Updated with pics- 9/28-10-6: Crowds, Dining, Pop & More...

[eam]

I too was amazed at the people with ECV's--not the ones who need them , but the ones who were just too lazy to walk!!

I agree with you 100%!! I was as WDW the same time as you and I was shocked at the abuse!

 

[disneydaveb]

Dave,
Great report. We are going in Dec from Delco. How was the baggage checkin at Philly International? What time did you leave (our flight is at 7AM!!?!?!)? Could you do curb-side check in?
Thanks,

deejohn,

We arrived at the airport at 5am. (we are only 5 mins away). We used curbside check in and sailed through security. We were at our gate by about 5:20am. No Problems. Be sure to print out your boarding passes 24 hrs in advance so you receive the "A". It turns out that the flight was not even half full and there were only As and Bs anyway.

 

[lenore1]

I don't understand why being in a wheelchair or ECV should give anyone the privlilege of line cutting, or going to the head of the line. What does not being able to walk have to do with waiting? Why can't they sit and patiently (or impatiently) wait like the rest of us?

omigod! I could not agree more!! We stayed at CBR and were very happy with the buses except for this issue. My husband was fuming. It's fine if you do not want to walk around the parks but you should also have to wait your turn like everyone else! except for true medical conditions of coarse. Either that or they need they own buses.
The other issue that peeved me was not only were they allowed to the front of the line, everyone they were with was allowed also. One night after Fantasmic when there were hundreds of people waiting, two scooters pulled up in front of everyone and they each had eight people with them and they ALL walked up in front of everyone! And the two people in the scooter sat in a chair in the bus, not the scooter! Whats that?! That 18 seats gone!

 

[deejohn]

Thanks for the info on the print out. We are using e-tickets with Airtran, so I am not sure how that would work. I like the curb-side checkin so I don't have to care all the bags to the reservation desk.

FY_ - I tried to get to the pics, but it came up blank.

 

[meatballsmom]

I too was amazed at the abuse of the ECV's on buses and also on rides. I saw more familes with 20 or so people cut in line of everyone else because one of them was in an ECV. Now I agree that they should be able to not have to wait through the whole line with everyone (it's a little hard to manuever through), but they still should have to wait like everyone else. I also found alot of these people very rude and would run you or your children right over. They just expect you to get out of their way because they are riding one and if you didn't happen to notice them crawling up your rear end, they would give you the dirties look. I was amazed. One day while waiting for the bus for more then a 1/2 hour, a guy scoots right up front on his ECV with his huge family (there must have been 15 of them) and they all get right on while all the rest of us are sitting there waiting. Just very frustrating. But I also saw something else that really bothered me too. While waiting for the parade to begin one night and after standing to be able to get a spot to view for a long time, this woman with a handicapped child comes scooting up and was mad because there was no where for her to go to be up front to watch the parade. Mind you, it was 8:00 and the parade was supposed to start at 8:00. It was very crowded there that night. Well she pokes her head into a womans carriage and asks her that since there was no child there, if she could move the carriage to make room for her child. The woman told her that her husband just took her daughter to the bathroom and would be right back and couldn't move the carriage. She was so angry and was cursing that no one will accomodate a handicapped person. Now while I think Disney should definately make handicaped areas available, I believe that they shouldn't walk up at the time the parade is going to start and believe that there would still be a spot left to accomodate them. Then to believe that everyone else should give them their spots that they have been waiting over an hour for is totally inappropriate.

 

[Suzanne74]

I don't understand why being in a wheelchair or ECV should give anyone the privlilege of line cutting, or going to the head of the line. What does not being able to walk have to do with waiting? Why can't they sit and patiently (or impatiently) wait like the rest of us?

Because many lines have a special location for the handiapped to enter (no stairs, turning, etc..) and easier access. This is to be used for people who can barely walk or can not walk so they can enter the ride BEFORE others enter to make it safer for them. I am all for this and think it is great that Disney has such a great handicapped access area for rides, dinner, transportation etc.. but almost all lines are set up for ECV's to go in and out of but many choose not to. I do see some waiting in line for buses and and lines but most do not and usually have an entourage of 5+ people with them who bypass everyone.

I agree with the one poster that says the overabuse is starting to scorn the ones who really need it - its a shame. I do think a doctor's note or medical ID or bracelet should be needed to get in with an ECV or rent one at the parks. I know many people could easily get an MD note but I think it would cut it down considerably.

 

[eeyore7567]

Who knew a simple trip report would spin itself into a whole new topic. We stayed at the Coronado Springs Resort in mid-September and only had one ECV when picking up someone from the Fort Wilderness area after having a wonderful dinner at Artist Point at the Lodge. This guy had a sprained ankle the size of a grapefruit. His pain was so great that I felt it two days later. Other than him, we never had that problem. Don’t know if it’s timing or that most people don’t stay at the CSR.

We were at Disneyland on July 17th (the actual 50th celebration.) There were ECVs everywhere. So much so that one woman ran over my wife's ankle...which still hurts today. The lady just shrugged and said, "Well, I'm trying to get through." Yes...and so were the other 60,000 people. We later saw her WALKING FINE in the stores buying 50th anniversary merchandise.

BUT...what we saw at many of the exits were long long lines of ECVs waiting to get on the rides. Pirates must have had about 12 waiting to get boarded. From what I've been told, Disneyland is trying to work out a system where they time it with people just getting in line. Kind of like when you get handed a lanyard at Disney World to give to the attendant to see how long the line is. (Which...by the way...I must give off some sort of aura because I was handed about 8 of them over a 5 day period...and in each instance...I just walked right on the ride because there was no wait...they must have been bored.) I'm not sure if the Disneyland system is real or not, but there were definately lines of people and it didn't seem like they were just getting to the front very quickly.

Bravo to Disneyland.