Hi all,
This is my first post here on the boards. I'm not a WDW first timer, but I'm planning my first trip as the organizer, and it will be my first time staying on property. I'm wondering what my expectations should be of the WDW bus transportation as a wheelchair user?
I know that they are accessible, but there is access in theory, and there is access in practice. My first instinct is to go for a monorail resort to minimize bus usage as much as possible, but I'm wondering if I'm worrying too much. Am I going to have to wait three busses before I will have room to get on? Will a cast member always be having to make a hole for me? A couple of the moderate resorts look interesting to me, but I'm worried that transportation will be too frustrating every day if I stay in a bus only resort.
Does anyone have experiences or thoughts?
Just a couple of things to add that you may not have noticed on previous trips.
You will be boarded first, and you will disembark last. This is universally true for all Disney BUS transportation. The monorails, and the boats seem to (on average) simply take you as you appear in line; they all use the portable ramps anyway.
When waiting for the bus ramp to flip over and come down, be sure to stay back far enough (your driver will tell you if you need to move) and watch for the raised lip on either side of the ramp; don't try to come at the ramp from the bottom at an angle, and don't try to come down the ramp and then veer off before all four wheels are on the ground.
The boats from GF and Poly to MK cannot accommodate a wheelchair unless you can step down into the boat, and fold the chair for transport. (They are the smaller boats) The same goes for the smaller boats that are over at Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness - however, the bigger boats are no problem, and you can easily board those. The WL/FW boats tend to alternate - so if a smaller boat is at the dock now, wait about 20 minutes and a larger boat that can accommodate you will appear!
The boats at Disney Springs, as well as to/from the Port Orleans resorts and Old Key West, are all fine - portable ramps, and typically lots of space for wheelchair users.
The boats that run to/from Epcot - Hollywood Studios (and the Resorts in between) are all fine as well.
When waiting at the Resort bus stop, if a bus comes along that is NOT your destination, be sure to let the driver know you don't want to get on, especially if you are the only wheeled mobility device there. They will often automatically close the doors and "kneel" the bus after everyone has gotten off, unless you indicate by shaking your head (or having a member of your party go to the door) that you are not taking his/her bus.
Similarly, I always wave and smile at the driver of the bus I want to take, so that they know I am waiting for them.
On average, if you have to wait for another bus (because the first bus that arrived had no available tie downs) then plan on between 20 and 30 minutes. Having said that, I have seen on rare occasions the next bus show up within 10 minutes or so; on our trip last month, one of our drivers was in a "pool" of drivers that were being dispatched to locations as needed, and not on a fixed route of any kind, so...
The learning curve for Disney transportation with any kind of mobility device is actually pretty short - let your bus drivers know that this is your first time using a wheelchair on the bus at WDW, and they will be helpful!
Have a great trip!