Circular Reasoning

When Disneyland messes with a classic attraction, fans get steamed. Just ask the Imagineers who replaced Storybook Land’s miniature Toad Manor with a pint-sized Agrabah from Aladdin. Traditionalists went nuts—even though a life- sized Toad Hall stood a cobblestone’s throw away and the average visitor to Disneyland couldn’t pick out Mr. Toad from a lineup of Budweiser frogs. The point was, Disney tinkered with a small, handcrafted piece of a 40- year-old attraction, one that Walt himself helped create.

That’s why, when a long-time Facilities cast member recently overheard that Disneyland planned to remove several lines of horses from the King Arthur Carrousel to accommodate wheelchair-bound riders, he panicked.

His plea, as it appeared in the recent “Snooping Around” column:

Disneyland Park has one of four remaining Grand Carrousels in (I believe) the WORLD! It was built about 140 years ago, and cared for since installation at the park by some of the finest craftsmen I’ve had the privilege of knowing. King Arthur’s Carrousel being where it is cements the concept of fun for the entire family Walt always wanted.

Several horses are being removed to accommodate some area for wheelchair equipped guests. While their riding is welcomed, the carrousel was not designed to take the weight of chairs. Information suggests it is suspended from the top, not supported from the bottom. Balance is crucial, otherwise the carrousel spins like an unbalanced top. Since the structure is made of wood, extra support will be required to provide the necessary strength. Will the rotating bearings tolerate the extra weight and stress? Not likely.

To make matters worse, an attempt is afoot to place controls to make the carrousel stop at exactly the same place to allow wheelchair guests to board. Again, the mechanical stresses will be tremendous.

One needs to ask why all this is happening. ADA is a poor excuse (sorry) since ADA applies to new construction, not existing ones. To make the carrousel available to all is another attempt at political correctness, and we can see what this has done to Pirates.”

His commentary sparked several biting emails as well as a heated thread on MousePad (“Should King Arthur’s Carrousel Be Wheel-Chair Accessible?”). Readers disagreed with the cast member quoted at a ratio of 20-to-1.

One of the most vocal critics, Tony Phoenix, editor of MousePlanet’s Theme Park Access Guide, asked me to reprint his response:

From your article today: “One needs to ask why all this is happening. ADA is a poor excuse (sorry) since ADA applies to new construction, not existing ones. To make the carrousel available to all is another attempt at political correctness, and we can see what this has done to Pirates.”

This is a common misconception about the ADA. The exact requirement is that all “public accommodations” (and amusement parks are explicitly defined in the law as a public accommodation) are “required” to retrofit their facilities to make them accessible to people with disabilities “so long as it is readily achievable.” There is NO exemption for existing construction, or any other “grandfather” clause. That this retrofit is readily achievable is demonstrated by King Triton’s Carrousel at DCA.

I take strong issue with the claim that this is “another attempt at political correctness.” This has nothing to do with political correctness, and everything to do with equal access. The comparison to Pirates is quite ironic, considering Pirates is not wheelchair accessible.

“The carrousel was not designed to take the weight of chairs.” The average weight of a wheelchair is 25 pounds. I can’t speak to the weight of a carrousel horse, but somehow I would think that, it being solid wood on a brass pole, it is somewhere in that same range. Additionally, parents are allowed to ride standing next to their child. Their weight is obviously borne by the platform, and you don’t see the table “spin[ning] like an unbalanced top.” I don’t see a weight limit on the ride (something Disneyland hasn’t hesitated to do on other rides when needed, such as the Stinger at DCA), and have seen people weighing 300+ pounds riding the carrousel. How my 200 pounds (including wheelchair) is going to overweight the platform is beyond me.

“King Arthur’s Carrousel being where it is cements the concept of fun for the entire family Walt always wanted.”

Unless a member of your family requires the use of a wheelchair. I understand the purists desire to retain the carrousel intact, but using arguments that are false or poorly reasoned is not the way to make your case.

Well, yes… and no. In the cast member’s defense, while the Americans with Disabilities Act may not implicitly exempt pre-existing facilities, it does excuse retrofits that would be outrageously expensive. And, the cost of retrofitting an existing structure would be costlier than incorporating disabled access into new construction—although not as costly if undertaken in conjunction with an overall remodeling of the facility.

As well, there can be overlap between equal access and political correctness (trying to please or avoid offending a vocal minority to the detriment of the majority), although not necessarily in this case. The cast member’s comparison of the carrousel to the changes at Pirates had nothing to do with access at Pirates; he was referring to changes in show elements that, in large part, were caused by PC concerns. His comparison would be valid if Disney reluctantly agreed to alter the carrousel to appease equal access activists. More likely, Disney is willingly making this change to allow more guests to enjoy the attraction.

Now, while I would love for every Disneyland guest to be able to equally enjoy every ride, the nature of some attractions precludes this. Indiana Jones discriminates against small children. Goofy’s Bounce House discriminates against adults. Space Mountain discriminates against pregnant women. The men’s restrooms discriminate against women. The Buzz Lightyear stage show discriminates against people with intelligence.

Making certain attractions fully accessible could cost millions of dollars, drastically reduce capacity, or fundamentally alter the “show.” Pressure to make the Skyway accessible to the disabled was, in fact, one of several factors leading to the permanent closure of the attraction. Similarly, to allow wheelchairs on Pirates of the Caribbean, you’d have to reconfigure the loading area and several boats, as well as remove the downramps (one of the most enjoyable parts of the ride).

Conversely, making room for a few wheelchairs on the carrousel, if appropriately themed, shouldn’t detract from the show or significantly increase wait times. Certainly, I can’t address the stability, strength and balance issues, although Tony’s points are very convincing.

When confronted with Tony’s rebuttal, the long-time cast member admitted his ignorance with respect to wheelchair riders. His response: “I apologize. I meant no offense to those who use wheelchairs. My apologies, David, to you and your readers for any embarrassment or offense I may have caused. It was unintentional.”

The cast member’s earlier furor was based on his belief that King Arthur’s Carrousel was a rare antique that should be treasured by amusement park historians. A co-worker even suggested that Disneyland sell the heirloom to a historical society and use the proceeds to buy a shiny, new, wheelchair-accessible carrousel.

But, as another reader pointed out, Disneyland’s carrousel isn’t all that special. The reader claimed that Disneyland’s carrousel is 82, not “about 140” years old, and that it has been extensively modified over the years.

Actually, the official Disneyland line is that the carrousel was built in 1876. Still, many of its original, 100-year-old components, such as benches, giraffes and other animals, were removed before the park opened in 1955 and replaced with horses. So, instead of desecrating history, Disney would in fact be restoring the carrousel closer to its original form by replacing horses with seating areas. (In fact, many of the carrousel’s original sleighs and animals were used to construct the Casey Jr. Circus Train (below), so to create a more historically authentic carrousel, Disney would have to tear apart another of its Opening Day attractions!)

My advice to the preservationists who want to get peeved at Disney for messing with a carrousel: worry about the Carousel of Progress instead. A few weeks ago, Disney World kicked off its 100 Years of Walt Disney celebration by closing the only attraction in the Magic Kingdom that Walt ever saw with his own eyes.

As for King Arthur’s Carrousel, think about the hundreds of wheelchair-
bound children who will soon be able to ride for the first time. I say,
the more-go-round, the merrier.

You can write to David atthis link..