Not thrilled with the way WDW handles ECVs at MK
 

We just got back late last night from WDW. We had rented an ECV for my mom and also used a rental car most of the time to avoid the buses. However, the day we went to MK we used the bus and had several problems during the day. First off, we were staying at AKL. When the bus arrived early that morning at Jamba House, it had maybe ten people on it, that had boarded at Kidani Village. We saw the bus driver look at us, as he pulled up, but he just opened the front door and started to let people on. I went to the front door and told him we had an ECV that needed to be loaded. He looked back towards the back and said he had people sitting in the handicapped seats and he could not ask them to move. The people sitting there heard him and said no problem, they didn't mind moving to the empty seats. Right in front of me the driver actually told them that he couldn't ask them to move and if they wanted to stay there they could and we'd just have to catch the next bus.:furious: He just didn't want to deal with a scooter and made no secret of it and acted really put out when the other guests volunteered to move.:confused3 Even after everybody else was loaded there were still empty seats on that bus, so no one was standing. I know they can't make someone stand so an ECV can get on and wouldn't even expect them to, but doesn't the bus driver usually ask guests to give up those seats if there are other empty seats available?:confused3 This driver actually encouraged the guests to stay in those seats, even after they started getting up on their own. It was just really weird.

Later that morning the standby wait for Jungle Cruise was 5 minutes, so we decided to ride. A CM saw us and motioned for us to get in the handicapped line. We told her my mom could get out of the ECV and step down into the boat, but just couldn't walk very far. She told us to wait at the rope and she'd get us on the next boat. She then left us down there at the handicapped rope and apparently forgot about us. After the seventh boat, we started trying to wave one of the CMs over, but they just kept ignoring us. After a couple more boats went by, I finally got a CM's attention and he mouthed, "Oh my God. We forgot you were standing there. We'll get you on the next boat." However, he then left (apparently on break) and several more boats went by, at which time we finally gave up. I just released the rope so my mom could get out and we left. As we were leaving, I looked back to check the current wait time and it was still 5 minutes. We had easily waited 30 minutes and never did get on. The CMs just kept ignoring us.

My mom has always been able to ride her ECV through the Buzz Lightyear queu, but this time they made her transfer to a wheelchair and I had to push her through the queu. Not a big deal really, just a little annoying.

At the Haunted Mansion, we told the CM at the beginning of the line, that we needed to skip the stretching room (both because of the ECV, my mom's claustrophobic issues, and the fact that her eyes don't adjust from bight to dim lights and she wouldn't be safe to drive into the stretching room, plus she'd need the walkway stopped so she could board). The first CM said it wouldn't be a problem and to just tell the CM at the door, which we did. He told us to go to the right, not go into the stretching room, and to wait for another CM to let us in the back hallway. There was another ECV waiting over there and then another came in behind us so we all waited until they got almost everyone into the stretching room. Another CM saw us and asked what we were doing and when told we needed to avoid the crowd in the stretching room, sent us down the back hallway, where we waited for awhile until another CM came in and saw us. He then told us all to back up and that we had to go through the stretching room with the next set of guests. When all three parties informed him we needed to skip the stretching room, he said they were no longer using the back hallway and we had no choice but to join the crowd in the stretching room. When I told him my mom's eyes would have trouble adjusting to the dark light and she wouldn't be able to see to drive her ECV safely in that crowd, plus she would need the moving walkway stopped, he said that she probably would not be able to ride that particular ride then. When I told him we had always been able to skip the stretching room in the past and had had the walkway stopped, he said they no longer did either. One of the ECV's went on in, but we and the other ECV left, so didn't get to ride Haunted Mansion either.

That whole day it just seemed like the CMs did not want to deal with ECVs. We were very polite, but it was really hard to be so after we had trouble for the fourth time that day. We didn't have a single problem at any of the other parks, just MK.

In a situation like this, I would recommend going to guest relations and filing a complaint. DH and I had two incidents in MK back in June. I was willing to let the first one go, but after the second we went to guest relations.

The firs incident occurred on Buzz Lightyear. We told the cm that I could transfer out of my wheelchair but that I needed the walkway slowed. He said that I could use the wheelchair car. I again said I could transfer. He said why bother transferring, you can just use the wheelchair car. I again said that I would rather transfer. He insisted that I use the wheelchair car, so I just gave up. He then slowed down the walkway so that I could load in my chair. He told DH to wheel me in and then sit next to me. Great, except that with me loaded in first DH couldn't get to the seat. At that point the CM told DH to just go in the car behind me. So we didn't even get to ride together. DH was mad.

The second incident happened at Haunted Mansion. We were sent to the back hallway where a CM met us and told me I had to walk 200 feet down the hallway to get on the ride. I said I don't think so; we've been on this before and the walkway has been able to be stopped. She told me that I would have to walk. I said that's not going to happen. She then sighed heavily and said "I guess I can stop the walkway.". Um....I guess you can. I could not believe that.

When it was time for us to get off the ride, I basically confronted her, asking her why she gave us such a hard time about getting on the ride, especially since the restrictions say "must transfer" and NOT "must be ambulatory.". She was clearly taken aback when I asked her and said that she did not mean to give us a hard time.

I was fuming at this point and DH headed right over to guest relations. I had the CM's name and just explained to someone there that we come back to Disney often because it's one of the only places where I can feel like my disability isn't a big issue. However that CM at HM made me feel like such a burden. The person asked what they could do to improve our visit and I said that I didn't want another guest to ever feel like I felt. They listened and called the manager at HM immediately.

I'm sorry for your negative experiences. We usually have one per trip, but there are so many other great experiences that we have been able to have because of Disney's accommodations that we keep going back.

you both need to write disney guest realations on the problems you had as this uncalled for. the cm"s at bothe rides must have been new as I been there for years on EVc and never had anything but what I also call "lazy" bus driver who either does not know how to tie down a EVC or does not want to as he already running late and it happened at AKL by the way. they have one of the worse bus service besides Yachtclub and Beach clkub of any resort. it is pretty bad that that drivers passengars offered their seats and then he told them to stay in them. when people tryong to do the right thing and he tell them that.

The HM is notorious for treating people with disabilities poorly, and for being inconsistent. My theory is that they assign all the CM's with bad attitudes there, in the hopes that "rude and dismissive" will just come off as "spooky."

WOW! This really makes me sad and worried about our upcoming trip. :worried:

My sister would really enjoy HM, but I don't want to go through the line and then have to deal with the hassle of a mean CM!!!!

Those moving walkways scare ME and I don't have mobility issues.

the bus driver should of loaded you when he didn't you should of asked for a supervisor. if he didn't call for one their a phone at the bus stop because now it his word against yours. You should still write them and let them know maybe the driver will be honest just give them as much info as you can like time of day stop where you was going if you have their name and if you have a bus number and dot number so they can track which driver it is. was that the only bad experience with the bus or after that you used the rental car. write disney transportation bus department their a number on one of sue sticky you could call and ask to speak to a transportation manager in buses each mode of transportation has their own managers.

all the drivers know how to tie down ecv/wheelchair most come from public transportation and have bad habit from that which are sometimes hard to break.

The only times we used the buses were to go to MK that one day and then one afternoon to go to DTD. We did not have any problems with a bus driver, except that one morning when we were going to MK. Coming back to the resort that evening and going to and from DTD we had very nice bus drivers.

their no excuse for the first driver but glad you had other nice drivers some times bad apples ruin it for the rest.

This was totally inappropriate and uncalled for and this driver should be called out for not doing his job properly! My suggestion would be if this ever happens to you in the future, I would pull out your cell phone if it has a camera on it and let them know that you are taking a picture of the bus number and you will be reporting this instance to his/her superiors immediately! Prior to cell phones I pulled out my regular camera to show I was about to snap a picture and that usually changed the circumstances of the situation pretty quickly. I wasn't rude about it, but I was assertive. There is ABSOLUTELY NO reason that you should not have been loaded onto that bus! He was just being Lazy! The others on the bus offered to move, there was ample room for you, end of conversation! He was NOT doing his job.
Again, this is terrible and unacceptable. You needed to ask those CMs for their supervisor. The bad part is when you walk away like that, they have basically gotten away with 'mistreating' guests. When (which honestly really isn't that often, I swear!) I have asked to speak to a supervisor about an issue (and sometimes I have when a CM has gone above and beyond!) I tell them them (if it is truly appropriate) that my goal is not to get anyone in trouble but to fix a problem so that others don't have to experience what I just did. It's not about punishing someone. It's about correcting a situation.
This is a policy change that happened to this attraction sometime earlier this year. Not sure why or exactly when, but it was that way when we were there in July.
I totally believe you but this is SO interesting as I went on HM 5 times on my trip in July and had WONDERFUL encounters every time. I started to have a bit of a struggle the first time and surprisingly, he was a MANAGER!!! But when he told me I needed to do one thing, I looked at him and smiled and calmly said "Now, may I explain my needs to you?" I think that took him so off guard that he responded with a "why most certainly!" And then he took me to the back area where they unload guests. All the other times, I just told the CM that was working the entrance area I needed to skip the stretching room and they told me to go wait over by the far door and someone would take me thru the other hall. These were all on 5 different days at MK this past July. I guess I lucked out!!!
That's really a bummer because it can really put a damper on your vacay! I hope it doesn't ever, but if it does, I hope you address it right away. Complaints aren't necessarily to get people in trouble but to fix problems. ;)

That a good idea with the picture but a better number is the dot which is located by back door on top on wheel well for the two new buses plus you want the time of day where you was going ie park and what stop you was at. I say dot because if the driver fills out their bus inspection with the wrong bus number then it be harder but with the dot number they can get more exact info. The other problem is they not assigned bus like in public transportation they may drive start their shift in a gillig but end it in a nova bus so when they take control of the bus from the other driver they have to inspect it and fill out paper work to make sure no damage or stuff like that. The best thing to do is have a supervisor come to the scene because then they can see how many people are on the bus and get a better idea of the complaint.

How long would it take to get a supervisor on scene? Would the bus driver balk at that, complaining that it's not fair to make the other passengers wait?

A PP mentioned that maybe the driver didn't know how to tie down an ECV. It's not exactly rocket science; almost as simple as fastening a seat belt.

DH and I both drive ECV's at the parks, and have always had courteous drivers, even tho we're loading two scooters -- a double whammy. I like the idea of pulling out a cell phone, both for the camera, and to call a supervisor. Hope that never becomes necessary. When DH was in law school he interned with Consumer Protection and can get quite assertive when he sees the need.

I did the exact same thing at the HM, and the CM simply turned on her heel and walked away while I was trying to talk to her.

I wonder if another thing to do besides the bus number would be to take a picture of the driver? How could they then dispute if you have the bus number and their picture that they weren't the one behaving that way?

It shouldn't take that long but yes the driver might not wan to call for one to try not to get in trouble. But sometimes of they hear you want to talk to a supervisor then they will change their tune.