Tours and Wheelchairs

[Bill3]

We have enjoyed some of the tours WDW offers. As my DW must use a wheelchair part of the time we are at WDW I wonder do any of the tours accomadate people in Wheelchairs.As any taken a tour in a wheelchair or been with someone?Which tour? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Wheelsie]

Welcome Bill! Im gonna help you keep this bumped up till you get the answers you needed...Im sorry I can't help you here as I never afforded the luxury of one of the tours...sorry

Wheelsie Co-Moderator of disABILITIES
and
DisneyTips
wheelsie@mail.wdwinfo.com

 

[Bill3]

Wheelsie-thanks I'll keep checking.

 

[lisapooh]

Bill,
All tours are supposed to be accessible but you need to state that you are in a wheelchair and what your needs are. I have been on the Backstage Magic Tour twice. Once using a scooter and once with my power chair. Since I can do some walking I was able to enjpy all of the tour. If I remember correctly their were only 2 spots in EPCOT that I needed to use my canes and they were very short walks.
Just don't do what one couple did and decide you need ECVs at the last minute. They ended up not being able to have an ECV for the wife but one for the husband, The bus can only accommodate 2 and I had made my needs known when I reserved. So when the wife made a suggestion that I be left and they allowed to bring both they were told no.
Then main thing is make your needs known when you reserve and they will accommodate you.

Pooh Bear

 

[bfeller]

I did the Keys to the Kingdom tour this past August from the point of view in an EVC. I had no problems and everyone was so helpful. It was a lot of walking/riding so I don't know if you would want to do it in a wheelchair. We traveled at a good pace and the tour was 4-4 1/2 hours long. Hope this helps.

 

[lisapooh]

You need to think of a wheelchair as the users legs. If you want to do a tour then you would use the wheelchair. Why would I use my wheelcahiron a tour. Because I could not possibly walk it. That's why. I can only walk about 50 feet without extreme pain. My wheelchair is my means of mobility, just like legs are yours

Pooh Bear

 

[bfeller]

Sorry, I think I didn't make myself clear. When I mentioned not using a wheelchair, I meant maybe you should consider an EVC instead. The pace was fast moving and constant at times. The person using a manual wheelchair and/or the person pushing it may get tired quickly. Under normal circumstances one could stop when they get tired but you are trying to stay with the group and not slow them down.

 

[lisapooh]

Can't use an ECV. I use a power wheelchair. But having done the Backstage Magic Tour(all day) I would say that a person in a manual wheelchair who uses one regularly would not have a problem. I've seen our PI kids do an all day tour of the zoo with no problems at all. These are ones who normally have good upper body strength. We take chair pushers for the others. You would be amazed what these kids can do. Have a friend who does marathons in his manual chair.

Pooh Bear

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Earlier this month I took the Future World tour and was using an ECV. It was primarily onstage, but some backstage. Since it was all within one park, no beses were used. There were a couple of times that I had to enter a different way than the rest of the group so I could use a ramp. There was one time I made a choice to walk a short distance and go (slowly) up a few stairs; that was going backstage at Test Track. Otherwise I had no problems.

 

[Bill3]

Thanks for all your answers and info. we will be all set now.