Not-so-Magic Kingdom

[Tjkane28]

Is this thread going to be shut down?

Probably... because people's thoughts are getting to REAL and someone may be hurt.

Please don't write anything that may express your true feelings regarding this important issue. Any more TRUTH may send the censors into overload!

I am truly enjoying all sides of this discussion...

 

[bigiainw]

As I understand it, the special assistance pass has not been removed or recinded, the criteria for obtaining it have merely been tightened. If, as it seems, this requires anyone wishing to make use of one to be able to prove that they have that need, then surely this is no great hardship. After all, disabled parking badges are available to those who can prove their need, in the UK at least. The benefit of proving that one is needed far outweighs the difficulty in obtaining one and anyone who is legally entitled does not seem to worry about having to prove this. Why should access to the special assistance pass be any different? Whether the disability is visible or not should not be an issue. If the criteria for obtaining one are followed by the staff who administer the system, then there should be no-one obtaining the pass who is not entitled, and everyone who is entitled should ensure that they have the correct documentation, to ensure that if they require this facility for the enjoyment of their visit, their access to the pass is easily facilitiated.

It really is that simple!

 

[ShadowWind]

I often travel through Disney World on an ECV in both the parks and the outside (resorts, etc), as I have some very serious muscle problems that relate to my condition, problems that manifest itself in more than short walks. However, I am often looked upon as cheating if someone sees me get out of the ECV, but I have gotten to the point where I don't really care. They don't know my problems, and as one poster pointed out, I'd rather be able to walk like I used to than be in that ECV at all, but I have to deal with fate as is given me.

Until reading this post, I never even knew there was such a thing as a pass at all. It's nothing I've ever asked for. I travel around the parks on an outside rented ECV, due to needing it beyond just walking in the parks. I do follow the instructions on how to get into an attraction when I approach with an ECV as some rides have different systems for such things (Voyage of the Little Mermaid for example), but if the system is to wait, then I'm just as happy to do that. If I'm sitting, to me 15 minutes or 1 minute makes little difference.

I've gotten up out of the chair several times to get food or to see something that is not possible to see at ECV level and I've gotten staires and heard comments about it. These people don't realize that from a walking perspective that 10 feet is much different than miles of walking in the park. I would love nothing more than to walk the parks like I used to again. I don't see that happening, but because of the ECV, I am able to get around fairly well and be able to enjoy the things I love about Disney.

If it's any consolation, there is very little more embarassing than trying to get an ECV in a Disney Bus...

 

[SueM in MN]

Most of the lines at WDW are wheelchair accessible, so in most cases, people with ecvs or wheelchairs don't have a need for a Guest Assistance Card. The exception would be people who use a wheelchair or ecv and have other invisible needs. (It is different at Disneyland, where most of the lines are NOT accessible).
People DO judge what they don't know though. I have heard people comment that my DD must be "cheating" because they saw her sitting on a bench next to her wheelchair. She had her legs crossed and was swinging her top leg. From that tiny little picture, we got a few comments from people passing by saying that we must be "cheating to avoid lines" . Never mind that she had a $4000 custom wheelchair sitting next to her (and an $8000 power wheelchair at home). Never mind that she can't stand up by herself, didn't get herself to the bench and can't even cross her leg so she can swing it unless someone helps her do it. To those couple of people who commented, because she was out of the wheelchair, she must have been using the wheelchair to get some special advantage.

Now, on that particular trip, some of our waits included:

• Safari at AK was walk right on at the time we went for people who could walk, a 40 minute wait for those of us who needed the wheelchair accessible Safari truck
• Little Mermaid where we had fastpasses, when we came back to use them, there were already too many wheelchair parties, so we had to come to the next show.
• Buzz Lightyear where we had fastpasses, we waited in the regular fastpass line with all the other fastpass holders. Just before boarding, wheelchair users are pulled off to board at the exit. We saw the party who had been just ahead of us in line getting off while we were still waiting at the eixt to board.
• Spaceship Earth. We purposely waited to go on until the standby line was basically walking right on. Wheelchair users wait in a sitting area near the eixt. We waited for over 1/2 hour to be taken on to board.

So, if you think wheelchair or ecv users have such a great advantage, please come tour with us to see what it's really like.