No more 'cuts in line' for many disabled Knott's guests

[Master Mason]

I can actually answer the question about DL and the access. DL was built before the current requirements, so in order to comply they had to go with the enter through the exit lines. It was simply the only way to comply with the requirements without building entirely new ques. If you look at DCA which was built after the requirements, you'll see that the ques are accesable so you don''t go in the exits.

I don't have an answer, but there are a lot of abusers. I can't count the number of times I have seen groups of teenagers running around with a rented wheelchair with them taking turns being in the chair to get to use the exits.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

You have some serious problems aside from any handicap you may have. I'd seek help if I were you. Anyway we're all for EQUAL access not priority access since people have taken to abusing the system to gain the priority access. You should be able to ride just like anyone else however the system is ripe for abuse and thats what happens and angers the rest of us. If it were simply people with true disabilitites I'd be fine with that but it's a bunch of lazy no good people taking advantage anf getting away with it. If it were'nt priority people wouldn't abuse.

What are you talking about?? If handicapped people are getting priority access then someone forgot to tell us about it.

I had two parents in wheelchairs. We went through most lines just like everyone else. When we had to go to the "other" line, we waited there. Sometimes for a very long time.

Why don't you and everyone else complaining about the handicapped having special priviledges, just for one day, rent a wheelchair and plop your behinds in them and see what other wheelchair-bound people have to go through and just how much *special* treatment they receive.

As far as the busing goes, we waited on line just like everyone else. On the occasions when a CM was there, she/he pulled my parents out of line and had them wait up front in another spot. When our group reached the front of the line, then we all boarded the bus. Of course my parents were allowed on first, then our family, and then the rest of the people waiting on line. We never received special treatment nor expected it.

BTW, my family consisted of 11 people--my parents who were in chairs, 4 adults and 5 kids. When we went on rides, we were always told the limit was 6 people per wheelchair. Being we had two people in wheelchairs, we didn't exceed the limit.

We've been going to WDW since 1974 and average 3-4 trips per year and I've seen it all. I agree that years ago, abuse was rampant at WDW. Word spread that if you rent a chair you get to the front of the line. That's not how it is today. They curtailed much of the abuse when they changed the way most rides load.

Granted some dishonest people still abuse the system, but not as much as some here are claiming. I've never seen a wheelchair party board a bus with 20-40 (or was it 50?) people. And how did that poster know that all those people were with the wheelchair party? I can't tell you how many times we've had people trying to tag along with our group and I had to tell the CM where my family ended. Maybe that's what happened in that instance.

I must be oblivious when I am at WDW. I couldn't care less what other people are doing or not doing. I don't stand there and count how many people are in other handicapped groups. Who cares? I'm there to have fun with my family, not to stress over who got on a ride or the bus first.

 

[3jsmommy]

you REALLY dont want us to say what we really feel. We alert people sometimes about threads where we feel the opinions of the disabled may help out in the education of those who do not know that much about disabilities...

you REALLY dont want us to say what we are thinking, because it often will not be polite or kind. just like some people here have not been kind... sometimes we vent, but you notice we did not do it here, where we are trying to educate people...

what I really think is that people need to get OVER themselves and be grateful they are not disabled and realize they are petty and unkind when they complain about having to wait 5 more minutes for a person with a disability to get on a ride or a bus...

but that is not productive nor is it PC or kind. so please dont be petty and understand why we need to vent sometimes...

You have every right to vent, IMO more than any of the people who like you said are not disabled & find the need to complain about anything that inconveniences them.
I really cannot even fathom that people spend their time & energy worrying whether or not everything is FAIR for them, at Disney or anywhere else!

Is it fair that many of the guests at WDW are disabled...NO

Is it fair that while your child is skipping down Main St. another child is sitting in their chair, maybe never having skipped in their life? NO

Is it fair that some people spend more time in a hospital with a sick child or spouse than they do at home? NO

Is it fair that you get to take for granted things that some people can only pray for? NO

Spend that extra 10 minutes that you have waiting for the bus & think about all that you have to be grateful for, some reflection could bring forth a little compassion.

 

[MidgeD79]

I have not read all of the responses. I like to think "out of the box" even if I decide that I don't like the idea after all. I enjoy hearing other peoples ideas and usually my original idea evolves.
Here's the idea:
WDw should stop renting wheelchairs/scooters. The people with truly disabling conditions would have their own wheelchair, and the people that think they may need one could rent one from a medical supply company off-site. Their primary doctor should be able to write a prescription and the insurance pay for it. You could get the prescription and decide not to use it.
What would be the pros and cons of this?

 

[breezy1077]

you REALLY dont want us to say what we really feel. We alert people sometimes about threads where we feel the opinions of the disabled may help out in the education of those who do not know that much about disabilities...

you REALLY dont want us to say what we are thinking, because it often will not be polite or kind. just like some people here have not been kind... sometimes we vent, but you notice we did not do it here, where we are trying to educate people...

what I really think is that people need to get OVER themselves and be grateful they are not disabled and realize they are petty and unkind when they complain about having to wait 5 more minutes for a person with a disability to get on a ride or a bus...

but that is not productive nor is it PC or kind. so please dont be petty and understand why we need to vent sometimes...

Well said!

I thought the discussion was going well too, but then I saw this post by you:
http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25879571&postcount=19

Why not say what you really feel?

I think she has. But the post you've quoted was a vent to let off a little steam.....BTW, I think it's bad form to take a post from another thread and try to use it for attack purposes. JMHO

 

[Stella3]

I have not read all of the responses. I like to think "out of the box" even if I decide that I don't like the idea after all. I enjoy hearing other peoples ideas and usually my original idea evolves.
Here's the idea:
WDw should stop renting wheelchairs/scooters. The people with truly disabling conditions would have their own wheelchair, and the people that think they may need one could rent one from a medical supply company off-site. Their primary doctor should be able to write a prescription and the insurance pay for it. You could get the prescription and decide not to use it.
What would be the pros and cons of this?

That sounds like a wonderful plan....but....WDW makes plenty of money off those rentals, so it would never pan out.

 

[KPeveler]

You have every right to vent, IMO more than any of the people who like you said are not disabled & find the need to complain about anything that inconveniences them.
I really cannot even fathom that people spend their time & energy worrying whether or not everything is FAIR for them, at Disney or anywhere else!

Is it fair that many of the guests at WDW are disabled...NO

Is it fair that while your child is skipping down Main St. another child is sitting in their chair, maybe never having skipped in their life? NO

Is it fair that some people spend more time in a hospital with a sick child or spouse than they do at home? NO

Is it fair that you get to take for granted things that some people can only pray for? NO

Spend that extra 10 minutes that you have waiting for the bus & think about all that you have to be grateful for, some reflection could bring forth a little compassion.

You are speaking to a general "you" right? Cause I am disabled, and understand rather acutely that life is not fair...

but i do not expect to be treated specially because of that... i just want to be able to get on rides like everyone else

 

[crashbb]

I have not read all of the responses. I like to think "out of the box" even if I decide that I don't like the idea after all. I enjoy hearing other peoples ideas and usually my original idea evolves.
Here's the idea:
WDw should stop renting wheelchairs/scooters. The people with truly disabling conditions would have their own wheelchair, and the people that think they may need one could rent one from a medical supply company off-site. Their primary doctor should be able to write a prescription and the insurance pay for it. You could get the prescription and decide not to use it.
What would be the pros and cons of this?

The biggest (or at least first) con is that people may not need wheelchairs in the day-to-day life, but need one at WDW. One walks A LOT at WDW - much more than most would at home. My mum, for example, when she was undergoing chemo, didn't need a wheelchair at home but wouldn't not have been able to walk more than a few hundred metres. At home, she rarely/never had to - if we went out, we'd drop her right at the door. She'd barely have made it from the front gate to the Castle at MK. She never went to WDW while on chemo, but she'd have needed a wheelchair - she did occasionally rent one when we needed to travel or go longish distances.

 

[Stella3]

I think she has. But the post you've quoted was a vent to let off a little steam.....BTW, I think it's bad form to take a post from another thread and try to use it for attack purposes. JMHO

You have got to be kidding. No one was attacked. Her tone in THIS thread as opposed to that one is totally different. She posted that on the DIS and if she does not want someone reading it and connecting it to this thread, she shouldn't have posted it.

I have no problem with what she posted, I just don't understand why she wouldn't post it here.

 

[KPeveler]

You have got to be kidding. No one was attacked. Her tone in THIS thread as opposed to that one is totally different. She posted that on the DIS and if she does not want someone reading it and connecting it to this thread, she shouldn't have posted it.

I have no problem with what she posted, I just don't understand why she wouldn't post it here.

because people would point at the disabled people and say "see, i told you they were being rude and demanding things..." we have to be more polite than the average person to fight stereotypes

 

[MidgeD79]

crashbb, that's why I suggested getting a prescription from the doctor before leaving home so you could get a wheelchair from a local company.

 

[breezy1077]

You are speaking to a general "you" right? Cause I am disabled, and understand rather acutely that life is not fair...

but i do not expect to be treated specially because of that... i just want to be able to get on rides like everyone else

LOL, I don't want to answer for her, but I reread her post and I don't think she was angry at you - I did have to read it again though.

 

[bumbershoot]

I did notice in DL though (I was alone and those bored in line - therefore I noticed people more), that groups with wheelchairs were definitely getting on rides (i.e. Indiana Jones) much more quickly. They'd go up the exit side and be back down, long before I made it to the front of the standby line. I have no complaints about it, but it is weird that so many people are saying that a GAC or being in a wheelchair doesn't lessen waiting time - it definitely did that afternoon.

You sure about that?

Because on my solo trip when I was alone (but not bored b/c I was taking in all the things there were to see!), I noticed that the elevator is WELL inside the queue. I think the FP line has now moved, but before when I did a child swap you went in the exit. Things were going swimmingly until the "movie" room, which everyone, I was told, has to go through. I don't know where the elevator is from the exit, but I saw an upper and lower elevator pretty far in.

And when I was waiting in the movie room, I definitely noticed a family, one of whom was in a wheelchair, come in over on the side. It looked like they were going straight through, but then they were stopped at a gate. Most of us in the zig-zaggy line went through, after watching Rhys-Davies's little film, and then as we were stopped, THEN they were let through. They certainly didn't just skip in front of everyone; they were held a reasonable amount of time.


The one family I noticed with an ECV at the Nemo ride in Disneyland was similar. It was actually quite perfect. The grandma sat in the shade while her daughter (I assume) and the grandson went through the switchback line. The daughter and grandson were almost right in front of us, so it was easy to observe. When we all got to the part where they take strollers and valet park them, LOL (yes at DL Nemo you can take strollers in the queue with you quite a far way), the daughter and grandson were taken from the regular queue and reunited with the grandmother. Then they were assigned a lane, and that lane ended up being very likely exactly where they would have been if the daughter and grandson had stayed in the regular line. Worked perfectly in that instance.

To even think it, is sad. I would not want anyone, not even an enemy, to have something like that happen to them. The thought would never even cross my mind. To suggest and say MAYBE.......wow. How could you even think it? That is what I don't understand.

People do it all the time, when referencing their understanding of karma.

I agree, I think there was no room for misinterpretation either. You may be saying, this is what I meant to say, but is cleary not what you meant when you posted.

I have no clue how to police the fakers, nor have I seen many instances of abuse, and we go to the parks a ton. Does it happen? I am sure it does, but I believe what comes around goes around.

Right there. Same thing. Not as "out there" as was stated (late at night, by the way, when we should have all been in bed instead of posting), but it's the same thing.

Clearly selfish thoughtless able bodied people complained and maybe they should be hit by a bus and made quads and then think about what a privilege it is for people to get an alternate line.

That was the whole sentence and thought, and I think that taking the time to say it out loud, with breaks in the things being said (a comma between complained and the rest of it) can show you it's not a person *wishing* anything. It's just a blatant "what goes around comes around".

How many/or who has stated that handicapped children and adults should not be given access, and their legal rights? Maybe I've missed it.

Anyone who wants someone to show a doctor's note so that they can get an approximation of equal is stating that they should have legal right taken away.

For the person who mentioned seeing a person in a wheelchair board Indiana Jones faster. Sure, that ride that has an exit-entry is probably faster.

Probably not, from what I was told by CMs and what I noticed, everyone has to go through the movie room, and there is line beyond that (oh that might be where the elevators are, actually...so it seems they go through the exit then join the line at the movie room, go beyond, get to the elevator, use that, and continue on from there).

Had a co worker who went to Disney 5 months pregnant healthy as a horse got a wheel chair so she didn't have to walk or wait in line because "it's hot in Florida in Auggust". Came back and said they were loaded right on all rides no waits she had a great time. Sickening.

Well, if you've read the usual reality of wait times when using wheels, I think you can see that maybe she got quite a bit of luck, was confusing Disney with Universal (and paid for a front of line pass perhaps while there), or just isn't telling you the whole truth.

 

[KPeveler]

LOL, I don't want to answer for her, but I reread her post and I don't think she was angry at you - I did have to read it again though.

yeah me too...

and i think we should leave OLS alone now, since she is from the UK and is now in bed (it is late there and she is ill, you know) and cannot speak for herself... let us move on to other topics

 

[Stella3]

because people would point at the disabled people and say "see, i told you they were being rude and demanding things..." we have to be more polite than the average person to fight stereotypes

No one thinks disabled people are rude and demanding. We think that the select few people pretending to be disabled, to acquire access to certain things are rude and jerks.....truly disabled people should think so too!!

Stopping on rides and having disabled guests use the fastpass or rear entrance doesn't bother me in the least. Also, the bus issue is a non-issue for me b/c I bring a car.

 

[breezy1077]

You have got to be kidding. No one was attacked. Her tone in THIS thread as opposed to that one is totally different. She posted that on the DIS and if she does not want someone reading it and connecting it to this thread, she shouldn't have posted it.

I have no problem with what she posted, I just don't understand why she wouldn't post it here.

Maybe because she wasn't talking to you. She was talking to us, and we understood perfectly where she was coming from - I think this thread is evidence that many here would not - so why post it here.

And I still think to quote someone from another thread entirely to make an arguement is bad form. Noone's saying you can't read it or quote it for that matter - I just think it's bad form. And I'm entitled to that opinion.

 

[KPeveler]

No one thinks disabled people are rude and demanding. We think that the select few people pretending to be disabled, to acquire access to certain things are rude and jerks.....truly disabled people should think so too!!

Stopping on rides and having disabled guests use the fastpass or rear entrance doesn't bother me in the least. Also, the bus issue is a non-issue for me b/c I bring a car.

trust me, i have more of an issue with the fakers than you do... however, i have yet to hear a solution that would work... everything i have heard suggested would make life miserable for me, and most other disabled people...

there is something of a boycott now against hershey, six flags, and knotts by teh disabled community. nothing organized, but many of us are saying we will no longer go there because of the change in policy. certainly disney doesnt want that!

 

[Stella3]

And I still think to quote someone from another thread entirely to make an arguement is bad form. Noone's saying you can't read it or quote it for that matter - I just think it's bad form. And I'm entitled to that opinion.

I think it's bad form to take a discussion on an internet forum so personally that you are posting these: but, whatever.

 

[3jsmommy]

You are speaking to a general "you" right? Cause I am disabled, and understand rather acutely that life is not fair...

but i do not expect to be treated specially because of that... i just want to be able to get on rides like everyone else

I was speaking to the OP & the posters with a similar mindset, I htink your posts have been great!!!
Sorry for not being more clear, I was so annoyed after reading some of the responses on here!

 

[breezy1077]

I think it's bad form to take a discussion on an internet forum so personally that you are posting these: but, whatever.

Count yourself lucky that you can't take this discussion personally.