justhat
<font color=teal>DC DISer<br><font color=red>pick
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2002
- Messages
- 7,449
What I now consider to be the worst form of line cutting is the handicapped line. I'm not talking about true handicapped people because, yes, I totally agree they should get on rides and into attractions first. What I'm referring to are the people who just rent a wheelchair at a park so that they can go to the wheelchair entrances and bypass the lines. On our last 2 trips (last week and NYE) we saw so many perfectly normal people being pushed in a wheelchair when it was convenient for them, like walking around fine at other times. Odds are if you don't have your own wheelchair you do not need one at WDW, exceptions being the elderly, broken bones, sprains, etc.
Since there is now fastpass for many attractions, I think these non-handicapped people should be required to get a fastpass and return to the ride at their fastpass time like the rest of us do rather than ruining it for the truly handicapped people. We travelled with a friend and their disabled son who is is restricted to a wheelchair on a recent trip and they often had to wait in many lines behind people who clearly had no disability. Often times, we saw groups of teenagers rent a wheelchair for the day and they would take turns riding in it. Obviously none of them were disabled since they were able to switch riding/pushing, but they were willing to pay the $5 to get to the front of the lines.
Additionally, we akso saw many morbidly obese people rent those electric scooters and proceed to the front of the line. At breakfast at 1900 Park Fare on 1/4, we actually saw a woman transfer from her chair at her table to her electric scooter, drive to the buffet, drive her food back to her table and get back into her chair to eat her meal. I can understand that very obese people have difficulties walking for extended periods of time, however, I do not feel that they should get to cut the line simply because they are overweight. They should get a fastpass and come back at their time, which would require minimal walking, and allow truly disabled people to use the priviledge of getting on rides without waiting in line.
The same is true for buses, as many times the lines to leave a park were so long it took more than 6 buses to get people back (we left on the 6th bus and there was still a big line behind us). We saw some people grab wheelchairs on their way out of the parks so that they'd be loaded onto a bus as soon as they got there and they could skip the line and not wait more than 30 minutes to get on bus. A family behind us one night had their grandparents with them, one of whom was in a wheelchair, and they waited the almost 40 minutes with us, but they sent the grandparents off on the first bus. This I thought was very nice and unusual, that they let the elderly go, but unlike many others they did not try to send hteir whole family of 12 to the front to get on the first bus with the grandparents. They were the exception, however, and many times I had to wait for another bus because a 'non-handicapped' person would bring their entire family to the front of the line and take up about 15 seats.
My mother came on our NYE trip and though she has cancer she did not rent a wheelchair and waited in line like everyone else. Yes, she got tired, but we took breaks as needed. We even suggested she get a wheelchair so she wouldn't have to walk so much but she did not want to take advantage of this since she is able to walk like other people. We also saw many older people walking and waiting in line, though I'm sure they tire faster than someone my age, while people who were my age were getting free rides around the park and on rides with no wait. I can imagine that if this priviledge keeps getting abused then Disney will do away with it and those who really need it will be without the privledge as well.
Since there is now fastpass for many attractions, I think these non-handicapped people should be required to get a fastpass and return to the ride at their fastpass time like the rest of us do rather than ruining it for the truly handicapped people. We travelled with a friend and their disabled son who is is restricted to a wheelchair on a recent trip and they often had to wait in many lines behind people who clearly had no disability. Often times, we saw groups of teenagers rent a wheelchair for the day and they would take turns riding in it. Obviously none of them were disabled since they were able to switch riding/pushing, but they were willing to pay the $5 to get to the front of the lines.
Additionally, we akso saw many morbidly obese people rent those electric scooters and proceed to the front of the line. At breakfast at 1900 Park Fare on 1/4, we actually saw a woman transfer from her chair at her table to her electric scooter, drive to the buffet, drive her food back to her table and get back into her chair to eat her meal. I can understand that very obese people have difficulties walking for extended periods of time, however, I do not feel that they should get to cut the line simply because they are overweight. They should get a fastpass and come back at their time, which would require minimal walking, and allow truly disabled people to use the priviledge of getting on rides without waiting in line.
The same is true for buses, as many times the lines to leave a park were so long it took more than 6 buses to get people back (we left on the 6th bus and there was still a big line behind us). We saw some people grab wheelchairs on their way out of the parks so that they'd be loaded onto a bus as soon as they got there and they could skip the line and not wait more than 30 minutes to get on bus. A family behind us one night had their grandparents with them, one of whom was in a wheelchair, and they waited the almost 40 minutes with us, but they sent the grandparents off on the first bus. This I thought was very nice and unusual, that they let the elderly go, but unlike many others they did not try to send hteir whole family of 12 to the front to get on the first bus with the grandparents. They were the exception, however, and many times I had to wait for another bus because a 'non-handicapped' person would bring their entire family to the front of the line and take up about 15 seats.
My mother came on our NYE trip and though she has cancer she did not rent a wheelchair and waited in line like everyone else. Yes, she got tired, but we took breaks as needed. We even suggested she get a wheelchair so she wouldn't have to walk so much but she did not want to take advantage of this since she is able to walk like other people. We also saw many older people walking and waiting in line, though I'm sure they tire faster than someone my age, while people who were my age were getting free rides around the park and on rides with no wait. I can imagine that if this priviledge keeps getting abused then Disney will do away with it and those who really need it will be without the privledge as well.