I am in full aggrement with the person who started this thread. Even though I am still tired and achey from our trip which just ended Sunday. I could not pass this thread w/out posting.
Due to FMS, CFS and Arthritis I ended up in a
ECV, which I rented from Randy's Mobility for the land portion of our stay (eight days). They were great and the ECV was of monumental importance to me. I NEVER could have walked the parks. I'm still in my early 30's.
Didn't have too many problems at SeaWorld, Universal or IOA. But the first day at WDW, when we hit the MK, it was horrible. We were day guests, because we wouldn't be staying at PO until the next day. The am started off ok. One of the woman at the ropes told her family to make sure they let me by, when it was time to go. But the day quickly disenegrated. I viewed more peoples butts than I thought possible. Got a good look at everyone's kids in strollers and thought that I had taken invisiblility pills. People walked in front of me, bumped into me and attempted to seperate DH and I as we walked thru crowds. He would hold onto the chair or basket of the ECV. Sometimes I would put it on it's lowest speed and we would hold hands. But someone was usually trying to push their way thru. At Cosmic Ray's DH and I wanted different meals and got in different lines. I had to naviagate to the table by myself in the ECV with the tray, no CM's offered to help. A woman who saw me did get up and assist me. She commented that it was rudw that no one had helped me Leaving after the MSEP and fireworks was horrible. No one wanted to wait at all. At the entrance one man pushed me and sent me straight into DH's legs and feet.
The next day at EPCOT, I stopped apologizing when I ran into someone after they looked at me and tried to cross in front of me anyway and I started telling everyone esp. little kids NOT to cross in front of me. At AK a woman cut me off, then got upset when she bumped into me a few seconds later because she tried to cut me off again. I heard her mumble "excuse me!" in a sarcarstic way. I just kept putting along.
The worst problem happened at the Studios. We did the Fantasmic package and were seated in the handicapped area of the package seating at 8pm. There were two empty benches in front of us that were clearly marked handicapped. People flocking in after 8pm, (show started at 8:30), thought they were entitled to these seats! The CM's were constantly telling people that they could not sit there, or stand behind us, that the seating was for disabled guests and their parties. People did not want to go all the way down to were there were seats and later, they did not want to use the standing room. About 8:25pm a man wanted the seats and was arguing with the CM telling her about the resort fees he paid, as if that guareteed him a seat at the theatre, when he walked in 5 mins before! As soon as the CM's back was turned he and his family jumped past the line of wc's and ecv's in the back row and took the seats. Other people seeing them did likewise and in about 30 secs both the benches were full. Later, when handicapped people came in there was no space for them there.
And on the subject of night shows. DH and I got our spots for MSEP at 7pm for the 8:30 parade, in the handicapped seating near the castle. There was a spot of curb in front of me for hubby to sit on, before the parade he opted for the bench surrounding the planter behind me. The people beside me as had a little curb in front of them for a few members of their party. It amazed me how many people strolled around between 8-8:30pm and thought that they should be able to sit there. If I had a dollar from anyone who asked it the place was taken, I could have paid for my
ECV rental or more. Actually, the joke was that we should rent out the space and leave, the "real estate" price would be so high, we would all have enough $$ for another trip. One lady circled around the space in the curb, looking like she was gettting up enough nerve to sit there, another woman actuallybent down to sit there without so much as a by your leave to anyone already there. From her dress I gathered Eastern Indian I think, so she may not have spoke english, but, she certainly understood all of us telling her no! In the end the lady in the wc to the right of me didn't need the space in front of her because her husband opted to stay on the planter's bench and my DH did the same, so we gave the seats to a family who had had their kids nearby.
I had no problems at EPCOT for the TON, but, CM's were not posted at the WC viewing area for Illuminations, near the German pavilion. The first night I saw it a lot of people wandered in and tried to push their kids in front of or between us. The second night a fellow guest at the entrance was telling people who did not have
WC's or ECV's that this was a handicapped viewing area and asking them to leave.
I didn't notice anyone making comments about us being ahead in the lines. I transferred from the ECV to a WC for some of the lines and DH pushed me up in the regular lines. On some rides we did go up the back entrance, I felt very funny doing that. Most of the time I would get a FastPass and when I came back, the CM would send me to the front. It wasn't anything that I looked for.
I have to say that the bus drivers at WDW were excellent! Whille we were at PO, I only ran into two busses that didn't have a lift and both of those drivers radioed in to make sure the next bus would have one. All of the drivers were friendly and helpful, only I think I did see a few disgusted faces when we were the first on the bus, esp. at night comming out of the parks. I didn't hear any negative comments. Only the morning we went to MGM one family said to me as they all were exiting, "You were on first, but, you are last off." The statement and the boarding order didn't bother me. It was said with a smile...maybe it should have.
All the CM's at all the parks we went to were great. I had no problems or negative comments from any of them.
This was my first experience with an ECV for a long period of time. DH has some health problems to and probably should use one. He doesn't want to. Says there has to be at least one of us walking to protect the other and right now, I really need it. I understand him completely. Eventually, I will probably end up buying a
scooter. I think I have seen my future and it's not very pretty. Sorry this is so long /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
Daisimae
Proud Survivor of the Space Mountain Morning-Mini Marathon and Splash Mountain Rapid Rampage
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