The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - BW Grand Villa Edition

[Pig Pen]

I love the keister coaster! Don't any of you adults go on it too?

I admit it...I went down in 2004.

 

[kaytieeldr]

May I add my ECV complaint: Hey all you folks that either cannot walk, or otherwise choose not to: Just because you rented one of these to lug your can all over doesn't mean you have the right of way or the authority to force people to "part like the red sea" so you can cruise through.

Except in the specifically marked lane entering/exiting The Land. Ambulatory Guests, please keep out

Hmmmm..... the front desk told us not to go to Celebration Hospital that we would have a long wait

Interesting... kinda makes one wonder if there's some sort of financial agreement... you know, like, "CentraCare - the Official Health Provider for WDW Guests"... Yeah, the one time I went to Celebration Health, I had a couple of hour wait - after I'd been seen and diagnosed, for a room. Heck of a vacation, that one.

Another time a lady driving one yelled at DD6 for running in front of her, Yes, DD did run out in front of her BUT in DD's defense she was going to throw trash away (and not throw it on the ground). This is WDW, if I had yelled at every child that ran out in front of me on my trip, well I would have been yelling alot.

I think it depends how closely in front of the ecv your daughter ran (dang, good grammar sounds awkward!). Even if the user has extremely fast reflexes and lets go of the throttle immediately, momentum carries the ecv forward a bit before it stops.

 

[Olaf]

Loved your review You remind me of Richyams

I thought the same thing! Two peas in a pod. Vomiting kids! lololol

 

[LindaBabe]

I think it depends how closely in front of the ecv your daughter ran (dang, good grammar sounds awkward!). Even if the user has extremely fast reflexes and lets go of the throttle immediately, momentum carries the ecv forward a bit before it stops.

exactly - better I should yell than hit her! People step over you, stop dead in front of you, and run across your path too close probably 20 times a day. No exaggeration.

It's difficult, stressful and tiring to ride an ecv, but its the thing that makes my trips to the world possible. I wish all the people who criticise us for riding them could walk a mile in my shoes.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

exactly - better I should yell than hit her! People step over you, stop dead in front of you, and run across your path too close probably 20 times a day. No exaggeration.

It's difficult, stressful and tiring to ride an ecv, but its the thing that makes my trips to the world possible. I wish all the people who criticise us for riding them could walk a mile in my shoes.

I too have no problems with the people that need them. That isnt even my complaint, but my complaint is the people the push through the crowds on them, just because they can go fast, doesnt mean they have to be at full throttle! I was plowed down by one leaving the MK one night, I was not happy, 2 months later my achilles shredded! Almost a year later and my ankle still isnt right!! Hmm, did that accident have anything to do with it??? It does drive me nuts when families get them just to get them, not because they need them, I've seen it while getting strollers, heard the conversations, actually witnessed someone swaping a leg brace!! While I do not think its a solution, and I am sure there are reasons it wouldn't work, but arnt ECV's a medical device? Shouldn't one provide a note from a doctor saying they need one? I know with all the laws and peoples rights its wrong to think that way, but wouldn't that stop the abuse of it, and then the parks would have them for those that really need them?

 

[chainkid]

I have never used a ECV but on my upcoming trip I was thinking of renting one because I have severe arthritis in both knees that isn't better after two surgeries. my older brother also has bad knees so we are talking about sharing one so neither one of us has to walk the whole distance. I find it hard to believe that someone would rent one for the week at a cost of $175 if they didn;t need one. Number one its embarassing, number two they are not that easy to drive in a crowd. I would never try to bring it in a line because I can walk and don't use one at home. I have found alot more people pushing strollers to be a problem. I get run over several times with parents thinking they can ram you to push ahead. I would never judge someone using an ECV as you never know that person's problem. I look like a very healthy 55 year old of average weight and appear to walk okay except for a slight limp that comes on when I'm tired. After spending a day walking in WDW I sometimes have severe pain at the end of the day. I've fought it in the past but this year I want to enjoy myself so I'm thinking of getting one. I'm sure if a little kid runs in front of me I might hit him or her as I 'm not an expert and most of the people using them are probably not experts either. When I have my young nieces with me I make sure to hold onto to them around people in ECV because you don't have pin point control. I don't condone people going to fast but I see how careless people can be around handicapped people as well as the other way around. So be alert

 

[kidsister]

Funny Post, Rinkwide! Made me laugh.

Although I admit I thought you might get roasted for the ECV commments. Glad to see you did not.

However, someone did beg the question of discerning when someone is handicapped or not...and different feelings about one and t'tother.

So I was just wondering: what if the handicapped brought their car 'handicap' card with them and used it on their electric wheelchair rental?
I realize not everyone has one of these,and also that you'd have to anchor it on the wheelchair so that it didn't get stolen, but at least those people truly handicapped wouldn't have to be embarrassed by t'others that just rent the suckers for laziness.

I don't get troubled , myself, when someone is tryign to get through a crowd in one of them...I can imagine how I'd feel being at 'butt' level in a crowd and not being able to see...I'd feel very vulnerable, whether disabled or not.
I admit to seeing a couple racing their ECv's at a fairly high rate of speed...and part of me laughed because they were having fun and a part of me wondered why in the world they had the dang things (tho I noticed they each had a bandaged leg.)

I think we all have to assume that whoever is driving one, needs one. Life's too short to get angry about the abusers (tho they should of course rot in Hades ) I'm really sorry that people who have to use them, feel self-conscious. You shouldn't. I guess we all just need to try harder.

That said, this post made me laugh out loud. Keep em coming, Rink!

 

[rinkwide]

...It's difficult, stressful and tiring to ride an ecv, but its the thing that makes my trips to the world possible. I wish all the people who criticise us for riding them could walk a mile in my shoes.

Let's settle this thing once and for all - your ECV against my surrey bike twice around the Boardwalk. Winner gets bragging rights and a free hip replacement.

 

[madcoco]

Needs more Cowbell.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Outside some attractions these days they're going to need to have..

Stroller Parking
ECV Parking
and...
ECV Parking with Handicapped Placard.

It really is getting nuts. Last June at MGM Studios (the smallest park) I overheard two middle-aged and healthy men talking about how renting an ECV was the only way to do the parks.. this way they still had energy to hit Pleasure Island at night.

Some people's kids.

J

 

[Disney-Kim]

It seems like a LOT more people use ECV's for the "convenience" over medical need/health problems. Sort of....hey I could go all day if I didn't have to walk.
well I have problems with this...first the parks weren't designed to handle how many ecv/strollers/moving things with wheels that there are today.
and it seems like a way to cheat. We are all tired and all our legs hurt.

it just seems that the people who really "need" them should only be able to use them...not the LAZY people. sorry thats harsh but my opinion.

and by need...I mean anyone...who really needs that help.
We all know there are those who don't and use them for a way to cruise around the parks.

 

[greenban]

It seems like a LOT more people use ECV's for the "convenience" over medical need/health problems. Sort of....hey I could go all day if I didn't have to walk.
well I have problems with this...first the parks weren't designed to handle how many ecv/strollers/moving things with wheels that there are today.
and it seems like a way to cheat. We are all tired and all our legs hurt.

it just seems that the people who really "need" them should only be able to use them...not the LAZY people. sorry thats harsh but my opinion.

and by need...I mean anyone...who really needs that help.
We all know there are those who don't and use them for a way to cruise around the parks.

And.... cut the lines.

For a daily ECV rental fee, your entire party gets to use the Handicap Entrance. I have overheard families 'brag' about this in the parks, and I seen family members 'switch off' using the ECV. Cheaper than FOTL and more convienent than FastPass.

-Tony

P.S. Not meant to detract from people who actually need ECVs/Special Services, just point out that there are those who choose to use them!

P.P.S. I no longer use this tactic myself!

 

[Starr W.]

There was an article last spring or summer in the Wall Street Journal about people renting ECV's to use for transportation rather than for a health need. Had a picture of a 20 something who basicallly stated he rents one so he is more energetic in the evening for PI after a day at the parks. Also delved into the problem that people who actually need them can't get them. That's what honks me off!


Hey I saw 2 young families with a couple of kids each had one. Dad's are driving with the petal to the metal hanging on to one toddler while the other is sitting on the footrest. The Mom's then are running behind with the strollers with the youngest child. Now do these men have a health need? Probably not!

 

[BroganMc]

And.... cut the lines.

For the record:

Having a wheelchair or ECV does not automatically give you rights to "cut the line". Even the hallowed "red card" GAC means you must get a FastPass. And even on the off chance a CM let's you into the FP line with just the red card (or WC/ECV), you'll be directed to wait whatever the wait time posted outside is.

But having a wheelchair or ECV does guarantee you will have at least 10-20 near collisions per day with oblivious and sometimes rude pedestrians. You should see yourselves sometimes. People at Disney move like deer and rabbits in heat.

 

[SueM in MN]

And.... cut the lines.

For a daily ECV rental fee, your entire party gets to use the Handicap Entrance. I have overheard families 'brag' about this in the parks, and I seen family members 'switch off' using the ECV. Cheaper than FOTL and more convienent than FastPass.

-Tony

P.S. Not meant to detract from people who actually need ECVs/Special Services, just point out that there are those who choose to use them!

P.P.S. I no longer use this tactic myself!

There are a few attractions that have Wheelchair Entrances. When they have them, it is because the regular entrance is not wheelchair accessible, so a special accessible entrance is the only way in.

AK and the Studio were built with Mainstream Access, which means that the lines are wheelchair/ECV accessible and people using wheelchairs or ECVs use the same lines as everyone else.
This is a list of the Mainstream Attractions from the official Disney Website:
Mainstream Attractions
Magic Kingdom® Park
• Ariel's Grotto
• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Donald's Boat
• Judge's Tent
• Mickey's Country House
• Mickey's PhilharMagic
• Mike Fink Keelboats (seasonal)
• Minnie's Country House
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Space Mountain®
• Splash Mountain®
• Stitch's Great Escape!™
• The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacres Farm
• "The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management"
• The Hall of Presidents
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• The Timekeeper (seasonal)
• Tomorrowland® Indy Speedway
• Toontown Hall of Fame
• Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress (seasonal)
Epcot®
• FUTURE WORLD
• Imagination!: All Attractions
• Innoventions East
• Innoventions West
• Mission: SPACE
• Test Track
• The Living Seas: All Attractions
• The Land: Soarin', Lion King movie
• Universe of Energy: "Ellen's Energy Adventure"
• Wonders of Life: All Attractions (seasonal)
•
•
• WORLD SHOWCASE
• China: "Reflections of China"
• France: "Impressions de France"
• FriendShip Boats
• Norway: Maelstrom
• The American Adventure: "The American Adventure"
Disney-MGM Studios
• Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour
• Fantasmic!
• Lights, Motors, Action!™ Extreme Stunt Show
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Playhouse Disney - Live On Stage!
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith
• Sounds Dangerous - Starring Drew Carey
• Star Tours
• The Great Movie Ride
• The Magic of Disney Animation
• "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™"
• *Voyage of the Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
• Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It!
Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
• Caravan Stage: "Flights of Wonder"
• DINOSAUR
• Grandmother Willow's Grove: "Pocahontas and Her forest friends"
• It's Tough To Be A Bug
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Lion King Theater: "Festival of the Lion King"
• Maharajah Jungle Trek
• Primeval Whirl
• Theater in the Wild: "Tarzan Rocks!"
• The Boneyard
• TriceraTop Spin

The shows (even the one with Mainstream lines) have a limited number of wheelchair/ECV spots inside the theater. Once those are filled, no one else using a wheelchair or ECV can be let inside (even if there are seats for people not using wheelchairs). We have come to Voyage of the Little Mermaid to use our Fastpass and been told that all the wheelchair spots for that particular show are already filled, so we will have to wait for the next show (even though they were letting in people from the standby line).

Many of the wheelchair entrances are accessed after waiting in line for a while (Haunted Mansion is an example); the wheelchair entrance to that is just a little before the 'regular' line reaches the turnstiles to get into the building.
Once inside a show area using a wheelchair entrance, like Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion, Kilimonjari Safari, we are not boarded immediately. Because of fire safety and evacuation rules, each attraction has a limit on the number of people with special needs/disabilities that are allowed in/on at a time. We may have to wait quite a while until they have room for us. Some attractions, like the Safari, have a wheelchair ride vehicle. We have waited 40 minutes at the Safari, while people who could walk in were getting on trams as fast as they could walk and some trams were even going out partially filled because people were not getting there fast enough.

I'd invite anyone who thinks it's easy to travel with an ECV or wheelchair and that users of them get all sorts of 'perks' to try one for a day. There are lots of people who post on the DIS Boards that their mind was changed after they had a temporary injury and needed to use one for a few days.

 

[BroganMc]

Hey I saw 2 young families with a couple of kids each had one. Dad's are driving with the petal to the metal hanging on to one toddler while the other is sitting on the footrest. The Mom's then are running behind with the strollers with the youngest child. Now do these men have a health need? Probably not!

Health need? Without a medical degree and full workup, I'm in no position to know. But from you describe that was improper and unsafe ECV usage. Kids are a not allowed to ride an ECV because they can fall off and get hurt. If you see this behavior, warn the adult driver of the danger. At the very least, if they're using a Disney-owned ECV they are violating Disney's rules and will have it confiscated.

 

[kdzgon]

I would guess that for every individual abusing the use of ECVs there are many more that need them but have no visible signs of that need. I know that when my sister was fighting breast cancer she looked healthy - in fact, the radiation treatments gave her a "glow" of sorts, as she looked as if she had been out sunning on a beach - but on the inside, the effect of radiation was slowly killing her lungs. Shortly before she died she had less than 10% lung capacity. She actually died from the lung damage caused by the radiation treatments before the breast cancer could finish her off. She was diagnosed at 43 and was 47 when she died - Traci died at 26, and another close family friend died at 23 - all would have been considered "too young" to need an ECV, and they had few if any outward indications of cancer for the majority of their illnesses.

Sorry, guys - I'll deal with all of those that want to abuse the system as long as it allows others like my sister or my best friend's daughter to get one more trip to the parks (my sister never made it that far, BTW).

I also figure that those that abuse the system eventually will need to answer to someone whose opinions will be much more important than mine.

I liked Rinkwide's humor on the issue of ECVs better, because if you can get past the issue of who "deserves" to use one, it does indeed evoke a love/hate relationship when a traveling companion is set loose on one!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Great report, and great video, Rink!!!

 

[BroganMc]

Some attractions, like the Safari, have a wheelchair ride vehicle. We have waited 40 minutes at the Safari, while people who could walk in were getting on trams as fast as they could walk and some trams were even going out partially filled because people were not getting there fast enough.

Now you described my last Safari ride in December. Posted wait time was 10 minutes. I waited 50.

In fact, I'm hard pressed to name an attraction where my power wheelchair gets me faster entry. But it does ensure I get the worst seating for several shows like the dreadful Fantasmic seating.

 

[Starr W.]

Health need? Without a medical degree and full workup, I'm in no position to know. But from you describe that was improper and unsafe ECV usage. Kids are a not allowed to ride an ECV because they can fall off and get hurt. If you see this behavior, warn the adult driver of the danger. At the very least, if they're using a Disney-owned ECV they are violating Disney's rules and will have it confiscated.

Unfortunately these were off site rental ones, because after they about ran over my 10 year old I was looking for ID numbers. DH did say something (he's 6'4" 220lb) and they slowed down after they flipped him off.

As for medical need, my neighbor who was supposed to be on bed rest for her pregnancy used ECV's in the grocery stores and Target, just so she could get out of the house. I took her a couple of times, and trust me she got the "you lazy preggie lady" talk everytime I was with her. So I know where you are coming from.