just back and I think never again!!

[Kzajon]

I don't want anyone to write back how I shouldn't let strangers ruin my trip, but I just came back from my worst trip ever. 10 days of sheer h#%@. This was my first trip of many being disabled and using a personal scooter, and as of now, I will not be going back!

I was verbally attacked by a family in front of my 7 yr old grandson and just can't get over it. I know, my problem. Yes, getting through the parks with other people was a nightmare. I felt guilty all the time. If there were alot of people in line, I would wave the driver and opt for the next bus. ALL drivers were wonderful and I do believe that many other families were glaring at those people, but I only saw THAT family! I still can't get the face of the Grandmother out of my mind, which prompted my post.

Time will pass, and so will my anger I'm sure, but I felt the need to warn some people to expect the extra challenge, not by disney but by the people who just arent nice. You can say dont let it bother you, but it does. Just beware.

PS. the somewhat funny thing about that lady is that at the end of our trip, we saw HER in a wheelchair from the resort. Hmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[motherhen17404]

I also just got back from my first scooter trip in Disney. I am sorry you had a bad experience. I had a wonderful time. I did not let anyone bother me. I did have some people looking funny at me and I just gave them a big smile! I was not happy when my doctor told me that I either cancel my trip or use a scooter. I almost canceled, but I am so glad that I didn't. I have every right to use what ever means I have to use to get around. I did have people jump over me and the scooter and people stopping right in front of me. But I was ready for that. But I did also have a few acts of kindness from people. We are already planning our next trip, and I know that I will have to use a scooter again, and that is fine by me.

I am sorry that one person ruined your trip. I hope you can get over what one rude and mean person said, and get some of that pixie dust back.

 

[LindaBabe]

I am so so sorry Kazjan. I know how much that hurts. Easy for people to say ignore it, but it's hard sometimes.

I hope this will make you smile through your tears. . . last trip There was an older man in line at MK frowning at me and shaking his head while I rode up the lift on a bus. I smiled real big at him and executed a perfect back in parallel park that took all of two seconds. Take THAT you old f*rt! . . . fortunately for him, another bus came along and started loading a bunch of people from the queue, including him, or we might have seen a little 'tripping' accident. The ditzy old lady can't manage her cane, you know.

 

[Joanna71985]

I'm sorry that happened to you on vacation. People can be so stupid sometimes.

 

[pcparamedics01]

Sorry that happened to you! People can be sooo callous and truly rude! I can never understand how some people have such insensitivity to others. I have a son who is Autistic and we go through similar issues. Not the same of course, because they do not know he is Autistic until they open their big mouths and insert foot. Hopefully you can overcome this and go back.

 

[KPeveler]

this last trip was my first in a wheelchair, and i think it was one of the best yet - i had a great time. oddly enough, the worst experience i had there was from two scooter users!!! they were in the american adventure watching Liberty Voices sing, and to get a better view, they stood up for the 15-20 minute show. then they tried to cut me off going for a wheelchair spot in the theatre, and were pissed that 3 manual chairs go first (just because of how narrow things are)... they insisted they could not transfer to a regular seat. apparently they could stand for the whole pre-show, but not stand long enough to sit in a regular seat.

btw, these were rented scooters, so probly not specialized seating. and there were not enough wheelchair spots for everyone, so some had to wait an hour for the next show. they were very rude and tried to cut me off in their scooters, almost hit me....

anyway, i hope that the bad memories fade, and you can remember the magic of the trip!

 

[edcrbnsoul]

My DW (uses an ECV) and I use a quote from Dr. Suess in situations like this:

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

 

[SueM in MN]

this last trip was my first in a wheelchair, and i think it was one of the best yet - i had a great time. oddly enough, the worst experience i had there was from two scooter users!!! they were in the american adventure watching Liberty Voices sing, and to get a better view, they stood up for the 15-20 minute show. then they tried to cut me off going for a wheelchair spot in the theatre, and were pissed that 3 manual chairs go first (just because of how narrow things are)... they insisted they could not transfer to a regular seat. apparently they could stand for the whole pre-show, but not stand long enough to sit in a regular seat.

btw, these were rented scooters, so probly not specialized seating. and there were not enough wheelchair spots for everyone, so some had to wait an hour for the next show. they were very rude and tried to cut me off in their scooters, almost hit me....

anyway, i hope that the bad memories fade, and you can remember the magic of the trip!

When we were there in October at American Adventure, they had a full house of people with wheelchairs and ECVs. The CM announced before we started going in that only one person could sit in the back row with each person using a wheelchair/ECV and that the first person going in needed to go all the way across to the wheelchair spot at the end of the row.
Of course, the first family had 6 people and they took all the companion spots. The person with the ECV parked smack in the middle (where none of his companions were sitting near him anyway). The accompanying people refused to move ("we're with him"), but finally did move to the row in front. The guy in the middle refused to move, which meant that the rest of the people using wheelchairs/ECVs had to squeeze around him or fit themselves into half of the space. There was not room for the last person to park her ECV and sit in it, so she made a difficult and obviously painful transfer out to sit in one of the theater seats, while the CM parked her ECV off to the side. (She used a set of canes, her DH and me to help steady herself getting in and later out of the seat).
Meanwhile, the guy who caused the problem in the first place transferred easily to the theater seat.
Rude and inconsiderate.

Anyway, I know just how bad the rude ones make you feel and how much it hurts. If we stopped going to WDW when we had our first rude comments, our last trip would have been about 1993!
The bad ones are the ones that stick in your head (I know they do in mine), but over the years, there are more good ones than bad ones.

 

[BroganMc]

Ok, you had a bad experience, but what was GOOD about your trip?

That's what you concentrate on. Other than that, you come here and vent about the bad apple. We all share our horror stories and commisserate. Just like driving out on the roads these days: there's always some arrogant road jockey ready to try killing you just to get to the next traffic light 2 seconds sooner. Name for what they are (idiots) and move on.

I've been using a powerchair for going on 5 years now. I put it off for 10 years because I was afraid of what other people might think, say or do. I forced myself into a lot of pain and hardship because of that. Now life with my pwc means I actually get to experience a life. That in itself is more than enough compensation for the random jerks I encounter.

Oh and in case anyone is reading, scooter and wheelchair users should never feel too guilty to pull up in front at a bus line or get on first. There are only two spots per bus while the pedestrians get another 20 seats and can stand at least 10 people deep. Loading us is the most efficient way to accommodate everyone.

 

[MonorailGuy]

There was not room for the last person to park her ECV and sit in it, so she made a difficult and obviously painful transfer out to sit in one of the theater seats, while the CM parked her ECV off to the side. (She used a set of canes, her DH and me to help steady herself getting in and later out of the seat).

And I am sure there are others who didn't transfer who could have much more easily. If you ever find yourself on another board where I post a lot and disparage some people who use ECV's, those are the ones I am talking about. I've had them too many times on my bus.

Kazjan, I have a piece of advice for you. Understand that sometimes you do happen to be at Disney World at the same time that all the idiots of the world seem to be here. They are looking out for one person, themselves, and when it comes to someone like you who wants just to have a good time, they wouldn't throw their cup of soda on you if they saw you were on fire (what, are you kidding? This thing was expensive!). So, as hard as it is, pay no attention to them. Pay attention to the Cast Members like myself and others here who are looking for the people like you so we can make your stay magical. We are going to do everything we can for people like you, and those who are mean to you, we won't give them any more than we have to so we can spend the quality time with you. Please come back again, give us a chance to make up for what you experienced this time around.

Keep in mind as well that some trips the bad people seem to follow you around. It's only about 2% of people that are actually like that, but when you put 100,000 people in a park, that still means there are 2,000 of them running around.

Focus on those of us here to make your stay special. That is the whole reason I moved across the country and took about a 50% pay cut, to make make magic for nice people who come to visit my place of employment. It's been worth it.

Moderators, I hope I haven't been too harsh in describing the type of people who I wish would stay away from Disney World. If so, please feel free to edit this post. I won't mind.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Moderators, I hope I haven't been too harsh in describing the type of people who I wish would stay away from Disney World. If so, please feel free to edit this post. I won't mind.

We tend to agree with you. There are forums only the moderators and webmasters can view or write to. As well as the Parks and Resorts, we have problem Guests here also.

 

[RNMOM]

I am so sorry this happened to you. I have used a scooter for the past 3 trips and I do understand the "looks". I also use scooters for shopping. I have my own and we go out to a local shopping/dining area nearby that is popular for young people and "upper crust". You might imagine the looks I get being quite overweight and scooting around.

I have learned to just keep a smile on my face, make eye contact and thank people or excuse myself if I have to scoot in front of them or cause them to move out of my way. I try to be very courteous and friendly. Sometimes it is hard when a groups of teens chuckle and giggle after I pass. Hey, I will happily trade places with them!

It is important to not let others opinions ruin our lives but it is a very hard thing to do. Again, I am sorry this happened to you.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Oh honey, I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience . Did you get any pictures of them? If so, all of us on wheels can try to run them over if we ever see them at the parks; ten points for each bump on the ankles, 20 for flattening them!

OK, so I'm not really being serious, but I do know how you feel and often think about going vigilante. However, I don't fancy a criminal record, so I guess I'll just have to grit my teeth.

I do hope this horrible experience (and I do understand how horrible it can be) doesn't sour you against the whole of Disney forever. I know it's not easy to just 'ignore them', but you can't let them win. You're a strong person, they're an idiot; I know who I'd put my money on .

the somewhat funny thing about that lady is that at the end of our trip, we saw HER in a wheelchair from the resort.

Instant karma's gonna get you!!! (Not that I would ever laugh at anyone's misfortune..... *chortle*)

 

[lovetoscrap]

This was my first trip with a rental ECV also. I was so scared to use that thing. I was so worried I would hurt someone, or myself. I almost didn't go on my trip also just because of that.

But you know what? I had the best time of my life. Well, at least the most fun I have had all year, it has been a rough year. It may have helped that I was with another ECV user a lot of the time, and that I was with supportive friends but it also helped that I decided when I got there I was just not going to care what others said or thought.

So my friend and I decided since we had "coaches" we needed crowns--and we bought them and wore them all week. People probably really wondered why a relatively young looking woman was motoring around. I am sure some thought I was just trying to "cut" in lines, or was lazy. We heard some comments. But I know that I can't walk more than a few minutes at a time. I know how painful it is to even take just a few steps. They don't need to know that. I don't care what they think.

And I also know that just because I have wheels instead of feet doesn't mean I deserve special privleges, or now have the right to be a jerk. I have to be just as courteous with my fellow wheelies as I would be if we were walking. And I have to be as courteous to the walkers as I want them to be to me. It DOES mean I now have to be 1000 times more vigilant about getting through crowds. It means I CAN'T be in a hurry. It means I have to have 100 times more patience and good attitude than I usually do. There were a lot of things that I could have gotten mad about. Things that would have really ticked me off at home. But I just stopped, waited and took a deep breath. Touched the tiara and remembered I was in WDW. And just went on my way. Really, I can't tell you anything specific now because I let them go and I don't remember.

Don't say never. Remember the good times you had. The looks on your Grandson's face. The special time you spent together. The only person that can make you feel bad about your situation is YOU. Everyone else is a total stranger and you have no need to care about what they think.

 

[wdwmickey]

This was my first trip with a rental ECV also. I was so scared to use that thing. I was so worried I would hurt someone, or myself. I almost didn't go on my trip also just because of that.

But you know what? I had the best time of my life. Well, at least the most fun I have had all year, it has been a rough year. It may have helped that I was with another ECV user a lot of the time, and that I was with supportive friends but it also helped that I decided when I got there I was just not going to care what others said or thought.

So my friend and I decided since we had "coaches" we needed crowns--and we bought them and wore them all week. People probably really wondered why a relatively young looking woman was motoring around. I am sure some thought I was just trying to "cut" in lines, or was lazy. We heard some comments. But I know that I can't walk more than a few minutes at a time. I know how painful it is to even take just a few steps. They don't need to know that. I don't care what they think.

And I also know that just because I have wheels instead of feet doesn't mean I deserve special privleges, or now have the right to be a jerk. I have to be just as courteous with my fellow wheelies as I would be if we were walking. And I have to be as courteous to the walkers as I want them to be to me. It DOES mean I now have to be 1000 times more vigilant about getting through crowds. It means I CAN'T be in a hurry. It means I have to have 100 times more patience and good attitude than I usually do. There were a lot of things that I could have gotten mad about. Things that would have really ticked me off at home. But I just stopped, waited and took a deep breath. Touched the tiara and remembered I was in WDW. And just went on my way. Really, I can't tell you anything specific now because I let them go and I don't remember.

Don't say never. Remember the good times you had. The looks on your Grandson's face. The special time you spent together. The only person that can make you feel bad about your situation is YOU. Everyone else is a total stranger and you have no need to care about what they think.

I love the tiara idea. This is my first rip in a w/c and I think a tiara might make it more fun for me to think of thew/c as my princess coach

 

[lovetoscrap]

I love the tiara idea. This is my first rip in a w/c and I think a tiara might make it more fun for me to think of thew/c as my princess coach

Keep in mind that if you rent them from an offsite company and will have it for a few days or so, they can be fun to decorate! Plan ahead and bring some DIS related, seasonal, or any other things you like to decorate the back and basket of your scooter. We met many other DISers with mine. It also makes it much easier to find if you leave it outside and the CM's move it!

 

[GroovyWheeler]

Don't let someone ruin your trip, just because they thought they had to be mean, rude, and inconsiderate.

When we traveled with my wheelchair for the first time to Disney, I knew it was going to be easy, although I knew that I would be treated as "invisible" by some, just because I'm different on the outside. But, the reason why I use a wheelchair is on the inside of me. As it turned out, it was a great trip. Especially for someone that's a wheelchair user like me. Even though it was hard on my mom to push me through all 4 theme parks, we all had a great time. And, because I couldn't walk at all, at the time, it was easy for me to do most of the rides.

Dan and I are very excited about going again in January with my mom, his sister, my godfather, and two of my mom's friends from work. It's been two years since we've last been, and we can't wait!!! We're going to be taking my own manual wheelchair because renting at the parks/offsite would not be an option for us during our weeklong stay. If you get a chance to do it again, you should.

I know there were probably a few rude remarks aimed at us the last time we went, just because I got to be first on the bus, and in the ride lines that were not "mainstream queues". But, we tried not to let that ruin our fun.

Samantha

 

[luvyawdw]

Time will pass, and so will my anger I'm sure, but I felt the need to warn some people to expect the extra challenge, not by disney but by the people who just arent nice. You can say dont let it bother you, but it does.
Time will pass, and so will my anger I'm sure, but I felt the need to warn some people to expect the extra challenge, not by disney but by the people who just arent nice. You can say dont let it bother you, but it does.


I can appreciate your disappointment. And I will not tell you to "not let it bother you" because I know that really is not a reasonable comment. We have had similar experiences in the past with our daughter (in w/c or med stroller). I have felt like not ever going back also. It did take some time to work our way back in to planning another trip to wdw. I have posted several times on here about some of our experiences and also have heard "don't let other people ruin your trip". I can only say that I believe many families have to financially prepare for disney trips, I know ours does, and we all get so excited months before going. Its a really big deal. It can be quite devestating to have unkind or worse very rude people upset you during this trip. It is a huge disapointment to the whole family. As adults, my husband and I really try to downplay anything negative that may happen, we do this for our daughter. But inside we are so hurt. I know I can not put myself in my daughters place, but I am very close to knowing how she feels. We feel very strongly that no one has the right to take away from the experiecnce of being at disney, we are all paying the same amout of money. If someone needs to board the bus first because of a disability, why would anyone be upset about it? Why do people feel it is ok to speak outloud (complain) about a person with a disability at Disney? I have said before on the Dis that I believe Disney could make a huge statement about treating guests with disabilities with kindness. I know on the monorail the announcement refers to guests needing assistance or needing the seat and to be mindful of others who may need assistance.........something like that, I certainly don't know exactly what it says. Anyway, people look around after that message and offer their seats up to others who may need it. I think hearing a message or reading it in the guide books does in fact help to raise awareness, and sends the message of compassion, holding others to higher standards.
I feel very bad for you and your family. This just should not happen. I know we can not change the world we live in but we could likely raise the standards and send the message that this kind of behavior is not tolorated.
As far as equal treatment for the disabled as one poster mentioned, I don't really see this as being relevant. Having a bus allow a w/c to board first is not special treatment, its a procedure that works best for everyone.
Anyway, I hope the magic will come back for you and your family. I am also happy that cast members were kind and thoughtfull.

 

[missypie]

There is some percentage of occupants of this Earth who are total jerks. And there is no law that keeps those total jerks from visiting Disneyworld. The same people were probably jerks to people with strollers, people who had to stop suddenly to pick up a dropped ticket, people trying to carry a tray of drinks at a CS restaurants.These peoiple think only of themselves. Jerks can happen to anyone and everyone. BUT, there are a whole lot more nice people than there are jerks, so please try to focus on those.

 

[Bugsmom73]

And I am sure there are others who didn't transfer who could have much more easily. If you ever find yourself on another board where I post a lot and disparage some people who use ECV's, those are the ones I am talking about. I've had them too many times on my bus.

Kazjan, I have a piece of advice for you. Understand that sometimes you do happen to be at Disney World at the same time that all the idiots of the world seem to be here. They are looking out for one person, themselves, and when it comes to someone like you who wants just to have a good time, they wouldn't throw their cup of soda on you if they saw you were on fire (what, are you kidding? This thing was expensive!). So, as hard as it is, pay no attention to them. Pay attention to the Cast Members like myself and others here who are looking for the people like you so we can make your stay magical. We are going to do everything we can for people like you, and those who are mean to you, we won't give them any more than we have to so we can spend the quality time with you. Please come back again, give us a chance to make up for what you experienced this time around.

Keep in mind as well that some trips the bad people seem to follow you around. It's only about 2% of people that are actually like that, but when you put 100,000 people in a park, that still means there are 2,000 of them running around.

Focus on those of us here to make your stay special. That is the whole reason I moved across the country and took about a 50% pay cut, to make make magic for nice people who come to visit my place of employment. It's been worth it.

Moderators, I hope I haven't been too harsh in describing the type of people who I wish would stay away from Disney World. If so, please feel free to edit this post. I won't mind.

It is people like you who help make my day as a special needs parent a lot brighter. We had one problem last year and it was when our friend had our 2 kids so DH and I could go out. While going back to AKL, there was one other person besides our friend and our 2 kids. She was absolutely rude to our friend Julia, who is trying to collapse the stroller, and hold on to our son who is a bolter. She then proceeds to sit right behind Julia and our 2 kids on the otherwise empty bus. The bus driver apologized profusely for this womans attitude and Julia thanked the driver.