WDW vs DL blind, ECV and chemo

[gilesmt]

I went to wdw in March and wrote a quick review. I now have been to DL in aug and thought it might help someone to compare a few points between the parks, or accommodations.

In march I knew about my cancer but was not treated. In aug I was half way through my chemo treatment and had three surgeries in June. I had a chemo treatment on Wednesday and drove across washington state that afternoon, on Friday we headed out to California from Washington state, drove 12 hours first day, spent night and then 9 hours the next day, picked up park tickets and had a good night sleep off site then moved on site at 7:30 am.

First comparison, accommodations. DL hands down understood and was much more accommodating. I had called both 4 days before hand, followed up with an email. WDW still had no clue what a barrier free room for the blind was and did not accommodate. DL, GCH, I called they asked two questions, can I handle three turns in direction to my room, and did I want to be next to elevator or further down. I got there room was in 300 section, between two elevators, one to DCA the other to DtD which lead to DL or DCA. The room was perfect. Exactly barrier free for me, the gave a micro like I asked, and never had any problems.

DAS card, hands down DL again, but these could be glitches that have been ironed out over the months. At WDW when used, even thou it stated I did not have to be present they refused many time to give a return time unless I was there myself. At WDW you had to walk to each attraction to get the card signed. At DL they had guest service stations or kiosk and they could sign it for any attraction I. Either park, so much more convient.

Sorry service dog did not go on either trip, I just could not find enough information to take her to WDW, and although she has been several times to DL, due to chemo and the ecv , and three surgeries effecting my arm we just decided this was not the trip to bring her.

We went on every ride in WDW in DL I never found a day I thought ToT and I would work, so I skipped that one ride.

Hope this helps someone, any questions ask.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Having a 9 year old drive you on an ECV is not an option under any circumstances. This was completely irresponsible; thank goodness your granddaughter did not injure anyone.

 

[lanejudy]

Having a 9 year old drive you on an ECV is not an option under any circumstances. This was completely irresponsible; thank goodness your granddaughter did not injure anyone.

Agree! Disney's rules do not allow for riders of any age, regardless of whether the ECV is personally-owned, a park rental or an off-site rental. They would be well within their rights to stop such a situation for safety reasons. A 9-yr-old who does not normally "drive" an ECV or powerchair really is not likely to be mature enough or responsible enough to drive one in a crowded park environment.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Agree! Disney's rules do not allow for riders of any age, regardless of whether the ECV is personally-owned, a park rental or an off-site rental. They would be well within their rights to stop such a situation for safety reasons. A 9-yr-old who does not normally "drive" an ECV or powerchair really is not likely to be mature enough or responsible enough to drive one in a crowded park environment.

Enjoy your vacation!

I am surprised that no one questioned this. It was also irresponsible for Disney to let this family into the park.

 

[gilesmt]

I am surprised that no one questioned this. It was also irresponsible for Disney to let this family into the park.

They not only let us in, they let us open the park, and as I said, I would not promote this so I think it irresponsible for comments of opinions against it. Obviously Disney had no problem with it. And I disagree that children can not operate ecv, I know for a fact that children as young as 5 do it all the time, because I work with many who do. And I never said my granddaughter had no experience, I did not have personal experience, but she did have experience riding one since she was old enough to walk.

 

[aaarcher86]

They not only let us in, they let us open the park, and as I said, I would not promote this so I think it irresponsible for comments of opinions against it. Obviously Disney had no problem with it. And I disagree that children can not operate ecv, I know for a fact that children as young as 5 do it all the time, because I work with many who do. And I never said my granddaughter had no experience, I did not have personal experience, but she did have experience riding one since she was old enough to walk.

By engaging in the behavior, you're promoting it.

Regardless of anyone's feelings towards it, it's against Disney's policy. The fact that no one stopped you or said anything reflects poorly on the CMs.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

 

[disney world dreamer]

i'm visually impaired and i've found quite the opposite experience between WDW and DL.

i don't use the DAS cuz my main problem is walking through the lines and either way you're gonna have to do that.

at WDW everyone is always very helpful to me.
for example at beauty and the beast live on stage i just walk down the ramp and explain that i'm visually impaired and i'm always front row center so i can see whats going on.

and even though there are a number of lines that are dark and i need to hold onto someone in my party at least they don't have that many obstacles to get around.

at DL i wanted to get close but not in the soak zone for world of color so i explained my situation to a CM who directed me to another CM who direct me to yet another CM.
that CM TRIED to help but came back with a manager that told me "miss the water screen is as big as a football field so you will have no trouble seeing". what he failed to understand was while the water screen was that big the pics displayed on it were not.
we ended up in the very back cuz we wasted so much time trying to get help.
luckily i had another day at cali adventure so we did not ask for help and i got a much better view while still not being in the wet zone.

also at DL nearly every ride seemed to have completely unnecessary staircases which often poses a problem for me being visually impaired.

 

[gilesmt]

i'm visually impaired and i've found quite the opposite experience between WDW and DL.

i don't use the DAS cuz my main problem is walking through the lines and either way you're gonna have to do that.

at WDW everyone is always very helpful to me.
for example at beauty and the beast live on stage i just walk down the ramp and explain that i'm visually impaired and i'm always front row center so i can see whats going on.

and even though there are a number of lines that are dark and i need to hold onto someone in my party at least they don't have that many obstacles to

at DL i wanted to get close but not in the soak zone for world of color so i explained my situation to a CM who directed me to another CM who direct me to yet another CM.
that CM TRIED to help but came back with a manager that told me "miss the water screen is as big as a football field so you will have no trouble seeing". what he failed to understand was while the water screen was that big the pics displayed on it were not.
we ended up in the very back cuz we wasted so much time trying to get help.
luckily i had another day at cali adventure so we did not ask for help and i got a much better view while still not being in the wet zone.

also at DL nearly every ride seemed to have completely unnecessary staircases which often poses a problem for me being visually impaired.

It is funny how that works,I believe for my experience now DL is better equipped for visual impaired. But I have had good and bad at both, DL fantasmic has always helped me get front and center, wdw fantasmic has always put me back row. But I will agree beauty and the beast was front and center at wdw, but alladin refused several times to give me front row stating the service dog could not be in the front. Indy ay wdw refuses me front row most of the time, but DL world of color has always been best of seats, but I always use the visual capture from guest services that give you special tickets to the show to be where it will work best. I have heard many explain a lot that there experience is different even in same park on same attraction. But I was talking more on experience with DAS card, and accommodations, between these two trips at this time, DL accommodated better, and has a much better working DAS card system.

I would have said as a ecv, wdw was always hands down, with so much less abuse, but I was shocked by how many less w/c users where at DL this time. I remember for years standing in line with w/c because I had a GAC card, the lines would take me hours to get through, but they said the dog had to go in the exit. This time there was no lines of w/c ever, not even just one in front of me, and the second week or third week of aug is still busy, the crowd level many days was an 8, but no w/c abuse, which helped me a lot.

 

[gilesmt]

By engaging in the behavior, you're promoting it.

Regardless of anyone's feelings towards it, it's against Disney's policy. The fact that no one stopped you or said anything reflects poorly on the CMs.

This board promotes discrimination and people on it promote opinion without fact. Fact call Disney, they have not discriminating policy anywhere that states a child of any age can not bring and ride there own ecv. I have called both wdw and DL, parks and hotels. It is this board that once again. Without facts wants to inject there opinion.

I proved the fact about barrier free rooms, service dogs and access for blind. I was injected and hatred towards me was promoted by people on this board for them, here we are again, this board is promoting and taking off people's writings because they have an opinion that is not true.

The policy you are reading is your opinion of it without reading it correctly like any 4th grader should be able to do.

The policy you are referring to states on the top ECV RENTALS
Fact to rent an ecv at wdw or DL you must be 18 yo. Fact it states that in this policy as you call it. Fact it reads, to operate, you must have a drivers license and be 18, to RENT. That is because low and behold we live in U.S. and a rental is a legal contract, which also anyone in U.S. Knows you can not enter into a legal contract unless you are 18.if you can read this is a contract.

So I am promoting my right to ADA, I am promoting my right to have a child enter DL in an ecv. I am promoting nothing wrong.

Sue this board has really become an injection of opinions with no fact base to support the opinion. I have opinions about autism, peanut allergies and such, I do not inject my opinion without fact to those parents or people. I have asked question, received inaccurate and opinionated responses, stating not just this time but in the past that I am many things, like promoting things against Disney policy. You have a whole blog that we are suppose to treat each other with respect, hard to do when your own monitors do not know fact and inject there opinion. Please sue, call Disney and stop the lies that this board and the opinions that they know disney policy, because it is complete disrespect, and it is discrimination, telling hundreds of parents lies that there child can not use an ecv in Disney. Disney policy only states they can not rent an operate a rented ecv in the park due to contract issues of renting to under age guest, and also insurance policies. But as ADA allows, guest of any age are allowed to bring there own ecv to Disney and ride and operate it anywhere they want. This is why 500 Disney CM allowed us to do so, this is why CM allowed us to open the park with 1000s looking on as spectators, Disney does not discriminate, but the opinion of even a monitor on this board does by giving false information out going against ADA law and disneys policy, which in my opinion promotes hatred which I thought was not allowed on this board.

 

[disney david]

This board promotes discrimination and people on it promote opinion without fact. Fact call Disney, they have not discriminating policy anywhere that states a child of any age can not bring and ride there own ecv. I have called both wdw and DL, parks and hotels. It is this board that once again. Without facts wants to inject there opinion.

I proved the fact about barrier free rooms, service dogs and access for blind. I was injected and hatred towards me was promoted by people on this board for them, here we are again, this board is promoting and taking off people's writings because they have an opinion that is not true.

The policy you are reading is your opinion of it without reading it correctly like any 4th grader should be able to do.

The policy you are referring to states on the top ECV RENTALS
Fact to rent an ecv at wdw or DL you must be 18 yo. Fact it states that in this policy as you call it. Fact it reads, to operate, you must have a drivers license and be 18, to RENT. That is because low and behold we live in U.S. and a rental is a legal contract, which also anyone in U.S. Knows you can not enter into a legal contract unless you are 18.if you can read this is a contract.

So I am promoting my right to ADA, I am promoting my right to have a child enter DL in an ecv. I am promoting nothing wrong.

Sue this board has really become an injection of opinions with no fact base to support the opinion. I have opinions about autism, peanut allergies and such, I do not inject my opinion without fact to those parents or people. I have asked question, received inaccurate and opinionated responses, stating not just this time but in the past that I am many things, like promoting things against Disney policy. You have a whole blog that we are suppose to treat each other with respect, hard to do when your own monitors do not know fact and inject there opinion. Please sue, call Disney and stop the lies that this board and the opinions that they know disney policy, because it is complete disrespect, and it is discrimination, telling hundreds of parents lies that there child can not use an ecv in Disney. Disney policy only states they can not rent an operate a rented ecv in the park due to contract issues of renting to under age guest, and also insurance policies. But as ADA allows, guest of any age are allowed to bring there own ecv to Disney and ride and operate it anywhere they want. This is why 500 Disney CM allowed us to do so, this is why CM allowed us to open the park with 1000s looking on as spectators, Disney does not discriminate, but the opinion of even a monitor on this board does by giving false information out going against ADA law and disneys policy, which in my opinion promotes hatred which I thought was not allowed on this board.

If Disney didn't allow you to open the park they would be discriminating against you so glad they allowed you to open it. I going to say something but please don't think I about discriminating against you or being hatefully or anything like that. While I am glad it worked out for you I really am anything that could help you have a great trip I am for. And I am sorry you had trouble at wdw with the resort and hope they have fixed it and that your next visit gose better. But here my point why did you mention that part about the ecv you had to know it would make some people upset. While it isn't safe to do it was what was best for you and I believe that the cms was afraid to say something as they didn't want to come off as they was discriminating against you for telling you couldn't do that. I am also sorry you finding these boards hatefully they can get heated and out of hand sometimes but even one entitled to their opinion and it is fact that kids shouldn't be driving an ecv. Now I don't now if they can stop a guest in their personnel ecv I know it their rental they can.

So please don't take my post as hatefully or as anything bad it not I not trying to jump on you bash you or anything.

 

[ttintagel]

I've been to both Dl and WDW, and my experience has been that DL is far more accommodating and understanding of visual impairment. Of course, there's always the possibility that I just lucked out on CM's when I was at DL. But I suspect it may have more to do with the size and intimacy of the respective parks. WDW CM's deal with so many people a day that I imagine it becomes more tempting to try to process them like slabs of meat on a conveyor belt rather than individuals with distinct needs.

I wonder what the ratios of seasonal to regular employees are at both resorts, and what the respective turnover rates are? If there are more non-permanent workers moving in and out of WDW at a higher rate, that could help explain it.

 

[aaarcher86]

This board promotes discrimination and people on it promote opinion without fact. Fact call Disney, they have not discriminating policy anywhere that states a child of any age can not bring and ride there own ecv. I have called both wdw and DL, parks and hotels. It is this board that once again. Without facts wants to inject there opinion. I proved the fact about barrier free rooms, service dogs and access for blind. I was injected and hatred towards me was promoted by people on this board for them, here we are again, this board is promoting and taking off people's writings because they have an opinion that is not true. The policy you are reading is your opinion of it without reading it correctly like any 4th grader should be able to do. The policy you are referring to states on the top ECV RENTALS Fact to rent an ecv at wdw or DL you must be 18 yo. Fact it states that in this policy as you call it. Fact it reads, to operate, you must have a drivers license and be 18, to RENT. That is because low and behold we live in U.S. and a rental is a legal contract, which also anyone in U.S. Knows you can not enter into a legal contract unless you are 18.if you can read this is a contract. So I am promoting my right to ADA, I am promoting my right to have a child enter DL in an ecv. I am promoting nothing wrong. Sue this board has really become an injection of opinions with no fact base to support the opinion. I have opinions about autism, peanut allergies and such, I do not inject my opinion without fact to those parents or people. I have asked question, received inaccurate and opinionated responses, stating not just this time but in the past that I am many things, like promoting things against Disney policy. You have a whole blog that we are suppose to treat each other with respect, hard to do when your own monitors do not know fact and inject there opinion. Please sue, call Disney and stop the lies that this board and the opinions that they know disney policy, because it is complete disrespect, and it is discrimination, telling hundreds of parents lies that there child can not use an ecv in Disney. Disney policy only states they can not rent an operate a rented ecv in the park due to contract issues of renting to under age guest, and also insurance policies. But as ADA allows, guest of any age are allowed to bring there own ecv to Disney and ride and operate it anywhere they want. This is why 500 Disney CM allowed us to do so, this is why CM allowed us to open the park with 1000s looking on as spectators, Disney does not discriminate, but the opinion of even a monitor on this board does by giving false information out going against ADA law and disneys policy, which in my opinion promotes hatred which I thought was not allowed on this board.

Your post was edited. As such, there is zero indication of you bringing an ECV or renting one. Not to be rude, but unless you're 9 year old is at your disposal everyday, as a blind person, I wouldn't have guess you would own your own EVC for personal use. Or are you implying that, because an adult rented the EVC it wasn't going against policy? Fourth grade logic = if you can't see, you can't drive. However, that not the policy I was referring to.

Regardless, you can't claim ADA rights (seriously?) in defense of having a 9 year old drive an EVC. The EVC aids you, not the 9 year old. If you're blind and unable to operate the EVC, the alternative is to find a separate accommodation, not hire a driver to sit on your lap. A person is not considered a tool. And while I don't have the EVC rules memorized, yes, I believe there is a rule about multiple riders on an EVC, regardless of rental or not because they are meant for single persons.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plain-text/mobility-disabilities/

Of course a child can bring their own motorized equipment, and you being obtuse and twisting that to fit your agenda is incredulous.

Acting as if the mods promote discrimination is asinine. If you believe this board is so full of bias, why subject yourself to it?

 

[Jedana]

This board promotes discrimination and people on it promote opinion without fact. . It is this board that once again. Without facts wants to inject there opinion.

U] I was injected and hatred towards me was promoted by people on this board for them, here we are again, this board is promoting and taking off people's writings because they have an opinion that is not true. [/U]

The policy you are reading is your opinion of it without reading it correctly like any 4th grader should be able to do.


Fact to rent an ecv at wdw or DL you must be 18 yo. Fact it states that in this policy as you call it. Fact it reads, to operate, you must have a drivers license and be 18, to RENT. That is because low and behold we live in U.S. and a rental is a legal contract, which also anyone in U.S. Knows you can not enter into a legal contract unless you are 18.if you can read this is a contract.

.

I haven't rented an ECV, but my question is about the part I bolded above. You posted that to operate it, you need a drivers License. That would mean that you couldn't have a 9 year old operate it, with you on it or not---am I reading that correctly? Is that only for the rental places? So a person under the age of 16 could bring an ECV and use it, but they couldn't get one from Disney?

Anyways, No one here discriminated against you. They posted their opinions or what they believed the facts are. They didn't stop you from posting, stop you from accessing the boards, or make it impossible for you to do so. Don't be so dramatic.

The underlined parts above are you being dramatic.
The italicized part is you being snarky.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

They not only let us in, they let us open the park, and as I said, I would not promote this so I think it irresponsible for comments of opinions against it. Obviously Disney had no problem with it. And I disagree that children can not operate ecv, I know for a fact that children as young as 5 do it all the time, because I work with many who do. And I never said my granddaughter had no experience, I did not have personal experience, but she did have experience riding one since she was old enough to walk.

It's irresponsible for me to comment on the fact that you participated in a dangerous and irresponsible activity against park rules and then admitted it on a public forum? I don't think so!

 

[WheeledTraveler]

Disney cannot legally block people under 18 or, who don't have a car driver's license, from using personal ECVs. To do so would be a violation of the ADA.

They can, and do, refuse to rent to anyone under 18. The same with outside vendors. Those can choose (and do) to have a minimum age for a renter (usually 18). AFAIK, both all have clauses in their contracts banning the renter from allowing people under 18 from using or riding on their ECVs.

I'd have concerns about most 9 year olds using adult-sized ECVs, but if it's not rented from them, Disney can't do anything about it (technically all they can do with outside vendors is ask the person to stop and report to the vender if there's a way to ID the renter). If it was an ECV that was their child-sized, I don't see an issue and those can't be rented anyway.

I have no comment on ECVs in the specific situation in the original post since I didn't see the part that was objectionable. More generally, if the ECV was owned by the poster/person using it, there is nothing WDW could do. I actually also know people who are blind and safely use ECVs or power wheelchairs so don't necessarily see an issue with that alone.


On the bits of the post I can see, I think much of the differences between WDW and DL are clearly based on size and age. The hotels at DL are much smaller than WDW's resorts so it's easier at DL to picture/map out what rooms are "barrier free for the blind". That's extra true because there are so many extra choices at WDW resorts and different blind people may want different locations or choices. From my understanding, as well, there's only really one major entrance to the DL hotels so there is really a single starting point for them to consider. At a WDW resort where do you make the starting point when it comes to ease of access? Some blind people may want ease to get to a room from a parking lot (but aren't picky about building location), others from dining options, others from the front desk. It does sound (from this and other threads) like the OP has had extra problems at WDW and not all can be explained by the size of the parks/resorts. Some is clearly communication issues (probably on all sides), I suspect some is from ignorance (not malice), and some may just come from set-ups that will never work well for the OP at WDW.

 

[lanejudy]

ANYBODY regardless of age or need, may bring their own equipment into Disney parks. There is no rule against that. Mobility equipment utilized by a child on a regular basis is sized specifically for that person and the person is trained on the use. Most of the rental vendors, including Disney, only stock adult-sized equipment. There are age limits for renting from Disney, as well as most off-site vendors. There are also rules about additional riders on an ECV.

I am closing this thread, as while the initial post about vision disabilities and OP's experiences in both parks may be informative to others, the thread has gotten stuck arguing the under-age ECV driver issue.