Disabilities parade viewing - thoughts on this incident?

[mckennarose]

Ok, I found the post I was looking for, and another regarding the view from the Plaza Garden dessert party.

It's where they're putting ECVs and wheelchairs. I was in a wheelchair for the first party due to a bum Achilles. The attendant took us right up to the railing. Unfortunately, there was an obstruction right in front of me, so I could see nothing. So my husband and I left the area and went to the back where we could see better.

I was one of those in a wheelchair at the first Plaza dessert party. When my DH and I (paying guests at the dessert party) went to the garden area, a CM took us straight to the front area, which was marked off for dessert party guests in wheelchairs/ECVs. It was a nice gesture, but we ended up moving to the back. The seated view from the front wasn't very good - my view was blocked by a topiary and a lighting structure.

Note - I'm not normally in a wheelchair. But I'm struggling with an Achilles injury. I have a new appreciation for what people in wheelchairs deal with - it's like I was invisible. People would cut me off, stop in front of me, stand obliviously blocking the only close ramp on a sidewalk, etc. I'm very thankful for my mobility, and I hope to be more sensitive to those using assistive devices going forward.

I have not seen the newly taped off area yet, as it didn't exist the last time I was in the Plaza Garden for the dessert party.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

CMs aren't allowed to confront guests. Maybe having some security personnel in the area would help.

 

[sandlsmom]

What are the positives/main purposes of these very few spots? My mom, who is wheelchair bound, is coming with us in October but we just planned on finding a place to stop somewhere along the edge of the parade route. It seems like that would be easier than trying to get into a small area and hope nobody stands in front of her. I wasn’t even aware of such spots until today!

 

[Toffeewoffy]

What are the positives/main purposes of these very few spots? My mom, who is wheelchair bound, is coming with us in October but we just planned on finding a place to stop somewhere along the edge of the parade route. It seems like that would be easier than trying to get into a small area and hope nobody stands in front of her. I wasn’t even aware of such spots until today!

I just think that it's an area with a guaranteed view from a lower eye-level. It's not perfect, but it's better than trying to position yourself behind a tree or something, and in my personal experience, if you can't turn your ECV sideways and swivel the seat, you won't see anything at all as you'll be sitting too far back. No matter what you try, there's always some rude person who will literally lean right over and round you to block your view while they're taking photos or videos or whatever. What I did one year was place myself along the tape in a place where no-one could get in front (but very slightly back from it) and then let a load of little kids sit in front on the ground. That, unfortunately, was the same place that one extremely rude woman was leaning right over and round blocking my view of the oncoming floats. God forbid she just stood and waited for them to come alongside!

 

[Selket]

What are the positives/main purposes of these very few spots? My mom, who is wheelchair bound, is coming with us in October but we just planned on finding a place to stop somewhere along the edge of the parade route. It seems like that would be easier than trying to get into a small area and hope nobody stands in front of her. I wasn’t even aware of such spots until today!

I think if you have family to stand around her on each side and behind then you'd be ok going up to the edge of the sidewalk. I did one time (for the MNSSHP) stop and got a spot VERY early along the edge of the parade route in the regular area. I was in an ECV. By the time the parade started - I had people pushing the ECV from behind and also trying to step around the ECV in the front to get in front of the steering column. I was up to the very edge of the curb so I couldn't have gone an inch further up either - lol! I think it seems logical that this would have worked fine, but when you are seated - people will stand very, very, VERY close to you and essentially you're likely to end up with someone's bottom part in your face. People do just fill in the available space there even over the top of your mobility device as the crowds get really thick. After that and thinking I was going to get pushed off the curb, I've gone to the HC viewing area which is usually not problematic.

 

[skittlesfirehawk]

This makes me nervous for my trip. Can you find a better view with an ecv somewhere else?

 

[kaytieeldr]

and in my personal experience, if you can't turn your ECV sideways and swivel the seat, you won't see anything at all as you'll be sitting too far back.

But if you do turn the ECV sideways and turn the seat, your taking "frontage" space from another disabled guest. ECVs are much longer than they are wide.

This makes me nervous for my trip. Can you find a better view with an ecv somewhere else?

You could find any spot anywhere, but odds are people will get in front of you. You could try watching from the porch at Diamond Horseshoe, or Country Bears. Or you could use the viewing area closest to Liberty Square, not on a roundabout.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

But if you do turn the ECV sideways and turn the seat, your taking "frontage" space from another disabled guest. ECVs are much longer than they are wide.

Oh, no! I'm talking about watching the parade from any spot round the hub, where non-disabled people can stand quite easily behind the scooter or even see over the top of me. I'm not even sure there is a disabled viewing for parades! I've never seen one or been directed to one. The disabled viewing area I know of is at the back of the inner ring and therefore no good for parade watching.

 

[kaytieeldr]

There are absolutely, positively, 100%, (three) handicapped parade-viewing areas. There are several images of maps right in this thread. See posts 30 and 36 on page two, and post 47 on page three.

 

[Selket]

This makes me nervous for my trip. Can you find a better view with an ecv somewhere else?

Every other time I've used the HC viewing area for a parade it is had been 100% fine. Arrive early to one of the marked spots. What happened to me with a whole group of people standing up in the front of all those in WC's is not the norm. I did send an email to WDW so I'm hoping that they will take that incident into consideration for that area going forward and how they can effectively address a similar situation. So far I haven't heard back other than the automated "thank you we will get back to you soon" response.

 

[Mleach]

Selket, I appreciate your contacting Disney because we visited during August and encountered problems as well, with able bodied guests entering the roped off area and actually standing in front of my 6 year old, who is unable to get out of the wheelchair without someone carrying her (and is clearly physically and mentally disabled). This happened ALL THREE TIMES we tried to see a parade, twice at the Festival of Fantasy and once at the party on 8/16, and all three times the guests in question refused to communicate with me saying sorry but they spoke no english. All three times we asked a CM for help and we only had help one time, and that was to relocate us to a curb cut outside of the wheelchair area - which resulted in a maintenance worker literally pushing a garbage barge into the back of me at the end of the parade, because she couldn't see the chair from the back of the barge (you know, those biggish totes on rollers), and I couldn't move the chair at all until the end of the parade crowd dispersed. (The other guests were actually shouting at the worker to stop! There's a wheelchair you can't see!, etc)
Keeping in mind this is a 6 year old with severe disabilities that people are stepping in front of - I mean, she 100% isn't blocking anyone's view due to the size of her tiny manual wheelchair, and generally disabled children are treated very politely in my experience - I don't know what is going on, but we were totally disenchanted by the lack of any enforcement of the rules. We had never had so many issues with other guests before - we go every September and never had this type of issue before.

 

[PrincessNelly]

We had issues with the accessible viewing area during the 2nd parade but it wasn't this... I have too much mouth... I would have probably gotten in trouble. I hate rudeness LOL

 

[sandlsmom]

I think if you have family to stand around her on each side and behind then you'd be ok going up to the edge of the sidewalk. I did one time (for the MNSSHP) stop and got a spot VERY early along the edge of the parade route in the regular area. I was in an ECV. By the time the parade started - I had people pushing the ECV from behind and also trying to step around the ECV in the front to get in front of the steering column. I was up to the very edge of the curb so I couldn't have gone an inch further up either - lol! I think it seems logical that this would have worked fine, but when you are seated - people will stand very, very, VERY close to you and essentially you're likely to end up with someone's bottom part in your face. People do just fill in the available space there even over the top of your mobility device as the crowds get really thick. After that and thinking I was going to get pushed off the curb, I've gone to the HC viewing area which is usually not problematic.

Ah, I get it now. I wasn’t thinking about the front end of an ECV causing you to sit further back. My mom will just be in her compact wheelchair so hopefully it will be fine.

 

[toocherie]

Every other time I've used the HC viewing area for a parade it is had been 100% fine. Arrive early to one of the marked spots. What happened to me with a whole group of people standing up in the front of all those in WC's is not the norm. I did send an email to WDW so I'm hoping that they will take that incident into consideration for that area going forward and how they can effectively address a similar situation. So far I haven't heard back other than the automated "thank you we will get back to you soon" response.

the last time I emailed CS I got back a gobbledy-gook answer that really didn't answer the question.

 

[Selket]

Selket, I appreciate your contacting Disney because we visited during August and encountered problems as well, with able bodied guests entering the roped off area and actually standing in front of my 6 year old, who is unable to get out of the wheelchair without someone carrying her (and is clearly physically and mentally disabled). This happened ALL THREE TIMES we tried to see a parade, twice at the Festival of Fantasy and once at the party on 8/16, and all three times the guests in question refused to communicate with me saying sorry but they spoke no english.

Wow that's just awful. Was that this year then in August then right? We were at the same Halloween party if so. I wrote to this email address so I hope you will also. It's annoying to get a "non-answer" answer as someone mentioned they did above but I don't know what else we can do but bring it to their attention. I like someone's idea of having a taped area in the front for sitting/WC guests only. Disney has to enforce it however. It's just sad to me that someone would stand in front of a child like that - like seriously what the heck? The email I used was Wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com . I think copying and pasting what you wrote above is perfect.

 

[Euby]

My takeaway from this is: Call for security. Do not pass go, do not collect a Mickey bar. Ask a CM directly and clearly to call for Security to resolve a situation with an abusive Guest. Don't engage the other Guest, just get Security involved.

I am sick-to-death-tired of Disney not enforcing their rules, and letting people get away with this kind of behavior. If I behave like a mature, grown adult in a responsible fashion, so should anyone else who has the coin to pay the gate. I'm tired of being bullied and disrespected and treated like I am some kind of nuisance because I have to use a mobility device by other Guests.

So, next time, call for Security. Do not pass go, do not collect a Mickey bar. Ask a CM directly and clearly to call for Security to resolve a situation with an abusive Guest.

If I ever have to get Security involved, I'm going to need a Mickey bar to calm my nerves LOL.

 

[51john]

I will also write an email to Disney because I was at the same party and actually in the same wheelchair viewing area as Selket (what a coincidence) when this happened. We went with our mother who uses a wheelchair and we all stood BEHIND her and the other wheelchair users because it is the right thing to do. And what makes it worse is we were all standing across from the media section, so you can see the people standing in front of wheelchair users in many of the YouTube videos covering the first MNSSHP (see TimTracker, DisneyFoodBlog, etc). What a rude thing to do. If my disability required me to stand, which is completely understandable, then I would do so but behind the wheelchair users; it is a common courtesy. It is a shame how many times this happens. I hope you had a good time at the rest of the event, however.

 

[Selket]

I will also write an email to Disney because I was at the same party and actually in the same wheelchair viewing area as Selket (what a coincidence) when this happened. We went with our mother who uses a wheelchair and we all stood BEHIND her and the other wheelchair users because it is the right thing to do. And what makes it worse is we were all standing across from the media section, so you can see the people standing in front of wheelchair users in many of the YouTube videos covering the first MNSSHP (see TimTracker, DisneyFoodBlog, etc). What a rude thing to do. If my disability required me to stand, which is completely understandable, then I would do so but behind the wheelchair users; it is a common courtesy. It is a shame how many times this happens. I hope you had a good time at the rest of the event, however.

That would be fantastic that you could write to them as well. I think it would help bolster the argument they need to hire more people or retrain or perhaps tape off an area for WC's only along the front of this viewing area, etc. I remember a couple of families who were accompanying a woman in a WC so not sure which one you were but I bet you were one or the other - lol! Feel free to DM me. I think it's amazing we can see it so clearly in the vlogs from that night. I wrote to Disney about a week ago and only got the acknowledgement email back - no real reply yet. I'm sure there's some extra what not going on with the hurricane however so I'll wait a bit before following up with them but I hope you'll write as well!

 

[Selket]

I just wanted to follow up that I did finally receive a response to my email - and it was a very disappointing response...as in "oh tell a CM at the time and they're better able to help you." Uh.....I'm not even sure the person read my email - lol! We did tell cast members multiple multiple times. I have written them back to ask them to reread my original email and try again and not send me a half canned response. I hope @51john will also write to them so I they have two views of the same incident - I think it would really bolster the case for them to do something like - as someone mentioned - tape off the area in front for those seated in mobility devices (or at least seated), etc. I think some simple changes could make a big difference.

 

[51john]

I just wanted to follow up that I did finally receive a response to my email - and it was a very disappointing response...as in "oh tell a CM at the time and they're better able to help you." Uh.....I'm not even sure the person read my email - lol! We did tell cast members multiple multiple times. I have written them back to ask them to reread my original email and try again and not send me a half canned response. I hope @51john will also write to them so I they have two views of the same incident - I think it would really bolster the case for them to do something like - as someone mentioned - tape off the area in front for those seated in mobility devices (or at least seated), etc. I think some simple changes could make a big difference.

I was actually meaning to get back t this board in that I have emailed but have yet to receive a "real" response, so fingers crossed! But even if they don't explicitly help now or in these emails, maybe the more people who email the more they will realize that this is a real issue.