Wheelchair assistant admitted free?

[disneychrista]

Space Mountain, POTC, IASW are always much longer if you need to use the HA entrance.

For Space Mountain we used regular line and showed my pass (avoid stairs) to the boarding CM and still waited 4 - 6 cars while they loaded the other seats. Just having to use the accessible car delayed us. But being able to avoid the stairs saved me a lot of pain and made the extra wait worth it.

I agree though, many see people using HA enterances/exits and think they are cutting the line when in fact that is not the case at all.

 

[miss.potatohead]

There is already abuse of the wheelchairs. The last time I was at DL, I saw teenagers using the rented wheelchairs, pretending to be disabled, so they could get in the front of the line.

I don't want to make this into an argument as I've seen this happen before, but there are such things as invisible disabilities. I'm not saying the teenagers you saw were not pretending, but there are reasons why people who 'don't look disabled' are using wheelchairs.

 

[HappyHaunt]

To get to the front of the line you have to show a "guest assistence card" which I believe you get from the city hall inside Disneyland after you show them a need to have a shorter wait in a queue , ( unable to climb stairs , ext. ) and that also allows a carer or 2 in with you .
Though I did see several families try and get up to 8 people to the front of the line on the one card ( no one needs that much assistence ), one didn't even have the guest who's card it was with them ( need less to say that group was sent back to wait in the regular line).
I dont think it is a case of get a wheelchair get to the front of the line automaticaly

I believe you can have up to 5 people with the person in a wheelchair using the GAC pass. So 6 total. There was five of us last week using a GAC for my brother. It's not just a matter of the one person helping them, but keeping the party together. Not much fun for a family to have to separate at each ride. But in our case my brother is over 200 pounds, in a wheel chair and is severally mentally and physically disabled. He needed the ability to go through the alternative entrance, and yes it sometimes did take two or three of us to help him in and off of the rides. As well as getting his wheel chair, and sitting him down etc.. But I agree there has to be a limit on how big the party can be.

That doesn't bother me at all if the family goes on together. You have to remember that most people would rather their loved one be healthy and be able to stand in line with them.

It certainly is not a pass to the front of the line though. There were many rides that stand by would have been faster. But we certainly appreciated it for my brother, even if we had to wait a bit longer. It was a more quiet and easy way for him. The people that abuse it really make it hard for everyone else that does need it. Seeing teens jumping in and out and taking turns being pushed really had us fit to be tied last week.

So I think that's nice of the Zoo to make it so the person pushing doesn't have to pay. But I don't think that's really necessary. The person pushing still gets to enjoy the attractions. So in all reality I think they should pay, and yes I can't imagine how much abuse there would be at DL! Whew!

 

[reenyc]

I definately agree with keeping the family together and I do know that for guest in wheelchair you do require more than one or two people to help , the family we witnessed trying to get 8 people on didn't have a person requiring a wheelchair with them , the young boy who apeared to possibly have noise sensitive issues ( noise cancel headphones on )was left at the exit with another member of the party, while the other 8 attempted to short-cut the queue to Big Thunder Railway , not a ride for someone with issues to noise and sudden movements. When asked where the guest who required assistence was by a CM they replied " oh he can't ride this so we left back there ".

 

[HappyHaunt]

I definately agree with keeping the family together and I do know that for guest in wheelchair you do require more than one or two people to help , the family we witnessed trying to get 8 people on didn't have a person requiring a wheelchair with them , the young boy who apeared to possibly have noise sensitive issues ( noise cancel headphones on )was left at the exit with another member of the party, while the other 8 attempted to short-cut the queue to Big Thunder Railway , not a ride for someone with issues to noise and sudden movements. When asked where the guest who required assistence was by a CM they replied " oh he can't ride this so we left back there ".

That's awful! I can't believe what people will try and do to skip a line! I'm glad they didn't let them on!

 

[nannyz]

I totally agree about the invisible disabilities. But these teenagers were carrying on like kids, taking turns in the wheelchair, etc.
By the way, when we had my daughter in a chair, we entered the rides through the exit and were put on the ride within a few minutes, I think because they know that someone who is transferring from a chair cannot stand for long periods of time so they get them on ASAP.

 

[mrsmith9]

My wife got into Sea World free when I was in a wheelchair. Had no idea they did this until they told us she would be free.

Yes, the abuse at DLR would be huge but why is this not a problem at Sea World?

Sea World is desperate to get anyone in the park they can. Once in they hope you will spend money on food and merchandise.

That's why Sea World and Busch Gardens will give you an annual pass if you purchase a one day ticket. They dont have the corwd and capacity problems that Disney does.

 

[Malcon10t]

I totally agree about the invisible disabilities. But these teenagers were carrying on like kids, taking turns in the wheelchair, etc.
By the way, when we had my daughter in a chair, we entered the rides through the exit and were put on the ride within a few minutes, I think because they know that someone who is transferring from a chair cannot stand for long periods of time so they get them on ASAP.

Do you know specifically that there was not an issue with one of them? The reason I ask is because when my son was 15-17, he used a wheelchair at Disneyland. He has bilateral Osgood Schlatter in the knees. He would walk when he felt good, and when it acted up, he would use the chair. When he was walking, we often put my niece in the chair, simply for ease. It could easily have been him you were talking about. Slight difference is we had to use the HA entrance anyway due to my daughter's service dog.

You were fortunate that they were able to "put on the ride" almost immediately. Usually, the wait at rides such as POTC, IASW, Space Mountain is longer than the standby queue. There are a couple rides in Fantasyland that might be slightly faster, however it averages out.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

You were fortunate that they were able to "put on the ride" almost immediately. Usually, the wait at rides such as POTC, IASW, Space Mountain is longer than the standby queue. There are a couple rides in Fantasyland that might be slightly faster, however it averages out.

Her DD was pregnant so didn't go on faster rides. Also she could transfer so that helps too, when you don't require the wheelchair access vehicle.

 

[DBMC]

Do you know specifically that there was not an issue with one of them? The reason I ask is because when my son was 15-17, he used a wheelchair at Disneyland. He has bilateral Osgood Schlatter in the knees. He would walk when he felt good, and when it acted up, he would use the chair. When he was walking, we often put my niece in the chair, simply for ease. It could easily have been him you were talking about. Slight difference is we had to use the HA entrance anyway due to my daughter's service dog.

You were fortunate that they were able to "put on the ride" almost immediately. Usually, the wait at rides such as POTC, IASW, Space Mountain is longer than the standby queue. There are a couple rides in Fantasyland that might be slightly faster, however it averages out.

I agree. I don't look like I have anything wrong with me, but had to use an ecv last trip. I can get up and walk around just fine, but have problems with stamina. (heart condition) I got up and played with my kids etc. when I could. I also would have loved it if someone else would have taken turns with me so I could walk a little. I am sure lots of people thought I was "abusing" the system. Just because you are in a wheel chair or ecv, doesn't mean you can't horse around and have fun. Please try not to judge.

Honestly, if somebody rents a wheel chair to try to get ahead in lines, they are not very bright. Being in a wheel chair or ecv can be very stressful, and just an overall pain in the butt. Not to mention it isn't cheap. It is only worth it if you actually need it.