Jeff Kober and the Accessible Attraction

Is there anyone opposed to making Disney rides and attractions fully accessible to the disabled? Nope. The issue tends to discourage criticism of any kind. But can accessibility create new problems? In the Haunted Mansion... yes.

- by Bob McLain, March 23, 2011

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Jeff Kober may not be the most famous Disney blogger.

He doesn't write tips for cutting line time, nor does he focus on what Walt Disney might have done on the evening of April 1, 1954.

Instead, Jeff's focus is Disney at Work. His primary blog, in fact, is called Disney at Work, and here's a link so you can check it out right now:

http://disneyatwork.blogspot.com

(Pretty good, huh?)

On the blog, Jeff shares useful Disney practices that you can adapt for your own business.

Today, however, Jeff didn't write about business practices. He wrote about the new Haunted Mansion queue. Now, you'd think that's no big deal. You might even say... what, more? The queue has been covered to 'death' in recent days, and the last thing we need is someone else's take on those tombstones.

But Jeff points out something that, as far as I can tell, everyone else missed.

The Haunted Mansion queue is now fully accessible to disabled guests.

As Jeff explains, if you had come up to the old Mansion in a wheelchair, you would have had to disembark and be taken on a detour before hooking up again with your party inside.

You'd miss part of the experience.

Now, whether you approach the Mansion on your feet or on your butt, you take the same route through the interactive queue, into the foyer, and eventually the stretching room.

Most bloggers would stop right there. You rarely run into criticism about a company's efforts on behalf of the disabled. Disney attracts quite a few disabled, or partially disabled, guests to its Parks, and they take great care to make sure the 'disabled experience' is no less magical than the regular experience.

I like Jeff Kober - and his blog - so much because he didn't stop there.

Making the Mansion more accessible, as Jeff points out, has its downside. The concentration of wheelchairs and other conveyances of convenience in the dark foyer and in the darker stretching room crowd further an already crowded space, making it all too easy for a set of wheels to accidentally run over small feet.

Jeff himself witnessed a far more serious incident that might have led to serious injury.

Disney, of course, will sort it out. They're very good at balancing the needs of their guests, and they're also very good at limiting their legal liability.

For more, read Jeff's article, 'Providing New Paths for Guests with Mobility Challenges', and then make sure to bookmark his blog.

While you're at it, check out Jeff's Disney books and apps, too. He's a busy guy!

Don't stop there! More Tidings Await...