Ecv

[ayimapt]

ok I'm down here at WDW with my step dad (and other family) who is using a scooter, for the first time I might add.

He had a bad experience on the bus going over to MK on our first day. It was crowded, and the people did not move so he could get in position. He stated, "I should have stayed home." He felt uncomfortable, I am guessing. but it did make my mom cry. Anyway, he will not take the bus anywhere now.

Please offer any ideas or advice.....thank you!

I am trying my best to make it be no big deal but, he gets angry with me.

 

[Nanajo1]

I'm so sorry you dad had a bad experience. A couple of suggestions that come to mind are: offer to be the one that loads the ECV on the bus, since you are staying at a resort that you can walk or boat to Epcot and MGM look into taking a cab to the other parks. Pixie dust coming your way.

 

[SueM in MN]

Good suggestions, Nanajo.
In almost 15 years traveling with a child in a wheelchair and taking WDW buses, I can tell you that the behavior of those guest was the exception rather than the rule. Usually, the bus driver is helpful in getting people out of the way if it's a problem. You will run onto some inconsiderate people (those are the ones you remember and I can tell you that some of them have reduced me to tears too). They probably never think about their few minutes of nasty behavior, but it sticks around in the memory of the people they did it to and hurts for a long time.
Your main problem will be the MK bus, since you can walk or take a boat to 2 parks. My guess is that the bus to AK would probably not be so full. Besides that, in my experience, families on their way to MK are more likely to have a a "get out of our way - we're commandos on a mission" than travelers to the other parks. Another way to MK (although it's a round about and tiome consuming way), would be to go thru Epcot and then take the monorail to the TTC and then to MK. Kind of extreme, but a way to get there if he won't get on the bus.
One of the problems with the Epcot area resorts is that they share buses. Being at one of the last stops almost guarantees a full bus at busy times. If you could get on at one of the earlier stops, that might help.
I don't have a phone number on this computer, but another alternative would be to call WDW Transportation (there might be a quick dial phone number on your room phone). Explain the problem and ask what suggestion they have. Making sure a family that got a dose of "un-Disney" behavior and might be something they have some extra pixie dust for.

Here's some and some "hope things go well pixie dust" for your family and an extra bag of "chill out and be nice" pixie dust to sprinkle on anyone you encounter who seems to have left theirs somewhere else.

 

[ayimapt]

Thank you sooooo much for your heartfelt replies.

Great suggestions!

 

[SueM in MN]

hope the rest of your trip goes well.

 

[cupcake]

The very first time I tried to use my ECV on a bus, there were three people who refused to get up who obviously were causing me problems in getting the ECV where it needed to go. The driver told me they can't ask anyone to move. I too felt like crying.

Two ideas:

(1) Bc of that experience I was totally spooked by the "old" type buses and wanted the wider buses (which I now know cause others problems! but they are easy with a scooter than can be backed on). I learned (from a lovely ECV user who I ran into -- not literally! -- on a boat to MGM) that I could call Guest Services at my resort re the problem and and they would actually route a bus to pick me up at a specified time to take me to my desired location. I was an an Epcot resort, and as this seemed to be an "extra" bus, it wasn't crowded. I didn't think of calling Disney Transportation directly, that seems easier. Once you are at the parks, you are fine as those buses will be empty when you return to your resort and you will be boarding first. As an aside, I ended up on the "old" buses again and was fine, but I agree with the others, those few moments of just plain RUDE behavior stuck with me. I truly think that if you call and explain the situation they will help you.

(2) remember that you can put the ECV into freewheel so if a family member can help, they can just push the ECV into position if that is easier than driving it on.

(3) If you or another family member takes the scooter on, you could simply say, "excuse me, the scooter needs to be loaded in a special spot, could you please allow me to get it there?" If you wait for people to move they can ignore you and pretend nothing's happening but if you say something you call them on it and they have to either move or say something pathetically rude which hopefully they would be too embarrased to do. I freely admit that this is a fantasy scenario of mine bc I wish I had said something to the people who were sitting in my way staring at me with the whole rest of the bus empty when I had my problem.

I am truly sorry that your family encountered such clueless people. TONS of pixie dust for the rest of your trip.

Cupcake

 

[Figaro]

Hi, cupcake! We have only had one time that people refused to move to load the wheelchair (they had their opened strollers right where the seats flip up on one of the old style lift buses) and the bus driver just shrugged and drove off. We went right into the Boardwalk and the people there were very helpful and called the bus supervisor to report what happened. Then gave us a ride in the hotel van! Which we didn't expect and hadn't asked for.

I always try to report that kind of stuff (and also send emails and letters about the bus drivers who are so helpful), just to try and help keep it from happening to someone else. For some reason, people usually come up to me and talk to me and I have heard so many times that I've lost count from people who are now using wheelchairs or ECV's about how awful they were to people using them before and how different it is to be the one needing a wheelchair or ECV and how guilty they feel for having acted the way that the did.

As hard as it can be some days, I pretty much just shrug off the negative stuff and remind myself of how decent most people are and how grateful I am to be able to go to WDW. But, I have to tell you, one of the reasons we use our car as much as we do at WDW is to minimize that kind of problem...people being upset about the wheelchair.