SueM or Safari Steve/ Disabled access after fast passes are all gone?

[compmom]

First of all I'd like to thank this board for all it's advice in the last year. We travelled to Disney twice last year and they were a lot less complicated due to the information I received here.

We are headed back on 6/21/03 and I was wondering about accessibilty to rides when all the fast passes were gone for the day.

Now last year which was in April, SafariSteve advised this board of those yellow access cards, which were a godsend on that trip.

The second trip last October, had those cards discontinued(they were only some sort of an experiment at that time earlier in the year) and it was a bit more tedious and challenging both physically and emotionally.

I have my own 4 wheeled scooter, which I used last year. For the most part most things were accessible, except the train. I thought it was silly that I had to leave my scooter and then make a complete circuit, when I and my family really just wanted to go to one stop away.

I was wondering what the etiquette and current policy is for those of us who rely on the fastpass and can't wait in the mainstream que line, without a problem. I know some CM's are better than most about access to rides for wheelchair riders. What is the official spiel that is given to those of you who have travelled recently and ran out of fast passes?


Thanks in advance,

compmom

 

[SueM in MN]

First, thanks for the thanks. It's all the good advice from posters that make the good information.

For the most part most things were accessible, except the
train. I thought it was silly that I had to leave my scooter
and then make a complete circuit, when I and my family
really just wanted to go to one stop away.

Actually, it was not that long ago that the train became accessible to wheelchair users from the Main Street Station. Anyone who used a wheelchair needed to leave the wheelchair there and make a round trip unless they could fold up the wheelchair and bring it on board that way. I think the scooter issue is probably due to scooters coming in many sizes and configurations.

I was wondering what the etiquette and current policy is
for those of us who rely on the fastpass and can't wait in
the mainstream que line, without a problem.

If you have problems with waiting in the Mainstream line, you might want to inquire at Guest Services about a GAC (Guest Assistance Card). The other thing we noticed (even during Spring break time when it was busy), was that people were getting fastpasses (or complaining about there not being any left) when the standby line was 15 minutes or less. I heard CMs many times practically begging people to come into the Mainstream line and the people ignored them. At Indiana Jones Stunt show, we were ready to get fastpasses (all that were left were for the last show of the day). Then we looked at the Mainstream line time and saw we could go right into the next show, so we did and got great seats - without having to wait 3 hours for our fastpass time to come. The same thing happened on ITTBAB and TOT. So, always look at the wait in the regular line.
Another thing that can help is talking to the CMs at the Status Boards (those boards where they update the wait time for all the rides/attractions. Some rides have a long wait at certain times of the day and are "walk right in" if you know when to come. THe CMs at those status boards can help you with that sort of info.

 

[compmom]

Thanks for replying Sue,


Like I said earlier each time I go something is different at Disney regarding mainstreaming and the elusive late in the day fast pass.

The first trip in April last year , the CM did not even ask to view my GAC, since they were issuing those yellow access cards.

The second trip, I found it to be very confusing and taxing mentally for me and my DH, when we were trying to find an adaptive way to not abuse the rules, but allow me to enjoy rides, that sometime had their fastpasses used up by early afternoon.

I had my GAC in plain view, but all they saw was a woman in a scooter. Not someone who gets tired very easily and can not handle driving her scooter for long periods of time without taking a rest.Some CM's only know the following words, " All of our ques are mainstreamed for your comfort and enjoyment. Please use the mainstream que so that you may enter this ride. Yes Ma' am I am sorry all the fastpasses are gone and I can not make any exceptions to this rule." Not real good for being in a 90 minute line at Test track or MM. I also have IBS, which can flare up at any time(those bathrooms are never close when I need them), but there is no room on a GAC for everything I have to be careful of.

So this time I can expect the GAC to be taken more seriously and that will at sometimes solve this problem I have? Am I understanding you correctly Sue? What situations will this not work in? What rides will I have an issue with, when there is no fastpass option available?

Thanks again for your time in replying,

compmom

(the train thing is just a personal issue for me and I know that maybe they will even adapt it further for those of us who rely on our electric scooters for transport)

 

[Earstou]

I used a wheelchair for 2 days on my recent trip, and we were surprised that the procedures for rides varied so much. At some rides, we were given a slip of paper with a return time and the number in the party to be used much like the fastpass. At others we had to wait (no problem there).
We rode TT and were surprised when they allowed us on immediately (wait time was around an hour). The next day we wanted to ride TT again around 4:15, when all fast passes were gone. The CM very abruptly told us to use the single rider line, then turned and started talking to other guests. This wasn't an option, as my son is mildly autistic, but we didn't get a GAC since I was in the chair. We weren't sure we had heard correctly, as this seemed rather silly to tell someone in a wheelchair to use the single rider line, so we asked again. This time he went on to say that would be the quickest way to get on the ride, as the other line had a 90 minute wait, and those were our only options.
So is it entirely up to the CMs at the ride how to handle a wheelchair? Why 2 differents procedures at the same ride?

 

[dclfun]

CM's not reading the GAC is my pet peeve. Mine has the green ink so it's even more noticeable, but no one yet has ever asked to read it and/or done what the card says. Fortunately I rarely use it since I'm unable to get on most attractions, but it is frustrating. Years ago there used to be training for "guests with disabilities etiquette" but lately I've found it sorely lacking. ---Kathy

 

[Safari Steve]

Certain attractions that once offered the yellow cards now have their own individual blue cards. The cards are similar in function, but are printed specifically for each attraction that offers them. They are for attractions without main-stream stand-by queues (Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion), and are offered only when the stand-by wait exceeds a certain length. As far as I know, MK is the only park that has these cards at any of their attractions, and I have only seen them used at Jungle, Mansion, and Peter Pan. They are an operational necessity at those three attractions during peak wait times.

 

[compmom]

Thanks for the insight Steve!! So what is supposed to happen at the rides without mainstream cues and all the fastpasses have been given out for that day? Is there a certain action that is acceptable by the CM's? Does that GAC become even more important to be viewed by the rides CM?


compmom

( Steve: I loved your review of MS!!! Great Picture!!)

 

[Safari Steve]

So what is supposed to happen at the rides without mainstream cues and all the fastpasses have been given out for that day?

The blue cards have nothing to do with FP. If they are necessary, they will be given out regardless of what the FP situation is.

Is there a certain action that is acceptable by the CM's? Does that GAC become even more important to be viewed by the rides CM?

At attractions with mainstream queues and FP, after the FPs have been given out, there are some things the CMs can do, but that does not mean those things will be done as the queue is mainstream. The best advice is to get a GAC and only use it when necessary. I have to agree with Sue about the urge to collect unnecessary FPs. Always Always Always check the Standby wait time, and if the sign says the queue is long but the CM says the queue is short... listen to the CM... (that also works the other way around, so if you see 15 on the sign but the CM says 40, don't get mad when you end up waiting 35 --> "...but the sign said 15!")

Also, make sure that you get a GAC with appropriate language. Explain your condition and needs so that the CM issuing the card will not have to make any guesses.
Also Also, show your GAC to the CM at greeter. There are multiple messages and the CM must read them, not simply see that you have a card. If they don't/can't read your card and you're asking to bypass the queue, they may just assume that you think you have a pass to the front of the line, which is possibly why they give you the mainstream queue spiel.

 

[compmom]

As usual Steve, thanks for the time to reply... I appreciate you clarifying my concerns. Your information and insight is invaluable to those of us who rely on this board for the most current and updated info.


Have a great day,


compmom

 

[SueM in MN]

I was gone for a few days and couldn't add anything, but it looks like Safari Steve expalined things really well (as usual).
I just wanted to add a few things. Make sure that you read the GAC card before you leave Guest Services. Make sure it says what you thought it would say and that you know what that means. One time we presented DD's old GAC to the CM at Guest Services and were given another one that we were told "said the same thing." It was not the same at all - just said we could use the wheelchair access, which we could use without the GAC, since DD has a wheelchair.
Also, on our last trip, DH and DD went to Guest Services in MK to get a GAC. The CM entered something in the computer, then went into another room to get the GAC off a printer. When we went to use it the first time, it had someone else's name on it (and just allowed us to use the wheelchair access).
Like Steve said, since each GAC has a different message stamp, just having it in (what you think of as) plain view is not enough. Even though it is obvious to you, the CM probably has not seen it at all and if they don't look at it and read it, they don't know what type of accomidation you need.

Since each ride is different in terms of access and loading, there is no way I can see that they could make things totally consistent. Also, you will have better luck with CMs making exceptions and giving special attention if you go when it is not busy. Even during Spring break, there are times of the day when certain rides are less busy. For Fastpass rides, most people seem to try to use their Fastpass a few minutes after it is valid (or even a few minutes before it is valid).
When we first started going to WDW, there were more CMs working on each ride/attraction. That helped a lot with special needs because there was always someone who was able to keep the line moving, but not doing something vital like loading. The CMs at many rides/attractions seem (to me at least) to have been cut to the minimum number to keep things moving along. If you are there at a busy time, they have all they can do to keep things going.
If all the fastpasses are given out and we were turned away, we've had good luck in asking the CM when we should come back. Remember too that you don't have to be present to put your pass in the machine and get a Fastpass; a more mobile member of your party go ahead of you (or backtrack) and put in multiple passes.

Something to remember about the time signs _ they are usually wait time from the point where you see the sign. So if the sign says 15 minutes, but the queue is full and there are 30 people in front of you before you reach the sign, it will be longer. How long depends on how fast the ride loads and how many it holds at a time. For a ride like Dumbo or Peter Pan, the wait might be quite long. For a ride that holds more people at once, the wait might actually be closer to the posted 15 minutes.

 

[DisneyVillain]

We just returned from Disney and had an experience relevant to this discussion. We went to check the queue at Space Mountain after all the fastpasses were gone for the day. The CM at the entrance gave us a little green card. He said that the queue was approximately 45 min. long, so he wrote a time on the card that was 45 min. later, and told us to return anytime after that. After 45 min., we returned and entered through the FP line.

A side note on FP: If you have heard that fast passes can be used after they have expired, any time until the park closes, I can confirm that this is true for all attractions.

 

[compmom]

Thanks for the input on your recent experience. Fastpasses still good after they expire- that is a new one on me... Great news though......especially for those park hopping days, when you can't get on either TT Or SM in the time you have allotted for that park(nice to know you can go back and use that fastpass that you could not use earlier in the day)



hope you had a fantastic trip!!


compmom

 

[LindaDVC]

thanks for letting us know that jungle cruise was now accessible

nice to have another ride at MK!

Here is hoping more rides will allow wheelchairs in the future!

Linda