2nd bad experience on Spaceship Earth

[jo-jo]

Did you stop at guest services to voice your concerns?

Since you said you are now local, perhaps your next trip, you should speak with them first to find out exactly how to handle SSE. Maybe it's time to cross that ride off your list. I know there are many rides we can no longer do. And it's sad. We know that feeling. But we still have fun with the rides we can still do. At AK , the only ride we can do is safari. But we really like Nemo and Lion King show.

 

[lanejudy]

My apologies, I misunderstood and thought you needed help getting into and out of the ride vehicle. I didn't understand the issue was getting the attraction wheelchair back outside to your ECV.

 

[JLTraveling]

As a former attractions CM, this is very much a gray area. I 100% agree with you that if you were helped up the ramp, you had a reasonable expectation of being helped down the ramp. The part that you couldn't have known, though, is that unless something has changed recently, CMs are not required to provide any assistance beyond a steadying hand for those loading and unloading (the exception is rides that require wheelchair tiedowns, and CMs who do those have actively opted in to that particular part of the job...if they don't want to or they can't, they're reassigned to a different attraction). The main reason is that many CMs have their own medical issues that could make it unsafe to push wheelchairs and so forth. Secondarily, if it's not a ride with tiedowns, there's not a CM assigned to provide extra help. Operationally, CMs may not be able to leave a particular post. I never worked SSE, so I can't comment specifically, but it could be that the load CM has more ability to roam than the unload CM.

Now, with all of that said, you were obviously already in a predicament and it was the CMs job to help you get out of it. If that person couldn't push your chair, they should have radioed a lead or manager for assistance. Simply leaving a guest stuck is not acceptable.

Moving forward, I would strongly suggest bringing an able-bodied wheelchair pusher with you. Relying on CM pushing assistance simply isn't a practical solution, unfortunately. If you do decide to rely on CMs, though, make sure it's crystal clear that you'll need assistance at the unload side as well. It's worth asking the loading CM to contact unload to make sure they'll be ready for you. Or ask to speak to the lead before going up the ramp.

 

[Evita_W]

As a former attractions CM, this is very much a gray area. I 100% agree with you that if you were helped up the ramp, you had a reasonable expectation of being helped down the ramp. The part that you couldn't have known, though, is that unless something has changed recently, CMs are not required to provide any assistance beyond a steadying hand for those loading and unloading (the exception is rides that require wheelchair tiedowns, and CMs who do those have actively opted in to that particular part of the job...if they don't want to or they can't, they're reassigned to a different attraction). The main reason is that many CMs have their own medical issues that could make it unsafe to push wheelchairs and so forth. Secondarily, if it's not a ride with tiedowns, there's not a CM assigned to provide extra help. Operationally, CMs may not be able to leave a particular post. I never worked SSE, so I can't comment specifically, but it could be that the load CM has more ability to roam than the unload CM.

Now, with all of that said, you were obviously already in a predicament and it was the CMs job to help you get out of it. If that person couldn't push your chair, they should have radioed a lead or manager for assistance. Simply leaving a guest stuck is not acceptable.

Moving forward, I would strongly suggest bringing an able-bodied wheelchair pusher with you. Relying on CM pushing assistance simply isn't a practical solution, unfortunately. If you do decide to rely on CMs, though, make sure it's crystal clear that you'll need assistance at the unload side as well. It's worth asking the loading CM to contact unload to make sure they'll be ready for you. Or ask to speak to the lead before going up the ramp.

I think the OP’s point here is they didn’t expect the accommodation, but still asked and were told that yes, a CM could push them up and back down. As a result of being told yes, they decided to ride, the OP has said that if they had been told no, they would have simply chosen not to ride. The issue here isn’t so much if they could be accommodated or not, but rather that they were told they could be accommodated and were to go up, but were not to go back down.

The OP appears to have done everything correctly on their end, but something wasn’t communicated to the CMs when unloading. Yes, it is a gray area on if they can accommodate or not, but if you are told they will and you act upon that information and then they refuse when you go to leave, then that is a problem.

We saw this happen with another person before, only a bit worse, the person took a Disney wheelchair up the ramp, when they got off, the wheelchair was nowhere to be found and they couldn’t stand or walk down the ramp on their own. The person ended up in tears because they had to try to walk down the ramp, which was clearly very painful, as they refused to stop the ride for them at that point and insisted they had to keep moving. Other times we have been there, the CMs have gone out of their way to assist though, so it really comes down to who you get. I really think it should be a requirement to spend at least day in a mobility device of some sort for ALL CMs, perhaps there would be a little more empathy and they should be require to use wheelchairs to get as close to the ride vehicles as possible.

 

[SteveMouse]

I think the OP’s point here is they didn’t expect the accommodation, but still asked and were told that yes, a CM could push them up and back down. As a result of being told yes, they decided to ride, the OP has said that if they had been told no, they would have simply chosen not to ride. The issue here isn’t so much if they could be accommodated or not, but rather that they were told they could be accommodated and were to go up, but were not to go back down.

The OP appears to have done everything correctly on their end, but something wasn’t communicated to the CMs when unloading. Yes, it is a gray area on if they can accommodate or not, but if you are told they will and you act upon that information and then they refuse when you go to leave, then that is a problem.

We saw this happen with another person before, only a bit worse, the person took a Disney wheelchair up the ramp, when they got off, the wheelchair was nowhere to be found and they couldn’t stand or walk down the ramp on their own. The person ended up in tears because they had to try to walk down the ramp, which was clearly very painful, as they refused to stop the ride for them at that point and insisted they had to keep moving. Other times we have been there, the CMs have gone out of their way to assist though, so it really comes down to who you get. I really think it should be a requirement to spend at least day in a mobility device of some sort for ALL CMs, perhaps there would be a little more empathy and they should be require to use wheelchairs to get as close to the ride vehicles as possible.

They explicitly did NOT ask for assistance exiting.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I think the OP’s point here is they didn’t expect the accommodation, but still asked and were told that yes, a CM could push them up and back down. As a result of being told yes, they decided to ride, the OP has said that if they had been told no, they would have simply chosen not to ride. The issue here isn’t so much if they could be accommodated or not, but rather that they were told they could be accommodated and were to go up, but were not to go back down.

The OP appears to have done everything correctly on their end, but something wasn’t communicated to the CMs when unloading. Yes, it is a gray area on if they can accommodate or not, but if you are told they will and you act upon that information and then they refuse when you go to leave, then that is a problem.

We saw this happen with another person before, only a bit worse, the person took a Disney wheelchair up the ramp, when they got off, the wheelchair was nowhere to be found and they couldn’t stand or walk down the ramp on their own. The person ended up in tears because they had to try to walk down the ramp, which was clearly very painful, as they refused to stop the ride for them at that point and insisted they had to keep moving. Other times we have been there, the CMs have gone out of their way to assist though, so it really comes down to who you get. I really think it should be a requirement to spend at least day in a mobility device of some sort for ALL CMs, perhaps there would be a little more empathy and they should be require to use wheelchairs to get as close to the ride vehicles as possible.

I see nowhere that the OP stated that CMs told her they would push them back down. I may well have missed it, but pushing someone up a ramp is quite different than pushing someone down a ramp.

And quite frankly, no guest should expect a CM to push them in their wheelchair at all, at any point (absent an evacuation situation).

 

[Chirple]

I am very confused. I understand what OP experienced, but you don't exit Spaceship Earth the same way you entered. If memory serves correctly, you exit into the large interactive room where I have seen wheelchairs parked. There doesn't seem to be the same ramp once you exit compared to the entrance; but if that short distance causes hardship on the entire traveling party, I can see this being an issue for this family. I believe the interactive room has seating and CMs around. Were any of them advised that the chair needed to be pushed to the ECV?

 

[SteveMouse]

I haven't ridden in awhile- I can no longer transfer to ANY ride vehicle.

It at least used to be that all guests using wheels loaded and unloaded on the "back side/exit" of Spaceship Earth, even going back to the 1980s. That way, wheelchairs and scooters did not have to be moved too far to accommodate guests. It was a "skip the line" ride for wheeled guests for a long time, though there was still usually a wait because they limited the number of disabled guests that could be listening to Walter simultaneously.

 

[starlite_]

Sooo are we thinking CMs are a hive mind? That's the only way I can think of for 2 dif CMs in two dif stations to be aware of a specific guest's needs unless they are directly told.

 

[Genie+]

I am very confused. I understand what OP experienced, but you don't exit Spaceship Earth the same way you entered. If memory serves correctly, you exit into the large interactive room where I have seen wheelchairs parked. There doesn't seem to be the same ramp once you exit compared to the entrance; but if that short distance causes hardship on the entire traveling party, I can see this being an issue for this family. I believe the interactive room has seating and CMs around. Were any of them advised that the chair needed to be pushed to the ECV?

Wheelchairs and ECVs enter a door to that last room. They don’t go through the regular entrance.

As a former attractions CM, this is very much a gray area. I 100% agree with you that if you were helped up the ramp, you had a reasonable expectation of being helped down the ramp. The part that you couldn't have known, though, is that unless something has changed recently, CMs are not required to provide any assistance beyond a steadying hand for those loading and unloading (the exception is rides that require wheelchair tiedowns, and CMs who do those have actively opted in to that particular part of the job...if they don't want to or they can't, they're reassigned to a different attraction). The main reason is that many CMs have their own medical issues that could make it unsafe to push wheelchairs and so forth. Secondarily, if it's not a ride with tiedowns, there's not a CM assigned to provide extra help. Operationally, CMs may not be able to leave a particular post. I never worked SSE, so I can't comment specifically, but it could be that the load CM has more ability to roam than the unload CM.

Now, with all of that said, you were obviously already in a predicament and it was the CMs job to help you get out of it. If that person couldn't push your chair, they should have radioed a lead or manager for assistance. Simply leaving a guest stuck is not acceptable.

Moving forward, I would strongly suggest bringing an able-bodied wheelchair pusher with you. Relying on CM pushing assistance simply isn't a practical solution, unfortunately. If you do decide to rely on CMs, though, make sure it's crystal clear that you'll need assistance at the unload side as well. It's worth asking the loading CM to contact unload to make sure they'll be ready for you. Or ask to speak to the lead before going up the ramp.

Thank you for sharing your CM perspective. It helps to get a better idea of how policies intersect with guest experience.

DH uses an EVC. From there he can board SSE himself. We are always asked if he’d be able to descend the stairs if the ride needed to be evacuated. He has always answered yes, so I don’t know what would happen if we answered no. He says he’ll need extra time and CMs have been ok with that.

 

[Evita_W]

Sooo are we thinking CMs are a hive mind? That's the only way I can think of for 2 dif CMs in two dif stations to be aware of a specific guest's needs unless they are directly told.

Actually, since they both come in contact with each other, I would expect them to communicate amongst themselves.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Actually, since they both come in contact with each other, I would expect them to communicate amongst themselves.

Or guests who need to have their wheelchairs pushed need to bring someone who can do it instead of relying on CMs for whom that is most likely not a required duty.

 

[Evita_W]

Wheelchairs and ECVs enter a door to that last room. They don’t go through the regular entrance.



Thank you for sharing your CM perspective. It helps to get a better idea of how policies intersect with guest experience.

DH uses an EVC. From there he can board SSE himself. We are always asked if he’d be able to descend the stairs if the ride needed to be evacuated. He has always answered yes, so I don’t know what would happen if we answered no. He says he’ll need extra time and CMs have been ok with that.

Oh, I can answer that one, most of the time if you say no, it will result in an extended wait, but you will still be able to ride. This is because there is an elevator that can be used, but is also used for moving ride vehicles during maintenance. So, if there is a ride vehicle in the elevator, then you might not be able to to ride under such circumstances if you say no to the stairs. We were the last ride of the night one time and had a nice conversation while waiting to be able to board. We literally were two ride vehicles away from the CM using a flashlight to check the tracks on the final ride of the night.

 

[chrisney]

Sooo are we thinking CMs are a hive mind? That's the only way I can think of for 2 dif CMs in two dif stations to be aware of a specific guest's needs unless they are directly told.

When was'I supposed to have this conversation at the vehicle entrance level? Should I have asked to person helping me to stop so that I could speak up or should I have shouted over after getting into the vehicle (without assistance or needing to be touched)? Great logic, but it didn't work in the reality.
To place it into a context that people who aren't "like" this...imagine you're doing a zipline. The people help you to experience the zipline, but tell you once it is done that it is your responsibility to complete the experience. Oh wait, they wouldn't say that it was handicapped accessible, would they.

 

[OurBigTrip]

When was'I supposed to have this conversation at the vehicle entrance level? Should I have asked to person helping me to stop so that I could speak up or should I have shouted over after getting into the vehicle (without assistance or needing to be touched)? Great logic, but it didn't work in the reality.
To place it into a context that people who aren't "like" this...imagine you're doing a zipline. The people help you to experience the zipline, but tell you once it is done that it is your responsibility to complete the experience. Oh wait, they wouldn't say that it was handicapped accessible, would they.

It's not really their responsibility to push you up or down the ramp though. I understand it was upsetting to be left there like that, but the correct response from the CM at the beginning should have been that they aren't responsible for pushing people in wheelchairs.

 

[Flynn's Gal]

When was'I supposed to have this conversation at the vehicle entrance level?

Yes. In the future, if you decide to ride again, have that conversation before switching to the wheelchair. Be specific about the limitations of your party. They can either provide accommodations or not, but at least everyone will know how best to assist you before going up the ramp. It's unfortunate that you've had a terrible experience twice at the same ride no less. It's hard enough doing the parks with accommodations, but when an experience like your two happen, it taints the event even more. Hope it doesn't ruin the magic for you on future visits.

 

[starlite_]

When was'I supposed to have this conversation at the vehicle entrance level?

Yes, exactly! I am truly sorry you were left stuck in the vehicle, I am not trying to dismiss that. But CMs are not telepathic, if you need specific assistance then you should make that clear. Specially in an all-disabled group like yours. The CM at the end has no way to know that your husband and son also had disabilities and couldn't help you.

I do agree with the other posters tho, that if your group truly needs that much help then bringing someone with you to provide that help is ideal.

 

[ttintagel]

Sooo are we thinking CMs are a hive mind? That's the only way I can think of for 2 dif CMs in two dif stations to be aware of a specific guest's needs unless they are directly told.

I mean, whenever I've had to ask to have the loading belt slowed down to get into a ride vehicle, they generally automatically slow it down for me to unload, too. So I've always assumed the CMs at load and unload were in communication with each other about that sort of thing. (I'm not saying that's exactly the same as OP's situation, just that I don't think it's necessarily always impossible for the load CM to pass on information to unload. But maybe I'm mistaken.)