Stroller=3rd class, scooter=royalty

[pooch]

Taking your own advice maybe you should have posted your replay earlier? Maybe you wouldn't have been so crabby? You're right though, we leave the park and make sure we're back in the room for my DD's regular bedtime...

 

[Brer_roadrunner]

Perhaps the real problem is that people are waiting 40 minutes for a bus.

Agreed... AK is awful for bus service recently... I bet most of the problems with wheelchair's, scooters, and stroller's would go away if Disney would add more buses... You wait and wait the line get's longer and longer and patience wears thin... It's a bad situation, Disney needs to fix...

 

[Brer_roadrunner]

I'm glad you have a sense of humor... I was hoping not to make you more grumpy...

 

[kaytieeldr]

I just don't understand this concept of the EVC coming up to the bus at the last minute. You're right it's not fair. Why are not waiting in line with everyone else? That takes gull for 13 people to board a bus in front of the group that was already waiting for the same bus for 40 minutes. This is ridiculous!

• Forty minute lines are the exception, not the rule. Generally, when lines are that backed up, Transportation dispatches extra buses and double- or triple-loads (except the Guest in the wheelchair or ECV can board ONLY the bus AT the curb - not the buses waiting on the other side of that one).
  
• It makes a hundred times more sense to have the Guest in the wheelchair/ECV board an EMPTY bus, rather than one full of feet, or one where numerous seated Guests are forced to move by the driver so the wheelchair or ECV can be safely fastened down and its user safely ensconced in a seat.
  
• Thirteen travelers accompanying a single Guest in an ECV or wheelchair is abuse of the policy of allowing the wheelchair/ECV Guest to be accompanied by up to five members of their party when entering attractions and when boarding buses, regardless of their ages. For the third time in this thread: when you see this happening, PLEASE note as much accurately identifying information as possible: location, bus number, driver's name if possible, actual number of Guests allowed to board with the Guest on wheels - and report it to management at your resort.
  
• For every ECV that comes up to the bus at the last minute, there was very likely one (possibly even the same one) that at some time that day or that trip had to wait through two, three, or more buses before being able to board one. First bus had both wheelchair slots taken; second bus the lift lip wouldn't drop so the ECV could access the lift; third bus had too many passengers refusing to move/give up their seats so the wheelchair could be tied down; fourth bus... finally, success! But you all don't see that, or consider it. Y'all also don't consider that for every "huge" party, there are several dozen consisting of far fewer than the six allowed - four, two, three, even solo travelers.

 

[pooch]

i'm glad you have a sense of humor... I was hoping not to make you more grumpy...

carry me!!!!!!

 

[TLSnell1981]

I've been thinking of renting an ECV on our next trip, but these threads make me have second thoughts...I'D be that woman that appears to be perfectly healthy (Look at her! She drives one of those scooter things, and then just gets off and walks around the store like there's nothing wrong with her!!). Another thing that I hate the thought of is not being able to hold my husband's hand when walking...sounds trivial, but that's part of the magic to me.

I'm one of those women.. who appears to be perfectly healthy. I have FMS and CFS. I have good days.. and bad days. I rent an ECV, otherwise I wouldn't be able to make it past day one.

BTW...for those who think an ECV equals perks? Try it..you'd be surprised how handicapped people are treated (by some), but then again..maybe not...considering some of the comments on this thread. There are many rude and judgmental folks in this world. I choose to ignore them.

 

[Brer_roadrunner]

carry me!!!!!!

It can't be... I put my 5 year old to bed already... Maybe she woke up and learned to type? Hmmmmm.... I'll tell you what I tell her.... Talk to your mother...

 

[MrsDisney25]

Last yr we were waiting in line at coral reef, when 2 ladies walked out to their EVC , they both looked perfectly healthy, one looked at the other an said " are you riding or am I?" after talking about whos turn it was, one hopped on a rode off an the other followed. I was amazed at the misuse of these. EVC are meant for ppl that really need them. My mother was almost ran down by one at Epcot a few yrs ago and the driver had their grandchild on their lap! I wish disney would find away to controll the misuse of these, an save them for the ppl that really need them!

 

[SueM in MN]

Maybe you can answer this... What about someone in a motorized wheelchair who can't leave their chair? Are those chairs made with a lower center of gravity? Or a stronger frame? I've never been on a bus with someone in a chair like that and I'm curious as to how they are dealt with...

Power wheelchairs have both a stronger frame and a lower center of gravity. A person using an ECV rides much higher than a person on a power wheelchair.
Plus, all wheelchairs have 4 wheels (some have 6), which makes them more stable than an ECV, which often has only 3 wheels.
Many power wheelchairs actually have special brackets for the tiedown straps on the wheelchair to attach to.

Bus drivers are supposed to suggest that ECV riders get off of the ECV and sit in a bus seat for everyone's safety. But, I know some don't, especially when it is busy.

Most of the time, we leave the resort early enough that no one else is waiting to load the bus, and we leave the park at off peak hours for hte same reason. Many times DH and I have been the only guests on the bus.

But you know, no matter how early we arrive at the bus stop, and whether we were the first to arrive or not, someone always has to give me dirty looks. I have finally learned to ignore it, but it can be hurtful.

We take our time getting out of the park so that the first few buses will have already left before we get to the bus stop. If there are already more people waiting than will fit on the bus, we wait off to the side until the next bus comes (when we would have gotten on if we had walked up).

Doing those things does not stop people from giving dirty looks or mean, nasty comments. We get those if the bus is full EVEN if we were the very first people in line and no one else was waiting when we arrived.
When we know that it will be busy, DH or I wait alone with DD in her wheelchair and the rest of our party get in line (even when we were the first ones there). It's even worse when we do that though because the rest of our party get to hear all the comments of guests waiting in line, whining about having to wait for the wheelchair to be put on the bus. I get to hear the comments about DD taking up 3 seats for her wheelchair and people saying they hate those 'fakers' who use wheelchairs.
That kind of comments are so hateful and hurtful.
And, sometimes, people see DH and DD getting on the bus at the rear and just 'join'. Then I get to hear nasty comments about the 'abuse by large wheelchair groups', when I know the real group is only my DH and DD.

For those who think it is so great, rent a wheelchair or ECV for a day and try it. You can take my DD's wheelchair, but I get your child's abilities and you get my child's abilities.
That means you get to lift an 85 pound child into all the rides that don't have a wheelchair car because she can't stand or walk. In the morning, you have to bathe and dress her. Whenever she needs a bathroom stop, you will have to lift the 85 pound child onto and off of the toilet, get her clothes on and off. She'll need to be bathed too and save enough energy at the parks, because when the day is over, you need to take her clothes off, put pajamas on and get her into bed.
Also, no talking. My DD can understand, but she can't talk, so I have never (and will never) hear her say "I love you." You also will get to hear people say nasty things about her or talk to her in a baby voice (you know the voice - high pitched and simple words). Oh, and if she wants to buy something, people will ignore her and cut right in front of her. And, since she can't talk, she can't do much about it.
Just to make things more interesting, some days she can't feed herself, so you will have to do that too.
And, there is the added interesting feature of watching your child have a seizure. My DD has between 2 and 5 of those in an average month.

So, if anyone wants what they think are all the advantages of having someone who uses a wheelchair, I'm willing to find Ursula and try to make a trade. But, keep in mind what comes with the wheelchair may not be what you think it is.

 

[brunette8706]

• Forty minute lines are the exception, not the rule. Generally, when lines are that backed up, Transportation dispatches extra buses and double- or triple-loads (except the Guest in the wheelchair or ECV can board ONLY the bus AT the curb - not the buses waiting on the other side of that one).
  
• It makes a hundred times more sense to have the Guest in the wheelchair/ECV board an EMPTY bus, rather than one full of feet, or one where numerous seated Guests are forced to move by the driver so the wheelchair or ECV can be safely fastened down and its user safely ensconced in a seat.
  
• Thirteen travelers accompanying a single Guest in an ECV or wheelchair is abuse of the policy of allowing the wheelchair/ECV Guest to be accompanied by up to five members of their party when entering attractions and when boarding buses, regardless of their ages. For the third time in this thread: when you see this happening, PLEASE note as much accurately identifying information as possible: location, bus number, driver's name if possible, actual number of Guests allowed to board with the Guest on wheels - and report it to management at your resort.
  
• For every ECV that comes up to the bus at the last minute, there was very likely one (possibly even the same one) that at some time that day or that trip had to wait through two, three, or more buses before being able to board one. First bus had both wheelchair slots taken; second bus the lift lip wouldn't drop so the ECV could access the lift; third bus had too many passengers refusing to move/give up their seats so the wheelchair could be tied down; fourth bus... finally, success! But you all don't see that, or consider it. Y'all also don't consider that for every "huge" party, there are several dozen consisting of far fewer than the six allowed - four, two, three, even solo travelers.

**
Thanks for the reply. But I still don't understand why they are getting in line at the last minute, while everyone else is waiting in the sun for the bus to arrive. I can't help if they had to wait for 2 -3 busses that day. It would seem to me that would really "tick" off alot of people that are infact waiting in line with their tired kids. This really takes gull! Especially for the people that wouldn't think twice about butting in front of people that have been waiting and then towing along 5-10 members!

 

[pooch]

**
Thanks for the reply. But I still don't understand why they are getting in line at the last minute, while everyone else is waiting in the sun for the bus to arrive. I can't help if they had to wait for 2 -3 busses that day. It would seem to me that would really "tick" off alot of people that are infact waiting in line with their tired kids. This really takes gull! Especially for the people that wouldn't think twice about butting in front of people that have been waiting and then towing along 5-10 members!

the word is gall - gull is a bird

 

[brunette8706]

Gee, I had no idea the spelling police were on this board!

 

[pooch]

Gee, I had no idea the spelling police were on this board!

always on duty!!!

 

[livndisney]

Gee, I had no idea the spelling police were on this board!

Considering the topic of thread one would almost expect "police"

 

[brunette8706]

Considering the topic of thread one would almost expect "police"

*****

I hear ya!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Thanks for the reply. But I still don't understand why they are getting in line at the last minute,

Timing. You don't really notice when there's an ECV or wheelchair or two already waiting when you get in line. Actually, most people don't notice wheelchairs and ECVs at all except when they're inconvenienced - as evidenced by repeated complaints from people who step out in front of one, only inches away, then get mad when the person on wheels can't stop fast enough to avoid hitting the person on foot and no, I DON'T mean the Guests who intentionally use ANY wheels as a battering ram!

Or they may have been there, when you arrived, but back where it's shady. Or, yeah, maybe they did arrive just as the bus did. People do - all the time. But nobody complains when the last-minute arrivals are on foot!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Last yr we were waiting in line at coral reef, when 2 ladies walked out to their EVC , they both looked perfectly healthy, one looked at the other an said " are you riding or am I?" after talking about whos turn it was, one hopped on a rode off an the other followed. I was amazed at the misuse of these.

I understand it looks that way, and sometimes it is. On the other hand, often it's entirely legitimate. I was at Epcot with a small group several years ago (well, a large group but we split up - you know how crazy a mob of Disney-crazed women can get!). Two of us were using ECVs - me, obviously, and a friend who'd recently had heart surgery. Because her doctor's instructions included alternating walking with 'resting' (i.e. using the ECV) while on vacation, another member of our small group would use the ECV for a while while Person A walked, per doctor's orders.

Or maybe both women you saw needed the ECV but they could only afford one, so alternated. Or, sure, maybe they just rented one for the convenience.

 

[kaytieeldr]

the word is gall - gull is a bird

I knew what she meant and was easily able to respond

 

[smidgy]

I used to get irritated at the ecvs that pulled up to the bus lines and got boarded first. AND.. i posted this on threads on this forum.
my thought (which made perfect sense to me at the time), was "let the ECVs wiat in the special line, with one family member. let the rest of the party wait in the regular line. WHEN the rest of their party reached the front of the line, it was the ECVs turn to board."

herein was my faulty thinking: the ECV needs to board first. seats need to be "flattened". every bus can handle only a few ecvs. think about the logistics. if a bus pulls up that can take, say 2 ecvs, and it doesn't, because they weren't in line first, it moves on... now there are 4 ecvs in line. a bunch of people get on the bus. no ecvs, though. they are not next in line. next bus. now there are 6 ecvs, but the bus can only handle 2. it will go on and on , until the buses are running until 4 AM, to get the ecvs "home"..
the buses HAVE to take as many ECVS as they can , each trip, to logisticaly get everyone "home" that night.

I also thought, well, at least have only ONE person with each ECV. meet up at the park. or at the resort. I thought this for years. until, just recently, on another thread, a situation was pointed out. mom and dad, 3 little kids, grandma in an ECV. dad goes with grandma. mom is left to board bus with baby, 1 year old and 3 year old.:confused

I just read in an above post, it's 6 peole, including the handicapped person? what if mom and dad had 4 kids?
let grandma go on her own and meet up with the family later... maybe she gets a mite "confused"?

the point of my little dissertation is" I have learned.. I have changed my viewpoints. It's OK to admit that. isn't that the point of these boards, to learn? and grow? and better enjoy disney!!!!!!

 

[kaligal]

Oh, goodie.

Another thread where people who don't have to deal with physical hardship all day, every day of their lives complain about having to share with those who do.

Yippee. Can't get enough of these people.