No more shuttles from Team Disney to DTD

[nanadeb]

There are no more shuttle busses running from Team Disney parking lots to Downtown Disney. This means you have to walk all the way from the Westside to the Marketplace if that is your destination. We found this out the hard way last week. The construction at DTD forces you to follow a restricted pathway, and even the sidewalks road side are torn up.
I asked a Cast member what happened to the shuttle buses and she said that they cost thousands of dollars a night and had not been used by many guests, so they had been discontinued. I asked how the handicapped with limited mobility could be accommodated and she said she would have to call a supervisor when the situation came up and it would be decided at that time.
I was on my ECV and had no problem, but my cane using husband was having a horrible time. I had read on the DIS about the shuttles and had assured him that the shuttles would be there. My bad.
It seems like Disney isn't prepared to accommodate those with mobility issues in Downtown Disney.
Another issue is for those who have auditory/overstimulation issues. Once you get into the cattle shute meant to keep you away from the construction and herd you towards the venues, there is no way out except to go forward or retreat. The music is loud and the crowds can be heavy. It is no place for an easily overstimulated child.

 

[bookgirl]

I'm not sure why they should have to accommodate in this instance. There are still lots to choose from with access that is ADA compliant. Not every spot at every venue has to be accessible.

If you go to any mall or event anywhere else it's your responsibility to park and attend in such a way that you can physically manage. Having a parking lot with flat surface and ramps to get on sidewalks is the only accommodation required (well and having handicapped parking spaces). If you need to go to marketplace then that's where you need to park. While shuttles would be nice they are not required.

My mom is also mobility impaired, we always plan the routes with the least walking at malls and such. That's our responsibility.

Now it is crappy if they are still advertising shuttles but saying that they are not prepared is not accurate. They don't have to be prepared to accommodate because they are not required to accommodate at that level.

 

[Gracie09]

They offered you an option - to call the supervisor. You opted not to take it but to walk.
As for overstimulated children, the entire place is designed for stimulation. As parents, its our responsibility to recognize when issues can be problematic for our children and arrange alternatives. I can think of many places (main street during/after fireworks for example) when the crowds are packed and its loud and there is no place to move. This really isn't much different except there is a defined beginning and end and people are moving.

 

[minnie mum]

Why didn't you use the water shuttles? As for overstimulating your child, if this is a problem for you just walking down a street, then I would think WDW would be the last place you would want t to expose her to. It's wall to wall stimulation at any park or shopping venue. Perhaps you might consider ear defenders for her - act pro actively instead of expecting special concessions from others.

 

[lovethattink]

We went to DTD 3 times recently. Had no problems finding parking in the lot behind House of Blues across the lake from SSR around noon-ish. Parked there twice. Another time, we parked in front of T-Rex. This was around 2pm. I don't think I'd arrive much after that though. When we left around dinner time, there were no spots left in either lot.

 

[Goddesstree]

There are no more shuttle busses running from Team Disney parking lots to Downtown Disney. This means you have to walk all the way from the Westside to the Marketplace if that is your destination. We found this out the hard way last week. The construction at DTD forces you to follow a restricted pathway, and even the sidewalks road side are torn up.
I asked a Cast member what happened to the shuttle buses and she said that they cost thousands of dollars a night and had not been used by many guests, so they had been discontinued. I asked how the handicapped with limited mobility could be accommodated and she said she would have to call a supervisor when the situation came up and it would be decided at that time.
I was on my ECV and had no problem, but my cane using husband was having a horrible time. I had read on the DIS about the shuttles and had assured him that the shuttles would be there. My bad.
It seems like Disney isn't prepared to accommodate those with mobility issues in Downtown Disney.
Another issue is for those who have auditory/overstimulation issues. Once you get into the cattle shute meant to keep you away from the construction and herd you towards the venues, there is no way out except to go forward or retreat. The music is loud and the crowds can be heavy. It is no place for an easily overstimulated child.

I'm a bit confused - if you wanted to go to the marketplace, why did you park over on the other side? What are the team Disney parking lots? Employee lots?

If you were going to both parts, would it have been easier to go back to your car and move it to the other lot so your husband wouldn't have to walk so far?

Good to know about the noise level - thank you. Construction sounds start off as loud to begin with, and tunneling can make them echo a lot!

 

[nanadeb]

They offered you an option - to call the supervisor. You opted not to take it but to walk.
As for overstimulated children, the entire place is designed for stimulation. As parents, its our responsibility to recognize when issues can be problematic for our children and arrange alternatives. I can think of many places (main street during/after fireworks for example) when the crowds are packed and its loud and there is no place to move. This really isn't much different except there is a defined beginning and end and people are moving.

Actually, I asked after the fact on our return to Team Disney. I had no idea that the set-up was the way it was when we arrived. No one was available to answer questions when we got there.
BTW, I have adult children. I was just noting the conditions so that parents of children with special needs would be aware of potential difficulties. It is more than just a beginning and end situation. There is no escape route during the chute experience that could be claustrophobic for some people. With crowds, there is still open space. With high construction walls on both sides, there is a certain amount of constriction.
Since this is a DIS-abilities board, I was just attempting to forewarn anyone who might be affected.

 

[nanadeb]

I'm a bit confused - if you wanted to go to the marketplace, why did you park over on the other side? What are the team Disney parking lots? Employee lots?

If you were going to both parts, would it have been easier to go back to your car and move it to the other lot so your husband wouldn't have to walk so far?

Good to know about the noise level - thank you. Construction sounds start off as loud to begin with, and tunneling can make them echo a lot!

There is only one lot open on the Marketplace side, and space is limited. It fills up quickly. Overflow is directed to the Team Disney employee/casting parking lot. It is across the street from the Westside. Everything is torn up on the Downtown Disney street side, including the sidewalks. Signs direct you to park at Team Disney.

 

[nanadeb]

Why didn't you use the water shuttles? As for overstimulating your child, if this is a problem for you just walking down a street, then I would think WDW would be the last place you would want t to expose her to. It's wall to wall stimulation at any park or shopping venue. Perhaps you might consider ear defenders for her - act pro actively instead of expecting special concessions from others.

My husband did use the water shuttle to go from the Westside to the Marketplace. There was still a significant walk involved due to the way the traffic was tunneled. You had no choice as to which route you would take from on side to the other. All other routes were partitioned off. There was also no choice of where to park. It was Team Disney or nothing.
As for overstimulation problems, I do not have a special needs child. I have adult children without these special needs. I was just forewarning those who do have those needs to be prepared for the experience.

 

[nanadeb]

I'm not sure why they should have to accommodate in this instance. There are still lots to choose from with access that is ADA compliant. Not every spot at every venue has to be accessible.

If you go to any mall or event anywhere else it's your responsibility to park and attend in such a way that you can physically manage. Having a parking lot with flat surface and ramps to get on sidewalks is the only accommodation required (well and having handicapped parking spaces). If you need to go to marketplace then that's where you need to park. While shuttles would be nice they are not required.

My mom is also mobility impaired, we always plan the routes with the least walking at malls and such. That's our responsibility.

Now it is crappy if they are still advertising shuttles but saying that they are not prepared is not accurate. They don't have to be prepared to accommodate because they are not required to accommodate at that level.

The Team Disney parking lot was the only option for automobiles at that time. There is extremely limited parking at the Marketplace. Most of the once available parking on both sides is taken up with construction of the new parking garages.The Marketplace lot was full. The Team Disney lot was never intended for full accessibility, and the Downtown Disney rehab made it worse. There were only a handful of handicap spaces. The curb cuts were not fully ramped and my ecv had difficulties remaining steady on them. There was a definite one to two inches curb on each curb cut. The available sidewalks were not even. The crosswalk light timing was not sufficient for someone with mobility issues to get across before the lights changed. It took a reasonably fast walk to make it in time.
The ADA requires a certain number of handicap spots to be available according to size and capacity. When they eliminated much of the parking, they eliminated a huge number of handicap parking spaces, which, BTW, are meant to be 100 feet or less from the entrance of the venue. There are other ADA requirement that are not being met at Downtown Disney at this time. It is not just convenience. It is the law. If Disney could not provide the required accessibility, they needed to provide alternatives. The Cast member I asked said that there was no other provision, only that she would have to call a supervisor to see what could be done.
One would hope that the days are over that a person with disabilities would be unable to visit public venues because of accessibility problems. It should not be a matter of overcoming actual roadblocks to enter a facility. Especially at Disney.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Does this only apply to those using their own cars to get to DTD? Do the Disney resort buses still bring you to the Marketplace? If not we will just skip it, my mother won't be able to navigate that far.

Thank you.

 

[nanadeb]

Does this only apply to those using their own cars to get to DTD? Do the Disney resort buses still bring you to the Marketplace? If not we will just skip it, my mother won't be able to navigate that far.

Thank you.

The Disney shuttle buses still bring you to the Marketplace. They do not take you to the Westside anymore. HTH

 

[aaarcher86]

The Team Disney parking lot was the only option for automobiles at that time. There is extremely limited parking at the Marketplace. Most of the once available parking on both sides is taken up with construction of the new parking garages.The Marketplace lot was full. The Team Disney lot was never intended for full accessibility, and the Downtown Disney rehab made it worse. There were only a handful of handicap spaces. The curb cuts were not fully ramped and my ecv had difficulties remaining steady on them. There was a definite one to two inches curb on each curb cut. The available sidewalks were not even. The crosswalk light timing was not sufficient for someone with mobility issues to get across before the lights changed. It took a reasonably fast walk to make it in time. The ADA requires a certain number of handicap spots to be available according to size and capacity. When they eliminated much of the parking, they eliminated a huge number of handicap parking spaces, which, BTW, are meant to be 100 feet or less from the entrance of the venue. There are other ADA requirement that are not being met at Downtown Disney at this time. It is not just convenience. It is the law. If Disney could not provide the required accessibility, they needed to provide alternatives. The Cast member I asked said that there was no other provision, only that she would have to call a supervisor to see what could be done. One would hope that the days are over that a person with disabilities would be unable to visit public venues because of accessibility problems. It should not be a matter of overcoming actual roadblocks to enter a facility. Especially at Disney.

If you're this upset about it you should write GR. They aren't required to provide a shuttle from one end the area to the other. That's a convenience. I'd just stick with the other violations you believe you saw and see what they say.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The ADA requires a certain number of handicap spots to be available according to size and capacity. When they eliminated much of the parking, they eliminated a huge number of handicap parking spaces, which, BTW, are meant to be 100 feet or less from the entrance of the venue. There are other ADA requirement that are not being met at Downtown Disney at this time. It is not just convenience. It is the law. If Disney could not provide the required accessibility, they needed to provide alternatives. The Cast member I asked said that there was no other provision, only that she would have to call a supervisor to see what could be done.
One would hope that the days are over that a person with disabilities would be unable to visit public venues because of accessibility problems. It should not be a matter of overcoming actual roadblocks to enter a facility. Especially at Disney.

Well, technically, not necessarily. "In parking facilities that do not serve a particular building or facility, accessible parking spaces shall be located on the shortest accessible route to an accessible pedestrian entrance of the parking facility. - See more at: http://www.accessibility-services.com/accessible-parking-requirements/#sthash.O3rbbZof.dpuf"

The site also includes a ratio chart of handicapped parking spaces to total spaces. http://www.accessibility-services.com/accessible-parking-requirements/

 

[HopperFan]

Well, technically, not necessarily. "In parking facilities that do not serve a particular building or facility, accessible parking spaces shall be located on the shortest accessible route to an accessible pedestrian entrance of the parking facility. - See more at: http://www.accessibility-services.com/accessible-parking-requirements/#sthash.O3rbbZof.dpuf"

The site also includes a ratio chart of handicapped parking spaces to total spaces. http://www.accessibility-services.com/accessible-parking-requirements/

I am agreeing with this in that what we interpret as non-compliance is often a misunderstanding of the requirements. I have worked on a few local zoning projects for developments and currently still involved in one that relates directly to a parking issue. Most places will build over capacity to allow for future loss of space for various reasons or potential expansions down the road. Ex: Grocery store now adds a gas station in parking lot, still in compliance because they built way more spots than required.

Number of required parking spaces is normally determined by building capacity. Each kind of business has a different equation. The RCID regulations (aka Disney Disney World) has a long list of types of locations in extreme detail and what their determined requirements are. Downtown Disney is “9 spaces per 1000 sq ft of GFA including outdoor dining areas.” (GFA is Gross Floor Area of a building). Offices - which is where the overflow parking is located is a different requirement, which is much less. Handicapped parking space numbers are determined by a percentage of the number of total spots in each particular parking lot. Downtown Disney currently has 5 lots open so each lot will have to offer the percentage of spots required based on number of spots in that lot. Closing a lot does not diminish the number of handicapped spots offered because the percentage requirements are fulfilled in each individual lot. Just glancing over a couple maps and counting it appears that they are more than compliant in providing accessible parking spread throughout the Downtown complex close to complex entrances in each lot.

Downtown Disney is a mess right now and they have offered an extra area to park for those who want to park there and cross the street. It’s not ideal, I get that, but it’s also an active construction zone. I was there a few weeks ago, Downtown was PACKED, but I still turned into the main lots and waited for a spot that I felt was do able for DS. Yes it took me longer but it was the best option for us. When parking lots are full does that make them non-compliant? Say we were to go to a baseball game and by time we got there, it was packed and all the accessible spots were gone. Our only option is to park in the orange lot, two blocks away. That does not mean that the ball park is non-compliant, it just means lots of people got there before us.

I totally appreciate it was an unpleasant experience. We have actually skipped Downtown on most our recent trips to avoid the mess if we were staying offsite. If you are staying onsite your best bet really is to use Disney transportation for now. Most the buses go around behind DTD via Key West Resort and go to the Marketplace stop. It really is an efficient way to go.