GAC to Become DAS

[midwest_mice]

The original quote states she was in a scooter. And she easily got off once on the bus. For all you and I know, she could have been a GAC because she had tennis elbow...

If she was truly truly wheelchair bound I would like to think ANYBODY would have been more than accommodating for her.

She seemed to walk normal. I am not dissing wheelchair bound, I have been in their position before due to surgery. But my whole point of the story was that just because you rent a scooter, doesn't make you automatically superior over others that have been waiting in line. I wish the bus line ques were big enough so that if you are in a scooter/wheelchair, you get in the same line as everyone else. If it takes two buses until you get on just like it would for the person ahead of you, that is only fair.
I am so glad this new GAC is going to take effect before my next trip.

 

[JimboJones123]

Again.....George Orwell

MORE EQUAL!!!

 

[BrightImagine]

Can I just quote for clarity the infuriating story that everyone's referencing...

I completely agree. Being "fat" doesn't mean you are disabled, some people it does, but the majority is just plain laziness. The worst I saw on my last trip was a bus pulled up at DTD to the Contemp. and a lady in her early 50's was in a scooter. The bus was about 3/4 full and the driver asked her- "do you want me to wake up these 3 kids since that is the bench I have to put up to park your scooter?" The lady replied: Yes, I want on this bus and am not going to wait for another". Mind you, she just wheeled up about a minute before the bus arrived. So the driver woke up the kids that were sleeping in their parents laps and those parents were quite irrated. Then of course, 5 or 6 others in the scooter lady's party had to board in front of everyone else. She parked the scooter, and then easily walked to an open seat on the bus.

Of course everyone wants people needing special assistance to have equal access to the bus. But I can't imagine not feeling angry in this situation.

 

[DISNEYCASTAWAY]

The law as written says

"No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation."

This means Disney has to let them into the parks and grant them access to the rides, not make them instant access as most people seem to be upset over. As stated in my last post my husband has a disability that does not allow him to use stairs. I do not feel that whatever the disability people my have means they get instant access above and beyond any other. Equal enjoyment, normal people have to wait so does my husband.We all now have the enjoyment of the wait, why are so many upset over this?

 

[JimboJones123]

Is that the Mickey mourning over the death of Walt art or the 9/11 art? Either way, classy.

 

[Hyperspace Hoopla]

I'm just wondering how, after all the discussions here about disabilities, Anyone can say that a person is clearly not disabled.

Okay, I'll give you an example. We were at HS in May fo Star Wars weekends. We were in Darth's Mall waiting in line for the meet and greet that swaps out Luke, Leia, R2 and 3PO. We were at the end of the line, which is over to the far right.

A family of four came down the corridor - A husband and wife in their mid 30's, his mother - mid 50's and a boy, maybe 10 or so. The boy was in a rented scooter. The family tried to go around the barriers to the left to get to the front of the line, but were stopped by a cast member who explained that there wasn't a separate line for wheelchairs/scooters. I'm not sure if they had a GAC, but none was presented to the CM.

The family got in line behind us, and the father complained about waiting in line. The boy wasn't happy about it either, so the father sent the boy with his mother to go look around the mall. They'd run over and play the Angry Birds game, and come back. Then they'd go build a droid and come back.

While we were in line, all four of these people took a turn in the scooter, to the point where I couldn't tell you who it was actually intended for.

Is it possible that the family all has the same disability that requires each of them to ride a scooter for a quarter of the day? I guess, but I'm leaning towards the other possibility.

 

[Nemo14]

Okay, I'll give you an example. We were at HS in May fo Star Wars weekends. We were in Darth's Mall waiting in line for the meet and greet that swaps out Luke, Leia, R2 and 3PO. We were at the end of the line, which is over to the far right.

A family of four came down the corridor - A husband and wife in their mid 30's, his mother - mid 50's and a boy, maybe 10 or so. The boy was in a rented scooter. The family tried to go around the barriers to the left to get to the front of the line, but were stopped by a cast member who explained that there wasn't a separate line for wheelchairs/scooters. I'm not sure if they had a GAC, but none was presented to the CM.

The family got in line behind us, and the father complained about waiting in line. The boy wasn't happy about it either, so the father sent the boy with his mother to go look around the mall. They'd run over and play the Angry Birds game, and come back. Then they'd go build a droid and come back.

While we were in line, all four of these people took a turn in the scooter, to the point where I couldn't tell you who it was actually intended for.

Is it possible that the family all has the same disability that requires each of them to ride a scooter for a quarter of the day? I guess, but I'm leaning towards the other possibility.

No one is saying that abuse of the system wasn't going on. My comment though was in reference to the fact that because the lady walked off of her scooter, then she clearly must not have had a disability.

 

[ddrongowski]

I get that it is supposed to be rude to not respond once you're in the discussion, but I've said what I had to say. I have nothing to add.

I see the thing pop up saying I've been quoted, but am done reading the justifications of selfish, spoiled, adult brats who were raised to believe that their every desire should be accommodated and that those who are in wheelchairs should just sit and wait all day for a bus on which nobody has sat in the handicapped section, lol. God forbid that (after they run their children so hard that the kids are falling asleep in public) their little pumpkins should have to be moved.

I have little sympathy for these adults. I will save my pity for the people who deserve it.

I will gladly let them have my bus seat. But than again I use the boats or my rental car.

 

[ddrongowski]

I'm just wondering how, after all the discussions here about disabilities, Anyone can say that a person is clearly not disabled.

What I have learned is "everyone" is disabled! GAC's and DAS's for EVERYONE!!! COME NOW AND GET YOUR GAC/DAS!!! HOT GAC'S HOT DAS'S!!! FRESH OF THE PRINTER!!! COME ONE COME ALL!!!

 

[ddrongowski]

Can we leave the bickering now, please? Everyone.

Never gonna happen, until the "I" mentality is gone, and that is never going to happen. EVER!!

 

[ddrongowski]

But even if she was, what gives the family the right to go front of line while she waits outside, just so they don't spend less time together. (or somethinglike that, kids are crawling all over me lol)

I was going to say this, but you beat me to it. So all I will say is...

AGREED!!!!!!

P.S. I was not going to say the "kids are crawling all over me lol" part.

 

[Goofyernmost]

So what you are saying is only wealthy people can be slim? I am by no means slim however I am within my weight range. I keep it this way by making time to exercise which is done at home and not a gym and making healthy food choices and portion control. Anybody can do it rich or poor old or young. You should really see the video of the over weight military veteran with health issues who decided to take control of his body and started doing yoga dialy and cutting his food intake. He went from being over weight with numerous health issues and barley walking with a cane to a completely different man. I am thinking maybe you need to read something that doesn't just support your opinion also.

Sure, that's what I'm saying...sheez!

 

[ddrongowski]

Sure, that's what I'm saying...sheez!

No that's not what you said. What you said was only drug addicts can be slim.


right? /looks around cautiously/

 

[midwest_mice]

My last case in point is this: The current society is so much different from what it was 15-20 years ago. 15-20 years ago you may have a few that would abuse the system, but nowadays more and more abuse the system because their time is too precious to wait in line for anything. It's just not at WDW, it's all over. There is a generation of people that act like they are too good to wait like everyone else. You see this at ballparks, stadiums, etc.
When leaving a parking lot after a big baseball or football game, or even concert it is so evident when most people use the "every other car yields to the next" theory you have those few pricks that don't abide and just keep going.
Even with the new DAS coming to WDW, you will still see people abuse it. I think Disney is doing the right thing and it will have it's bumps, but for the most part, it should work as intended. You may see scooter rentals down because of this, you may not. I am just glad that everyone will have the same waiting periods, even though the DAS has basically a Fastpass to come back, they still wait their turn.
Now Make a Wish kids are a totally different situation. These kids deserve the right to get in as much as they can, since most of them are likely never going to get back to WDW like most of us here on these threads. I would gladly give up my bus seat for a Make-A-Wish family.

 

[Lord_Vader]

N

No one is hating on the disabled but being obese should not be a disability . Oh and there is a big difference between a wheelchair and a rent a scooter at Disney! I find it funny that you are critizing some of us for being judgemental but you in fact are doing the same you know with words like selfish, spoiled , and cruel.

It all depends, my wife has spinal damage that causes severe swelling in her legs when walking more than a few hundred feet and cannot climb stairs, pressure on the nerves at the spine to the lower legs is the root cause and would use an ECV if they did not force her to lean forward which places pressure on the nerves resulting in the same problem. Some guests may rent the ECVs simply because navigating yourself in a wheelchair is exhausting after a relatively short day at the park and they may want the "self reliance" that an ECV can afford and not require their family to push them around all day.

Sometimes obesity is the result of other issues that force a person into a mobility device not always being lazy or eating too much. Check out the negative impact from having your Thyroid removed, the long term issues and impact to your daily life.

IMO very few guests who rent ECVs fall into a category of guest that require the use of them but are simply doing so as a convinience or are plain lazy but there are valid reasons, many of which are not obvious and the posters making comments like yours show a complete lack of tolerance.

 

[Lord_Vader]

I'm just wondering how, after all the discussions here about disabilities, Anyone can say that a person is clearly not disabled.

They are judgemental.

 

[Lord_Vader]

But even if she was, what gives the family the right to go front of line while she waits outside, just so they don't spend less time together. (or somethinglike that, kids are crawling all over me lol)

It is a courtesy that Disney extends to the family, some do abuse it and in fact I would say most abuse it. The even as stated showed they had not manners which shows they also have a lack of class and concern for others around them as well.

 

[flynnibus]

I wish all the 'who needs an ECV or not' discussion would be purged. We know it's a problem... we know you can't tell who needs what... there really is nothing more to say about who is in an ECV or not. The only point that matters is they are.. and the tolerant point of view is to just ACCEPT that they are and focus on dealing with it.

People could help the problem by acknowledging if they are using the ECV to help them because Disney is so much walking/distance that they only use the ECV for that.. and not take up the handicap spaces in lines/attractions.

 

[Lord_Vader]

She seemed to walk normal. I am not dissing wheelchair bound, I have been in their position before due to surgery. But my whole point of the story was that just because you rent a scooter, doesn't make you automatically superior over others that have been waiting in line. I wish the bus line ques were big enough so that if you are in a scooter/wheelchair, you get in the same line as everyone else. If it takes two buses until you get on just like it would for the person ahead of you, that is only fair.
I am so glad this new GAC is going to take effect before my next trip.

Some of the bus queues are built so that ECV/Wheelchair guests are supposed to go through the line to a point where there is a gate to the loading area. We use it when it is there, I believe AK has them but I cannot remember but very few ECV/Wheelchair bound guests do. I agree with you, it is fair but have also been halted and force to wait for the next bus while the 40 guests behind us load b/c the guests in front of us sat in the wheelchair seating and would not move or the driver would not ask. This is not a rare occurance, happens at least one out of five bus rides during the holidays but nobody seems to complain about the wheelchair party having to wait for the next next bus after already waiting 20 minutes.

 

[Timekeeper]

The 85-year-old (in 2011) Playboy boss decided to use a mobility scooter to zoom around on a trip to Disneyland. Not to be outdone, his young fiancée – 24-year-old Playboy bunny Crystal Harris – jumped on one too. Of course, Hefner feels lonely if only one of his bunnies accompanies him, so another blonde made up the trio.