Wheelchairs & new Haunted Mansion

[allie_to_you]

Can anyone tell me about how they are working in the wheelchairs now that the haunted mansion has had its face-lift. I was told that their is now a wheelchair accessible doombuggy, but I am wondering about the queue line. How far do you get to go before you load? Does someone in a wheelchair have to miss out on seeing the funny tombstones and the cool effects of the stretching room?

 

[zaksmom]

I've read on a couple of websites that the line is mostly accessible now---that you don't have to go directly to the exit. People using wheelchairs are directed out of line at a certain point to the exit for loading. I haven't seen any reports from wheelchair users just observations from those in line. We have been let through a side door to see the stretching room in the past and hope we can do this in a few weeks to see the new effects. Don't know about the "special" doombuggie yet.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Are service animals allowed in the new stretching room?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I am planning to go over to MK on Monday and will check out HM. I will try to tsalk with some of the other CMs there about access and will post something then.

 

[SueOKW]

Looking forward to the update!!!! It would be just super if Kevin could see the stretching room someday. For all of us to enter like everyone else would be grand!

If not, doesn't matter, I'm still excited to see it!

 

[Donnababe]

I am planning to go over to MK on Monday and will check out HM. I will try to tsalk with some of the other CMs there about access and will post something then.

Thanks CF. I'll be particularly interested in any Stretching Room access developments, should there be any.

 

[mrsksomeday]

My b/f is just interested to see if he can go on the HM without having to transfer, he would love to see the preshow of course, but being comfortable in his chair is the most important thing to him.

Can't wait to see what you find out CF!!!

 

[DisneyKevin]

I owe everyone a big apology.

After being told by a manager in Guest Relations that the Haunted Mansion would be fully accessible for the first time ever. I asked specifically if the revamped ride would include a doom buggy similiar to the one in the Finding Nemo Ride. I also asked if this meant that a guest would be able to take their wheel chair on to the ride vehicle. I was told YES...the Haunted Mansion will be fully accessible

I posted this information on this board based on that phone call.

I went to see the revamped Mansion for myself today and this is not the case at all. There are doom buggies set up to accept transferred guests but you can not take your chair on the ride..

I went to guest services to ask about this and was told that the queue had been made accessible. What this means is that everyone gets in the same line and as you get closer to the Mansion, guests needing assistance are allowed into another line to be "back doored" as in the past.

I am heartbroken to have to come back and tell you this. I truly apologize for getting anyone's hopes up. I was relaying information given to me directly by Disney and it turns out to be bad information.

Again...I am sorry that this has happened.

Kevin

 

[Michigan]

I owe everyone a big apology.
There are doom buggies set up to accept transferred guests but you can not take your chair on the ride..

They already had that so basically all they did was make it so you can wait in the line.

 

[mrsksomeday]

Thanks Kevin for letting us know. I knew it was too good to be true for a wheelchair accessible doom buggy. No problem for us I can transfer him, I feel sorry for those that are not able to transfer .

 

[SueOKW]

oh well - we will make do, won't we!? Just like always.

Allie - your bf is one lucky dude.

 

[syko]

We went on the ride yesterday, and if you can do a slide transfer they can and will stop the ride!!!! (This is the first time they have done this for me) It can only be stopped in one place, so you might have up to a 10 min wait.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks, Kevin.
It sounds like what they had before they put in the Fastpass line. People with wheelchairs/ECVs waited in the regular line until just before the turnstiles. That's where the divert point was in the past.

We went on the ride yesterday, and if you can do a slide transfer they can and will stop the ride!!!! (This is the first time they have done this for me) It can only be stopped in one place, so you might have up to a 10 min wait.

They have always done a full stop for us (we always have to tell them that we need a full stop). They can stop the moving walkway at any point, but if you need a special car, that involved a wait.
Is the car different so that a sliding transfer is easier? There has been a ride car with an opening that came farther open or the side cut out a little different. That car has been there for a while; it was probably that ride car that you were waiting for.

I wonder if they were trying to make a wheelchair accessible doom buggy, but ran into some technical difficulties with doing it?
I know that from the time we heard they had a wheelchair accessible boat for Jungle Cruise until they actually had a functional accessible boat was over a year.
I can see some additional technical problems to making an accessible doom buggy compared to an accessible Buzz Lightyear or clamshell.
I'm not giving up hope entirely, but it doesn't look like a wheelchair accessible one is in the near future.

 

[allie_to_you]

Allie - your bf is one lucky dude.

Thanks...i feel like I'm the lucky one to have him!

 

[tinkandpan]

We just got back and I asked the CM about the transfer. I saw the sign had not been changed. I was so bummed when she said that they still didn't have a car like the Nemo Ride. She did mention a newer dune buggy which didn't had a change in gap so I am assuming you could do a slide transfer. Of course, this is not confirmed as I did not see it. This doesn't help our situation as my Dad does not feel comfortable doing a transfer even if they stop the ride. Hopefully in the future....

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Hey Sue, or anyone else, do you know of any pics of this doombuggy?

 

[SueM in MN]

Hey Sue, or anyone else, do you know of any pics of this doombuggy?

We're going soon and will try to get some pictures. If it's like the old transfer one, it's hard to see much of a difference compared to the standard doombuggies .
I know the doombuggies were upgraded with new sound. I don't know if they completely replaced them or just upgraded the ones they had.

 

[SueM in MN]

Hey Sue, or anyone else, do you know of any pics of this doombuggy?

I have pictures from today, which I will post soon after we get back from WDW.
I actually got some pretty good pictures because I got off when my doombuggy got back to the exit, but the CM was busy answering questions for some other guests and forgot to stop the ride for DH and DD to get off. So, they got to ride twice and I got to stand at the unload area and talk with the CM.
I expected long lines, but the posted wait was 5 minutes and quite a few doombuggies were actually getting to the unload area empty.

We were told by 2 different CMs that the moving walkway can only be stopped at the 'red' car, which has a cut away side for transfers. I expected the car to actually be red, but there was nothing red about it that I could see. One thing that was an improvement was that it stopped just before the end of the unload area, so there is a very short distance from your doombuggy to the exit (not actually helpful to us since we bring DD's wheelchair right up to the doombuggy).

We also had asked if we could go into the stretching room to see that part and then return to the exit for boarding. The CM at the entrance to the handicapped area said that is not possible. I said I knew it had been possible before; he said that after the changes to the attraction (some of which involve the stretching room and 'surround sound' in the stretching room, they are not allowed to bring guests into the stretching room unless they can walk into the queue for loading. He did offer that we could carry DD in, but since she can't stand, weighs 90 pounds and can be like carrying a 90 pound board, a 90 pound rag doll or a 90 pound wriggling snake (depending on how excited and/or tired she is), we said that was an impossibility.
So, no stretching room for us. Next time, I think we will ask if we can do sort of a 'parent swap' so that at least DH and I can see it.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Awesome! Thanks, Sue

 

[Twende]

We did HM last week with two wheelchairs and 1 scooter. We all stayed in the normal queue until the Horseless Harness and Hearse. Here we were all pulled over to a short line that ends about where the "wedding ring" use to be.

We pushed the two wheelchairs up to the exit area and both ladies were able to walk on a I think slowed down moving side walk. Our third lady had to have the sidewalk stopped so her sister could help her walk the few steps into the buggy. It actually went pretty well for her. A CM moved the scooter for us so that it was nearby when she exited.

We all missed the stretching room and the first graveyard. It would seem that there would be a way to exit the stretching room with wheel chairs and end up near the exit which would then allow guest to get in a buggy. Maybe someday they will fix that and get a buggy that is like the one in Nemo!