What are the Current bus scooter loading ‘rules’?

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The buses have a fixed limit on how many ECV’s they can fit…….. so that kind of defeats your argument

That's actually the point, they only have so many room for the actual ECV user, but there is no limit to who comes with the ECV user that Disney has as a policy. The conversation at that point was about waits for ECV users and waits for others.

It builds frustration on both sides when the ECV user must wait several buses because there's no room on the bus (either due to existing ECV users or those already on the bus) and when others are waiting but unable to make it on the bus because of the size of the traveling party with the ECV user. That frustration becomes resentment over time on both sides. Hence why I spoke about my experience with airport security where 7 of us walked through simply because we were with a wheelchair user. The effect, due to the minors with us, being 3 additional people where it wasn't a necessity for us to go through. We were just one traveling party. Extrapolate that out to WDW and it does not take many of those instances where that frustration and eventual resentment builds on the one side.

 

[lowlight]

It’s not instant at all. If there are numerous ECV’s/wheels chairs in line than you are waiting for numerous buses

I'll be honest, I don't think you are intending to have an honest debate, so I'll reply this once and you can have a good day. If you come up to a line that is 4 rows deep and you are the only ECV user, you get to the front of the line and skip the entire waiting process. I have no idea if that is how it's supposed to work, but that's how it does work. If you come up to a line that is 4 rows deep and there are 2 ECV users ahead of you, yes, you have to wait, but likely still make it out ahead. If the regular line is short, but ECV line is deep, then yes, you lose out. I've literally never seen that scenario, but don't discount that it may/has happened to you.

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

That's actually the point, they only have so many room for the actual ECV user, but there is no limit to who comes with the ECV user that Disney has as a policy. The conversation at that point was about waits for ECV users and waits for others.

It builds frustration on both sides when the ECV user must wait several buses because there's no room on the bus (either due to existing ECV users or those already on the bus) and when others are waiting but unable to make it on the bus because of the size of the traveling party with the ECV user. That frustration becomes resentment over time on both sides. Hence why I spoke about my experience with airport security where 7 of us walked through simply because we were with a wheelchair user. The effect, due to the minors with us, being 3 additional people where it wasn't a necessity for us to go through. We were just one traveling party. Extrapolate that out to WDW and it does not take many of those instances where that frustration and eventual resentment builds on the one side.

keeping families and parties together is a very important goal

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

I'll be honest, I don't think you are intending to have an honest debate, so I'll reply this once and you can have a good day. If you come up to a line that is 4 rows deep and you are the only ECV user, you get to the front of the line and skip the entire waiting process. I have no idea if that is how it's supposed to work, but that's how it does work. If you come up to a line that is 4 rows deep and there are 2 ECV users ahead of you, yes, you have to wait, but likely still make it out ahead. If the regular line is short, but ECV line is deep, then yes, you lose out. I've literally never seen that scenario, but don't discount that it may/has happened to you.

I am intending to have an honest debate. ECV’s and wheelchairs are treated the same. If a line is 4 rows deep maybe you should stop and think Disney should have allocated buses a bit better than automatically blaming the ECV. What do you suggest the ECV wait until all the four rows clear before they get on and then during that time frame a few more ECV’s join the line but again none can ride because they all in line. Then finally the four rows clear and now you have 5 plus ECV’s in line who require three buses at least extra and barely any line. That’s the issue, oh and now you have families separated from each other and have to play some phone tag. The current system is to prevent that situation.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

keeping families and parties together is a very important goal

If you actually read my prior comment that you quoted initially you would have seen that nugget in there "the flipside to that is you don't really want to separate parties". The nature of a theme park and especially WDW just presents situations that can become frustration points over time.

 

[elvispursley]

I understand the frustration of having an ecv and a large party bypass the quee. I do agree yhere should be some reasonable limit. I think a lot of us scooter users want clear rules. Were not trying “get one over”. And making statemnts that we need to go elsehwere is just rude and ableist (and entitled).

 

[LoveToDisney]

I have been left waiting for a bus many times after EVERYONE in line has boarded a bus. With just a ECV waiting in line, a second bus can sometimes be quite slow to appear. I don’t complain and patiently wait for the next bus.
I spent years walking, years using a rollator and now must use an ECV. I see all the sides to this issue. It’s an inconvenience for those in regular line for sure. I wish I could personally thank everyone who has been nice to me and thanked me for parking so quickly on the bus. When I travel with a group, we send all but my husband thru the regular line and meet up via phone once we arrive. Now that everyone has a phone, it’s not as necessary to all be on the same bus. When possible we also try to use the buses during less busy times. At the end of the night when its busy, sending ECVs thru the regular line seems to be the most fair but always requires the ECV user to miss the bus they could have ridden on if they could walk. That’s part of the trade off we have when using an ECV. I’m nonetheless very glad Disney has transportation I can use.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

We have been going since 2001; once or twice a year. As they would say in Pirates, the "rules/code" are more like guidelines. It seems 25% of the bus drivers kinda do what they want.

We have gone before where the ECVs are loaded and only 5 additional guests with them and we have gone where ECVs are loaded and their entourage boards with them. In the case of the latter, it is when we stayed All Stars or Pop and it was large groups of people traveling together.

As the years have gone on, the number of ECVs and disability wheelchair strollers (sorry, I do not know what the technical word for it is) have grown as have attitudes and entitlement. I think these bus drivers are just trying to avoid confrontation and balance that with compassion.

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

I understand the frustration of having an ecv and a large party bypass the quee. I do agree yhere should be some reasonable limit. I think a lot of us scooter users want clear rules. Were not trying “get one over”. And making statemnts that we need to go elsehwere is just rude and ableist (and entitled).

Also, one thing people also gloss over is when buses have multiple stops the bus can be empty except for two mobility devices and that person waiting with a mobility device can’t get on but everyone else can.

The mobility device user on the flip side can show up to a bus that has room but two other mobility devices already in it and they now have to wait for another bus.

People just don’t see this issue because they aren’t paying attention to it.

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

I have been left waiting for a bus many times after EVERYONE in line has boarded a bus. With just a ECV waiting in line, a second bus can sometimes be quite slow to appear. I don’t complain and patiently wait for the next bus.
I spent years walking, years using a rollator and now must use an ECV. I see all the sides to this issue. It’s an inconvenience for those in regular line for sure. I wish I could personally thank everyone who has been nice to me and thanked me for parking so quickly on the bus. When I travel with a group, we send all but my husband thru the regular line and meet up via phone once we arrive. Now that everyone has a phone, it’s not as necessary to all be on the same bus. When possible we also try to use the buses during less busy times. At the end of the night when its busy, sending ECVs thru the regular line seems to be the most fair but always requires the ECV user to miss the bus they could have ridden on if they could walk. That’s part of the trade off we have when using an ECV. I’m nonetheless very glad Disney has transportation I can use.

That also contributes to this very issue where the rules are not always the same and further adds to confusion.

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

We have been going since 2001; once or twice a year. As they would say in Pirates, the "rules/code" are more like guidelines. It seems 25% of the bus drivers kinda do what they want.

We have gone before where the ECVs are loaded and only 5 additional guests with them and we have gone where ECVs are loaded and their entourage boards with them. In the case of the latter, it is when we stayed All Stars or Pop and it was large groups of people traveling together.

As the years have gone on, the number of ECVs and disability wheelchair strollers (sorry, I do not know what the technical word for it is) have grown as have attitudes and entitlement. I think these bus drivers are just trying to avoid confrontation and balance that with compassion.

mobility devices works but the attempt at phrasing it correctly works since they do come in many different ways and strollers can be used as wheelchairs.

It’s tough to draw a line and every policy or change I can think of has their own pitfalls

 

[xdan0920]

You are unhinged. Hope you never have a family member with a disability

I did. They’ve since passed away. Thank you for bringing it up.

 

[pwdebbie]

Someone should have offered you their seat also

True. But I'd rather they volunteer because honestly, some of the folks on that bus may have looked healthy but I don't know what they may be going through. My husband looked very healthy but was actually very ill. He could not stand on the bus because he had balance issues. And we had to endure people making comments about how he should give up his seat. He was much kinder than I would have been.

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

I did. They’ve since passed away. Thank you for bringing it up.

You are welcome

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

True. But I'd rather they volunteer because honestly, some of the folks on that bus may have looked healthy but I don't know what they may be going through. My husband looked very healthy but was actually very ill. He could not stand on the bus because he had balance issues. And we had to endure people making comments about how he should give up his seat. He was much kinder than I would have been.

Yea I phrased it in someone should have offered you their seat not you should have asked. I always offer my seat to young kids, people over 60ish, pregnant women, anyone who looks like they may need it, or anyone who asks (but that’s never happened as I always offer my seat before it comes to that).

I couldn’t imagine the comments though, standing on a bus isn’t the easiest thing nor a skill most people are accustomed too.

 

[xdan0920]

You are welcome

You’re definitely the good person you think you are.

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

You’re definitely the good person you think you are.

Thanks, but I never said I was.

 

[maxiesmom]

Also I’m sure this gets deleted. Fat is not a disability

Maybe you need to consider that the disability came first.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

True. But I'd rather they volunteer because honestly, some of the folks on that bus may have looked healthy but I don't know what they may be going through. My husband looked very healthy but was actually very ill. He could not stand on the bus because he had balance issues. And we had to endure people making comments about how he should give up his seat. He was much kinder than I would have been.

It reminds me of how on the cruise pages I'm on for the cruise line we sail a person went on a crusade to get several front rows of coach buses used for certain excursions reserved for those with reduced mobility but she didn't go about it in right way.

First she assumed all of the people are aged 75+ basically who would have mobility issues and harshly judged anyone "younger" who dared to sit there just assuming they couldn't possibly have mobility issues and went on a rant about how people don't do manners these days. Second when people attempted to explain other reasons why someone would sit up front namely motion sickness she prompted ignored that, lambasted anyone who said that and in not so many words called it essentially a fake issue. People still pushed back against her though which I'm glad.

In the end it was a relatively short-lived thing for this reserving of the front rows and reports I've seen are only sporadic. I think the cruise line temporarily indulged her. Indeed for me I get motion sick on cars but not on a cruise (in general) so a comment of "well don't cruise" is silly. Anyways on our March/April cruise there was one excursion that did have a reserved several first few rows and no one sat in them......except for me and another passenger who had motion sickness both of us using sea bands though the other passenger visibly was worse off than me. We waited until the bus fully loaded which in reality we really shouldn't have to do. And a passenger who had obvious mobility issues never wanted to sit up there. He was able to do more than I could in terms of what walking we could do even though he had two arm canes. And he was on multiple of our excursions in a variety of environments. I think the cobblestones in Ronda, Spain especially gave us other passengers, the tour guide and the cruise line rep much more cautious pause but he was emphatically telling everyone he was good and I think got annoyed (politely so though) with people after a time asking if he was good to go.

It's a fine line to walk when you look at someone and assume something about them.

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

It reminds me of how on the cruise pages I'm on for the cruise line we sail a person went on a crusade to get several front rows of coach buses used for certain excursions reserved for those with reduced mobility but she didn't go about it in right way.

First she assumed all of the people are aged 75+ basically who would have mobility issues and harshly judged anyone "younger" who dared to sit there just assuming they couldn't possibly have mobility issues and went on a rant about how people don't do manners these days. Second when people attempted to explain other reasons why someone would sit up front namely motion sickness she prompted ignored that, lambasted anyone who said that and in not so many words called it essentially a fake issue. People still pushed back against her though which I'm glad.

In the end it was a relatively short-lived thing for this reserving of the front rows and reports I've seen are only sporadic. I think the cruise line temporarily indulged her. Indeed for me I get motion sick on cars but not on a cruise (in general) so a comment of "well don't cruise" is silly. Anyways on our March/April cruise there was one excursion that did have a reserved several first few rows and no one sat in them......except for me and another passenger who had motion sickness both of us using sea bands though the other passenger visibly was worse off than me. We waited until the bus fully loaded which in reality we really shouldn't have to do. And a passenger who had obvious mobility issues never wanted to sit up there. He was able to do more than I could in terms of what walking we could do even though he had two arm canes. And he was on multiple of our excursions in a variety of environments. I think the cobblestones in Ronda, Spain especially gave us other passengers, the tour guide and the cruise line rep much more cautious pause but he was emphatically telling everyone he was good and I think got annoyed (politely so though) with people after a time asking if he was good to go.

It's a fine line to walk when you look at someone and assume something about them.

So yea that lady really went about it the wrong way. Coach buses don’t even allow ECV’s on them, I think wheelchairs and certain other mobility devices can be stored below though.

I’m skeptical of her actual intentions because I don’t believe on airplanes people with mobility devices get automatic first seats, plus they have to get up the steps which could be difficult and steep.