My Pop review 9-12 to 9-19

[Bete]

Regardless of why a person would be using an ECV, does an obese person have less of a right to enjoy their vacation than an person of normal weight? If using the ECV allows them more time in the park for which they paid the same as an normal sized person, what is wrong with that? Would you OP prefer to be on the bus with your family and then have to vacate the handicapped seating that you are in so that an ECV could load? When were you granted permission to judge?

ECVs are not free. I'm sure if someone could skip it they would feel better going to a nice table service meal instead. If it comes to the aid of someone to stay and enjoy the park more; I'm all for it. Everyone's energy level is different; everyone's body is a different shape and size. If you need a scooter, go for it. There are some who use ECVs to be able to go from sunrise to the wee hours of the parks by park hopping and never taking a break and they're doing it just because they can last longer that way. I've done 16 hour days myself using a scooter for that purpose. I had a short visit, but my park days were very long courtesy of using a scooter. There is no rule about getting a scooter only if you are handicap. It's a convenience Disney offers to their guests.

I really feel the nurse, disneydeb, who commented negatively should be looking for a career change. I wouldn't want to be under your care even though I'm skinny. I'm not seeing much compassion in you. By the way, I caretake for my mom in my home; because, the attitude you show is exactly the reason she will never go to a nursing home while I'm alive and she's skinny, too. Please, change your job. I'm not trying to single you out, but as a nurse you are on your feet all day; that's your job!

 

[MiaSRN62]

vettechick99: Hmm, we knew this would take a turn for the worse, huh? I think it was clear that the OP meant malingering ECV users - and they are out there.

I don't know Vettechick.....I quoted the OP right below......she seemed a little harsh and judgemental to me ? It wasn't too clear what she meant by her statement to me at least ?

Jenrose (the OP) says : Plus adding to the horribleness of the buses were the ECV's. Whatever, hot button topic, I know, but I'm gonna say it...if you are so fat, that you can't walk, lose some weight!!! I don't doubt that these people have mobility problems, but those problems can be solved with some simple weight management. Hey, if you need an ECV you have as much right to Disney transportation as I do, but, I think they should have a special bus just for the ECV's.

 

[disneydeb]

trust me beth, if you needed to be under my care , you would have one of the best nurses in the world, hows the saying go, temperment means talent, dont worry i do my job better than some doctors i know, we dont say anything negative to our residents, but if someone is bucking the system we can spot it a mile away, in fact the doctors will ask our opinions alot of times, and it doesnt bother me to be on my feet 8 hours a day, yes it is my job, what bothers me is when someone wont even try to help themselves because they are lazy and whining, and want you in their room every 5 minutes because they dont like their sandwich, or wants you to change the channel on their tv because they decided they did not want to get up that morning, i am not talking about the elderly, i am talking about those under 50 that go to nursing homes because they wore out their hospital stay, example we have one in the nursing home 29 years old their because she swallowed 5 bags of cocaine and had a stroke because of it , wants us to go down the end of the hall way to plug in her cell phone because she cant figure it out, swears like a sailor in front of the elderly when she doesnt get her way, not my fault, i didnt give her the drugs , in the meantime, i have over 300 pills to give out in a 2 hour period, i have to answer phones, change bandages, pacify family members because they want the window open when the airconditioners on, chart on 34 people, assign cna breaks and dinners, help doctors find charts because im the only nurse on the floor with the shortage, and do all this with a smile on my face, which i do, ive never had a patient complain in fact they usually say , if there an emergancy they want me to be their nurse, so stick it!!!

 

[laalaa]

I think that the op should not be flamed for this. Ok, she could have worded it slightly better, but everyone knows she was refering to people who are cheating the system. Unfortunately there is no way to tell if a person is genuine or not.

I think also the key to this is consideration. If im right, it said in the suggestions for using buses with ecv's that if you have a party of relatives, that they stand in the bus queue, while the ecv user waits at the side. When they are near the front of the queue, the ecv user should make there way to the wheelchair spot. MAybe this would stop people feelin that they were skipped in line.

Last time i was in WDW, we were leaving after wishes, and there was an ecv user tootin her horn on her vehicle, shouting "comin thru, move over". Now, im sorry but everyone is trying to exit the park, wait in line, and dont be impatient. to me this is an example of using the ecv incorrectly, and it is instances like these that probably getting people backs up.

unfortunately some ecv users are making life difficult for the rest of them

 

[disneydeb]

ps bete, as for never putting your mom in a nursing home whether skinny or fat, never say never because you never know, as for changing jobs, i would never do that because with all the money they pay me and believe me they pay me good, i would never be able to go to disneyworld 3-4 times per year!!!

 

[DarthKTrava]

Yep. There are some that make it a hassle for others... For those, just because you have one, doesn't mean you have to be rude with it. Same for those with strollers too. We want to keep our ankles, thank you very much!

I'm not one for slamming the truely disabled, but am down on those who abuse the system due to sheer laziness. I hobbled around the parks the first few days due to my hip acting up, along with my bum knee.

Some of us are genetically pooh-like, but there's a point where "pooh-like" goes into hugely obese. Which hurts your body, especially your heart which has to pump blood that much harder due to the extra body mass. And potentially shortens your life span too.

I kinda pity the poor lady who got left behind one day because the lift didn't work properly on the bus. Bus driver tried his darndest to see if he could still load her but the lift didn't go all the way up.... he said it was an old lift....

Honestly this could've been a whole separate thread from the review of Pop.....

 

[byoung]

Thanks for reporting.

 

[tinawv]

I have no problems with people in ECVs (you never know when you might be one of them) being loaded first on a bus, but what I do have a problem with is when 6 or 7 family members get on the bus at the same time as the person in the ECV. This can be very frustrating when you have been standing in line for 20 or 30 minutes, and they are loading ECVs for two different families traveling with large groups and you don't make it on the bus because of this.

 

[Jedi Master Gonzo]

MiaSRN62, you're still missing my point and you're still reading into my posting for things that are not there.

JennRose66, thank you for an informative view on your stay but you still could've post the ECV comments somewhere else. It's a topic that has been beaten to death several times over.

 

[MiaSRN62]

MiaSRN62, you're still missing my point and you're still reading into my posting for things that are not there.

Well then JediMaster, I guess we're missing eachother's points.........I'm not exactly sure what I'm missing as far as what you are trying to get across, but I'll agree to just let it drop with you. Because regardless, I think we're both looking at the topic very differently.

It's a topic that has been beaten to death several times over.

As you can see from my post count, I've been around the DIS for a long time. This is the very first thread I have ever contributed to on the "hot" topic of ECV's/wheelchairs. And I'm pretty sure this will be the last time.......

 

[kapoof]

Well then JediMaster, I guess we're missing eachother's points.........I'm not exactly sure what I'm missing as far as what you are trying to get across, but I'll agree to just let it drop. Because regardless, I think we're both looking at the topic very differently.


As you can see from my post count, I've been around the DIS for a long time. This is the very first thread I have ever contributed to on the "hot" topic of ECV's/wheelchairs. And I'm pretty sure this will be the last time.......

good!

 

[goofy4tink]

I think it is much easier on the bus driver if he /she can load the ECV/WC user and his/her party on an empty or a partially full bus because of the room it takes to manuver the EVC/WC into the tie down area. That is most likely why the bus driver wanted to load her and her family first.

I am an EVC user and I also would much rather stay in the same line with the able bodied guests. I am glad that Disney has mainstreamed most of the ride/ attration lines so I can wait with everyone else.

It can be very nerveracking to try to backup an EVC onto the bus lift with all the guests in the bus line staring at me. I have heard some of the rude comments from some able bodied guests. And it does hurt my feelings.
Only my DH loads with me so he can help the bus driver tie down the EVC in a more timely manner. The rest of my family stays in the regular line and they too have heard heard the moans and complaints when I am loaded first.

-----------------------------------------------------------

After I became disabled and had to use an EVC at Disney I found a lot of guests stared me and made snide remarks that I was "cheating" because I was able to get up off the scooter and walk a few feet to get on a ride.

They did not know that yes, I do have limited mobility but it is very limited (iI have a spinal disorder and I can walk 50-100 feet before my legs would go numb and would buckle beneath me).

It really did sadden me that others who did not know my situation would judge me.

So I went home and did a little problem solving.

Now when I go to Disney I feel a little better because......

I found somthing that makes me more at ease using an EVC at Disney .....

I have a handicapped hang tag .(BTW in order to receive one in Michigan I had to take a form to my MD to fill out. They are not given to just anyone who asks for one.)

I took the hang tag and made a photo copy on a magnetic printer sheet.

I cut the tag out. Then I used a hole punch to punch holes in the 4 corners than used some DIS green curling ribbon to tie the hang tag to the basket of my EVC.

It just helpes me feel a little more comfortable.

It is kinda sad that I feel so judged by others I need to advertise my
disABILITY.

Have fun planning your next Disney vacation!

Can I tell you how sorry I am that you have had to hear those kind of remarks? That's just so incredibly rude. No one can tell, just by looking at someone in an ECV, whether or not they are truly entitled to be in one. I would prefer to err on the side of 'yes, they need to' rather than just assume that most do not qualify for the use. I know several folks who routinely use an ECV, and while they may be able to get out and walk a bit, they most certainly can't go far on foot!!!
I have also seen those in either wheelchairs or ECVs have to wait right at the sidewalk where the bus pulls up. The driver has to load that ECV first...always amazes me to see people rush to get in those back doors...then, they are turned away, get grumpy and start making those nasty comments. Yes, the driver can have anyone seated on those 'special seats' move, in order to load an ECV, but in all my trips, I don't think I've ever seen a driver put one on, after the bus has a bunch of people on it already.

So....if you go to WDW, during free dining, you are going to find hordes of people. And those hordes of people are going to be waiting for buses at the resorts, and then back to the resort. And, add to that, a lot of people (understandably so) head to the values for free dining....great way to get the most out of your vacation dollar. But..you have to realize you will not be alone in your wise use of vacation dollars!!! If you aren't going to be able to deal with those long waits, then by all means, rent a car. You will be happier.
In several stays at POP (and looking at anothe in Dec, and then again in Jan!!), I have found the buses to be some of the best on Disney property. Much better than most of the deluxe resort buses....better than the moderates. Sure, the value bus stops tend to be a bit further away at the parks, but you know that going in, so plan accordingly.
The only thing I wish the values would do is to cover the waiting area...it is brutal in the hot, humid summer months.

I think it's time to stop with the 'fat lazy people using ECV's when they should be walking' argument. No one knows for sure what that particular person's issues are. Perhaps a 'there but for the grace of God go I' mindset would be better. Is there abuse? Yep. But, I don't think it's as rampant as some would have you believe.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

I think it's time to stop with the 'fat lazy people using ECV's when they should be walking' argument. No one knows for sure what that particular person's issues are. Perhaps a 'there but for the grace of God go I' mindset would be better. Is there abuse? Yep. But, I don't think it's as rampant as some would have you believe.

Bravo, goofy4tink! Well said!

 

[MiaSRN62]

kapoof says : good!

a well-thought-out contribution to the thread....I guess if there are those of us that don't agree with YOU, then you don't want to hear it..

goofy4tink says : I think it's time to stop with the 'fat lazy people using ECV's when they should be walking' argument. No one knows for sure what that particular person's issues are. Perhaps a 'there but for the grace of God go I' mindset would be better. Is there abuse? Yep. But, I don't think it's as rampant as some would have you believe.

100% with ya goofy4tink....I said similar in a few posts back......some people need to think how it affects people before they just let words come rolling out of their mouths.........

 

[kapoof]

goofy4tink..that was very well stated. i do think while some abuse the system that we should assume that there is indeed a real issue if we see someone in an ECV.

miasrn62 i thought you weren't going to post anymore on hot topics...can't resist i guess.

 

[MiaSRN62]

miasrn62 i thought you weren't going to post anymore on hot topics...can't resist i guess.

I'm already in THIS thread kapoof..........and besides, I was talking to JediMaster in that post. I stated I would let it drop between us.

kapoof says : i do think while some abuse the system that we should assume that there is indeed a real issue if we see someone in an ECV.

Now THIS I can agree with you on kapoof I said very similar statements compared to goofy4tinks in my posts #12, 31 and 36.
Yet, kapoof, you say "good" to me (as in "good ridence" I take it) and send sarcastic laughing icons directed towards me ? Yet you agree with goofy4tink and I said almost the same thing.

 

[Towers5]

As I understand it differences in people are what make the world go round. I can see both sides of the arguement. Before my grandmother died she had to use a scooter. I am not thrilled with the buses at Disney ( I have had more issues with non-handicapped, rude, ill-mannered people than those in scooters/wheel chairs). Now having said that I am being taught that if people are ignorant to illnesses ( and more are than not) it will be my job as a nurse to educate them. Do people speak before they think? yes....Are all lay people medically literate? no.....Did the OP make a mistake? possibley......Does negative/positive judgement of her make anyone else right? I can't answer that.....But I can tell you this I have had many a preceptor to tell me that education will be a HUGE part of my nursing career and hopefully I will make a positive impact on anyone I come in contact with during my career.

JMO
COLOR]

 

[aubriee]

Yeah, they can have a seperate bus (after all, who wants to deal with these people?) and while they are at it, they can black out all of the windows so the rest of us don't have to even see them! That way we can all go about our lives without having to look at people who have mobility problems!

Just to clarify: That is called sarcasim.

The OP is free to express their opinion, and the rest of us are free to disagree with some of the judgements the OP made. As the Op is not a doctor, and did not bother to even talk to anyone in a scooter or wheelchair, how could they possibly back up their point of view? I find the comments about the fat, lazy people in the wheelchairs highly offensive.

I too found her post highly offensive. There is no way my 74 y/o mom could possibly do WDW without an ECV. She is a very brittle diabetic, with uncontrolled high B/P, foot problems, severe arthritis (has no cartilage in her knees), and a number of other health problems. She is definitely not overweight, but is 6 feet tall and big boned. At one time she was on some steroids that made her gain some weight though. I guess according to the OP that she should not be allowed to go to WDW.

What really bothers me are all the screaming kids at WDW that the parents do not even try to control and all the parents using the strollers for battering rams. If the OP thinks fat people shouldn't get ECVs and just need to exercise, how about all the big (over 5 y/o) kids that are being pushed around in strollers clogging up the walkways. I guess those kids don't need exercise. While I'm on the topic not everyone thinks you're little darling is cute. I get really tired of sitting in a booth and having some kid in the next booth pulling on my hair or drooling on me. I also don't need your little darling screaming when I'm trying to have a quiet meal. Take him outside, if he can't behave. I'd much rather be sitting next to a fat person in an ECV in a restaurant than a screaming kid or kids running around everyone's table. Now I'm not talking about well behaved kids. I enjoy seeing them anywhere.

As far as the buses go I'd love for them to have three designated buses come each time 1) for the people with ECVs, 2) another for people with kids, and 3) another for adults only. Sarcasm here!! No way it's happening and since we're supposed to be at the happiest place on earth, why don't we just cut everyone some slack, sit back, stop judging people, and assume that if someone is paying over $250.00/week for an ECV that they need it. If they're cheaters and don't need one, may karma pay them back in full measure.

OT: I am also a RN and even if there are times I think some of my patients might be faking things I always try to give them the benefit of the doubt. I've been a RN for 22 years and hope I never become as jaded as some on here. It would definitely be time to change professions.

 

[jenrose66]

Hi all, nice to see this thread has turned into a hot bed of in fighting and hurt feelings , not what I intended but free speech tends to get everyone's panties in a twist. I simply wanted to provide an honest view of my whole stay at POP that is why I put my transportation review in here. If you met me you'd see that I'm actually a nice person. I don't roll my eyes and huff and puff over having to wait my turn for the buses nor do I have ill will towards the scooter users. It's just that after having a child you tend to see things differently and having to wait that extra time for loading and unloading or missing a bus we would have otherwise made had it not been for the scooters 6 relatives was detrimental to our trip. If it would have happened a couple times that would be one thing, but this happened for almost every bus ride. However when you tip toe around what you mean to say, the point tends to get lost. However everyone will personalize what you say, when you say it frankly, I guess it's give and take over the choice of words to use.

I'm not sorry for what I said. People are way too sensitive these days. I stand by my belief that not nearly everyone at Disney who was using the scooters and clogging up the bus system needed them, plain and simple. There were far to many in relation to the overall crowd numbers at the park.

Moral of the stories to those of you with young ones. Rent that car!! It would have been worth its weight in gold.

Other original moral of the story, POP is a nice resort with a few kinks that need working out.

 

[Jedi Master Gonzo]

Well then JediMaster, I guess we're missing eachother's points.........I'm not exactly sure what I'm missing as far as what you are trying to get across, but I'll agree to just let it drop with you. Because regardless, I think we're both looking at the topic very differently.

Fair enough.