Built after the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 took effect, Disney California Adventure was designed from the start to be accessible to guests with disabilities. From wheelchair-accessible queues at every attraction to specially designed ride vehicles that allow wheelchair users to roll right onto select attractions, DCA offers services to help visitors enjoy as much of the park as possible.
The construction of Cars Land and the redesign of Buena Vista Street posed new access challenges, and resulted in some new innovations in theme park accessibility. We sat down with Mark Jones, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts manager of Domestic Services for Guests with Disabilities, to learn more about the services offered in Cars Land and Buena Vista Street.
Cars Land
For guests who use wheelchairs, the bad news is that none of the three new rides in Cars Land are equipped with a wheelchair-accessible ride vehicle. Jones said that the nature of and forces generated by each ride made it impossible to design a vehicle that would allow passengers to remain in a wheelchair during the ride. However, all three rides offer new transfer options that make it easier to enter and exit each ride vehicle.
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
Like all Cars Land attractions, the queue for Mater's Junkyard Jamboree is fully accessible to both the wheelchair and electric convenience vehicle (ECV). Each of the ride's two turntables has one ride vehicle designed specifically to make it easier for a guest to transfer from a wheelchair into the ride vehicle and back. Tell the cast member at the boarding area that you need to use the accessible vehicle, and they'll direct you to stand by at a specific gate. When the boarding cycle begins, a cast member will walk you to the transfer vehicle. You can roll a wheelchair right onto the attraction floor to make boarding easier.
Wheelchair users can roll right up to a tractor to board Mater's Junkyard Jamboree . Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The transfer vehicle has two special features—the side of the seat swings open, allowing for an easy lateral transfer right onto the bench seat. If needed, the seat can also extend a few inches, by way of a flip-up leaf, making it easier for those using a transfer board to transition between their wheelchair and the ride vehicle. Once all passengers are safely seated, the cast member closes the side door, and stores the wheelchair off to the side until the end of the ride. The whole process reverses at the end of the ride, with the cast member returning with the wheelchair and opening the side door so riders can transfer back into their wheelchair.
A ride operator demonstrates the swing-out door installed on two ride vehicles at Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Beyond accessibility, there are some practical considerations to evaluate before boarding Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Mater's is a whip-style ride, and riders can expect to slide side-to-side across the bench seat as the attraction spins. The ride unit has a single seatbelt for the bench, and a grab bar across the front panel. The back and sides of the ride vehicle fall below the shoulder level of most adults.
The accessible ride vehicles at Mater's Junkyard Jamboree also feature a fold-up extension to help riders transfer from a wheelchair. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Riders must be able to maintain an upright posture throughout the duration of the ride. Parents of young children who have trouble maintaining an upright posture may be able to ride with the child seated and braced between them, but we strongly recommend that you ride alone first to evaluate the forces generated by the ride before deciding if this is an option for your child.
The ride vehicles at Mater's Junkyard Jamboree have a high back and sides, but riders must be able to maintain an upright posture. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree has a posted height requirement of at least 32 inches tall. Though the ride has no posted warnings for expectant mothers, MousePlanet's Parenting in the Parks columnist Adrienne Krock urges caution considering the side-to-side forces generated by this attraction.
Luigi's Flying Tires
The one-of-a-kind ride vehicle created for Luigi's Flying Tires presents some new challenges for guests with mobility impairments, but there are some options to make it easier for guests to board. To help guests determine their specific needs, a practice vehicle is placed outside the attraction's entrance.
A ride vehicle placed outside the queue for Luigi's Flying Tires lets riders decide if they need to use the accessible ramp to board the attraction. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Riders who have trouble navigating the steep step onto and off the tire can request to use the alternate loading area, where a ramp offers direct access to the tire. You can use this ramp regardless of whether you use a wheelchair or simply cannot climb onto the tire. Guests who have had recent knee or hip replacement may consider using the ramp, as stepping down off the tire after the ride can be more difficult that stepping onto it.
This lanyard lets cast members identify riders who prefer to use the accessible ramp to board Luigi's Flying Tires. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
If you decide you want to use the alternate loading area, just tell the first cast member you see as you get in line. You then receive a “boarding pass” on a lanyard, and you are instructed to hand it to the next cast member for assistance.
The queue for Luigi's Flying Tires is fully accessible to both wheelchairs and ECVs. A gate located in the outdoor section of the queue, shortly after you exit the queue building, leads to the accessible loading area. The cast member stationed at this gate will take your boarding pass and direct you to the alternate. The ride configuration allows for only one tire per cycle to be boarded from the accessible ramp, so there may be a significant wait to use that loading area.
An alcove of the Luigi's Flying Tires floor lets cast members position a tire for easier boarding by guests with disabilities. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
If you do not need to use the ramp, you will proceed through the rest of the queue to the standard loading area. Like Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, you can roll a wheelchair right onto the attraction floor and up to the tire; a cast member will move the wheelchair to a safe location while you ride and then return it to you.
Luigi's is a bumper car-style attraction, and the tires are not on a set track. This means there's no way to know where a specific tire will wind up at the end of the ride. The designers took this into consideration, and so every tire can be boarded from the accessible ramp. But first, cast members must go onto the ride floor and push a tire into the specially designed loading area. After removing one of the hand rails from the tire, cast members lower a ramp, allowing the rider to walk or roll to the seat. Wheelchair users will need to transfer from the chair to the bench seat on the tire. Depending on the wheelchair, this may require a 180-degree transfer—there might not be enough room to position some wheelchairs to allow a lateral transfer. However, a special seat insert designed for Luigi's can give you added leverage in making the transfer if you need it.
Riders can board a Flying Tire by rolling or walking across a ramp. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The insert—the first of its kind I've ever seen for a theme park attraction—is a unique modification for a unique ride vehicle. Because riders “steer” the tires by leaning, the bench seat of each tire was intentionally designed with a low back rest to allow riders to lean backwards. This seat insert provides additional back and side support for riders who need it, helping maintain an upright posture. The seat can be fastened in the middle of the bench seat for solo riders, or to the left or right side of the bench if riding with a partner. It also has removable side padding, allowing riders of various sizes to use it.
Grab bars at the front of the seat can help riders transfer to and from the bench from their wheelchair. Cast members noted that the rider need not sit in the insert seat if they don't need or want to—it can be placed on the bench just to assist with transfer, and then removed before the ride. The seat can make it more difficult to steer the tires, as the added support may prevent riders from leaning far enough to make the tire more.
A custom seat insert, shown here with one of the optional side pads, provides extra support for guests riding Luigi's Flying Tires. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
After the riders have boarded, cast members raise the ramp, replace the safety rail, and then push the tire out onto the attraction floor. At the end of the ride, cast members find your tire, and once all other riders have exited the attraction, power the fans up again to allow your tire to be pushed back to the unloading area.
Unfortunately, Luigi's is a slow-loading ride in the best of circumstances, and the additional steps needed to bring a tire into the accessible loading area just add to that. This is one ride where patience is absolutely necessary, and riders should be prepared for a long wait for the foreseeable future. If you have endurance issues that make it difficult for you to wait in a long line, plan to make this ride your first stop of the day so you can avoid the worst of the crowding.
Luigi's Flying Tires has a posted height requirement of at least 32 inches tall. Expectant mothers are cautioned not to ride.
Radiator Springs Racers
This thrill ride puts riders into a six-passenger convertible ride vehicle for a tour of Radiator Springs, culminating in a side-by-side race to the checkered flag. The queue provides a scenic tour of Stanley's Oasis, and guests using wheelchairs can stay in the main queue almost until the loading area. At a specific point, a cast member direct guests using wheelchairs, or those who identify themselves as being unable to navigate the two flights of stairs at the ride's exit, to an accessible loading area.
Radiator Springs Racers has an accessible boarding area (back left) that lets riders take their time getting into their ride vehicle without slowing the regular loading process. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Radiator Springs Racers was built with an “offline” accessible loading area, to give riders with mobility impairments more time to get into and out of the ride vehicles without slowing the boarding process for other riders or causing the ride to back up. Cast members direct a car into a track alongside the main track, which allows cars behind to continue to the regular loading area. Once the passengers have boarded, the car is merged back into the regular track, and the ride begins.
While other rides, including Space Mountain and Grizzly River Run, have offline loading areas, Radiator Springs Racers is the only one to offer two different options. The two-tiered loading area allows riders who can step down into the vehicle to load from the upper level, where people who may need to transfer from a wheelchair can board from the lower level, where the side of the car is higher relative to the rider. Radiator Springs Racers does not offer a transfer board, so riders must transfer themselves or with the assistance of companions.
The main photo kiosk for Radiator Springs Racers (shown here) is only accessible by stairs, so Disney placed a second location near the accessible boarding area. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Unique also to Radiator Springs Racers is a second photo location. Since the main photo counter is in the regular exit from the attraction, and accessible only by stairs, this second location allows riders to view their photos on two monitors near the accessible boarding area. If you wish to purchase your ride photo, a phone on the wall will connect you to cast members at the photo counter, who will come to assist you.
Radiator Springs Racers has a posted height requirement of at least 40 inches tall. Expectant mothers are cautioned not to ride.
A few notes that apply to all Cars Land attractions:
- Riders must transfer themselves or with the assistance of companions—Disney cast members are not allowed to physically assist in any way.
- If someone in your party cannot ride due to height, pregnancy, or disability, you can request a Rider Switch pass. Officially, Disney says “The Rider Swap program allows multiple adults to experience an attraction while one adult waits with a child. You then 'swap' to enable the other adult to enjoy the attraction.” Cast members also issue Rider Switch passes when the party includes an expectant mother, or guest who cannot ride due to a disability. It won't get you on the ride any faster, but it's a nice option when your whole group can't ride together. To request the pass, your whole group (including the non-rider) must go to the entrance of the attraction.
- Service animals are not allowed to ride any of the Cars Land attractions. Cast members cannot watch service animals while their handlers are on a ride, nor are guests allowed to leave service animals unattended at an attraction. However, guests with a service animal can also use the Rider Swap program so that one member of the group can remain with the service animal at all times.
Buena Vista Street
Red Car Trolley
Of the four new attractions at Disney California Adventure, only the Red Car Trolley is wheelchair accessible. Each trolley can accommodate one guest using a standard wheelchair, however to board if you use an ECV, you must transfer into the manual wheelchair they provide.
The new Red Car Trolleys are wheelchair accessible, allowing guests to remain in their chair for the trip through Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Land. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Each trolley is equipped with a wheelchair lift, which tucks away below the steps and out of sight when not in use. To speed boarding, cast members use wheel chocks instead of tie-downs to secure the wheelchair for the ride. If using your own wheelchair, you can board and exit the trolley at any stop. If you transferred into a wheelchair they provided you for the ride, you will take a round-trip back to your starting location.
The wheelchair lift on the Red Car Trolley tucks under the stairs when not in use. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Not only has Disney California Adventure provided extensive accommodations for guests with mobility disabilities, but the park also has new options for guests with hearing or visual impairments (watch for details in a future article).
