gap2368
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2015
I used to work with a student in a wheelchair - so I've hauled chairs around quite a bit. His mom, half my size, used to be able to just pop that chair into the back of her van. I was always very impressed! But I guess I'm thinking about an animal issue - I guess they'd just tranq the animal if there was a problem? I would hope other guests and the CM would help unload the chair and help with your daughter if there was a need to evacuate quickly? I know I would offer, and my husband could easily lift a 30 lb chair 3-4 feet off the ground. I'm guessing others on the vehicle would be able to as well? And yes, I've gone way off topic (again!) I'm sorry - it's just something I've thought about while on the ride - I must have been a risk evaluator in a past life?
My understanding of the Safari ride at AK is that there is a great amount of imagineering with the habitats. The most dangerous animals are not able to get anywhere close to the ride vehicles despite the fact that it looks that way. And the keepers can corral the animals back into their "homes" if necessary (which I believe was done for the hurricane earlier this fall). In the event of an emergency requiring evacuation from a ride vehicle out on the safari, precautions would be taken to make the evacuation safe for guests stuck on the ride as well as emergency responders. CMs or guests won't be lifting a wheelchair off -- Reedy Creek would be responsible for evacuating guests requiring assistance. Whether that would include removal of a powerchair plus the guest, or just the guest transferred to another mobility device, would depend on the situation. I trust that Reedy Creek has an appropriate evacuation plan for that ride. They've gotten people down off stuck monorails, I'm sure they have plans for pretty much every situation that might occur at WDW.
OP -- thanks for sharing your experience so others can learn from it. I'm sorry it happened but glad you didn't let that ruin your whole trip.
I know there was an older teen that was in a power chair stuck on a platform that was about 3 to 4 feet in the air ( long story on why and how) about 3 ( maybe 4) firemen from my area all lifted the older teen in the powerchair out and this teen was not skinny at all We also hade an elevator brake at one of the sport venues and they have to carry everyone outcome down 2 flights of stars. I would guess they would do the same thing if the saffier ride breaks,
Not sure where I heard this but I think they have to have a plane in place for the what if the ride breaks and what if someone is in a mobility device, So like if EE got stuck at the top and someone was on that could not walk how they get the person down ( I heard they have to have this in place before anyone can ride the ride)
OP could you ask to transfer to a manual chair and then ride the ride I would ask before you get in line so if the CM needed to find a chair for you they could.