activities in London with a wheelchair user

Hi all,

I recently supported a service user to London, we went for 5 days.  Due to the chap being in a wheelchair we had to plan our trip well enough to get the activities in with the short length of time we had there, but also give us options if something didn't go quite to plan (as it often doesn't). 

The activities we experienced were The London Eye, Madame Tussauds, The London Dungeon and The Thames Cruise.  We booked all of these through The London Eye, I believe it was called a combination ticket.  You can check it out on http://www.londoneye.com/.  You save a decent amount by booking it all together.  We had to prebook times and dates only for the eye and the cruise so we had flexibility with the other activities.  We booked over the phone on 08712220188 alternatively you can email accessiblebooking@londoneye.com.  This way we could discuss our options with the booking agent to find an appropriate trip.  They were incredibly helpful and ensured we had the best possible price, allowing a discount for the wheelchair user and one carer to go free.  This greatly reduced our expected spend and allowed him to do more activities for the money than we could have hoped! 

As we often experience, there was some drama when we arrived at the london eye.  We had purchased fast pass tickets, and when we arrived at the barriers, there were steps.  FAIL!  We went to one of the employees for some advice who informed us that we would have to go to the back of the main queue to access the ramp enterance.  Anyone who has been on the eye will know this is not a small queue!  Definately not ideal for a chap with epilepsy and learning disabilities.  We explained the situation but the chap was adament we would have to queue.  We went up to the ticket desk and explained what had happened and that as a result of the wait we would miss the activities we had planned for the afternoon.  To exchance the tickets for the following day they announced they would have to charge us £10 each, but with a little explaination and persuation they waived the fee.  The next day we were allowed on at the beginning of the ramp which was about a 15 minute wait.  The flight was good, I'm not a fan of heights but it was bearable.  I would definately recommend the 4D experience it was fantastic!

Madame Tussauds only let 3 wheelchair users in at once so be sure to select a date and time when you book!  We almost missed out due to not being told this vital piece of information.  It seemed like a good attraction but we went at 4pm and was just swimming with people, so much so that our chap could see nothing and people were physically climbing over him to get to models so we spent a total of 15 minutes.  Very badly thought out for wheelchair users, little to no help from staff. 

The cruise was fantastic access and views, staff and experience were flawless!  The commentator was very knowledgable and all staff were very helpful.  Not overly crowded and very civilised. 

Similarly the Dungeons are run incredibly well.  The wait was about 20 minutes (it felt longer due to the rain!) but you navigated the dungeon in small groups so each exhibit was fully visible!  The staff and actors were always at hand to help.  Much thought and planning has gone into this attraction and it comes highly recommended. 

Over all, there were hits and misses.  If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me and I will do everything I can to help.

Catherine x