Has anyone been told they couldn't take an electric wheelchair on a boat ride?

[JoannaOhio]

I chatted today with someone I met on another board - and he said that he repeatedly encountered situations where he was told by CMs that he couldn't go on rides involving a boat and water with an electric wheelchair. He said they gave excuses about the chair shorting out if water got in the boat - or if the boat turned over??? (It seems to me that if the boat filled with water, there would be way more problems than just an electric wheelchair shorting out.) Some of his other advice was spot on, but I'm just wondering if anybody here has encountered this kind of resistance from CMs. I'm talking about a standard size electric wheelchair (actually probably one of the smaller adult chairs) - not an ECV or scooter.

 

[Talking Hands]

I am always asked if I want to go on Jungle Cruise using Bertha the special boat. Pirates of the Carribbean will not accommodate an electric wheelchair. I have gone on the ferry from TTC to Magic Kingdom. the boats from Ft Wilderness to Magic Kingdom, the Friendship boats in Epcot, and the boats from Port Orleans Riverside. I have also been on Small World and the ride in Mexico. The ride in Norway doesn't accommodate a wheelchair and you must transfer to ride but they brought my chair up to the boat and then to the exit. I am able to transfer easily but for some it might be difficult depending on their mobility.

 

[minkydog]

I witnessed a woman being turned away from the boat at FW, but it was because the water was choppy and they couldn't get the door opening lined up in a stabel way to prevent her from dropping into the water. She wasn't upset--In fact, i think once she saw the dilemma, she was glad not to try it.Even the people on foot has a bit of trouble boarding.

 

[JoannaOhio]

Thanks, TalkingHands, for your response. It puts my mind at ease on the subject. As for the boat between Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary, I had already read that wheelchair accessibility could be problematic depending on the water conditions (and the water level). It makes perfect sense that they wouldn't want to take any chances if the ramps don't line up perfectly.

 

[LindaDVC]

we have been denied on the boats from OKW to DD
and from FW to MK.

OKW doesn't even have ramps which would solve their water problem
FW says it is seasonal depending on the water level--

But the friendship boats, small world, etc have been no problem.

Linda

 

[pugdog]

As of yet we have never in 15 years been denied access on to any boat that can handle a powerchair.
But of course not that I say that when we go down this year it's going to happen to us.

 

[JoannaOhio]

This same person told me that the CMs have been instructed to tell everyone that Ellen's Energy Adventure is not wheelchair accessible, "because they don't want to slow the loading process". If we encounter any such problems when we go in December, you can bet that my DD and I will politely but firmly advocate for ourselves and everyone in our party. I don't anticipate rudeness or problems - therefore, I believe we will encounter none. (That's my rosy view of how the world should be.

 

[Talking Hands]

If that were happen to me I would ask them since when since I have riden it before and my wheelchair could go on it then. If I was refused then be asking for a supervisor or I going to Guest Services and complaining. They can do that to people who rarely go to Disney but not to semi-locals who know which rides are wheelchair accessible.

 

[seashoreCM]

An electric wheelchair or ECV is an expensive piece of equipment. Disney may have decide they don[t want to assume responsibility for water damage.

I take it that Disney has some way of preventing anyone from drowning if a boat capsized but that is another program.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[pugdog]

I find it hard that WDW would be going backwards after all these years. They have long been a leader in mainstreaming the disabled and if any of that was true it would be a big lose.
Loading wc at Ellens does not slow it down one bit, in fact everytime we have been on it they are still loading regular people after us.

 

[SueM in MN]

This same person told me that the CMs have been instructed to tell everyone that Ellen's Energy Adventure is not wheelchair accessible, "because they don't want to slow the loading process". If we encounter any such problems when we go in December, you can bet that my DD and I will politely but firmly advocate for ourselves and everyone in our party. I don't anticipate rudeness or problems - therefore, I believe we will encounter none. (That's my rosy view of how the world should be.

I wonder where this peson is getting his information because a lot of it is not correct
We have been on Ellen's Energy Adventure many times with DD's wheelchair and no one has said anything about DD's wheelchair except to tell us how to board!
As the others mentioned, boarding wheelchairs onto that ride car doesn't slow things down at all and the people not using wheelchairs are often still boarding when we are already on. The ride cars that are used on that ride have been in use since the park opened.

I have heard (and have confirmation) that some longer than average power wheelchairs (and regular wheelchairs too) are too long to fit on that ride car, but that would be the exception rather than the rule.

 

[SueM in MN]

PS. A power wheelchair or ecv would not short out from driving or parking in water. (My DD's power wheelchair would never go out of the house if that was the case. All Winter in Minnesota, we have snow and we have a lot of rain in the Spring and Summer).

 

[SueM in MN]

This same person told me that the CMs have been instructed to tell everyone that Ellen's Energy Adventure is not wheelchair accessible, "because they don't want to slow the loading process". If we encounter any such problems when we go in December, you can bet that my DD and I will politely but firmly advocate for ourselves and everyone in our party. I don't anticipate rudeness or problems - therefore, I believe we will encounter none. (That's my rosy view of how the world should be.

I have been thinking more about this and have a few other comments. CMs telling someone that they had been "instructed to tell everyone that Ellen's Energy Adventure (EEA) is not wheelchair accessible" makes no sense for several reasons:

• The attractions that are wheelchair accessible and allow you to stay in the wheelchair are listed in the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities, available at Guest Services at each park. The Guidebooks and a list of rides are also available on line (see the disABILITIES FAQs thread for a link).
• Even if someone didn't have the Guidebook, the park maps have an icon that indicates how a ride is accessible (is transfer required, can you remain in the wheelchair, etc).
• Even if someone didn't have park map, there are signs in front of many attractions with the same icons (I noticed them in front of all MK and AK attractions, but wasn't paying attention at Epcot. I assume they have the signs too).
• Since EEA is listed as being wheelchair accessible, people who werre told it wasn't would complain to Guest Relations.

The "because they don't want to slow the loading process" comment is also makes no sense because:

• EEA is one of the easiest attractions to load a wheelchair onto (unlatch a door on the back row of the ride car, drive the wheelchair straight in, relatch the door).
• there are many rides/attractions that are much slower loading that don't limit wheelchairs (in fact, for many, loading has to be temporarily stopped to load a guest with a wheelchair).
• a guest being told that would be very likely to ask to speak to a supervisor or complain to Guest Services.
• that is the kind of comment that would get a CM fired.
• that is the kind of comment that would "invite" an ADA lawsuit because it could be paraphrased, "we could accomidate you, but are choosing not to because it slows the process for our other guests."

So, it's very likely that the person who reported this to you misunderstood something. We can't know his side of the story, but some possibilities I can think of include:

• the person showed up with a wheelchair after the ride was already loaded and ready to go. If that happened, there would not be enough time to load the wheelchair before the show started.
• all the wheelchair spots were already filled and the person wanted to fold up a wheelchair and bring it on the ride with them.
• the person had an ecv (scooter) and wanted to bring it on the wheelchair space - those won't fit (or at least most would not fit) in the available space.
• the person had a child in a larger size special needs stroller that the CM thought would be too large to fit in the wheelchair space.