Strollers and buses

[jlwhitney]

Is it a new thing that not everyone has to fold their stroller for the buses? Saw two different strollers on buses not folded with kids in them.

 

[Meglen]

All the buses we rode last week made them fold them up.

 

[CMNJ]

Unless the strollers are tagged as wheelchairs (and this secured in the ECV spots) I’m pretty sure Disney policy is they have to be folded up. That being said I saw a family get in heated argument with the bus driver a few years ago when they tried to board a bus without folding up their stroller. He would not allow them to board and they insisted loudly that they had been allowed to do so for the past couple days whenever they rode the bus and he was the first driver to give them a problem. It was a large (rental) double stroller that they said could not easily fold. He explained that Disney policy was all strollers must be folded on the bus for safety but they pitched a fit. If they were telling the truth (according to them)seemed other bus drivers had been securing their stroller as though it was being used as a wheelchair (in the ECV spots) but our driver said no it was against policy. Plus there were people using those seats and he wasn’t kicking them out of their seats to secure an unfolded stroller. My point is perhaps not all bus drivers follow the actual policies especially if the bus is more empty and they are trying to provide good customer service.....but if that is the case it makes it that much harder for those following company policy especially when people think they are entitled to such services.....

 

[joelkfla]

Some drivers are unwilling to enforce policy, because many managers automatically take the Guest's side in a dispute. So they will ask, but not press if the Guest puts up an argument.

 

[FastPasser.]

Some drivers are unwilling to enforce policy, because many managers automatically take the Guest's side in a dispute. So they will ask, but not press if the Guest puts up an argument.

I always insisted that strollers be folded and being somewhat familiar with Joel, I think he did too.

 

[sagittarius]

It is just thought to be public transport etiquette especially on a more confined one like a bus

 

[Moliphino]

I thought it was a FDOT rule, not just a Disney policy.

 

[Brett Wyman]

All the buses we rode last week made them fold them up.

Same. Even when the bus is empty and Id LOVE to leave them in, we've always had to fold it.

 

[joelkfla]

I thought it was a FDOT rule, not just a Disney policy.

The rule doesn't actually mention strollers specifically. It requires that:

(c) Baggage or freight on the bus is stowed and secured in a manner which assures—​

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(2) Unobstructed access to all exits by any occupant of the bus; and​

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(3) Protection of occupants of the bus against injury resulting from the falling or displacement of articles transported in the bus.​

Disney chooses to require all strollers to be folded in order to meet these requirements, as do the vast majority of bus operators in the U.S. A few operators do allow strollers to be secured in wheelchair spaces when not needed by handicapped persons, but that opens another can of worms if a person on a mobility device wants to board when a stroller is occupying the space.

 

[cranbiz]

I thought it was a FDOT rule, not just a Disney policy.

I thought it was a FDOT rule also (we were once told that in initial training) and no one was ever allowed on my bus if the stroller wasn't folded except for those that were clearly marked stroller as a wheelchair. I never had an issue with those either as those people know what was expected.

One time I had a SSR guest put up a fight and a manager did step in and helped me. I guess my comment to her that she could either fold the stroller with or without her child in it may not have been entirely appropriate but at that time, it had been a 5 minute delay to the other guests.

 

[seashoreCM]

Or maybe the parent had the stroller folded but after boarding unfolded the stroller and put the child back in.

Regrettably, bus drivers cannot be expected to physically enforce any rules. A manager could be summoned, via 2 way radio if needed, or the alleged violator subjected to shaming by others nearby.

 

[KPeterso]

Or maybe the parent had the stroller folded but after boarding unfolded the stroller and put the child back in.

Regrettably, bus drivers cannot be expected to physically enforce any rules. A manager could be summoned, via 2 way radio if needed, or the alleged violator subjected to shaming by others nearby.

I have seen the parents pop the stroller back open on the bus. Apparently holding the kid and 4 huge backpacks/bags (I swear they must have been moving in for a month they had so much stuff for 2 adults and a toddler) was too much to hold so they popped it back open.

And then there was the family with a very young baby and a "newborn" stroller. Honestly, I still have no idea what a newborn stroller is but they told the driver it could not be folded at all and different drivers handled it different ways. Some drivers apparently strapped it down and other made them hold it tight to them. Baby was always out of it though. I still want to know how on earth they got that stroller to WDW if it was not foldable or collapsible in any way.

 

[cranbiz]

I have seen the parents pop the stroller back open on the bus. Apparently holding the kid and 4 huge backpacks/bags (I swear they must have been moving in for a month they had so much stuff for 2 adults and a toddler) was too much to hold so they popped it back open.

And then there was the family with a very young baby and a "newborn" stroller. Honestly, I still have no idea what a newborn stroller is but they told the driver it could not be folded at all and different drivers handled it different ways. Some drivers apparently strapped it down and other made them hold it tight to them. Baby was always out of it though. I still want to know how on earth they got that stroller to WDW if it was not foldable or collapsible in any way.

There is not a newborn stroller that can't be folded in some way. So either those people were stupid or hoping the bus driver was. Apparently they were successful in pulling a fast one.

 

[FastPasser.]

I guess my comment to her that she could either fold the stroller with or without her child in it may not have been entirely appropriate

Good one, wish I had used that.