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Riding in electric wheelchair without transferring at WDW

teukie w.

Earning My Ears
Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Hi everyone!
I am in the process of planning a trip to WDW with a friend of mine. She is in a power chair and will not be able to transfer to a manual chair. I'm finding some conflicting information about what rides she can just ride her chair into, and I was hoping someone with first hand experience could confirm if all of these rides are accessible to powerchair users unable to transfer to either a manual chair or a ride car:

Magic Kingdom:
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
"it's a small world"
Stitch's Great Escape
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

Epcot:
Ellen's Energy Adventure
Living with the Land
Behind the Seeds Tour

HS:
Toy Story Midway Mania (I'm not sure about the physicality of this one for her but I'd like to know if it's an option, it's one of my favorites!)

Animal Kingdom:
TriceraTop Spin

Thanks!
 
Hi everyone!
I am in the process of planning a trip to WDW with a friend of mine. She is in a power chair and will not be able to transfer to a manual chair. I'm finding some conflicting information about what rides she can just ride her chair into, and I was hoping someone with first hand experience could confirm if all of these rides are accessible to powerchair users unable to transfer to either a manual chair or a ride car:

Magic Kingdom:
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
"it's a small world"
Stitch's Great Escape
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

Epcot:
Ellen's Energy Adventure
Living with the Land
Behind the Seeds Tour

HS:
Toy Story Midway Mania (I'm not sure about the physicality of this one for her but I'd like to know if it's an option, it's one of my favorites!)

Animal Kingdom:
TriceraTop Spin

Thanks!

Magic Kingdom:
Magic Carpets of Aladdin There is an accessible car for this ride
"it's a small world" There is an accessible boat my friend had a hard time getting in and out with his power chair
Stitch's Great Escape very easy as this is a show and people in ECV can stay on for the show
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin I am fairly sure you can stay on in a tower chair (?)

Epcot:
Ellen's Energy Adventure Yes you can
Living with the Land yep should
Behind the Seeds Tour. yes

HS:
Toy Story Midway Mania (I'm not sure about the physicality of this one for her but I'd like to know if it's an option, it's one of my favorites!). yes but deepening on how she is able to move she may have problems shooting

Animal Kingdom:
TriceraTop Spin. never been on so do not know

all of the above is if her chair fits in the area
 
Magic Kingdom:
Magic Carpets of Aladdin There is an accessible car for this ride
"it's a small world" There is an accessible boat my friend had a hard time getting in and out with his power chair
Stitch's Great Escape very easy as this is a show and people in ECV can stay on for the show
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin I am fairly sure you can stay on in a tower chair (?)

Epcot:
Ellen's Energy Adventure Yes you can
Living with the Land yep should
Behind the Seeds Tour. yes

HS:
Toy Story Midway Mania (I'm not sure about the physicality of this one for her but I'd like to know if it's an option, it's one of my favorites!). yes but deepening on how she is able to move she may have problems shooting

Animal Kingdom:
TriceraTop Spin. never been on so do not know

all of the above is if her chair fits in the area

Thank you so much!
 
If I have some thing wrong I hope someone will correct me been about a year since my friend in a peer chair did any rides.
 
In the Magic Kingdom, the Jungle Cruise has an accessible boat where you can stay in your chair. I have used the Small World boat with my power chair without any problem but the wheelchair cars for Buzz and Winnie the Pooh are a problem because of the low clearance I have on my chair's undercarriage (the bottom of my chair is too close to the ground).

In Epcot, the boat ride inside the Mexico pavilion has an accessible boat where you can stay in your chair. Also in Epcot, I have heard there is an accessible car for the Figment ride but that one I have never actually seen or used.

For Toy Story Mania, the wheelchair accessible car has a different 'gun' - it has the pull cord like the other guns but also has a button on the top of the gun that all you do it hit and I loved using that.
 
yes pooh is a must transfer to a wheel chair. I know my friend try to get on with his power chair and got stuck trying to get on and pretty much broke it ( he aperintly hit the side of the ride car so hard when he was trying to get on that it moved it enough that he was stuck and he knocked it enough that the sensor did not line up right.
 
In the Magic Kingdom, the Jungle Cruise has an accessible boat where you can stay in your chair. I have used the Small World boat with my power chair without any problem but the wheelchair cars for Buzz and Winnie the Pooh are a problem because of the low clearance I have on my chair's undercarriage (the bottom of my chair is too close to the ground).

In Epcot, the boat ride inside the Mexico pavilion has an accessible boat where you can stay in your chair. Also in Epcot, I have heard there is an accessible car for the Figment ride but that one I have never actually seen or used.

For Toy Story Mania, the wheelchair accessible car has a different 'gun' - it has the pull cord like the other guns but also has a button on the top of the gun that all you do it hit and I loved using that.

She was just at DL and was able to ride Buzz but I know it's all different there. I know she would be super bummed if she couldn't ride Buzz but that is AWESOME about Midway Mania! I was thinking we would have a blast riding together and not shooting, but it's super handy that they have a button!

yes pooh is a must transfer to a wheel chair. I know my friend try to get on with his power chair and got stuck trying to get on and pretty much broke it ( he aperintly hit the side of the ride car so hard when he was trying to get on that it moved it enough that he was stuck and he knocked it enough that the sensor did not line up right.

I'm disappointed about Pooh just because I think more rides should be accessible in power chairs, but I don't think she's super into Pooh so it's not a total loss. I did watch a youtube video tho where a powerchair user rode Pooh, so it probably is also particular to the kind of chair you have.

Thank you both so much for this information! I've only found things from folks using manual chairs and looking at some of the boarding procedures I really couldn't tell if it would be feasible or not. And I would hate to get turned away at a ride because inaccessibility sucks.

Do you know if the Kilimanjaro Safari is powerchair accessible? AK looks like it there's a lot to see on foot/wheels so I think we will definitely end up spending some time there.
 


Do you know if the Kilimanjaro Safari is powerchair accessible?
Yes, the Sarfari vehicle has a space in the front of the vehicle where you stay in your chair and they lock you in very well. Power chairs are different so just because mine did not work on Buzz or Pooh does not mean hers wouldn't. I have seen lots of other people use them and on Buzz two cast members pushed hard and got me on so they are willing to work with you.
 
A lot depends on the particular power wheelchair. If it fits in the "footprint" of no wider than 32 inches and no longer then 48 inches, it should fit wherever a manual wheelchair will fit.

But, some have less clearance underneath then others.
We don't have exp rience bringing our daughter's power wheelchair to WDW (she would not have stamina to drive the whole day and her current one is too delicate for us to feel comfortable flying with it.).
She is on her 3rd power wheelchair and we have been to WDW with her in a manual wheelchair for many years (she's a young adult and has been to WDW multiple times per year with a wheelchair since she was 3).
My daughter's old Invacare TDX wheelchair had a bolt that stuck out the bottom; that would have affected getting on some.
Her current chair is a Permobile 5VS and has 2 "outrigger" antitippers on the front that sometimes catch on things; I expect those could cause some issues too.
 
Follow the link in my signature or look near the top of this thread for the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

Posts 18 -21 have access information and do indicate which have wheelchair accessible ride cars.
Post 34 on page 2 of that thread has information about where the accessible seating for shows is located.
If a show has Fastpass, guests using Fastpass will enter before guests with mobility devices who are using the Standby line. The front row or other choice spots may already be taken by the time Standby guests are allowed in.
 
Anyone who is used to driving a power wheelchair into a wheelchair accessible van should probably not have much issue with getting on to any of the wheelchair accessible ride cars as long as their power wheelchair is not usually long or wide or has things protruding.

Magic Kingdom:
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- it is a tight fit for some wheelchairs (power or manual). Length is more of an issue than width.
"it's a small world" - I have seen guests on it with power wheelchairs. Getting on, you have to pull on, then make a sharp turn and go forward in a 'channel' between 2 rows of seats. Getting off, you do the opposite and some people might find the backing to be challenging.
Stitch's Great Escape - there are wheelchair parking spaces with a companion seat next yo each wheelchair spot. There is an over the shoulder restrain that carries many of the special effects. Some wheelchair users may find they can't get close enough to the wall or are sitting too high or low for the restraint to hit in the correct spot. The 'restraint' doesn't do anything other than provide some sensations (like Stitch walking on your shoulders and burping behind you), so it doesn't need to fit exactly.
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin - this is one of the older wheelchair ride cars. The size of the wheelchair may make it a tight fit. Length and width could both be an issue if the chair is close to the 32 by 48 inch size.

Epcot:
Ellen's Energy Adventure - I would try it, but count on the power chair very possibly not fitting. At one point, guests were not allowed to ride this in a power wheelchair; I can't confirm whether or not they are allowed.
The issue is that this is an original ride car to when Epcot opened. The wheelchair spot is narrow and not very deep, so wheelchairs close to 32 by 48 may not fit. There is a narrow, steep ramp to get into and out of the ride car. That is the issue and a power wheelchair backing off of the ramp when getting off was why power wheelchairs were not allowed (at least for a while)
Living with the Land - easy to get on. It has a wide opening. You do need to turn after loading, but there is space.
Behind the Seeds Tour - on our last trip in March 2017, I saw a guest with an ECV and one with a power wheelchair on the tour while we were riding Living With the Land

HS:
Toy Story Midway Mania
(I'm not sure about the physicality of this one for her but I'd like to know if it's an option, it's one of my favorites!) - I have seen several guests with power wheelchair on this while we were waiting to ride. The ride car has a removable seat to make space for a wheelchair. It's actually pretty easy. The back of the ride car folds down to make a ramp and up once the wheelchair is in place. It's a straight pull forward to get in and straight back to get out. Watch as the CM pulls the bar with the shooter down. It has gotten too tight on my daughter before.

Animal Kingdom:
TriceraTop Spin - the ride car is similar to Aladdin. It's not been operating the last 2 times we've tried to ride.

Some others:
Pooh at Magic Kingdom
- the floor doesn't always line up exactly with the floor of the attraction, but it's not off enough to make much difference. The door opens fairly wide. Once you are in, you need to turn, but it's basically a large open space. I'm not sure how someone could do anything getting on that would damage the ride car. The only thing I can think of would be being to close to the side of the door and hitting the side of the ride car. It is pretty wide though.

Little Mermaid at Magic Kingdom - I have seen someone with a power wheelchair on here. That person had no difficulty that I could see.

Mexico at Epcot - the boat is very similar to Small World

Nemo at Epcot - the accessible ride car was not in operation on our last trip, but we have ridden before. It might be tight for length if the wheelchair is close to 48 inches long.

Imagination at Epcot - also not operating on our last trip, but we have used it before. It may be tight for length.

Safari at AK - there is one wheelchair accessible spot in the front row. A permanent ramp with a fold down section provides access. Once up the ramp, you need to make a turn inside in a fairly small spot, but should not be an issue for anyone used to getting into an accessible van.

Great Movie Ride - the wheelchair spots are in the back of the ride tram. A section of the tram wall opens up to make the door opening larger. The floor of the ride car is flat with the floor of the loading area. You do need to make a quick sharp turn after driving in.
 
Nemo at Epcot - the accessible ride car was not in operation on our last trip, but we have ridden before. It might be tight for length if the wheelchair is close to 48 inches long.

Nemo just got a new wheelchair car or at least a new wheelchair device/ramp. They were training CMs on it when we were there on May 9th. It took several minutes so we were able to talk to the CM about it as we were waiting in line. I have no experience with wheelchairs but it looked pretty large to me with a ramp that rotated out and folded down to the belt.
 
Nemo just got a new wheelchair car or at least a new wheelchair device/ramp. They were training CMs on it when we were there on May 9th. It took several minutes so we were able to talk to the CM about it as we were waiting in line. I have no experience with wheelchairs but it looked pretty large to me with a ramp that rotated out and folded down to the belt.
I lost my pictures, but that sounds like the old one.
I do not know how long it was out of operation, but we were told it was broken. If it was out for a while or if they replaced the old one with a newer model, they might have to do some retraining.

Here's a picture of the Nemo wheelchair clamshell from Rolling with the Magic

http://www.rollingwiththemagicblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/The-Seas-with-Nemo-Friends-6.jpg
 
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I lost my pictures, but that sounds like the old one.
I do not know how long it was out of operation, but we were told it was broken. If it was out for a while or if they replaced the old one with a newer model, they might have to do some retraining.

Here's a picture of the Nemo wheelchair clamshell from Rolling with the Magic

http://www.rollingwiththemagicblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/The-Seas-with-Nemo-Friends-6.jpg

I would say the one I saw last week was a new model. It did not look the same as in the picture. Next time I will take a photo. :-)
 
be interested to see how it might be different.
Here's how the car looked with someone in it then the doors come closed across the front like the other cars.
http://www.rollingwiththemagicblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/The-Seas-with-Nemo-Friends-3.jpg

I am pretty sure that is not the wheelchair car I saw. Clamshell was the same, but the ramp was larger. Ramp standing on end before being folded down was at least as high as the back of the clamshell. Looks like the front of the clamshell swung out like before, then the ramp folded down, but the ramp was longer and appeared wider. We were first in line for the ride of a line of zero people. Training process took 5-7 minutes so we talked to the CM quite a while about the ramp as we have a disabled child although not wheelchair bound. I am almost positive CM said it was a new ramp, but she may have been fibbing. It was such a unique experience to happen upon. Now seeing the interest on this board I wish I would have taken several pictures/videos as we had plenty of time.
 
I am pretty sure that is not the wheelchair car I saw. Clamshell was the same, but the ramp was larger. Ramp standing on end before being folded down was at least as high as the back of the clamshell. Looks like the front of the clamshell swung out like before, then the ramp folded down, but the ramp was longer and appeared wider. We were first in line for the ride of a line of zero people. Training process took 5-7 minutes so we talked to the CM quite a while about the ramp as we have a disabled child although not wheelchair bound. I am almost positive CM said it was a new ramp, but she may have been fibbing. It was such a unique experience to happen upon. Now seeing the interest on this board I wish I would have taken several pictures/videos as we had plenty of time.
My pictures on my phone unfortunately got deleted by mistake when I got a new phone. Otherwise I would have many good pictures of the clamshell we rode in.
If you saw the ramp empty because they were just practicing putting it up and down, it would probably appeared to be much wider and longer than when it is in use. I'm always surprised how wide doors look until we try to go thru it with DD's wheelchair.
 
the Nimo ride car dose look different in the Pictures then the one my friend used ( earlier this year), I will be at Disney the next two weekend but not sure I will make it to EPCOT either time, But it might be the same as a few years ago, I just really can not tell as I was not paying much acttion when my friend ws getting on and off the ride.
 
My pictures on my phone unfortunately got deleted by mistake when I got a new phone. Otherwise I would have many good pictures of the clamshell we rode in.
If you saw the ramp empty because they were just practicing putting it up and down, it would probably appeared to be much wider and longer than when it is in use. I'm always surprised how wide doors look until we try to go thru it with DD's wheelchair.

That is probably true because I cannot seem to wrap my head around how the ramp was standing up on end before being folded out but then did not block the view of the rider? Next time pics and videos for sure.
 
That is probably true because I cannot seem to wrap my head around how the ramp was standing up on end before being folded out but then did not block the view of the rider? Next time pics and videos for sure.
the ramp folds down the person drives up the ramp onto a platform. Once they are in, the ramp is folded (it's behind the rider in the wheelchair the) and the whole platform turns so that the person is facing out.
You ride parallel to the moving walkway
 

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