ride vehicle info?

[tammydel]

I am hoping to bring my extended family to Disney next Thanksgiving. My group would include my grandmother who would need to be in a wheelchair. I printed the list of rides that you can access in a chair and those that you need to transfer into ride vehicles.

Now my gram could get up with our assistance and transfer into a ride car, but she would have great difficulty with steps up or down, or through tight car openings.
My question is does anyone have info on the rides that you need to step, climb or otherwise get into without a chair? (like Pirates?) If it is continuously loading will they stop (like pooh or spaceship earth?)

My husband and children and I go often to Disney (DVC) but this trip, if my gram can make it, I want us to do things that she will enjoy and be able to comforably experience.

Any ride car info or experience bringing elderly relatives with mobility issues?
Thanks,
Tammy

 

[SueM in MN]

Hi.
Don't have time to write a long reply, but this thread about boarding should be very useful.

 

[tammydel]

Thanks so much that thread did contain very useful information.
I'm still curious about Pirates... there is a step down into the boat, yes? Then a climb out? I think my gram would love this ride, I just hope it is possible for her to get on and off.

I'd love to hear more ride boarding stories/experiences.

Thanks,
Tammy

 

[SueM in MN]

You are right, Pirates is a step down (actually 2 steps down) to get in and 2 steps up to get out.
Here is a

picture of the Pirates boat from Deb Will's site. She has links to many ride car pictures. This is helpful, although many of her pictures don't show the ground, so you can't get a good idea of how far up or down you have to step. The pictures are more useful for someone who is looking at the size of the ride car or the door.
For Pirates, if you have a folding wheelchair, you can stay in it during the wait in line and right until boarding. After boarding, the CM will throw the wheelchair on the boat behind you. People with non-folding or power wheelchairs or scvs need to exchange them for a folding manual wheelchair at the start of the line.
The boat is one small step over the top of the boat and (about 6-8 inches) down to step on the seat of the boat. The seat is angled up a little bit, so it's not flat to step on. Then you need to make a second step (about 12 inches) down to get your feet into the foot area and your seat into the seat area. The only handholds are the little rails the picture shows at the back of each seat (and the rails on "shore" that are more meant to separate people into rows than help with boarding). Getting off is the reverse, a large step up to the seat and another smaller step up to "shore" . When you get off, you will see a moving walkway ramp that goes up toward the exit. This is quite steep and the CM should direct you to the elevator that is to the left of the ramp. if the CM doesn't direct you, ask.
Of the "boat rides", only Small World, the ride in Mexico at Epcot and the Land at Epcot have wheelchair boats where you can roll a wheelchair right on (well, also the Paddlewheel boat, but that's not the same type of ride). Jungle Cruise has a wheelchair accessible lift boat.
These boats are similar to Pirates:
Splash Mountain (but the boat is more difficult to get in; due to the seat backs being higher, the space is much tighter to get in and out)
Maelstrom in Norway at Epcot

The Studio doesn't have any boat rides and the only boat ride at AK is Kali River Rapids, which is one step down over a threshold to get in and one step up to get out.
Most of the other ride cars are similar to

this picture of the Pooh ride from Deb Wills site, ie, similar to getting into a car, where you need to step over a small threshold and then the seat is at close to car seat level.

 

[dan-tot]

Splash Mountain is a step down and a step like Pirates, Thunder Mountain is OK it is walk fromplatform to chair on same level. No steps. The train you can ride on in chair. Just go up the ramp beside the town hall on the left side. Goofys rollar coaster ride is a stright walk on as well. Tiki Room is OK. Flying carpet and Dumbo are step down rides. These are the same rides. Jungle Boat is a step down but I think they have a wheel chair boat that you can ride in the chair? HM is a moving path ride. They can stop the path but you have to wait for it. You enter at the exit. It is a small world you enter through the exit and they have two boats that you can ride in the chair on. The Robert E. Lee is a nice ride. I would suggest the front of the boat. They have ramps so that you can go up and down on. The bear band is a nice show you can sit in chair or you can slide into seat not much problem. You are down in front row. Muppets 3d you are in the back row but you can still see everything clearly. Indy show you are in the back row but you can see clearly the whole show. I think it is better in the back you get to see what is happen at once. To go to ice station cool you need to go throught the back. I took my sister through where the snow was and almost got stuck. Star Tours yhey have a wheelchair ramp on the left side this will take you up to the que area. It is a walk on, no steps to get into seat and to get out of. They take your chair through to the other side. T of T is wheel chair till you get to elevator then ask the cm fore front seat I think it is either one step or no step. They will take your chair to the other side for you to get at the end. COP is in chair and you are at the front of stage. The time keeper is front row in chair show. Buzz light year?? it is however a moving treadpath as well as transportation ride aorund tommorrow land. I hope this helps. Oh Peter Pan is a bear. I had to pick up my sister and place her in the boat and had to pick her up to get her out of the boat. Poohs ride the que is crowded when you get to loading and unloading. that one you will have to play by ear.


Dan-tot

 

[SueM in MN]

Peter Pan is the one ride with a moving walkway that can't be stopped. It is tough to get on and off quickly enough.
Buzz Lightyear has a wheelchair car where the wheelchair can be driven right on. That usually requires a fairly long wait for that car. The cars for that ride stop for boarding and unloading.

 

[Safari Steve]

Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Swiss Family Treehouse require all guests to be able to walk.
Tom Sawyer Island rafts are wheelchair accessible, but the island itself is not.

 

[videogal1]

Originally posted by tammydel
I printed the list of rides that you can access in a chair and those that you need to transfer into ride vehicles.

Now my gram could get up with our assistance and transfer into a ride car, but she would have great difficulty with steps up or down, or through tight car openings.
My question is does anyone have info on the rides that you need to step, climb or otherwise get into without a chair? (like Pirates?) If it is continuously loading will they stop (like pooh or spaceship earth?)

Any ride car info or experience bringing elderly relatives with mobility issues?
Thanks,
Tammy

There is a book called Wheelchairs on the Go by Michelle Stigleman that describes all the WDW ride access characteristics, including how many inches to step down into POC and how big an opening into the Teacups. It was printed in 2002 and covers attractions in the entire Florida area.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for that info, videogal. I have an older book just on WDW, but I didn't know there was anything recent.

 

[tammydel]

Hi everyone!

I hadn't checked this post in awhile - THANK YOU!

You have provided SO much info, thank you to everyone for taking the time to reply. I hope you are all still around out there.

This information will be so useful inmaking our plans. I want to show my Gram a magical time.

Although, I think if I try to take her on Splash or ToT she will never trust me again!(no matter how easy it is to get on and offf the ride )

You guys are the best!!!
Tammy

 

[cupcake]

The rides that I think are the hardest to manage are ones that I don't think would appeal to your grandmother, based on your post. They are the step-in-and-sit-down-below-the-level-of-the-entrance type of ride vehicles like at Splash Mountain, Rock and Roller Coaster, etc. Just wanted to note this in case someone else who likes that kind of ride searches this thread later on. They can be really hard to manage and I imagine would require someone with excellent upper body strength as a helper if one needed to be lifted in and out.

The Rock and Roller Coaster has a "practice" vehicle, which is a super idea that hopefully will spread to other attractions. The time to figure out that I have to get in first so my dh is in a position to haul me out (it turns out I have more trouble getting out than in) is NOT when I got in second and am on the outside where I have to spring up by myself (thank goodness for the nice CMs who helped me or I would likely still be sitting in a log at Spash Mountain!!).

Cupcake