waiting in line with leg injury

troydjames

Universal Pass holder/ Disney dad
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
I just found out my daughter has a stress fracture in her femur and we have a Christmas party night in December, I figure we will have to rent a wheelchair, is there a way we can get her in a shorter line for attractions, I'm not worried about the rest of the family we are fine to wait. I remember all the controversy over hiring people for your group who are in wheelchairs to gain faster access to the rides, but I can't remember what if any policy changes were made. thanks in advance for your help.
 
With just a few exceptions, the regular queues are "mainstreamed" -- meaning, accessible for wheelchairs and other mobility devices. In queues where there are stairs or such, your party will be directed accordingly. The few queues that are not accessible may give you a "wheelchair return time", which is like a FP with a 1-hour window during which your party should return to the accessible entrance. If they aren't using the "wheelchair return time" at that point, you'll be sent directly to the accessible entrance.

The prior GAC program was discontinued. The DAS program is now in place for those individuals who cannot be in a standard queue environment. Generally speaking, mobility-related needs will not get a DAS unless the person has other needs not met by using a wheelchair. No faster access or shorter lines for disabilities. Plan your FP+ for the longest lines during regular park hours; I don't believe FP+ is used during parties.

Enjoy your vacation!
 
I just found out my daughter has a stress fracture in her femur and we have a Christmas party night in December, I figure we will have to rent a wheelchair, is there a way we can get her in a shorter line for attractions, I'm not worried about the rest of the family we are fine to wait. I remember all the controversy over hiring people for your group who are in wheelchairs to gain faster access to the rides, but I can't remember what if any policy changes were made. thanks in advance for your help.

You can take a wheelchair in lines with you there are about 5 rides that you can not these will give you a return time to come back to ride,

space you can only go in the FP with a wheelchair if you do not have one you can get a return time.

POTCB ( I know you can not take an ECV in line but can wheelchair go in the standby line?)

Jungle cruise you will need a return time and you go to the exit.

BTMRR you need a return time and go to the exit.

IASW exit ( and most of the time my friend just goes right on in)

and then at EPCOT spaceship earth, you go through the exit.

Some think it is better not to FP these rides if you are in a wheelchair or ECV just know that she will have to go to the rides ( they must see the person in the wheelchair) to get a return time. You could have an FP for a ride close by like getting a return time for space and have an FP for buzz if you wanted to.

SOme lines where there are steps you will be directed to where to go. Like Splash has steps in the line but when you reach that point the CM will direct you on how to get on. TSMM is one the one track has steps but the other one does not if she can walk a few steps then I would do the one that does not have steps ( I hope this made sense)

Disney is quite assessable to people with mobility problems ( for the most part, there are area where they need work)

and pick up a map for people with disability as it has a lot of things.


for rides with moving walkways, all but 2 can be stopped the people mover and Peter Pan. So if she would like to ride these two rides then she will need to be able to get on and off the ride while the walkway is still moving.


Have a great trip.
 
With the latest rules, there really isn't any way to get your party a shorter wait time. Most attractions, the person using the wheelchair waits in line with everyone else.
 
By the way, in reference to POTC, if you have mobility problems and you use a powerchair or ECV you have to switch into one of the manual chairs they supply outside the queue, or I would assume, you could use your own if your using a manual wheelchair you brought yourself.

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas
 
or I would assume, you could use your own if your using a manual wheelchair you brought yourself.
Unlikely. POTC exit is in a separate building from the first entrance. CMs have no way to get one's own equipment to the ride exit.
 


Unlikely. POTC exit is in a separate building from the first entrance. CMs have no way to get one's own equipment to the ride exit.
We've done potc several times with our own adaptive stroller. It' always there waiting for us at the end of the ride
 
We've done potc several times with our own adaptive stroller. It' always there waiting for us at the end of the ride
we have with our daughter’s wheelchair too.
The POTC is not ECV accessible, but the line to get to the boarding area is completely wheelchair accessible.
They ask if you can transfer to one of the attraction wheelchairs because that is easier for the CMs.
But, if you can’t, they will transfer your wheelchair for you. The unload area is in a different building and is one floor down compared to the listing area.
After you load, a CM takes your wheelchair outside of the ride, through a backstage area and down an elevator to get to the unload area. It will be waiting at the unload area for you. After getting into the wheelchair, you take the elevator back up to ground level.

For attractions where a Return Time is given for guests using a wheelchair/mobility device, the procedure differs a little based on whether or not you have a Fastpass for that attraction and what the Standby Wait Time currently is.
If you have Fastpass, go to the Fastpass line.
For Jungle Cruise, the CM will tell you to scan your Fastpasses and then give you a ticket to get into the accessible line immediately. Without Fastpass, your ‘ticket’ will be based on the current Standby Wait Time. If it is short, your ticket will let you get into line right away; if not, the time written on the ticket will be approximately 10 minutes less than the current Standby Wait.
Space Mountain and BTMRR work the same way.
Small World works the same way, except the CM at the entrance to the regular line usually has a handheld reader to read your Fastpass and is the one making out Return tickets. Some people do just go into the exit if there is not a CM right there, but our experience (over many times riding) is that if there is a CM assigned to that station, they do check for a ticket before allowing your group to come into the area. We have seen the CMs turn people away who do not have a return ticket,

At Epcot Spaceship Earth, you go to the exit. That is the one where Fastpass doesn’t make a difference; the CMs there keep a list and will tell you how long your wait will be. If the wait is short, you can just wait in the seating area at the exit. If the wait is longer, your name is on the list and you can leave and come back closer to the time when you would be going in.
 
Hi. After reading this post I have a few related questions.
My 19 year old daughter is both physically and mentally disabled. Microcephally, Dystonia and learning delays etc.
She needs a wheelchair (pushed by myself or her dad) for getting around the park and enable her to queue. She can however clumsily walk a short distance. If we have her in her chair to queue does she have to remain in it for the rides? In dlp she prefers to be seated in the ride without her chair.
I understand that she will get a pass but just wanted to question the wheelchair issue.

Also on POTC if we are asked to transfer her to another chair, which she can physically do but she may not want to and get agitated, do we have to ?
If she is willing to transfer into another chair how do we get her wheelchair back at the exit ?

Thankyou
 
If we have her in her chair to queue does she have to remain in it for the rides? In dlp she prefers to be seated in the ride without her chair.

If she is able, yes, she may certainly transfer to the ride vehicle.

Also on POTC if we are asked to transfer her to another chair, which she can physically do but she may not want to and get agitated, do we have to ?
If she is willing to transfer into another chair how do we get her wheelchair back at the exit ?

Others have more direct experience with this, but just to say the issue is that load and unload are actually in 2 separate buildings. So a CM must leave their post at ride loading to take a personal chair to the unload location. But I believe SueM has posted they take her daughter’s personal manual wheelchair in this queue and it is brought to them at the end of the ride.

I understand that she will get a pass but just wanted to question the wheelchair issue.

If her needs are met by using a wheelchair in the queues, there is no “pass” for her to use. The DAS is for guests who cannot physically be in a queue environment. More about FAS is in the sticky pinned near the top of this forum. It is very different from DLP.

Enjoy your vacation!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top