Special Plans for Mom's 80th Birthday.

[shadow]

We will celebrate my mother's 80th birthday this month at Epcot (her dream come true) and it's a surprise! Have a couple of questions for you folks. 1) The bus vs the monorail on an ECV? How steep are the ramps at the monorail? My mother is a little timid/scary at times. Would it be better for her to take the bus or monorail to Epcot from the Grand Floridan? How long (time) does it take? 2) My personal gift to her is the MK fireworks. Has any one ever stayed in a special needs room at GF? The only thing I know is we have a handicap room with a lagoon view and requested a lower floor. Thank you all for your fine efforts and good advise. Tink's Shadow

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The monorail ramps are considered steep for wheelchairs, but I have never had any problem at all at any station with an ECV. Note the ramps are very wide, so she can easily avoid the edges.

I don't think there are buses between GF and Epcot because of the monorail connections.

At GF the monorail loads from the second floor of the main building; you would use an elevator so there is no ramp. The third stop (after MK and Contemporary) is the TTC. Nortmally this should take 10 to 15 minutes. There is a special ramp to transfer to the Epcot beam from the local beam. Then it is about 10 minutes to Epcot.

 

[SueM in MN]

Besides what Cheshire Figment wrote, the ramps at the monorail have rails sort of like fences along the edges, so not scary. They are pretty steep for pushing a wheelchair up and down since you are basically going from ground level to a station about 20-25 feet up in the air.
But, at all the MK resorts, you enter on the same level as the station. There is not an elevator (at least that I know of) at the MK, but there is one at Epcot, so she can avoid the ramp there.
If she does ride the buses (like to MGM or AK), just make sure she has some practice with backing up the ecv if she is not an experienced driver. She will need to back onto the lift/ramp on the bus and once she is on the bus, she will need to sort of parallel park the ecv into the wheelchair space. THe bus driver is usually quite helpful with directions and the driver will take care of securing the ecv to the bus with tiedown belts.
Have a great time.

 

[Talking Hands]

You are right Sue. No elevator at TTC where the big ramp is. Poly, GF, and Contemporary have elevators to the monorail. Elevator at EPCOT, but it is not easily seen. As you are just going up the ramp there is a gate that you go through and then turn to the right and the elevator is right there.

 

[shadow]

Thank you all for your responses. I have learned much on this board. I have visited Disney World many times, but not from your perspectives. Your advice, information, and considerations are much appreciated! Tink's Shadow