current bus policy - line or wait where back of bus will be?

[welovespacemoutain]

Just trying to avoid some of the issues we had last time. I understand that some on the stops now have a painted spot to wait for the bus. If there isn't one should we still wait off to the side where the rear door is (and hope the driver doesn't ignore us) or wait in the main line (and hope that WC/scooter folks that arrive after us don't wait off to the side and board first or risk that the driver doesn't see her chair)? We can fold her chair up as long as she gets a seat. Thanks!

The biggest problem we had last time was at the resort stop where there wasn't really a line or designated spot - guests sat on benches and then rushed for the bus and no one knew where it might stop (although it usually arrived full, but that's another story).

 

[SueM in MN]

I can’t speak for the other resorts, but OKW had this sign posted at the bus stops as of April 4, 2011.

This type of painted box was at all the bus stops at OKW and at stops I went to at Port Orleans in October 2010.

Some bus stops at the parks currently (as of April 4, 2011) still have a marked spot that say “Wheelchair loading” outside of the regular bus queue. MK was like that.
All of the bus stops at Epcot and the stops we used at the Studio now have ‘no exit’ bus lines like this picture shows, where all guests enter the line and there is no way out until reaching the front door of the bus.



And, then, just to keep guest guessing, we saw this stop the other day at Epcot which had an elastic line ‘attachment’ with a wheelchair symbol added to the end of a ‘no exit’ line at Epcot. We’ve been at Epcot several times, but only saw this one day (it’s on the left side of the picture).

 

[SueM in MN]

Don’t know why, but the second picture didn’t show.
This type of painted box was at all the bus stops at OKW and at stops I went to at Port Orleans in October 2010.

 

[welovespacemoutain]

Thanks for the input! Looks like we'll have to play it by ear... maybe we can split the difference when all of us are together.. my son can stand in line and I can wait with DD off to the side. I will try to remember to take pictures when we are there.

If those signs were posted everywhere it would be nice - could have pointed at it last time when the driver said HE couldn't ask people to move off the handicapped bench for DD but I could. I did - they didn't respond, but a gentleman across from them did.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the input! Looks like we'll have to play it by ear... maybe we can split the difference when all of us are together.. my son can stand in line and I can wait with DD off to the side. I will try to remember to take pictures when we are there.

If those signs were posted everywhere it would be nice - could have pointed at it last time when the driver said HE couldn't ask people to move off the handicapped bench for DD but I could. I did - they didn't respond, but a gentleman across from them did.

He is supposed to ask. There is a sign posted on the bus above those seats that says passengers must give up those seats to guests with disabilities. THat should actually take place before the driver lowers the ramp or lift for you so that the seat is all folded up and ready for you to roll into the space.
This picture shows the sign (although it is a bit small).

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/2590ecv_on_busjpg.jpg

 

[welovespacemoutain]

He is supposed to ask. There is a sign posted on the bus above those seats that says passengers must give up those seats to guests with disabilities. THat should actually take place before the driver lowers the ramp or lift for you so that the seat is all folded up and ready for you to roll into the space.
This picture shows the sign (although it is a bit small).

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/2590ecv_on_busjpg.jpg

Thanks! I knew he was supposed to - he just wouldn't. He actually asked if she could stand - I said no and he wanted us to wait for another bus (his was the 3rd or 4th bus that came by that morning - the others were full) so I went ahead and asked since he wouldn't. I tried to "report" him when we got to DHS but no one cared and I just wasted our time. This time I am storing the number in my phone just in case.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks! I knew he was supposed to - he just wouldn't. He actually asked if she could stand - I said no and he wanted us to wait for another bus (his was the 3rd or 4th bus that came by that morning - the others were full) so I went ahead and asked since he wouldn't. I tried to "report" him when we got to DHS but no one cared and I just wasted our time. This time I am storing the number in my phone just in case.

There is information in post 4 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread about bus travel at WDW. I need to rewrite the questions and answers, but there is correct information in that thread about how to report a problem.
They need to be reported to Transportation - reporting to the front desk or guest relations at a park will not get the desired response.

 

[welovespacemoutain]

There is information in post 4 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread about bus travel at WDW. I need to rewrite the questions and answers, but there is correct information in that thread about how to report a problem.
They need to be reported to Transportation - reporting to the front desk or guest relations at a park will not get the desired response.

Thanks - I have read over that part and will use it this trip if needed. We may just use the car more if we have issues. The guys I spoke to were in uniform at the transportation building right by the DHS busses. Next time I will take pictures and call either when it happens or while I am waiting in line for say TSM or something so I don't waste my kids park time again. I do try to report stuff like that is so i doesn't happen to others in the future.

 

[dclfun]

I was at Epcot a few weeks ago going back to POP and there was still a separate queue for w/c's vs. having to go through the regular line. As it was I arrived and the driver informed me that I'd have to wait for the next bus as people were seated in the seats over the tie-down spaces. At least he didn't load others and I only waited about 15 minutes. I just wish the w/ c queue was in the shade like the other area. If you wait back in the shade you run the risk of others arriving who also need the w/c spaces who will enter the queue in front of you . I've learned never to expect common courtesy anymore and sometimes people are so focused on other things that they truly don't notice that you were there first.---Kathy

 

[Bete]

Disney is acting more unkind these days I feel and making it harder for us in this regard. It's like without saying it they would prefer if you drove everywhere. Yes, you can report the incident, but does it make a difference? How does it get better if you do? Every little while we hear another issue right on these boards. Like the original poster said it seems to be a lot of time gone wasted if you try to report a problem in this regard, as well.

This doesn't count the feelings of others toward scooters, etc. waiting in the bus line which is another problem.

I'm glad we drive down most of the time. I feel we have options that way.

 

[jmartinez1895]

Yes, you can report the incident, but does it make a difference? How does it get better if you do?

I can't speak for other instances, but when we had problems with a driver not loading my son properly we did not know who to report it to at first. After we got home I called around and finally got to the right person. He was the manager ( or what ever they call his title) of transportation and he took our information and called us back a day latter and said that the driver had been taken off route until he was retained with the training focusing on polices for helping handicap users. I don;t know if they all care, but the person i spoke to was very upset and at least in our cases the issues was addressed.

 

[SueM in MN]

I can't speak for other instances, but when we had problems with a driver not loading my son properly we did not know who to report it to at first. After we got home I called around and finally got to the right person. He was the manager ( or what ever they call his title) of transportation and he took our information and called us back a day latter and said that the driver had been taken off route until he was retained with the training focusing on polices for helping handicap users. I don;t know if they all care, but the person i spoke to was very upset and at least in our cases the issues was addressed.

For future reference - there is information in the disABILITIES FAQs thread on what to do to report a problem. When you call, you want to ask for Transportation and ask for the Transportation Manager for buses for that shift. We have done it several times and the manager was very responsive to us.

 

[welovespacemoutain]

For future reference - there is information in the disABILITIES FAQs thread on what to do to report a problem. When you call, you want to ask for Transportation and ask for the Transportation Manager for buses for that shift. We have done it several times and the manager was very responsive to us.

Sue - Thanks so much for all you do to make people's trips more magical!!!!

 

[toocherie]

I came back week before last. I was using an ECV rented off-site.

Here is my experience at the parks:

Magic Kingdom--there was a wheelchair "sign" next to the permanent queue and we waited there. No issues (well, not for me--one time there were two of us in line for WC spots and a third ECV came up, so they had to wait).

Animal Kindgom: there was also a wheelchair "sign" next to the permanent queue where we waited--and the bus driver claimed she didn't "see" me waiting there. Luckily I had a friend with me who went up to the driver to advise her I was there. She had already loaded some people and closed the front door and loaded me. We had to put up with this woman from New Hampshire (found out later) who kept rolling her eyes and looking at her watch. Really? Get over it. BTW, there were only about 10 people in line when I pulled up so it wasn't like I was going ahead of a lot of people and they wouldn't get seats. (I had two people with me--most of the time they waited in line and boarded with everyone else.)

Epcot: No issues--no specific place to wait, so I waited in front of the queue where the rear doors would be.

Hollywood Studios: ditto for Epcot. No issues here either.

I must say that other than a couple of longer than usual waits (maybe 30 min.?) we had no issues. (WELL, other than rolling-eyes woman who seemed to be going the same places at the same time that we were--she was even at our resort bus stop (Grandstand at SSR)!!!!!! We must have ridden with her four times at least.

Also, other than the lady who claimed not to have seen me, the bus drivers were GREAT. Our last bus driver of the trip--coming back from Epcot--even gave me a pirate scarf because I had been the "best parker" of the day! And then he proceeded to give the two friends with me pirate scarves from a stash he kept at the front!

 

[welovespacemoutain]

I came back week before last. I was using an ECV rented off-site.

Here is my experience at the parks:

Magic Kingdom--there was a wheelchair "sign" next to the permanent queue and we waited there. No issues (well, not for me--one time there were two of us in line for WC spots and a third ECV came up, so they had to wait).

Animal Kindgom: there was also a wheelchair "sign" next to the permanent queue where we waited--and the bus driver claimed she didn't "see" me waiting there. Luckily I had a friend with me who went up to the driver to advise her I was there. She had already loaded some people and closed the front door and loaded me. We had to put up with this woman from New Hampshire (found out later) who kept rolling her eyes and looking at her watch. Really? Get over it. BTW, there were only about 10 people in line when I pulled up so it wasn't like I was going ahead of a lot of people and they wouldn't get seats. (I had two people with me--most of the time they waited in line and boarded with everyone else.)

Epcot: No issues--no specific place to wait, so I waited in front of the queue where the rear doors would be.

Hollywood Studios: ditto for Epcot. No issues here either.

I must say that other than a couple of longer than usual waits (maybe 30 min.?) we had no issues. (WELL, other than rolling-eyes woman who seemed to be going the same places at the same time that we were--she was even at our resort bus stop (Grandstand at SSR)!!!!!! We must have ridden with her four times at least.

Also, other than the lady who claimed not to have seen me, the bus drivers were GREAT. Our last bus driver of the trip--coming back from Epcot--even gave me a pirate scarf because I had been the "best parker" of the day! And then he proceeded to give the two friends with me pirate scarves from a stash he kept at the front!

Thanks! Great to hear a good report!