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View Full Version : WDW & people in wheelchairs



excitedfamily
08-07-2001, 02:27 PM
We're going back to WDW!!!Yeh! We're going January 15 -January 29, and splitting the stay between YC and GF! My parents are joining us ( us being me (Lisa), Mike (DH), Jonathan (turns 4 at WDW!), and Isabella (will be 1)). Getting back to the whole point of this post, my mum is wheelchair bound and has to rely on other people to get out of the chair. I have already arranged for WDW to send us the pamphlet on disabilities and WDW, but I am looking for any personal recommendations/suggestions.
Such as which rides are hard/easy to transfer people into. We are willing and able to transfer my mum into some rides that she really wants to do, but we'd prefer to stick to easier ones. I also can't remember whether the boats from YC to Epcot/MGM are accessible or not. I only rode them 50 billion times! Not too observant am I. Thanks for any help.

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JohnY
08-09-2001, 09:08 PM
Anyone have any first hand experience they can share on this?

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John Yaglenski
Chairman & Chief Imagination Officer
Intercot & Webdisney
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RobWreck
08-10-2001, 06:16 AM
I have limited first hand experience... on my first trip with my fiancee (then girlfriend), she badly sprained her ankle on the 2nd day of our 10 day stay. She wound up in a wheelchair for the entire trip, but we refused to let that slow us down.

Okay, first thing to know is that while all of Disney World is wheelchair accessible, not all of it is wheelchair friendly. The ramp up to the monorails at the Magic Kingdom and at Epcot are just the first two things that came to mind (we didn't get a motorized chair, we got a "Rob-powered" one)... I would strongly reccomend getting a motorized chair, as even the lesser slopes in the parks take their toll in short time. When making dinner show reservations, make sure to let them know in advance, as there are some seating areas that aren't wheelchair accessible (the upstairs of Pioneer Hall at the Hoop Dee Doo is the example I know of).

Those are the biggest things that come to mind. I don't think there was anything that Kathy couldn't get into, although some were easier than others. I'll see if I can get her to post her experiences and memories, as they'll be from a different perspective.

Rob

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bradleysnana
08-10-2001, 08:55 AM
The boats from Yacht Club to MGM and Epcot are wheelchair accessible. You can just roll the wheelchair into the boat. The buses are wheelchair accessible. However, if there are already 2 people on the bus in wheelchairs, you will have to wait on the next bus. This can be a little frustrating. You could ride the boat into Epcot and then take the monorail to MK. But I am not sure it would take any less time. The pamphlet Disney provides will tell you which rides the person can remain in the wheelchair and which rides they will need to transfer. Also, here is a web site that I believe will be the same as the brochure they send you. It provides all the rides and attractions and how to board or which line to get into. http://disney.go.com/disabilities/mk/interstitial.html
Does your Mother have her own wheelchair/scooter she will be taking with her? Are you driving or flying? If you are flying, be sure to check with the airport about assistance to the gate, etc.
Check with the Yacht club before you go about whether they have wheelchairs you can use while you are there. If your Mother does not take her own chair, you will need assistance to get from the hotel to the parks. I also agree if they have the electric scooters available, they are much easier to drive and easier to steer.

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Becky (aka Bradleysnana)
Intercot Staff
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lorirose
08-10-2001, 10:36 AM
I lived in Orlando for 3 years and frequently volunteered with an organization that brought disabled teens to WDW. We would take these kids around the MK... and the only attraction they couldn't see was the treehouse thing.

Please note....The CMs can NOT help you transfer from the wheel chair to the ride!!! Your party must be able to transfer your person. Some ride vehicles are kinda hard to lift someone out of. I remember Space mountain being pretty tough, because you have to climb down in the car and lift to a much higher point!! The astroorbiter is rough, too!!! There are a couple of things that she won't even have to get out of the chair for... IASW has a wheelchair boat, and COP and most of the shows have wheelchair seating.

I don't have much wheelchair experience in the other parks, because everyone wanted to do the MK most of the time...

If you look at the park maps, they have little symbols on them that advise you of accessability of attractions.

Hope this helps a little. I think you'll be surprised at just how much you CAN do at WDW.

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Dec '80 - Golf resort (now shades of green)
1992-1995- a bunch of day trips. (lived in Orlando)
Jun '99 - All Star Music
Jan '00 - All Star Movies
Feb '00 - offsite
Sep '00 - All Star Sports
Jan '01 - Fort Wilderness / Shades of Green
Next up:
Sep '01 - all-star movies
Dec '01 - all-star sports/ Port Orleans (French Quarter)

WDWdriver
08-10-2001, 11:52 AM
In the past year wheelchairs were not accepted on the ferry from TTC to the Magic Kingdom. This was because low water levels in the lagoon made the wheelchair ramp too steep. But you can still use the monorail which is very wheelchair accessible.

Don't hesitate to ride the buses. The drivers have been trained to accommodate your needs. They will board you ahead of others, and will make sure your wheelchair is properly secured.

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Ron
Intercot moderator

I'm growing older but not up

excitedfamily
08-10-2001, 12:08 PM
Thanks for all the info! I had assumed IASW was not going to be possible. I had no idea there was a wheelchair accessible boat. By the way, my mum has her own chair as she is wheelchair bound. She also has her own scooter but I cannot imagine her bringing it with her. So my next question is if you rent a scooter can you leave your own wheelchair in a safe place??? Thanks again for the tips.
As for those steep ramps, I think my dad will probably turn those into an E-ride for my mum!!!!!!! He tends to enjoy scaring her every now and then!

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MNNHFLTX
08-10-2001, 05:16 PM
On a recent trip I asked ride CM's whether or not they could help disabled people onto the ride (I was curious as I had noticed they did not). They told me that they could help assist the family, but not complete the total transfer. Also I believe they are required not to assist unless asked (or if they see a clear danger). That said and done, one ride that comes to mind as an "iffy" ride for someone wheelchair bound is Maelstrom in Norway at EPCOT. I do not believe they have wheelchair compatible boats and the step down into the boat is daunting.

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Beth--
"attitude is a little thing that means alot"

EvaBryan
08-10-2001, 08:58 PM
I have some first hand experience I can add to this already excellent thread.

On our June trip my mother suffered from a very bad leg infection (see my TR's). Although I wasn't with my parents 24/7, I was with them at least half of the day and probably hit most major attractions with my mom in the wheelchair. I should tell you that my mom doesn't ride any of the "thrill" rides (Space, Splash, RnRC or ToT), but she does ride everything else. We never had any problems with her at all, although she was able to transfer and walk a little.

I didn't notice when you were touring, but we were there in the beginning of June when the crowds were just starting to pick up for the summer season. I can't begin to imagine how to navigate chairs (or strollers) through thick crowds. Touring in a slower season will be a little easier for you.

I can give you this one tip: send one member of your group ahead to see where the wheelchair entrance is. The disability guidebooks will you which rides you will need to transfer from and which ones you can stay in your chair for. They didn't always tell you where the boarding area was.

One final thought: the folks at Disney are, hands down, the absolute best in dealing with guests with disabilities. When in doubt, ask CM's for help. We didn't have any problems with any CM's and even found a few angels.

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Bouncy
08-12-2001, 11:36 PM
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by EvaBryan:
I didn't notice when you were touring, but we were there in the beginning of June when the crowds were just starting to pick up for the summer season. I can't begin to imagine how to navigate chairs (or strollers) through thick crowds. Touring in a slower season will be a little easier for you.

I can give you this one tip: send one member of your group ahead to see where the wheelchair entrance is. The disability guidebooks will you which rides you will need to transfer from and which ones you can stay in your chair for. They didn't always tell you where the boarding area was.

One final thought: the folks at Disney are, hands down, the absolute best in dealing with guests with disabilities. When in doubt, ask CM's for help. We didn't have any problems with any CM's and even found a few angels.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree wholeheartedly!!!! We generally go in September and April, and we've never had a problem with wheelchairs or ecvs.

As for having someone go ahead to find the correct entrance, bingo. Sometimes it's at the exit to the ride, but not always.

And finally, KUDOS to the CMs! We went to another Orlando park, which shall remain nameless..(but is probably the biggest competitor of WDW)... as we tried to get on several rides we were told simply, "you can't go on this ride with 'that thing'". After asking another staff member, we WERE actually allowed to go on the rides, but the experience was unpleasant. At WDW the CMs GO OUT OF THEIR WAY to help... and I love an opportunity to thank them again on Intercot for all the help. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP, CMs!!!!

Finally, (really) - excitedfamily, if you do a search on intercot, you'll find several posts on wheelchair experince. I usually post the links in a message like this, but there are too many... you should find some pretty detailed info here. If you have more ???s just let us know. http://www.intercot.com/boards/supergrin.gif


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