What's the deal with all of the scooters?

[BSchaal57]

I am one of those unfortunate people who must use a scooter. Too look at me, you would think there is nothing wrong. Yes,I do have a bad bad heart,Kidneys and other medical issues. If I didn't use a scooter, I would not be able to enjoy Disney as I have a lot of discomfort and really tire quickly. How wonderful it would be to NOT have to use one of those scooters. I have been to Disney 9 times and this is the first time I needed a scooter. When my travel agent suggested renting a scooter, I told her that I hated to do that because it holds other people up at the bus and I have seen other people give bad looks because they had to wait and it was taking so much time away from their fun. She then said, "Barb, you and your family may be the first ones one, but the last ones off!" I then felt so much better. Please be patient and understanding, cause someday it may be you that needs that stroller or scooter!

 

[aubriee]

My elderly mom uses an ECV when we go down there. At home she uses a cane, but anytime we go into a store she has to use an ECV. She has used those big four wheeled ones the stores has enough, that the smaller three wheeled ones she rents from offsite are a cakewalk to use and the only problem she has down there are the idiots that walk into her or cut her off. The only time she's 'injured' anyone is when they walk into her, which you'd be surprised how often happens. If a big group is walking toward her and she sees they're not looking where they are going, she just comes to a complete stop, so they can walk around her. Invariably one of them will still walk head on into her and then give her a dirty look or comment. For that matter, more than once she has been parked perfectly still, looking at something (or waiting for me to come out the restroom), when someone has walked right into the side of her and fell into her (not in front of her, but into the side of the parked ECV). Every single time they are embarrassed, but instead of taking the blame for not looking where they are going and aplogizing, they blame her. Kids are the worst, they never look where they are going and frequently cut her off with the parents giving her a bad look for narrowly missing their kid. For that matter, this past May we were trying to get out of DS and was walking slowly out behind another family with two small boys about 4 y/o and 8 y/o. The older one happened to look behind him and saw us. For some strange reason he then decided to pay chicken with my mom and started walking backwards and kept crossing back and forth and darting toward her daring her to hit him, making her stop repeatedly. The parents just kept walking having no idea what the kid was doing. I finally raised my voice and told the kid to cut it out, before he got hit as ECV's don't stop on a dime. The dad finally turned around, but instead of disciplining his kid, he yelled at my mom that she better not hit his kid. One Dec we went to the Osborn lights and just as they started the music to the lights synchronization, like most people we just stopped to enjoy them. My mom was sitting perfectly still, when some man in front of us started backing up, trying to get the perfect picture. My mom saw him, raised her hand, and called out to him that she was back there. He just kept backing up (without even glancing back to see if anyone was behind him) as my mom more frantically continued to call out to him that she was back there, until he fell into the basket in front of the scooter. He jumped up and started screaming at her for running into him. My mom is very mild mannered, but she'd had enough of being blamed when people ran into her, so told him in no uncertain terms that she had been sitting perfectly still and had even called out to him that she was back there. He just wasn't watching, as he back up. He yelled that it was still her fault, she should have moved if she saw him coming, and ECVs should be banned from the parks. She again reminded him that she was sitting perfectly still when he fell into her and that it could have just as easily been a child he tripped and fell over. His response was then, "well the kid should have gotten out of my way then".

Due to comments we've heard while waiting to load on the buses (and having to wait for 2-3 buses before we've been able to load--thanks to full buses, buses arrving that already have ECV's on them, the ECVs already ahead of us when we arrive at the bus stop, and rude bus drivers who don't want to mess with loading ECVs so simply say their lifts are broken) we no longer even use the WDW buses. We just rent a car and have for well over a year now. It's much easier and faster than dealing with the buses and people like the OP.

 

[Magpie]

Wow.. Just wow ... Fan of "The Zorro " aren't you ? Feeling your love my friend ..feeling your love... Not ..

As far as I know it's not against the law speak another language among ourselves .. Isn't ? Ex: We are Puerto Ricans and speak Spanish to each other.. Our family fallow the rules in the parks and we do speak English as well.. Know other intl tourists who might not behaved but IMHO it's not our case..

Geez...

Um...

For the love of the Lord! It has already been noted that...wait for it...he was making a joke about how people are stereotyped as fakers when they are on scooters...most everybody got it. He was not being serious about other nationalities.

and check grammar...

(sigh)

Thank you!!! I was starting to think I was the only person in this entire thread who understood that DPCummerbund was joking! You'd think the "faking their skin colour" bit would have given it away.

I am beyond upset that I get a nasty comment back about my young, innocent laying beneath a scooter. She could have broken his leg, cracked ribs, or worse. She backed up ontop of him, we were not in her way, as we were behind her. It's been a week, and he has large bruises on his legs. Disney medics check him out and it was reported. The old people just left and barely said anything.

Disney is for kids, and I shouldn't have to worry about getting hurt and run over.

I'm really glad my trip planning is done and I don't have to look at the drama and bad attitudes. Thought Disney people were supposed to be nice.

You are a really nasty, uncaring person. I'd like to say that I hope you get to see a loved on with a scooter ontop of them on their first trip to Disney, but I wouldn't wish how traumatic that was for us onto anyone.

Sorry, but Disney is for everyone, not just children. And, my gosh, especially after your scary experience, you should have learned to worry about getting hurt and run over!

Please keep a careful eye out for scooters in the future and steer your child away from them. It's only good sense!

Here's wishing you many accident-free vacations to come!

Edit: BTW, I just want to make it clear that I am not suggesting that the woman who ran over your son was blameless. She was clearly at fault. However, that said, would you allow your son to stand directly behind an SUV? Of course not, because it's a motorized vehicle and you never know when the driver might suddenly decide to reverse. You don't rely on the driver to keep your child safe, because the stakes are too high.

Scooters, like SUVs, are motorized vehicles. In a crowded park, when there's no other choice, I always position myself behind the scooter and my child goes either behind or beside me. I'm a larger and more visible target, and I can move faster to get out of the way if necessary. In other words... Tour Defensively!

 

[AmyB2006]

That being said, and while I agree with many of you you can't tell by looking at people what their needs are, at the same time the scooter/mobility aids industry in the US is an epidemic. There are MANY people who use a scooter only because of weight associated mobility issues. These of course are actually exasperated by their use of mobility aids, and there is a good deal of literature on this btw.

Wall-E anyone?? That's what I think of when I see all the scooters. We're all going to be on them eventually sipping our genetically engineered smoothies talking to our neighbor on our hologram screen while scooting from place to place. Lol

 

[Magpie]

Wall-E anyone?? That's what I think of when I see all the scooters. We're all going to be on them eventually sipping our genetically engineered smoothies talking to our neighbor on our hologram screen while scooting from place to place. Lol

You're right - many first world countries have weight issues. But even if scooter-usage IS a weight-related issue, I'm not convinced Disney is the place to start someone on a crash course in physical fitness.

After all, it's not like running a morbidly obese person off their feet over the course of a short vacation is going to suddenly turn them into super-athletes. Or even make them more fit. Instead, they'll just end up in the local ER with stress fractures in their feet, destroyed knees, asthma, cardiac arrhythmia, and assorted other ailments.

And, you know what? The morbidly obese are just as entitled to a fun vacation as any of the rest of us!

(And it took generations for the folks in Wall-E to slim down even while living as post-industrial subsistence farmers!)

 

[maxiesmom]

I guess because I believe in common courtesy and random kindness. Your mileage may vary.

I believe in the same things. But I don't think that anyone who gets on a bus and expects or demands someone else to get up and give them their seat is showing either. Neither is anyone who ignores the fact that their family member can't stand on a bus, and yet insists they get on standing room only buses.

Offer up your seat if you choose to. But don't demand it of others when you have no idea of what is going on in their lives. If you have a family member who can't stand on a bus, see to their needs and make sure they don't. Don't try and pass off that responsibility onto others, and then get mad when they don't accept it.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Because arguing about FP+ is sooooo last week...

Oh wait, the scooter discussion??? **beating dead horse emoticon**

 

[Planogirl]

I think that there are more scooters because the parks are more crowded in general. Plus as someone said, the baby boomers are getting older and some need assistance in getting around.

Why is this a topic to be argued about? Some people who use scooters are rude and some who don't are rude. That's just people.

 

[aml3679]

Some people amaze me - it is an assumption that if you are overweight and use a scooter or another device that you are lazy. I need a hip replacement next Fall and I am a plus size girl - my husband suggested getting me one but I don't want one because of the inconvenience to me.

I work full-time and go to school. We have not been to Disney in 10 years and we are celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary. When I look at someone using a scooter or an ECV I have empathy for them because I know that they are in some sort of chronic pain or have breathing issues (like my mother did when she was alive and went to Disney and used a wheelchair - she was 100 pounds).

People are people and quick to judge. Don't throw stones until you live in someone else's shoes.

Also, everyone should be considerate of others when they are in a hurry -- sorry for the little boy that got hurt. Everyone is on a vacation that they have paid a lot of money for. There is no need to push, shove, cut people off, etc. It is supposed to be a happy place. I personally have never had an issue with someone using a scooter or an EVC but I have go run over or cut off by many others.

Had to put in my 2 cents for what it is worth. In my opinion, this thread should close. It is starting to become a heated debate.

 

[AmyB2006]

You're right - many first world countries have weight issues. But even if scooter-usage IS a weight-related issue, I'm not convinced Disney is the place to start someone on a crash course in physical fitness.

After all, it's not like running a morbidly obese person off their feet over the course of a short vacation is going to suddenly turn them into super-athletes. Or even make them more fit. Instead, they'll just end up in the local ER with stress fractures in their feet, destroyed knees, asthma, cardiac arrhythmia, and assorted other ailments.

And, you know what? The morbidly obese are just as entitled to a fun vacation as any of the rest of us!

(And it took generations for the folks in Wall-E to slim down even while living as post-industrial subsistence farmers!)

I was just trying to add some levity to the thread, wasn't being 100% literal.

Of course anyone has the right to enjoy Disney in any way, whether on scooter or what have you. I don't care why people are on scooters. I'll do my best to stay out of their way if they do their best to try and not run me over.

My father uses a scooter at Disney. I'm sure people give him dirty looks. We don't care. At first glance he looks like a healthy guy. Other than being 69 years old. But he has knee issues. Just had double knee replacement surgery. Our last trip he walked two days before he decided to use the scooter on the third day.

 

[leafE]

We need a thread about people on scooters who poolhop only to refill expired mugs at the bar.

. . . while blowing bubbles on everyone around them.

 

[BayouMickey]

. . . while blowing bubbles on everyone around them.

from an electronic cigarette..

 

[sjs314]

Unfortunately I am one of the many guests at WDW who must use a scooter in order to be able to enjoy the parks as I have mobility/breathing issues. On top of that I can only visit during the cooler less humid months of the year Nov-Early March.

I've used a scooter my last three trips and I did not notice an increase in their use any more so than the increase of strollers over the years BUT what I did notice especially more so on my most recent trip is the number of people walking in front of me while busy looking and typing into their smart phones probably using their MDE to check FP+,ADRs or what have you.

people need to look where they are going and STOP blaming guests on scooters

As for the issue of scooters and buses I did get "daggers" from a couple who had to move to accomadate my scooter as they were seated in the disabled seating area( other seats were available) and as for having to wait for the ECV to be loaded as a pp poster said first on but we are last off.

I do think we will see more scooter use in the future with the ageing baby boomers who love and travel to Disney

 

[tiggerdad]

from an electronic cigarette..

While holding up their ipads to take pictures!

Sent from my Desire HD using DISBoards

 

[BayouMickey]

While holding up their ipads to take pictures!

Sent from my Desire HD using DISBoards

While wearing realistic character costumes.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

And then recently I was riding through Epcot and saw I was being approached, on my ECV, by a woman with a double stroller. I was at a complete stop and had my hands off the controls and she rammed into the front of my ECV so hard that it almost knocked one of her kids out of the stroller, and she blamed me for the accident. However, there were witnesses that said I was completely stopped.

And I have said, at times, to guests who have commented that I would be willing to give them my $2,000 ECV if they would also take all of my infirmities which make my use of the ECV necessary.

 

[Son of Gadsden]

While wearing realistic character costumes.

With their kids dancing around in morph suits.

 

[JanaDee]

Unfortunately I am one of the many guests at WDW who must use a scooter in order to be able to enjoy the parks as I have mobility/breathing issues. On top of that I can only visit during the cooler less humid months of the year Nov-Early March.

I've used a scooter my last three trips and I did not notice an increase in their use any more so than the increase of strollers over the years BUT what I did notice especially more so on my most recent trip is the number of people walking in front of me while busy looking and typing into their smart phones probably using their MDE to check FP+,ADRs or what have you.

people need to look where they are going and STOP blaming guests on scooters

As for the issue of scooters and buses I did get "daggers" from a couple who had to move to accomadate my scooter as they were seated in the disabled seating area( other seats were available) and as for having to wait for the ECV to be loaded as a pp poster said first on but we are last off.

I do think we will see more scooter use in the future with the ageing baby boomers who love and travel to Disney

ECV drivers are just as much to blame as walking guests most of the time.

IMO, strollers are a much bigger problem than ECV's. The size and amount of them is staggering. They clog walkways, take up tons of real estate for "stroller parking" and are used as battering rams more often than not.

 

[BayouMickey]

With their kids dancing around in morph suits.

And double dipping

 

[Son of Gadsden]

And double dipping

Someone would have taken this family out by now.