Tips & Strategies for Slow Walkers?

[dmccarty]

MK is a fairly easy park to get around if someone in the party has walking issues. The train makes it easy to get to the back of the park or return to the front. You still have to walk but the train can help break up some of the long stretches. Staying at one of the resorts near MK can help since you can ride a boat or the monorail to MK. The monorail to EPCOT is good in that you are dropped off right at the front of the park. The buses are a bit of a walk from the EPCOT entrance.

At EPCOT you can use the boats to get from one side of the showcase to the other. The problem is GETTING to showcase. The boats can help limit the walk. Staying at one of the EPCOT resorts allows you to ride the boats from the hotel to the EPCOT entrance which would save walking.

DHS and AK you just have to walk.

It is hard to get people to use a wheel chair or an ECV when they do not want too but should.

Later,
Dan

 

[ccudmore]

My 2-cents worth on top of the other advice: Think of the others around your group and if you're moving slowly, don't walk abreast of each other in crowded areas. Allow space for everyone else to easily get around your group.

 

[dudelydude]

My 2-cents worth on top of the other advice: Think of the others around your group and if you're moving slowly, don't walk abreast of each other in crowded areas. Allow space for everyone else to easily get around your group.

In a crowded situation, it's hard to walk any other way than the crowd dictates. I was the pusher of the wheel chair (for my mom) and my family followed right behind me like we were some kind of bobsled team. My mom was hopped-up on something for the pain, so she didn't mind my rather speedy weaving through the crowd.

 

[SueM in MN]

That was my experience also. DH was so impressed how they handled my temporary disability. We did talk about sometimes we had to go further for the entrance we used, but it wasn't in the lines. Soarin for instance..They took us outside and around the building, which was a good distance, but they took us back in just before the loading. For HM, we started in line and then moved around to the back and entered the stretching room, I believe it was. It took a little longer for attractions that they would just put the wheelchair on since they have a limited supply. I was able to transfer, just not walk. I could stand up, turn around, and walk a very few steps but that was it.

That is what happened to you, but that is not the usual and guests should not expect that. The line for Soarin' is wheelchair and ECV accessible, so in most cases, guests with wheelchairs and ECVs are sent thru the regular line. This is called Mainstream Access, because guests with special needs are sent through the same "mainstream" as other guests for access.
My youngest DD needs to be lifted onto rides because she can't walk at all; in most cases, we are using the Mainstream line.

The information in italics is the information about Mainstream Lines from the WDW page about Mobility Disabilities:
Walt Disney World Resort strives to provide mainstream access whenever possible; that is, all Guests utilize the main entrance to the attraction. However, accessibility varies from attraction to attraction within Disney Parks. The Guide for Guests with Disabilities and Park Guidemaps use symbols to indicate boarding procedures for each attraction. In addition, Guests should contact a Disney Cast Member at each attraction before entering. Mainstream queues can be found at these attractions at Walt Disney World Theme Parks. (it then goes on to list the Mainstream attractions).

Most attractions for all parks are listed as "Enter through standard queue" for attractions without Fastpass or "Obtain a FASTPASS OR use Standby Queue" on the new Guide for Guest with Disabilities maps for each park I picked up in March 2010. There is also a large red box on the maps which says "Guests with any mobility or queue related assistance needs are encouraged to use the Disney's FASTPASS option where ever possible." There is the same explanation about how to use Fastpass as on the regular park maps.
These are the attractions in each park with a different method of access other than the regular line, as listed on the map:
MK
WDW Railroad: Enter using ramp on the RIGHT on Main Street
WDW Railroad: Enter using wheelchair ramp on RIGHT at Frontierland
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Obtain Fastpass or see Host for options. If FASTPASS is not available, enter thru access on RIGHT
Country Bear Jamboree: Enter thru door on LEFT
Hall of Presidents: Enter through door on RIGHT
Liberty Square Riverboat: Enter through exit on RIGHT or LEFT
it's a small world: Enter thru standard queue. Follow directional signs to designated load area
Peter Pan's Flight: Obtain FASTPASS or see host for options. If Fastpass is not available, see a host for options.
Snow White's Scary Adventures: Enter through Exit on RIGHT
Cinderella's Golden Carrousel: ENter through exit on RIGHT
Dumbo: Enter using ramp on RIGHT
Tea Party: ENter through exit on RIGHT
Barnstormer: Enter through exit on LEFT
Space Mountain: Obtain a FASTPASS or see a host for options. If FASTPASS not available, enter through queue on RIGHT

Epcot
Spaceship Earth: Enter through the exit on the RIGHT or LEFT
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the 3 Caballeros: Enter through the Standard Queue. Follow directional signs to designated load area.
American Adventure: See a host or hostess for access to second floor
Impressions de France: Enter through LEFT side of entrance hallway

Studio
Great Movie Ride: Enter through the Standard queue. A host will provide directions in the pre-show area
Studio Backlot Tour: Enter through the standard queue and stay to the RIGHT
Fantasmic: Enter through the standard queue and stay to the RIGHT

Animal Kingdom
Wildlife Express Train: Proceed through standard queue. A host will direct boarding
The Boneyard: Enter through the designated access gate

Everything other than these attractions I have listed say to enter through the mainstream or standby queue.
The maps are very easy to read (although the type is small) and I recommend if they go, that they get one for each park. The access information is listed right on the map with all the other information. There are icons that show which attractions you can stay right in the wheelchair or ECV for the whole attraction and which you need to transfer to a ride car.

 

[fours]

In a crowded situation, it's hard to walk any other way than the crowd dictates. I was the pusher of the wheel chair (for my mom) and my family followed right behind me like we were some kind of bobsled team. My mom was hopped-up on something for the pain, so she didn't mind my rather speedy weaving through the crowd.

lol your rather speedy weaving was prolly generating a nice warm breeze on your mom .

 

[JackieLately]

Do the Disney buses pick up people with scooters and such?

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Do the Disney buses pick up people with scooters and such?

Yes. You may on rare occassion have to wait for the next bus as there is a limit on the number of ECVs allowed on each bus.

 

[SueM in MN]

Yes. You may on rare occassion have to wait for the next bus as there is a limit on the number of ECVs allowed on each bus.

There is space on each bus for 2 ECVs or wheelchairs. Some of the newer buses have space for 3.

Click on the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread. Post #2 on that thread is about ECVs and wheelchairs (renting, places to rent).
Post #1 of the thread is an index to tell which post of the thread has information about what. One of the posts is about WDW buses and will give you lots of information. There are other posts about other types of WDW transportation with wheelchairs and ECVs.