Small rant about something I witnessed in the bus line

[Callie]

My sister ended up in a wheelchair at the end of the trip once, and we got some evil looks. Yes she looks perfectly fine, and was, until an EVC ran over her foot!

A couple of rides let us to the front of the line, which we weren't expecting. But I guess it made up for the time we had to sit by Splash Mountain and wait for the EMT's to come check her out.

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by chadridge

Being somebody who works in the transportation field it's unfortunate that Disney allows so many wheelchair vendors I feel there are a lot of people miss using them now enybody can get 1 this is causing a huge problem with Disney transportation system it's also causing a problem and wait times for people who truly have disabilities

It's really not that big an issue. Sure, there are some that abuse the system, but with there being very few 'perks' to using an ECV, it just doesn't happen very often.

Originally Posted by M2B

Reading this thread is making me not even want to go, since I have no choice but to use a scooter.

Are people going to get snarky because the scooter needs to be tied down first for safety reasons? Grouch because there are 3 of us, and our 11 year old son is tall, built like a football player and looks older? (Some assume he's 13 or older.. old enough to wait for another bus..?)

Doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun. Fight the crowds while on the scooter, deal with the people who can't see it so step right on it and then yell at me. (BTDT that at Disneyland) Lose my family in the crowd because people walk between us and I have to stop for them. Wait longer for buses because there's limited space for ECV's. Get off the bus last. Deal with people who have no scruples and think using an ECV is a luxury.. partially because so many idiots abuse them.

Oh joy oh bliss.. I can hardly wait.

Stop worrying. If you find people staring or grumbling just chalk it up to them having bad manners. Of course you're going to have to wait until everyone is off the bus before you can be off-loaded. It's basically the reverse of the boarding process. And there is no reason that your family needs to run on ahead, making it impossible for you to see them.
I have been in the parks with a person who truly needs an ECV. It was eye-opening to spend that evening with her. It was incredible how 'invisible' she became. Yes, people can have terrible manners. But here's the thing......you are better off just letting it go rather than grumbling about it and making snide comments. Nothing will be accomplished and you will feel better by just going about your business.

The vast majority of people are very accepting of ECVs. Most don't mind waiting that extra bit of time. But...you have to understand why some feel the way they do. They've been standing in line for 20 mins. An ECV comes rolling along just as the bus arrives....and that person on the ECV now gets boarded first, along with the rest of that group.....and it could be 3 people, it could be 10 people.
If Disney stuck to their stated rules.....ECV must be sitting, waiting, as the bus pulls up, in the designated spot. There may be up to 6 people boarding with the ECV, no more....then things would work much better. But, the drivers are hesitant to enforce the rules. And that's too bad because there are people out there, using ECVs, that really need them and that abide by the rules, and are now penelized because others can't follow the rules.

[Southern Bell]

I don't have a problem waiting on a person (especially a handicaped child) with a wheel chair and their family. It seems that most will have compasion on an older feeble looking person , too. Its when a grown person (who seems well) that shows up with 20 (everybody and their sisterr)you may see my eyes roll! LOL! The truth of the matter is that we don't know the circumstances and never will. But it is hard sometimes when your standing there yourself tired, sometimes hurting, and with squirmy tired children and sometimes back hurting from holding them. LOL! I understand that there are people who need the wheel chairs that can walk . Especially after I hurt my knee a few yrs ago and arthritus was really bad in it. Bad enough for shots and therapy on it before I made my trip to Disney. I really needed a chair by the end of the week, but I would have been perfectly capable of waiting in line like everyone else. I felt bad to get one and I didn't because I could walk. I knew people would look at me when I got off and could walk! LOL! So...maybe they could have two lines, one for those who can wait, and one for those who need to be taken first! LOL!

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by Southern Bell

I don't have a problem waiting on a person (especially a handicaped child) with a wheel chair and their family. It seems that most will have compasion on an older feeble looking person , too. Its when a grown person (who seems well) that shows up with 20 (everybody and their sisterr)you may see my eyes roll! LOL! The truth of the matter is that we don't know the circumstances and never will. But it is hard sometimes when your standing there yourself tired, sometimes hurting, and with squirmy tired children and sometimes back hurting from holding them. LOL! I understand that there are people who need the wheel chairs that can walk . Especially after I hurt my knee a few yrs ago and arthritus was really bad in it. Bad enough for shots and therapy on it before I made my trip to Disney. I really needed a chair by the end of the week, but I would have been perfectly capable of waiting in line like everyone else. I felt bad to get one and I didn't because I could walk. I knew people would look at me when I got off and could walk! LOL! So...maybe they could have two lines, one for those who can wait, and one for those who need to be taken first! LOL!

At some stops (used to be all of them, both park and resort) there are two areas to wait...one for the able bodied guests, and one to the side for those using wheelchairs or ECVs. For some reason, Disney has seen fit to change that in some places.

[Kellykins1218]

Almost every line at DW is accessible. There is no special treatment for those on a scooter. I don't understand all these accusations of "cheating." They wait in the same line as everyone else. They wait in the same lines for shows, too. They just have a reserved row...usually the last one.

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by Kellykins1218

Almost every line at DW is accessible. There is no special treatment for those on a scooter. I don't understand all these accusations of "cheating." They wait in the same line as everyone else. They wait in the same lines for shows, too. They just have a reserved row...usually the last one.

It used to be that ECVs didn't have to go into the regular lines at WDW. They had an entrance all their own. And people quickly figured this out and started getting ECVs in order to avoid long lines. Well....Disney isn't stupid. They changed the line setup. Now, the vast majority of attraction lines are ECV capable. So, no 'perk' to being on an ECV.
And as far as the buses go??? Sure, most of the time the ECVs/wheelchairs are loaded first. BUT...they are unloaded last. It all evens out. And it is ECV/wheelchair uses at the bus stops that people are complaining about here.