What rides can you load with an ECV?

[aubriee]

My mom uses an ECV at WDW. She can walk some, but can not do steps or moving walkways of any kind. We found this out last Sept when she fell trying to get out of the boat ride in Mexico. Anyway, when we went in Sept she was able to wait for the handicap boat at Small World and the CM stopped the moving walkway at Buzz. However, they refused to stop the walkways at Haunted Mansion or Nemo, so she couldn't ride and of course the walkways could not be stopped for the People Mover or Peter Pan, which we already knew. Due to the step down into the boats/cars, we also didn't get to ride Junge Cruise, Pirates, Test Track, Big Thunder, or Maelstrom (she doesn't do EE or SM). When we were there in Sept, the CM did say we could wait for the handicap boat at Jungle Cruise and she'd be able to just stay in her ECV, but then she moved us up to that area and forgot us. When we finally caught someone's attention, they admitted to forgetting us and said they would get us on ASAP. However, after waiting another 15 minutes and them apparently forgetting us again, we finally gave up and just left (standby wait at that time was just 5 minutes). When we went to Nemo, the CM outside said there was an entrance inside that we could use, so she could avoid that winding, dark queu (she also has trouble with her eyes adjusting from brightness to darkness and back again). However, when we asked the lady inside about that entrance, she walked us over there, opened the door, but then said they apparently weren't using it that day and we'd have to go back through the main queu.

When we went back in Oct/Nov we got a different CM who was willing to stop the moving walkway at Haunted Mansion, so was able to ride it then, but still had to skip the other rides. When we went over to Universal, she had to transfer to a wheelchair, but was able to see part of the queu at Forbidden Journey. However, at Olivanders, the CM refused to allow her ECV in, nor would they allow her to transfer to a wheelchair to go in. He simply said that the room was too small and neither wheelchairs nor ECVs were even allowed inside period. After returning home, I found out he was wrong and she should have been allowed into that show in a wheelchair.

Anyway, we are going back in May and I'd like to be better prepared. Which rides have ride vehicles that would accommodate her ECV (or a wheelchair), which moving walkways can be stopped, and is there anyway to get into the rides that have a step down. (Her knee gives out and she has pain when attempting steps, so those rides may not be an option.) Stepping straight across is not a problem, only stepping up or down into a ride.

 

[SueM in MN]

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread. Posts 18-22 on page 2 of that thread have the information you are looking for. It does mention wheelchair accessible ride cars and which have a difficult step in. There is no way to avoid or make those steps in any easier.

That post also lists which attractions have wheelchair accessible ride cars and which of those are also ECV accessible. For example, Mexico has a wheelchair accessible ride car. Guests using an ECV can switch to a wheelchair available at the boarding area to ride in that boat. Let the greeter CM know and also let them know at the boarding area when they ask how many are in your party.

Another post on page 2 lists the attractions with moving walkways and stairs.

The assumption is that most guests with ECVs can walk, just not distances. So, they normally slow the moving walkway (maybe just slightly), but don't usually stop it. For most guests, that will be enough. They also have to take the other riders into account - if the ride stops completely, some may panic and think something is wrong or try to get out of their ride car. These are some of the reasons they don't usually stop the walkways.

For Haunted Mansion, or really any of the attractions with moving walkways, you have to be assertive, clear and short about what you need, but nice. And, you have to be boarding at the exit, even if you waited in the regular line to that point.

For Jungle Cruise, if they are running one accessible boat, the ride itself lasts about 10 minutes, so if they forget about you or you just missed the boat, that means another 10 minute wait. Since most people using ECVs do get out, tht may have played a part in them forgetting about her.