Newby with Questions

[Biscuitsmom31]

I am going to test this first. I just wrote out a huge post and when I hit submit it didn't work.

 

[Biscuitsmom31]

My family and I are visiting Disney World for the first time in August. It will be me, my husband, and our 4 kids ages 8, 7, 7, and 3. My husband has muscular dystophy and is confined to a power wheelchair. I have many, many questions! Here are a few:

1. We are driving our modified van to Disney and staying at the Fort Wilderness cabins. Can we drive the van to the parks or do we have to use Disney transportation? If so, how difficult is it?

2. What is a fast pass or a GAC?

3. Is his power wheelchair considered an ECV? It's not exactly a "convenience" if you know what I mean It looks like a regular wheelchair with a hand control.

4. If there is a special entrance at an attraction for wheelchair users, where do the rest of us go? Can we stay together?

Any advice on how to best handle our situation is greatly appreciated! I need to find these things out ahead of time because my husband is shy and hates to draw attention to himself and would end up sitting on the sidelines for the whole trip if he didn't know what to do.

 

[RaySharpton]

My family and I are visiting Disney World for the first time in August. It will be me, my husband, and our 4 kids ages 8, 7, 7, and 3. My husband has muscular dystophy and is confined to a power wheelchair. I have many, many questions! Here are a few:

1. We are driving our modified van to Disney and staying at the Fort Wilderness cabins. Can we drive the van to the parks or do we have to use Disney transportation? If so, how difficult is it?

Sure you can use your own van to go anywhere at WDW, and especially the parks. The Epcot and MGM disabilty parking is pretty close to the front gates. I have heard that the Magic Kingdom is a little bit of a walk, then you can take the ferryboat or the monorail to the MK entrance. I think that your husband would enjoy the ferryboat, but if you use the monorail, you could visit the other resorts on the same line. Visit the Grand Floridian resort and the Contemporary resort and the Polynesian resort. As a matter of fact you can drive your van to the Beach and Yacht Club or Boardwalk resort and tour around there too.

From www.allearsnet.com : Each of the four major theme parks, the water parks, resorts and all other Disney venues has special parking areas assigned for guests with disabilities. At the theme parks, ask for directions to those areas at the tollbooths or ask the Cast Member directing parking in the lots. There is usually a blue stripe painted on the pavement which disabled guests can follow to the Disabled Parking Area. All other venues, resorts and restaurants have parking for disabled guests clearly marked with signs and symbols painted on the pavement.

2. What is a fast pass or a GAC?

Fast Pass allows you to use another line. The old type line is now called a standby line that anyone can enter, but it may take a long time to get through. You go through with everybody else. Now...you can use your park admission ticket, put it in a fast pass machine located in front of the ride that you want to go on. You get in return a slip of paper with the ride's name a time frame that you can return and ride the ride using another line called the fast pass line. This will get you through the line much faster that the old standby line.

I love Splash Mountain and I use a scooter. I will go by the Splash Mountain fast pass ticket machine and get a fast pass for Splash Mountain. Then I will get in the standby line with everyone else to ride splash mountain. I will follow the curves outside and inside with all of the walkers until I get to the first set of stairs. Then a WDW Castmember will direct me to another path to the ride. I may have to wait 15 minutes or so until a seat is made available, but then I ride.

Afterwards, my fast pass slip is usually within the time frame to use. I go through the fast line this time and get through line very fast. You could chose a different ride for the standby line and another ride for the fastpass line or you could go eat lunch. It just takes some organizing of time, but it is easy and if you don't use your fast pass, no big deal.

Here is a link to fast pass: http://allearsnet.com/tp/fastpass.htm

You may or may not need a G.A.C. (Guest Assistance Card) since your wheelchhair is visible and the WDW Castmember will automatically help you or direct you to go where ever you need to go in the lines. WDW is very disability friendly. Almost all of the rides, you can follow the regular walkers through the ride queue lines.

I'm sure someone else here that has actually gotten one of these cards can help you better.

3. Is his power wheelchair considered an ECV? It's not exactly a "convenience" if you know what I mean It looks like a regular wheelchair with a hand control.

Walt Disney World calls their heavy duty scooters, E.C.V.'s (Electric Convenience Vehecles. Any wheelchair and scooter is treated basically the same as far as what direction to go. Almost all rides are wheelchair/scooter friendly. Your park map will show if you can ride the wheelchair/scooter all the way to the ride seat or another location. Or if you may need to transfer from a wheelchair/scooter to a seat on the ride.

I'm sure someone else here can explain this better than me.

4. If there is a special entrance at an attraction for wheelchair users, where do the rest of us go? Can we stay together?

Yes, I think that you can all go together. I don't know if there is a certain number limit. I usually go by myself. And WDW is very good about allowing scooters and wheelchairs to follow the same lines to the rides as the walkers. This is where you may see a E.C.V. symbol on the park map. And being in a wheelchair, a WDW Castmember will see you and automatically help direct you in the right direction.

Any advice on how to best handle our situation is greatly appreciated! I need to find these things out ahead of time because my husband is shy and hates to draw attention to himself and would end up sitting on the sidelines for the whole trip if he didn't know what to do.

Have a great time.

Sincerely, Ray

 

[SueM in MN]

If you go to the disABILITIES FAQs thread stuck near the top of this board, you will find a lot of information. I put a link to that thread if you click here.
One of the posts in that FAQs thread includes some links to the official Disney site and their Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. I'd suggest visiting there and you can bookmark the page or print out the text. When you get to WDW, you can get printed copies of the Guidebook for each park.

You don't have to use Disney transportation, but it is convenient, especially for going to MK. The buses drop you off very close to the turnstile at that park, whereas, if you park there, you will have to use the monorail or boat to get from the parking area to the same place.
One caution about the parking - Deb Wills site says to follow the blue line, but I would suggest still asking the parking lot CMs where to go. Sometimes the "Medical Parking" is full or has been temporarily moved and if you follow the blue line, you will get nowhere. So, it's best to ask. You will be able to park in that area with your handicapped parking plate or permit.

The Guest Assistance Card is a tool to let CMs know what sorts of assistance/accomidation someone needs if they have an invisible disability. As was alreaddy noted, he won't need one to use the accessible lines. If he has some additional needs that are not met by an accessible line, then he can stop in Guest Services in any of the parks and explain his additional needs.
Here's a link to the DIS site page about Fastpass. Sometimes it's helpful to have more than one explanation.

And, one more thing about your "lost post". Sometimes when the boards are really slow, there is too much of a time lag between when you hit "Submit" and when it actually gets to the board. If I know the boards are slow, I usually just copy my reply before hitting submit. That way, if it's lost, you can just hit "New Reply" and then paste it in place. (ALthough, it seems like the times I do copy it, it works fine and the times I don't, it's lost). You can also sometimes get your original page back by hitting the back button.

 

[Biscuitsmom31]

I will probably be on here bugging until we go on August 20.

 

[JudithM]

I will probably be on here bugging until we go on August 20.

Welcome to the disABILITIES board! Ray & Sue answered your current questions, but doen't hesitate to ask questions here. I read these posts for several weeks before a trip almost five years ago. After the trip I started posting. I learend a lot from other poster's experiences, so I hope you do, too!

 

[minkydog]

And just so you know, we didn't have any trouble using the WDW transportation with our w/c. they have tie-downs and the drivers never acted like it was a big deal at all. Just normal. Now there's a word!

 

[JoannaOhio]

Biscuitsmom31, I PMd you - (sent a personal message). If you aren't familiar with that yet, just look at the upper right of this page, and you'll see a place that tells you that you have a private message. Click on that, and it will take you to your mailbox where you can read and respond if you're so inclined. I will be travelling to Florida in December with my daughter, granddaughter, and daughter's fiancee who has MD. I've been doing my research on Disney World, and thought I might be able to share some of my information with you.