Wheelchair Transfer to WDW Bus Proceedure

[StitchInCT]

My mother requires a wheelchair but can walk steps onto and into a bus. She does not like using the little elevator. We haven't been to Disney in several years and we heard years ago they had changed how people in wheelchairs load onto the bus vs non disabled people. Can anyone please give me some information on how my mother, who can transfer and walk onto the bus and I can fold and carry wheelchair, will load onto the bus? Do we enter the front side door or the middle one? Do we load on before non disabled or after people have loaded and hope there's room? And any other information you can give will be extremely helpful.

Thank you so very much for any advice and information you can give me!

Jason

 

[minnie mum]

It's all very easy. At the resort bus stops there is a rectangle painted on the ground to indicate where guests with chairs or ecvs should wait. This alerts the approaching bus driver that a HC guest will be boarding . This spot lines up pretty much with the rear door. The driver will open that door first, and deploy the fold down ramp ( I dont think any of the park buses use lifts anymore). At that point you can wheel your mother onto the bus. Let the driver know that she will transfer to a seat, so he doesn't have to bother folding up the seats in the accessible area. Or she could walk on using the ramp, and you can follow with the chair. Fold it up and hold it in front of you so the other guests can move past you. Once all the chairs and/or ecvs are loaded, the driver opens the front door for the other guests.

Boarding this way does 2 things: it boards the chairs and ecvs without endangering the feet and shins of other guests, and it ensures that the HC guests get the seat they need. Trying to board a bus thru the front with a chair is difficult, you could end up banging into others, and there's no guarantee your mother will have a seat once you board.

When you arrive, the other guests will get off first, then the driver will put down the ramp and you can then get off the bus. It's easy.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My mother requires a wheelchair but can walk steps onto and into a bus. She does not like using the little elevator. We haven't been to Disney in several years and we heard years ago they had changed how people in wheelchairs load onto the bus vs non disabled people. Can anyone please give me some information on how my mother, who can transfer and walk onto the bus and I can fold and carry wheelchair, will load onto the bus? Do we enter the front side door or the middle one? Do we load on before non disabled or after people have loaded and hope there's room? And any other information you can give will be extremely helpful.

Thank you so very much for any advice and information you can give me!

Jason

as Minnie mum said you will need to board by the ramp, not lifts anymore. most drivers will not allow folded chair to load by front door. if you fold the chair you will have to hold it with people standing in the aisles. if you decide to try to load with nondisabled be prepared to be made to wait for next bus as driver may not load you after people are standing plus your mother would also have to stand for the trip. loading with the wheelchairs will be a lot easier. tell your mother that loading the buses now is like a small ramp to the monorail right into the bus no lifts anymore. have a great trip

 

[mamabunny]

One last tip: Before the driver deploys the ramp, he or she will make the bus "kneel" (lowering the bus to closer to the ground/curb) and then will fold the ramp out. You will know that the "kneeling" has started because the bus will snort and snuffle and a loud BEEPING will commence LOL.

Once all of the HC passengers and their companions have boarded, the process is reversed; the ramp is folded up, and the bus is returned to it's standard height/curb position. (with the beeping, of course!)

Remember that HC passengers always load first, but unload last on all WDW internal transportation.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I understand I do not warm to the lifts either! I fimd them scary in a wheelchair. One thing to note is if like me she cannot climb steps/stairs and you are using the ME to get to/from the airport you will need to use a lift. The bus is too high for a ramp. There is a lift at the back. I close my eyes..

 

[Betty Rohrer]

One last tip: Before the driver deploys the ramp, he or she will make the bus "kneel" (lowering the bus to closer to the ground/curb) and then will fold the ramp out. You will know that the "kneeling" has started because the bus will snort and snuffle and a loud BEEPING will commence LOL.

Once all of the HC passengers and their companions have boarded, the process is reversed; the ramp is folded up, and the bus is returned to it's standard height/curb position. (with the beeping, of course!)

Remember that HC passengers always load first, but unload last on all WDW internal transportation.

load first but not always last to unload when on shared resort buses and getting off at first stop. they do not make everyone get off and reload second stop people. if using DME with wheelchair you can fold chair and have it ride under the bus which is not possinle with park buses

 

[xipetotec]

My mother requires a wheelchair but can walk steps onto and into a bus. She does not like using the little elevator. We haven't been to Disney in several years and we heard years ago they had changed how people in wheelchairs load onto the bus vs non disabled people. Can anyone please give me some information on how my mother, who can transfer and walk onto the bus and I can fold and carry wheelchair, will load onto the bus? Do we enter the front side door or the middle one? Do we load on before non disabled or after people have loaded and hope there's room? And any other information you can give will be extremely helpful.

Thank you so very much for any advice and information you can give me!

Jason

My wife is in the same boat. Can walk short distances. climb a few steps, no problem. AND she doesn't like to use the elevator if she doesn't have to ( or take up spots in the bus for her chair when others could make use of it ).

What she tends to do is as the bus is pulling up, she will then stand up to indicate to the driver that he doesn't need to lower the bus ( unless there are other chairs/ECVs waiting ). Then we get on, through the front ( or sometimes back if the driver insists ) and fold up the chair and grab a regular seat. it's never been a problem ( except maybe for the occasional smart %$^ who has a comment about her being able to walk )

 

[SueM in MN]

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread (or look near the top of this board). You will find a post of FAQs about bus transportation in that thread that should answer all your questions.