- Joined
- Jan 7, 2008
- Messages
- 6,653
Just a report on this new ride--went to the AP previews yesterday. In addition to myself, I was with a friend whose son is in a wheelchair and we encountered some difficulties with the accessibility of this ride.
First, we waited in the "regular" line--then when you get to the point where you would normally load onto the ride they send disabled to a second line--we waited another 25 minutes there. They should have a separate entrace for disabled access so you don't end up waiting in two lines.
They only had one handicapped ride vehicle running. So we had to wait for three turns of the vehicle before we could get on. My friend's son enjoyed the ride, but because of his disability found the repetitive motion of the "gun" difficult, so elected not to ride again.
The other issue we encountered is that even if someone is mobile, if they cannot do stairs they have to go in the disabled line because the exit from the regular ride takes you up one flight and down two flights of stairs. There is no way for someone who is ambulatory to go on the regular line and avoid the stairs. I fear that this is going to result in an extremely long line for the disabled access once the ride opens to the public. I managed on our second ride to do the stairs; but it was a slow journey and there will be days that I am not physically able to do it. So, on those days I will have to go in the disabled line and make it longer for those who have no other choice.
The ride itself is very well done, but the disabled access (and exit!) needs improvement. The CM's were wonderful to deal with and seem to know there are issues with the disabled access.
First, we waited in the "regular" line--then when you get to the point where you would normally load onto the ride they send disabled to a second line--we waited another 25 minutes there. They should have a separate entrace for disabled access so you don't end up waiting in two lines.
They only had one handicapped ride vehicle running. So we had to wait for three turns of the vehicle before we could get on. My friend's son enjoyed the ride, but because of his disability found the repetitive motion of the "gun" difficult, so elected not to ride again.
The other issue we encountered is that even if someone is mobile, if they cannot do stairs they have to go in the disabled line because the exit from the regular ride takes you up one flight and down two flights of stairs. There is no way for someone who is ambulatory to go on the regular line and avoid the stairs. I fear that this is going to result in an extremely long line for the disabled access once the ride opens to the public. I managed on our second ride to do the stairs; but it was a slow journey and there will be days that I am not physically able to do it. So, on those days I will have to go in the disabled line and make it longer for those who have no other choice.
The ride itself is very well done, but the disabled access (and exit!) needs improvement. The CM's were wonderful to deal with and seem to know there are issues with the disabled access.
