Wheelchair queue at Small World packed today

[Tink575]

We were at MK today and SB for Small World was 10 minutes and the wheelchair queue was back past the gate with the wheelchair symbol on it. i felt very sorry for those on the line, there were many wheelchair guests with only 1 or 2 people accompanying them, so the wait would have been unbelieveable.

Many FPs were available and the park was not overcrowded until 4PM when the MNSSHP guests were arriving.

 

[AJKMOM]

That ride is notoriously slow for guests in wheel chairs and scooters.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

That ride is notoriously slow for guests in wheel chairs and scooters.

And notoriously boring for everyone else, over age 3

 

[BroganMc]

Eek!

I made the mistake of getting in this line last March on a Saturday (yeah stupid I know) when it was just inside the umbrella entrance. Halfway down that first section the line just stopped moving. Then half a dozen wheelchair/scooter parties enter the line behind me. I was literally trapped by the people in front and the people behind and the metal bars on either side. Took me 30 minutes just to get down to the split in the railings where you turn the corner. Finally was able to politely ask the people in front of me if they could let me past the chain link so I could get out. I made a run for Mickey's Philharmagic and some sanity.

I refuse to go anywhere near IASW now unless I can see this line does not go beyond that first ramp to the boats. It's far too tight and congested. It was a MUCH better setup when they put the exit on the other side and wheelchairs down there. Bigger walkway meant more room for wheelchairs to make a turn and leave.

Sometimes progress is actually a regression.

 

[KPeveler]

Does anyone know if this is a ride with WC Return Times? And it is just one big line, or do people with a DAS get "priority?" This is what GR in Disneyland (CA) told me, that DAS means "priority" over stand-by accessible entrance lines. That does not mean it actually happens, just that is what I was told.

IASW is a must for my family (if only for my mother to torment my father and sister) so since the wc line is usually long, I will definitely use a DAS time for this, if that makes a difference (I have both DAS and wheelchair).

 

[Tink575]

Does anyone know if this is a ride with WC Return Times? And it is just one big line, or do people with a DAS get "priority?" This is what GR in Disneyland (CA) told me, that DAS means "priority" over stand-by accessible entrance lines. That does not mean it actually happens, just that is what I was told.

IASW is a must for my family (if only for my mother to torment my father and sister) so since the wc line is usually long, I will definitely use a DAS time for this, if that makes a difference (I have both DAS and wheelchair).

SB time was only 10 minutes, so the DAS wouldn't have applied, as far as I know. All that need the wheelchair boat are in the wheelchair line. Sorry I really don't know the answer, I just got in SB. No one in sb had a wheelchair or scooter. It was our last day in MK and the line was short so I went for it. The boats there seem to be low with limited leg room and it gives me back and knee pain to board, while riding and getting out. My Nana loved this and I remember going on. It with her at the 1964 Worlds Fair, so I love to ride it 1-2 times a trip.

 

[Schmeck]

Does anyone know if this is a ride with WC Return Times? And it is just one big line, or do people with a DAS get "priority?" This is what GR in Disneyland (CA) told me, that DAS means "priority" over stand-by accessible entrance lines. That does not mean it actually happens, just that is what I was told.

IASW is a must for my family (if only for my mother to torment my father and sister) so since the wc line is usually long, I will definitely use a DAS time for this, if that makes a difference (I have both DAS and wheelchair).

Even with a return time (if there is one) how would you get by all the other wc guests? At WDW, there just isn't any room to do so.

My question is if the guests in the wc queue are there just for the accessible boat (the one that allows you to stay in your chair) or do all guests in wc, even those that can transfer, have to use this queue? Does it have to do with boarding/disboarding locations?

 

[AndreaA]

We were at MK today and SB for Small World was 10 minutes and the wheelchair queue was back past the gate with the wheelchair symbol on it. i felt very sorry for those on the line, there were many wheelchair guests with only 1 or 2 people accompanying them, so the wait would have been unbelieveable.

Many FPs were available and the park was not overcrowded until 4PM when the MNSSHP guests were arriving.

That is really unfortunate. Long before DAS was rolled out, that line was often used as an example of why GAC needed to change not just because of abusers but because of increased legitimate users. I said then that I didn't think the DAS would solve the problem, but I'm sorry to see that I was right. Hopefully they will figure something out.

 

[mistysue]

Does anyone know if this is a ride with WC Return Times? And it is just one big line, or do people with a DAS get "priority?" This is what GR in Disneyland (CA) told me, that DAS means "priority" over stand-by accessible entrance lines. That does not mean it actually happens, just that is what I was told.

IASW is a must for my family (if only for my mother to torment my father and sister) so since the wc line is usually long, I will definitely use a DAS time for this, if that makes a difference (I have both DAS and wheelchair).

Didn't they put FP+ at IASW at MK? I would expect DAS without a wheelchair would be sent there, which then just gets complicated if they gave you a return time in a WC. I would expect procedure between the two parks to be completely different.

 

[SueM in MN]

Even with a return time (if there is one) how would you get by all the other wc guests? At WDW, there just isn't any room to do so.

My question is if the guests in the wc queue are there just for the accessible boat (the one that allows you to stay in your chair) or do all guests in wc, even those that can transfer, have to use this queue? Does it have to do with boarding/disboarding locations?

All guests with mobility devices need to use that same line.
The regular line goes over a bridge that crosses the boat path. Those guests board on one side of the water and unload on the other side.
Guests with mobility devices load and unload on the same side of the water. This picture shows the area - there is no space to add any kind of dedicated DAS wheelchair return.

That is really unfortunate. Long before DAS was rolled out, that line was often used as an example of why GAC needed to change not just because of abusers but because of increased legitimate users. I said then that I didn't think the DAS would solve the problem, but I'm sorry to see that I was right. Hopefully they will figure something out.

Often when we were in the line, more than half of the groups did not have someone with a mobility device. Those guests were using that line because they felt it was less crowded than the regular line. Some got in the line kind of automatically without looking at the standby return time.

Didn't they put FP+ at IASW at MK? I would expect DAS without a wheelchair would be sent there, which then just gets complicated if they gave you a return time in a WC. I would expect procedure between the two parks to be completely different.

FP plus is bring added all over at WDW.
Those who don't have a mobility device won't need the accessible boarding area.
It may be confusing still right now, but should eventually work out better as they route those who don't need the accessible line to other places.

 

[Schmeck]

Thank you Sue! So, because of the design of the attraction, people with mobility devices have to pretty much board on the exit side, whether they need to use the accessible vehicle or not. Somebody at Imagineering needs a bonk on the head for that design. A portable ramp across the water would solve the issue for wheelchairs. ECVs would be too heavy for a portable ramp though.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you Sue! So, because of the design of the attraction, people with mobility devices have to pretty much board on the exit side, whether they need to use the accessible vehicle or not. Somebody at Imagineering needs a bonk on the head for that design. A portable ramp across the water would solve the issue for wheelchairs. ECVs would be too heavy for a portable ramp though.

The 'old' queue before renovation had guests with mobility devices coming down the old exit ramp to board.
There was a holding point for mobility devices of guests who were on the attraction on the exit ramp, but thru most of the Queue, they were mixed with guests who were traveling toward them to exit.. They boarded and unloaded at the same point and went back up the exit ramp to get out. There was no place to hold guests who were waiting for the accessible boat and only a limited amount of space for parking mobility devices.

Other guests entered from what is now the exit side and got off on what is now the boarding side.

The current renovation is from 2010 or 2011 (my first pictures are 2011).
They did have another earlier renovation. From what I know, that would have left guests with mobility devices boarding the same way as before.
Some things about that plan apparently did not meet with approval from the Fire Marshall, which was why the redesign was done to be the way it is one.

The traffic flow is much better than it was.

 

[KPeveler]

While the wheelchair boat is nice, I do not need it - I just pull the cushion off my wheelchair and stick it under my rear if I need to.

It is frustrating that they roll out a system, tell all the guests that DAS trumps wheelchair returnees/guests (whether or not there is a WC Return Ticket), then it never happens at the attraction, or does infrequently. It gets very confusing for CMs and guests! I never know what the right answer is.

Also, my family always stays at SOG, which is and is not an "on property" resort. We get Extra Magic Hours, but no longer are allowed to get free parking! (Yes, they took that away from military families - way to go Disney). No one seems to know yet whether SOG will be included in FP+. If not, there will be letters being written to Disney, and potentially local news outlets if they shut the military families out of something else, when it is as "on property" as you get - it is across the lawn from the TTC! And military families were always given the same benefits as other on property guests in the past, as a small tribute to the service done for the country.