Disabled gate entry

[myers]

due too a recent change in circumstances for one off our group we are now going to the festival with a personal assistant and parking in the disabled carpark.

we normally head for gate B early and head for big ground and we are still hopefully heading there.

has anyone any experience with using the PA scheme? where do we collect the wristband for the PA or is it posted ? what gate do we go through, what are the queues like etc? 

I'm just trying to get an idea off what time i will need to arrive if still heading to big ground but entering the festival through the disabled gate ? if there is one ! 

thanks 

 

[mungo57]

Hi mate, we used spring ground last year and again this year so hopefully this helps.

the disabled car park is virtually right next door to pedestrian hate A right by the coach drop off point. If I remember correctly te PA ticket is posted with te festival tickets and doesn't have a photo on so whoever is the PA needs photo ID whenever you go in/out through the pedestrian gates. You get posted a wheelchair sticker to put in your windscreen and you should follow the wheelchair signs when you get near the site - once you get near enough you get retorted by stewards.

 

wristband nice and easy there is a portacabin that you go to in the disabled car park field and you show the pa ticket and all of your group get spring ground wristbands and festival wristbands there. You can only get into spring ground with a spring ground band so it's important to go see the team and get one. It's then a relatively short walk for ambulent disabled people or there is a semi regular free shuttle bus from the car park straight to spring ground for wheelchair users (although if there isn't a wheelchair waiting they take whoever in the buses usually).

When you get to spring ground they will check you in and help you pitch if you need and show you where to go if you need power or medicine fridges etc.

Hope that helps mate, might even see you there. Look out for a Watford FC flag if I remember to bring it

[myers]

brilliant, thanks for that mate, 

so ill have to head for the portacabin first, yes ill definitely look out for the watford flag ! haha

i never requested camping in spring ground when i first filled the application form in so don't know if i can change my mind , the pa is for my cousin and he has sight issues not mobility so i didn't want to take up room for others that might need that field more than us but ill speak to the access team in the cabin,  once I've got the pa wristband from there do we then join the queue at gate A ?  what time do you usually get to the cabin mate? 

[mungo57]

Only used it last year and we got to site on the Thursday so won't be much use to you there - if you have a standard festival ticket then you can camp where you like as far as I am aware, you won't have to go in with the people using spring ground. You should just be able to walk straight to Ped gate A and go in. They won't mind extras in spring ground, last year we had 2 tents and a lot of the people there aren't 'disabled disabled' if you get me, my gf's brother has learning difficulties amongst other things and can walk easily but you do get people in wheelchairs with walking aides etc - they expect people to be in groups with only 1 or 2 disabled so you won't have to feel like you are taking space up - if they dot have space you'll get told but as I say you should be able to walk in and choose where you want to go. We walked from the car park t spring ground last year thru Ped gate A and weren't stopped so you should be fine whatever you choose

[hogga]

We've had use of the disabled access for the last 3 years. We've always arrived on the Wednesday, the first time we got there just before gates opened and we queued about an hour. The second and third year we arrived at 2ish and there was no queue to get your wristbands only a wait for the buses to get people to spring ground.

[myers]

2 hours ago, mungo57 said:

Only used it last year and we got to site on the Thursday so won't be much use to you there - if you have a standard festival ticket then you can camp where you like as far as I am aware, you won't have to go in with the people using spring ground. You should just be able to walk straight to Ped gate A and go in. They won't mind extras in spring ground, last year we had 2 tents and a lot of the people there aren't 'disabled disabled' if you get me, my gf's brother has learning difficulties amongst other things and can walk easily but you do get people in wheelchairs with walking aides etc - they expect people to be in groups with only 1 or 2 disabled so you won't have to feel like you are taking space up - if they dot have space you'll get told but as I say you should be able to walk in and choose where you want to go. We walked from the car park t spring ground last year thru Ped gate A and weren't stopped so you should be fine whatever you choose

ahh that sounds good then mate,  if theres room for us we will probably pitch there then , yes it did say we could camp anywhere on the website , I've always liked big ground but it was virtually full at 10.30am last year ! 

[myers]

57 minutes ago, hogga said:

We've had use of the disabled access for the last 3 years. We've always arrived on the Wednesday, the first time we got there just before gates opened and we queued about an hour. The second and third year we arrived at 2ish and there was no queue to get your wristbands only a wait for the buses to get people to spring ground.

thanks , yes we will be there early wednesday and from your experiences the queues shouldn't be an issue then, 

[guypjfreak]

3 hours ago, myers said:

brilliant, thanks for that mate, 

so ill have to head for the portacabin first, yes ill definitely look out for the watford flag ! haha

i never requested camping in spring ground when i first filled the application form in so don't know if i can change my mind , the pa is for my cousin and he has sight issues not mobility so i didn't want to take up room for others that might need that field more than us but ill speak to the access team in the cabin,  once I've got the pa wristband from there do we then join the queue at gate A ?  what time do you usually get to the cabin mate? 

You park right in the field by the cabin then walk straight through or if staying in spring grounds you can catch the mini bus which takes you and your stuff straight in ...there really helpful ..

 

[Kellg80]

What is the traffic like getting out of this car park on the Monday please? 

[mungo57]

Wasn't too bad last year Kell, we left around noon/1pm and were straight out into the road. The field is right on the main road which is dead handy

[alibear]

Another one using disabled camping! This'll be my fourth year. It's a great system - we arrive at about 4am Wednesday morning and are usually set up by about 1pm.

Just make sure the PA remembers to carry their ticket with them, especially if they go back to the car park. I left mine at our tent last year after taking our car back (we had a drive-on pass) and was told someone would have to bring it to me. I didn't have my phone on me to call anyone, and the only person who could have done that anyway was my husband, who uses a wheelchair and would have struggled to get there on his own! They let me through, but it took a bit of pleading with the gate supervisor's manager, once they'd tracked him down. I was lucky, but it was a pretty stressful half hour which could've been avoided if I'd have taken my ticket.

As others have said, leaving is fine, the car park is next to the road, so no mamouth queuing to get out of the site.

Edited May 16, 2016 by alibear

[devonhammer]

Using disabled access for the first time this year. I've got MS and can walk perfectly normally for a short distance, but the journey from the far reaches of the car park last year was a killer (only got diagnosed last May, so it was all a bit new).

Disabled parking will be a god-send, but then I'll just camp somewhere near Gate A.

Has anyone used the onsite shuttle buses? I've always travelled around the whole site and don't want to be stuck in front of the Pyramid, but how useful is the shuttle bus system?

[hogga]

It's excellent. It runs at set times (around hourly) to different areas of the site such as T&C field and the Park. We've used them on a few occasions and they have never been that busy. It might be a lot busier on the first and last bus of the day mind.

[alibear]

1 hour ago, devonhammer said:

Using disabled access for the first time this year. I've got MS and can walk perfectly normally for a short distance, but the journey from the far reaches of the car park last year was a killer (only got diagnosed last May, so it was all a bit new).

Disabled parking will be a god-send, but then I'll just camp somewhere near Gate A.

Has anyone used the onsite shuttle buses? I've always travelled around the whole site and don't want to be stuck in front of the Pyramid, but how useful is the shuttle bus system?

Have you got access to Spring Ground? If so I'd definitely recommend using it if you struggle to walk long distances, or stand for very long - there's a shuttle from the car park to the campsite. You'll be a lot closer to toilets/showers and the ground is very flat. Plus the team there are awesome if you need assistance. You should also get the cut throughs which can be an absolute godsend, especially if the weather's bad (which it WON'T be!)

[myers]

7 hours ago, alibear said:

Another one using disabled camping! This'll be my fourth year. It's a great system - we arrive at about 4am Wednesday morning and are usually set up by about 1pm.

Just make sure the PA remembers to carry their ticket with them, especially if they go back to the car park. I left mine at our tent last year after taking our car back (we had a drive-on pass) and was told someone would have to bring it to me. I didn't have my phone on me to call anyone, and the only person who could have done that anyway was my husband, who uses a wheelchair and would have struggled to get there on his own! They let me through, but it took a bit of pleading with the gate supervisor's manager, once they'd tracked him down. I was lucky, but it was a pretty stressful half hour which could've been avoided if I'd have taken my ticket.

As others have said, leaving is fine, the car park is next to the road, so no mamouth queuing to get out of the site.

yes it does seem like a really good system, if you arrive at around 04.00am and are not usually set up till 1pm that seems like quite a long wait/queue ?   yes ill make sure the PA remembers his ticket ! i can imagine that must off been pretty stressful! 

[devonhammer]

I need to persuade my two friends that we should camp in Spring Ground. Can you bring your (non-disabled) friends? Are there showers? Can the non-disabled friends use the showers (obviously not taking up specially adapted ones)?

[alibear]

Just now, myers said:

yes it does seem like a really good system, if you arrive at around 04.00am and are not usually set up till 1pm that seems like quite a long wait/queue ?   yes ill make sure the PA remembers his ticket ! i can imagine that must off been pretty stressful! 

The queue can take a while because the need to check the paperwork of every person and their PA (if they have one). Then we have to wait a while to drive the car on, or get the shuttle bus (they only leave when the bus is full). We could save time by queuing when we arrive at about 4am, but we choose to snooze in the car and join it a bit later, to save getting cold! The queue usually starts moving at about 8.30am. Plus, it's only been me and my mum (with my dad helping a bit) putting our tents up, which can take a little while, and I have to take the car to the car park and walk back, by which it's usually around lunchtime... guess the time does add up, but it's a LOT less stressful than regular camping (which is usually balanced out by periodically helping a chair-user around the site - being a disabled person/PA combo is a huge challenge sometimes, but in a good way!)

[myers]

4 minutes ago, alibear said:

The queue can take a while because the need to check the paperwork of every person and their PA (if they have one). Then we have to wait a while to drive the car on, or get the shuttle bus (they only leave when the bus is full). We could save time by queuing when we arrive at about 4am, but we choose to snooze in the car and join it a bit later, to save getting cold! The queue usually starts moving at about 8.30am. Plus, it's only been me and my mum (with my dad helping a bit) putting our tents up, which can take a little while, and I have to take the car to the car park and walk back, by which it's usually around lunchtime... guess the time does add up, but it's a LOT less stressful than regular camping (which is usually balanced out by periodically helping a chair-user around the site - being a disabled person/PA combo is a huge challenge sometimes, but in a good way!)

ahhh ok,so you mean the whole process off getting in etc , i see..  i will probably arrive around the same time and join the queue as we are planning on camping in big ground or near there if possible so want to try get in as early as we can , it should be easier for us to get around as our disabled person doesn't have mobility issues so we are hoping to pass through fairly quickly 

[J.B.]

58 minutes ago, devonhammer said:

I need to persuade my two friends that we should camp in Spring Ground. Can you bring your (non-disabled) friends? Are there showers? Can the non-disabled friends use the showers (obviously not taking up specially adapted ones)?

There are only wheelchair adapted showers and they're only for use by the disabled campers. You can have a maximum of 4 other people camping with you, but you do need to apply in advance for this not just ask on the day.

[Dodgychic]

I have disabled facilities access but not camping in spring ground or parking in disabled carpark as I am not disabled, didn't think it was appropriate. I am going with my husband and two daughters. How does it work, do we get wrist bands or something similar. 

[J.B.]

The disabled crew don't have a fixed criteria as to who can use all their facilities, they judge things on a case by case basis and are normally very understanding. I think you'd benefit a lot from being in the spring ground and disabled car park. You'd get a minibus carrying you and all your belongings from the car park to the campsite and people to help you carry your stuff and put up your tent. There's a shuttle that bus runs from the campsite to the Theatre & Circus area and The Park Ground Area. There's even a hot water urn on the go 24/7 which would help a lot if you need lots of boiling water. I'm not sure where you'd get your wristbands if you didn't use the car park and campsite, but if you email Claire on disabled@glastonburyfestivals.co.uk she'll be able to tell you to save you and unnecessary journey's and waiting around 

[Kellg80]

On 16 May 2016 at 11:22 PM, Dodgychic said:

I have disabled facilities access but not camping in spring ground or parking in disabled carpark as I am not disabled, didn't think it was appropriate. I am going with my husband and two daughters. How does it work, do we get wrist bands or something similar. 

We are collecting ours from Spring ground once we get set up. We are using family camping, as didn't want to take space that might be needed more by somebody else. 

[Dodgychic]

We camping in the wicket field as we got kids and it's close to gate A. I have cancer and going through chemo etc so I only use facilities if I really have to. I didn't tick the box to camp in spring ground as I don't use a wheelchair and i am able to walk, just got to worry about fatigue and hygiene.  

[JanieM28]

1 hour ago, Dodgychic said:

We camping in the wicket field as we got kids and it's close to gate A. I have cancer and going through chemo etc so I only use facilities if I really have to. I didn't tick the box to camp in spring ground as I don't use a wheelchair and i am able to walk, just got to worry about fatigue and hygiene. 

Been there, done that with the breast cancer, albeit more gentle than yours. (Lumpectomy, plus being burnt to a crisp with radiotherapy for six weeks). Loads of women like us.

May I ask what your plans are for your husband and children...? If you are not feeling well, will they be able to toddle off and enjoy themselves, after leaving you with the nessecary supplies of food and drink? Or, will they feel the need to stay and look after you?

[harriet]

Re pa ticket, from what I can remember you have to take the letter confirming the PA place and they give you with your ticket at the portacabin when you book in.