People AMAZE me

[gabsandalex]

As long as there are lines, the rudeness won't stop. We took my grandma on her last WDW at age 83. She could not walk long distances or stand for long periods of time. She went on very few rides, but we still got the evil eye from some folks in line.

Our family took my then 87 year-old Grandmother to DL 3 years ago and she was THRILLED to go! There were 4 generations of our family in our group and we were left with some very cherished memories (especially of her fighting off squirting floats during the CA parade with her little red parasol lol). But due to her age and health, there was absolutely no way she could do it without renting a wheelchair (she couldn't even make it from the shuttle drop-off to the wheelchair rental!). She went on perhaps 3-4 rides over 2 days and wanted us to go with her so of course we did. We got the eye rolls too, but my philosophy is that people who are so quick to pass judgement aren't worth it anyway. And the memories of my Grandmother playing back and forth the Jungle Cruise guide are *priceless*...despite the glares from others.

 

[snikelfrizt]

I have to say I have been with and taken people in wheelchairs and ECV to both Disneyland and DisneyWorld..... My own MIL drove me crazy on her rented EVC (she has had both kness replaced) Honking her horn and expecting people to move in Cattle Herd situations( exiting WOC) practically running people over just plain rude!
Last Dec we were on Main St and A women on a EVC yelled at a family waiting for the Castle tranformation that their child was WAY too old for a stroller.... She had run in to them almost knocking over the child. Now I will say that the child was probly 8 or 9 but had an obvious permanent disabilty and the family used the stroller as a wheelchair. It was sad to see, it upset the whole family, Mom was in tears, Dad yelled out "well you are too old for a stroller too..... Person on EVC gave him the bird...... just so sad to see.
If people are in or riding some kind of asst ride, just be thankful you are healthy enough not to have to do that and be nice. People in asst travel situations remeber sometimes you are hard to see if you are not at eye level and your horns sound like a cell phone..... My daughter still has a scare on the back of her ankle from getting run into by an EVC, their response was "I was honking you shoulda moved" as blood poured down her foot. Be nice

 

[traci]

We were on a bus from Grand Floridian to Animal Kingdom when 2 ECV guests with their families were waiting. Only one EVC guest with their family was able to board the bus due to room. The second in line threw a fit and starting voicing frustration *loudly* for having to wait for the next bus. It made everyone uncomfortable including the first EVC family who had been waiting much longer to board the bus and arrived prior to the family that was denied....

 

[smiles33]

DH had to use an ECV on our trip but we never got glares from people in line as I stood in line with DDs and he met us through the exit. Then again, he really didn't ride many rides and used his cane and a FP for the 2 E-ticket rides he went on. The one person who gave him a dirty look was a lady (presumably with an ECV) sitting in the guests with disabilities section for the Soundsational parade. Maybe because he hobbled up with his cane and otherwise looks like a healthy young man?

I will say that the scariest moment involving an ECV was an incident I saw near Haunted Mansion. An elderly woman in an ECV with oxygen tubing in her nose lost control and accelerated right into a little girl (6 or 7) trapping her against the wall near the lake. I don't know if she was injured, but her poor dad was trying to free her and the elderly woman seemed disoriented as she wasn't helping at all. It was super crowded as this was the first official day of Halloween decor and a ton of radio DJs were stationed on one path closed to guests, so we were all squeezed into the other paths. I had my double stroller so I couldn't stop to help without blocking the pathway. I still wonder if both of them turned out ok.

 

[starshine514]

My DH uses an ECV as well. He is one of the most courteous people you would ever meet. If he ever did run into anyone (which he hasn't yet - knock on wood), he would be the most apologetic person about it. Both rude and nice people come on ECVs, but the rude ones are the ones that people remember.

I'm very glad he has an ECV; without it, he couldn't do Disney at all. Even with it, he arrives later than the girls and I and leaves earlier. When we're at CA, he waits just as longer or longer than everyone else. Sometimes, he gets a shorter wait at Disneyland (and sometimes it's longer as well). He gets motion sick and the only FP ride he rides are Soarin', GRR, and Splash (where you enter at the exit). So, we have never experienced using a FP line without a FP.

Unfortunately, some people are rude and some people do abuse the system (and they usually know how to utilize it better than the rest of us that it was actually made for). Is the answer to require medical documentation? Probably wouldn't fly with the ADA. However, if it was required, I would be happy to provide it. I think it might make things better for those who really need it.

 

[iKristin]

People are so insane anymore. Where did people learn that they could treat people like complete crap and feel it's okay?? I know that me working with the public isn't the same, but I get yelled at and cursed at daily at my job because god forbid there is something wrong with their cell phone and it's MY fault of course. I just don't understand how so many people were raised to treat others so rudely. I never look at someone in a wheel chair or an ECV any different. And this past trip a few weeks ago I used the single rider passes for quite a few rides and got to meet a lot of really nice people who were handicap and had to use the same line as me. I met everyone from broken foot's to even an amazingly strong chemo patient! People need to realize that you can't always see sick.

 

[hootey]

My father is 82, has had a hip & a knee replaced. He still gets out and takes care of himself. He has a handicap sticker for his car which, he does use. If & when anyone questions him about being handicapped, he looks at them, tells them it is Mental. If they say anything else, he starts barking at them. He said he is too old to care what people think about him(public opinion used to be all he cared about).
People are getting more rude every year. It is getting worse everywhere. DL is no exception.

 

[Liat]

When my DM and I went to DL in June she got a GAC. She has a cane and obvious scars all over her knees from something like 12 knee operations. Needless to say she can't stand for very long. She only used the GAC there were going to be stairs or if the line up was going to be extraordinarily long. The only ride we got the stink eye from was PP. People glared at us even though we all squeezed onto one ship.