Pandora rides

[Duffy2008]

Thank you Sue. This is helpful. Ive read some comments that this ride had a weight limit or restriction like the Harry Potter ride so i was wondering about that. Looks like it wouldnt have a limit, but not sure yet.

 

[bluecastle]

Thanks for the info on this thread- and thank you Sue for putting the link on the Pandora thread! I am so glad I found this. I will be using an ECV for the first time on our October trip, due to back and knee problems, but I can walk slowly for short distances. I watched the video of the flight vehicles and at first I thought- yay! I can do this, but now I'm not so sure. My concerns are whether my body position will strain my back or hurt my knee. I am also concerned about the back support that pops up and whether that might cause any problems. I need to have control of my body position in order to avoid possible back spasms. Soarin is my favorite ride because I really can relax and enjoy it!! I have stopped going on any coasters or even my very favorite, Splash ( which will be closed anyhow..)
If the movements are smooth and not sudden, maybe I will be OK. I really want to ride it, but I also don't want to ruin my trip!
I will keep coming back to this thread to read any reports that will have more of an understanding and sensitivity to physical limitations than I might find on other threads.
Thank you!!

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the info on this thread- and thank you Sue for putting the link on the Pandora thread! I am so glad I found this. I will be using an ECV for the first time on our October trip, due to back and knee problems, but I can walk slowly for short distances. I watched the video of the flight vehicles and at first I thought- yay! I can do this, but now I'm not so sure. My concerns are whether my body position will strain my back or hurt my knee. I am also concerned about the back support that pops up and whether that might cause any problems. I need to have control of my body position in order to avoid possible back spasms. Soarin is my favorite ride because I really can relax and enjoy it!! I have stopped going on any coasters or even my very favorite, Splash ( which will be closed anyhow..)
If the movements are smooth and not sudden, maybe I will be OK. I really want to ride it, but I also don't want to ruin my trip!
I will keep coming back to this thread to read any reports that will have more of an understanding and sensitivity to physical limitations than I might find on other threads.
Thank you!!

Thanks.
I've been watching the other threads and also things on other forums or Facebook for things to pull out.

I hope people on the disABILITIES Board will post their experiences on this thread as they go also.

 

[SueM in MN]

Flight of Passage is a 3D simulator ride.
These are the 3D glasses and photos of the actual ride seats (from wdwinfo.com)

 

[mir4mad]

Complete POV ride through of Na'vi River Journey ride. No drop or hill noted. Some have said boats are small and would not be stable enough to support a wheelchair. Do they have to use the exact same boat? A wheelchair with companion seat would work I would think using a modified boat.

 

[SueM in MN]

Spoiler Alert:

This article has a lot of details, specifically about the sights and feelings of the Flight of Passage attraction.

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2017/...sive-emotional-journey-linking-guests-avatar/

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't know anything more than this, but just saw this information about transfer devices for the 2 Pandora rides...

"I haven't seen the one for NRJ, but the one for FOP is a wheelchair that lifts the guest up, puts them over the seat and lowers them into place"

 

[KPeveler]

Something I find interesting is that FOP lists the hearing accessibility as "Closed Captioning" - which I assume means the queue and pre-shows monitors... and

"Handheld captioning"

I understand how the handheld captioning works, but are they planning on using that for the main movie/attraction? I can't imagine holding one while wearing 3D glasses and straddling the ride vehicle... will there just be no hearing accessibility option for the actual attraction?

 

[SueM in MN]

Something I find interesting is that FOP lists the hearing accessibility as "Closed Captioning" - which I assume means the queue and pre-shows monitors... and

"Handheld captioning"

I understand how the handheld captioning works, but are they planning on using that for the main movie/attraction? I can't imagine holding one while wearing 3D glasses and straddling the ride vehicle... will there just be no hearing accessibility option for the actual attraction?

I have not heard any specifics about the FOP, but everything I have heard makes it sound like there would not be anything to translate during the ride (i.e. just 'flight' noises, no talking).

 

[SueM in MN]

SPOILER ALERT:

this article has some spoilers about what you will see and feel on the Flight of Passage attraction:
http://wdwnt.com/blog/2017/05/photo...-pandora-world-avatar-disneys-animal-kingdom/

 

[SueM in MN]

Good pictures of Na'vi River journey boats from a screenshot of Big Fat Panda video.
First picture is the unload area. 2nd and 3rd pictures are the empty boats.



SPOILER ALERT
This is the video from Big Fat Panda that the images were taken from.
The first few seconds show the boarding area.
The entire ride is shown next and the last few seconds shows the unloading.

Na'vi River Journey in Multi Angle PandaVision
VIDEO:

 

[Marshel]

***Official*** Pandora: The World of Avatar Information Thread
Somebody posted in the main Pandora thread that they were allowing ECVs in the FP line for Flight of Passage and having people either transfer for the last 2 rooms or walk it if capable, said it was about 50 feet.

 

[SueM in MN]

***Official*** Pandora: The World of Avatar Information Thread
Somebody posted in the main Pandora thread that they were allowing ECVs in the FP line for Flight of Passage and having people either transfer for the last 2 rooms or walk it if capable, said it was about 50 feet.

thanks.
I saw that somewhere else also.

The website and app indicate ECV users must transfer from ECV to wheelchair, but doesn't say anything about when. In the past, that has meant the line was not accessible to ECVs. I didn't see anything on the walkthru videos that looked not accessible. I can see why they might not want ECVs in the last 2 rooms.

 

[gap2368]

I will be going this Saturday with a friend that will be in a ECV so I should be able to have some first hand informant then if someone dose not post sooner

 

[BillSears]

It looks like both rides require transfers. According to the Orlando Sentinel there is a tiered transfer assist to help get in and out of the Navi River Journey. But it's still more of a transfer than some can do.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/trav...isney-pandora-wheelchairs-20170519-story.html

"In the movie “Avatar,” the main character is a man confined to a wheelchair who can experience moving by linking his mind to a human-Na'vi hybrid.So some are finding it ironic that in Walt Disney World’s Avatar land opening May 27, boarding the two rides will require visitors to get out of their wheelchairs.

Both the Flight of Passage simulator ride and Na’vi River Journey, a slow-moving dark boat ride, require people to sit in the vehicle’s seats themselves.

Disney said the vehicles are too small to accommodate wheelchairs but did not provide details about why the boats could not have been designed differently. Disney said the ride has tiered transfer benches available for disabled riders to help them descend from their wheelchairs.

Disney has a variety of procedures for its rides.

On the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom or Journey into Imagination at Epcot, guests can sit in their own wheelchairs.

Elsewhere in the Magic Kingdom, on the Haunted Mansion guests must be able to walk into the ride vehicles. On It’s a Small World, they have to transfer into a different wheelchair.

“I'm very surprised that Disney didn't install at least a couple of boats that could accommodate wheelchairs — that should be standard practice these days for slow-moving boat rides without drops,” said Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider, in an email.

“Let's not overlook the irony that the main character in Avatar was someone who used a wheelchair.”"

 

[KPeveler]

I understand why the "thrill" ride may not be wheelchair accessible, but there is no excuse for why a slow moving ride is not made accessible for wheelchairs. I get that the boats are small, but I do not see why they do not make the boat for a wheelchair and jump seat.

Mostly it is the older rides that are not wheelchair accessible, but this is brand new. And all of a sudden Disney is surprised that people want a wheelchair boat?

 

[wilkeliza]

I will be going this Saturday with a friend that will be in a ECV so I should be able to have some first hand informant then if someone dose not post sooner

I posted in the other thread forgot to post here. Not sure if it is just FP queue or both queues but 2 ECV users were allowed in the FP line while I was there. One chose to walk the 50ish feet the other had her son push her. There were wheelchairs available but not many. There are stairs in the attraction so if you can not do stairs your wait time even with FP may be affected as only 1 load area (with 4 sets of 16) does not have stairs. In that specifc load area they are trying to only have ECVs and wheelchairs in 2 of the sets of 16. Something to do with those being closest to where the wheelchairs/ecv are moved to so less of a wait after riding.

The pre-show rooms have a switch back in one and you need to be on the pressure point that is your number for the effects to work. The 2nd room is straight with 8 in front and 8 behind.

I did not see why ECV and wheelchair couldn't be in Navi queue. Its load/unload is like little mermaid where the wheelchair/ECV goes through a gate at the very very end of the line. I did not see the trasnfer device but was told it is a "step down" so people should be able to get in and out if they can transfer at all. If you can't transfer that is where issues will be.

 

[SueM in MN]

Once I saw the pictures of the boats, I was afraid they would have a transfer tier. The boats are too small to have a ramp (ramp needs to be 10-12 inches long for every inch you go up or down). Although a transfer tier might have worked for the character in the movie (a young, fit paraplegic) there are many people it will not work for. It will be one my daughter will very likely not be able to ride.
It DOES meet the requirements for access under the ADA, but that is a minimum and I would have hoped they would have come up with something that would be usable for more people.
The line was listed as ECV and wheelchair accessible.


I have read the Flights of Passage will have something different- some kind of device you transfer to, but that device somehow puts you onto the 'link chair' (ride seat). I don't know anything much more, so hope it actually works for more people than the transfer tier will.

 

[gap2368]

I have read the Flights of Passage will have something different- some kind of device you transfer to, but that device somehow puts you onto the 'link chair' (ride seat). I don't know anything much more, so hope it actually works for more people than the transfer tier will.

I am Driving to Disney in less then 2 hours ( and still have not gone to sleep yet) and If I remember I will try to ask them about the transfer device and see if I can not get some pictures of it, not sure how to post picture on here but I am sure someone can help me.

 

[gap2368]

You can take an ECV in the flight ride but most move to a wheel chair where FP and stands by meet ( or very close to this point )