Why you should NEVER park your ECV in the hall.

[mamabunny]

Fire. That's why.

We were at WDW for the first 2 weeks of September, staying at AKL.

One night at about 1:30? 2:00? am, (I didn't stop to check the time, honestly) the fire alarm went off, and we had to unplug my chair (it was charging) grab Magic Bands (so we could hopefully get back into our room later) and our phones. The alarms continued to blare. We kept hoping it would shut off - in the accessible room that we had, the hearing accomodations were installed, and the flashing light coupled with the blaring siren was really causing a problem for my daughter. I had her grab a couple of towels on the way out, we made sure we both had shoes, and we headed out the door for the lobby.

It was crazy to see literally hundreds of people streaming down the hallways and out through the lobby doors, but before we could get there, there was a massive slowdown through one part of the hall.

The part of the hall where an ECV was parked. One woman, who thought she was "stuck" began to panic because she thought she was not going to be able to get around it, and back into the flow of human traffic, and she was trying to push on it. We stopped to let her in, and she was so mad about it that sure enough, she stopped the first CM she saw to tell them about the obstruction in the hall. Even as they were trying to gently guide her to the door and safety, she was *telling* them ALL about it.

I don't blame her. I made a note of the room number as we went past, and suffice it to say that when we did finally re-enter the building about an hour later, the ECV was gone.

I found out the next day from a CM that they had multiple complaints about that ECV. It did not reappear out in the hall after that night.

And if the person who was responsible for that ECV is reading this: That the outcome could have been SO MUCH WORSE if the majority of people had not remained calm. YOU caused a problem that did not need to exist because you could not be bothered to do the right thing to begin with. Your failure to keep the hall clear and safe could have literally cost lives if those people had stampeded.

°O° °o° °o° °o° °O° °o° °o° °o° °O°

Just so you know - if you ever find yourself in a Disney hotel that is on fire, you are not allowed to stay in your room if the fire alarm is going off in your room, or outside your room in the hallway or breezeway. In other words, if the alarms are going off for the building you are in, you are not allowed to stay in that building for any reason. You *will* evacuate, one way or the other.

Do not stop to get dressed. Do not stop to pack a bag and bring it with you. Do not stop to put on makeup, and/or do your hair. Do not stop to do anything but get yourself out the door as quickly as possible. Do not try to call the front desk and ask "what's on fire", or if it's a fire drill. Don't try to livestream the fire; don't be that guy.

Obey all CMs. If they tell you to keep moving away from the hotel and into the parking lot, you must comply with their request, or face the possibility of having a conversation with a member of the local constabulary. Do not argue with CMs, managers, first responders, or other Guests; Reedy Creek * Will * Not * Tolerate * Your * Stinky * Little * Self - it's a "do not mess around unless you want to find out" situation.

Do the following:
- grab a pair of shoes.
- grab your Magic Band, AND your phone
- grab clothing or a towel for your children; we saw so many naked diaper babies!
- if your child has a "lovey" grab it, because you will not be allowed to go back for it. No exceptions.
- go to the nearest door marked EXIT. It is your fastest way to safety.
- follow all CM instructions. They are trained for this.
- you will be instructed on where to go away from the building; it's for your safety, and so that first responders can get to the building, and go to work. The faster they can do that, the faster you can (hopefully) get back to your room.
- know you will wait for at least an hour for an "all clear" (if the hotel/your building is still able to be occupied)
- be ready to wait up to 4 hours (depending on the size of the hotel and how many people forgot their Magic Bands and/or phones) at the front desk to get back in your room afterwards *if* you forgot your entry access in your room.

Special note for those of us who use mobility devices:
- Do not use elevators unless specifically instructed to by a CM or a firefighter
- Do let firefighters/CMs/Mangers (at least one will have on a special vest and have a walky) know if you had to leave a lithium battery behind in your hotel room.

From now on, if I am in a room that is above lobby level, or requires an elevator to get to the ground floor, I am going to ask at the front desk what my specific instructions are if there is a fire; where I am supposed to go to wait for assistance, and any special instructions I am supposed to follow.

Additionally, I am going to make sure I store my extra battery on my device, as well as an extra charger, just in case.

°O° °o° °o° °o° °O° °o° °o° °o° °O°

So, as instructed, we went and waited in the parking lots; hundreds of people, as far as we could see, perched on curbs and sitting on the pavement, waiting quietly in the cool, damp darkness, as we waited for an "all clear" and prayed that the rain we saw on the radar app was not going to soak us before we could get back inside.

When it was over, it was quite the sight to see hundreds and hundreds of people just being *absorbed* by AKL as they streamed in through the front doors. Everyone was so quiet afterwards, and suffice to say, a whole lot of us slept in the next day.

We did eventually find out that the fire alarm was caused by a cleaning crew that accidentally set off a fire suppression system in one of the kitchens. The person who ordinarily could have stopped the alarm was at another Resort Hotel dealing with a whole different issue. In the end no one was hurt, and the hotel and kitchens were fine. Reedy Creek was, of course, awesome as always.

But I learned some valuable lessons, and I share them with you here because it's important. We all feel safe and carefree at Disney World, but things like this can - and do - happen. Being prepared, knowing what to expect can help keep you calm in a similar situation.

°O° °o° °o° °o° °O° °o° °o° °o° °O°

One last (related) thing of note:

We stayed at a Hampton (Hilton property) both coming/going during our last visit to WDW. This is the room# placard by our door:



Notice that medical symbol under the door number? It's a way to let first responders know that the person(s) occupying the room will need assistance in the event of a building emergency. You can request it in the app; a screenshot my daughter found on the internet to show you is below:


I am going to let WDW Resorts know how important this is - and how much peace of mind it would give me to know that I could shelter in place during a building emergency, and that first responders would know to check my room, and help me out of the building.

I'm also going to support Hilton hotels because of this policy.

Stay safe, please. Take care.

 

[jo-jo]

Once again, mamabunny with a wealth of information.

I've wonder what does one do with a EVC and a higher floor. There can't be enough first floor rooms for all those using them.

My DH uses one at disney. At home , he does climb one flight of stairs. But it's slow. And he needs a railings or at least railing and cane. If those weren't an option, he would need to use hands on the steps and he "crawls" up or down steps.

I wonder if someone with a double stroller can make it past a EVC in the hallway. When we were at Kidani in the spring, we saw several EVCs in the hallway.

 

[SueM in MN]

Good information.
Must have been a scary situation. I can't imagine how badly it would have turned out if there had been smoke in the hallway.
I've read about fires where people died because they got trapped trying to get thru an obstruction. Sometimes, it wasn't even fire; it was people crushed by panicking people trying to get out.
I wish Disney would stop people from parking ECVs in the halls

 

[Mle8308]

Great advice. We were at WL mid September and our first night there we had a fire alarm at about 5:30am. I have to admit, I was a little confused by the alarm when it first went off, I thought it was an alarm on a phone - but much louder. I was surprised there was no strobe light in the room or audio (we could hear the evacuation notice in the hall). I grabbed my park backpack, phone, shoes, and a sweatshirt and we made our way down 5 flights of stairs, didn't see one CM. Though that does not surprise me, I have worked in many hotels (Disney included) and there are often less than 10 people working on the overnight shift. Fortunately, we were allowed back in after about 30 minutes, no idea what set off the alarm. We went into the Boulder Ridge building to wait, since it is a separate building and the alarm was not going off there. And a good point on the ECV's, it can be a big trip hazard. I don't think they should be allowed to be left in the hallways at any time of day (fires can happen during the day, too).

 

[HopperFan]

All great information.

We have already had some basics that we do after we were driving and dodging tornadoes a few days.

- Keep a pair of shoes for everyone close to door.
- Keep my purse, wallets, phones, extras like MB and car keys together to grab.
- Jackets close by if weather dictates.
- Computer bag ready to go.

We were at Disney staying at Embassy Suites when the fire alarms went off. Top floor, so it was a long walk down. We were kept outside for a couple hours so we learned some additional things. There was an elderly lady walking down with us with a big purse. She said she had to grab all her medications and put in her bag, so learned the medicine need. (there was a fire in the kitchen, was about 4:30 am, as they were getting ready for breakfast).

As we sat outside for a couple hours we kicked ourselves for not bringing our car keys. We could have been sitting in our car waiting, sleeping. AND worse, if there was a big fire without keys we were stranded. We also always have coats and blankets in the car when we travel.

----

We stayed at a Flamingo Crossing Hilton for the first time so I was paying more attention to surroundings. I had selected a suite at end of hall and across for stairways (I do that often). I can't remember the wording but for the first time I noticed signs directing people to something like "Safe Room" for those who can't do stairs to wait for help. I didn't look at the space so I don't know what was there.

Correct name now posted "Area of Refuge"

 

[Evita_W]

Once again, mamabunny with a wealth of information.

I've wonder what does one do with a EVC and a higher floor. There can't be enough first floor rooms for all those using them.

My DH uses one at disney. At home , he does climb one flight of stairs. But it's slow. And he needs a railings or at least railing and cane. If those weren't an option, he would need to use hands on the steps and he "crawls" up or down steps.

I wonder if someone with a double stroller can make it past a EVC in the hallway. When we were at Kidani in the spring, we saw several EVCs in the hallway.

There is supposed to be clearly marked (near the elevators and/or stairs) an "Area of Refuge", this is from California Fire Code, but it is based off the national standard:
https://codes.iccsafe.org/s/CAFC202...esign-features/CAFC2022P1-Pt03-Ch10-Sec1009.9

These are the areas you should wait in for assistance in an emergency, they will have their own fire rated walls and can be sealed off from the rest of the building.

As for the original point, it is very valid and in addition, some low lifes have been buying keys from Amazon and stealing the scooters from the hallways lately.

 

[jo-jo]

. There was an elderly lady walking down with us with a big purse. She said she had to grab all her medications and put in her bag, so learned the medicine need. (there was a fire in the kitchen, was about 4:30 am, as they were getting ready for breakfast).

As we sat outside for a couple hours we kicked ourselves for not bringing our car keys. We could have been sitting in our car waiting, sleeping. AND worse, if there was a big fire without keys we were stranded. We also always have coats and blankets in the car when we travel.

----

We stayed at a Flamingo Crossing Hilton for the first time so I was paying more attention to surroundings. I had selected a suite at end of hall and across for stairways (I do that often). I can't remember the wording but for the first time I noticed signs directing people to something like "Safe Room" for those who can't do stairs to wait for help. I didn't look at the space so I don't know what was there.

Thank you. DH takes about 12 different meds, some several times a day. Not something I would think of first. Those would be hard to replace within a few hours. But he used those pills boxes, kept by sink/vanity area. Easy enough to grab the two big packs he has, not grabbing a dozen bottles.

 

[HopperFan]

Thank you. DH takes about 12 different meds, some several times a day. Not something I would think of first. Those would be hard to replace within a few hours. But he used those pills boxes, kept by sink/vanity area. Easy enough to grab the two big packs he has, not grabbing a dozen bottles.

My DS takes a few meds and we usually keep them in the safe, one being a black marketable drug. I wouldn't have thought to go to the safe to get them. Luckily he can go a few days without. But that lady made me think of all those that it is important to remember to take with you. While most of us get back in our rooms fairly shortly (I've gone through it a couple times) what IF you can't get to your things.

 

[dizneedoll]

I was going to say something about meds too. I keep a small emergency stash of meds including my inhaler in my park bag, along with wallet, car keys, Magic band. I can just grab that quick along with my phone. I keep my shoes right next to the bed.

Years ago, we had to evacuate our home due to wild fires in California, we were not able to go back for over a month and then we were only allowed one day in the house and we moved everything out in one, long, miserable day. So ever since then whether I’m at home or traveling, I try to keep essentials prepared in case of an emergency. You just never know.

Glad your incident turned out ok mamabunny, but yeah that scooter in the hall could’ve ended badly.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Good information.
Must have been a scary situation. I can't imagine how badly it would have turned out if there had been smoke in the hallway.
I've read about fires where people died because they got trapped trying to get thru an obstruction. Sometimes, it wasn't even fire; it was people crushed by panicking people trying to get out.
I wish Disney would stop people from parking ECVs in the halls

Or, in my case, sometimes they actually encourage people to park their ECVs in the hall. When I was at the VGF, the bell services person suggested it several times. He even got to the point of offering to take my ECV out to the hall and plug it in for me. He should read this.

 

[HopperFan]

I think it violates a couple different fire code restrictions ...

AND Disney's OWN Prohibited Activities ...

"Obstructing sidewalks, entrances, driveways, patios, vestibules, stairways, corridors, halls or landings."

Common sense is it puts everyone on that hall in danger in case of fire or other emergency.

I have never seen Housekeeping carts in hallways without a CM working nearby.

 

[gottalovepluto]

As for the original point, it is very valid and in addition, some low lifes have been buying keys from Amazon and stealing the scooters from the hallways lately.

Bingo! If someone won't stow their ecv for protection of others maybe they'll at least stow it for protection of their pocket book

 

[gottalovepluto]

Swan Reserve has a policy of all ECVs are to be parked at Bell Services because we were told of the hallway fire threat, like exactly what OP described- it's great. Never see one in a hall there. They even charge them overnight for you.

ETA- unless you're keeping it in your room as is later pointed out

 

[Oldie13]

Fire. That's why.

We were at WDW for the first 2 weeks of September, staying at AKL.

One night at about 1:30? 2:00? am, (I didn't stop to check the time, honestly) the fire alarm went off, and we had to unplug my chair (it was charging) grab Magic Bands (so we could hopefully get back into our room later) and our phones. The alarms continued to blare. We kept hoping it would shut off - in the accessible room that we had, the hearing accomodations were installed, and the flashing light coupled with the blaring siren was really causing a problem for my daughter. I had her grab a couple of towels on the way out, we made sure we both had shoes, and we headed out the door for the lobby.

It was crazy to see literally hundreds of people streaming down the hallways and out through the lobby doors, but before we could get there, there was a massive slowdown through one part of the hall.

The part of the hall where an ECV was parked. One woman, who thought she was "stuck" began to panic because she thought she was not going to be able to get around it, and back into the flow of human traffic, and she was trying to push on it. We stopped to let her in, and she was so mad about it that sure enough, she stopped the first CM she saw to tell them about the obstruction in the hall. Even as they were trying to gently guide her to the door and safety, she was *telling* them ALL about it.

I don't blame her. I made a note of the room number as we went past, and suffice it to say that when we did finally re-enter the building about an hour later, the ECV was gone.

I found out the next day from a CM that they had multiple complaints about that ECV. It did not reappear out in the hall after that night.

And if the person who was responsible for that ECV is reading this: That the outcome could have been SO MUCH WORSE if the majority of people had not remained calm. YOU caused a problem that did not need to exist because you could not be bothered to do the right thing to begin with. Your failure to keep the hall clear and safe could have literally cost lives if those people had stampeded.

°O° °o° °o° °o° °O° °o° °o° °o° °O°

Just so you know - if you ever find yourself in a Disney hotel that is on fire, you are not allowed to stay in your room if the fire alarm is going off in your room, or outside your room in the hallway or breezeway. In other words, if the alarms are going off for the building you are in, you are not allowed to stay in that building for any reason. You *will* evacuate, one way or the other.

Do not stop to get dressed. Do not stop to pack a bag and bring it with you. Do not stop to put on makeup, and/or do your hair. Do not stop to do anything but get yourself out the door as quickly as possible. Do not try to call the front desk and ask "what's on fire", or if it's a fire drill. Don't try to livestream the fire; don't be that guy.

Obey all CMs. If they tell you to keep moving away from the hotel and into the parking lot, you must comply with their request, or face the possibility of having a conversation with a member of the local constabulary. Do not argue with CMs, managers, first responders, or other Guests; Reedy Creek * Will * Not * Tolerate * Your * Stinky * Little * Self - it's a "do not mess around unless you want to find out" situation.

Do the following:
- grab a pair of shoes.
- grab your Magic Band, AND your phone
- grab clothing or a towel for your children; we saw so many naked diaper babies!
- if your child has a "lovey" grab it, because you will not be allowed to go back for it. No exceptions.
- go to the nearest door marked EXIT. It is your fastest way to safety.
- follow all CM instructions. They are trained for this.
- you will be instructed on where to go away from the building; it's for your safety, and so that first responders can get to the building, and go to work. The faster they can do that, the faster you can (hopefully) get back to your room.
- know you will wait for at least an hour for an "all clear" (if the hotel/your building is still able to be occupied)
- be ready to wait up to 4 hours (depending on the size of the hotel and how many people forgot their Magic Bands and/or phones) at the front desk to get back in your room afterwards *if* you forgot your entry access in your room.

Special note for those of us who use mobility devices:
- Do not use elevators unless specifically instructed to by a CM or a firefighter
- Do let firefighters/CMs/Mangers (at least one will have on a special vest and have a walky) know if you had to leave a lithium battery behind in your hotel room.

From now on, if I am in a room that is above lobby level, or requires an elevator to get to the ground floor, I am going to ask at the front desk what my specific instructions are if there is a fire; where I am supposed to go to wait for assistance, and any special instructions I am supposed to follow.

Additionally, I am going to make sure I store my extra battery on my device, as well as an extra charger, just in case.

°O° °o° °o° °o° °O° °o° °o° °o° °O°

So, as instructed, we went and waited in the parking lots; hundreds of people, as far as we could see, perched on curbs and sitting on the pavement, waiting quietly in the cool, damp darkness, as we waited for an "all clear" and prayed that the rain we saw on the radar app was not going to soak us before we could get back inside.

When it was over, it was quite the sight to see hundreds and hundreds of people just being *absorbed* by AKL as they streamed in through the front doors. Everyone was so quiet afterwards, and suffice to say, a whole lot of us slept in the next day.

We did eventually find out that the fire alarm was caused by a cleaning crew that accidentally set off a fire suppression system in one of the kitchens. The person who ordinarily could have stopped the alarm was at another Resort Hotel dealing with a whole different issue. In the end no one was hurt, and the hotel and kitchens were fine. Reedy Creek was, of course, awesome as always.

But I learned some valuable lessons, and I share them with you here because it's important. We all feel safe and carefree at Disney World, but things like this can - and do - happen. Being prepared, knowing what to expect can help keep you calm in a similar situation.

°O° °o° °o° °o° °O° °o° °o° °o° °O°

One last (related) thing of note:

We stayed at a Hampton (Hilton property) both coming/going during our last visit to WDW. This is the room# placard by our door:

View attachment 802754

Notice that medical symbol under the door number? It's a way to let first responders know that the person(s) occupying the room will need assistance in the event of a building emergency. You can request it in the app; a screenshot my daughter found on the internet to show you is below:
View attachment 802755

I am going to let WDW Resorts know how important this is - and how much peace of mind it would give me to know that I could shelter in place during a building emergency, and that first responders would know to check my room, and help me out of the building.

I'm also going to support Hilton hotels because of this policy.

Stay safe, please. Take care.

Thank you for this. I’ve often wondered the same thing about being put in a handicapped room on the 10+ 20+ floor. My mom uses a rollator. At Vegas and Disney she rents an ECV. 7 years ago she barely made it down 8 flights in Vegas and she was much better off then. I don’t know what we will do now.

 

[Evita_W]

Swan Reserve has a policy of all ECVs are to be parked at Bell Services because we were told of the hallway fire threat, like exactly what OP described- it's great. Never see one in a hall there. They even charge them overnight for you.

No, it will be kept in my room because I need it to get to and from my room and if I need it in the night I am not waiting for it to be brought to me. I also don't trust them to charge it properly. This is even more the case with DH.

 

[gottalovepluto]

No, it will be kept in my room because I need it to get to and from my room and if I need it in the night I am not waiting for it to be brought to me. I also don't trust them to charge it properly. This is even more the case with DH.

I'm flying around too many parts of the DIS today too fast lol, should have clarified the policy is in room or Bell Services.

ETA: you can't shorthand Bell Services lol...

 

[rlk]

Thank you @mamabunny, your post is very informative.

I would really appreciate it if Disney made it a point to ensure no ECVs are left in the hallway.

Also, when did the trend of decorating your door? Isn't that a fire hazard? I know that in apartment buildings you are not allowed to have decorations on the outside door that opens into an internal hallway. I understand people love to celebrate, but it makes me nervous seeing many of these doors.

 

[Evita_W]

Thank you @mamabunny, your post is very informative.

I would really appreciate it if Disney made it a point to ensure no ECVs are left in the hallway.

Also, when did the trend of decorating your door? Isn't that a fire hazard? I know that in apartment buildings you are not allowed to have decorations on the outside door that opens into an internal hallway. I understand people love to celebrate, but it makes me nervous seeing many of these doors.

It is supposed to be limited to magnets on magnetic doors, no tape or anything that would leave residue and nothing flammable. That is when decorations are allowed, officially they aren't really allowed.

 

[Starwind]

Good information.
Must have been a scary situation. I can't imagine how badly it would have turned out if there had been smoke in the hallway.
I've read about fires where people died because they got trapped trying to get thru an obstruction. Sometimes, it wasn't even fire; it was people crushed by panicking people trying to get out.
I wish Disney would stop people from parking ECVs in the halls

This.

If you look at many of the mass casualty fire events (eg major fires at a bar or event venue), many of the deaths don't happen due to the fire itself but due to crushes that take place at chokepoints - eg hallway leading to the exit door or another point that narrows that the mass of people have to go through. There is one infamous incident where people even made it to the actual exit door which is where the crush happened; horrific :-( Last year's Seoul crowd crush incident is another example; there were some good articles that came out following that event that described the "science"/physics of how crush events happen - useful info for understanding them should one ever find oneself in such a situation.

I don't know why Disney does not rigidly enforce no ECV parking in hallways.

Finally, there is once instance where the alarms may go off and you don't have to leave -- but it is exceptionally rare. During our last WDW stay we were staying at AKL and they had signs up all over the resort and a notice in our room advising us they would be TESTING the fire alarms between X and Y time (middle of the day) and when the alarms went off during that time it would be a test and we would not have to evacuate and that if there should be a real alarm during that time there would be announcements made. IIRC they also made announcements about the test before the alarms went off. HOWEVER, even then I do NOT reccommend staying in your room during a test because those alarms are insanely LOUD (as they should be) and there are flashing lights to accompany them. We put ear plugs in and hung out on our balcony as it was actually not possible to remain in the room due to how loud the alarm was.

 

[mamabunny]

All great information.

We have already had some basics that we do after we were driving and dodging tornadoes a few days.

- Keep a pair of shoes for everyone close to door.
- Keep my purse, wallets, phones, extras like MB and car keys together to grab.
- Jackets close by if weather dictates.
- Computer bag ready to go.

We were at Disney staying at Embassy Suites when the fire alarms went off. Top floor, so it was a long walk down. We were kept outside for a couple hours so we learned some additional things. There was an elderly lady walking down with us with a big purse. She said she had to grab all her medications and put in her bag, so learned the medicine need. (there was a fire in the kitchen, was about 4:30 am, as they were getting ready for breakfast).

As we sat outside for a couple hours we kicked ourselves for not bringing our car keys. We could have been sitting in our car waiting, sleeping. AND worse, if there was a big fire without keys we were stranded. We also always have coats and blankets in the car when we travel.

----

We stayed at a Flamingo Crossing Hilton for the first time so I was paying more attention to surroundings. I had selected a suite at end of hall and across for stairways (I do that often). I can't remember the wording but for the first time I noticed signs directing people to something like "Safe Room" for those who can't do stairs to wait for help. I didn't look at the space so I don't know what was there.

All good things - including meds & car keys - that we should have brought out with us!

My weird brain said "grab towels" in case we got cold; in the end I gave my daughter mine so she could sit criss-cross applesauce on the pavement. We saw a couple of families go sit in their cars, so clearly there were folks who remembered their keys!

Don't live in fear, but do be prepared.

If anyone happens to be at a Disney Resort now, or in the near future, I would genuinely appreciate if you could ask the front desk at your Resort Hotel about this issue:
What should a mobility device user who cannot walk/stand do in the event they are staying on an upper level - with elevators as the only solution for them to evacuate and bring their mobility device with them. Stairs are not a possibility in an evacuation emergency - and even if the Guest somehow magically got all the way down, there would be no mobility device at the bottom to quickly/safely get away from the building; the Guest would be still be stranded, just at the bottom of the stairs instead of the top.

If there was an active fire in the building I was in, and I was above ground floor, what was I supposed to do?

I would certainly appreciate knowing what the official Disney policy is for multi-floor buildings where mobility device users might not be able to evacuate using stairs only without fire department/first responder assistance. I hope if you find out, you will return here and let us know what you learn! Thank you in advance.