Viewing Spectro with someone in a wheelchair?

[GEM]

This will be our first trip traveling with my mom and she'll be a wheelchair in the parks most evenings. Although she doesn't really have any mobility issues, she has real trouble walking in low light. She just can't see well enough, and she often ends up tripping and injuring herself. It seems to really throw her balance off as well. She does alright in the day time, but we're planning on pushing her in a chair the few late nights we have planned.

I know there are special reserved viewing spots, but I hear that those fill up really early. Do we HAVE to use those spots, or can we just park my mom right behind the rope anywhere along the parade route? I know she'll want a front row seat so she can enjoy it with my 3 year old!

 

[dclfun]

You don't have to use those spots....you can park her chair anywhere you like so that she has a good view of the parade. ---Kathy

 

[loadsapixiedust]

You can park up anywhere you like, but the designated viewing spots offer great views and CMs will make sure nobody sneaks in front of any guests in wheelchairs there. We like to use the one on the hub right at the start of the parade route as you can see the parade floats from the front and side as they turn right in front of you. It's also handy for a quick exit if you intend to leave the park right after the parade.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I've never had any problems finding a space in the reserved seating area, even when we've been sneaking in quite close to start time. To get a front row spot outside the reserved spaces you'd probably have to turn up a lot earlier than you would to get space in them (and she definitely wouldn't see anything if she didn't get front row).

Good luck and have fun

 

[SueM in MN]

Whether or not the designated wheelchair areas fill up early is really variable. We have been to WDW during Spring break and seen that they were not full and other slow times when there were lots of empty spaces along the curb when they were very full. It really depends on how many people with wheelchairs are at the park and use them than on how busy the park is (busy for wheelchair users may be very different than busy in general).

We personally, don't use the designated wheelchair areas very often. DD doesn't like being parked right up next to strangers. To get the most wheelchair guests in the area, they usually park the wheelchairs next to the rope in a tight row and the guests traveling with the wheelchair guest are behind.

 

[GEM]

Thanks for all the great information. I guess we'll just have to see how crowded it is. I had read somewhere that, if she used the reserved area, we might not be able to stay with her there. I know that she wouldn't really have any interest in watching the parade if she couldn't enjoy it with us - well, really, with her grandson!

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for all the great information. I guess we'll just have to see how crowded it is. I had read somewhere that, if she used the reserved area, we might not be able to stay with her there. I know that she wouldn't really have any interest in watching the parade if she couldn't enjoy it with us - well, really, with her grandson!

That depends on how busy it is. If it's not busy, they will allow the person with a wheelchair/ECV plus up to 5 members of their party to be in the handicapped viewing area. If it is very busy and/or you get there when the area is already pretty full, they may limit it to the person using a wheelchair/ECV plus one or 2 members of their party.

 

[zzyzx409]

That depends on how busy it is. If it's not busy, they will allow the person with a wheelchair/ECV plus up to 5 members of their party to be in the handicapped viewing area. If it is very busy and/or you get there when the area is already pretty full, they may limit it to the person using a wheelchair/ECV plus one or 2 members of their party.

I hate to change parks, but what about Illuminations? I've not seen Illuminations since I started using an ECV, but I did notice that in EPCOT (last time I looked) they put the scooters wheel to wheel.

Where does my wife go?

I have shyed away, because I like to watch these things with my wife and not a stranger.

Thanks,

Andy

 

[disneydenisel]

We were at WDW at Thanksgiving with my DD7 in a stroller as a wheelchair. We had no trouble parking ourselves at the curbs or behind a rope to see the parades. We saw Spectromagic 4x and Illuminations once and Wishes 2x. Sure, it was crowded, but we never had trouble finding a good place to view the shows. Good luck!

 

[SueM in MN]

I hate to change parks, but what about Illuminations? I've not seen Illuminations since I started using an ECV, but I did notice that in EPCOT (last time I looked) they put the scooters wheel to wheel.

Where does my wife go?

I have shyed away, because I like to watch these things with my wife and not a stranger.

Thanks,

Andy

For the wheelchair viewing areas, the people accompanying the people with ECVs or wheelchairs just stand behind the wheelchair/ECV.

For Illuminations, we just find a spot and park DD's wheelchair up against the fence that surrounds World Showcase. No one can get in front of her because of the fence and we are able to stand next to or behind her and see over her head. Just look for the barges that are in the lake - not the globe, it comes out during the show. The barges are in the same place before as during the show and fireworks are shot off from them. I you have a clear view of the barges, you will have a clear view of the water features during the show. Another thing to be aware of is the wind direction. If the wind is blowing toward you, all the smoke from the fireworks will be coming toward you.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Slight OT, but Sue just reminded me, one of the best places I've found to view Wishes in a chair is on the bridge between the hub and Tomorrowland. You can park right up against the fence so no one can stand in front of you. The view is slightly skewed (the fireworks aren't exactly lined up behind the castle), but we got there about 10 minutes before start time and it was empty (the hub was already fairly stuffed).

We now return you to your original thread programming

 

[slkant]

We just got back to our trip and viewed Spectromagic from the end of the parade route in Frontierland. The "crowd" was only a few people deep and you didn't have to stake a claim to your spot until shortly before the parade started (though we waited a bit longer than we needed to just to be sure we got a great spot).

As for Illuminations, if you have a group of 8 or more you can book the Illiminations dinner at the Odyssey. After the meal, they escort everyone to a reserved viewing area that is dead center to Illuminations. Because of my disability, I was escorted our first and we picked a spot right by the railing with a perfecct view of everything. Getting out of the park was far easier than I thought it would be because we were very close to the entrance to the World Showcase and could beat the worst of the EMH crowds.

 

[zzyzx409]

For the wheelchair viewing areas, the people accompanying the people with ECVs or wheelchairs just stand behind the wheelchair/ECV.

For Illuminations, we just find a spot and park DD's wheelchair up against the fence that surrounds World Showcase. No one can get in front of her because of the fence and we are able to stand next to or behind her and see over her head. Just look for the barges that are in the lake - not the globe, it comes out during the show. The barges are in the same place before as during the show and fireworks are shot off from them. I you have a clear view of the barges, you will have a clear view of the water features during the show. Another thing to be aware of is the wind direction. If the wind is blowing toward you, all the smoke from the fireworks will be coming toward you.

Sue, Thanks.

We are going in July and since we've not seen Illuminations in several years (maybe 2002, 2003-ish) and my my wife would like to see it, so we will try this, this year.

Thanks,

Andy

 

[zzyzx409]

As for Illuminations, if you have a group of 8 or more you can book the Illiminations dinner at the Odyssey. After the meal, they escort everyone to a reserved viewing area that is dead center to Illuminations. Because of my disability, I was escorted our first and we picked a spot right by the railing with a perfecct view of everything. Getting out of the park was far easier than I thought it would be because we were very close to the entrance to the World Showcase and could beat the worst of the EMH crowds.

Are there any dinner/dessert packages for Illuminations if you are not a party of 8?

Thanks,

Andy

 

[CJN]

We just got back to our trip and viewed Spectromagic from the end of the parade route in Frontierland. The "crowd" was only a few people deep and you didn't have to stake a claim to your spot until shortly before the parade started (though we waited a bit longer than we needed to just to be sure we got a great spot).

May I hi-jack the thread for a moment? slkant, our favorite spot is over by Frontierland, also, but that raises a concern. If Spectromagic is at 7 pm and Wishes at 8 pm, is there enough time from the end of one to get from Frontierland to Main Street for the start of the other? We'll have a wheelchair and ECV (or ECV or VCR or SVU or whatever those things are called; I can never keep it straight ) Or would we be smarter to forego the relative peace and quiet of Frontierland this time and just find a spot on Main Street to see both. We're going the first week of February, btw.

 

[slkant]

I'm not sure but I think so. The question may not be not one of time but crowds. We were originally told by a CM that the bridge at the end of Frontierland (near where we watched the parade) was a good place to view Wishes, but we admit that we decided to move closer at 5 minutes to fireworks and then got caught by the crowds and could go no further and had a so-so/partial view of Wishes. I suspect that had we tried to move forward we had tim to get a better view. The same might have applied to the Frontierland bridge. I'm also thinking that being at the beginning of Frontierland might give you more time to get to the hub or Main Street.

 

[CJN]

I'm not sure but I think so. The question may not be not one of time but crowds. We were originally told by a CM that the bridge at the end of Frontierland (near where we watched the parade) was a good place to view Wishes, but we admit that we decided to move closer at 5 minutes to fireworks and then got caught by the crowds and could go no further and had a so-so/partial view of Wishes. I suspect that had we tried to move forward we had tim to get a better view. The same might have applied to the Frontierland bridge. I'm also thinking that being at the beginning of Frontierland might give you more time to get to the hub or Main Street.

I guess we'll just play it by ear; sizing up the crowd beforehand and depending on where we are in the park as parade time nears. Thanks for the help!

 

[BillSears]

There is one good thing about the wheelchair viewing areas for parades. When someone stand up and blocks your view you have every right to ask them to sit back down.

We were getting ready to watch Spectromagic from the hub's wheelchair viewing area and everything was fine. It wasn't crowded so alot of the wheelchair users had their friends/family sitting next to them. Once the show started some of the sitters between me and the approaching parade decided to stand. I guess they thought since they were not blocking the view of their own wheelchair/ECV using friend that it was ok? If this had happened on the normal parade route I really couldn't complain but in the wheelchair seating area I asked them to please sit back down. I could have still seen the parade while it was in front of me with them standing but with them sitting I could see the parade as it approacehd from mainstreet and I got to see the front of the floats instead of just the sides.

 

[SueM in MN]

Slight OT, but Sue just reminded me, one of the best places I've found to view Wishes in a chair is on the bridge between the hub and Tomorrowland. You can park right up against the fence so no one can stand in front of you. The view is slightly skewed (the fireworks aren't exactly lined up behind the castle), but we got there about 10 minutes before start time and it was empty (the hub was already fairly stuffed).

We now return you to your original thread programming

I know exactly where you mean - DH, DD and I watched Holiday Wishes from there on 12/30/06!
Like you said, it's skewed compared to the castle, but it was not crowded and it sure beats being squished in the castle area.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I think an even better place for Wishes! is a small circular area in front of the Crystal Palace. You can park right up against the fence so nobody can get in front of you. There are no nearly trees blocking the way. You get about a 3/4 side view of the Castle and most of the fireworks seem to be just to the left of the Castle. The real nice thing is there are no tall trees anywhere close by to block the view. Also, that part is off the main walkway so many people don't notice it.