Mobility scooter and Disney bus incident...

[O43OBJM]

I was involved in an incident that I would like to receive some insight on.

On April 4, 2024, I was at Animal Kingdom Lodge waiting for a bus to Disney Springs.

I am disabled and use my own personal mobility scooter. I can stand and walk a bit, so I have a scooter that conveniently folds. I have done this a handful of times on Disney busses before with zero incident.

I arrived at the bus stop about 10 minutes early. I positioned myself over the handicap symbol marked on the ground. Nobody was in line yet. A few minutes before arrival, I started to fold my scooter and was finishing as the bus arrived. I made eye contact with and waved at the bus driver. The bus stopped and opened the front and rear side door. People started to form a line. I was still by myself over on the handicap sign. My wife and son jumped in line. The bus driver came out and looked at me first. I told him I had a mobility scooter and needed the ramp put down so I could wheel it on. I typically then secure it and sit with it in the designated handicap seats. It worked like this all previous times.

This time though, the driver told me he was going to load the rest of the bus first. He then closed the rear side door and proceeded to board everyone. I was confused and didn't know what to do except just listen to him and wait. When my wife boarded about mid way through the line, she told the driver I was disabled and had a scooter that needed to be brought on. He apparently didn't respond. The line finished boarding and the driver waved for me to board...through the front door. He said he couldn't open the side door now. My scooter weighs a good 60lbs, which I had no choice but to lift aboard. He didn't help. Once aboard I found the bus to be packed with all seats taken and people filling the aisle standing. All I could do was to barely squeeze past the yellow line at the front of the bus where I had to stand with my scooter unsecured and with me having nothing to hold onto, except my scooter. I asked the bus driver if he could ask for a handicap seat to be given up and he just huffed and shrugged and told me to make sure I was behind the yellow line. That is it, we drove to Disney Springs like that.

So, what does everyone think of this?

I am of course concerned with ADA laws and my rights first and foremost. I have no idea about Disney policy.

I thank you all for your opinions in this.

 

[Mle8308]

I was involved in an incident that I would like to receive some insight on.

On April 4, 2024, I was at Animal Kingdom Lodge waiting for a bus to Disney Springs.

I am disabled and use my own personal mobility scooter. I can stand and walk a bit, so I have a scooter that conveniently folds. I have done this a handful of times on Disney busses before with zero incident.

I arrived at the bus stop about 10 minutes early. I positioned myself over the handicap symbol marked on the ground. Nobody was in line yet. A few minutes before arrival, I started to fold my scooter and was finishing as the bus arrived. I made eye contact with and waved at the bus driver. The bus stopped and opened the front and rear side door. People started to form a line. I was still by myself over on the handicap sign. My wife and son jumped in line. The bus driver came out and looked at me first. I told him I had a mobility scooter and needed the ramp put down so I could wheel it on. I typically then secure it and sit with it in the designated handicap seats. It worked like this all previous times.

This time though, the driver told me he was going to load the rest of the bus first. He then closed the rear side door and proceeded to board everyone. I was confused and didn't know what to do except just listen to him and wait. When my wife boarded about mid way through the line, she told the driver I was disabled and had a scooter that needed to be brought on. He apparently didn't respond. The line finished boarding and the driver waved for me to board...through the front door. He said he couldn't open the side door now. My scooter weighs a good 60lbs, which I had no choice but to lift aboard. He didn't help. Once aboard I found the bus to be packed with all seats taken and people filling the aisle standing. All I could do was to barely squeeze past the yellow line at the front of the bus where I had to stand with my scooter unsecured and with me having nothing to hold onto, except my scooter. I asked the bus driver if he could ask for a handicap seat to be given up and he just huffed and shrugged and told me to make sure I was behind the yellow line. That is it, we drove to Disney Springs like that.

So, what does everyone think of this?

I am of course concerned with ADA laws and my rights first and foremost. I have no idea about Disney policy.

I thank you all for your opinions in this.

That's unfortunate and frustrating. Did you report it or ask to speak to anyone while you were there? That is the best thing to do, as they would be able to look into the situation and speak to the CM. If you have the name of the bus driver and the approximate time when it happened (and it seems you have the date), if you send an email, they may still be able to follow up with the driver. I'm honestly surprised someone didn't give up their seat - your wife or son if they were seated since they boarded earlier. Very odd situation. Mentioning rights, I don't think you have any grounds to sue, the driver may have assumed that since you folded the scooter, you did not need special boarding or accommodations. Sounds like an opportunity for additional training for the driver.

 

[lanejudy]

Since this happened back in early April, I think it probably should have been addressed before now. But some things I'm confused about:

1 - Was it one of the new buses? Those have all the seating at the back/upper level and the main level is the 3 spots to secure the wheelchair/ECV (2 new style "arms" plus 1 old style tie-down) and otherwise all standing room.
2 - Your scooter folds, but you still tie it down and sit on it? I'm just not familiar with that type of scooter so I'm having a hard time picturing it
3 - Did the driver understand you needed to use a tie-down spot? If you were "folding" the scooter he may have thought it was something you would hold, like a manual wheelchair or stroller.

Regardless, while it's been several weeks you can still contact WDW to let them know what happened. Try to have record of the date and approximate time, resort and if you know it the driver's name. Other than re-training, I'm not sure what else you have in mind. It sounds like a mix-up of what you needed for accommodation.

 

[Evita_W]

The answer is don’t fold your scooter until after the driver has come to assist you, then you can let him/her know that your scooter can be folded and that considering the long line, you would like to do so in order to make space for others. DH and I have seen this happen on occasion before and by handling it this way, they knew the person had a disability and need accommodation, but it also freed up space for others. In our cases, it was usually freeing up room so that additional mobility devices could be loaded, but works both ways.

But absolutely do not fold the scooter before the driver assists you, otherwise he may think it is a stroller because folding scooters are not that common and many people with strollers (that are not medical) try to pass them off as wheelchairs by standing on that box.

Just our observations from seeing others with similar equipment.

 

[robinb]

Wow. That sounds like a frustrating and possibly dangerous ride home. No wonder you drove after that.

I don't know what was going through the bus driver's head. Maybe he was confused about your needing a space on the bus to tie down your scooter since it was folded down. Perhaps he mistook it for a kind of a stroller. In any case, even though the driver made a mistake, it is first and foremost your own responsibility to not put yourself in a dangerous situation. You boarded the bus when the driver didn't lower the back door and you knew it was full. In addition, you remained on the bus even after asking for (and not getting?) a handicapped spot. The driver was responsible for creating the situation, but you are responsible for accepting it. Instead, you should not have boarded the bus, with or without your family, and caught the next bus now prepared to make your needs better known.

I am in no way letting the driver off the hook for his mistake, but waiting for the next bus is actually pretty common. Many folks who need or want a seat and see a full bus will wait for the next bus to ensure that they have a safe and comfortable ride.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I'm sorry this happened. Possibly a misunderstanding but also opportunity for driver training

If your scooter was already folded when the bus arrived, who would have carried it on for you should you have boarded before other guests? Can you drive it on and then fold it once you have boarded and the driver can secure it?

 

[O43OBJM]

Thank you to everyone for responding. I had filed a complaint immediately. The response came back that they couldn't reveal what was done, that they would handle it internally.
To answer some questions, it was not a new bus. My wife and son did not have seats either and were standing.
The driver was immediately told it was a mobility scooter and I needed the ramp. My wife told home him a second time. When folded, the scooter still has two wheels on the ground and can be rolled around like a large piece of luggage. The bus was empty in arrival. I was first in line. Why would I have to wait for another bus? I believe that is the very definition of discrimination.
There does not seem to be anything I could do, whether my rights were violated or not. It just sucks and it part of being disabled. We have no way to fight back.
I just wanted to see it from other people's perspective.
Not folding up my scooter until the bus driver has seen me seems like the only way to prevent this from happening again.

 

[Evita_W]

There really is no excuse for what the driver did, but yes the best way to prevent this is not fold your scooter until the bus driver comes over to you, I wouldn’t even say just sees you.

As for waiting for another bus, we frequently have to do it, even when we are the first in line, it isn’t right, but it is what it is.

 

[SteveH]

First of all, welcome to the DIS!

I think Disney is making some major changes, one of those is I don't think you'll see drivers "helping" as much as they did in the past. Oddly enough when my wife needed a scooter some drivers were eager to help (and make the process faster) and others were standing back just observing. I will say lifting 60lbs is asking a lot for a bus driver, or for anyone really, if all bus drivers have a minimum qualification to lift 60lbs they will struggle to higher drivers and they are going to be dealing with a lot of back issues too. I think down the road you'll need to be responsible to drive your scooter on an secure it or have a family member carry it. This is where some might think it's less service or not following ADA, but it's also where Disney needs to be as far as employee safety and liability.

I really think the folded up scooter probably confused the driver, I don't see them intentionally being mean or not accommodating. But they could have handed it better no doubt.

 

[O43OBJM]

Thank you again to all, I really appreciate the help and information. Lessons learned for sure.
I fold up the scooter to be helpful. It takes up less space on the bus and saves time for everyone waiting. It's also less humiliating for me to not have to drive the scooter up there and sit in it while everyone waits and watches.

 

[Simba's Mom]

That's unfortunate and frustrating. Did you report it or ask to speak to anyone while you were there? That is the best thing to do, as they would be able to look into the situation and speak to the or accommodations.

Who would you recommend speaking to if you have problem with a bus driver at WDW? I honestly don't know. For example, if you're in a park, either go to guest relations or the "Blue Umbrellas".

 

[robinb]

Thank you again to all, I really appreciate the help and information. Lessons learned for sure.
I fold up the scooter to be helpful. It takes up less space on the bus and saves time for everyone waiting. It's also less humiliating for me to not have to drive the scooter up there and sit in it while everyone waits and watches.

I use a scooter at WDW. It’s a tool. Nothing more, nothing less.

Thankfully, I have never felt it was humiliating when I take the bus, but I am considerate of the other people waiting. I do it as quickly as possible and usually ask the driver to park me to save time. I may be the first one on, but I’m also the last one off so I figure that makes up for it as everyone else gets off first.

Sounds like you should consider rolling on instead of folding up in the future. Try not to worry about the other people waiting. My guess is that it won’t really take any longer to ride up the ramp and get situated v/s pushing your scooter up the ramp and tying it down. I usually either sit on the scooter if there are a lot of people waiting or I sit next to it if there is room.

 

[KPeterso]

Who would you recommend speaking to if you have problem with a bus driver at WDW? I honestly don't know. For example, if you're in a park, either go to guest relations or the "Blue Umbrellas".

We had a horrible bus incident from Disney Springs to our resort (well actually not our resort) a number of years ago. I was seeing red by the time we got back to our resort and told my mom to go to the room and I was making a stop at the front desk to have a chat. Cast member was so sympathetic and actually grabbed his manager so I could tell her what happened too. And the 2 of them put me in touch with the transportation department who called me later that afternoon and then the next morning again.

 

[SueM in MN]

Who would you recommend speaking to if you have problem with a bus driver at WDW? I honestly don't know. For example, if you're in a park, either go to guest relations or the "Blue Umbrellas".

Probably not Guest Relations or the Blue Umbrellas. They are park related.
If you are staying at a WDW resort, you can go to the front desk or use the button on the room phone for transportation.
If the issue happened on the way to a park, you can also talk to the bus CM directing guests by the bus listing signs

We had a horrible bus incident from Disney Springs to our resort (well actually not our resort) a number of years ago. I was seeing red by the time we got back to our resort and told my mom to go to the room and I was making a stop at the front desk to have a chat. Cast member was so sympathetic and actually grabbed his manager so I could tell her what happened too. And the 2 of them put me in touch with the transportation department who called me later that afternoon and then the next morning again.

We had a bad bus experience once quite a few years ago and contacted the transportation department. They were very responsive

 

[SueM in MN]

We saw fold up ECVs for the first time on our trip to WDW this Spring.
I don't know if they have any brakes when folded, but please keep hold of them/it if transporting them folded on the bus.
We were on the bus going back to our resort with our daughter's wheelchair secured in the front securement area of one of the older style buses - this picture shows her secured in place (I usually take a picture when we leave our resort and when we head back to our resort).


A couple came into the bus using the ramp and folded up both ECVs after they were on the bus. They rolled them up to the front of the bus and the woman placed hers in the small space in front of my daughter. When she originally put it there, it was placed so the wheels were going the same direction as my daughter's wheelchair tires - it actually rolled into my daughter's feet before the driver told her to turn it the other direction (like you see in the second picture).
It shouldn't actually have been placed there - that is part of the securement area for the wheelchair.

The man kept a hand on his ECV the whole time. The woman didn't and it kept rolling into the aisle before she grabbed it and pulled it back. I was watching the whole ride to make sure it didn't roll into me since I was right across fro, her.
So, IF you are going to fold a rolling ECV, please keep hold of it and make sure it's not an issue for anyone.

 

[jo-jo]

We saw a fold up ECV about a year ago. The wife needed a EVC and used a standard one. It seemed the husband used one to keep up with his wife, but many times there wasn't space for two standard EVC. So he used a fold up one. After wife got on bus, he put his in that space infront of EVC, but his was more boxie . This was his explanation on why the foldup EVC.

 

[2tinkerbell]

My friend is looking into an ECV. What brand is the foldable one? I think it would be perfect for her.

 

[SueM in MN]

My friend is looking into an ECV. What brand is the foldable one? I think it would be perfect for her.

The brand the people in the picture in my post had was SOLAX.
There are quite a few other brands EV Rider makes one called Gypsy.
Pride makes one called i-Go.
I've seen quite a few people using one called Travel Scoot. It looks very lightweight, but not very comfortable

 

[Evita_W]

We saw fold up ECVs for the first time on our trip to WDW this Spring.
I don't know if they have any brakes when folded, but please keep hold of them/it if transporting them folded on the bus.
We were on the bus going back to our resort with our daughter's wheelchair secured in the front securement area of one of the older style buses - this picture shows her secured in place (I usually take a picture when we leave our resort and when we head back to our resort).
View attachment 864238

A couple came into the bus using the ramp and folded up both ECVs after they were on the bus. They rolled them up to the front of the bus and the woman placed hers in the small space in front of my daughter. When she originally put it there, it was placed so the wheels were going the same direction as my daughter's wheelchair tires - it actually rolled into my daughter's feet before the driver told her to turn it the other direction (like you see in the second picture).
It shouldn't actually have been placed there - that is part of the securement area for the wheelchair.
View attachment 864239
The man kept a hand on his ECV the whole time. The woman didn't and it kept rolling into the aisle before she grabbed it and pulled it back. I was watching the whole ride to make sure it didn't roll into me since I was right across fro, her.
So, IF you are going to fold a rolling ECV, please keep hold of it and make sure it's not an issue for anyone.

Same goes for strollers as well.

 

[jo-jo]

The brand the people in the picture in my post had was SOLAX.
There are quite a few other brands EV Rider makes one called Gypsy.
Pride makes one called i-Go.
I've seen quite a few people using one called Travel Scoot. It looks very lightweight, but not very comfortable

Dont know of the brand I saw but it looked more like this one......Moving life Atto , folding it looks more like something from star wars.

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