Whoopie Goldberg on the View today . . .

[carol-lamb]

and fresh from her weekend narrating the Candlelight Processional was talking about the strollers and electric scooters at Walt Disney World. She was so funny and spot on. She said someone on a scooter almost hit her and told her to move and beeped at her.

 

[Robo]

She said someone on a scooter almost hit her and told her to move and beeped at her.

Did she mention Dr. House, by name?

 

[ShanF]

Oh my goodness!!! I was cracking up!! We saw her friday at the CP and it was wonderful!! I totally agree with her so many rude scooter drivers -- i was hit many times throughout the week. I understand if you NEED one but 3/4 of the people were exactly as she described them!!!!

 

[luckylady131]

I just heard her talking about that, and nearly spit out my drink!!! So funny. And true!

My DH and I were talking about this when we were just there. We were at the bus stop and it really got under our skin the number of people who would have a scooter, take 10 minutes ALONE to load up the scooter on the bus, get the scooter in all the belts, etc. And then the person would get off the scooter and go sit in a seat.

I do not mean to offend anyone who uses these. But seriously. If you are able to get out of the seat, and sit in a bus seat - then rent the scooter once you are at the park. Otherwise you are taking up the needed room on the bus for people in actual wheelchairs, who really don't have the ability to walk. And who need the limited space that is available on the buses for their personal wheel chairs.

Rant over.

 

[timandheather]

We just returned from a great trip to WDW.

DH got his foot ran over by one of those!

I am one of those whole feel that the scooters are a good thing they make it so more people can enjoy WDW, but do they really have to drive in a crowd a park closing shows like Wishes, Illuminations, F!? or drive on a tight sidewalk when a parade is in progress?

They "Disney" needs to create a better way so people with scooters can exit the park!

 

[DisneyWisher]

Wonder if Whoopie was watching where she was going? I used a scooter once, I severely twisted my knee, so badly it was 2 months before I could bend it without extreme pain. It's been 6 months and it's still not 100%. but I'd rather not go to Disney than to deal with people walking and stopping right in front of you (I'm talking about people walking toward you or crossing in front of you). I was scooting on the street that leads to ToT close to the curb when a 20+ yr old woman steps off the curb and stays right there. I was about 3 ft away when she did this. she was looking right at me as she stood there, guess she was claiming the spot as her own. When crowds were busy DD17 would lead the way. I'd love for anyone that thinks all scooter
riders are faking it to experience a week of the pain I felt, using a scotter takes a lot more time to tour a park with a scooter than without. The good thing I'd that at the end of the day I was not in as much pain as I would have been. We were there 6 days and only went to the parks 4 of those days. I tried going one day with just my cane and not the scooter, we went right to TSM about 30 mins I was in extreme pain, we used the alternative line (no stairs) the CM notice my pain (must have been written on my face) she brought a wheelchair for me to sit in. After the ride we left.

I'm just happy I no longer need one, we went 3 weeks ago for the weekend and took it slow. We stopped for scooters and gave them the right of way. Just because you can't clearly see their need for the scooter doesn't mean they are faking it.

 

[mariepapa]

I just heard her talking about that, and nearly spit out my drink!!! So funny. And true!

My DH and I were talking about this when we were just there. We were at the bus stop and it really got under our skin the number of people who would have a scooter, take 10 minutes ALONE to load up the scooter on the bus, get the scooter in all the belts, etc. And then the person would get off the scooter and go sit in a seat.

I do not mean to offend anyone who uses these. But seriously. If you are able to get out of the seat, and sit in a bus seat - then rent the scooter once you are at the park. Otherwise you are taking up the needed room on the bus for people in actual wheelchairs, who really don't have the ability to walk. And who need the limited space that is available on the buses for their personal wheel chairs.

Rant over.

Often when you get to the park the scooters will be gone, that is why many people rent them from an outside source. They need to know that they will have them for the entire length of stay. I know they are frustrating. Believe me, I have been using them now for three months due to surgery that removed a tumor in my back. The tumor was on a nerve and has left me almost unable to walk. So if I ever get to WDW again I will likely need a scooter. I hate this fact. I am a very healthy young woman. But you people make us feel like we are imposing on your time and vacation because we have disabilities that cannot be helped.

Rant over.

 

[DisneyWisher]

Luckylady- FYI at the parks it's $50 a day to rent a scooter offsite you can get one for $150 for 5-6 days. That's why people rent them offsite plus they can travel around the resort with them. It is the rule that you can't remain on the scooter for the bus ride.

 

[Ashton7]

Yes, I saw Whoopie and her rant a little while ago. I found it absolutely disgusting and have lost all respect for her. She might think it's funny to mock disabled people but I find it utterly despicable and not the least bit amusing. And once again we have someone, now a celebrity, trying to point a finger and claim that people using scooters must just be fat and lazy and if they'd just get up and walk they wouldn't be so "fat." Really? Really?!?! I'm over trying to explain how utterly wrong this is to people and am simply going to say a) none of anyone else's business why someone needs an ECV and b) unless you are them YOU DO NOT KNOW why they need it. Have a little compassion and empathy and if you can't have that, then simply mind your own business.

Furthermore, I have season passes to Disney and have lived in Orlando for over 20 years. In all the times I have gone to WDW, I have *rarely* heard/seen scooter users driving around "honking" at people as she claimed -- and the horn on a scooter is a little dinky "beep" anyway! You can barely hear it! And most times I have seen any kind of scooter accident it has been because someone walking wasn't paying attention to others around them.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

I just heard her talking about that, and nearly spit out my drink!!! So funny. And true!

My DH and I were talking about this when we were just there. We were at the bus stop and it really got under our skin the number of people who would have a scooter, take 10 minutes ALONE to load up the scooter on the bus, get the scooter in all the belts, etc. And then the person would get off the scooter and go sit in a seat.

I do not mean to offend anyone who uses these. But seriously. If you are able to get out of the seat, and sit in a bus seat - then rent the scooter once you are at the park. Otherwise you are taking up the needed room on the bus for people in actual wheelchairs, who really don't have the ability to walk. And who need the limited space that is available on the buses for their personal wheel chairs.


Rant over.

Some people who can walk at home would be absolutely miserable in pain with the amount of walking at Disney. ECV are not safe to stay on on the bus, they can be tip over in a accident or the person on could "fly" off in a quick stop, so the guest on the ECV should get off once loaded on the bus. Disney ECVs run out and are expensive, if a person needs to have one for them to enjoy their visit it is usually cheaper and easier to rent from offsite.

This type of thread tends to go downhill quickly, I only suggest that until you have experienced the looks, mean comments and general ugliness some people have to put up with simply to try and enjoy a family vacation you shouldn't judge ANYONE using an ECV.

 

[DisneyWisher]

Well said Happy, the monitors need to treat these types of threads like the tipping threads, close them right away.

 

[timandheather]

Yes, I saw Whoopie and her rant a little while ago. I found it absolutely disgusting and have lost all respect for her. She might think it's funny to mock disabled people but I find it utterly despicable and not the least bit amusing. And once again we have someone, now a celebrity, trying to point a finger and claim that people using scooters must just be fat and lazy and if they'd just get up and walk they wouldn't be so "fat." Really? Really?!?! I'm over trying to explain how utterly wrong this is to people and am simply going to say a) none of anyone else's business why someone needs an ECV and b) unless you are them YOU DO NOT KNOW why they need it. Have a little compassion and empathy and if you can't have that, then simply mind your own business.

Furthermore, I have season passes to Disney and have lived in Orlando for over 20 years. In all the times I have gone to WDW, I have *rarely* heard/seen scooter users driving around "honking" at people as she claimed -- and the horn on a scooter is a little dinky "beep" anyway! You can barely hear it! And most times I have seen any kind of scooter accident it has been because someone walking wasn't paying attention to others around them.

I have to agree with you during our whole trip non of them honked, most of the scooter drivers where respectful, in those large crowds I would not want to drive them. This was poor judgment by Woopi to rant about this.
When my DH got hit it was a accident and the nice lady was very sympathetic and acknowledged it was her fault.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Well said Happy, the monitors need to treat these types of threads like the tipping threads, close them right away.

I don't think that's necessary. I think it's a good reminder to people who might be new to the boards that not all disabilities are visible.

 

[Snickers0782]

Yes, I saw Whoopie and her rant a little while ago. I found it absolutely disgusting and have lost all respect for her. She might think it's funny to mock disabled people but I find it utterly despicable and not the least bit amusing. And once again we have someone, now a celebrity, trying to point a finger and claim that people using scooters must just be fat and lazy and if they'd just get up and walk they wouldn't be so "fat." Really? Really?!?! I'm over trying to explain how utterly wrong this is to people and am simply going to say a) none of anyone else's business why someone needs an ECV and b) unless you are them YOU DO NOT KNOW why they need it. Have a little compassion and empathy and if you can't have that, then simply mind your own business.

I'm not putting people down who need to use scooters. I'm sorry for those who do need them, I've never encountered a problem with anyone who uses them. None the less, I do however know someone who can walk and is considered overweight and lazy and refuses to walk and uses the scooter all the time! People like her are the people who are giving real handicapped people a bad name. If your going to sit in a scooter all the time and complain about it and your weight, it's your own fault. Get out of the scooter and walk around, a little exercise would do ya some good. Just sayin.... There are people out there who do take advantage of the use of a scooter as she may have complained about and because these people DO exist, then she does in a way have a reason to complain. I'm sure she she has a heart and is sympathetic to the real people who have a real need to use a scooter. Don't get it twisted. Besides...how does ANY of this have anything to do with rides and strategies....??? I suggest this thread be closed because it's only going to start a feud!

 

[sandym718]

I saw the View and found it amusing! I think one of the key things that's been mentioned here is "right of way". Who has the right of way? In my mind, it's those walking since the sidewalks and paths at Disney are designed Primarly for walking. I'm glad scooters exist for those who truly need them, and the same for strollers. But I do not believe having/using either automatically gives you right-of-way over those walking. Everyone needs to be courteous to Everyone around them and there would be no problem. If there's someone stopped on a sidewalk, you have to go around them, whether you're walking, on a scooter, pushing a stroller or a wheelchair, etc. I know it's not as easy with a scooter, but it can't be expected for everyone else in a large, crowded park to get out of the way. Patience and courtesy are key!

 

[LMO429]

I watched the view this morning and I knew what whoopi said was going to start quite a discussion today on the boards.

 

[leeliani]

The problem is that when it is crowded it is so hard for everyone to move around. Everyone is tired and grumpy. It's just not fun for anyone. I will say I have seen many people on scooters get completely ignored. People step right in front of them. When we were leaving after Wished there was an older gentleman on a scooter next to me, and I felt so bad for him because people would just step in front of him and give him a dirty look if he happened to clip them. I felt bad. There has got to be a better way to deal with this problem. It would be nice if everyone could just be patient and kind to one another, but I don't really see that happening. It's so easy to point fingers on both sides, but I think we should all take a minute to try to see things from a different perspective.

 

[DebbieB]

I just heard her talking about that, and nearly spit out my drink!!! So funny. And true!

My DH and I were talking about this when we were just there. We were at the bus stop and it really got under our skin the number of people who would have a scooter, take 10 minutes ALONE to load up the scooter on the bus, get the scooter in all the belts, etc. And then the person would get off the scooter and go sit in a seat.

I do not mean to offend anyone who uses these. But seriously. If you are able to get out of the seat, and sit in a bus seat - then rent the scooter once you are at the park. Otherwise you are taking up the needed room on the bus for people in actual wheelchairs, who really don't have the ability to walk. And who need the limited space that is available on the buses for their personal wheel chairs.

Rant over.

I don't believe they are permitted to sit in the scooter while the bus is in motion for safety reasons.

 

[Disneymooner07]

Two things:

First, we were dining at Jiko on Friday night and saw Whoopi Goldberg come in for dinner with a bunch of people around 10pm. My husband had to tell me to quit gawking

Second, Having just returned from WDW, I have to say that I witnessed "bad" behavior from all sorts of folks - pedestrians, those on scooters, those with strollers, etc. And by "bad," I don't necessarily mean malicious. I just mean people who are trying to get somewhere and aren't really paying attention to what's going on around them.

I also have to say, though, that I saw a lot more ECVs than I remember seeing in the past and I think it becomes a problem not only for the folks in the ECVs, who become trapped in crowds of people unwilling to let them pass, but also for pedestrians who end up run over or just in a general traffic jam when they get stuck behind a trapped ECV. There don't seem to be any rules as to who has the right of way, so everyone ends up in huge traffic jams. At one point, I had to literally stop people from walking in front of a poor castmember in an ECV who was just trying to cross a pathway because nobody would let her pass. Yet at other times, I was practically run over by folks in ECVs who didn't look left or right as they drove through an intersection. Personally, I don't know what the rules of traffic are, so I just tried my best to be polite and go with the flow.

It would be great if WDW could recognize how many people are using ECVs nowadays and maybe create lanes for scooters and wheelchairs at busy times like parades and entrance/exit hours. I think that would help to alleviate frustration for both ECV users and pedestrians alike. The worst times were really around parade times/castle lighting/special events on Main Street and when there was a rush of people trying to exit after an event or when MVMCP was starting. Main Street was an absolute madhouse! And that was supposed to be slow season! I can't imagine what Christmas Day will be like

 

[Yubbie]

Maybe the scooter business is so good because the scooter drivers are so bad.

One scooter driver runs over someone and now this person needs a scooter...