Just back Tour Groups, EVC's and Strollers

[wtccheermom]

So because you now work for Disney and make the rules for them, I as a paying guest am not allowed to use the free transportation provided by Disney simply because YOU don't like my stroller? Who are YOU to decide if my stroller is ok or not? Not everyone has a rental car, nor do they want one. That is part of the benefit of being at Disney. There isn't a need for one. How about this, if YOU have such a problem being on the buses with strollers, children etc. why don't YOU rent a car and use it instead.

I never said I worked for Disney so not sure where you are coming from but anyway!!! Just offering my opinion on OVERSIZED OBNIXOUS strollers not . I think if something blocks the isles like these things do they should not be allowed on a bus and no it is not your right to get on a Disney bus with something that causes a a safety issue. However your since of entitlement falls in line with many on here. i have taken my son at ages 6 months, 2 and now 3 and never once needed to push him around in a lazy-boy on wheels. When he was an infant we took his infant stroller but it folded up very neatly and fit in front on my husband’s legs and the other 2 times we rented from Disney and when it was nap time headed back to the room for various reasons. I also never said a word about having any issues with normal sized strollers so please don’t put words in my mouth!

 

[Wadecool]

Somehow I knew the thread was going to go here...

As sure as the sun will rise...

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

Which won't happen here for another hour....can't sleep, so there's always the DISboards!

 

[CJBaby]

Just came back last night from a totally unplanned, last minute trip to Disney this weekend. We packed up in record time and jumped in the car. (Yes, I am aware how awesome that was) Anyway, about half-way there I realized we didn't bring a stroller for our 3 year old. It wasn't a big deal, except that it was SO nice not to have one on the buses and monorail. I'll never forget YEARS ago, before children, being on a bus with just my dh, and having a couple, with their kids, strollers, etc, tired and weary, look at us, and say "enjoy it while you can!" lol! They were so right! Disney with kids, strollers, or whatever else you feel the need to bring is amazing and fun, but not easy. Instead of getting upset because someone's stroller size is bigger than you deem necessary, and somehow affecting you, feel lucky that YOU don't feel the need or have to travel with one. Seriously. Enjoy it.

 

[Tybug]

This is what's wrong with the world today... the lack of tolerance and respect for others.

- Those with 18 wheeler strollers have the right to bring them.

- Those that prefer to ride on a bus without oversized stollers have the right to be irritated.

No one needs to try to sway the other's opinion.

For us personally, we didn't visit the world until our youngest was old enough to walk all day withOUT a stroller. Our choice. That was age 3 which meant our oldest was 7 for her first visit. The world didn't end because she didn't go earlier and it also didn't end because we made our 3 year old walk for those 8 days. Again, our choice to not deal with strollers.

Now that they are 19 and 23 and there are no grandchildren yet, I still prefer to not deal with strollers. Not because I don't love 'little snowflakes', or because I feel they shouldn't be at Disney. But because I am no longer in that phase of life. Yet, Disney still provides a draw for our adult only trips.

Feel free to bring the rolling nurseries but be aware that there are others in the parks, on the busses, etc. As those without should be aware that they are there and respect the convenience to those parents.

Tolerance... everyone should try a little from time to time.

 

[dskib]

We've always brought our standard stroller. It's not tiny, but it folds up enough not to get in anyones way. Really, it's far More inconvenient for me than anyone else. I can't imagine bringing one of the monster strollers, but to each his own. I only have a problem with them when the user is absolutely inconsiderate and sits his/her but down right in the middle of the bus blocking the aisle so that I can't get back to an empty seat or standing room in the back. That's all.

This year DS will be 4 and we borrowed one of the nicer umbrella type strollers. I'm almost excited to get on the bus with that nice compact little thing!!

If it were me, and I needed a giant stroller for my 4 kids, I'd drive. It'd be far easier for ME to deal with!

As for bringing babies, my DS has been going since he was 1. Why? Because I, that's right, I, needed a Disney vaca. It's not always about the kids you know . And even if I had someone to leave him with for the week, I still
wouldn't. There's no need.

Deb

 

[freepixie]

I'm fine with strollers and whatever, I just have issues when people pushing those strollers feel the need to ram into my ankles as we are exiting a very crowded park. Then when I turn around and ask nicely to please be careful, I get the dirty look given to me and more ramming of my ankles.

So, if you are conscience of the amount of space you need for your stroller, and refrain from physically harming the people in front of you, you are cool in my book

 

[aidtrismommy]

When I see families with ginormous strollers, cups of soda, numerous bags, etc on a bus, I think they are the ones who are having a harder time. If people choose to pack all that, it is their choice, but ultimately they have to deal with all of it and it doesn't look fun. I spent extra money on a umbrella type double stroller that folds up rather nicely and isn't totally bulky. I always make sure to put it out of the way or hold it against my knees. I never store anything in it and we never bring sodas or whatever back to the resort. I only have to deal with a stroller and a backpack. Strollers only become a problem on the bus when people lay them on seats (yes this happened) or people sit with them at the front and block the aisle. If people dont feel safe or are that annoyed, then they dont have to ride in public transportation. There is always a choice. People really shouldnt judge others on their choices. If someone chooses to bring a 3 motnh old, it's their choice. Who cares if they won't remember it. Babies are part of families too, why shouldn't they go on family vacations? I have been bringing my boys since they were infants and they just love looking at pictures from all of our trips and they DO remember.

 

[adisneymama]

I never said I worked for Disney so not sure where you are coming from but anyway!!! Just offering my opinion on OVERSIZED OBNIXOUS strollers not . I think if something blocks the isles like these things do they should not be allowed on a bus and no it is not your right to get on a Disney bus with something that causes a a safety issue. However your since of entitlement falls in line with many on here. i have taken my son at ages 6 months, 2 and now 3 and never once needed to push him around in a lazy-boy on wheels. When he was an infant we took his infant stroller but it folded up very neatly and fit in front on my husband’s legs and the other 2 times we rented from Disney and when it was nap time headed back to the room for various reasons. I also never said a word about having any issues with normal sized strollers so please don’t put words in my mouth!

It's called sarcasm. The simple solution would be to have underneath storage. Problem solved. However, I have just as much of a right to be on that bus stroller and all as you do. Since I'm not breaking any rules and it bothers you so much then you have the choice to rent a car. Not all of us do. For the record we happen to drive and not use the buses. But the lightweight small double strollers don't work for our families needs. So I have no choice. But I guess when you see my 9 yr old sitting in the stroller you'd be the first to say she should be walking not knowing her medical history etc. since her disabilities can't be seen just by looking at her. Maybe if you had to deal with disabilities every day then you'd be more tolerant of people and their accessories. It just amazes me that people are complaining about strollers etc at Disney! This isn't an adult only resort, it is a place for families and the majority of families include kids.

 

[Mama Who]

Well, I have twins so my options are rather limited.

I loathe SUV type strollers but I must say that the enormous stroller I saw on my last Disney trip with triplets in it? Did not bother me one bit. (And man those little carrot tops were CUTIES! Two boys, one girl, all flaming redheads with big blue eyes... but I digress...) Giant strollers for one kid are a nuisance, much like if we all decided to ride scooters through the park. There's legitimate need and then there's just being a space hog.

 

[I Love Pluto]

I don't own a stroller. My youngest child is 35.

I'm actually laughing as I am reading this thread because ---

A few years ago, there were extremely similar comments as those posted, but they weren't about strollers: they were about ECVs. Some of the comments - size, space-hoggers - were the SAME comments made in the past.

Funny thing...these humans!!!!!

 

[adisneymama]

I loathe SUV type strollers but I must say that the enormous stroller I saw on my last Disney trip with triplets in it? Did not bother me one bit. (And man those little carrot tops were CUTIES! Two boys, one girl, all flaming redheads with big blue eyes... but I digress...) Giant strollers for one kid are a nuisance, much like if we all decided to ride scooters through the park. There's legitimate need and then there's just being a space hog.

I can agree with this. My problem is the lumping everyone with a larger stroller into one category. Who is to decide whether or not the families needs are legit or if they are space hoggers? The point is that those with larger strollers are not breaking any rules by being on the bus. IF someone doesn't want to ride the bus with the large stroller they have the option to wait for another bus or to rent a car, drive etc. I'm by no means saying they HAVE to rent a car just that it is an option if this bothers them so badly. I remember our first trip using a small umbrella stroller for DD #1. We thought we had hit the jackpot! But alas came along DS, so we bought the lightweight double. That was great too for a few years, but along came DD #2 and DD#1 isn't as small and our needs have changed. Trust me, the few times we do use a bus with our large stroller if it is packed, we wait. It isn't fun for me either to have to try to get onto a packed bus with one.

 

[W.E.D.]

Hey mods, can we get a sticky that reminds new folks to never:

a. Mention strollers
b. ECVs and who can/can't use them
c. debate the appropriate age for children to visit WDW

It would sure make things more peaceful around here. Of course, I guess it would get really boring as well.

 

[sharadoc]

Do you also think people with disabilities shouldn't go because they can't fully enjoy the parks either? WOW!

No I'm not! I didn't say YOU shouldn't, I said I'm one of those people who thinks ... I don't care what you do.

By the way, I DO take a kid with disabilities to Disney World. I myself have a disability.

I waited to go until my kids were old enough to fully experience Disney World, that's all. I'm not saying what anyone else should do.

The DISboards have become all fists and bravado. Nobody wants to just have a discussion anymore. It's sad, really.

 

[shelby101301]

Lovely, another stroller bashing thread...

Hey, you get what you pay for. You don't like all the strollers and ecv's? Cough up the money for a rental car. We hate the many rude people we've encountered on the bus, so we budget for a car.

 

[Tybug]

The DISboards have become all fists and bravado. Nobody wants to just have a discussion anymore. It's sad, really.

You're correct. Everyone feels they are the exception and not the rule which is fine. Anyone ever hear that "one bad apple spoils the whole bunch"? Same thing here... if we complain about someone with a mega-stroller taking up the isle on a bus, those with mega-strollers jump to the defensive. If someone complains about someone mis-using an ECV (ECV, whatever it is), those that use them jump to the defensive.

I know it's hard to believe folks but just because YOU use these items in a responsible manner does NOT mean that everyone does. So why jump on the OP??? I know the last few times I was in the World, I was rammed in the ankles from behind with a stroller more than once. While I know in my heart it was not done maliciously or by anyone on the DIS... the fact remains, it DID happen and I reserve the right to be irritated by it.

 

[wtccheermom]

It's called sarcasm. The simple solution would be to have underneath storage. Problem solved. However, I have just as much of a right to be on that bus stroller and all as you do. Since I'm not breaking any rules and it bothers you so much then you have the choice to rent a car. Not all of us do. For the record we happen to drive and not use the buses. But the lightweight small double strollers don't work for our families needs. So I have no choice. But I guess when you see my 9 yr old sitting in the stroller you'd be the first to say she should be walking not knowing her medical history etc. since her disabilities can't be seen just by looking at her. Maybe if you had to deal with disabilities every day then you'd be more tolerant of people and their accessories. It just amazes me that people are complaining about strollers etc at Disney! This isn't an adult only resort, it is a place for families and the majority of families include kids.

Again since obviously your comprehension skills are just not there today NO ONE IS COMPLAINIG ABOUT NORMAL SIZED STROLLERS !!!I could care less if your daughter is 27 riding in a stroller as long as it can fit PROPERLY on the bus. Also pretty presumptuous of you to just assume because I am not a fan of the BIG GIANT OBNIXOUS strollers means that I have issues with people with disabilities or that I come from a disability free family. Just because I am not constantly talking about my children and their issues does not mean that they may or may are not have them I am just not the attention seeking type.

 

[freepixie]

Hey mods, can we get a sticky that reminds new folks to never:

a. Mention strollers
b. ECVs and who can/can't use them
c. debate the appropriate age for children to visit WDW

It would sure make things more peaceful around here. Of course, I guess it would get really boring as well.

May I add:

d. Refillable mugs used more than one trip
e. Pool hopping
f. Parking at Downtown Disney for free to get on the busses to the parks
e. Parking at a monorail resort to get into the MK easier

Have a magical day everyone!!

 

[JenniBugInPink]

The South American tour groups were in full effect but it really was not that bad . They do make lines a little longer, are pretty loud with their chanting, and have no idea of personal space or boundaries but for the most part they were pretty mild. I saw very little line cutting and the only really thing that I noticed that bothered me was that when they were done eating rither in a CS restaurant or outside snacking they got up and left their trash everywhere.
As for ECV’s hardly saw any and I think that during our entire 10 day stay at POFQ we were on a bus where twice a EVC or needed to be loaded on and I can tell you that in both cases there was no abuse of the system they were elderly people. In fact strollers were more of a problem than EVC’s you would not believe the number of people who did not think that they needed to take their sleeping snowflake out and tried to wheel their stroller onto the bus. I think Disney should have a stroller size rule like airlines do with carryon bags.

You state that the people in ECV's weren't "abusing the system" since they were elderly. How are you supposed to judge anybody's condition and whether they qualify to use an ECV or are abusing it?

Original poster: So nice of you to provide an evaluation of the legitimacy of the ECV users that were there during your trip. May I ask why you felt the need to do this? Did you feel that people were waiting on pins and needles to see how many loathsome lazy people were abusing the privilege of using ECVs? And just what criteria did you plan to use to evaluate whether or not the ECV users were 'legitimate'?

I'm 52, but look younger (I hope considerably younger). I'm not thin, but I'm not huge, either. I look fit enough to walk, certainly. I dress well, and don't look ill. However, Sjogren's Disease has caused me to suffer from fatigue, incredible muscle and joint pain, and now, has caused my kidneys to start to fail, which brings with it even more symptoms. I also have hypermobility syndrome, and my rheumatologist says I have fibromyalgia. I have arthritis so bad that I have had bones removed from both of my thumbs - otherwise, I wouldn't be able to type this diatribe.

So, if you looked at me on my ECV, your evaluation would probably have been that I didn't need to use one. You would decide that I'm just lazy. You would see no handicap. I would probably be laughing and joking with my walking husband, despite the fact that we've just found out about the kidney thing and we're scared to death. We can't do anything about it at this point, we're still waiting to learn more from the docs, and I'm not going to live my life like a dying person – I'm going to live my life like a living person for just as long as I'm alive. Hopefully that will be for quite a few more years. Heck, by the time things get really bad, maybe I'll luck up and get a kidney from some marvelous organ donor. The point is that it's not up to you or anyone else to judge the legitimacy of someone using an ECV. You can't judge by age, or by what the person looks like. "You can't tell by looking."

The same goes for strollers. There are people that use strollers in lieu of wheelchairs. They don't need me to defend them, and I don't have kids, so I won't say much. But people generally make the choices that they make for a reason. If they're not breaking any rules, then leave them alone and go back to enjoying your vacation. Stop stewing over things that aren't worth getting all worked up over. The bus ride back to your resort or over to the park is such a small part of a Disney vacation. Survive it and focus on the bigger picture.

I'm sorry you have to wait while they load my ECV onto the bus, but I can't make it go any faster. I'm sure the bigger stroller people wish that, at the moment that their stroller seems to be taking up the aisle (yes, really, the word aisle is spelled that way), that they could make it shrink, but for whatever reason the bigger stroller works better for them than a smaller stroller or a Disney rental. Regardless, you will get to the park, or you'll get to your resort. Please stop making hateful remarks that you know I can hear (or they can hear). Hurting my feelings over and over won't change anything. It just makes you mean, and most of the time, even though I shouldn't give in to it, it makes me cry. I'm so self conscious about the damned ECV anyway, and I hate making everyone wait while they load it, and people make comments all day long, so it doesn't take much for me to start. I hope the stroller people don't feel that way too.

Well, I have twins so my options are rather limited. I choose not to take the buses, mainly because of rude people who think that we don't belong there with our stroller. I didn't always have children. I rode Disney buses and had unpleasant experiences with people that had no strollers. I had very large obese people crammed next to me, people who carried more bags than I ever thought physically possible pushing up against me, and worst of all, tween aged children who almost pushed me down because they were trying to push their way past everyone getting off the bus (I was pregnant with my boys then, obviously pregnant). Also, some of the smaller strollers have very low weight limits. Sorry that some peoples lives are affected so much by strollers. I truly don't get it.

So because you now work for Disney and make the rules for them, I as a paying guest am not allowed to use the free transportation provided by Disney simply because YOU don't like my stroller? Who are YOU to decide if my stroller is ok or not? Not everyone has a rental car, nor do they want one. That is part of the benefit of being at Disney. There isn't a need for one. How about this, if YOU have such a problem being on the buses with strollers, children etc. why don't YOU rent a car and use it instead.

I never said I worked for Disney so not sure where you are coming from but anyway!!! Just offering my opinion on OVERSIZED OBNIXOUS strollers not . I think if something blocks the isles like these things do they should not be allowed on a bus and no it is not your right to get on a Disney bus with something that causes a a safety issue. However your since of entitlement falls in line with many on here. i have taken my son at ages 6 months, 2 and now 3 and never once needed to push him around in a lazy-boy on wheels. When he was an infant we took his infant stroller but it folded up very neatly and fit in front on my husband’s legs and the other 2 times we rented from Disney and when it was nap time headed back to the room for various reasons. I also never said a word about having any issues with normal sized strollers so please don’t put words in my mouth!

Anybody staying at a Disney resort should feel like they have the option to use the busses as long as they are following the transportation guidelines. I will not be chased off of the bus, nor should anyone else.

This is what's wrong with the world today... the lack of tolerance and respect for others.
- Those with 18 wheeler strollers have the right to bring them.
- Those that prefer to ride on a bus without oversized stollers have the right to be irritated.
No one needs to try to sway the other's opinion. <snip...>

Tolerance... everyone should try a little from time to time.

I'd still like to sway people's opinions. I'd like people to enlarge their minds a little and consider that perhaps their way isn't the only way, and that what they think might not always be the absolute truth. Maybe that fellow on the ECV needs to use it. Maybe that lady with the larger stroller has it for a reason. Just maybe.

 

[going/again]

It is not only that those oversized strollers take up room but they are also are a safety issue. they crowd up the isles and do not fit properly on the buses.
I have no issues with strollers that fold up nicely and a free from blocking the isles but the large oversized ones should not be allowed on buses and if you are that insistent on using one than find alternate transportation.

Disney, doesn't seem to have a problem with this, so why would she need to find alternative transportation.