WCs and FastPasses

[KPeveler]

I just realized there are some rides, more in MK than anywhere else, that it is pointless to get a Fastpass for if you are in a wheelchair. BTMRR comes to mind, since you go to a line at the Exit. Haunted Mansion, if the line is long, is worth it, but what about Splash? I know you go out the side before the stairs, but can you do that from FP AND the regular line?

Here are the list of fastpass rides:

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Dinosaur - DinoLand USA
Expedition Everest - Asia
Kali River Rapids - Asia
Kilimanjaro Safaris - Africa
It's Tough to Be a Bug - Tree of Life
Primeval Whirl - Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama

MAGIC KINGDOM
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Frontierland
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - Tomorrowland
Jungle Cruise - Adventureland
Mickey's PhilharMagic - Fantasyland
Peter Pan's Magic Flight - Fantasyland
Space Mountain - Tomorrowland
Splash Mountain - Frontierland
Winnie the Pooh - Fantasyland

DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Rock N Roller Coaster -
Star Tours
Tower of Terror -
Voyage of The Little Mermaid

EPCOT
Soarin' -
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
Test Track -
Living with the Land
The Maelstrom
Mission: SPACE -

What about Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh?

 

[angelbearmom]

I have no info; just wanted to say that I'm interested in the answer to this question too. I'm starting to make the guide/story book I'm making for ds and want to mention in it if we will need to get a fast pass for a particular attraction. Thanks for your list of attractions at each park. That's helped me to see clearly how many we're likely to need. I hope someone replies to this thread soon.

 

[SueM in MN]

I just realized there are some rides, more in MK than anywhere else, that it is pointless to get a Fastpass for if you are in a wheelchair. BTMRR comes to mind, since you go to a line at the Exit. Haunted Mansion, if the line is long, is worth it, but what about Splash? I know you go out the side before the stairs, but can you do that from FP AND the regular line?

Haunted Mansion no longer has Fastpass; they removed it when the attraction was renovated the last time because the lines were not usually long enough to make sense to have it.

Splash Mountain's FP line takes you out the side before the stairs the same as the Standby line. I know the OP knows what a Mainstream Line is, but for anyone who doesn't know, it is a wheelchair accessible line where people with wheelchairs wait in line with everyone else.

A lot of whether it's worth it depends on when you go. I'll add notes in blue bold for each one I know about. We have been at various times - this April during Spring break and in October during Food and Wine Festival in 2006 and 2007.

ANIMAL KINGDOM

• Dinosaur - DinoLand USA If you go when the park is busy, it would be helpful, but in the late afternoon, you usually end up with a short wait anyway. The Fastpass and Standby lines merge before you get to the preshow area.
• Expedition Everest - Asia I have not personally been on this, but from what I have seen when DH and others in our group rode, you probably need Fastpass to ride this. It is a Mainstream Line.
• Kali River Rapids - Asia Early in the day, yes. Late in the day, it's usually been walk on in our experience. There is a really nice wheelchair loading area; the pull off for it is after the Fastpass and Standby Line merge.
• Kilimanjaro Safaris - Africa Early in the day, yes. Late in the day, it's usually been walk on in our experience. Since everyone with an ECV or wheelchair has to wait/board in the accessible spot and often have a long wait, going late in the day or using Fastpass will make your time closer to the amount waited by the people in the Standby line when it's busy.
• It's Tough to Be a Bug - Tree of LifeNo. CMs have always been begging people to come in when we have gone. It usually has no more than a 'one show' wait.
• Primeval Whirl - Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama Don't know because we don't go on this. If you have not been on it before, I'd suggest watching it for a while. People get thrown around a lot in this (as my 'tag' says, it's like combining the teacups and a roller coaster.
  
  MAGIC KINGDOM
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Frontierland We don't ride with DD. My DH or I usually do ride and do use Fastpass. I'm not sure how it would work with a wheelchair.
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - Tomorrowland Yes. It has a Mainstream Line. Wheelchair users are pulled off to board at the exit just before the merged line (Fastpass and Standby) gets to the regular boarding area.
• Jungle Cruise - AdventurelandWe have usually been brought into the handicapped entrance whether or not we have a Fastpass. We have not usually gone unless the Standby Line was 30 minutes or so, though. We have usually had a pretty long wait anyway since all the people with wheelchairs and ECVs are in the same line
• Mickey's PhilharMagic - FantasylandDon't know. When we have gone, the Standby Line has been short anyway. People with wheelchairs and ECVs are pulled into another line once you enter the building (so that there are not more people with wheelchairs/ECVs than there are seats). If the Standby line is long, your wait outside will be long.
• Peter Pan's Magic Flight - FantasylandDon't know since we can't transfer DD onto this any more. I miss Peter Pan
• Space Mountain - Tomorrowland Don't know since we can't transfer DD onto this.
• Splash Mountain - Frontierland Yes.
• Winnie the Pooh - Fantasyland This has a Mainstream Line. If you go early in the morning or really late at night, there will be little wait usually. During mid-day when there are lots of kids, you will probably want Fastpass.
  
  DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular We've never gotten a Fastpass for this. It is big enough that you don't need it and we have never had any problem with getting in as long as we were there about 20-30 minutes before the show starts
• Rock N Roller Coaster -Don't know since we can't transfer DD onto this.(
• Star Tours We have not ridden this in our last 2 trips.
• Tower of Terror - We rode this in April and did not need a Fastpass because it was not that busy - our wait was basically as fast as we could walk on. I guess it probably varies day to day.
• Voyage of The Little MermaidThis varies too. We've been on when you really needed a Fastpass and other times when you didn't. There are limited wheelchair accessible spots, so get there as soon as possible after your Fastpass time.
  
  EPCOT
• Soarin' - yes. The Stand By line is usually very long. This ride has a fully Mainstreamed line; you are in the same line with everyone else the whole time.
• Honey, I Shrunk the AudienceWe have not gone on this in a while, but have noticed the lines. Early in the day, the wait may be an hour. But by mid afternoon and after, the line is more like just waiting for the next show.
• Test Track - Yes. The line is Mainstream. If you can board at the regular boarding spot, they will move your wheelchair across the track while you are riding. In that case, you will be in the Mainstream line until boarding. There is also an alternate boarding area that we use since it's easier to lift DD into the ride car with the car raised up. We have to wait for that, but the wait would be the same Fastpass or Standby Line.
• Living with the Land The last 3-4 times we've gone, the Standby line was just a few minutes. When we approached the line, we were taken into the Fastpass line. If the Standby line is long and you have to wait, the CM will usually give you a handwritten return time pass.
• The MaelstromWe have not gone for a while because it's too hard to lift DD in. I did notice one time during our last trip, the Standby Line was about an hour and the next time we went by on a different day, it was only 15 minutes. Both lines board at the same place.
• Mission: SPACE - The last time we rode, the Standby Line for the more tame version was 10-15 minutes. We've ridden twice (Once in October and once in April) and did not find a wait in the Standby Line either time. You will be in the same line as everyone else until boarding, when you are put in a different spot to board at the same time as everyone else.

 

[angelbearmom]

Sue; Can you please explain what the standby line is? I don't remember what it is. Thanks

 

[kaytieeldr]

Standby line is the old "regular/only" line. It's the line for Guests without FastPass. Generally, there is a ratio of FastPass Guests to Standby Guests allowed to board - say, for example, 10:1. Ten FP Guests get to enter the boarding/loading area, or the actual ride, to every one SB Guest.

Expedition Everest - Asia I have not personally been on this, but from what I have seen when DH and others in our group rode, you probably need Fastpass to ride this. It is a Mainstream Line.

Another option here, if your party make-up allows it, is the Single Riders line. It works great for me - I can ride two or three times in a row with a relatively short wait; but your party WILL be split up, into separate rows or even separate trains.

Space Mountain - Tomorrowland Don't know since we can't transfer DD onto this.

If you ever get to Disneyland, they can pull a rocket off the main track for loading - so you're not under the time constraints that Space Mountains typical departure intervals cause. If the other members of your party can lift your daughter out of the floor-level rocket, you WOULD be able to ride.

 

[SueM in MN]

Standby line is the old "regular/only" line. It's the line for Guests without FastPass. Generally, there is a ratio of FastPass Guests to Standby Guests allowed to board - say, for example, 10:1. Ten FP Guests get to enter the boarding/loading area, or the actual ride, to every one SB Guest.

I should have explained it.
For attractions with Fastpass, those with Fastpass will get on within about 10 minutes or less of the time they enter the line. For the Standby Line (regular) line, there is a time posted outside the entrance that tells the approximate expected wait time. The two lines are usually next to each other and as you get toward the boarding area, the two lines merge. In some cases, it's right at boarding, in some, it's a point further from boarding. Where ever the point is, the CM controls how many people come into the merged line from the Fastpass and the Standby Line. The ratio will vary depending on a lot of factors, like how many people are in each line at the time, how many people the attraction can 'serve' per hour, etc.

Another option here, if your party make-up allows it, is the Single Riders line. It works great for me - I can ride two or three times in a row with a relatively short wait; but your party WILL be split up, into separate rows or even separate trains. If you ever get to Disneyland, they can pull a rocket off the main track for loading - so you're not under the time constraints that Space Mountains typical departure intervals cause. If the other members of your party can lift your daughter out of the floor-level rocket, you WOULD be able to ride.

Good idea for people who can do the single rider line.
I don't know that we'll ever get to California, but everything I have read about Space Mountain at DL sounds like it works very well.

 

[KPeveler]

thanks! i realized that the wheelchair line is completely separate from the standby and FP line at BTMRR, and i only did fantasyland late at night, so the lines were non-existant... i was pulled off to the side immediately, since there was no need for me to go back and forth through an empty line

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

I have info on a couple that Sue didn't mention...

Star Tours-no FP needed. Separate accessible line.

Honey, I Shrunk the Audience- FP makes no difference. In front of the wheelchair entrance there is a CM. The CM has time slips for the number of wheelchair seats. You pick the time that you want from the available slots and are given the paper with the time to present to the CM. The wheelchair line is separate so you really only need to arrive 5-10 minutes early. The wheelchair slots fill up fast so you need to get your time ticket at least two hours early.

 

[kimsuenew]

Awesome information (as usual)! Thank you!

 

[Mary976]

I think DD got a fastpass for Space Mountain, Tower of Terror and Rock and Roller Coaster. I went with her through the Space Mountain line, because the grade on the hill in side the building was a little steep for her manual chair. She said she would have been fine rolling all the way to the top all at once, but when she was starting and stopping in line it was too hard to keep the momentum up. I don't imagine ECV or power chair users would have a problem, though. We love fastpass and use it whenever available. DD gets cranky waiting in long lines, mainly because her head is at the same height as other people's behinds, and she doesn't like it when people bump into her.

Mary

 

[ireland_nicole]

Slightly OT question? In KS; is there anywhere to leave the ECV so that you can use the FP line? (Early in the day I could probably handle the one shorter line so that the whole family didn't have to wait forever- but I can't remember if there's anywhere to "safely" leave the ECV.
Thanks

 

[SueM in MN]

Slightly OT question? In KS; is there anywhere to leave the ECV so that you can use the FP line? (Early in the day I could probably handle the one shorter line so that the whole family didn't have to wait forever- but I can't remember if there's anywhere to "safely" leave the ECV.
Thanks

You could leave it with the strollers (the drop off point for strollers is just a little before the handicapped boarding 'pull off' point).
But, keep in mind that the handicapped tram comes back to the same place that you got on and the 'regular' tram drops people off farther away, before getting back to the 'regular' boarding area.
So, make sure the walk is OK for you before leaving the ECV with the strollers.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Thanks, Sue!