Disney Imagineering is working on a new way for guests using wheelchairs and electric scooters to board boat attractions without transferring out of their mobility devices. A newly published patent application reveals a ride vehicle that tilts during loading while an internal platform keeps the guest and their mobility device level.
The application was filed by Disney Enterprises, Inc. back on March 11, 2025, and was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today, September 17, 2026.
Traditional boat attractions present some particularly difficult accessibility challenges. The sides of a boat need to remain high enough to prevent water from entering, while the passenger area generally sits low inside the hull for stability. That height difference can make it difficult or impossible for someone to roll directly into the boat.
Disney’s proposed system would tilt the ride vehicle backward at the loading station, lowering the stern beside the station platform. A movable platform inside the boat would roll into position so a guest could board in a wheelchair or ECV without stepping over the boat’s side.
Once the mobility device is secured, the boat would begin returning to its normal position. The internal platform would move forward and downward along a curved track while remaining level. By the time the boat is ready to leave the station, the guest would be positioned inside the passenger compartment at approximately the same level as the other riders.
In some versions of the design, gravity would move the internal platform rather than a powered lift aboard the boat. Disney’s application explains that current accessibility systems can add weight, cost, and mechanical complexity to a ride vehicle. Power can be especially challenging aboard a boat because electrical connections through the hull may create additional maintenance and water-intrusion concerns.
The system could accommodate manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, ECVs, walkers and strollers. Disney also leaves room for it to transport equipment, props, maintenance carts or even Audio-Animatronics. Although the drawings focus on a water attraction, the application says the technology could be adapted for other types of ride vehicles.
Disneyland’s “it’s a small world” already operates a wheelchair-accessible boat that allows some guests to remain in their wheelchairs. Guests using ECVs may still need to transfer into a standard wheelchair before riding, however. Disney’s new design appears intended to accommodate a broader range of mobility devices while addressing the mechanical limitations that can come with existing accessible boat designs.
The application does not identify a specific attraction or Disney theme park. It does not mention Pirates of the Caribbean, “it’s a small world,” Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or any project currently under construction. Installing the design in an existing attraction would also require more than replacing a few boats, since the loading station would need equipment capable of tilting the vehicle.
As always, a patent application does not guarantee that Disney will build or use the proposed technology. The application has been published, but it has not yet become an issued patent. Still, it offers an encouraging look at how Imagineering is attempting to remove one of the biggest barriers guests with mobility disabilities face on traditional boat rides.
