Wheelchair lines

[mamamac]

Are there different lines for wheelchairs? A friend of mine is debating on whether bringing her big double stroller for her two sons, one which has MD. Her other option is to bring the oldest wheelchair and rent a single if need be. Isn't there usually a different line for rides if you or someone in your party is in a wheelchair? Will they allow the rest of the whole family to wait in line with them? How difficult are the buses with the wheelchair? He can walk, but he uses the wheelchair quite a bit.
Thanks!

 

[kaytieeldr]

MOST attraction lines at WDW are mainstreamed, in that Guests on wheels use the same line as everyone else. Occasionally - especially at Magic Kingdom and to a lesser degree Epcot - the lines aren't designed to handle wheels, so Guests are directed to a different access point. ALWAYS check with the Greeter - the Cast Member at the entrance to the line.

Also, there's an excellent FAQ near the top of this forum which should answer all your questions, including those you haven't thought to ask yet

 

[SueM in MN]

Most of the lines are Mainstream Lines, which are wheelchair accessible in the regular line. There are very few separate 'wheelchair lines', most of them are in Magic Kingdom,which is the oldest and least accessible park.

Most attractions for all parks are listed as "Enter through standard queue" for attractions without Fastpass or "Obtain a FASTPASS OR use Standby Queue" on the Guide for Guest with Disabilities maps I picked up in October 2009. There is also a large red box on the maps which says "Guests with any mobility or queue related assistance needs are encouraged to use the Disney's FASTPASS option wherever possible." There is the same explanation about how to use Fastpass as on the regular park maps.
These are the attractions in each park with a different method of access listed on the map:
MK

• WDW Railroad: Enter using ramp on the RIGHT on Main Street
• WDW Railroad: Enter using wheelchair ramp on RIGHT at Frontierland
• Big Thunder Mountain RailRoad: Obtain Fastpass or see Host for options. If FASTPASS is not available, enter thru access on RIGHT
• Country Bear Jamboree: Enter thru door on LEFT
• Hall of Presidents: Enter through door on RIGHT
• Liberty Square Riverboat: ENter through exit on RIGHT or LEFT
• it's a small world: Enter thru standard queue. Follow directional signs to designated load area
• Peter Pan's Flight: Obtain FASTPASS or see host for options. If Fastpass is not available, see a host for options.
• Snow White's Scary Adventures: Enter through Exit on RIGHT
• Cinderella's Golden Carrousel: ENter through exit on RIGHT
• Dumbo: Enter using ramp on RIGHT
• Tea Party: ENter through exit on RIGHT
• Barnstormer: Enter through exit on LEFT
• Space Mountain: Obtain a FASTPASS or see a host for options. If FASTPASS not available, enter through queue on RIGHT

Epcot

• Spaceship Earth: Enter through the exit on the RIGHT or LEFT
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the 3 Caballeros: Enter through the Standard Queue. Follow directional signs to designated load area.
• American Adventure: See a host or hostess for access to second floor
• Impressions de France: Enter through LEFT side of entrance hallway

Studio

• Great Movie Ride: Enter through the Standard queue. A host will provide directions in the pre-show area
• Studio Backlot Tour: Enter through the standard queue and stay to the RIGHT
• Fantasmic: Enter through the standard queue and stay to the RIGHT

Animal Kingdom

• Wildlife Express Train: Proceed through standard queue. A host will direct boarding
• The Boneyard: Enter through the designated access gate

Everything other than these attractions I have listed say to enter through the mainstream or standby queue.
The maps are very easy to read (although the type is small) and I recommend you get one for each park. The access information is listed right on the map with all the other information. There are icons that show which attractions you can stay right in the wheelchair for the whole attraction, which you need to transfer to a ride car.

If the double stroller is 30 inches or less in width and less than 48 inches in length, it should fit in most lines. You would need a Guest Assistance Card or sticker to use a stroller as a wheelchair.

If you follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread, one post in that thread is about bus transportation and should be able to answer all your bus questions.

 

[jmartinez1895]

As already said, alot of the lines are mainstream. Magic kingdom has more than the other parks. As for the busses; the drivers are great at helping people in chairs and the bus stops have a specail line for wheelchiars so the driver will see you when they are pulling up. It is very easy to get on and off the bus with a chiar.

 

[peemagg]

If the line for whatever reason is not mainstreamed they will allow the person with the disability and 5 others in the party in there together. If more than a total of 6, then the rest will have to go through the regular line and more than likely will not ride with those who needed to go the other way.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Interesting, peemagg, at Disneyland - at least at Space Mountain - the whole party can ride together. I don't know about other attractions, because it's the only place I encountered this, but the way Pirates is set up there I wouldn't be surprised if the policy was similar there.

Now, I think it's due to how the line is designe (e.g. NO way would this work at WDW's Pirates): Okay, Space Mtn has a car that can be taken literally off-line (it slides left to an adjoining track) where Guests who couldn't manager the regular line - due to stairs - can board. When I went, there was already a group of six in the 'rocket' when I got there, and the CM told me we'd be waiting for the rest of their party! Sure enough, the remainder of their party, five or six people, were waiting in the standard line! When they (finally) got down toward the loading platform, they were directed to our side of the track. Once in the rocket, we went back online and off we went!

 

[peemagg]

Space mountain in Disney World doesn't have those cars like DisneyLand. Many were hoping that after this last refurb that it would, but it didn't turn out that way.

I've never been to DL, but from what I have read the two parks have several things as far as accessibility, that they do differently.

 

[SueM in MN]

If the line for whatever reason is not mainstreamed they will allow the person with the disability and 5 others in the party in there together. If more than a total of 6, then the rest will have to go through the regular line and more than likely will not ride with those who needed to go the other way.

In many cases, it's because the space in the accessible loading area is small.
In other cases - like Toy Story Mania- the ride car only holds a total of 6 people.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Space mountain in Disney World doesn't have those cars like DisneyLand.

Oh, sure - I know that I was just giving an example of the whole party not being able to wait in line together, but still being able to ride together.

I guess comparable would be IF Walt Disney World practiced something similar at Splash Mountain - the Guest in the wheelchair and up to five members of their party proceed through the wheelchair entrance, then wait on the unloading platform until the rest of their party got to the loading area on the other side of the river. They probably never will, because that platform is relatively small, but there's always hope...