But some people have manual chairs with TINY (3-4 inch) caster wheels in the front that can easily get stuck.
Hi, Groot. I don't understand your statement about a wheelchair front caster wheels getting stuck. Do you mean entering or turning or exiting the gondola?
Just my opinion, but I believe the entrance will be level requiring no ramp like the monorails or buses or some boats.
And I believe the gondola will be pulled to the second loading area which will stop and is located behind the main loading area to allow guests to load and unload strollers, wheelchairs and mobility
scooter.
Whereas the main gondola loading area will slowly move on their track so other guests can walk on.
Then the gondola with the strollers or wheelchair or mobility scooters will be moved on the main gondola cable line to continue on to their destination.
I believe from the descriptions, if the two seats are not folded up, I can only back up and not turn around inside the gondola. But that is okay with me because I can back up like on some of the WDW attraction rides or some monorail stations.
If both benches are left down, then I can pull all of the way up to the other side of the gondola. Guests can sit in whatever space behind my wheelchair.
I believe the gondola benches are a little over seven feet long and could fit up to four guests on each side even though I hear that WDW might consider three adults on each side. With those dimensions, maybe one guest could sit behind the wheelchair on each side. But I am just guessing.
It will be interesting what the policy will be with the benches and why they would lift them up. Maybe they may think that the stroller or wheelchair or mobility scooter could pull toward the raised bench side to create more room for the other bench.
When I use the WDW boats that go from WDW MK to Fort Wilderness Campground, the entrance to those boats are very doable after several experiences. Sometime the lake is lower or higher. And the lip of the boat entrance curves up making is a somewhat uneven entrance and after entering I have to turn right or left in a narrow space. Sometimes I have to back up and make two 90-degree turns to exit always with the direction of the boa's cast member.
I assume either way that I would be driving straight ahead onto the gondola and not turn my position facing the other guests on the other bench.
But this is just my opinion and I am just surmising what may happen.