Seeing pink

[Chipmunk89]

Okay, I'll probably get flamed for this, but here it goes anyway. On our last trip to WDW, I was really irritated by how many people I saw taking advantage of "going to the head of the line" because of the wheelchair. First at the hotel. We stayed at Pop. And there we were in line waiting for a bus. Here comes a family of (I'm not kidding) eleven. Did the able bodied family members wait in line for the whole group to board? No. Whole group to the front, and on the bus. Another example was at MK. We were about to get on Space Mt, when a group of five came from another entrance. That was okay. However the handicapped person didn't ride, all the others with her did. Not right!

Okay, I've vented.

 

[Shorty82]

There are no head of line privlages for wheelchair users. For the majority of rides the wheelchair user will stay in the main line nearly all the way to the top where they will be pulled off to the handicapped boarding area. Wheelchair users have the same wait as everybody else. Sometimes they wait even longer (I've heard of waits up to forty minutes or more LONGER than the standby time) as they either need a particular vehicle or there are already so many handicapped on the ride and for safety and evacuation reasons they must wait until those people are off the ride.

About the busses. Wheelchairs board first but get off LAST. This is so the chair isn't crowded while the driver loads and secures the chair and user. How crowded was the bus? Would that group have gotten on if they waited in line? If yes, then there is no problem. If no, then the group abused the boarding first but there is no way for Disney to police that.

One of the others here will have to talk about Space Mountain, I've never gone on that ride with a chair user though I wouldn't be surprised if they waited nearly as long as everybody else in another area before you saw them.

 

[SueM in MN]

This is the official Disney list of "Mainstream Lines" from their website - those lines that are wheelchair accessible and wheelchair/ECV users wait in line with everyone else.
As you can see from the list, Space Mountain is listed as a Mainstream Attraction, so why the people you saw came thru a different door, I don't know. But it is listed as one where people with wheelchairs wait in line with everyone else.

Mainstream Attractions
Magic Kingdom® Park
• Ariel's Grotto
• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Donald's Boat
• Judge's Tent
• Mickey's Country House
• Mickey's PhilharMagic
• Minnie's Country House
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Space Mountain®
• Splash Mountain®
• Stitch's Great Escape!™
• "The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management"
• The Hall of Presidents
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland® Indy Speedway
• Toontown Hall of Fame
• Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress (seasonal)
Epcot®
• FUTURE WORLD
• Imagination!: All Attractions
• Innoventions East
• Innoventions West
• Mission: SPACE
• Test Track
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends: All Attractions
• The Land: All Attractions
• Universe of Energy: "Ellen's Energy Adventure"
• Wonders of Life: All Attractions (seasonal)
•
•
• WORLD SHOWCASE
• China: "Reflections of China"
• France: "Impressions de France"
• FriendShip Boats
• Norway: Maelstrom
• The American Adventure: "The American Adventure"
Disney-MGM Studios
• Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour
• Fantasmic!
• Lights, Motors, Action!™ Extreme Stunt Show
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Playhouse Disney - Live On Stage!
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith
• Sounds Dangerous - Starring Drew Carey
• Star Tours
• The Great Movie Ride
• The Magic of Disney Animation
• "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™"
• *Voyage of the Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney: One Man's Dream

Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
• Caravan Stage: "Flights of Wonder"
• DINOSAUR
• Expedition Everest™
• Finding Nemo - The Musical
• Grandmother Willow's Grove: "Pocahontas and Her forest friends"
• It's Tough To Be A Bug
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Lion King Theater: "Festival of the Lion King"
• Maharajah Jungle Trek
• Primeval Whirl
• The Boneyard
• TriceraTop Spin

For a very few attractions, there is an alternate entrace because the regular one isn't accessible and was not able to be made accessible (most in MK or Epcot since they were built before accessibility was thought of). There are some others, where the boarding area is not accessible and wheelchair/ECV users wait in the regular or Fastpass line and then are pulled into a different area for loading (Buzz Lightyear, Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain are examples).

One of the other things that people who don't use wheelchairs don't know is where people with wheelchairs go when they are taken out of the line. They assume those people who 'disappear' from the line are boarding right away, but that is not usually the case.
If they can't board at the regular boarding spot, they are pulled out of the line - usually just before the regular line gets to the boarding area (so they have already waited as long as everyone that got in the line the same time as they did).
For example, at Buzz Lightyear, the 'pull off point' is after you have gone thru the room with the large Buzz Lightyear, near the point where regular line is beginning to enter the actual boarding area with the moving walkway. Guests with wheelchairs/ ECVs are pulled out of line at that point and sent to the exit - not to board right away, but to wait.
At Buzz, we wait in a hallway between the boarding and exit areas until a CM comes to get us - which usually takes 3-5 minutes (remember, we got out of the regular line just as the other guests ahead of us got to the moving walkway to board).If there are too many people with disabilities already on the attraction, you have to wait for some to get off (for fire safetly and evacuation reasons), so the wait may be even longer.
Because our DD can't get out of her wheelchair easily, we have to wait extra for a special car that the wheelchair can be loaded on. If it just wentby when we tell the CM we need it, we have to wait for one whole ride cycle for it to come back around.
By the time we get on, the people who were right ahead of us in line have been off, looked at their pictures and are on their way to the next attraction.
In some rides, boarding at the accessible area means you miss part of the attraction; for example, at Haunted Mansion, you miss the entire 'stretching room' part of the attraction.

The Safari at AK is notorious for extra waits for people with disabilities. Our longest wait there was an EXTRA 40 minutes at a time when the regular line was walk on and Safari Trams were pulling out partially loaded because people were not walking up fast enough to fill them.

Spaceship Earth is currently being renovated, but is a ride with a handicapped entrance. During times when other passengers are able to walk right on (late afternoon is usually a 5 minute or less wait), our wait is usually 20-30 minutes.


For the buses, there are only 2 possible wheelchair spots (if all the equipment is working, which it sometimes is not). It is much harder and takes more time to load a wheelchair on a bus that is already partly filled (plus some people have enough trouble manouvering into the spot when no one is on the bus). Disney generally 'counts' a wheelchair party as a total of 6, five plus the person using the wheelchair or ECV (that is both for the bus and for rides/attractions).

 

[Shorty82]

As you can see from the list, Space Mountain is listed as a Mainstream Attraction, so why the people you saw came thru a different door, I don't know. But it is listed as one where people with wheelchairs wait in line with everyone else.

I think I can explain Space Mountain. The main queue has stairs but the Fastpass queue does not.

On my last trip on our Magic Kingdom day my DSIL was using a wheelchair. As we approached the actual building entrance the CM told us that the queue has stairs and is therefore not accessable and gave us directions to the handicapped entrance, through the Arcade IIRC. As she wasn't really wanting to ride anyway my DSIL decided to wait outside with my aunt and uncle who weren't riding anyway while the rest of us rode.

Why Disney calls Space Mountain "Mainstreamed" when the main queue most certainly is not I don't know.

 

[kimsuenew]

We only used my GAC once (Big Thunder Mountain) but it designated my group had 3 people (myself, husband, son). I was told there was a limit of 5 people allowed to accompany the person in an EVC/wheelchair. Maybe they were some special group (like winners of something or VIP's)?

 

[Shorty82]

We only used my GAC once (Big Thunder Mountain) but it designated my group had 3 people (myself, husband, son). I was told there was a limit of 5 people allowed to accompany the person in an EVC/wheelchair. Maybe they were some special group (like winners of something or VIP's)?

I doubt that. I'm thinking that the driver didn't care, didn't know, and/or the group cut everybody else without the driver noticing.

 

[Chuck S]

On my last trip on our Magic Kingdom day my DSIL was using a wheelchair. As we approached the actual building entrance the CM told us that the queue has stairs and is therefore not accessable and gave us directions to the handicapped entrance, through the Arcade IIRC. As she wasn't really wanting to ride anyway my DSIL decided to wait outside with my aunt and uncle who weren't riding anyway while the rest of us rode.

Interesting. The last time Mom joined me on Space Moutnain, her wheelchair was mainstreamed. I had to push it up the darkened incline to the boarding area, the fastpass line was parallel to the standby queue. The queue did not have any stairs. Splash Mountain has stairs, and wheelchairs are pulled from the queue to access via the exit.

Disneyland in CA has stairs for Space Mountain, and there is an alternate entrance. Unless that changed with the remodel.

 

[merryweather20]

Don't assume that the wheelie had 11 people in their party just because thats how many people boarded. Its not unusual for random people to tag along, and its the bus drivers responsibility to police that NOT the guests.

While I haven't been to Disney in a wheel-chair yet, I can assure you that whatever special treatment you perceived to occur, they more than made up for somewhere else. If I ever go out shopping, or to dinner with someone new usually the day ends with them ranting about how they can't beleive how hard it was to get from A to B, how such and such were so inconsiderate, why there was no ramp at X and why we had to go all the way to the other end of the building for this, why anyone would build something this way, and why was it so necessary to put planters and displays here and here so that we couldn't get through (me, I've pretty much gotten used to it).

Trust me if being in a wheel-chair were easy every-one would be asking for severe crippling pain

 

[twinmum]

I'm not getting to this one - but as the mother of an 8 year old who uses a waler or wheelchair, I know this territory, and have seen many of these threads pop up.

I do note, however, that the OP has not come back on to gain a better understanding of what he/she experienced. Sounds like this was really just a vent and we're all "preaching to the converted."

 

[SueM in MN]

Don't assume that the wheelie had 11 people in their party just because thats how many people boarded. Its not unusual for random people to tag along, and its the bus drivers responsibility to police that NOT the guests.

That is true.
We have had people follow us. On one of our bus trips recently, we had a group try to follow us onto the bus. The driver assumed they were with us because they followed us closely.

We have had people purposely try to follow us when they thought we were getting some special treatment in a line. One group said they were with us. We said they were not with us, so they tried to say "no, we didn't mean them. We meant the people way up there in the line," and pointed out a family farther up ahead of us. That family said no.
We probably should have let them stay with us. We were in the line for Kilimanjari Safari, just after they collect the Fastpasses, where there is a separate boarding area for people with wheelchairs and ECVs. The same place where we have waited 40 minutes longer than the regular line.

I'm not getting to this one - but as the mother of an 8 year old who uses a waler or wheelchair, I know this territory, and have seen many of these threads pop up.

I do note, however, that the OP has not come back on to gain a better understanding of what he/she experienced. Sounds like this was really just a vent and we're all "preaching to the converted."

Even though it seems like "preaching to the converted", I think it is important to write some of these things for other people who might come here and read, but not post.

 

[mazz1]

i have two children with non apparant disabilities (autism) who without the GAC and the quiet entrance to board then visiting disney would be out of the question, for us a day in the parks would be a max of a few hours as that is realistically all my children can cope with

we holidayed recently with extended family who always lined up and didn't take advantage, whilst my children boarded the rides with the a parent each who they needed, my sis in law lined up like everyone else with her husband and children

i do agree that it could be seen as unfair if a party of 11 all move ahead or if people use a wheelchair entrance and then the one requiring the actual guest assistance is left behind and doesn't ride but like other people point out on here sometimes everything is not always as it seems

seeing it from my side of the fence it can be very unpleasant indeed, the looks and sometimes comments we have to endure at times can be really upsetting and spoil our much needed holiday

i was always taught not to condemn or judge a man until you walk a day in their shoes or live their life

believe me it's not a special priveldge to be seen as going first or cutting lines especially for those of us who would give ANYTHING to be in that normal line with you

count your blessings that you have your good health

 

[mechurchlady]

We do not even know why the disabled person did not ride Space Mountain. They may have wanted to ride and thought they could. When they got to ride boarding are they might have had a health issue come up such as a stomache ache, chickened out, was told by a CM they could not ride, or maybe they realized they could not get into the vehicle.

The OP made lots of assumptions without knowing the facts. Maybe that large party had hidden disabilies or the CM saw their disabilites that the OP did not see. It is not fair when people abuse the system but how do we even know they are abusing the system.

 

[Shorty82]

Interesting. The last time Mom joined me on Space Moutnain, her wheelchair was mainstreamed. I had to push it up the darkened incline to the boarding area, the fastpass line was parallel to the standby queue. The queue did not have any stairs. Splash Mountain has stairs, and wheelchairs are pulled from the queue to access via the exit.

Disneyland in CA has stairs for Space Mountain, and there is an alternate entrance. Unless that changed with the remodel.

When we went there were two queues inside the building, the regular and Fastpass. The regular was on the left and had a few steps and the Fastpass was on the right and was ramped. WDW changes their queues around to handle different crowd levels and maybe that explains the difference.

 

[SueM in MN]

When we went there were two queues inside the building, the regular and Fastpass. The regular was on the left and had a few steps and the Fastpass was on the right and was ramped. WDW changes their queues around to handle different crowd levels and maybe that explains the difference.

This is a good point.
To explain a little more for other people:
Most of the lines inside buildings at WDW have huge 'mazes' of queue that you can't see from the outside. Much of the queue is arranged with permanent barriers, such as walls or bars. But, every once in a while, you will come to an area with a removable barrier, such as a movable wall, chains, etc. that leads into a different area area of queue.

By opening and closing removable barriers, they can make the queue longer or shorter to accomodate different numbers of people waiting.
All of the Fastpass lines are wheelchair accessible, but some areas of the regular queue might not be. The shortest route that is used when crowds are low may be totally accessible (and might be what Chuck went thru). The longer area used when crowds are higher might not be (and was where Shorty found stairs).

 

[dclfun]

I would be one of those people who would be waiting while my party boarded at Space Mountain. The reason? I would want to visit with my family while they're in the queue line. If I didn't accompany them, I'd be sitting with my service dog "people watching". It's okay for awhile, but what about ALL day? I can't ride many attractions since I can't transfer, so should I be relegated to sitting outside attractions while the rest of my family has a good time? As was mentioned above, I'd have been pulled out of the regular queue line with my party at some point but we would still wait and not have "front of the line" privileges. My wait time would have been quite a bit longer, since basically I spend the whole day waiting and hardly ever riding.---Kathy

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Chipmunk, we appreciate people who come here to ask questions, but please be aware that this is a 'sensitive' subject for some of us (OK, I hate that phrasing, but I couldn't think of a better way of putting it), and be careful how you phrase things.

As you have seen, we don't really get front-of-line access, and often have to wait longer than others do. Unfortunately, a lot of non-wheelchair users don't know this and assume we're getting some marvelous treat, sitting down all day, zipping to the front of queues, laughing at all the saps who've 'chosen' to walk. Trust me, this is not the case! About once every few months a thread like this crops up on one of the other boards, and it invariably becomes a shouting match, turns ugly and gets closed. This often deters those people with mobility problems, who would really benefit from a wheelchair, from renting one, because they're scared of getting nasty looks.

Sorry if this is a bit garbled, my brain's foggy today.

I hope this thread has opened your eyes a little. Best wishes!

 

[SueOKW]

I may have missed it - but did anyone explain that the bus driver tells the family to get on too? He would not want to load the one person and leave some of the others behind.

seems to me the driver loads my son and then signals for all of us to come on board, then opens the front doors.

And as stated, we are the last off. We don't mind, we're in WDW!

 

[MightyMom]

You were at Disney World for goodness sake! Don't get so flustered over such trivial things. If it makes you feel any better...... that family of 11 that got on the bus before you did...... they were the LAST family to get off the bus! I'm sure you were well on your way to your first ride before that family even made it to the gates of the park.

Trust me. There are no perks to having a wheelchair user in your party.

I would wait in the blistering hot sun for HOURS to ride Big Thunder Mountain or even to board a bus if it meant my 8 year old son could stand next to me.

 

[pcparamedics01]

You were at Disney World for goodness sake! Don't get so flustered over such trivial things. If it makes you feel any better...... that family of 11 that got on the bus before you did...... they were the LAST family to get off the bus! I'm sure you were well on your way to your first ride before that family even made it to the gates of the park.

Trust me. There are no perks to having a wheelchair user in your party.

I would wait in the blistering hot sun for HOURS to ride Big Thunder Mountain or even to board a bus if it meant my 8 year old son could stand next to me.

I definately have to agree with Mightymom! Be glad you do not have a party, any party big or small in a wheelchair there are no perks here and it is not fun!!!

 

[hematite153]

Most of the lines inside buildings at WDW have huge 'mazes' of queue that you can't see from the outside. Much of the queue is arranged with permanent barriers, such as walls or bars. But, every once in a while, you will come to an area with a removable barrier, such as a movable wall, chains, etc. that leads into a different area area of queue.
...The shortest route that is used when crowds are low may be totally accessible (and might be what Chuck went thru). The longer area used when crowds are higher might not be (and was where Shorty found stairs).

Ah ha! Thanks Sue!

During our last trip they routed DW and I into the FP line at space mtn (which btw, is wider and easier to steer through than the regular line) but, I was sure we'd used the regular line before. When we asked about it, we were told that there were stairs. I figured I must have just gotten queues mixed up or mixed up the fact that I have had to use stairs to get from the boarding area to the unloading area when my DW rode without me.

But, the adjustable queue idea makes perfect sense since so many of the other attractions have such things.