comes down on your hips. There is no additional seatbelts. For the loading time limit, they can delay the "launches", but the ride will break down if a train is slow to load or unload and is not sent out on time. That is due to the large number of trains running at once (12 to 15 cars a train)

The ride itself is jerky and whips you around the corners. There is one "big" 40 feet drop and 3 smaller drops. The ride is a lot like the old Wild Mouse at the amusement park, but with banked turns and in the dark. The right side track has a moment of intense "airtime", which are negative G's. It gives the impression of being ejected.

The loading and unloading area are not on the same floor. When your party gets in line or prepares for loading, you have to go down behind the waiting lines, down a ramp to the lower floor, where guests unload.

 

[Marie14625]

I know CM's are not allowed to help with transfers from a wheelchair, and I have no problem with that.

I have questions about Haunted Mansion and Ellen's Energy Adventure. Are the transfers a simple pivot transfer from chair to ride seat? Is there anything like a guard rail that Kim would have to maneuver around?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Ellen's has the ride vehicles stationary at load/unload and there is a fold-out ramp and you drive the wc into the vehicle.

I can't help on HM

 

[SueM in MN]

Ellen's Energy adventure has a fold out ramp on the back of the ride car (it's called a theater car, because it is a large car with many rows of seats that many people can ride on at the same time). The back row has a space for the wheelchair to pull in.

For Haunted Mansion, wheelchair users board and get off at the ride exit.
There is a moving walkway, but the CMs will stop it for you if you ask. A wheelchair can be pulled up as close as needed to the ride car (even touching). There is a car that has a door that opens a bit father than usual for wheelchair users, but there is no wheelchair accessible car.
After the wheelchair user has boarded, the CMs will move the wheelchair out of the way. They keep track of which cars have someone who needs extra assistnce. When you get back to the exit, you may need to remind the CM that you need a full stop of the moving walkway and need the wheelchair brought close by. Boarding and exiting are from the same side of the car.
Here's a picture of the HM ride car from allears.net

 

[CinderellaBride12]

Tower of Terror- How difficult is the transfer? Is there a time limit to transfer? How rough/jerky is it?

I'm going off when I worked there in 2005 (and from what I saw when we went last year it was the same). The transfer is pretty easy. They should offer you two options. With it being electric if you would prefer not to transfer they should allow you to go up the elevator (known as the Chicken Elevator). IF that is the case just tell them it is easier for you to stay in your own. I know we allowed people to go up the back elevator because sometimes it is easier. If you are going to transfer it isn't hard at all. They have a regular wheelchair at the FASTPASS entrance and they can help you or your family can help you. No time limit. The ride....it really isn't jerky just the falls. You will come up out of your seat a bit but it wasn't jerky. Hope this was helpful.

*EDIT* Oops...Notice when you posted. Oh Well...Hope this helps someone else out there.

 

[Michigan]

I think the flying carpets the chair goes in the back. My oldest DD's chair a few years ago had a hard time getting in because of the footplate. Her new chair doesn't have a frame from the casters to the axle so she should be ok once she pops over the thing that the seat locks in.

 

[SueM in MN]

I think the flying carpets the chair goes in the back.

You are right.
I don't have any good pictures of how the Flying Carpet works, but the back seat is unlocked and rolled out. That makes room (and a ramp) for the wheelchair to be placed in the spot where the seat was removed.
The front seat of the carpet remains in place and is available for someone else to sit in to ride with the person in the wheelchair.