Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

[GothicManor]

If you are disabled and have used a wheelchair at Disneyland then you know what I am talking about when I say they are not very disabled access friendly! Making someone in a wheelchair go thru the full length of a long line with all the mousemaze zigzags is outrageous, some people are too ill to go thru all of that. Any one care to comment on this?

[flynnibus]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

many attractions allow you to go up through the exit. is this not the case in DL?

[tahoebob54]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

If you are disabled and have used a wheelchair at Disneyland then you know what I am talking about when I say they are not very disabled access friendly! Making someone in a wheelchair go thru the full length of a long line with all the mousemaze zigzags is outrageous, some people are too ill to go thru all of that. Any one care to comment on this?

I disagree with your statement. DL has awalys been very helpfull with my wifes disability, she is not in a wheel chair but has other medical issues. Most attracations have a entrance for wheel chairs to make it easy to enter.

Just where did you get this information anyway?

[hollywood1939]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

DL is more easier than DCA but CM's are ALWAYS very helpful. Going in the elevator back up to the first floor is also a very cool thing to see when with a wheelchair.

[GothicManor]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

I got my information from me, I am usually in an electric wheelchair when I visit Disneyland due to my disability and I was surprise how un accomadating it was. First you have to get from the parking structure to inside the entrance to disneyland before you can even get a wheelchair for rent, and you have to come early to get one before they run out, so people like me who only have enough energy to be out for a few hours have to come early in the morning and I dont get to see the nightime. Also for some reason they make people wanting to rent a wheelchair wait in a long line with people renting strollers they should have two lines. Then the rental is like $55. Once in the park some rides do have shorter lines or a special entrance for people in wheelchairs but many do not and navigating the narrow zig zag lines is hard and tiring.... I guess only those with disabilities who have actually been in a wheelchair would know what i was talking about.

[clara]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

I've gone to DL with a disabled person and all the rides we went on put my disabled friend and their party past the lines to the ride through the fast pass entrance or the exit to the front. I haven't seen any rides that don't do this.

[WatchYourHeadNStep]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

We don't 'Dis' the abilities......we say special abilities!!!

[Disneyland Daddy]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

If you are disabled and have used a wheelchair at Disneyland then you know what I am talking about when I say they are not very disabled access friendly! Making someone in a wheelchair go thru the full length of a long line with all the mousemaze zigzags is outrageous, some people are too ill to go thru all of that. Any one care to comment on this?

Yeah - you go to City Hall on Main Street and get a Special Assistance Pass.

[Hakuna Makarla]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

I for one went to disneyland on a electric cart, and got to go thru all the exits in most rides avoiding the long lines and such. ALso a cm will guide you past some entrances to back erea;s to get in. I have never really had to worry about long lines or such, I am thinking you do not know about the ways to get in the wheel chair access as there there and very easy

[Disneyland Daddy]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

I disagree with your statement. DL has awalys been very helpfull with my wifes disability, she is not in a wheel chair but has other medical issues. Most attracations have a entrance for wheel chairs to make it easy to enter.

Just where did you get this information anyway?

I will further agree with you on this. I think Disneyland Resort is quite accomodating with disabled people. That's been my experience, at least. I was in a wheelchair there once, in between knee surgeries...so walking for long periods wasn't a good idea...and they were fabulous.

[flynnibus]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

if you have a long term disability.. why are you relying on renting a wheelchair from the park, and then upset if they don't have enough? Why is it DL's responsibility to have a chair you know you need?

The rentals are more of a courtesy. If you have a disability like this, why are you not accomodating yourself?

[CaptPhoebus]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

Disneyland (and DCA) has always been very ADA compliant, even going out of their way it seems at times. The only queues in Disneyland that a wheelchair has to go through are The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters. Do note that all of DCA wheelchairs are meant to go through the queues. All of these queue were built wider so that a wheelchair/ecv can comfortably manuever without getting stuck. The ADA doesn't mean that people are given special treatment, just equal access. If that means waiting in line like the rest of the folks, then it's waiting in line.

Is renting the of wheelchairs at disneyland ideal? Probably not. Anyone can rent a wheelchair, electric or push. But Disneyland suggests to its guests that if one cannot stand for long periods of time, especially when waiting in lines, that they rent a wheelchair. If they want to rent the electric ones instead of the push ones, that's in their right. Generally those that truly need to use a wheelchair (electric or push) bring their own. It's much cheaper to rent a chair from an outside company, the ones Disney provides are a courtesy to their guests.

On a side note, if the stroller/wheelchairs are in both parks, try renting it at DCA, they're more likely to have them in stock. And you are allowed to cross the Entry Plaza (just not leave bag check without making another deposit).

[Zeus]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

If you are disabled and have used a wheelchair at Disneyland then you know what I am talking about when I say they are not very disabled access friendly! Making someone in a wheelchair go thru the full length of a long line with all the mousemaze zigzags is outrageous, some people are too ill to go thru all of that. Any one care to comment on this?

Which is why they make Guest Assistance Cards which are avail. @ city hall which state what the state of the guest is, if they cannot stand long there is a symbol and they are allowed to go straight through the exit or fastpass line, another symbol allows Priority & rushed service, and those with the wheel chair symbol must wait through the entire line if the line is made do so.

I understand if a person is ill and cant wait in a line for too long, or has any specific difficulty with waiting for long periods of time...but that is why they make the Guest Assistance Cards, if you just have a broken leg you're no more special than a guest without a broken leg.

[Disneyland Daddy]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

At Christmastime 2004, my wife and I were in a major car accident. Hit and run by a drunk driver. Luckily we got the license plate number and driver was arrested that night. Ok - now I sprained my foot/knee and bruised my ribs and she sprained her rotator cuff in her arm. She healed before I did, so I was on Crutches through Christmas. But we had shopping to do at Disneyland and I was on crutches.

When we went to the structure and got on the level we were parking on, I showed the attendant that I had crutches and while I didn't have handicapped parking, wondered if i could park closer to the escalator. THEY ALLOWED ME THROUGH and I parked in a normal space right next to a handicapped one. They were VERY ACCOMADATING even then!

[Professortango]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

I got my information from me, I am usually in an electric wheelchair when I visit Disneyland due to my disability and I was surprise how un accomadating it was. First you have to get from the parking structure to inside the entrance to disneyland before you can even get a wheelchair for rent, and you have to come early to get one before they run out, so people like me who only have enough energy to be out for a few hours have to come early in the morning and I dont get to see the nightime. Also for some reason they make people wanting to rent a wheelchair wait in a long line with people renting strollers they should have two lines. Then the rental is like $55. Once in the park some rides do have shorter lines or a special entrance for people in wheelchairs but many do not and navigating the narrow zig zag lines is hard and tiring.... I guess only those with disabilities who have actually been in a wheelchair would know what i was talking about.

My mother always rents an electric chair and has no issues at all.

Also, are you allowed to bring in your own chair.

[EagleWings]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

DL was very helpful with me when I was there with a broken foot all last fall with my AP. I used a wheelchair and went through the exit to almost every ride, it's DCA that has you go through the lines.

I didn't use an electric wheelchair, I can handle pushing myself around.

[barfownz]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

All attractions are handicapp accesable (sp). But i hate when stupid teens get wheelchairs and use it just to get front of the line, when there are real disabled, like me.

[DisneyGeek75]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

Disneyland is the most accomadating to disabled people of any major theme park in the country. In fact they have been too accomadating in the past and the system was abused. The current system is better than it was but it is still abused by many who will rent a wheelchair just so they can get to the front of the line.

Now, at Disneyland you do not need a Guest Assitance Card (GAC) if you have a visual form or a disability (meaning if you have a wheelchair or cane) but if you can park the wheelchair and walk into the attraction then getting a GAC is important. You can stop by City Hall and pick up a guests with disabilties guide, which although not all the information is correct, it is helpful. At Disneyland the basics are if the attraction has fastpass available you go straight through that entrance with no need to have a fastpass if you can walk to the ride. On Space it is difficult for most people with disabilities to walk up the line (even on the fastpass side) so they have a line for guests to wait in at the exit the wait here can be very long since they use the transfer car but you are in the shade waiting. On Splash since there are stairs even on the fastpass side you go through the exit and the line is normally much shorter than a regular wait. On Pirates if you need the wheelchair ramp to load you have to wait in the line outside of the exit which can be very long at times, but if you can walk into the ride then you can walk straight through the exit and get on very quickly. On all of the Fantasyland dark rides you enter through the exit. On Haunted Mansion the line is designed for you to wait in it. Now at DCA its very different and you should check with an attendant at each ride to find out how to access the rides. If you cannot wait in the lines normally the cast members will accomadate you, for example at Fastpass rides they will write you a hand fastpass to come back so you don't wait in the line. At other rides they will make other accomadations if you ask.

Are you upset because you can't get in front of everyone at every attraction? That is not what the ADA requires and it is not what the GAC program is meant to do. It is not a blanket front of the line pass and you shouldn't expect it to be. The park is very friendly and accomadating to guests with disabilities as long as you don't expect to always cut everyone in line and walk right on all the rides.

[clara]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

All attractions are handicapp accesable (sp). But i hate when stupid teens get wheelchairs and use it just to get front of the line, when there are real disabled, like me.

You know, I've seen this comment before, not from you, I don't think but on the boards I've seen it and it makes me wonder:

How do you KNOW they are faking a disability? Did you hear them whispering to each other..."ha look we get to not wait in lines because I put on a fake cast and sat in a wheelchair all day"?

Then on the other hand...if they are, shame on them. But I would have to know for SURE if they are faking before I make an assumption.

[barfownz]

Re: Guest with disabilities at Disneyland

So if you have a cane in the park, You can walk up the exit with the cane without the pass from City Hall. I could use a cane instead of a wheelchair for myself. That would help.