ECV’s on Disney Buses

[SteveMouse]

We are talking about the second bus loading at the same time the first bus is. They are not pulled up to the curb properly and they do not load ECVs or chairs. This is the usual procedure during peak times, when their goal is to get as many people as possible on the busses and on the road. Otherwise the second bus would have to wait until the first bus loaded the ECVs, then loaded all of the people, then pulled up properly. That makes EVERYONE wait longer.

It is easy to think that that is perfectly fine until you are the one who has been patiently waiting 30 minutes and people who just walked up get to pass you by. Have you considered, at all, the impact on those abandoned? We need to go to the bathroom, too! Our time is no less valuable than anyone else’s.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We are talking about the second bus loading at the same time the first bus is. They are not pulled up to the curb properly and they do not load ECVs or chairs. This is the usual procedure during peak times, when their goal is to get as many people as possible on the busses and on the road. Otherwise the second bus would have to wait until the first bus loaded the ECVs, then loaded all of the people, then pulled up properly. That makes EVERYONE wait longer.

I have also seen this happen. no way to load ECVs/wheelchairs on the second bus as they can not lower the ramp needed to load them

 

[Lilsia]

It is easy to think that that is perfectly fine until you are the one who has been patiently waiting 30 minutes and people who just walked up get to pass you by. Have you considered, at all, the impact on those abandoned? We need to go to the bathroom, too! Our time is no less valuable than anyone else’s.

Nobody said that your time was "less valuable", but everyone is waiting. IDK why you are coming after me for this, I don't make the rules, I was just pointing out what happens. I am sure that if you have a better logistical way to get thousands of people back to their resort in the fastest way possible, Disney would love to hear it.

On the flip side, how do you think mobile people feel when they have been waiting 20 minutes for the bus, with little kids, and a couple of ECVs just pulls up right before the bus arrives and they get on first, taking up that last bit of space for those who now will have to wait for the second bus. ECVs take up 3 seats plus another if the person chooses not to stay seated in their ECV. So that is 8 spots that are taken up by 2 people. 2 families that now got bumped by people who just showed up, after waiting their turn. It goes both ways. Don't you think that those people's, who got bumped by the last minute ECV showing up, time is valuable?

 

[SteveMouse]

Nobody said that your time was "less valuable", but everyone is waiting. IDK why you are coming after me for this, I don't make the rules, I was just pointing out what happens. I am sure that if you have a better logistical way to get thousands of people back to their resort in the fastest way possible, Disney would love to hear it.

On the flip side, how do you think mobile people feel when they have been waiting 20 minutes for the bus, with little kids, and a couple of ECVs just pulls up right before the bus arrives and they get on first, taking up that last bit of space for those who now will have to wait for the second bus. ECVs take up 3 seats plus another if the person chooses not to stay seated in their ECV. So that is 8 spots that are taken up by 2 people. 2 families that now got bumped by people who just showed up, after waiting their turn. It goes both ways. Don't you think that those people's, who got bumped by the last minute ECV showing up, time is valuable?

For a very long time Disney has, especially at the theme park stops, routed wheeled users in mainstream line until a certain point when directed to a specific spot for loading. I have no issue waiting in line the same amount of time as everyone else.

It is, with current bus design, more practical to load wheels first to avoid crushing the toes of ambulatory passengers. And the individual’s mobility equipment is part of that individual, not a separate item. I dont eant you touchinf my wheelchair in fhe same way you dont want me to touch your purse, backpack, stroller, etc.

There are real safety issues when traveliing on an ecv. It is very easy to get tipped out, especially if the individual has poor balance anyway (which some wheeled travelers do).

Would you make the same comment about an individual who was above-average size who boarded the bus before you?

The issue is not the fastest way to store the blocks. The issue is an equitable way of providing transportatio.

 

[Lilsia]

For a very long time Disney has, especially at the theme park stops, routed wheeled users in mainstream line until a certain point when directed to a specific spot for loading. I have no issue waiting in line the same amount of time as everyone else.

It is, with current bus design, more practical to load wheels first to avoid crushing the toes of ambulatory passengers. And the individual’s mobility equipment is part of that individual, not a separate item. I dont eant you touchinf my wheelchair in fhe same way you dont want me to touch your purse, backpack, stroller, etc.

There are real safety issues when traveliing on an ecv. It is very easy to get tipped out, especially if the individual has poor balance anyway (which some wheeled travelers do).

Would you make the same comment about an individual who was above-average size who boarded the bus before you?

The issue is not the fastest way to store the blocks. The issue is an equitable way of providing transportatio.

Yeah, everyone knows why they load ECVs first. I am still not sure why you are coming after me for this. I just posted what they do, not my opinion on it. You obviously have some strong feelings about having to wait more than one bus to get on. After 30 years of staying on Disney property, I have waited for more than one bus plenty of times. That is why I don't put myself in that situation anymore. I avoid all peak times, just as anyone else is free to do. The discussion was about what Disney DOES, not how anyone feels about it. YOU brought in your emotions and started to get defensive over nothing.

 

[DisneyOma]

It is easy to think that that is perfectly fine until you are the one who has been patiently waiting 30 minutes and people who just walked up get to pass you by. Have you considered, at all, the impact on those abandoned? We need to go to the bathroom, too! Our time is no less valuable than anyone else’s.

This happens in the other direction as well, that people show up to the wheelchair entry spot right before a bus arrives, and get loaded first, even though there are already people in the regular queue. If the regular queue is long, then the people who got there before the mobility device user (and their family) might have to wait for the next bus as well. I guess there's no way to move people that will make everyone completely equal, but I do believe that it's important to use the restroom before going to the bus queues.

 

[LoveToDisney]

If I come up to a bus stop that is packed with people, I will delay pulling up to the ECV area and if asked I will wait for the next bus. I see all the tired families carrying children and want to give them a good chance to get on the bus they have waited for to get back to their hotel. If there’s just a moderate number of people who will all be able to get on, then I pull up and get on first.

 

[serenitynow]

For a very long time Disney has, especially at the theme park stops, routed wheeled users in mainstream line until a certain point when directed to a specific spot for loading. I have no issue waiting in line the same amount of time as everyone else.

It is, with current bus design, more practical to load wheels first to avoid crushing the toes of ambulatory passengers. And the individual’s mobility equipment is part of that individual, not a separate item. I dont eant you touchinf my wheelchair in fhe same way you dont want me to touch your purse, backpack, stroller, etc.

There are real safety issues when traveliing on an ecv. It is very easy to get tipped out, especially if the individual has poor balance anyway (which some wheeled travelers do).

Would you make the same comment about an individual who was above-average size who boarded the bus before you?

The issue is not the fastest way to store the blocks. The issue is an equitable way of providing transportatio.

There are seating areas reserved for the disabled on the Disney buses. The window above the reserved disabled seating areas have big blue stickers on the window above the reserved seating. They are the only areas on the bus which contain the safety belts required to secure mobility devices.

Regardless of the number of people already waiting, those two spots are reserved for the disabled. Period.

The flip side of this is that there are only 2 seats available for guests in wheelchairs on each bus. All of the other seats are available to the general public. As well as the standing areas when the bus has no more seating.

It is so much safer to load and tie down mobility devices when the bus is empty of passengers. This is why the disabled wait until everyone else exits the bus first at the destination. Last ones off empty bus are the disabled.

I use a wheelchair and have waited many times for a second or even third bus to have available disabled spaces, especially at days end. My family always wait with me, which makes me feel bad because they pass up the opportunity to board and be seated because of me.

If there are already 2 disabled people waiting at the bus stop, we wait for the next bus. If the bus arrives with only 2 disabled spots already taken, we must wait for the next bus. We arrive at the bus stops long before we would otherwise need to, merely to hope to be one of the first 2 disabled people to get to ride the next available bus.

People’s perceptions are not always the reality of the situation. If I do happen to “roll up” to the bus stop while others are waiting and there is still one of the two reserved handicapped bus “parking” spaces available, I get to ride the bus.

The reserved handicap seating areas are reserved for the disabled. Those 2 seats on each bus are all we have available due to disability. Please treat those who need them with compassion and respect

 

[LoveToDisney]

One morning (before Covid era) I gave up my disability spot on a bus when there was a family that was causing the cast member a bit of an issue. I sent our small group along on the bus and said we would wait for the next bus. Once the bus was loaded, the cast member thanked me and gave us fastpasses for our entire group….total surprise.

 

[DisneyOma]

There are seating areas reserved for the disabled on the Disney buses. The window above the reserved disabled seating areas have big blue stickers on the window above the reserved seating. They are the only areas on the bus which contain the safety belts required to secure mobility devices.

Regardless of the number of people already waiting, those two spots are reserved for the disabled. Period.

The flip side of this is that there are only 2 seats available for guests in wheelchairs on each bus. All of the other seats are available to the general public. As well as the standing areas when the bus has no more seating.

It is so much safer to load and tie down mobility devices when the bus is empty of passengers. This is why the disabled wait until everyone else exits the bus first at the destination. Last ones off empty bus are the disabled.

I use a wheelchair and have waited many times for a second or even third bus to have available disabled spaces, especially at days end. My family always wait with me, which makes me feel bad because they pass up the opportunity to board and be seated because of me.

If there are already 2 disabled people waiting at the bus stop, we wait for the next bus. If the bus arrives with only 2 disabled spots already taken, we must wait for the next bus. We arrive at the bus stops long before we would otherwise need to, merely to hope to be one of the first 2 disabled people to get to ride the next available bus.

People’s perceptions are not always the reality of the situation. If I do happen to “roll up” to the bus stop while others are waiting and there is still one of the two reserved handicapped bus “parking” spaces available, I get to ride the bus.

The reserved handicap seating areas are reserved for the disabled. Those 2 seats on each bus are all we have available due to disability. Please treat those who need them with compassion and respect

At first I thought you were talking about the seats up front that have the "priority seating" signage (I don't remember the exact wordage) but I think you are just talking about the seats that fold up to make room for wheelchairs and ECVs?

Anyways, yes, there are only 2-3 spots for the wheelchairs/ECVs. It does make sense to fill those spots first, before loading up the rest of the bus. At some of the parks, there's a gate in the queue for that access, and guests in mobility devices have to wait until they get up to that spot before being loaded onto the bus. That way, if 500 guests are ahead of them, those guests get on first, as they have been waiting. The cutoff is about 50 or so people back into the queue (depending on how close people stand, of course), which is about three quarters of a busload?

 

[Goldelpack]

I have been using an ECV for years at WDW and have (at times) had to wait for several busses before I was able to board - usually due to other guests in ECV/WC or just poor timing on my part. To reduce this possibility (having to wait) I head to the bus at off times - way after park opening/before park closing or way after park closing when the lines thin out. If I get to the stop and there is a line - I'll roll over to grab a coffee or soda and wait until the line clears. I've had all sorts of experiences with WDW busses -
*one time the driver totally forgot about me despite having strapped me in! I attempted to get their attention with no luck - ended up back where I started and the driver finally realized it.... (i did report that one)
*had driver who parked the bus too far from the curb and the ramp had nothing to land on - and the driver insisted I could roll off despite the 2 to 3 inches the ramp was off the curb
*have endured waiting for a WDW bus and had 3 academy or other busses come before I finally was able to board
Bottom line for me is that I don't want to take a seat or ride away from anyone else and I'm willing wait. I try to stop in a restroom before going onto a line (and after my waiting drink if needed)