We have been to Disney numerous times so I'm familiar with the planning and taking breaks, etc. I probably OVER PLAN for Disney! LOL. I didn't feel that I needed to explain all of my daughter's disabilities to ask my question. No...being in a wheelchair is NOT her only disability. She has several other problems/issues that make Disney more challenging to say the least. What I'm wanting to know....**IF** she doesn't qualify for the new
DAS system....I want to be prepared. I had read that some of the ques had been revamped (since my last visit anyway).
So, for example, at Toy Story Mania we were sent up the fast pass line to the wheelchair loading area. Is that still the case now? I'm just trying to prepare. It makes me anxious to think about having to wait until I get there to figure it all out. I was pretty well versed with the old system....
Toy Story Mania regular Standby and Fastpass lines were both accessible to the point of the stairs, which is the merge point for Fastpass and Standby lines.
Guests with wheelchair who did not have Fastpass were not sent automatically into the Fastpass Line since the regular line was also accessible.
At the Fastpass merge point, guests were sent forward up the stairs or to the right up a ramp into the accessible load area. That accessible load area often had very long waits because it was the only way to avoid stairs, whether or not you were using a mobility device.
A new track was added recently, which does not have any stairs. The entrance to it is the Fastpass merge point, so guests without mobility devices who need to avoid stairs can use that track. Guests with mobility devices will be sent to the accessible boarding area from either Standy or Fastpass lines as before.
The vast majority of regular standby queues at WDW are wheelchair accessible, at least part-way; very few attractions will have a completely alternate entrance. For those few that do have a separate entrance, you may (or may not) be issued a "wheelchair return time" which acts much like a FP with a return window and you must return within that window. This is to help reduce back-ups that may occur at alternate entrances. I believe you cannot have a DAS and a wheelchair return time "holding" at the same point.
Enjoy your vacation!
There are only a few attractions with 'wheelchair entrances'; those that do are because the line was not able to be made accessible. The other reason is that an attraction like a show may have a limited number of wheelchair spots, so they separate out wheelchairs to avoid having too many in the area for the show.
Expect that you may be given a Return Time, as lanejudy mentioned.
People think some - like Toy Story Midway Mania, Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids - have wheelchair entrances, but they actually have a pull off to a wheelchair
boarding area and both the Fastpass and Standby lines are accessible almost to the regular boarding area.
These are attractions with separate wheelchair entrances:
MK - WDW Railroad at all stations
MK - Riverboat. This is because the handicapped boarding area has a ramp.
MK - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
MK - Mad Tea Party (may be changed to regular)
MK - Space Mountain. The issue here is the small boarding area, not that it is not accessible.
MK - Astro Orbiter (Return Time ticket because of small area and elevator)
MK - Jungle Cruise. You will be given a Return Time ticket. If you have Fastpass, you will probably be sent directly to the waiting area unless the space is already full. Without Fastpass, you will given a time to return that is equal to the Standby wait.
MK - Enchanted Tiki Room and Country Bear Jamboree
For both, you enter thru a specific door and enter a separate waiting area. You are almost always going to get into the same show you would have walking in. The show has limited wheelchair spots. It is possible you may get there and find all the spots have been filled for that show and you will need to wait for the next.
EPCOT - Spaceship Earth. The handicapped waiting area is at the exit. You may be waiting in line there or be given a return time, depending on the number of guests waiting.
EPCOT - Living with the Land. Entrance is thru the Fastpass line; expect to get a return time unless you have Fastpass.
EPCOT - Circle of Life, American Adventure and Impressions de France. Enter thru a separate 'gate' . You will be going into the same show as if you had walked in.
EPCOT - Gran Fiesta Tour (Mexico). Separate line because the waiting area is very small.
Disney Hollywood Studio - Indiana Jones has a separate gate so the CMs can show you to the accessible seating. Will usually be in the same show as if you had walked in. If you arrive late, all the spots may be filled already.
Disney Hollywood Studio - Star Tours has guests with mobility devices enter the left line usually because of steepness of the other line. You may be given a return time if you don't have Fastpass.
AK - Festival of the Lion King has a separate gate so CMs can show you to accessible seating. Guests with mobility devices who have Fastpass will enter first. This show is busy, so it's possible all the wheelchair spaces will be filled if you arrive close to showtime.
These shows do not have a wheelchair entrance, but have limited wheelchair seating and are usually busy; you may not get a spot for the next show without being there early or using Fastpass.
Disney Hollywood Studio - Frozen Sing-Along
Disney Hollywood Studio - Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Disney Hollywood Studio - Beauty and the Beast
Disney Hollywood Studio - Fantasmic
AK -Finding Nemo
AK - Flights of Wonder
