15 Things I Think About Our Recent Trip...

[audrabolster]

The number of people who just sit around eating popcorn while reading controversial threads gets bigger every time I come here!

LOL LOL LOL

 

[kiwitravel]

Nope, the OP changed what was originally posted to NOW indicate a concern with how ECV's are driven.
As Audrabolster has pointed out, the OP re-wrote the post which was VERY negative and assumptive regarding overweight people.

In defense of the posters orginal posting I certainly didn't read it as an attack on overweight people at all. Perhaps she could have worded it a bit better to reflect what she was trying to say. Having gone in 2004 and then in 2006 we certainly felt there were more people in ECVs on the second trip and certainly a high percentage of those were very overweight but the overweight people were no better or worse at driving the ECVs than anyone else who were driving them. People have every right to be upset if they felt that the poster was infering overweight people are worse ECV drivers than others as we certainly didn't see that, but the fact that the number of overweight people in ECVs is increasing should not be a taboo subject. We can only speculate as to why the people were in the ECVs and we shouldn't generalise but it is a fact that USA (and elsewhere) is having an obesity epidemic that will only get worse unless we talk about it...

 

[blackjackdelta]

I have notice a lot more people of all sizes and ages and sexes riding the ECV's. But they always seem to be trapped surrounded by crowds. To me it is a wonder that any of them can get anywhere. I have never seen anything but careful driving. Now the strollers...... well. Completely different story. I too have tripped over, jumped over or wiggled out of the way quickly to miss injury of an out of control parent pushing the stroller at high speed. In fact , one year in line at IASW I was standing in line, standing still and a mother side swiped me with a stroller, cut my ankle and then blamed me for getting in her way. Naturally I was standing still and she was behind me so that made all kinds of sense. I was p.o.ed and almost fell onto her kid. The kid could have been hurt. and she could have cared less. The line wasnt moving so I dont know what her rush was. but to me it is the strollers that I find dangerous. Too bad because I sympathize with the parents. Most of the time they look so exhausted that they should be in a stroller being pushed. Too bad really. They never look like they are having fun. None the less, I am always a little cautious around the strollers.
now as far as the weight problem in the USA. it is so personal. I have never had a weight problem but I have had a knee injury. I can only imagine what it must be like to have knee pain or body aches because of being over weight. It must be terrible. like my mother always said, "put yourself in their shoes for a day before you judge". The thing I love about DL is that big or small, DL is there for all of us. I know I sound like a real Polly Anna but,who cares.I dont think the OP meant any harm though. It didnt read antagonistic to me. I live in Los Angeles, the land of the Beautiful and perfect. anyone 5lbs above organ failure is considered "fat". Judgement is all over the place here, DL is a place where people should be able to be themselves without fear of judgements. I know the world isnt perfect but it is a little closer to perfect at Dl. dont cha think?

Good job, but it does not change the ecv reality..

Jack

 

[Corpsebride]

Good job, but it does not change the ecv reality..

Jack

As my dad would say "I reject your reality and replace it with my own!" Just kidding Jack. I saw the door and had to walk through it.

 

[awoltoday]

As my dad would say "I reject your reality and replace it with my own!" Just kidding Jack. I saw the door and had to walk through it.

Where is the tag fairy when you need them?

 

[DizNee Luver]

I just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth on an experience we had last trip...
We were walking from the transit bus stops up to the gates, when we literally got ran over by a family (all on foot) running to get to the entrance. We later saw the family at the sitting area/photo pick-up/bathrooms/handcap entrance for Space Mtn. She had rented a scooter, she wasn't currently in the chair, but her kids were & bumping into people, basically playing with the chair as the mom (the one who needed the chair?) was dancing around & chasing another kid back & forth. When the line up of scooters moved closer to getting to be taken in for the ride, she mysteriously could barely walk to get into the chair (IT WAS QUITE A SHOW). These are the ones that upset us, they basically rent the chair to gain entrance to rides with their families. Very sad for the ones that actually need them. We saw them a few more times in the park & she again wasn't in the chair..... We really felt they were running a "racket" to try & bi-pass the system & these are the ones that upset us. How pathetic!!

 

[Sherwin]

I just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth on an experience we had last trip...
We were walking from the transit bus stops up to the gates, when we literally got ran over by a family (all on foot) running to get to the entrance. We later saw the family at the sitting area/photo pick-up/bathrooms/handcap entrance for Space Mtn. She had rented a scooter, she wasn't currently in the chair, but her kids were & bumping into people, basically playing with the chair as the mom (the one who needed the chair?) was dancing around & chasing another kid back & forth. When the line up of scooters moved closer to getting to be taken in for the ride, she mysteriously could barely walk to get into the chair (IT WAS QUITE A SHOW). These are the ones that upset us, they basically rent the chair to gain entrance to rides with their families. Very sad for the ones that actually need them. We saw them a few more times in the park & she again wasn't in the chair..... We really felt they were running a "racket" to try & bi-pass the system & these are the ones that upset us. How pathetic!!

Taking advantage of a utility meant for truly disabled folk is one thing, but putting on an act to cut others out of line is despicable!

 

[momrek06]

13. I'd pay extra for a pass that would just let me stay on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride all day.

Well I have to say ITA with #13!!!!

 

[kiwitravel]

These are the ones that upset us, they basically rent the chair to gain entrance to rides with their families. Very sad for the ones that actually need them. We saw them a few more times in the park & she again wasn't in the chair..... We really felt they were running a "racket" to try & bi-pass the system & these are the ones that upset us. How pathetic!!

We saw some of these too, but didn't let it worry us. At the end of the day we didn't know on what grounds they felt they needed the chair and didn't want to waste time speculating whether it was real or a scam. Still it was a bit strange to see "disabled" people in wheel chairs and scooters getting up and walking around and even running in some cases.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

We saw some of these too, but didn't let it worry us. At the end of the day we didn't know on what grounds they felt they needed the chair and didn't want to waste time speculating whether it was real or a scam. Still it was a bit strange to see "disabled" people in wheel chairs and scooters getting up and walking around and even running in some cases.

This is very true. My DH has very bad knees, and he's currently recovering from operation # 9. He needs knee replacement, but is too young for the docs to want to go that route yet, so he just has to live with it for now.

He can walk around and sometimes even run after DS4 when needed, but he'll pay for it later. Before our DL trip last December he cut his stay short to have the surgery, because he just couldn't stand the pain anymore.

I begged him to rent an ECV to use during the trip, knowing how much pain he'd be in by the end of the day, but he refused. So he was fine in the morning, limping by mid-day, and really suffering after that. But he wasn't going to let his bad knees ruin the kids' Disneyland trip! Other than the wraps he wears to keep the swelling down or the occasional knee brace, you probably wouldn't know by looking at him that there was a problem.

As for people's weight, I see it as a chicken-egg sort of question: Is a particular person using an ECV because their weight causes walking to be painful, or is s/he overweight because they use an ECV due to some other health problem(s)? And does it really matter? Would that really be any of my business?

I don't want to spend my vacation time worrying about others; that's a pointless waste of precious time, if you ask me! I just want to have a good time.