So Disneyland Was a Bust for Access

hannikan

MIL got us tickets for D-land because she has a friend who works there. We were suspicious that DH would be able to go on any of the rides based on the design of the seating but her friend assured us that most rides would be accessible. We printed out the access guide to the rides and it also sounded promising that DH would be able to go on many of them. Not so. Aside from the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Monorail and Small World, you would have to transfer from your chair. DH does transfer from his chair all the time; into the car, into the shower (bench that goes inside the shower), on to a bed. As long as there's room/it's flat enough to use a slide board, he's fine. But they didn't mean transferring really, they meant you had to be able to stand and get in. So why didn't it say that on all their literature about it? Grr!! They make it sound vague. At least the signs outside the rides showed the guy in the wheelchair standing up so we knew before we waited in lines. Anyway, we still had a nice time and it's not like we haven't been on all the rides before. It's just irritating. Now we know for the future with other parks that our instincts were correct.

Mrs.BoomBoom

I'm so sorry

Dragonfly_Bride

That sucks! How about DCA, are you going to try there next?

hannikan

Dragonfly_Bride:

That sucks! How about DCA, are you going to try there next?

What's that? CA Adventures? I doubt it. It's the way all theme park rides are designed.

Dragonfly_Bride

hannikan:

Dragonfly_Bride:

That sucks! How about DCA, are you going to try there next?

What's that? CA Adventures? I doubt it. It's the way all theme park rides are designed.

Yeah, Disney's CA Adventure. I thought maybe because they were built later that they would have some better designs in place. I remember hearing that they made, of all things, the lines accessible for wheelchairs.

hannikan

Dragonfly_Bride:

hannikan:

Dragonfly_Bride:

That sucks! How about DCA, are you going to try there next?

What's that? CA Adventures? I doubt it. It's the way all theme park rides are designed.

Yeah, Disney's CA Adventure. I thought maybe because they were built later that they would have some better designs in place. I remember hearing that they made, of all things, the lines accessible for wheelchairs.

Yeah, that's another issue of course in some on them. But I think the problem is they're always thinking that people who use chairs can get up. Some people can, of course. So they design them with that in mind. And, of course, most children could be picked up and placed in. Well, an adult won't be or wouldn't want to be. We had the list for the accessible CA Adven. rides, too. The trams had a car that had wide doors that opened and you could wheel in. That's what these rides would need to have.

kouiii

Ugh! I'm so sorry, H.

Passanie

That blows. They should be more clear. You should write a letter. They're probably thinking more of elderly grandparents or something.

Mrs.BoomBoom

I'm watching the videos at http://disneyland.disney.go.com/plan/guest-services/mobility-disabilities/ and it looks like D should have been able to transfer.  Space mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain all show a para transferring without standing up and walking. They also show a couple others where you just wheel right on.

hannikan

Mrs.BoomBoom:

I'm watching the videos at http://disneyland.disney.go.com/plan/guest-services/mobility-disabilities/ and it looks like D should have been able to transfer.  Space mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain all show a para transferring without standing up and walking. They also show a couple others where you just wheel right on.

Yeah, Drew couldn't do what that guy did to get on Splash Mountain, Space Mtn or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Dropping down into the Splash and Space Mtn ones he couldn't have gotten back up into his chair. BTMR he couldn't have squeezed himself in that narrow opening. It needs to be a level transfer for him. The Toy Story ride would have been the only other one. The wait for those accessible vehicles Small World is also ridiculous. So if there's more than one person in a wheelchair you have to wait forever. It just isn't worth it.

Mrs.BoomBoom

hannikan:

Mrs.BoomBoom:

I'm watching the videos at http://disneyland.disney.go.com/plan/guest-services/mobility-disabilities/ and it looks like D should have been able to transfer.  Space mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain all show a para transferring without standing up and walking. They also show a couple others where you just wheel right on.

Yeah, Drew couldn't do what that guy did to get on Splash Mountain, Space Mtn or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Dropping down into the Splash and Space Mtn ones he couldn't have gotten back up into his chair. BTMR he couldn't have squeezed himself in that narrow opening. It needs to be a level transfer for him. The Toy Story ride would have been the only other one. The wait for those accessible vehicles Small World is also ridiculous. So if there's more than one person in a wheelchair you have to wait forever. It just isn't worth it.

Ah, IC.

hannikan

It's good to know they were better than we thought though. I just want to know how that guy got back into his chair after the ride on Splash and Space Mtns. They don't show that.

Mrs.BoomBoom

Did you see the woman get back up after splash?

Edit: I see the guy get back in his chair after splash too.  And for Space, the woman uses a board which provides a little bit of a ramp.

(I"m finding the videos very interesting)

Mrs.BoomBoom

I thought it was great too that they have special cars on a special side track so people who need more time can take it without holding up the whole line.  I saw them bring one online last time I rode space.  Someone transferred from a chair, they loaded up, and then when they were ready, the car lowered into position on the main track and away it went.

hannikan

Mrs.BoomBoom:

Did you see the woman get back up after splash?

Edit: I see the guy get back in his chair after splash too.  And for Space, the woman uses a board which provides a little bit of a ramp.

(I"m finding the videos very interesting)

I didn't see that. I'll look at it again. I sent it to Drew too, to see what he thinks. He can't pick up his legs the way that guy did because his legs are kind of stiff. That's why he couldn't clear those narrow openings.

Mrs.BoomBoom

hannikan:

I sent it to Drew too, to see what he thinks. He can't pick up his legs the way that guy did because his legs are kind of stiff. That's why he couldn't clear those narrow openings.

Makes sense.  Cool that for Thunder Mtn the side does flip down so it's a larger opening.

There's actually quite a bit in CA Adventure that wouldn't make him move because CAA doesn't have as many RIDES but more shows.  Plus, it's newer, so more accessibility was built in.  

hannikan

Mrs.BoomBoom:

hannikan:

I sent it to Drew too, to see what he thinks. He can't pick up his legs the way that guy did because his legs are kind of stiff. That's why he couldn't clear those narrow openings.

Makes sense.  Cool that for Thunder Mtn the side does flip down so it's a larger opening.

There's actually quite a bit in CA Adventure that wouldn't make him move because CAA doesn't have as many RIDES but more shows.  Plus, it's newer, so more accessibility was built in.  

Yeah, but BTMR is still too tight. The depth is really shallow. Yeah, the fact that CAA has things that aren't rides makes it more accessible. We didn't have time to go there. We didn't buy the tickets, MIL got them.

cheryl2006

I'm sorry. I'm glad you guys enjoyed what you could out of the day. I would have been frustrated since the research indicated Drew could have gone on more rides.

leolyns

such a bummer. I would write a letter to them to see if they have any plans on making some changes so that everyone can ride their rides.

dirtbikemom

That stinks!!   I've seen people at Disney who can't stand be transfered but it was usually a member of their party that had to pick the person up and transfer them on and off the rides.  

Gannon

I'm so sorry How frustrating and what a let down.

loriruth

That's horrible!  I hope you let them know how badly worded their literature is, and that they change it up so others don't have to go through what you guys did.