I need some help understanding this?

[mariettadisney71]

I am going to change my statement. This comment was ment for the people who abuse the system.

 

[kandmwedding]

I wouldn't be so quick to assume they weren't handicap. Many people are able to walk, but not for the long distances or large amounts of time that WDW involves - my g-ma would be a good example of this. And, most newer rides have handicap accessible lines, but many others do not. Now, are there people who abuse this? Yes. But there's a little thing called the Americans with Disabilities Act that makes proving your first point impossible.

 

[Evil Queen]

Wow!!

To see me walk through a line for a ride, you wouldn't think I have any handicaps, but I do. And enough to warrant renting a wheelchair or electric scooter for my trip. I just try not to, and so far have been blessed enough I don't have to.

I have several conditions that make it hard for me to get through the parks, between knees, back (not only surgery, but problems that come with years AFTER the surgery).

But, should I ever have to use help in getting around the park, I could care less what other's think. I would be doing nothing wrong, and actually making my trip as enjoyable as I could for myself and my family.

You NEED to walk in other's shoes before "assuming" they are just scootering along, to get on a ride 45 minutes before you.

Some lines and entrances are made for the handicapped, the regular lines aren't made for devices that assist people who need them.

 

[BlindTyldak]

If you would like to ride with little wait, you are more than welcome to take my husband's multiple sclerosis that makes him ride an ECV, and also allows him to - for the time being - walk onto the ride. He would happily wait in line.

 

[Mom to a Princess]

Wow!!

To see me walk through a line for a ride, you wouldn't think I have any handicaps, but I do. And enough to warrant renting a wheelchair or electric scooter for my trip. I just try not to, and so far have been blessed enough I don't have to.

I have several conditions that make it hard for me to get through the parks, between knees, back (not only surgery, but problems that come with years AFTER the surgery).

But, should I ever have to use help in getting around the park, I could care less what other's think. I would be doing nothing wrong, and actually making my trip as enjoyable as I could for myself and my family.

You NEED to walk in other's shoes before "assuming" they are just scootering along, to get on a ride 45 minutes before you.

Some lines and entrances are made for the handicapped, the regular lines aren't made for devices that assist people who need them.

I second that! I am able to get a Guest assistance pass with a condition that no one can see. Luckily I am able to get through the park with out it and am quiet frankly very happy that I am able to stand in those lines. When the day comes that I need to make use of the assistance that Disney offers I will take it and not look back. People need to take a step back and be grateful that they do not need those services!

 

[Allison]

Wow, you are really special if you can tell if someone has a physical condition by seeing them for 15 seconds or so.

 

[Evil Queen]

I am going to change my starment. This comment was ment for the people who abuse the system.

If you meant something else.......................

But how do YOU know the difference between people who needed them and the abusers?

 

[Allison]

Remind me to start quoting posts like this so they still exist after the OP decides they don't like the responses they are getting and deletes the post.

 

[BlindTyldak]

I am going to change my statement. This comment was ment for the people who abuse the system.

Yet you obviously don't know who this is. Tell me, how can you tell who is abusing it? Do people have to be drooling and immobile for you to think that they are "disabled enough?"

 

[BlindTyldak]

Remind me to start quoting posts like this so they still exist after the OP decides they don't like the responses they are getting and deletes the post.

Amen to that.

For anyone just joining us, the OP was saying how they didn't see how people in ECV's who could walk onto rides deserved to use the handicapped entrance and next trip they were going to rent one so they could too.

 

[Rowlf]

Honestly, though, I've seen groups of people negotiating about who was going to sit in a wheelchair that day. I don't begrudge people who have a handicap, visible OR invisible, but there ARE plenty of people who abuse the system at WDW.

 

[tacomaranch]

Deep breath in...deep breath out! Ok, I think I am ready.

Our wonderful has autsim. He looks great, I have spent my entire summer, 12K and every inch of my soul to teach my son to speak this summer. It has cost us in more ways than you will ever know! Again, he looks great, his speech is really close to target for his age, he acts really good most of the time but his has autism. He is on the spectrum. I can't change that.

A few weeks ago when we went to the local fair my DS was playing with a little girl about his age. He was actually leading the play group and having a blast. I was so proud of my son! After a bit the little girl sat down and said to me " I am going to watch the horse show now". In that very moment I realized that all the speech in the world, all the conditioning, all the work will never take the autsim away. He was not cured, there is no cure. I was absolutely heart broken and remain that way today.

My DS looks "normal" but he has autism. He does not understand wait in line. I would trade you 100 hours of waiting in line if you want to have your child be autistic!

We have a GAC. We walk up, show the GAC and because of the spectrum disorder we are given an alternative entrance. We still wait and you are still happy because you don't have my DS in line screaming his head off because he doesn't understand wait!

I sincerely pray for you and please count your lucky stars that you are blessed with being able to stand in line. Do you want to trade your life for mine? Do you want our GAC? I don't think so.

Not all disablities are visable. We also have a handicap card for our car because my son can take off and run in front of your car in a second flat. I use the card to shorten the distance to the store and it gives me a fighting chance to keep him alive. He also doesn't understand that car will kill him.

So OP, wishing you the grace to see and know what the GAC and my life is like with our wonderful son who has Autism.

 

[mariettadisney71]

To all,

This was a misunderstanding and I apologize to all I offened. We were standing in line with a couple who had a handicap child and did not utlize the handicap entrance and they explain they would rather wait in line because they could. We both commenting on waiting inline. I saw this same person running around and chasing their friends later on in the day.

My deepest apologizes to all.

 

[Evil Queen]

Honestly, though, I've seen groups of people negotiating about who was going to sit in a wheelchair that day. I don't begrudge people who truly have a handicap, but there ARE plenty of people who abuse the system at WDW.

I have no dount that people abuse it. And I'd bet it does happen.

If I ever have to rent a chair, I may not want to sit in it all day. In that case I would not have a problem with one of my group members sitting in it. It's paid for and for my time's I wouldn't be able to walk in the parks. I think it would look more weird and abusive, if I pushed it up to a ride empty and all of us walking. Just a thought.

 

[flortlebap]

Wasn't this done just a few weeks ago?

I don't like people who abuse the system. It drives me crazy. But the thing is - you don't actually know who is and who isn't, so there's not much you can do about it.

I've seen peope openly admitting to abusing it though whilst at the bus stops. It's disgusting, it really is.

 

[makinorlando]

I have no dount that people abuse it. And I'd bet it does happen.

If I ever have to rent a chair, I may not want to sit in it all day. In that case I would not have a problem with one of my group members sitting in it. It's paid for and for my time's I wouldn't be able to walk in the parks. I think it would look more weird and abusive, if I pushed it up to a ride empty and all of us walking. Just a thought.

My mother is 82, and gets around really well, but has had knee replacement surgery.

She also sometimes gets unsteady in crowds, or in the heat if we are standing for too long.

We will rent her a wheelchair for her to use much like a walker for stability, and will also give her the option to sit and ride if she feels she needs to or even just sit - for such things as parades or fireworks.

You might see my DD9 riding in the wheelchair while 82 year young NANA is pushing it... we do not abuse it to get through a line faster, etc. You might also just see our bags in the chair....but this does not mean that at sometime during the day my mother might not use the chair.... she will push herself so as not too use it, but I as her DD feel better if we have it just in case! I'd much rather get the strange looks, and not have the chair should my mother feel faint or in pain!

We had people last year during my mother's visit move out of the way when we stopped to watch the CP for a few minutes outside the theater while DD was in the chair. We told them thank you very much, but she was just resting in the chair- (they still moved out of the way so she could move in front of them and stand to see better!)

 

[Becky_Boop]

I have no dount that people abuse it. And I'd bet it does happen.

If I ever have to rent a chair, I may not want to sit in it all day. In that case I would not have a problem with one of my group members sitting in it. It's paid for and for my time's I wouldn't be able to walk in the parks. I think it would look more weird and abusive, if I pushed it up to a ride empty and all of us walking. Just a thought.

We've done that. My mother has multiple sclerosis, and can walk a little. After a day in a wheelchair, it's hard to walk at all. It helps if she gets up for a while and pushes another member of our group. If you already have it, it's fine. Then again, if nobody would like to sit in the chair, there's always our invisible, handicapped friend "Rufus".

As long as you don't abuse the privelages, it's ok.

 

[OhhBother]

There's just so much education that needs to be done in this area.

My husband has MS. You'd never know there was anything wrong with him by looking at him -- unless you're there when he loses feeling in huge parts of his body, or when his double vision becomes so severe he can't drive, or when he has to be on an in-home IV for days on end to pull him out of a relapse. Right now, he doesn't need an ECV to enjoy the parks, because he has mostly good days and very few bad days. I pray that's always the case.

On our last trip, my dad used an ECV. He's is his 50s and a strong-looking guy. But he'd just finished chemo after battling stage II lung cancer that cost him a lung. When we go back this Christmas, Dad will be with us again (having beat the odds and survived lung cancer), and he'll once again use an ECV because he only has 60 percent breathing capacity.

We should all be careful not to judge. No one truly knows what other obstacles people face -- even in the happiest place on earth.

Amy

 

[SueM in MN]

Many people seem to think that people using wheelchairs and ECVs don't wait in line and that lots of people 'abuse' wheelchairs or ECV to avoid waiting in line.
That is a common misconception, but it's not true.

People using wheelchairs or ECVs don't get out of waiting in line, so the biggest 'advantage' that people using ECVs or wheelchairs have is somewhere to sit while they are waiting.
Most of the lines at WDW are wheelchair accessible, so there are very few situations where someone actually goes thru a wheelchair entrance. In most cases, they wait in the same line with everyone else. For a very few attractions, there is an alternate entrace because the regular one isn't accessible and was not able to be made accessible (most in MK or Epcot since they were built before accessibility was thought of). There are some others, where the boarding area is not accessible and wheelchair/ECV users wait in the regular or Fastpass line and then are pulled into a different area for loading (Buzz Lightyear, Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain are examples).

One of the other things that people who don't use wheelchairs don't know is where people with wheelchairs go when they are taken out of the line. They assume those people who 'disappear' from the line are boarding right away, but that is not usually the case.
If they can't board at the regular boarding spot, they are pulled out of the line - usually just before the regular line gets to the boarding area (so they have already waited as long as everyone that got in the line the same time as they did).
For example, at Buzz Lightyear, the 'pull off point' is after you have gone thru the room with the large Buzz Lightyear, near the point where regular line is beginning to enter the actual boarding area. Guests with wheelchairs/ ECVs are pulled out of line at that point and sent to the exit - not to board right away, but to wait. If there are too many people with disabilities already on the attraction, you have to wait for some to get off (for fire safetly and evacuation reasons). Because our DD can't get out of her wheelchair easily, we have to wait extra for a special car that the wheelchair can be loaded on. We usually see the people who were right ahead of us in line getting off after riding while we are still waiting to board. In some rides, boarding at the accessible area means you miss part of the attraction; for example, at Haunted Mansion, you miss the entire 'stretching room' part of the attraction.

The Safari at AK is notorious for extra waits for people with disabilities. Our longest wait there was an EXTRA 40 minutes at a time when the regular line was walk on and Safari Trams were pulling out partially loaded because people were not walking up fast enough to fill them.

Spaceship Earth is a ride with a handicapped entrance, but during times when other passengers are able to walk right on, our wait is usually 20-30 minutes.

AK and the Studio were built with what are called 'Mainstream Lines'. These are lines where the regular line is wheelchair/ECV accessible and a person using a wheelchair or ECV waits in the same line with everyone else.

Here's what it says in the official WDW Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities about Mainstream Lines and the list of attractions with Mainstream Queues:
As you can see, most of the lines are Mainstream Queues:

Magic Kingdom® Park
Ariel's Grotto
Astro Orbiter
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Donald's Boat
Judge's Tent
Mickey's Country House
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Mike Fink Keelboats (seasonal)
Minnie's Country House
Pirates of the Caribbean
Space Mountain®
Splash Mountain®
Stitch's Great Escape!™
The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacres Farm
"The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management"
The Hall of Presidents
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Timekeeper (seasonal)
Tomorrowland® Indy Speedway
Toontown Hall of Fame
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress (seasonal)

Epcot®
FUTURE WORLD
Imagination!: All Attractions
Innoventions East
Innoventions West
Mission: SPACE
Test Track
The Living Seas: All Attractions
The Land: All Attractions
Universe of Energy: "Ellen's Energy Adventure"
Wonders of Life: All Attractions (seasonal)

WORLD SHOWCASE
China: "Reflections of China"
France: "Impressions de France"
FriendShip Boats
Norway: Maelstrom
The American Adventure: "The American Adventure"

Disney-MGM Studios
Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour
Fantasmic!
Lights, Motors, Action!™ Extreme Stunt Show
Muppet*Vision 3D
Playhouse Disney - Live On Stage!
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith
Sounds Dangerous - Starring Drew Carey
Star Tours
The Great Movie Ride
The Magic of Disney Animation
"The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™"
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It!

Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
Caravan Stage: "Flights of Wonder"
DINOSAUR
Grandmother Willow's Grove: "Pocahontas and Her forest friends"
It's Tough To Be A Bug
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Lion King Theater: "Festival of the Lion King"
Maharajah Jungle Trek
Primeval Whirl
Theater in the Wild: "Tarzan Rocks!"
The Boneyard
TriceraTop Spin

I wanted to add that Soarin' and EE are missing from the list. They are both Mainstream Access.
And, some attractions have limited number of spots for wheelchairs. We have already shown up for shows where there was still room for ambulatory people, but the wheelchair spots were already filled for that show and we had to wait for the next one (Voyage of the Little Mermaid, where we had Fastpasses; and ITTBAB, where the CMs were practically begging people to come into the queue because there was no wait in the standby line.

 

[aurorasleeping]

I just wanted to add something to SueM's very insightful post. (thank you by the way).
Even for rides like the Jungle Cruise, that does not have mainstream acess (i.e. they have a separate wheelchair entrance toward the exit). It is vary rare, that a party with a wheelchair can come up to the ride be ushered directly to this entrance. In 90% of cases, the Cast Member will instruct the guests to either (a) get a fast pass and come back when the fast pass window opens, at which point they will be given access to the wheelchair que. or (B) The Cast Member can give the party a special ticket (sorta like a fast pass), that instructs them to come back in a certain amount of time (usually what ever the wait for the standby entrance is), at which point the wheelchair party will be directed to the wheelchair line.
Therefore, nobody in a wheelchair or ECV (unless they do have a GAP-FOTL pass...which is very rare) can ride the Jungle Cruise without waiting at least as long (often longer) as the other guests. (Actually, they usually wait longer, becuase most of the time only one boat is stopped for wheelchair guests, and there is only one boat that can accomidate a single wheelchair for those guests who can not transfer down into the boat). Just thought I'd like to add my part, to try to dispell any rumors that guests in wheelchairs and ECV's get to skip the lines .
Also, as a cast member, I've noticed this policy only annoys (sometimes angers) the guests who did rent a wheelchair ro ECV in an attempt to skip the lines. Guests who legitimately need the wheelchair for a member of their party are (for the most part) extremely understanding. On behalf of all former and current cast members - THANK YOU!