Special Needs Seperate Line (ECV/Wheelchair?)

[Tizag]

Hi,

We are planning a trip to WDW in May. My mom seems to think there are seperate lines at the attractions for people in ECV/wheelchairs. I don't think there are seperate lines.... who is right?!

Thanks!!!

Tizag

[dmosher]

I wouldn't go so far as to say there are separate lines for every attraction, however there are handicapped entrances to some as well as separate loading areas for some. There are also a few "shortcuts" that are used as in the Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain. These allow you to bypass areas that would be difficult to navigate through, etc.

Hope that helps,

D

[Tizag]

Does this mean the lines are shorter for some attractions if you are handicapped? Thanks!

[DawsonAR]

Your wait could be longer or shorter. For instance at Pirates, you are taken through a different entrance, but you must wait on a CM to come and get everyone. There are benches for you to sit and wait.

[mickeefan]

On Soarin I have always been allowed to ride in the regular line right up to the ride itself.
You park right beside the ride.
Otherwise I could not handle what is a very long walk.

[TheDuckRocks]

The newer the attraction is the more likely it will be that you just go through the line with everyone else. The older attractions have lines that were not designed for handicap use and will have you using a seperate entrance.
Here are a few that I remember as being different:
Jungle Cruise - you must go to extreme left hand side of the loading area and be loaded on one few boats that is handicap accessable. Sometimes this can be quite a wait.
Kilamanjaro Safari - you go about 3/4 the way on the same path as everyone else and then go through a handicap gate. I think the boarding is slightly different and the parking space for the ECVs and wheelchairs are there.
MuppettVision & Mickey's PhilharMagic - you remain in your ECV or WC and must sit in the back row.
Lights, Motors, Action - you are escorted to the back of the bleachers and taken up an elevator and shown where you must sit.
Beauty and the Beast - you will be directed to either the back or the front of the theater for seperate seating.
I know there are more unusual ones and will try to remember to post them as I think of them.
Most often you will just park somewhere and go on the ride if you are at all mobile.

[Marilyn Michetti]

Not shorter or faster - just different. If you're directed to a separate entrance, and the time wait in the regular line is 20 min., the DM will load you in 20 min. There was a time when anyone could rent a WC and have front of the line access for the price of the chair, but the abuse was glaring. Disney is trying to be fair to everyone, and the system isn't perfect yet, but it's getting better.

[tinkerbellybutton]

Fortunately Disney is taking every step to make sure that the loading systems are fair. The wait times are not shorter for alternate entrances, as Marilyn said, just dfferent. There have been times that we have waited longer in the alternate entrance then the stand-by line wait and that's fine with me. We were actually THRILLED with the line in the new ride at Studios (Toy Story Midway Mania) they actualy have a whole seperate loading area, the cars come right off the track so I don't have to hold up a "normal" person while I load slowly, it's ingenious! Those of us who are "differently abled" have no problem waiting our turn and it burns me up to see people abusing the system thinking that they will gain something. God forbid that fate catches up with them and truly makes them unable to navigate the parks on foot!

[tinkerbellybutton]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, we went in Sept. and during the refurb, Pirates line has been changed and people in w/c can go through the "normal" line

[Hayden's Dad]

We were actually THRILLED with the line in the new ride at Studios (Toy Story Midway Mania) they actualy have a whole seperate loading area, the cars come right off the track so I don't have to hold up a "normal" person while I load slowly, it's ingenious!

I agree 100% This line is great and I love that you don't hold up the ride for other's hopefully this will be the way they look at new rides. I did miss not seing Mr. Potatoe Head, but it was still a nice experieince.

For Haunted Mansion we have gone in two different ways, one through the "Servant" entrance which is neat because you see the different call bells for the servants, Madame Leota, Ballroom, Atrium, etc. The other way we went we loaded from the exit and that was creepy, you go through a pitch black tunnel to the entrance, you tend to scare a couple of people coming in this way. They aren't expecting soemone to already be in the "doom Buggy"

I agree with the other posters the lines are not shorter or faster just different. Disney has gone through great extent to try and carry the theming throughout even if you are in the handicapped que.

[tinkerbellybutton]

I agree 100% This line is great and I love that you don't hold up the ride for other's hopefully this will be the way they look at new rides. I did miss not seing Mr. Potatoe Head, but it was still a nice experieince.

You didn't get to see Potato head? We went right by him, we didn't split from the "normal" line until right before the stairs. We even got some great pics of the kids with him

[Marilyn Michetti]

At Splash Mtn., I and my ECV go against the exit crowd, right to the loading area. Buzz Lightyear, and IASM take you most of the way in the regular line, and HM offers an alternative entrance to the shrinking room. I think we used to bypass that, and I wish we still did, because I lose all sense of balance in the dark.

At the Studios, nothing is different except where you might be seated in your ECV.

Epcot offers an alternate entrance at SE, but it's not any faster. Everything is normal line.

AK has an early exit for KS, as does Kali. Everything else is the same as pedestrians.

It's a pretty good system all around.