Walkways may not be stopped during busy times

[aubriee]

We just returned from WDW this past Monday. Usually we ask to have the moving walkways stopped for my elderly mom, who has problems with her balance (among other health issues). This time the CMs at both Buzz Lightyear and Haunted Mansion absolutely refused to stop the moving walkways. They said that it was too busy and the best they could do was slow them down. Both times we went through the regular queue, then was pulled out to the handicap entrances due to my mom's ECV (wheelchair at Buzz) like we always do. The CM's there asked if she could transfer and we told them yes, but she needed the walkways stopped or she could fall. In both instances, we were told that they were too busy and all they could do was slow them down and if that didn't work, then she just wouldn't be able to ride. We argued with the CM at Buzz Lightyear telling him there was a good chance she could fall. He still insisted that the walkway could not be stopped. She got on, but then stumbled getting out and would have fallen if I hadn't caught her. At Haunted Mansion she was too scared to even try, so we just walked out when the CM refused to completely stop the walkway. I know the moving walkways on Peter Pan and the People Mover can't be stopped, but the CMs at Buzz and Haunted Mansion have always stopped the walkways for her to board. Is this a new policy? The CMs at both rides were very rude insisiting all they had to do was slow the walkways, not stop them and that not everyone may be able to ride if that wasn't good enough.

 

[SueM in MN]

I can tell you that we just rode Buzz Lightyear at MK 2 days ago, using the wheelchair accessible ride car.
My sister was riding with my DD (who is the wheelchair rider). The companion gets on first and the CM at the boarding area told my sister to come as quickly as possible as soon as ramp for the wheelchair car hit the walkway. I was to push the wheelchair out to that CM, who would push it into the ride car.
I was to get into the next ride car (the CM emphasized quickly and meant it).
What happened next was fast motion - the CM opened the ramp, yelled at sister to come, yelled at me to come, took wheelchair from me and pushed DD into car (while yelling at me to get into the ride car and without giving sister time to lock brakes). All this without even slowing the walkway. The CM barely got the ramp closed before the moving walkway ended.

Same thing on the unload, with the added 'feature' of a strap on my sister's bag getting caught, making it harder to get out.

 

[ttintagel]

I've had CM's at the Haunted Mansion simply ignore my requests regarding the moving walkway, or turn and walk away while I was in the middle of asking, but I've never had them tell me it was a policy to do so. That really takes the cake.

 

[GranJan]

Oh my! Sue, that sounds like a very stressful experience. I decided a long time ago not to ride anything with a moving walkway. I've had experiences where they stopped it for me to get on but not to get off. Sounds like they're trying to discourage those less able to board the rides in the way it's normally done from riding at all. As my condition has worsened, I ride fewer rides every trip to WDW. If we weren't DVC members & I still enjoy the time with grand kids, I probably wouldn't feel that it was worth the price of admission. I'm really leaning toward a resort only trip after we get one more use of our annual pass.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

Has anyone taken this to Guest Services to ask if it really is official policy (and get it in writing if it is)? If it is, I'd question the legality. If it isn't, then GS needs to know that some CMs are saying it is so that folks can be retrained.

Whether it's official policy or not, I'd think it would be opening WDW up to lawsuits. Not only is refusing walkways that can safely be slowed an ADA violation, but the risk of injuries is so high that I suspect someone injured because a CM refused to slow could sue and have a good chance of success. "Too busy" isn't a reason to deny a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Has anyone taken this to Guest Services to ask if it really is official policy (and get it in writing if it is)?

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[SueM in MN]

Yes - not slowing or stopping could lead to more injuries.

To add a bit more to the mix - we were at MK today and rode Buzz Lightyear again with DD in her wheelchair.
Same Standby wait time, different CM, different outcome.
This time we were prepared for the same as last time, but the walkway was slowed to 1/2 speed for loading and unloading without us asking or saying anything.

They used to have people wait and ‘group’ guests who needed the moving walkway slowed or stopped. That helped with not having as many slows or stops, which helps with guest satisfaction for the riders who are on the ride during that time. THere is also a risk of guests on the ride getting up or trying to leave the ride.
So, there is more to it than just the need of the person who needs the walkway stopped. Since most guests can handle the walkway slower, not necessary at full stop, it makes sense to start with slowing and stop it if the guest is having touble.

 

[POOHsie]

Last November, on my solo trip with ECV, I visited Little Mermaid ride. There you have to park your ECV and transfer to a WC, then step onto a ride vehicle from a moving ramp. As I waited at the start of the moving ramp, the young CM told me I had to get off my WC and WALK on the moving ramp to a ride vehicle. I told her that I couldn't walk unassisted, but the CM insisted that was what I had to do. Finally, another CM rolled my wheelchair on the moving ramp to a ride car, and I had time to lock the WC wheels and get in the ride car. This same CM waited with the WC at the end of the ride, and I had time to get back in the WC. I'm not sure if the ramp was slowed down for me. I'm pretty good at transferring. But, Really! Maybe others can't do that in the space of time you're on the moving ramp.

I love Haunted Mansion and ride it on every visit. They always stop the ramp for me. You don't transfer to a WC there, plus you approach the ride cars from the end of the ramp, not the beginning of it. If the HM ramp was slowed, not stopped, it's possible I could transfer directly from my ECV to the ride vehicle. But then a CM would have to grab my ECV before it rolled off the end of the ramp. Sounds complicated.

If it's Disney policy to not stop moving ramps during busy times, then I want to see it in writing, along with a list of rides affected by this policy. I like the idea of grouping guests together who need the ramp slowed. To me, it takes incredible nerve to let a Handicapped guest waste time in a long ride queue, then tell them, Oh BTW, you can't go on! (especially if you've always been accommodated before, in my case, for over 15 years). I can't imagine a trip to WDW without doing HM. Little Mermaid was so lame, I won't miss it if I never go back.

 

[stitchlovestink]

I carry a notebook on me and I would be writing down the CO'S name, where they were stationed and the time. I would then ask to speak with the ride's operating manager. If I didn't get a satisfactory resolution at that level, I would be contacting guest services, guest communications and the disabilities departments.
Not Cool....

 

[smidgy]

sue, I'm so sorry.. that sounds so scary.

 

[smidgy]

and let me add.. frantic. Once the "fluster factor" sets in, there is so much more room for error and accidents.

 

[ttintagel]

I carry a notebook on me and I would be writing down the CO'S name, where they were stationed and the time. I would then ask to speak with the ride's operating manager. If I didn't get a satisfactory resolution at that level, I would be contacting guest services, guest communications and the disabilities departments.
Not Cool....

I've always hesitated to ask for a manager, because I've assumed it would be like asking for a manager in any other large, understaffed business - waiting at least half an hour only to find out you're talking to the wrong person, and then waiting another interminable amount of time while they track down someone else who isn't answering their pages, etc. until you finally give up. Have you had success at WDW with your method?

 

[stitchlovestink]

I've always hesitated to ask for a manager, because I've assumed it would be like asking for a manager in any other large, understaffed business - waiting at least half an hour only to find out you're talking to the wrong person, and then waiting another interminable amount of time while they track down someone else who isn't answering their pages, etc. until you finally give up. Have you had success at WDW with your method?

I have... one time at Test Track at Epcot two or three years ago...
I waited about 15 minutes to speak to them. But yes, my 'issue' or 'concern' or whatever you want to call it was addressed and handled to my satisfaction.

One time while I was in the back hallway at Haunted Mansion I had a less than desirable confrontation with a lead. I never spoke to him. He started in on me for no reason...I was following the instructions I had been given by the CM I was following. He was actually being quite rude to me for no good reason. If he had issue with me, he should have taken it up with the CM who was in charge of taking me thru the hallway. Once thru the hallway, I said to him in a polite but very assertive tone, "First off, your nasty tone is really unnecessary. If you have an issue it should have been with the CM, not with me. I was doing EXACTLY as I was instructed by the CM. My daughter is a CM and I am sure that her leads and superiors would not be pleased to hear that she spoke to a GUEST that way and especially using a tone that you just used. Should I share MY experience with YOUR superiors??" You should have seen the look on his face! He was about as white as the ghosts on the ride inside!! And boy did his tone change immediately!! He asked if there was any other assistance I needed. I said the CM assisting me had been doing just fine until we were interrupted. I hope he got the message not to be so rude to guests. There was NO REASON whatsoever for him to interrupt what the other CM was doing...they were handling things just fine.

 

[Disneychick75]

In our experience, the Haunted Mansion CMs are the worst.
Sue, sorry to hear about what you went through. That's disgraceful.

 

[I Love Pluto]

This topic is stressing me out!

If the CMs refuse to stop the walkways that move, this will seriously cut out just about every attraction at WDW for me! I do not do any of the headline rides - now this will cut out most of the remaining rides that I can do. I won't be needing my season pass each year if this is the case.

This is sad! Very, very sad! My favorite place is gone!? Please tell me it isn't true!!!???

 

[stitchlovestink]

This topic is stressing me out!

If the CMs refuse to stop the walkways that move, this will seriously cut out just about every attraction at WDW for me! I do not do any of the headline rides - now this will cut out most of the remaining rides that I can do. I won't be needing my season pass each year if this is the case.

This is sad! Very, very sad! My favorite place is gone!? Please tell me it isn't true!!!???

Well they stopped the walkway on Spaceship Earth in Epcot when I was there a few weeks ago on March 12th (I believe). It was at the exit, but that is generally where they have people with disabilities load.
Can't speak for MK since I didn't head over there this trip but I am finding this hard to believe. They have done this in the past and now decide they aren't going to anymore.
Hmmm...taking away a reasonable accommodation may set themselves up for another lawsuit. ESPECIALLY after someone makes the request and is denied...then falls and hurts him/herself. Yep, in my book, Disney should most definitely be liable. If they want to remove the accommodation, it can't be willy nilly (Which saying just because we are busy, is!) They have to remove it completely, busy or not. And I would suspect that a lawsuit could make them prove why they needed to remove it. The *the disabled* have to wait their turn to ride (and sometimes they are waiting longer) so they should stop it if necessary. I suspect that the CMs who are saying this are being a bit 'bullyish' and figure every guest they can get away without stopping the walkway for makes things move faster for them and everyone else. I wonder what would happen if they had a guest who 'dug their heels in' about the walkway being stopped? Might be interesting...I have a strong suspicion they would back down and stop it. I could be wrong but I don't think so...

 

[SharonS]

My Mom passed away 10 years ago, but we actually experienced the same thing at HM back then on a few occassions. They claimed they could not stop, only slow down the walkway. Experienced the same thing at Nemo with another wheel chair bound person.

It is truly unfortunate, because my Mom ended up never riding it again because she was afraid of falling and was definitely not stable enough to get on while the walkway was moving, even with my help

 

[tigger51276]

Interesting, at Nemo they have a special clam shell that you actually wheel the wheelchair into, I had to do that with DD10 a couple years back when she ended up wheelchair bound during our vacation. I never even knew they did that, it was very cool and it did require the cm to stop the walkway.

 

[SueM in MN]

Interesting, at Nemo they have a special clam shell that you actually wheel the wheelchair into, I had to do that with DD10 a couple years back when she ended up wheelchair bound during our vacation. I never even knew they did that, it was very cool and it did require the cm to stop the walkway.

Using the wheelchair clamshell requires them to slow the moving walkway, but not necessarily stop it.
Some CMs are very quick at getting it open, loading the wheelchair and getting it closed back up again and may need the moving walkway only slowed for a short time.
It also seems to depend on exactly how far from the start of the boarding area the CM starts boarding the wheelchair. The closer to the beginning of the boarding area, the more space and time there is, so there is less need to slow it.

We rode Nemo 3 times during our recent trip and the walkway was not stopped during any of those times.