So frustrated by bus situation

[ttintagel]

Man, they must really want people to stop staying on-site!

 

[fabfemmeboy]

They were using the wheelchair lift on the coach buses? I thought they wouldn't load a wheelchair/ECV on those even if it had a lift.

No. I meant that, when I take DME, I don't use the lift and stow my chair underneath because it folds up. The coach buses weren't using the lift - from looking at them, I don't think any of them even had a lift they could have used.

 

[Evita_W]

Physically go to the front desk and politely explain your frustrations, you may have to get a manager or two involved, you may even need to ask to speak with the transportation manager, but there are things they can do to assist. What they will do will vary, back when they had the Minnie Vans running, DH talked with someone that was comped unlimited use of the accessible Minnie Vans. They might be able to let you use accessible Taxis on their dime or perhaps rent you an accessible vehicle at no cost to you. Numerous possibilities, but go and ask for some help, do not suffer in silence.

And please, no matter what, do go to the front desk and say something and get managers involved, I know many of us don't like to make waves, but the situation will not improve if we don't. Again, be polite, but be insistent that something get done, in the end it will help everyone, not just you, which is why I am asking you to please, please go to the front desk.

 

[bsmcneil]

Thinking of you - I know it can be rough.

 

[a1tinkfans]

So sorry to hear this bus debacle. This should be addressed by each guest as it happens so Disney is made aware and Posting it for Everyone to see/know. It’s the only way things will “hopefully” change.
things surely have changed and they re Not for the Better

 

[Selket]

We're at CSR. We stayed here last year and didn't have any problems with the buses, but this has been an ongoing issue over the past week.

I hope you will update your post to let us know if it's gotten better - and if talking to anyone there helped. I have an upcoming trip soon staying at one of the All Star resorts so I'll be bus dependent and using an ECV.

I'm going to plan to send the rest of my party ahead. I've stayed at CSR many times pre-covid and did find the bus situation there challenging sometimes because of the multiple bus stops. I'd go over to the one where the bus stops first so I had a better chance of getting on the bus before others board and then have to be moved - or have to try to drive around them getting the ECV into the spot.

 

[robinb]

I hope you will update your post to let us know if it's gotten better - and if talking to anyone there helped. I have an upcoming trip soon staying at one of the All Star resorts so I'll be bus dependent and using an ECV.

I'm going to plan to send the rest of my party ahead. I've stayed at CSR many times pre-covid and did find the bus situation there challenging sometimes because of the multiple bus stops. I'd go over to the one where the bus stops first so I had a better chance of getting on the bus before others board and then have to be moved - or have to try to drive around them getting the ECV into the spot.

That's a great idea. OP, is the first stop near your room?

 

[fabfemmeboy]

Physically go to the front desk and politely explain your frustrations, you may have to get a manager or two involved, you may even need to ask to speak with the transportation manager, but there are things they can do to assist. What they will do will vary, back when they had the Minnie Vans running, DH talked with someone that was comped unlimited use of the accessible Minnie Vans. They might be able to let you use accessible Taxis on their dime or perhaps rent you an accessible vehicle at no cost to you. Numerous possibilities, but go and ask for some help, do not suffer in silence.

And please, no matter what, do go to the front desk and say something and get managers involved, I know many of us don't like to make waves, but the situation will not improve if we don't. Again, be polite, but be insistent that something get done, in the end it will help everyone, not just you, which is why I am asking you to please, please go to the front desk.

I went this morning. The manager on duty was sympathetic and admitted right away she didn't have the authority to do much of anything about it, so she took my cell and name to pass to the transportation manager to figure out an alternative. We're over at USO/IOA until Sunday morning (yay for OI Meetup party), so if I haven't heard anything by then I'll be checking back in.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

That's a great idea. OP, is the first stop near your room?

I purposely stay near the first stop. The issue is that, if people are also coming back from parks at the same time, there may be 2 scooters (or a whole bunch of strollers ::glares:: ) already in the wheelchair spots when the bus arrives at the first stop, only for the wheelchair spots to be empty by the time it actually departs the resort. So again - first stop is definitely the best place to be with a chair, but it's not fool-proof.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

Latest update:
I didn't hear anything over the weekend, so on Monday I went back up to the front desk at CSR to get an update. The CM at the desk said that she could see the notes from the manager's call with transportation, and that either she or the manager (who would be in later that day) would get back to me by 10 pm. Around 5 I got a call from someone whose department I didn't quite catch - it was at CSR and something like 'logistics'. I explained the situation, and the CM gave me a phone number to call as we need a bus to ensure an accessible one is on its way. She said it was a direct number to their back office.

So this morning, I tried calling the number on our way out. It went to the front desk of the resort. The CM there had no idea what I was talking about and had no way to look up busses or contact dispatch and reiterated that "most" Disney busses are accessible so I should be fine.

This evening around 6, I got a call from Magic Kingdom Transportation. I explained the situation, including the fact that a full half of the busses stopping at CSR have been inaccessible. She said that "only" 20% of the busses are third-party coach busses, that they got as many kneeling/low-floored third party busses as they could (we have not seen a single one at any location, just Disney ones and the coach-style), and that all she could do was ask Dispatch to keep an eye on CSR and make sure that people were being picked up at each stop. When I pointed out that didn't help because it still means waiting several busses sometimes for an accessible one, she didn't seem to care or - frankly - understand what the problem was. She said any other issues I would need to take up with CSR.

I'm honestly at a loss as to who to contact next. Any ideas?

 

[Narcoossee11]

NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR... But you have got your answer. There are only so many handicap busses. Due to several issues /limitations during this holiday time , it is hit and miss with transportation .

May not be fair but you will need to plan accordingly.

 

[bsmcneil]

NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR... But you have got your answer. There are only so many handicap busses. Due to several issues /limitations during this holiday time , it is hit and miss with transportation .

May not be fair but you will need to plan accordingly.

How can someone plan accordingly to a lack of planning on Disney's part?

 

[fabfemmeboy]

NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR... But you have got your answer. There are only so many handicap busses. Due to several issues /limitations during this holiday time , it is hit and miss with transportation .

May not be fair but you will need to plan accordingly.

Pretty much. Their answer is that they don't care that it's inaccessible. Which means I'm stuck with it as-is for the rest of the trip, and all of these conversations become part of an access lawsuit after we get home.
FWIW, this isn't a "holiday time" issue. We've been here since 11/11, and the busses have been just as bad during the quiet in-between week as they have been during the busier times. It's not like they're only using the inaccessible busses during super-crowded time periods. But otherwise your statements are accurate.

 

[Selket]

I suggest you stop and get the full name of anyone you speak with from now on and their phone number and department name. I know it's hard to do when you're on vacation and get a call in the middle of trying to get on a ride but without that info it's hard to complain that you were given the run around.

It would be interesting to call this "Logistics" department person back who told you it was the number for the back office but it was the CSR front desk.

 

[Evita_W]

Ok, at this point,, I would go to the front desk, ask for the highest level manager they have there, explain the situation and tell them that you would like an accessible taxi comped for the remainder of your trip as they do not have enough accessible busses running to comply with ADA law.

To the best of my knowledge, the following still applies:
If someone with a disability is waiting to get on a bus and that bus cannot accommodate them for ANY reason, thst bus is considered to be full and cannot let anyone on at that stop or any after until it can accommodate a guest with a disability. So, if you are waiting for a bus and a coach bus comes, no one can get on it since it cannot handle a guest with a disability.

Again, be polite, but if you get oushback on getting the taxis comped, make it clear you will start insisting this part of the law be followed.




I don't know the condition of your batteries, but when we rent from Gold Mobility this works as well, but only in limited circumstances. If we are going to EPCOT and a bus comes for Hollywood Studios, we will catch the Hollywood Studios Bus and the use the walking path to EPCOT, you could also take the boats. Unfortunately with the reservation system, thst doesn't work in reverse right now.

 

[KPeterso]

To the best of my knowledge, the following still applies:
If someone with a disability is waiting to get on a bus and that bus cannot accommodate them for ANY reason, thst bus is considered to be full and cannot let anyone on at that stop or any after until it can accommodate a guest with a disability. So, if you are waiting for a bus and a coach bus comes, no one can get on it since it cannot handle a guest with a disability.

Again, be polite, but if you get oushback on getting the taxis comped, make it clear you will start insisting this part of the law be followed.

I can tell you for sure that was not true in September for us. We got to the AKL stop at AK and the driver said she was too full to take us. It looked like there was not mobility device on and she could have asked someone to move, but whatever. The driver then spent probably another 7-8 minutes loading a ton more people (I mean to full standing room). When we got there, there was no one in the line waiting, so it was not like the driver had a long line. The driver waited for more people to arrive to load. And then the next bus was a chartered one. I do still think that if you know that 2 handicap parties were left behind (us and a family with a child in a wheelchair) that the next bus for sure be one that can take those parties, but it was not, it was a chartered one. So another ton of people who were not even there when the first bus left now boarded before the 2 handicap parties again. Third bus was finally the one, we could get. It pulled up while the chartered was still loading so I think it must have been called for. So, those buses were definitely not considered "full" and unable to take able bodied while 2 handicap parties waited. I think by the time the bus came there might have been another handicap family waiting.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

I can tell you for sure that was not true in September for us. We got to the AKL stop at AK and the driver said she was too full to take us. It looked like there was not mobility device on and she could have asked someone to move, but whatever. The driver then spent probably another 7-8 minutes loading a ton more people (I mean to full standing room). When we got there, there was no one in the line waiting, so it was not like the driver had a long line. The driver waited for more people to arrive to load. And then the next bus was a chartered one. I do still think that if you know that 2 handicap parties were left behind (us and a family with a child in a wheelchair) that the next bus for sure be one that can take those parties, but it was not, it was a chartered one. So another ton of people who were not even there when the first bus left now boarded before the 2 handicap parties again. Third bus was finally the one, we could get. It pulled up while the chartered was still loading so I think it must have been called for. So, those buses were definitely not considered "full" and unable to take able bodied while 2 handicap parties waited. I think by the time the bus came there might have been another handicap family waiting.

We had one of those the other night as well. It's definitely something they do, and it's definitely a violation of the ADA. (City busses where I'm from do it all the time, too).

 

[Evita_W]

I can tell you for sure that was not true in September for us. We got to the AKL stop at AK and the driver said she was too full to take us. It looked like there was not mobility device on and she could have asked someone to move, but whatever. The driver then spent probably another 7-8 minutes loading a ton more people (I mean to full standing room). When we got there, there was no one in the line waiting, so it was not like the driver had a long line. The driver waited for more people to arrive to load. And then the next bus was a chartered one. I do still think that if you know that 2 handicap parties were left behind (us and a family with a child in a wheelchair) that the next bus for sure be one that can take those parties, but it was not, it was a chartered one. So another ton of people who were not even there when the first bus left now boarded before the 2 handicap parties again. Third bus was finally the one, we could get. It pulled up while the chartered was still loading so I think it must have been called for. So, those buses were definitely not considered "full" and unable to take able bodied while 2 handicap parties waited. I think by the time the bus came there might have been another handicap family waiting.

I didn't say the law was followed, I just said that is what the law says.

 

[SueM in MN]

To the best of my knowledge, the following still applies:
If someone with a disability is waiting to get on a bus and that bus cannot accommodate them for ANY reason, thst bus is considered to be full and cannot let anyone on at that stop or any after until it can accommodate a guest with a disability. So, if you are waiting for a bus and a coach bus comes, no one can get on it since it cannot handle a guest with a disability.

I had been told that quite a few years ago by a bus driver I knew on the internet. He did not give me the documentation of it and I’ve never been able to find any specific references to it. So, I doubt it is actually in the ADA or Department of Transportation anywhere. It’s possible that it is a policy of some specific bus company.

One part I know is in the Department of Transportation ADA is that drivers are required to ask passengers seated in the disabled seating spots to move. Those passengers are not required to comply by law, but a transit provider can make policies requiring passengers to move.
Transportation Rights - passengers seated in access spots

To the OP, have you tried the button on your room phone labeled Transportation?
We have had much better luck with using that than contacting the front desk by phone or going to the desk.

 

[ttintagel]

I know it's hard to do when you're on vacation and get a call in the middle of trying to get on a ride but without that info it's hard to complain that you were given the run around.

And they count on that, too. Based on the few times I’ve tried, if I asked to speak to someone higher up every time I’ve been denied accommodation, i’d Have spent a good half my precious time in the parks waiting. And a lot of us with disabilities simply don’t have the money to come frequently and make up for what we didn’t get to do last time.