Wheelchair Accessible Rides + DAS

[erikjscott]

Hi everyone,

I am planning my trip for two weeks from now and I am hoping you can help.

We have 7 members of our party. My son qualified for DAS, and the cast member was able to include all 7 of us on it. My mother, however, is physically handicapped and is going to be using an ECV and can really only walk a couple of steps. She will only be going on rides that a physical wheelchair can go on, since she'd be able to transfer from the ECV to the wheelchair (although not that easy for her) but has no interest in transferring a second time to the ride itself. These are the wheelchair-accessible ones that we were looking to go on over the course of our 7 days:

Toy Story Mania
it's a small world
Jungle Cruise
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Journey into the Imagination with Figment
Remy's Ratatouille
Gran Fiesta Tour
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

My questions:
1.) My biggest concern is that we will be utilizing DAS for my son for every single one of the rides listed above. How would that work with my mom needing wheelchair accessibility? I read some rides have separate entrances for Wheelchairs (for instance its a small world?). Does that mean she cannot join us in the lightning lane for any of these rides?

2.) Do any of the above rides allow the actual ECV on? Or must she transfer to the wheelchair?

3.) I tried to YouTube most of these rides -- aside from the boat rides like Jungle Cruise, its a small world, and Gran Fiesta, do most of the Wheelchair accessible rides only allow the wheelchair user? The videos on YouTube didn't make it look as though another member of the party could sit with them.

 

[lanejudy]

You can definitely keep the party together with DAS and a wheelchair. If you have a DAS Return Time, when you arrive to use it they will issue an immediate wheelchair return time to go to the accessible entrance. There are very few attractions with truly alternate entrances, and mostly in MK; other queues may have you start in the main/LL queue and then there is an accessible pull-off at some point (to avoid stairs, etc.).

Any accessible ride vehicles should allow at least 1 companion with the wheelchair; how many companions on the same vehicle likely depends on the attraction. In particular the boat rides you mention should have space for your full party together, I'm not sure why the videos looked like it was limited. Be aware that some shows will have only 1 companion seat next to the wheelchair user and the rest of your party will be directed to sit in a row in front of them.

Others have more direct experience with which rides, ECV vs wheelchair, so I'm sure someone will respond to that part of your question.

 

[MinnieMSue]

I have only taken a wheelchair on rides and never attempted an EVC when we took a family member in a w/c. I don't think most if any allow an ecv although an electric wheelchair can go on some if not all. The boats that take a wheelchair have regular seats or modified seats you can sit in. Remy only allows one person to ride with the wheelchair. Toy story is one other person in the car. I can't remember how many fit on figment. I simply can't recall doing that one but we probably did. We did not do buzz. I don't know what their wheelchair arrangement is, sorry. Nemo and Pooh are one person with wheelchair.

 

[only hope]

Nearly all the rides you listed above allow an ECV through the queue, so if she is able to transfer to the ride vehicle she could stay in the ECV and do one transfer into the vehicle. If transfers are challenging, have you considered pushing her in a wheelchair? That can go through nearly all queues. I wouldn’t recommend the chairs at WDW though, they are uncomfortable sling chairs.