So...why do wheelchairs/scooters get priority boarding?

[dburg30]

My boyfriend uses a power wheelchair, we have been on 11 WDW trips together and used the busses every trip. We have no problem waiting in line at the end of the night with everyone else then break off at the accessible gate. What I have a huge problem with is getting to the front of the line but there are several ECV's/wheelchairs in front of us because Disney likes to double load busses.

Meaning while one bus is in the loading zone, another pulls up beside it and starts loading people, all able bodied because there is no way for the ramp to be let out on the second bus. That means a bus with 2 - 4 wheelchair slots is pulling away over and over again without an ECV/wheelchair in those slots while they have been waiting long after the people that were behind them in the line are well on their way.

This has happened to us time and time again especially at Epcot. I know it is not a great system to let the ECV's/wheelchairs right on the bus, but neither is stacking them up while letting the accessible slots drive away over and over. They should let the first bus fill up, drive off, then the next bus pull right in.

They do this?! Granted I've only been there about 6 times since 2007 but I've never seen a bus pull up next to a bus and then have guests cross IN FRONT of a bus to board another bus? For safety being their #1 priority, this IMO doesnt seem to be the 'safest' idea.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yes, they sometimes (admittedly rarely) even stack three buses for a single resort. It's not unsafe to walk in front of the loading bus(es), because the one(s) furthest from the curb leaves first. The bus parked next to the curb or loading area doesn't move if anybody is walking in front of it.

Happens a lot with the larger resorts.

 

[goofy4tink]

Given the problems and idiosyncracies and irregularities mentioned above, I am convinced that the wheelchair slots in the buses should be regarded as a separate line item or commodity or resource whose utilization should be optimized as a separate important topic.

If a few extra members of the handicapped person's family sneak on board sooner than they should, any impact is spread out over a larger population producing a much smaller per person impact and also this is easier to solve by adding a few more buses to the mix (schedule) in a general fashion as opposed to having to find a bus with a working lift to make a special run where a wheelchair problem occurred.

1. Granted, I don't have a doctorate, but I don't think you should need one in order to understand a post here. I have no idea what it is you are trying to say. But, perhaps others have figured it out.
and
2. There is an actual city, in Ohio that is Wooster. And it pronounced as such. Worcester is actually pronounced...wusster....no h, no c...period.

 

[dburg30]

Yes, they sometimes (admittedly rarely) even stack three buses for a single resort. It's not unsafe to walk in front of the loading bus(es), because the one(s) furthest from the curb leaves first. The bus parked next to the curb or loading area doesn't move if anybody is walking in front of it.

Happens a lot with the larger resorts.

Just for all they do with safety, even taking that chance just is weird.. I understand it's not 'unsafe' but anytime you are walking in front of a running bus "sh*t can happen"... Anywhere else would seem normal, but just very surprised at WDW.

 

[Jenny3]

Yes they are clearly marked, but I've heard of it happening.. Maybe one of those urban legend things, but I have a feeling it has happened..

It's happened. We experienced it last year when my 8 y/o niece (in a wheelchair) was boarding a bus. The person currently sitting the wheelchair seat gave the driver a hard time when she realized she was losing her seat so they could strap my niece's electric chair in.

Seriously, the irony of people boo-hooing on the "unfairness" of having to STAND UP and MOVE for a child bound to a wheelchair absolutely kills me.

 

[Greysword]

Given the problems and idiosyncracies and irregularities mentioned above, I am convinced that the wheelchair slots in the buses should be regarded as a separate line item or commodity or resource whose utilization should be optimized as a separate important topic.

If a few extra members of the handicapped person's family sneak on board sooner than they should, any impact is spread out over a larger population producing a much smaller per person impact and also this is easier to solve by adding a few more buses to the mix (schedule) in a general fashion as opposed to having to find a bus with a working lift to make a special run where a wheelchair problem occurred.

1. Granted, I don't have a doctorate, but I don't think you should need one in order to understand a post here. I have no idea what it is you are trying to say. But, perhaps others have figured it out.

That's what I was thinking. Seashore is awesome, but that thought train left the station without me

 

[maxiesmom]

They do this?! Granted I've only been there about 6 times since 2007 but I've never seen a bus pull up next to a bus and then have guests cross IN FRONT of a bus to board another bus? For safety being their #1 priority, this IMO doesnt seem to be the 'safest' idea.

I've seen it many times. And I've never felt unsafe crossing to the outer bus, I've just been happy another bus has pulled up! Being Disney, I'm sure they have strict guidelines as to how and when and where the extra buses pull up and pull away.

 

[SaraJayne]

1. Granted, I don't have a doctorate, but I don't think you should need one in order to understand a post here. I have no idea what it is you are trying to say. But, perhaps others have figured it out.

I consider myself fairly intelligent and I have no idea.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

It's a violation of federal law to possess or smoke anything that would allow one to better comprehend those posts...

1. Granted, I don't have a doctorate, but I don't think you should need one in order to understand a post here. I have no idea what it is you are trying to say. But, perhaps others have figured it out.

 

[crashbb]

1. Granted, I don't have a doctorate, but I don't think you should need one in order to understand a post here. I have no idea what it is you are trying to say. But, perhaps others have figured it out.
and
2. There is an actual city, in Ohio that is Wooster. And it pronounced as such. Worcester is actually pronounced...wusster....no h, no c...period.

I DO have a doctorate and I still don't understand it.

 

[going/again]

So the rest of the family wait in line lets say (you used 6) they are the 35th to 40th people in line, imagine how difficult its going to be to load that chair now, so now should they have to wait for yet another bus? .

Sadly its not that simple as waiting like the rest of us as you put it, the rest of us have a choice of aprrox 50 seats, and up to 20 standing, wheelchairs have only 2 spots.

 

[going/again]

They do this?! Granted I've only been there about 6 times since 2007 but I've never seen a bus pull up next to a bus and then have guests cross IN FRONT of a bus to board another bus? For safety being their #1 priority, this IMO doesnt seem to be the 'safest' idea.

All the time at park closing. actually its quite safe as the door to the second bus is in front of the bus in the stop, so the first bus cant move untill the second one has pulled away, it works quite well to move a lot of people at closing time.

 

[mrsksomeday]

So the rest of the family wait in line lets say (you used 6) they are the 35th to 40th people in line, imagine how difficult its going to be to load that chair now, so now should they have to wait for yet another bus? .

Sadly its not that simple as waiting like the rest of us as you put it, the rest of us have a choice of aprrox 50 seats, and up to 20 standing, wheelchairs have only 2 spots.

They wouldn't load the chair when the family got to the head of the line, they would have the family break off at the accessible spot and wait again while the people that were waiting in line behind them were already on a bus and back to their resort. I know this from experience.

People always break out the "we were waiting in line and someone walked up pushing grandma and 15 family members got on the bus with her" argument. We have gone to WDW 11 times in the last 6 years and used only the busses. I have never seen this happen. I am not saying it never happens, we have just never seen it.

My boyfriend has Cerebral Palsy and uses a power wheelchair. He would give anything to be able to walk and stand in line for a bus, people don't tend to think about that. They would rather give dirty looks or say things like "it must be nice to get on the bus first". The bus gets us all there at the same time and while everyone else has disembarked, Bill patiently waits until the bus is empty to have the driver take the tie downs off his chair. We are thankful that we can use the bus system.

 

[chimilady]

I think this is a hot topic. I have no problem with a wheelchair boarding first and completely understand why. My problem is when you are already waiting in line at the end of the night and not even inside the ropes yet and you watch a wheelchair just pull up and board the next bus taking with them up to 6 other people i'm sorry but that is wrong. Let them wait in line or at least their family wait in line. When the family reaches the front of the line to board then let them all get on like the rest of us. Some people choose to step aside and wait for a bus so they can sit the family of the disabled can do the same thing so they can get on first too.

Yup, we waited over an hour for a bus to AK in the morning to make our 8am dining reservations. Got there at 6:45, still there at 7:45. Bus showed up, just as an ECV family got there, and they boarded first, leaving the rest of the families to duke it out over who was going to make their reservations and who wasn't.

 

[seashoreCM]

Yup, we waited over an hour for a bus to AK in the morning to make our 8am dining reservations. Got there at 6:45, still there at 7:45. Bus showed up, just as an ECV family got there, and they boarded first, leaving the rest of the families to duke it out over who was going to make their reservations and who wasn't.

OT: Under these circumstances the maitre d' should honor the reservations of those who declined to get into a duke out, seating such latecomers ahead of others with reservations who physically arrived yet later. Should the matter need to be taken up with Guest Relations it becomes recoverable.

A wait of an hour for a bus that can't take everyone is a severe aberration.

Psst! Anyone got the phone number to call from the bus platform if a bus doesn't arrive in timely fashion?

 

[joelkfla]

Psst! Anyone got the phone number to call from the bus platform if a bus doesn't arrive in timely fashion?

The official number is 407-WDW-RIDE.

But I don't know whether that's actually answered by someone in transportation, or just the same call center that handles most guest calls.

Most of the year, most resorts now have transportation greeters at one or more stops in the morning. Part of their job is to keep track of how long it's been since the last bus to a park, and call someone if it's been too long.

But if you're there when they're not on duty, the best strategy, imho, is to alert the resort concierge or front desk.

 

[AngieMouse86]

Is there a law in the US that says Disney must board them first on their buses? I don't understand why they can't wait in line with everyone else then board the next available bus. Maybe I'm being naive????

Wow, this question seems quite ridiculous to me! I've never been on any kind of bus, anywhere, that didn't load wheelchairs/ECVs first! Never seen a city bus not load a wheelchair first, I thought that was just common sense/accepted practice all over the country..?

There are only so many accessible spots on buses, why shouldn't folks that need the spaces get taken care of first? Then, everyone else can find seats, instead of letting people on and making some get up out of the marked spaces to load wheelchairs.

 

[Jenny3]

My boyfriend has Cerebral Palsy and uses a power wheelchair. He would give anything to be able to walk and stand in line for a bus, people don't tend to think about that. They would rather give dirty looks or say things like "it must be nice to get on the bus first". The bus gets us all there at the same time and while everyone else has disembarked, Bill patiently waits until the bus is empty to have the driver take the tie downs off his chair. We are thankful that we can use the bus system.

Yes, exactly. My 8 y/o niece would happily stand in line for hours for a bus instead of enduring the stares when her electric chair is loaded, or feeling like a burden when people need to get out of her seat. She would love to just hop on a bus, or get in the regular ride line, instead of the special access. She would joyfully stand for hours on end in a bus line or any other line, if she could.

With all the everyday challenges that people with special needs endure in their lives, is it really that big of deal to people that they get to board a bus first? Do people honestly think that is "unfair"?

 

[goofy4tink]

They wouldn't load the chair when the family got to the head of the line, they would have the family break off at the accessible spot and wait again while the people that were waiting in line behind them were already on a bus and back to their resort. I know this from experience.

People always break out the "we were waiting in line and someone walked up pushing grandma and 15 family members got on the bus with her" argument. We have gone to WDW 11 times in the last 6 years and used only the busses. I have never seen this happen. I am not saying it never happens, we have just never seen it.

My boyfriend has Cerebral Palsy and uses a power wheelchair. He would give anything to be able to walk and stand in line for a bus, people don't tend to think about that. They would rather give dirty looks or say things like "it must be nice to get on the bus first". The bus gets us all there at the same time and while everyone else has disembarked, Bill patiently waits until the bus is empty to have the driver take the tie downs off his chair. We are thankful that we can use the bus system.

I think that in my 30+ stays in WDW, since '99, I've seen wheelchairs/ECVs come rushing up and be able to board, about 4 times. BUT...those have all occurred at less busy times of day. The driver knew that those standing in line would be able to get on board...stand maybe, but they would be on the bus. So, the ECV was loaded...and yes, there was grumbling in the line since the ECV had arrived just as the bus drove up..and we had been standing in the line for about 10 mins. Now, for me??? I don't think 10 mins is a hugely long time, but others felt it was. And those people all got on the bus..with only about 5 standing. In fact, there were a fair number of people, myself included, that offered up our seats in order to quell the 'loud grumblings'. I mean, seriously??? You are going to make someone feel awful for boarding a bus before you because you had to wait an addtl 5 mins and then stand for the 12 min ride to the park???

 

[disneymarie]

I just posted about the problem we had loading on a new thread. A loading CM at MK directed us through the main queue. We waited through all the buses. As it was our turn to board a family left us out the chain, a wheel chair for dd, scooter with dh, son with my dgs in the stroller.
As I went to push my daughter up FINALLY when an accessable bus was there the CM requested me to move to the rear of the line there is no priority boarding.

I stated we did go through the line, the family we chatted with saw another bus that appeared to have a ramp pull up and we were at the Accessable chain. He opened the chain for our group to go out.
This CM embarrassed the heck out of me insisting I was not in the line, that I was cutting and I could not load, go to the back of the line. I insisted that we did not cut, the family could vouch for us,
The wait was a few times for a bus that could load us after we were up to the accessable area was always about half an hour, after getting through the queue.

One night it was so bad as the dgs, dh was in melt down mode, and the other two of us that pushed all day just were on the verge of tears. We were soooo exhausted, it is a long day pushing accesable devices around, and just getting around, then to be stuck waiting, waiting, and more waiting to be accused of cutting the line and I would not be boarded...

Sorry if I am rattling, I am still upset how our trip, as exhausting as a day at the park is, I had to defend myself that I was not a line cutter and just wanted to get the family back to the hotel. I folded the wheel chair and dgs stroller, got them in seats and then the dh was not allowed on the empty spaces. He told the people to just board he would wait for another bus. I have cervical and lumbar herniations, fybromyagia, and have to think of others to push the wheel chair. No way do I want an ignorant CM embarrassing me, making my day more difficult then it already has been.

Let him walk in my sneakers litterly a day at the parks and be a big man embarrassing me!