What if need extra time to board and get off rides?

[hightown]

Funny, I was the original poster a year ago. Now going back, yes Mom (70) still is insistant on going with us and if anything she's gotten worse. Now legs are worse. I realy noticed this weekend she was just getting up out of movie seat (POC ROCKS!) and she had to lunge up 3-4 times. I can't really help pull her up because of her shoulders!

So was going to post question here and here's this thread!

Re-read everything and believe we definately need GAC this year. It's not the loading part of the rides that has me too concerned but getting her guickly up and out of the doom buggies, etc will not be possible this year.

Age is the pits. Thanks for all the great advise, expecially Safari Steve!

Sharon

 

[SueM in MN]

As for stopping Peter Pan...well it was stopped when I boarded it. I had arrived at the ride and we were discussing the transfer on. The CM insisted that I would have no trouble doing the transfer in that short(much shorter then the HM) boarding area. I was pretty sure it would be a close thing and felt it would be safer to stop it but they said try it without stopping.

You were lucky they had to do an emergency stop and you got on then. Peter Pan is listed in the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities as not being able to have the moving walkway stopped. They can, of course, stop it in an emergency, but we were told that it can't be stopped other than that. A CM explained to us that it's because the ride vehicles are supsended above ground and there is also a switch from being guided by a floor system to the system above. We were told they can only stop in an emergency and that if we could not transfer DD on in the time allowed, she would not be able to ride.

 

[SueM in MN]

bumping this up for new viewers.

 

[vhoffman]

I have a disability which makes getting on and off some of the rides difficult or impossible. We took our children to WDW last April and had a great time. I think the key is to realize you probably can't ride every ride. Just take your fun as you find it. I rode many rides and found other things to enjoy such as Epcot exhibits, shopping, etc. I didn't want to gripe to my family and make them feel bad for me. There's so much to see and do at WDW, so what if you can't make it to everything? Just remember, disabled or not, no one can do everything. Just concentrate on the good, or as they say in Mexico "Busqua lo bueno!"
'

 

[SueM in MN]

Very good points, vhoffman.

 

[SueM in MN]

bumping this up for new readers.

 

[Lou-Ann]

How difficult is it to exit Pirates if you have difficulty doing stairs or rising from a low position? Do they have a higher seat on any of the boats? I have had 2 knee surgeries and a bad shoulder as well. Thanks.

 

[Wade Shrader]

Steve (and everybody else), I have a question about loading for HM when you stop the track. Do those guests miss the "preshow" part of the attraction...the initial "stretching room", etc?

I have 2 sons with Cerebral Palsy, and although they're small enough now for me to carry them onto the ride, in the future, we'll have to enter through the wheelchair entrance.

Thanks!
Wade

 

[Figaro]

Hi, Wade!

If you need a full ride stop, you will get on the ride at the exit and will miss the pre-show with the stretching room. The CM's at the Haunted Mansion are just wonderful and have always been so nice about the ride stop when I need it(smile).

 

[BillSears]

You can ask the CM who is leading you back to the exit if you can do the stretching room part. I have in the past and they take you through a side door to the room. We went in first and exited afterward back the way we came.

I can't guarentee that they will do this, I suppose it depends on how busy they are. But it was nice to be able to see the room.

 

[SueM in MN]

How difficult is it to exit Pirates if you have difficulty doing stairs or rising from a low position? Do they have a higher seat on any of the boats?

Pirates boats are all the same, they don't have any with higher seats. To get in, it's a step down to the seat and then another step down to get your feet in the correct place to sit down. To get out, most people take 2 steps, one to get their feet on the seat and another step to get out of the boat. Here's a picture of the boat (if it doesn't work, it's from the allearsnet.com site):

You can ask the CM who is leading you back to the exit if you can do the stretching room part. I have in the past and they take you through a side door to the room. We went in first and exited afterward back the way we came.

I have heard other people besides Bill who have done this. It's never been offered to us (and we've never asked either), so we have never done it ourselves. The CM does usually ask if the person can walk when you get to that door. That might be the point to ask if you are interested in doing it. If it's too busy, the CM might be able to tell you a time to come back when it's more likely you will be able to see the stretching room.

 

[dorisdvu]

Originally posted by vhoffman
Steve,

Thanks so much for the info! So now what I need to do is get a Guest Assistance Pass, show it to the attendant, go through the wheelchair entrance (even though I don't use a wheelchair), they'll stop or slow down the ride to get on, and then they'll know what car to stop to get off. Great!

How do I get a Guest Assistance Pass? Where do I go? Do I need some sort of Dr's letter? Can I order it in advance? Also, is there a list of rides which can't be stopped so I'll know which ones to avoid?

Thanks again so much--you've made my day!

I'd like to know how to get one as well.

I broke my shoulder 3 weeks ago and from what the doctor says I'll still be wearing a sling when I go to DW in 24 days.

One more question...If I get to enter thru the handicapped entrance, I assume the rest of my party goes as well. Is this correct?

 

[Figaro]

Hi, dorisdvu!

Guest Assistance cards are to give information to CM's about disabilities that aren't apparent. Since I use a wheelchair, my disability is apparent and so when I get a guest assistance card it is just for sun sensitivity and so I wait in a shaded area. Same wait, just where there isn't any sun(smile).

Most rides don't enter through the exit because the rides at WDW have mainstream queues. The rides that do are mostly in Fantasyland and the CM's generally tell me to get a fastpass and when I come back with my fastpass, I enter through the exit or fastpass line or move to the exit from the fastpass line (smile) depending on how that particular rides lines are set up.

I don't think you wouldn't need a guest assisstance card because your sling would be apparent like my wheelchair is apparent and because entering through the exits wouldn't be of any help, since the main reason people in wheelchairs enter that way is because the wheelchair or ECV can be left there or to gain access to the wheelchair car (roll on)..

Hope this makes sense!

 

[JudithM]

I have done the same thing as Andrew at the Haunted Mansion. At one time this attraction had turnstiles that were not very wide, so I aksed to use the exit to get into the ride. When I realized I would miss the stretching room, I asked & was taken into the room rather than directly to the ride.

Guest Assistance Cards can be obtained at Guest Relations just inside each park. I have never needed a note from a doctor to obtain a GAC. Initially I explained what my medical issue/concern was. After that I let a Guest Relations CM know what I have had on previous GACs (on previous trips) & that usually suffices for my new GAC. In my experience, the GAC is good for the length of your stay & for up to six guests including yourself. I usually get the GAC for six since we usually meet various friends during the trip. If I have less than six, great.

 

[SueM in MN]

Bumping up so more people will see it.

 

[sncbird]

Gearing up for another WDW trip The last few have been great but I usually don't go on alot of rides (especailly at MK) due to using a wheelchair. I would like to try HM this year. If I've read correct, they can stop the car when you board the exit so I can tranfsfer from my Wheelchair to the car? Also, how many people can fit into the special HC car?

Also, for the new Lilo and Stitch ride, can you use your Wheelchair on it like Buzz or you do you have to transfer? I know this technically hasn't opened yet but just wondering if anyone knows anything

Thanks - you guys are always a wealth of info!!

Christine

 

[BillSears]

The HM HC car that you would use is a standard Doom Buggie with a slight cut away on the side to make transfering onto the bench a little easier. Standard Doom Buggies hold 2-3 people depending on how large they are and how friendly.

Since Lilo and Stitch is just taking over the Alien Encounter ride with some modifications I'd guess that you stay in your chair during the entire thing. It's not a ride per say. You go into 3 different areas. The first has the preshow on some TV monitors above you. The second has a demonstration of the teleportation system and you view this from walkways in front of the demonstration area. The third area is a round theatre seating area. In this theatre are some spots just inside the entrance where you would back your wheelchair right into a spot designed for wheelchair users.

 

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by BillSears
The HM HC car that you would use is a standard Doom Buggie with a slight cut away on the side to make transfering onto the bench a little easier. Standard Doom Buggies hold 2-3 people depending on how large they are and how friendly.

Yep, the car looks pretty much the same as the regular car. They can stop the moving walkway while you get on and off (but let them know you need it stopped). Boarding for wheelchair users is at the exit, which allows more space and time for boarding.

Since Lilo and Stitch is just taking over the Alien Encounter ride with some modifications I'd guess that you stay in your chair during the entire thing. It's not a ride per say. You go into 3 different areas. The first has the preshow on some TV monitors above you. The second has a demonstration of the teleportation system and you view this from walkways in front of the demonstration area. The third area is a round theatre seating area. In this theatre are some spots just inside the entrance where you would back your wheelchair right into a spot designed for wheelchair users.

From what I have read, it is basically a re-theme of the existing areas, so I agree with Bill. Just make sure when going into the "demonstration" room to stay at the bottom (there are 3 levels I think). The bottom is closest to the "demonstration area". When it was Alien Encounter, the CMs made several announcements that the bottom row was for groups traveling in wheelchairs. The wheelchair seats in the theater part had shoulder harnesses arranged to come down just like for the seats, so you won't miss anything.

 

[Absimilliard]

If any of you like to ride rock n roller coaster and need to transfer, I have a suggestion: practice using the special car in the hallway between load and unload. That way, you won't disrupt the ride operations (by not being familiar with the car set up for example) in such a way that may cause a ride stop. Let's put it this way: if 4 trains are running (standard on a day with any crowds!) and a train is stopped in unload (transfer, slow guest, etc.), trains will stop behind it. Now... there's room for 2 trains before the station. Where does the fourth goes? Either its stays in the launch area, which is good, but bad for capacity as the interval is messed up or if its already launched... stops after the corkscrew, causing an e-stop!

When I worked at Disneyland Paris on Space Mountain, which is the brother of Rock n Roller Coaster, we had a bit of a problem when we had 5 trains going: the CM's have exactly 36 seconds to have the train pull in, get people in and out, check harnesses and send it out again. We had to ask if they could do the transfer fast enough, if they could, we let them ride, if they could not... we asked them to come back later when we down to 4 trains, which allows for a longer period for the train to be stopped in the station, to allow for transfers.

Through I'd throw that in there since its related to transfers and a common fear for people who need to transfer!

 

[sncbird]

Thanks everyone for the replies - it helps alot