ECVs and Busses at BWV

[Nanajo1]

This will probably sound like a rant so I apologize now. Why is it when a nearly full but still has seats available bus arrives and there is a long line of folks waiting to board is the ECV rider told to wait for the next bus instead of loading the ecv and having those not able to fit wait for the next bus? This happens often at BWVs. There maybe twenty people (who arrived at the stop after me) waiting to get on a bus. The driver will let them all on and tell me another bus is "right" behind and minutes away. Which is usually not true.
I only want equal treatment. I can see I would fit on the bus as there were not any other ECV on board. Loading me would take up four seats I admit but they crammed in a lot more than four extra people. Bus Service at BWV is truly not up to Delux Resort standards.
Rant over for now.

 

[shovan]

We have never had that happen to us! I would be very upset about it if it did. If this seems to be only at BWV I would try to find out who to contact about it. If you're noticing it more overall, I'm sure the rest of us will eventually experience it happening also. If it happened to us, we would complain. First, directly to the bus driver who doesn't put us on the bus, & would contact WDW customer relations.

 

[Schmeck]

I believe WDW policy is to load an ECV/wheelchair only if the area is open - so, if guests have already been seated in the area where the seats have to be folded up and the ramp moved, then the driver is not allowed to board an ECV/wheelchair from that door. That's why ECVs and wheelchairs get loaded first at the bus stops.

You can check on the ADA website to see what the standard policy is - I think that there's a description about public transportation on there for this exact situation.

 

[shovan]

I believe WDW policy is to load an ECV/wheelchair only if the area is open - so, if guests have already been seated in the area where the seats have to be folded up and the ramp moved, then the driver is not allowed to board an ECV/wheelchair from that door. That's why ECVs and wheelchairs get loaded first at the bus stops.

You can check on the ADA website to see what the standard policy is - I think that there's a description about public transportation on there for this exact situation.

Yes that makes sense! If people are already seated in the area for the ecv/wc then you just have to wait for the next bus. But if they are loading up everyone at your stop & then they don't have room for you, that would be a problem. I know we usually go up to the front of the bus stop so that the driver can see the WC. I am now wondering if the drivers or other WDW vacationers might think the ECV/WC people are just trying to move ahead of others? I only wondering this now, after being on the boards awhile & hearing some of the gripes about us ECV/WC people being able to skip lines etc?

 

[Schmeck]

WC and ECV get boarded first, but they also get off last, so they aren't getting a head start on non-disabled guests on the buses, that's for sure!


The only legitimate complaint from a non-disabled guest that I can think of is that if there is a huge line (more than a busload) at a bus stop, then an ECV shows up, but that ECV still gets on. But how can that be changed without making it impossible for the bus driver to be able to see an ECV? If the ECV is in the regular queue, there's no way that I can think of for it to be loaded at the right time.

Usually, there's another bus coming within a 5-10 minute span for those that have to wait for the next bus, which isn't life-shattering! I do wish that WDW transportation was even more WC/ECV friendly - wouldn't it be cool if the whole side of the bus opened up, at the proper ground level, and everyone got on at once?

 

[shovan]

Yeah, I'm just being a little paranoid after reading some of the non-disabled rants about "WC preferential" treatment! I was really just trying to figure out why they could have "left at the bus stop" like that. Again I have to say that we have never been "left at the bus stop" as Nanajo1 was at BWV.

In fact after dealing with our own non-accessible home & just getting a lift van, WDW is usually a very welcome break for us!

 

[Nanajo1]

I believe WDW policy is to load an ECV/wheelchair only if the area is open - so, if guests have already been seated in the area where the seats have to be folded up and the ramp moved, then the driver is not allowed to board an ECV/wheelchair from that door. That's why ECVs and wheelchairs get loaded first at the bus stops.

There is a sign over the seating area which states these seats must be vacated to accommodate w/c ecvs. If someone was already sitting there and could not be asked to move to load an ECV then an ECV/WC would never be loaded as BWV is the the last pick up for up to 5 hotels.
My rant was my ECV could have been loaded but some other folks might have had to wait for another bus. It is always the ECV that is told to wait. This might be the first time I've complained here but it has happened numerous times. BWV's busses are the worst.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I do wish that WDW transportation was even more WC/ECV friendly - wouldn't it be cool if the whole side of the bus opened up, at the proper ground level, and everyone got on at once?

Oh, sure - you think with a whole open side, Guests boarding the bus are going to wait for the other Guests to get off first?

 

[Schmeck]

How about if they loaded the buses like the attractions - one side would open up to let the guests off, then the opposite side would lift up to let guests on!


About the sign on the bus - I've noticed those, but I thought they were for actual boarding at the same time, as in that spot is reserved for an ECV if an ECV is there at the same time - but if no ECV is at that bus stop, how can they ask people to move/get off the bus at the next stop if they were there first? If the bus stops to load the standing room only space, do they have to ask people to stand if an ECV is waiting? What if you don't want to stand or get off the bus?

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Iwas told the exact opposite at AKL this week, we pulled up and wondered if we were going to make it on, so in fairness to the people waiting already I said to the driver that we just got here and these folks are waitng we will take the next bus, he told me no that we had priority luckily everyone got on or DW and I would have felt awful. From that point on if we thought we were not going to fit, we would hang back at a different bus stop and then pull forward when that bus left.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I find even hanging back in the access lane to the wheelchair boarding spot works; or I'll make SURE the driver knows I just arrived at the stop and PLAN to wait for the next bus.
Of course, if there are only ten people in line, I'll board but if the line looks like it's going to fill the bus, nope. Fair's fair.

 

[dclfun]

We were at Pop Century last week and there were enough guests to fill FOUR busses to MK with those in queue...with two ECV's in front of my power chair, three manual chairs then came behind me as we all waited. First bus came and took the first two ECV's and some of the standing guests. The guests in the three manual chairs ( who were travelling together) left and went to the MGM queue. A manager came in a van and told everyone that another bus was waiting and would pull up immediately, which happened. After the three w/c guests behind me left, another guest in a manual w/c pulled in. The two of us were loaded. The three guests who had left the line came back up after the bus was already full to standing and demanded that they be allowed to board. The bus driver refused, stating that there were already two guests in chairs onboard. Another bus pulled alongside ours and loaded standing guests- there was no way to let down a ramp, which is what made these folks angry, but truthfully they had left the line. It was a zoo! On the way back after I was already loaded in the w/c space and the bus was full to standing, a family with a small child using a stroller as w/c insisted that they board NOW. The driver made everyone sitting get up, put this kid in his stroller in that space ( who could have been removed from the stroller) and inconvenience everyone. In my opinion these people should have waited for the next bus since it was already full. Again, what a zoo! My poor service dog, who was under the seat originally, then had to stand in a major crowd of people all crammed into that bus just so this family, who arrived last minute, could use that w/c space. Short story made long....there needs to be a policy about when a chair is to be loaded and thus when someone needing the accessible space does or does not need to wait. It should not be up to the discretion of each individual bus driver or a response to a demanding guest.---Kathy

 

[Nanajo1]

Short story made long....there needs to be a policy about when a chair is to be loaded and thus when someone needing the accessible space does or does not need to wait. It should not be up to the discretion of each individual bus driver or a response to a demanding guest.---Kathy

Amen to that and the policy should be posted at the bus stops as well as in the busses.

 

[zumbergc]

When we are waiting for a bus. We try to wheel out to about where the wheel chair loading section. Then as the bus is going past, I wave at the bus driver to let them know I'm wanting to get on the bus. If they don't look like they are going to load me first. Then my hubby, walks to the front of the line, or we ask the people getting on first to let the driver know there is a wheel chair.

We've stayed at the swan and dolphin many times. It does happen as the OP mentioned. Room on the bus for the ecv, and then bus driver like, there is not room, and there is another bus coming in a couple minutes. It is very frustrating, especially when those few minutes are like another 30-45 minutes.