Dare I say it? For the physically challenged...

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Now Is The Time

Now Is The Time

Member
Original Poster
Ok people, please understand where I'm coming from before you take this out of context and misinterpret what I'm about to say (which will probably happen anyway.)

Here we go - whenever I'm in a long wait with tons of people for a resort bus to come and take us to or from a theme park and there is a person or two in a wheelchair that also needs a ride - the same drill that we all know ensues. The bus driver makes everyone in line wait while the person in the wheelchair boards. The steps become a neat little elevator.. yada yada... and the person(s) boards but this process takes forever. No, I'm not getting mad at physically challenged people, I just think there's gotta be a better system than this out there. I propose that they have their own buses. I also know for a fact that many in wheelchairs hate being in the spotlight when they board a Disney bus and feel bad for making everyone else wait as they board. And let's face it, some people can be downright unpleasant, especially those who are waiting 25 minutes in 100 degree heat only to have to wait another 10 minutes for someone in a wheelchair to board. And yes I have seen some altercations in the past that this has caused. I've seen bus drivers that had to get a little firm with impatient guests wanting to board.

Now some of you might say that having a separate bus for the physically challenged just puts them in the spotlight more and segregates them, etc.. and there is merit to that point. However I see the plus sides of it as well. Please allow me to reiterate that I personally have no problem waiting for someone in a wheelchair to board a bus. I believe everyone should get to enjoy WDW and I think everyone should be more accepting of others but unfortunately we all know that sometimes this just isn't the case. I just think it's unfortunate that others get impatient and/or upset and I feel bad for the person is the wheelchair. It is the physically challenged that is my concern here, not the other guests who are just simply hot and whiny.

Thoughts?
 
Shere_Khan

Shere_Khan

Well-Known Member
It does not take that long to help an individual with a handicap board the bus. And if anyone is going to sit in line and complain about it then shame on them.
People today are in such a big huffy hurry. It makes me tired.

And I am not responding this way directly to the OP because they stated they don't mind the wait. Just responding in general with my opinion.
 
sbkline

sbkline

Well-Known Member
Now Is The Time said:
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

My first thought is that I wish you would just say "handicapped" instead of this sugar coated PC crap of "physically challenged". There is nothing wrong with the word hanicapped, just as there is nothing wrong with the traditional word "midget" for what we not call "little people", etc. :D

My other thought is that I agree with you in principle, but I'm not sure if it would be doable from the company's standpoint. I don't know if it would be a wise business move to invest in busses exclusively for the use of handicapped guests, especially when they comprise a minority of the guests. And, since they are much fewer than non handicapped guests, would there then be that much fewer handicapped busses that come to the bus stops, thereby making some handicapped guests wait even longer for a bus? Or, if they go the other way, would there be many handicapped busses driving to the bus stop for nothing...in other words, pulling up there to find no one that needs the bus this time around?
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
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OK, I am all set. Please continue.
 
Now Is The Time

Now Is The Time

Member
Original Poster
sbkline said:
My first thought is that I wish you would just say "handicapped" instead of this sugar coated PC crap of "physically challenged". There is nothing wrong with the word hanicapped, just as there is nothing wrong with the traditional word "midget" for what we not call "little people", etc. :D

My other thought is that I agree with you in principle, but I'm not sure if it would be doable from the company's standpoint. I don't know if it would be a wise business move to invest in busses exclusively for the use of handicapped guests, especially when they comprise a minority of the guests. And, since they are much fewer than non handicapped guests, would there then be that much fewer handicapped busses that come to the bus stops, thereby making some handicapped guests wait even longer for a bus? Or, if they go the other way, would there be many handicapped busses driving to the bus stop for nothing...in other words, pulling up there to find no one that needs the bus this time around?
Click to expand...

Thank you. This is the kind of constructive reply I was hoping to get!

I had thought the same thing that they may have to wait longer but then again, if they just have some buses waiting that could simply be called when needed it might be better.
 
Laura

Laura

22
OP - I can see where you're coming from. I feel bad when they load the wheelchairs too. I'd be SO embarrassed if I was the one with the handicap and everyone was staring at ME angrily as they loaded me onto the bus. But then again, I'd probably end up using my own transportation to avoid that if at all possible.

Anyway, this issue has been discussed into the ground over the years and though having vehicles JUST for those in wheelchairs seems like a good solution, the amount of extra time those people would have to wait for those buses would be unfair, and really it only takes a minute to load them onto the regular bus anyway and Disney shouldn't have to invest the millions in new vehicles just to make impatient people less whiney.
 
G

gsimpson

Well-Known Member
another possibility

You could also use smaller "van" vehicles to ferry the mobility impaired around, that way the large buses could be used to their full capacity and those in wheelchairs and scooters could get to where they are going without much if any inconvenience either. I will no doubt get seared to a crackely crunch for suggesting the handicapped get treated differently but guess what.... they already do when they get first in line for the buses, get on the buses first, and so on.
 
hls1023

hls1023

New Member
gsimpson said:
You could also use smaller "van" vehicles to ferry the mobility impaired around, that way the large buses could be used to their full capacity and those in wheelchairs and scooters could get to where they are going without much if any inconvenience either. I will no doubt get seared to a crackely crunch for suggesting the handicapped get treated differently but guess what.... they already do when they get first in line for the buses, get on the buses first, and so on.
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From a legal standpoint there is no way in h*ll that would ever happen. It would be discrimination in the most blatent way.
 
Tornado

Tornado

New Member
The only issue i've had was when I visited Pop Century last year. Me and my friends had been waiting in line for a bus to DAK for 15mins in high temperatures. A bus arrives, they board a disabled passenger, who had just arrived at the stop literally seconds prior. This isnt what annoyed me. It was the fact that the rest of this persons party then took up at least 75% of the bus, meaning only about 10 people in the queue got in.
 
JimboJones123

JimboJones123

Well-Known Member
Tornado said:
The only issue i've had was when I visited Pop Century last year. Me and my friends had been waiting in line for a bus to DAK for 15mins in high temperatures. A bus arrives, they board a disabled passenger, who had just arrived at the stop literally seconds prior. This isnt what annoyed me. It was the fact that the rest of this persons party then took up at least 75% of the bus, meaning only about 10 people in the queue got in.
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Yeah, leech off the disabled is a whole other ball of wax.
 
E

Eyorefan

Active Member
gsimpson said:
You could also use smaller "van" vehicles to ferry the mobility impaired around, that way the large buses could be used to their full capacity and those in wheelchairs and scooters could get to where they are going without much if any inconvenience either. I will no doubt get seared to a crackely crunch for suggesting the handicapped get treated differently but guess what.... they already do when they get first in line for the buses, get on the buses first, and so on.
Click to expand...

Working out the legistics of that kind of system would take some working, but I don't see why they couldn't do it if they wanted to. I know where I live there is something simlar in place for people with different handicaps.
 
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