Tom Sawyer Island and Wheelchairs

allie_to_you

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes...
Joined
Oct 12, 2006
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Quick question...since we are taking our little boy with us this year, we want to take him over to Tom Sawyer Island to let him play. My DH is in a wheelchair and we are wanting to know if A. he can even get over to the island on the raft. B. Can he get around the island at all in his wheelchair?

We know he can't go through the caves and some of the pathways are narrower, but just weren't sure if any of it would be possible with his wheelchair.
 
I don't know for 100% certain (you may want to check the DISabilities forum - the folks over there are GREAT), but I'm pretty sure that yes, he can ride the raft, and yes, he'll be able to get around the island somewhat.

There are a lot of narrow paths in the caves, and obviously the barrel bridge to the fort area is out, but I believe he'll be able to get around somewhat.
 
We took my DD in her wheelchair when she was little.

But - I was there recently and honestly wondered HOW we took her there, because there are steps everywhere. We must have carried her wheelchair up and down some of the steps because I can’t imagine they would have added stairs since the early 1990s.

You can take the raft over to Tom Sawyer island with a wheelchair and can take it back to the Frontierland dock.
Once there, if you follow the path to the left, you will get to a flight of 5-6 steps, each about 18 inches deep and about 4 feet wide.
If you follow the path to the right, you will be able to go about 1/3 of the way into a mill before reaching a narrow flight of about 3 narrow steps with a turn and landing, followed by 2 or 3 more steps. So that, is about as far as a wheelchair can go into the building. Coming out of that building, you can get down to Aunt Polly’s house with a few short stairs.
Coming out of Aunt Polly’s house on the other side leads to the exit side of a barrel bridge. It is real barrels suspended together and would not be wheelchair accessible because of all the dips. The exit from the Aunt Polly’s area involves a number of flights of stairs, so you may be better off going the way you came, by the mill.

What you will be able to do other than that will depend on, how narrow his wheelchair is and if he can get up and down stairs - often multiple stairs in a row.
If you can get to them, the 2 caves should be mostly accessible - I found most paths in the caves appeared to be about 30 inches wide, with some smaller, but usually a path around the smaller ones. The floors in the caves are not flat and you may come to some impediments you can’t cross - such as one has a bridge inside that may be too narrow.

There is a suspension bridge that goes across the water from the main island to the island where the fort is. There is one step, about 6 inches high to get on and off of the bridge. The fort itself is not very interesting unless you can get up the second level, which involves a flight of stairs.
The only wheelchair accessible bathrooms are just as you get off the raft. There is a set of bathrooms in the fort. I only went into the Women’s (obviously, since I am a woman ;)). It was small and a sign outside noted that a wheelchair accessible stall was available at the dock of the main island.

So, in summary, it’s not really accessible. But, depending on the size of the wheelchair and ability to get his wheelchair up and down steps, you find some worth in going.
A lot might also depend on his frustration level - how will he feel to see all sorts of things that look like they might be fun, but he can’t get to them?

If nothing else, you can go there and he can either wait in the boat landing area or possibly get to Aunt Polly’s and hang out at one of the tables on the covered porch overlooking the water while you and your little one are playing where he can’t go.

There is a ramp to get from the raft landing onto the island, but there is a step to get to the dock to get back on the raft to exit. THe CM should be able to let your DH into that ramp to get back onto the dock to exit.
 

Here’s a photo of the map to Tom Sawyer’s Island.
I am posting a thumbnail small photo plus a link to the location of the actual photo.
When you follow the link, click on the photo to get a larger photo view.
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/member-galleries/p71348-tom-sawyer-island-map.html

P1040366.JPG

The lines going across the paths are steps - except for at Aunt Polly’s house. There the lines are showing that it is a wooden deck.

Aunt Polly’s used to be a restaurant, but now has only a pop machine. The decks on the water are accessible, with ramps, covered and a nice place to sit for a while.

Here is a link to a large picture showing Aunt Polly’s (from the Riverboat) and a thumbnail that shows the same thing.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/frontierland/p44977-tom-sawyer-island-04.html
Tom_Sawyer_Island_04.JPG
 














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