Let's consider Pirates of the Caribbean: At Magic Kingdom, wheelchair users enter through the regular queue. At Disneyland, we (I include myself as a wheelchair user) entered through the ride's exit, located next to the Blue Bayou Restaurant. In Anaheim, I waited outside the building for five minutes until a cast member came out to grant me access into the ride's unloading area. At the Magic Kingdom, cast members take our wheelchairs to the unloading area, since we do not return to the same place where we boarded the boat on that version of the ride. At Disneyland, Pirates returns to the same place where we boarded the boat, so there's no need for anyone to move wheelchairs.
At It's a Small World, we have direct wheelchair access to the boats at Magic Kingdom. At Disneyland, the Small World boats use the same mechanism as the Jungle Cruise's boats: one gets onto a platform installed inside the boat, and then they swivel it so you face forward. Finally, cast members lower the platform to the boat's level.
Peter Pan at Magic Kingdom has a moving ramp in the boarding area that cast members never stop, and one has to be ambulatory to ride it. On the other hand, at Disneyland cast members stop the ride.
Space Mountain on the west coast has an alternate loading area for us where we can take all the time in the world to get in and out of the vehicle. The east-coast version does not have that feature. Go West! as the Pet Shop Boys would say.
The rest of the clone rides at the two parks have similar boarding options.
Which park do you find more accessible for persons with disabilities: Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom? Please share your experiences, in the comments.
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A side note: California Adventure is even better than Disneyland for wheelchair users. Toy Story, Monsters Inc, The Little Mermaid, and Mickey's Fun wheel are wheelchair accessible (meaning that one can stay in the wheelchair) and Radiator Springs Racers has an alternate loading area where one can take all the time needed to get in and out of the car. Lots of choices.
At Pirates, it looks like you went on one of the busier days. That's the only time - which may well be most of the time - that they hold wheelchairs at the exit. Many times I've driven (I use an ECV) directly to the unloading platform gate.
Small World has boats that are specifically for wheelchair users and their parties (my wife used to refer to them as the "Queen Boats"). Is this what you were refering to? It's not available on the majority of the boats; you're on the boat *with* your chair. And it looks like *you* are on display. My wife hated that.
You do have to transfer at DL on Peter Pan; it doesn't appear like that is what you were saying.
I haven't had that much recent experience on Space Mountain. I hate getting old.
And finally, at Haunted Mansion in DL you have a multiple choice. If you can be on your feet through the entry hall, you can bypass the line while waiting in your chair. If you cannot stand for that long a time, you wheel into the stretching room. After the elevator stops, you go down the roped off lane in front of the "windows" to the boarding platform. You do have to walk to the doom buggies from there. After being spooked, you stay in your chair through backstage to the loading again and regain your chair, go back through the entry hallway and back up the elevator. (Sorry to be so long winded.)
Is that pretty much the same as WDW MK?
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And it's always flattering to have a photo used in an article! Sweet! Thank you!