Just back, some observations...

[DizzDoll]

Great to know thank - m boys really enjoy dinosours so we will have to try it out.

We thing that Ellen's show should be considered a hidden gem because it really is cute as well as informative and entertaining. Its very well done.

 

[Granfan]

To all of you who really need a wheelchair or scooter: Please don't do without what you need because of others who judge. You can't please people no matter what you do, so let god be the judge. You are not the ones people are upset about. You are welcome to all the help that can be provided.

 

[Naisy68]

To all of you who really need a wheelchair or scooter: Please don't do without what you need because of others who judge. You can't please people no matter what you do, so let god be the judge. You are not the ones people are upset about. You are welcome to all the help that can be provided.

Yes, I agree completely -- sorry if any of my comments or concerns offended you in the least little bit.. it has nothing to do with you.

 

[Melanie230]

I agree about the scooters. I can totally understand that the people that use those scooters do so out of necessity. However I dont think that 3 people in a scooter should be able to go ahead of a line of 75 people waiting for a bus. It seems a bit ridiculous. Especially when the people that are in those scooters have 8 family members with them.

 

[Melanie230]

Flame retardent on!

The best way to deal with the scooters is to make them wait in line for the buses with everyone else. The problem is that they get first-in-line preferential treatment. If they waited like the rest of us, there would be no problem and no complaints.

I agree 100%!!!

 

[dismichael]

Hey, we were there the same time also.
COMPLETELY agree with what you said lol.
The crowds were disheartening
The people that were there were rude.

 

[POOHsie]

Originally Posted by sharonabe
Flame retardent on!
The best way to deal with the scooters is to make them wait in line for the buses with everyone else. The problem is that they get first-in-line preferential treatment. If they waited like the rest of us, there would be no problem and no complaints.

I agree 100%!!!

No, it is not the best way. Disney policy is to load wheeled people first. For safety reasons. Disney allows wheeled people and up to 5 others to board with them. Complain to Disney, instead of criticizing those on wheels. Now that you know these Disney transportation rules, let's find something else to complain about. How about that awful Disney coffee?

 

[suzannekelder]

does disney tell people the policy of "+ 5" or is it something you have to know? is it possible people aren't aware and the bus driver doesn't want to cause problems?

i keep finding that disney offers lots information, but you have to go and find it yourself, that's whyi love these boards!!!

 

[disneysteve]

IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE A SCOOTER TO WDW LEARN HOW TO FREAKIN DRIVE IT AND BE MINDFUL OF THE HUNDREDS TO THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WALKING ALL AROUND YOU! YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY PERSON THERE AND YOUR SCOOTER DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE COMPLETE RIGHT OF WAY IN ANY SITUATION

You've just precisely described my MIL. The last time we took her with us to WDW, she rented an ECV the day we were in EPCOT and she was hell on wheels. My wife and I spent most of our day apologizing to the people she left in her wake. She drove the ECV pretty much the way she drives her car (which is why I refuse to be a passenger if she is behind the wheel). The ECVs are silent. You can't hear them coming even when they are just inches behind you. Still, she expected everyone to get out of her way. She ran into people. She cut people off. It was a mess.

 

[Suellen]

You've just precisely described my MIL. The last time we took her with us to WDW, she rented an ECV the day we were in EPCOT and she was hell on wheels. My wife and I spent most of our day apologizing to the people she left in her wake. She drove the ECV pretty much the way she drives her car (which is why I refuse to be a passenger if she is behind the wheel). The ECVs are silent. You can't hear them coming even when they are just inches behind you. Still, she expected everyone to get out of her way. She ran into people. She cut people off. It was a mess.

Were you there in July?? Maybe she was the one who ran down my 5 year old? No wait a minute. Yeah ~ no one apologized for that ~ couldn't have been you. She was fine by the way ~ though is now quite leery of scooters.

DD5 seems to be a magnet at WDW for trouble. She was pushed down stairs at Chef Mickeys, got trampled over by a double stroller, knocked down by a scooter. Then I tell her she needs to be mindful of other people. She looks up at me and says "Well then why at they not mindful of me?" She is of course right.

 

[POOHsie]

does disney tell people the policy of "+ 5" or is it something you have to know? is it possible people aren't aware and the bus driver doesn't want to cause problems?

i keep finding that disney offers lots information, but you have to go and find it yourself, that's whyi love these boards!!!

I did not see it in the Disney Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. The DISboards have a Disabilities Sticky, "Disabilities FAQ," post #4, which talks about this. Since a lot of people don't read "instruction" materials, it is possible people don't know. For those who "don't know" and try to get on with the wheeled person, the Bus Driver should ask how many are in the handicap party and cut the group off after 6, right then and there. We have been asked "how many people" time after time. But I could envision Bus Drivers who let it get out of hand, though they would be in the minority.

 

[GAN]

Originally Posted by GAN
In all my visits I can't honestly say we've had an issue with ECV's on buses -as mentioned previously, it's more a Park issue. I think it's great that people(for whatever reason) who couldn't normally experience WDW can through an ECV. However, it may be time to look into some ECV lanes in the parks.

Explain how it would work. I would like to know. Is the ECV lane a single lane where we all go single file? What if I get behind someone really slow? Would I get a ticket for passing? How do I get out of the lane to go in a shop across the street? When you get your ECV lane plan put together, write back. We are all very interested.

Sorry you missed the tongue-in-cheek humor -the discussion was(and continues) to be a bit heavy. But feel free to make any rules you prefer -I'm sure there will be plenty of reaction from both sides!

 

[POOHsie]

In all my visits I can't honestly say we've had an issue with ECV's on buses -as mentioned previously, it's more a Park issue. I think it's great that people(for whatever reason) who couldn't normally experience WDW can through an ECV. However, it may be time to look into some ECV lanes in the parks.

Sorry you missed the tongue-in-cheek humor -the discussion was(and continues) to be a bit heavy. But feel free to make any rules you prefer -I'm sure there will be plenty of reaction from both sides!

Yes, I missed the tongue-in-cheek. This discussion gets heavy because ECV users get pounded, then have to defend themselves, only to be told to "lighten up--we didn't mean you." Let's say maybe you have freckles. If you get pointed out for some infraction, and people said, "Yeah, those darn freckle people!" you could understand how you would get defensive. You don't see yourself as being any different just because you have freckles. Same goes for scooter people. They feel they are the same as anyone until it is pointed out, negatively, that scooter people are "those people" who did this bad thing and that bad thing, and the poster refers to him/herself as "the rest of us."

 

[GAN]

By the way...I meant to say we've "never" had an issue on buses.

 

[POOHsie]

By the way...I meant to say we've "never" had an issue on buses.

I think what you wrote reads alright.

 

[dskib]

I have only one issue with the bus policies for ECVs. Last year (and it was only a 2 day trip) I waited in a long line at park close with a 2 year old. It was probably close to 30 minutes before I got to a point where I knew I'd get on the next bus, and a few minutes later, 2 ECVs pulled up. Next bus shows, scooters get on first with pretty much no wait, and I had to wait yet again.

I have not a single issue in the world with anyone who needs an ECV. I don't judge by appearance, and I never assume that the driver does not really need the scooter. Quite the opposite, actually. My mom needs an ECV for some very serious medical issues, and I have no doubt that some people would just see an overweight woman.

I just believe that a system needs to be put into place so that everyone waits. Not sure what that system is, but it's out there. I'm sure that they have transportation experts out there who can work it out.

Hugs!
Deb

 

[blondietink]

I have 2 disabled kids, now young adults, who both cannot walk long distances in the heat of Florida because of their disabilities. I generally hate ECV's. Our "kids" cannot use them because they don't understand how they run. So, instead of wheelchairs, we have travel chairs for them that we push, in the Florida heat. Great way to lose weight and keep in shape, by the way. Our travel chairs fold up easily like a wheelchair, but since they don't fold up as small as a stroller, we have to get on the back door of the bus as we can't make the corner getting on in front. All of the bus drivers are wonderful .... yes our kids can walk on the bus and we fold the chairs and carry them on as the chairs aren't made to be tied down like an ECV or regular wheelchair. We board fast and tell the drivers they don't have to put out the ramp for us and they seem really grateful. The other passengers are another story. Boy do we get the looks! I am sure they would not enjoy pushing around somebody adult sized every day when it is 95 degrees out, but they don't think about that. Anyway, I get really angry when the ECV takes forever to load on the bus and during the ride listen to the person using the ECV talk about how they use it to get preferential treatment in the parks, or how they will let their grandchild drive the ECV. I also hate when they run over me or stop and start so frequently that it is hard to follow them from behind.

Lastly, I would like to say that as someone pushing a travel chair/wheelchair, it is really hard to stop my momentum when an able bodied person darts in front of the chair while we are walking. Most people do not seem to care except when I can't stop in time and run over their ankles. Then they get mad. But, they didn't tell me that they were cutting in front of me.

 

[POOHsie]

I have only one issue with the bus policies for ECVs. Last year (and it was only a 2 day trip) I waited in a long line at park close with a 2 year old. It was probably close to 30 minutes before I got to a point where I knew I'd get on the next bus, and a few minutes later, 2 ECVs pulled up. Next bus shows, scooters get on first with pretty much no wait, and I had to wait yet again.

I have not a single issue in the world with anyone who needs an ECV. I don't judge by appearance, and I never assume that the driver does not really need the scooter. Quite the opposite, actually. My mom needs an ECV for some very serious medical issues, and I have no doubt that some people would just see an overweight woman.

I just believe that a system needs to be put into place so that everyone waits. Not sure what that system is, but it's out there. I'm sure that they have transportation experts out there who can work it out.

Hugs!
Deb

Have you been to WDW with your mom and her ECV? If so, you know that you wait more than walking people for everything you do all day long. Even on the bus ride, the ECV goes on first, but doesn't get off the bus until everyone else is off. So that evens it out.

It's been suggested unofficially that scooters encountering long bus lines like at park close, should show respect for the long lines by holding back from boarding. It's not a bad idea to do. I prefer to just stay in the park for about 15 minutes after close, 'til the crowds thin. It's hard to maneuver my scooter in the massive crowds in the darkness. Then the bus crowds are much lighter, too.

 

[lawnspecialties]

No, it is not the best way. Disney policy is to load wheeled people first. For safety reasons. Disney allows wheeled people and up to 5 others to board with them. Complain to Disney, instead of criticizing those on wheels. Now that you know these Disney transportation rules, let's find something else to complain about. How about that awful Disney coffee?

Seems to me they were complaining about the policy.

You must admit, when you're standing 100 deep in a line waiting to go back to your resort. Then you miss 1, 2, and sometimes 3 busses because they fill up before you reach the front of the line. Then all of a sudden, a family of four come strolling up with someone in an ECV. Automatically, they get to board the next bus before anyone else. That includes people who've been there 30 minutes or more.

Don't get me wrong, I feel for those who need these things. But when that's happened to us before, there were some strong eyes looking at them. Yes, the policy DOES need to be changed. Wait in line. Then get on board in the select spot.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Seems to me they were complaining about the policy.

You must admit, when you're standing 100 deep in a line waiting to go back to your resort. Then you miss 1, 2, and sometimes 3 busses because they fill up before you reach the front of the line. Then all of a sudden, a family of four come strolling up with someone in an ECV. Automatically, they get to board the next bus before anyone else. That includes people who've been there 30 minutes or more.

Don't get me wrong, I feel for those who need these things. But when that's happened to us before, there were some strong eyes looking at them. Yes, the policy DOES need to be changed. Wait in line. Then get on board in the select spot.

Ditto. I have no issue at all with the ECV's and those that need to use them, but everyone should wait their turn to board the bus. If they need to board first out of the group that's fine, but if they wouldn't fit on that bus and would be waiting for the next one then that's what should happen.

I also think they should board with one other person as required by the ADA, and the rest of their party should board when their turn on the line comes.