Just back, some observations...

[luckyprincess]

Ok, I understand now.....sorry.

This is a topic very close to my heart.....beause I soooooooo much want to go back to the days of hopping on and off rides, walking to HS from BC without a thought.

I know I look at everyone walking with tremendous envy....heartbreaking level of envy most of the time.


Oh - good thing about "chill". I recently turned 56 and WAY out of touch with the younger generation (children, neices, everyone all grown up now). I guess I'll eventually be back in touch when the little grand-people start arriving!

You're just the best, really I do hope you can hop on and off of rides again one day and dance the night away. I'm so glad that you have such a strong spirit and can dance in your scooter for now - here's to you!

 

[leebee]

Can I tell you a secret? I know nobody is watching. When EPCOT is closed and people are rushing for the exit....World Showcase is empty....I HAVE been known to ......scoot to the music. DH said I'm figure skating....on my scooter. I'll do donuts around the plantings......circles in the walkways. Once a security guard came up to me....probably thought I had stopped at the margarita station a few too many times......I explained that this was the only time I actually felt FREE (explaining the accident). He laughed and told me to ..... go around another time! I jingled my bell....and was off!

ANd now do I know where your screen name comes from ?

 

[MsDisney23]

I have rented a scooter for the past four years. I can no longer do all the walking due to my transplant, so when you see me, I look fine on the outside but no inside.

 

[Mama-san]

 

[Donut23]

Donut I do hope I get a chance to meet you on a trip one day. You seem like such a fun person. Kudos to you for having such a great outlook on life.

L


Thank you for the kind words.

Not to hijack the thread.....but.........

Our next trip begins the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend.

I invite anyone there at the time to join us for Bob at Riverside (in the River Roost lounge). We always begin our trip with Bob (www.yehaabob.com). If you like to laugh, you will NOT be sorry.

You will notice us, we will have the WE ARE BOBAHOLICS sign and santa Mickey hats. Warning - hide before you are chosen to be 10-Lords 'a Leapin......DH has such a GOOD sense of humor.

 

[Donut23]

ANd now do I know where your screen name comes from ?

HAHAHAHA - good one. I didn't even notice!

Actually, I have a tendancy to use LOTS of powder after a shower. DH said I look like a.........powdered donut!

 

[brunette8706]

ANd now do I know where your screen name comes from ?

*
LOL! Good one!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

But seriously if a person can manage their daily life, without a scooter, do they truly "have" to have it on vacation or is it a convenience.

Nope. I'll stay home in the future. I don't need a scooter in my normal daily routine. My day is arranged to limit the walking I do. Why? It hurts. A few weeks ago, in the supermarket (things have gotten worse) by the time I was done shopping I was in so much pain, even using a cart for support as usual, that the store manager wanted to call an ambulance.

More recently, I went to a ball game. It's been years since I've been, and I've forgotten HOW much walking is involved. I couldn't work the next day. But my typical day? No problem. Using your criteria, I shouldn't be able to use an ECV at Walt Disney World because I don't use one at home.

Great. I hope someone will send me pictures, because I don't ever expect to be able to visit a park again.

 

[POOHsie]

What caption would you put under the picture?

 

[Suellen]

even using a cart for support as usual

I do this too. I can't use a hand cart anymore even if I only need 1 thing.

 

[brunette8706]

To rent inside the disney parks it is $50 per day plus a $20 deposit that you get back. Not sure how much the outside companies charge.

*
thanks! That's a lot of CASH! More than a rental car! Sheesh!

 

[Looking4themouse]

Are you sure about that? What's to stop everyone from bringing their dog along and claiming it is a service dog?

Yes I am quite positive about that, it is covered in the ADA. An old Co-worker of mine had a service dog that he trained himself and although he was questioned on more than one occasion, he politely explained this to them and they backed off. If you would like I could certainly look for the specific line in the ADA that states this....I suppose anyone could say that they had a service dog and take them into countless places, and no one would be the wiser, I just think most people don't because they think they are required something in order to prove it.

 

[Looking4themouse]

I think perhaps your own feelings are clouding your reasoning in this particular discussion. Plenty of people, myself included, have already mentioned people that we know that do this. Now, if you just want to stick your fingers in your ears, close your eyes and yell 'nyah, nyah, nyah, not listening', well, then that's one thing. If YOU don't want to believe it because it shatters your view of people, then fine. But you are batty if you say that it's urban legend stuff when people are telling you that they touch, talk to and breathe the same air as people that do this. As another poster mentioned, simply surf the web to find people that will detail how to do this.

Whether or not you choose to believe it really isn't of any consequence. What is of consequence is that it does happen and by giving these people blanket coverage of ADA then it makes a mockery of the act itself. Not sure if that hasn't been explained well or not and maybe that's what you aren't getting? Now, not that I've really felt the need to qualify this yet, but my mom has cancer and uses a chair and a cane, depending on how she feels that day. I also have a sis that used a large stroller/wheelchair when we were young because of chronic bronchial asthma. She looks fine, so people may have assumed she was lazy. However, we could care less what others thought. She would have a problem with people getting protection under a law they don't qualify for though....

Ok so now I'm sorry but I have to say something, you say you have friends with disabilities, you seem to find it offensive that some individuals, as you say are making a mockery of the ADA, yet you call people who use mobility devices "SCOOTER PEOPLE" if I ever called one of my friends a scooter person, or a wheelchair person they would kick my rearend from here all the way to Disney World, and then back again. They are not TRANSFORMERS and don't magically transform from person to scooter/wheelchair with one swift movement.

 

[Donut23]

Nope. I'll stay home in the future. I don't need a scooter in my normal daily routine. My day is arranged to limit the walking I do. Why? It hurts. A few weeks ago, in the supermarket (things have gotten worse) by the time I was done shopping I was in so much pain, even using a cart for support as usual, that the store manager wanted to call an ambulance.

More recently, I went to a ball game. It's been years since I've been, and I've forgotten HOW much walking is involved. I couldn't work the next day. But my typical day? No problem. Using your criteria, I shouldn't be able to use an ECV at Walt Disney World because I don't use one at home.

Great. I hope someone will send me pictures, because I don't ever expect to be able to visit a park again.

Naaaaa ..... just come along and scoot with me - don't listen to people who don't understand.

We ALWAYS seem to make people smile. I'll even bring an extra bike bell for YOUR scooter-ok, decorations too....yes, yes, I'll bring along an extra strand of battery operated Christmas lights...ok, ok, I'll sew a cute little pouch for the back of your seat. By the time we get all of this attached to your scooter....it will be time to GO HOME!! hahahahaha

 

[luckyprincess]

Ok so now I'm sorry but I have to say something, you say you have friends with disabilities, you seem to find it offensive that some individuals, as you say are making a mockery of the ADA, yet you call people who use mobility devices "SCOOTER PEOPLE" if I ever called one of my friends a scooter person, or a wheelchair person they would kick my rearend from here all the way to Disney World, and then back again. They are not TRANSFORMERS and don't magically transform from person to scooter/wheelchair with one swift movement.

Wait - where did I say 'scooter people'? I can't seem to find it....

 

[Donut23]

Yes I am quite positive about that, it is covered in the ADA. An old Co-worker of mine had a service dog that he trained himself and although he was questioned on more than one occasion, he politely explained this to them and they backed off. If you would like I could certainly look for the specific line in the ADA that states this....I suppose anyone could say that they had a service dog and take them into countless places, and no one would be the wiser, I just think most people don't because they think they are required something in order to prove it.

ooooooooooooooooo.....I can take Shadow? I call him my blood-pressure pill. He's only 22 lbs of goofy terrier. He even has an assortment of Christmas scarves AND a T-shirt that says......"I ate Santa's Cookies".

Ok.....I'm sorry....I didn't mean to make fun of a serious conversaton...and if I thought my SCOOTER was inconvenient, can you imagine traveling through WDW with a slightly-doopy terrier who'se sole purpose in life is to kiss everyone he meets!!

 

[JerseyJanice]

But why aren't two (or three, on some buses) wheelchair spaces per bus enough? Why should all waiting Guests in wheelchairs/ECVs be accommodated with each arriving bus? Not every standing passenger can be accommodated on each bus - just look at the long lines for the larger resorts at park closing!!

Katie, I don't think two spots per vehicle are enough now. As I stated already, nearly every time we rode the bus 8/20 to 8/27/10, there were two scooters on the bus. That's a big jump in scooter numbers from what we saw even last year.

I don't begrudge anyone the right to use a mobility device--for any reason. It's none of my business why someone needs one, and I'm not about to judge who does or doesn't need one. If someone thinks they need one to enjoy their trip, that's a good enough reason for me. And let me say to say anyone who is offended by that--too bad. Like I said, if a scooter is what you need to enable you to enjoy Disney World, it's none of my business. You're welcome to it.

One more thing--not every disability affects mobility. People using the bus may have conditions where long waits in hot, humid weather can harm them. There are also people who have to use the bus instead of a rental car because of a condition where they can't drive. Who is to say that any one of us is more or less important than someone else because of the nature of their disabilities? Because you know, we all have some kind of disability. No one can do everything. (Well, except maybe God.)

 

[Eeyore5]

I do wonder how many folks are renting scooters whose sole "disability" is obesity. Doing Disney World is pretty physically demanding, as we all know. It is a lot of walking, long days, often hot, humid weather. If you aren't in decent physical condition, you might not be able to do it. That doesn't make you disabled in the legal sense. As our society gets more and more sedentary and obese, what does that do to the number of scooters in the parks? Might we reach a point where Disney (and other park operators) are forced to somehow limit the number of scooters admitted? I can't help but think of the crew of the spaceship in Wall-E.

This is a sensitive subject for me becuase I get tired of being stared and and comments that people make. I am obese. The disability came first, then a medication that caused weight gain. But even if the weight came first, it is no one's business why I use an ECV.

Try an image what it is like to have people out in public feel they have the right to scrutinize much of what you do/don't do (including staring at the contents of my grocery cart). Most people at Disney are great, but the few that aren't make it harder for me. It hurts to have these kind of comments made.

I think the best thing for people to remember is that I am a person just like you who wants to enjoy Disney and not worry about what others think of me. Disney is a place I feel free because I have equal access. Most lines are integrated so the head of the line argument makes no sense. Plus, the official policy at Disney is that you wait the same amount of time. Sometimes the CM didn't follow that and let my mom (who uses and ECV because of a different disability) on sooner. We certainly didn't expect that and since reading the boards I suspect it was becuase there was only two of us and they had 2 spots to fill and the other line had larger groups.

Treat me like anyone else, because we are all the same. I was born with my disability. I didn't choose this. Nor would anyone else. Please don't judge others and hope they extend the same courtesy to you.

Also, limiting access to those of us who need a mobility device (regardless of whether or not we needed it in our everyday life) would be illegal.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Enough? No, but fair, yes. Just like not all Guests standing in line waiting for the bus can necessarily get on the first bus that comes, it's reasonable and equal that not all Guests in wheelchairs/ECVs can get on the first bus that comes.

 

[disneysteve]

This is a sensitive subject for me becuase I get tired of being stared and and comments that people make. I am obese. The disability came first, then a medication that caused weight gain. But even if the weight came first, it is no one's business why I use an ECV.

I totally agree. That wasn't my point at all. What I was commenting on is that the rising obesity rate is probably at least partly responsible for the rising number of scooters in use. If that trend continues, what will things look like in 5 or 10 or 15 years. How many scooters in the park are too many from a logistical and safety standpoint? Is there a practical limit? If so, how would Disney possibly enforce that? They control how many rental scooters they offer but they can't control how many people bring their own. And they can't turn away disabled guests at the gate.