Wheel Chair Fraudies

[LindsayDunn228]

I said nothing bad about her and the fact is there is NO other family I would rather spend my time with. My point was simply that people dont use them for FUN or to get an advantage up on everyone else.

Sorry, but IMO you came across pretty shallow in your post. If your friend slows you down and makes things so "hard" for you, I say she needs to travel with some friends who have a little more patience and understanding than you.

I brought my husband in the room and said, "Just read this post." He read it, scoffed, and said, "It sounds like her friend needs to leave her at home next time."

 

[SueM in MN]

Please play nice and don't get personal. Some of the posts here are bordering on personal attacks.

It's very easy for people's meaning to get lost in the words that are posted or for the words to mean something to the reader that was not the intent of the person who wrote them.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Sorry, was just my opinion. It is hard not to take posts like those personally.

 

[LisaBi]

Just another perspective on why I can't imagine folks would want to use a wheelchair if they don't need to - aside from the difficulty in pushing your loved one all day, or the difficulty of manuevering an ECV and all the related issues.

Do they realize how much you miss? In some of the non-wheelchair accessible queues, you miss a lot of pre-show and theming. On other rides, you ALWAYS right the same car or same track. I've never been on the left side of Space Mountain. I'm sure there's lots of stuff I don't even know I've never seen. You always sit in back for most shows (or, you navigate a steep ramp both up and down - like B&B).

And regardless of what they think, you do end up waiting LONGER in many circumstances.

I just don't get why so many people think there's this great benefit to using a wheelchair if they don't need to. What I wouldn't give to ditch it for just one day at MK! (DS uses a wheelchair in the parks - otherwise he's toast before we reach the gate!)

OK - Off my soap box now!

LisaB

 

[4GBLC]

It's very easy for people's meaning to get lost in the words that are posted or for the words to mean something to the reader that was not the intent of the person who wrote them.

Sorry Sue, but when the poster put in the words.... "pain in the butt to be with someone in a wheelchair". How else are we supposed to take it?

I know none of my "friends" would ever say that about me.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Sorry Sue, but when the poster put in the words.... "pain in the butt to be with someone in a wheelchair". How else are we supposed to take it?

I know none of my "friends" would ever say that about me.

Thanks so much for posting 4GBLC. So glad someone else understands.

 

[SueM in MN]

Sorry Sue, but when the poster put in the words.... "pain in the butt to be with someone in a wheelchair". How else are we supposed to take it?

I know none of my "friends" would ever say that about me.

I was not aiming my warning specifically at any specific person. It's meant for everyone (including the person who wrote those comments) to think that what you meant to say may not be the message that is received.
I can see why someone reading it would take the words personally, because when you read them, they are rather inflammatory, but I don't think they were meant that way.

I can't speak for the poster, but I think the poster who wrote the "pain in the butt" comment was trying to say that using a wheelchair/traveling with a wheelchair in your party is not something that people are likely to do just for the heck of it. People who have not traveled with someone using a wheelchair tend to think of it as a "magic ticket" that gets you all sorts of priviledges (that those of us who travel with someone in a wheelchair know is not the truth).
The "pain in the buttt" is pretty strong language, but I think the person was trying to counter the people who see practically anyone with a wheelchair and think "fraud" or those who see a wheelchair and see "magic ticket.".

I would hope to think no one would ever say travel with my DD is a pain in the butt, but (being her mother) I would have to say it sometimes is. She can be very impatient, very obsessive, and can hit and pinch - not always your perfect choice of park companion. But, I love her with all my heart and (pain in the butt or not), we choose to bring her to WDW and have chosen to do so on many trips because we love her and don't want to leave her out.
I got involved in these boards in the first place because I knew people who said they would never bring their child with a disability to WDW because it would be too much hassle (or too much of a pain in the butt) and they went to WDW without that child. I wanted to post to let people know that it is possible (very possible) to go to WDW with people with all sorts of disabilities and have a good time.

Besides, I can be a pain in the butt too sometimes (if you ask my DH and DDs, they will tell you so).

 

[chirurgeon]

For my trip in December, I might need an ECV. I will be just finished with or at the end of Chemo. I haven't started it yet so, I don't know how I will feel at that point. I will have had 6 months of 2 days on, 12 days off and I wlll know if I will need to rent one from an off property supplier. My basic plan if I need it, is just to use it to get around the parks and to park it and stand in line like everyone else. I know I will get the looks, but they won't know about my cancer treatments and I won't care about those people. I'm hoping I won't need the extra help since this is a solo trip, my Thank God its over (or almost over) Trip.

Can someone give me their opinion on using the ECV for transport and then just standing in line like a majority of guests/

TIA,
Kim

 

[dustysky]

 

[spiceycat]

For my trip in December, I might need an ECV. I will be just finished with or at the end of Chemo. I haven't started it yet so, I don't know how I will feel at that point. I will have had 6 months of 2 days on, 12 days off and I wlll know if I will need to rent one from an off property supplier. My basic plan if I need it, is just to use it to get around the parks and to park it and stand in line like everyone else. I know I will get the looks, but they won't know about my cancer treatments and I won't care about those people. I'm hoping I won't need the extra help since this is a solo trip, my Thank God its over (or almost over) Trip.

Can someone give me their opinion on using the ECV for transport and then just standing in line like a majority of guests/

TIA,
Kim

if this is a solo trip I would go get the disability guide at each of the parks.

Disney does not want you passing out in their lines.... believe me.... there is a special pass that I think you can easy get.

I hope you beat the cancer and live a long, long life....

remember these things are not easy to move in a car. So I would rent a van for transportation. also remember you will need to take it apart for transport....

when you are staying on Disney property - definitiely use their buses... Anyway can you change it to entirely disney property?.... It is much better when you know you need a wheelchair or ECV to just stay on Disney property. they can easily transport it to their theme parks with their buses. Offsite it can get difficult.

mother hates the ECV and will only take a manual wheelchair - which means I get to push.....well I consider that to be weight lifting so we can go only every other day....I also hate taking it out of and putting it back in the trunk - those things are HEAVY....

 

[SueM in MN]

if this is a solo trip I would go get the disability guide at each of the parks.

Disney does not want you passing out in their lines.... believe me.... there is a special pass that I think you can easy get.

You can download and print a copy of the text from the disability guide for each park. There is a link in the disABILITIES FAQs thread located near the top of this board.

There is also information in the FAQs regarding the Guest Assistance Card (GAC), which is the "special pass" that was mentioned.

remember these things are not easy to move in a car. So I would rent a van for transportation. also remember you will need to take it apart for transport....

The FAQs thread also has a "how to transport an ECV" part that was written by Cheshire Figment. Keep in mind that some of the pieces are fairly heavy (up to 40 pounds) if you do transport an ECV by yourself.

when you are staying on Disney property - definitiely use their buses... Anyway can you change it to entirely disney property?.... It is much better when you know you need a wheelchair or ECV to just stay on Disney property. they can easily transport it to their theme parks with their buses. Offsite it can get difficult.

Some of the off-site places don't have wheelchair/ECV accessible shuttle buses, or the accessible ones run on a limited schedule. Something to check out before you go - some people have found they had few options for getting to the parks when staying off-site.

 

[chirurgeon]

Thanks for the good wishes. I'll be staying at the Boardwalk and using Disney Transport only, including DME. I would have the ECV delivered to the hotel.

Here's hoping I don't need it.

Kim

 

[Ms.Mouse]

Not to be rude but being in a wheelchair is pain enough. I am sorry but you can't blame us for looking at people who are walking around seemingly normal but yet using a whelchair entrance. my ds is 7 has cp and is in a wheelchair and half the time we get looked at as if we are doing something wrong. so if we are on the defensive then oh well, we have a right to be. people who take advantage of something they don't really deserve, and i am not saying that you did but, when it is being abused then it will ruin it for the people that really need it like my ds

I'm sorry Jessica, I didn't mean to write anything to offend or put anyone on the defensive. The only thing I'm saying is it's hard to and in my opinion, not right to judge ANYONE for needing a W/C. I agree that there are probably those who take advantage BUT it's also hard to judge who needs a W/C and basically, not up to us to say so. EXAMPLE: Not using my own issues last year BUT also last year my brother-in-law was among our group and looks like a normal strapping 45-50 year old guy that he is. When we went to WDW, we got a W/C for him. Most of the time, he walked because he didn't want to have to use the W/C unless he couldn't carry on BUT someone may have judged him (and I'm sure they did) if they saw him walking and having fun and then seeing him in a W/C. Something they would have no right doing not knowing that just the beginning of last year, he had major heart surgery including heart valve replacements and even has a cut running up his arm where they had to take veins out of his arms to put in his heart.... So here he is.... being JUDGED unfairly because the poor guy can walk for periods of time....LOOKS healthy but had/and still has major issues....Again, I'm sorry and I don't and didn't mean to offend or put anyone on a guard BUT just because someone can walk, doesn't make them HEALTHY...OR ABLE.....

 

[Ms.Mouse]

For my trip in December, I might need an ECV. I will be just finished with or at the end of Chemo. I haven't started it yet so, I don't know how I will feel at that point. I will have had 6 months of 2 days on, 12 days off and I wlll know if I will need to rent one from an off property supplier. My basic plan if I need it, is just to use it to get around the parks and to park it and stand in line like everyone else. I know I will get the looks, but they won't know about my cancer treatments and I won't care about those people. I'm hoping I won't need the extra help since this is a solo trip, my Thank God its over (or almost over) Trip.

Can someone give me their opinion on using the ECV for transport and then just standing in line like a majority of guests/

TIA,
Kim

Both myself and my brother-in-law did this and it worked out fine. I don't think you should feel like a fraudie at all. If you get worn down...all you'll get is SICK and you should enjoy your trip.... Your's is a classic case which I base my comments both on this site and another site that I frequent where people were being "judged" by others for riding in a W/C. Most certainly, you should rent a W/C when you enter the park and if you feel good enough to walk... then walk. AND if you don't, you shouldn't feel (OR BE MADE TO FEEL) like a FRAUD...
By the way.... Congratulations on the end of (or almost the end) the treatments...Hope all goes well and continues to go well for you in the future.

 

[Biscuitsmom31]

It seems to me that everyone agrees. No one knows what someone else's needs are from observing them for 30 seconds at a theme park. WDW requires a LOT of walking which creates issues for many people. Obviously, anyone who may try to 'cheat' the system would only do so once because they would find out that there is actually no benefit to being in a wheelchair at WDW unless you need one. As for whether or not it is a "pain in the butt" to go with someone in a wheelchair - I'm sure it is more so for the rider than the companion. I adore my husband. Do I ever get frustrated with his problems? Of course! I'm human. For example, he refuses to wear the seatbelt on his chair. It makes him feel like a kid. However, when he drives around at full speed and hits a bump and flys out of his chair and onto the ground, I am the one that has to go to the neighbor's house to get help. I get so mad at him for not wearing the seat belt! Yet, when I say this to other people, (co-workers, etc.) they think I'm the meanest and most uncaring person on earth. You can't expect people to walk on eggshells around people with disabilities. We're all just people, flaws and all. Some things we can help, some things we can't. He loves it that I treat him the same as I would anyone else.

 

[SueM in MN]

And that seems like a very good place to end this.
Thank you for the very nice sum-up, Biscuitsmom31.