This is a post I should have done months ago after our December 2007 trip, but somehow the months have gotten away from me.
I realized from Day 1 at Disney (November 30th), that this trip was going to be different than my trips in the past. Being an annual visitor with DS8 and DD5, we think we're experts. But this trip would include 5 other people who have never been to Disney before - and 1 would be in an ECV.
The ECV was for my grandmother - who was 72 at the time we traveled. I spent much time here in DisAbilities getting great advice from all of you on how to handle a 1st time trip with an ECVer (later to be knicknamed her "Wheelie"
Gotta love Grandma!) Grandma didn't have visible disabilities, but she's on the frail side and has lower back (disk) problems, so standing and walking for more than an hour is debilitating for her. She resisted using the ECV - thinking she would be a hindrance to us and wanted to walk. We explained to her that she'd be more of a problem if she walked on her own.
It only took about an hour in Epcot for me to realize how tough it is for Wheelie Drivers to manouver through the crowds, and how inconsiderate people are when someone in a Wheelie is trying to manouver through a park. People constantly would cut in front of her, or crowd her or force her to stop. She was so worried about hitting someone that we eventually had to make almost a circle around her to give her room to drive and turn. I thought people were bad when I was pushing a stroller, but it was even worse for her driving her Wheelie.
It took a few days before she didn't really want to use it anymore. She liked not walking, but she hated trying to drive it and not injure anyone. She ended up touring a few hours in the morning with us (sometimes walking sometimes driving), then taking the afternoon off. She'd only tour at night if she drove that morning and wasn't too tired to walk at night - there was NO WAY she could drive at night.
We were at MGM one night to see the Osborne lights, and she stayed back at the room. There were so many people walking by ABC Comissary that we could hardly move. There was one woman in an ECV and she had the worst time with all those people so close to her - I don't know if she ever made it over to the lights. I felt so bad for her - having toured with similar problems the day before I knew exactly how she felt.
I just wanted to tell all of you how SORRY I am for the difficulties you face in your mobility due to other park guests. I'm sure until last December I was one of those guests, even though I wish I wasn't. I honestly didn't understand how difficult it is for someone with mobility challenges to get around the park, and how other people walking could have such an effect on it. The December trip with someone in an ECV has opened my eyes.
Trips from now on will be taken with a better awareness of ECVers and the like, and I will help anyone I see who needs it. I like to consider myself empathetic, and I always try to put myself in the shoes of others and treat people like I like to be treated. Maybe that's why the realization in December of the ECV difficulties completely caught me off guard. I wish there was a way to inform others who may not go through what I went through; I'm sure there's lots more out there who would be more aware of those Wheelies around them.
I realized from Day 1 at Disney (November 30th), that this trip was going to be different than my trips in the past. Being an annual visitor with DS8 and DD5, we think we're experts. But this trip would include 5 other people who have never been to Disney before - and 1 would be in an ECV.
The ECV was for my grandmother - who was 72 at the time we traveled. I spent much time here in DisAbilities getting great advice from all of you on how to handle a 1st time trip with an ECVer (later to be knicknamed her "Wheelie"
Gotta love Grandma!) Grandma didn't have visible disabilities, but she's on the frail side and has lower back (disk) problems, so standing and walking for more than an hour is debilitating for her. She resisted using the ECV - thinking she would be a hindrance to us and wanted to walk. We explained to her that she'd be more of a problem if she walked on her own.It only took about an hour in Epcot for me to realize how tough it is for Wheelie Drivers to manouver through the crowds, and how inconsiderate people are when someone in a Wheelie is trying to manouver through a park. People constantly would cut in front of her, or crowd her or force her to stop. She was so worried about hitting someone that we eventually had to make almost a circle around her to give her room to drive and turn. I thought people were bad when I was pushing a stroller, but it was even worse for her driving her Wheelie.
It took a few days before she didn't really want to use it anymore. She liked not walking, but she hated trying to drive it and not injure anyone. She ended up touring a few hours in the morning with us (sometimes walking sometimes driving), then taking the afternoon off. She'd only tour at night if she drove that morning and wasn't too tired to walk at night - there was NO WAY she could drive at night.
We were at MGM one night to see the Osborne lights, and she stayed back at the room. There were so many people walking by ABC Comissary that we could hardly move. There was one woman in an ECV and she had the worst time with all those people so close to her - I don't know if she ever made it over to the lights. I felt so bad for her - having toured with similar problems the day before I knew exactly how she felt.
I just wanted to tell all of you how SORRY I am for the difficulties you face in your mobility due to other park guests. I'm sure until last December I was one of those guests, even though I wish I wasn't. I honestly didn't understand how difficult it is for someone with mobility challenges to get around the park, and how other people walking could have such an effect on it. The December trip with someone in an ECV has opened my eyes.
Trips from now on will be taken with a better awareness of ECVers and the like, and I will help anyone I see who needs it. I like to consider myself empathetic, and I always try to put myself in the shoes of others and treat people like I like to be treated. Maybe that's why the realization in December of the ECV difficulties completely caught me off guard. I wish there was a way to inform others who may not go through what I went through; I'm sure there's lots more out there who would be more aware of those Wheelies around them.
