wheelchairs

mlcar

-
Joined
May 23, 2001
will the water taxis, Disney buses, monorail, etc., all accommodate a wheelchair?
 
Yes, if it is a manual, provided you can get out and step onto some of the boats. This is only necessary one boats to and from the MK and resorts, not the ferry.
 
The WDW buses and monorails will accomidate manual or power wheelchairs. Because of variations in the water level, the water taxis may not always be able to accomidate wheelchairs, like lisapooh mentioned. If the water level is low, the boat is too low in relation to the dock and a wheelchair would need to be lifted up a step to be put on the boat.
 
To clarify what has already been posted:

Water taxis are affected by water levels at Magic Kingdom, Polynesian, Grand Floridian and some services to Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary and Wilderness Campground.

Wate taxis across the lake at Epcot, and to and from the Epcot resorts and Epcot and MGM are fully accessible, as is the big ferry from TTC to Magic Kingdom.

Depending on the actual Launch being used, it might be possible to get between Wilderness Campground, Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary, though the design of the launches would make it impossible for an ECV to get on. (onlt wheelchairs that can make a hard turn immidiately on getting on)

Don't know about the routes in and out of Downtown Disney.

Andrew
 
Actually some of the ECVs can get on the boats at Ft Wilderness if the water level is ok. The biggest problem is the dock at the MK which is a fixed dock. The one at Ft Wilderness is floating. Used to have a Pride that was really small and it was able to go on the boats befpre this drought.
Unfortunately now the problem with the Jazzy is a foot or more drop to get on or off at MK.
 
According to Safari Steve (a MK CM), it is possible for the big ferry from TTC to MK to be affected by the water levels if the water level is extremely low. That ferry runs in a deep channel and is usually not affected, but could be.
We have also been told by CMs that the other ferries (MGM to Epcot resosrts and Epcot) can also be affected, but very seldom are because the water levels in those waterways can be controlled well. I would not worry about those because they are usually able to run.
 
OK here's another conflicting report LOL

I was told by a CM in Dec that in no uncertain terms could I use the ferry because I needed to be able to walk on and off the boat...

But as we well know each CM seems to see things differently :)

Id go w Safari Steve assumptions.. He seems to know what to look for since we bug him so much with questions LOL :)
 


My DD has been on all the water ferries at one time or another, even when the signs said they were closed to wheelchairs because of varying water levels. I think they let her on because she is fairly small and light and DH and I lifted her onto the boat in her wheelchair (about a 6 inch height difference). If she had been bigger and/or we didn't seem to know what we were doing, they probably would have stopped us. One time, when the height differnce was a little more, I walked her on and DH lifted her wheelchair on. I don't think the CMs knew she couldn't walk by herself until after she was on.
The safest is just to assume that any boat MIGHT not be accessible, but the ones by the Studio, Epcot and the Epcot resorts usually are. If it isn't, there will be some other way to get to the same destination.
 
It's so nice to see my name, and mentioned by two of my favorite ladies on the DIS! As Sue mentioned, there will always be a way to get you to your destination. If not a boat, then a monorail, or a bus, or a van, or... well, I shouldn't tell you all the possibilities, best to just say "Don't worry, we'll get you there."

Kungaloosh!
 
Thank you, Safari Steve. We always appreciate the help you give us. You have been able to clarify a lot of things for us.
:D
 
Steve,
Had to be somewhere real early my last trip and they sent a special bus to the loop just to pick me up.
Btw I LOVE THE NEW BUSES. So easy. I wish they could use them exclusively on the AKL route during my next stay :). A girl can dream can't she.
 
I haven't been on the new busses yet, but they sure look cool. It seems like they are lower to the ground, which (I assume) makes them more easily accessible. Do they kneel? Do they have better lifts? WDW will be purchasing 100 new busses soon, and I think they'll all be that kind.
 
I am anxious to see those new buses too. From what I have heard, they are lower, do kneel and are similar (but on a much larger scale) to the ramp van that we own. There are a lot less things that can go wrong with a ramp than a lift and ramps are faster and easier to operate. A lift uses hydrolics and has lots of things that can get out of alignment. A ramp is a much simpler mechanism and gets much less wear and tear because it never has to lift anything heavier than the weight of the ramp to put it away.
I haven't seen them, but I've heard the Minneapolis bus system has some of the same buses. They haven't had any problems with the buses, just with the bus stops and sidewalks that are not always free of snow in the winter. At least that won't be a problem in Florida.
 
When we were at FW in June we noticed that they had redone the dock there and the corresponding dock at MK. It appeared that they had changed the docks to allow for differing water levels. Let me see if I can explain this--the unloading ramps were longer and started high and went lower. They pulled the boat up until there was only a 1-2 inch step. At FW we still loaded from the same direction, but at MK the boat pulled up to the right side of the dock instead of the front.

I hope this change will help everyone load! I know that 12 inch step was hard for my old knees;)

Barbara
back 1 month and 326 days to go!
 
They actually have a ramp? Or are they still just pulling up to the dock and have a gap between the boat and dock? Even a 2" gap is insurrountable for many power wheelchairs and ECVs. If they are actually using a ramp that is long enough then it could be doable but at least for my Power wheelchair the ramp for the ferry from TTC to MK is too steep and therefore not accessible.
 
They don't have a ramp that comes from the dock over into the boat, but the dock has been redone so that it is at several heights. That way the boat can be pulled up as far as necessary to be as even as possible.


There did seem to still be a gap, but definitely not as large a height difference. You may need to check it out to see if it will help in your individual situation.

Barbara
 
Lisapoo said:

>but at least for my Power wheelchair the ramp for the ferry from TTC to MK is too steep and therefore not accessible.<

I assume this is your new(ish) Jazzy. I can get up the ramp relatively easily in my Storm, though I do recall that I had to wait until the crowds cleared and then take a run at it.

Andrew
 
The speed you can go at in the power wheelchair makes quite a differnce too. With my DD's power Arror, she can't get up some ramps in her slowest speed, but if we crank it up, there's no problem.
 

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