What I Wish I Knew Before Going to Disney World in a Wheelchair

I love going to The Most Magical Place on Earth as much as possible, and I always try to ride as many attractions as I can. You might see me rolling up in my bright blue wheelchair, ready to have fun!

I’ve done Disney World both walking and all wheels, but here’s what I wish I knew before heading to the parks in a wheelchair.

1. Wheelchair Access Vehicles are Available at Some Attractions

Let me introduce you to one of the most incredible parts of a Disney attraction — the Wheelchair Access Vehicle, or WAV (pronounced ‘wave’). On certain attractions, you can stay in your wheelchair and roll directly onto the ride vehicle. The Cast Members will strap down your chair, and you’re on your way.

Transferring isn’t always possible for me, so I love that I can still go to the parks and not have to worry about getting out of my wheelchair. Most WAVs can fit certain types of power chairs, but are typically made for manual chairs.

Here are the rides you can stay in your wheelchair for:

• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Magic Kingdom)
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros (EPCOT)
• “it’s a small world” (Magic Kingdom)
• Journey Into Imagination With Figment (EPCOT)
• Jungle Cruise (Magic Kingdom)
• Kilimanjaro Safaris (Animal Kingdom)
• Liberty Square Riverboat (Magic Kingdom)
• Living with the Land (EPCOT)
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (Magic Kingdom)
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Magic Kingdom)
• Prince Charming Regal Carousel (Magic Kingdom)
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (EPCOT)
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends (EPCOT)
• Toy Story Mania! (Hollywood Studios)
• Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid (Magic Kingdom)
• The Walt Disney World Railroad (Magic Kingdom)
• Wildlife Express Train (Animal Kingdom)

You can also stay in your chair at all shows from MuppetVision 3D to the Carousel of Progress and all the others in between.

2. There Is a Lot of Textured Ground — It’s Not Your Friend

There’s nothing I love more than a themed land, and Disney loves to continue world-building by adding different textured ground. While you might not notice all the details while walking, I notice them all in my wheelchair.

Certain areas, like Galaxy’s Edge, have bumpy ground that makes it painful to roll over. Other places have cobblestones and wooden planks that make pushing my chair just a little bit harder.

3. You Won’t Be Able to Go Through All the Queues

A lot of other attractions don’t have queues big enough to accommodate wheelchairs, or even worse, they have stairs. Eek! Don’t worry, though. You can still ride the attraction; you’ll just have to enter a different way.

For some rides, like Space Mountain, you’ll ask the Cast Members at the ride entrance for a return time. They’ll give you a pass to return later, and you’ll be waiting “virtually.” Once your time is called, they’ll have you enter through the Lightning Lane entrance and turn to the right before you head to the switchbacks, but a Cast Member is there to direct you if needed.

For other rides like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, you’ll enter the normal standby queue but will get pulled to a different entrance before you get to the stairs. They’ll take you to the exit of the ride so you can hop on the ride vehicle directly from your wheelchair.

4. While Most Rides are Accessible, Some Straight Up Aren’t

If you can transfer from your chair into the ride vehicle, you can ride most of the rides at Disney World. There are a few exceptions.

A big one for me is the People Mover in Tomorrowland. There is no elevator to the top of the ride, and your chair can’t go on the moving platform. To ride this attraction, you need to be able to stand and walk on the moving platform and a few steps after to get onto the ride.

Then, you need to do the same thing to get off. Most rides aren’t an issue, but it’s frustrating to find the few that aren’t.

5. Most Cast Members are Trained to Help with Wheelchairs

If you’re ever unsure about something, ask a Cast Member! If it’s an attraction I haven’t been on in a while, I like to talk to the Cast Member posted at the front of the ride and ask what’s available. They’ll tell me if the WAV is operating (or if it’s getting repairs done) and if they have a Transfer Access Vehicle (TAV) that lowers the sides so I can slide directly from my chair onto the ride.

If you transfer, they’ll grab your wheelchair once you’re on and bring it back when you’re finished. They generally know when your vehicle is coming up and are usually ready with a wheelchair, but you might need to flag them down to bring your wheelchair over.

They can even help push you up steep ramps into WAVs and pull you out. Sometimes, Cast Members automatically grab your wheelchair from WAVs, and if that’s not something you’re comfortable with, make sure you say something before they grab it. They’re usually understanding.

Overall, Disney World is pretty accessible! I can access most areas and rides, and I’ve never had any issues at restaurants. If you ever have any questions, cast members are trained to help and can always assist you where you need it.

Keep following AllEars to learn everything you need to know for your next Disney World trip.

Check out our ultimate guide to planning your Disney World trip!

Have you used a wheelchair before at Disney World? What’s something you wish you knew beforehand?

Comments (3)