Wheelchairs and Fast Pass Line

[Kim in PA]

My daughter has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. Would it help to know which attractions automatically direct wheelchair users to the FP line before signing up for our 3 Fast Passes?

Is there a list of these attractions at each park, or is it mainly MK?

Thank you!
Kim

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Wheelchair users are directed to the FastPass line? Since when?

 

[siren0119]

Fastpass lines haven't been used for wheelchair users in a while - All ride lines are wheelchair accessible and there are a few rides where they separate out wheelchair users closer to boarding the ride.

 

[SueM in MN]

In most cases, guests using wheelchairs will be using the Standby line unless they have Fastpasses for the attraction.
Most lines are wheelchair accessible thru both the Standby (regular) line and the Fastpass line.

There are a very few where the regular line is not accessible. For those, guests using mobility devices without Fastpasses will be issued a Return time to come back and use the accessible entrance.
The Return Time would be similar to the amount of time posted for the Standby Line.
With a Fastpass for that attraction, the Return Time would be ‘now’ allowing you to go right in.
The exception would be if the Standby wait is 20 minutes or less, you may be waived in.
Spaceship Earth has a waiting area at the exit since the normal queue and boarding area are not accessible. That is the only one where you do not need Fastpasses. That doesn’t mean you won’t wait. I am at Epcot this morning; the Standby Line was 5 minutes. The line of people waiting at the exit was about 15 guests and they only allow certain number of guests with special needs on at a time.

 

[toocherie]

Yes it’s important to point out that many times it will take longer for an accessible rider to get on because of capacity limitations for safety. This is especially true at Disneyland where the standby line for a ride like Pirates may be short but there is a long line of accessible users. We had an experience at IASW where stand-by was 15 minutes and it took us over an hour to get on.

 

[Kim in PA]

Ok, thank you. I am mixed up. We haven’t been to WDW in over 5 years. My other daughter has autism, and used to get a GAC and stroller as a wheelchair tag. Fast pass was just being tested then, but maybe they sent us there because of the GAC, and not the stroller as a wheelchair tag.

My youngest daughter is 13, and is the one who uses a wheelchair. This will be her first time at WDW, because we just adopted her 3 years ago when she was 10.

We did go to Hong Kong Disneyland with her, and that is probably where I remember being sent to the FP line with her wheelchair.

Sorry to confuse anyone. Just trying to figure out how this whole Fast Pass thing will work since it is new for us. We have 1 child in a wheelchair, and another with a DAS.

Kim

 

[INDIE]

My son has SB and in wheelchair, so we will be experiencing the same situations. I too was wondering how the FP was going to work with w/c users. I think there are only a couple of rides that said w/c users would go through the exits. Either way we will use the FP as much as possible anyways.

 

[siren0119]

My son has SB and in wheelchair, so we will be experiencing the same situations. I too was wondering how the FP was going to work with w/c users. I think there are only a couple of rides that said w/c users would go through the exits. Either way we will use the FP as much as possible anyways.

Right - and the thing to remember is that even DAS access doesn't give "instant" access to the rides - so your fastpasses are still valuable and wouldn't be "wasted" on any rides. Even in cases where w/c users go through an alternate entrance, they don't immediately bring you there when you arrive - they give you a return time that is based on the current standby wait.

 

[Kim in PA]

In most cases, guests using wheelchairs will be using the Standby line unless they have Fastpasses for the attraction.
Most lines are wheelchair accessible thru both the Standby (regular) line and the Fastpass line.

There are a very few where the regular line is not accessible. For those, guests using mobility devices without Fastpasses will be issued a Return time to come back and use the accessible entrance.
The Return Time would be similar to the amount of time posted for the Standby Line.
With a Fastpass for that attraction, the Return Time would be ‘now’ allowing you to go right in.
The exception would be if the Standby wait is 20 minutes or less, you may be waived in.
Spaceship Earth has a waiting area at the exit since the normal queue and boarding area are not accessible. That is the only one where you do not need Fastpasses. That doesn’t mean you won’t wait. I am at Epcot this morning; the Standby Line was 5 minutes. The line of people waiting at the exit was about 15 guests and they only allow certain number of guests with special needs on at a time.

Sue, if this post is confusing others, please feel free to delete it. I understand now, that things have changed since we were there before, and I don’t want my question to confuse anyone else.

I am still not clear on the best way to use fast passes with my other daughter’s DAS however.

 

[siren0119]

I am still not clear on the best way to use fast passes with my other daughter’s DAS however.

They are two separate things.

Fastpasses allow you to enjoy a shorter wait at a scheduled time

DAS allows you to wait roughly the same amount of time as the folks in the standby line, but wait outside of the line.

DAS doesn't give you fastpass access (meaning, you don't get to just go into the fastpass line when you arrive at the ride) even though it uses the fastpass line. DAS allows you to go to a ride, and obtain a return time that is based on whatever the current standby wait is. You can only have ONE DAS pass ride set up at a time. When it is your return time, you are allowed to enter the ride through the fastpass line.

Book your fastpasses as you normally would. Use the DAS pass to get a return time on rides where the standby line is too long for your daughter to tolerate.

 

[Kim in PA]

They are two separate things.

Fastpasses allow you to enjoy a shorter wait at a scheduled time

DAS allows you to wait roughly the same amount of time as the folks in the standby line, but wait outside of the line.

DAS doesn't give you fastpass access (meaning, you don't get to just go into the fastpass line when you arrive at the ride) even though it uses the fastpass line. DAS allows you to go to a ride, and obtain a return time that is based on whatever the current standby wait is. You can only have ONE DAS pass ride set up at a time. When it is your return time, you are allowed to enter the ride through the fastpass line.

Book your fastpasses as you normally would. Use the DAS pass to get a return time on rides where the standby line is too long for your daughter to tolerate.

Ok, that part I understand, but the whole fast pass thing is new to me. Do I just try to get the hardest ones (30 days out- we are offsite) and then try for something else with the DAS?

Thank you!

 

[Kim in PA]

Yes it’s important to point out that many times it will take longer for an accessible rider to get on because of capacity limitations for safety. This is especially true at Disneyland where the standby line for a ride like Pirates may be short but there is a long line of accessible users. We had an experience at IASW where stand-by was 15 minutes and it took us over an hour to get on.

Yes we experienced this at Hong Kong Disney as well.

 

[siren0119]

Ok, that part I understand, but the whole fast pass thing is new to me. Do I just try to get the hardest ones (30 days out- we are offsite) and then try for something else with the DAS?

Thank you!

Get fast passes for the popular rides or for rides you really want. You can book 3 Fastpasses at a time, and once they are used (while you are at the park) you can book additional fast passes on the phone app or at a kiosk, one at a time. Using the fastpass system can help you get more done in the course of your day because you will have "reservations" at certain rides rather than spending your time waiting in line.

You don't "try" for DAS, you just go to the Fastpass line and get a return time from the cast member. You can only have one DAS return time set up at a time. My older son uses DAS access - it just allows us to get a snack, walk around, check out the lands rather than waiting in a line where the long periods of standing still/closed spaces/feeling of being stuck in a crowd could cause him to spin out.

Think of DAS as a "virtual" wait in line - you are still "waiting" as if you stood in line with all the other guests, you are just allowed to wait outside of the ride - and fastpass as a "quick access reservation".

 

[gap2368]

There are I think 5 rides in all of Disney that the lines are not accessible in these case they will give you a return time to come back that is the same as the wait time -10 minutes

At the MK

Jungle cruse ( you go to the exit)
BTMRR ( you go to the exit)
IASW ( you go to the exit)
space mountain ( you go in the FP line and then go off closer to the second tap point)

And at EPCOT
space ship earth( you go to the exit )

If you have a FP for any of theses rides you will just get right on ( well after waiting behind anyone already in line which most of the time is about 5-10 minutes)

The CM must see the person in the wheelchair to get a return time.

There are other rides that are accessible to a point but then will have you go another way ( like splash mountain)

Whether a FP is right or getting a return time is right for you is something you will need to decide. For jungle cruise there is a big hill you will have to go up and down twice if you do not have a FP for. Also some rides are kind of out of the way.

 

[Kim in PA]

Get fast passes for the popular rides or for rides you really want. You can book 3 Fastpasses at a time, and once they are used (while you are at the park) you can book additional fast passes on the phone app or at a kiosk, one at a time. Using the fastpass system can help you get more done in the course of your day because you will have "reservations" at certain rides rather than spending your time waiting in line.

You don't "try" for DAS, you just go to the Fastpass line and get a return time from the cast member. You can only have one DAS return time set up at a time. My older son uses DAS access - it just allows us to get a snack, walk around, check out the lands rather than waiting in a line where the long periods of standing still/closed spaces/feeling of being stuck in a crowd could cause him to spin out.

Think of DAS as a "virtual" wait in line - you are still "waiting" as if you stood in line with all the other guests, you are just allowed to wait outside of the ride - and fastpass as a "quick access reservation".

Thank you, that really helps a lot!

 

[gap2368]

Ok, that part I understand, but the whole fast pass thing is new to me. Do I just try to get the hardest ones (30 days out- we are offsite) and then try for something else with the DAS?

Thank you!

I would try for the hardest ones. Or the ones with the longest wait ( FOP at AK. SDD at HS are the ones right now) since you are off site your chance of getting them are slim you might have a better chance with the refreshing the app the day of ( if you do not know this let me know and I can find the tread that takes about it maybe). Also this can be use for other rides. I like to have my FP from 10 -11-12 And then I will get another one after I used my first 3. With the DAS it depends on how I doing that day or that time on what I use it on.

 

[Kim in PA]

I would try for the hardest ones. Or the ones with the longest wait ( FOP at AK. SDD at HS are the ones right now) since you are off site your chance of getting them are slim you might have a better chance with the refreshing the app the day of ( if you do not know this let me know and I can find the tread that takes about it maybe). Also this can be use for other rides. I like to have my FP from 10 -11-12 And then I will get another one after I used my first 3. With the DAS it depends on how I doing that day or that time on what I use it on.

Yes, we are worried about getting on Pandora and slinky dog because we only have 30 days - this is our first time staying off site. We just can’t afford to stay in the park anymore now that there are 6 of us, and all but 1 considered adults for the room.

Can you let me know more about refreshing the app? Point me in the direction of the post you talked about?

Thank you!

 

[gap2368]

Yes, we are worried about getting on Pandora and slinky dog because we only have 30 days - this is our first time staying off site. We just can’t afford to stay in the park anymore now that there are 6 of us, and all but 1 considered adults for the room.

Can you let me know more about refreshing the app? Point me in the direction of the post you talked about?

Thank you!

I can try to find it but you basically Go to the park that you would like to get a ride at and if the ride dose not show up at the top of the app there are time slot so if it is 12 click on 1 this will refresh the rides if the one dose not show up go back to 12 and go back and forth until your ride show up for the big ones you might have to do this for quite a while 20+ minutes. For the less popular one but good ones 10 minutes and for the less popular ones just a few minute once you find one but you do not like the time you can do the same thing to move up the time

There is a thread on the main board on this. And also some YouTube videos I can look for later for you

 

[Kim in PA]

I can try to find it but you basically Go to the park that you would like to get a ride at and if the ride dose not show up at the top of the app there are time slot so if it is 12 click on 1 this will refresh the rides if the one dose not show up go back to 12 and go back and forth until your ride show up for the big ones you might have to do this for quite a while 20+ minutes. For the less popular one but good ones 10 minutes and for the less popular ones just a few minute once you find one but you do not like the time you can do the same thing to move up the time

There is a thread on the main board on this. And also some YouTube videos I can look for later for you

Thank you! My older girls have been watching YouTube videos on food, I’ll get them on this

 

[gap2368]

Thank you! My older girls have been watching YouTube videos on food, I’ll get them on this

I am looking for the thread on the refresh app thing but I can not find what I was thinking off just a few that have one or two tips.

one tip was for big groups to split it up so like if you have 8 do 4 and 4 since you have older kids maybe one gets 4 the other gets the other 4 and just see what you can find in say 20 minutes just as long as the time overlap you will be fine ( so if you get FOP from 12-1 for one group and 12:30-1:30 you could ride all together from12:30-1:00.


here is a youtube video on I hope the refreshed app ( I can not have my sound on right now but I think this is one)

. I just looked for Disney refresh FP and a list came up


also not that thread I wanted to find but here is what someone was able to find by doing the refresh earlier this April ( not really on how) but it will give you a good idea on what you can find and how long it might take ( I did not read the whole thing so it might go into how to do the refresh). https://www.disboards.com/threads/refresh-is-not-dead-april-6-7-weekend-test.3744267/

I hope this helps