Help! can anyone answer my questions!

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amy1989's picture
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Help! can anyone answer my questions!

Okay so I'm sat at work with absolutely nothing to do - so I Disney plan!!! we are a couple of weeks away from booking our FP selections so I'm working out my daily plans so I'm prepared!

so onto my questions!

my Auntie is terrified of small confined spaces it makes her really nervous but I really want her to go on Haunted mansion as I'm sure she will love it but that stretching room is her worst nightmare I'm sure I read that you can bypass this part can anyone confirm if this is correct and if so do I just ask the CM before we go through the doors?

also not FP related but my auntie again LOVES plants and growing things etc I'm going to take her on living with the land because she will love it but I know there is the behind the seeds tour that I was maybe going to book for us and wondered if anyone could give me an idea as to what goes on while you are on the tour?

I'm sure I will have waaaaaaay more questions before the day is done but I will add as I remember!

Thanks in Advance!

amy1989's picture
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Oh I remembered another one!

we are purchasing Memory maker and its more than likely it will be directly linked to my Magic Band but if say my Auntie and Uncle are at a park whilst we are shopping and they want to have their pictures taken and I'm not with them do they get the ticket with the reference number on and I link it to our account? or if they scan one of their bands will that work?

Thanks again!

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Wheelchairs bypass the stretching room so I'm sure you can request to bypass it also.

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MrHub's picture
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As long as they are listed on your account as friends and family and on your reservation, they just scan their MB for photopass pictures and they are on it. Make sure you purchase the MemoryMaker more than 3 day or more before your vacation and link it to your MDE. If you buy it like now, they will send you a card with the number on it, but you will also get a number when you purchase it online.

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MrHub wrote:
As long as they are listed on your account as friends and family and on your reservation, they just scan their MB for photopass pictures and they are on it. Make sure you purchase the MemoryMaker more than 3 day or more before your vacation and link it to your MDE. If you buy it like now, they will send you a card with the number on it, but you will also get a number when you purchase it online.

thanks so much! we will be buying it before we go for sure

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Behind the Seeds Tour is very good, and not very expensive. You see all the greenhouses, get to sample some veggies and even feed the fish. Small groups make it very easy to answer questions. Takes less than an hour. Plan it prior to Sorin FP. Enjoy!

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Mcheal wrote:
Behind the Seeds Tour is very good, and not very expensive. You see all the greenhouses, get to sample some veggies and even feed the fish. Small groups make it very easy to answer questions. Takes less than an hour. Plan it prior to Sorin FP. Enjoy!

thank you so much! my auntie will love that!! will make sure I book this!

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I have seen people bypass the stretching room before (I seem to recall there was a very large group of South American tourists going in and it got extremely cramped and loud - so someone asked if they could please bypass that particular part of the attraction). You'll be led through a hallway that scoots you around the stretching rooms and feeds out either at the exit portion of the ride where they'll just load you in there - or there is another hallway where you are fed into the regular queue just outside of the stretching rooms, that way you still get to experience the queue and getting on the ride with everyone else.

Living with the Land is my favorite attraction in Epcot and I've wanted to do that tour for forever. I'm excited to hear your thoughts on it!

The photopass works just as MrHub mentioned. I purchased it for a group of us that went last year and so long as someone who was linked to my My Friends section on the Disney site had their band scanned at the time they had their picture taken it ended up on our photopass by the end of the day Smile

Sounds like you've got loads planned! I'm super excited for you!

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Mandy's picture
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There is a bypass you can do for the stretch room part of the Haunted Mansion. Just tell the maid or butler before you enter the room and they should be able to assist you.

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BTST is great. You go to the desk just to the left of Soarin to book. You get to release ladybirds but I think they have done away with the fish feeding (I certainly don't recall doing that last year, something to do with stressing the fish). It is a great tour but just remember don't touch the plants or the sand! And think of loads of questions. I think your Aunt will love it.

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We've done the tour a couple of times now and enjoyed it immensely! It's very educational and really quite interesting. We've never fed the fish either, but you do get to try some fresh cucumbers. And it's very reasonably priced. There are some pictures in our September 2014 TR (attached below).

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And you get to touch the "nervous plant". Really cool.

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Nyxess wrote:
I have seen people bypass the stretching room before (I seem to recall there was a very large group of South American tourists going in and it got extremely cramped and loud - so someone asked if they could please bypass that particular part of the attraction). You'll be led through a hallway that scoots you around the stretching rooms and feeds out either at the exit portion of the ride where they'll just load you in there - or there is another hallway where you are fed into the regular queue just outside of the stretching rooms, that way you still get to experience the queue and getting on the ride with everyone else.

Living with the Land is my favorite attraction in Epcot and I've wanted to do that tour for forever. I'm excited to hear your thoughts on it!

The photopass works just as MrHub mentioned. I purchased it for a group of us that went last year and so long as someone who was linked to my My Friends section on the Disney site had their band scanned at the time they had their picture taken it ended up on our photopass by the end of the day Smile

Sounds like you've got loads planned! I'm super excited for you!

Thanks for all that info!!!! I am like you I LOVE living with the land I have done since I was a child but seen as it's always just been me and my mam and we have no garden or desire to garden we have never done it - I might not want to garden but I really wanted to do this tour!

I'll be posting a pre trip soon believe me I have lots packed into these 16 days!!!

Mandy wrote:
There is a bypass you can do for the stretch room part of the Haunted Mansion. Just tell the maid or butler before you enter the room and they should be able to assist you.

Thanks so much I know she will love the doom buggies but I will never get her in the stretching room!

Sally-Ann wrote:
BTST is great. You go to the desk just to the left of Soarin to book. You get to release ladybirds but I think they have done away with the fish feeding (I certainly don't recall doing that last year, something to do with stressing the fish). It is a great tour but just remember don't touch the plants or the sand! And think of loads of questions. I think your Aunt will love it.

thanks never even thought about where I go to book it! I'm sure my auntie will have lots of questions we showed her pictures from just the ride and she was hooked!

JanJ wrote:
We've done the tour a couple of times now and enjoyed it immensely! It's very educational and really quite interesting. We've never fed the fish either, but you do get to try some fresh cucumbers. And it's very reasonably priced. There are some pictures in our September 2014 TR (attached below).

KenJ wrote:
And you get to touch the "nervous plant". Really cool.

I'm going to go and have a look now thanks Jan

Ken you have me "nervous" about that plant!!!! haha I will remember that one!

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Have you described the stretching room to your aunt? I'm quite claustrophobic and I've never had a panic attack at Haunted Mansion (which seems odd because it has all of the hallmarks of a place that would set one off for me). The only place that I've had a full on panic attack was Mission Space and because is has a similar restraint system, I assume that I probably would on Rock-n-Roller Coaster, too, but I've never attempted to ride it.

I also sometimes get very uncomfortable and I can feel my palms start to sweat and my chest tighten up when I'm on Star Tours at the end in either of the back two rows, Dinosaur, Space Mountain, Stitch's Great Escape, the elevator up to Astro Orbiter, and Spaceship Earth. Everyone has slightly different triggers, but I'm just very aware that these are places that make me feel like there's not enough air to breathe and I have to remind myself ahead of time that Disney loves me and won't do anything to hurt me. So heads up to auntie there that she might want to mental prepare herself before entering some of these attractions just in case.

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amy1989's picture
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alicemouse wrote:
Have you described the stretching room to your aunt? I'm quite claustrophobic and I've never had a panic attack at Haunted Mansion (which seems odd because it has all of the hallmarks of a place that would set one off for me). The only place that I've had a full on panic attack was Mission Space and because is has a similar restraint system, I assume that I probably would on Rock-n-Roller Coaster, too, but I've never attempted to ride it.

I also sometimes get very uncomfortable and I can feel my palms start to sweat and my chest tighten up when I'm on Star Tours at the end in either of the back two rows, Dinosaur, Space Mountain, Stitch's Great Escape, the elevator up to Astro Orbiter, and Spaceship Earth. Everyone has slightly different triggers, but I'm just very aware that these are places that make me feel like there's not enough air to breathe and I have to remind myself ahead of time that Disney loves me and won't do anything to hurt me. So heads up to auntie there that she might want to mental prepare herself before entering some of these attractions just in case.

Thanks Alicemouse! I have explained it to her but her biggest issues are the feeling of being in a lift (even thought I have explained time and time again that it doesn't move) and if there are lots of people around her she is only 4ft 10 so I think the fact that she also could not see any exit (which I know you cant anyway but you can get a bit more of a feel as to where you need to be my plan is for me to go with her and bypass the first time but let my mam and my uncle (her husband) go into the stretching room then hopefully from a first timer perspective from my uncle he might be able to explain it to her and she may attempt it, I know she will love the ride so I'm hoping if I can get her on it once I might be able to tackle the rest 1 step at a time

Also thank you for the other rides that make you uncomfortable there are a few there I hadn't really thought about so might check with her to make sure she is okay with them

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COuld you find a video on YouTube and have your aunt watch it? We did this with my niece and nephew and it really eased their anxiety.

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Mandy wrote:
There is a bypass you can do for the stretch room part of the Haunted Mansion. Just tell the maid or butler before you enter the room and they should be able to assist you.

Since they added the ADA queue, I have had some of the WORST treatment ever for my disabilities ever at the Haunted Mansion, on multiple vacations. Seriously, I have been in tears from cast members berating me there - but it's one of my favorite rides so I always keep trying.

They *should* be able to allow her to skip the stretching room by leading her through the hallway at the back exit. This is the super simple answer. However after they added the ADA queue they changed the disability access policy to disallow people from entering that way and it really depends on how the cast member at the front of the queue was trained. As much as everyone should be trained the same way - this has not been my experience at the Haunted Mansion.

My suggestion is that when you arrive at the Magic Kingdom you stop in at City Hall and explain to the Guest Relations Cast member that situation. Let them know that she has anxiety when in small enclosed spaces, let them know specifically that she will have a problem at the Haunted Mansion. The more specific you can be on what the need is the better they can assist her. They should then issue her a Disability Assistance Pass that will allow her to be able to skip the stretching room.

Take that pass to the cast member at the front of the Haunted Mansion queue and again, specifically explain what the problem is and that she needs to skip the stretching room. If they say no, ask to speak with the ride supervisor, and very calmly and politely explain the situation again. Then cross your fingers. If you are denied access, go tell them at City Hall before you leave for the day and lodge a complaint.

Here's the thing - they put in the ADA queue at the Haunted Mansion because it was considered unequal that people in wheelchairs had to skip the stretching room. So today - everyone in a wheelchair goes through the stretching room and then through that hallway to load into the cars at the end of the ride. Making the queue ADA compliant actually caused several problems for people with other non-chair disabilities and they way that they have been dealing with it at the Haunted Mansion has been inconsistent at best.

Give it a try, I know a lot of people that have had no problems there using their access cards. Then there's me who needs to go in through the back and has been denied entry more than once.

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Belinda wrote:
COuld you find a video on YouTube and have your aunt watch it? We did this with my niece and nephew and it really eased their anxiety.

Thanks I'll try this!

Kirsten thank you so much for this detailed description of your experience and for very specific instructions on how to handle this situation this has been a massive help I'm so sorry to hear you had such a difficult experience it's one of my favourite rides also and I just know my auntie will love the ride too it's just that room, I suppose if worst came to worse there is 3 of us we could surround her in a family bubble and that may ease some anxiety I will certainly report back on our experience and how it is handled!