GAC to Become DAS

[Lord_Vader]

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.

I agree with you completely.

Not everyone has respect for others, it cuts both ways too. She was rude and showed no class which is also a major part of the perception problem in general. Many guests that rent the ECVs feel entitled, are rude, pushy and arrogant guests, we have run into quite a few over the years. Many on this thread are acting as if all guests in ECVs are the problem when there are valid reasons for people to use them.

 

[Tom Morrow]

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!!!

This is pretty accurate of how GACs are actually distributed!

 

[minninedaisy74]

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.

Again no one is picking on disabled i

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.

You are right I have no tolerance for the lady who insisted that the bus driver wake up three sleeping children. No need to be so preachy if you choose to believe that all the obese people on scooters are obese solely because of health issues and not lack of self control and the unwillingness to get out in move and because of that they are entitled to special treatment at vacation destinations then that is fine however I choose to not feel that way. I love all the your so judgmental comments and that is bad bad bad but I am going to do the same because my opinions are so much more valid.

 

[lazyboy97o]

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.

This does not address the realities of loading. They may get to skip the line but they're also the last ones to get off.

 

[JerseyDad]

No it doesn't... you're dropping words and changing the meaning to suit your belief. You don't decide what's illegal.. but you can misinterpret what you read.

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."

Highlighted the important part for you and why does NOT say 'everyone must be equal' - it says you can't discriminate against people on the basis of a disability. And disability is described prior having the impairment or record of impairment.

That is not the same as saying 'as having or not having a disability'

Additionally, one should read the PURPOSE of the law, as defined in the law
(1) to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities;

(2) to provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities;

(3) to ensure that the Federal Government plays a central role in enforcing the standards established in this chapter on behalf of individuals with disabilities; and

(4) to invoke the sweep of congressional authority, including the power to enforce the fourteenth amendment and to regulate commerce, in order to address the major areas of discrimination faced day-to-day by people with disabilities.

Equal opportunity is not how compliance is measured tho. Compliance is about providing reasonable accommodation for the disability in question. The problem is, simply giving everyone equal opportunity to not wait in a confined line is not the universal answer for all disabilities.

No, they fought to not be DISCRIMINATED against. Equal is finite point on the spectrum and the law is not defined in purpose or text to require equality. It is defined to require providing accommodation to remove DISCRIMINATION.

On a sliding line you would have...

hate.... discriminate.... equality... appreciate... love

The law did not define everyone as required to be equals. The law was intended to move the minimum UP, so that disabled people can function normally without being second class citizens.

The ADA is an anti-discrimination law - not a 'require equality for all law'. There is a difference..

....perhaps you needed to read a bit further into:

Americans with Disabilities Act Title III Regulations


Part 36 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities
(as amended by the final rule published on September 15, 2010)

Subpart B – General Requirements
§ 36.201 General.

• (a) Prohibition of discrimination. 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 private entity who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation

(the cited section is self explanatory)

§ 36.202 Activities.

• (a) Denial of participation. A public accommodation shall not subject an individual or class of individuals on the basis of a disability or disabilities of such individual or class, directly, or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements, to a denial of the opportunity of the individual or class to participate in or benefit from the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of a place of public accommodation.

• (b) Participation in unequal benefit. A public accommodation shall not afford an individual or class of individuals, on the basis of a disability or disabilities of such individual or class, directly, or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements, with the opportunity to participate in or benefit from a good, service, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation that is not equal to that afforded to other individuals.

....when the word EQUAL is included in the Law's text ...it wasn't put there by accident.

 

[Lord_Vader]

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.

There has been a gradual slide in individual civility/morals for the past 30 years, look how many people run red lights, cut into merge lanes at the last moment while traffic has been backed up for miles and don't think twice about parking in handicap slots to run into the store.

ECVs don't automatically get you a GAC or to the front of the line either.

Again no one is picking on disabled i


You are right I have no tolerance for the lady who insisted that the bus driver wake up three sleeping children. No need to be so preachy if you choose to believe that all the obese people on scooters are obese solely because of health issues and not lack of self control and the unwillingness to get out in move and because of that they are entitled to special treatment at vacation destinations then that is fine however I choose to not feel that way. I love all the your so judgmental comments and that is bad bad bad but I am going to do the same because my opinions are so much more valid.

I wasn't judging you in any way, simply stating that everything is not black and white. I do believe very few guests that use ECVs actually need them, but the assumption that anyone on them is a fat/lazy person who is unworthy is incorrect as well.

 

[Figaro928]

This does not address the realities of loading. They may get to skip the line but they're also the last ones to get off.

Can I be the jerk and say anyone would rather wait to be the last one off an air-conditioned bus than wait four cycles in line for an available one ...

 

[lazyboy97o]

Can I be the jerk and say anyone would rather wait to be the last one off an air-conditioned bus than wait four cycles in line for an available one ...

That assumes the persons always gets to skip the line and board immediately. There is no option of standing room if all of the wheelchair anchors are being utilized.

 

[minninedaisy74]

I

There has been a gradual slide in individual civility/morals for the past 30 years, look how many people run red lights, cut into merge lanes at the last moment while traffic has been backed up for miles and don't think twice about parking in handicap slots to run into the store.

ECVs don't automatically get you a GAC or to the front of the line either.


I wasn't judging you in any way, simply stating that everything is not black and white. I do believe very few guests that use ECVs actually need them, but the assumption that anyone on them is a fat/lazy person who is unworthy is incorrect as well.

I was not making that assumption just stating that in this particular case it seemed as though it was. I guess I wasn't very clear on that. I would never begrudge a disabled person a seat on the bus in fact we are the family that gladly gives up our seat for the elderly , pregnant women, passengers with babies or small children or anyone who looks to be in need of it. Things have gotten way out of hand at Disney and hopefully this new program will get things back on track especially for those who truly need the accommodations.

 

[PhotoDave219]

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.

He's 85 years old! Of course he needs an ECV

 

[jaklgreen]

I want to be clear. I did not criticize anyone for being judgemental. The criticism is for those who agree that parents should be irritated when asked to give up a seat (clearly marked as a seat that will need to be given up) for a wheelchair.

Yes, I judge them. I correctly judge them as selfish, spoiled, adult brats. I would hope that they were raised better and that their parents would be saying, "That is not how I raised them." I don't see how a person who was raised better could behave that way, though.

I have a relative in a wheelchair. Although nobody would ever (honestly) describe the couple steps she takes with the the help of one or two others as "easy", she rents wheelchairs and uses the freebie ones in airports and at WDW.

She went to WDW and had a hard time with their ECVs. They're hard to use. They also slow you down a LOT. So much. People who've never done this have no idea how difficult a day at WDW becomes when you tour with a wheelchair.

I had to back down parking lanes to get her out of the wheelchair and into the car. Not all the lots were easy to push a chair through! Just one of the many, many ways using a wheelchair slows you down.

Since using the wheelchair, she's gained some weight. She's pudgy now.

She is also the most genuinely sweet person I've ever known. All of her waking hours, every day of her life, she is kind and sweet. I don't know how it is possible. I really don't. She isn't dumb, either. Just amazingly kind and sweet. Everyone who encounters her falls in love, which is no surprise as she's just that nice. I'm so proud to be related to her. I don't deserve to be, lol.

If some bus driver pressured her to wait through more busses because parents didn't want to move their children, I would SO have campaigned at Disney to fire that person. Because she would have waited. I don't even want to think about how many busses would pull up and ask her not to get on them that she'd have sat there through, not boarding.

I think we've reached a new low. I don't see how much lower we can sink. People shaking their heads at a person in a wheelchair for wanting a seat and not shaking their heads at the people who are annoyed at having to move.

Who would have thought this day would come? Not me.

If we cannot be mildly inconvenienced for the handicapped, we have turned into the most lazy, selfish, spoiled, cruel society on the planet.

I don't think it is just against disabled people. Common courtesy is out the window. In the 16 years I have been going to WDW(always use Disney transportation) peoples attitudes have changed. I rarely see any adult able bodied men giving up their seats for anyone, including elderly, pregnant women, etc. My husband is the first one to get up if and elderly person gets on and there are no seats. Grown men should be ashamed of themselves for sitting there while the elderly stand. I usually end up giving them my seat and I am no spring chicken myself.

 

[flynnibus]

....perhaps you needed to read a bit further into:

Simply put.. you're reading it wrong. 'on the basis of a disability' means to discriminate based on their disability.. not the lack of one. If you don't believe me.. call the Dept of Justice 800 - 514 - 0301 and ask them if it's illegal to offer an accommodation for a disability that you don't offer to someone without the disability.

Using your logic... the idea of handicap only parking is illegal.

 

[jaklgreen]

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.

In a perfect world this is how it would be, but I totally understand why Disney gets them on the first bus that shows up. There are soooo many rented ECV's now that it would be a nightmare if they all had to wait their turn and not get on the first bus that can accommodate them. Especially at the end of the night. It is not uncommon to have 4-5 waiting in line per resort. So if they all get there at the same time and went thru the line then they would probably have to send out another bus to get the last ones when they could have gone on the first 2 busses that came thru. Does not make us happy that they can just roll right up and get on when we wait 20-30 min. Disney would have to have a complete overhaul on the bussing system. It would be nice if they had ECV racks in front of the buss like city busses do with bike racks. That way they would not take up any space inside the bus and people could be loaded in while they hook up the ECV in the front.

 

[Gomer]

I don't think it is just against disabled people. Common courtesy is out the window. In the 16 years I have been going to WDW(always use Disney transportation) peoples attitudes have changed. I rarely see any adult able bodied men giving up their seats for anyone, including elderly, pregnant women, etc. My husband is the first one to get up if and elderly person gets on and there are no seats. Grown men should be ashamed of themselves for sitting there while the elderly stand. I usually end up giving them my seat and I am no spring chicken myself.

So true. But let me add kids to that comment as well. If you are a 25 year old guy with nothing but a water bottle and sunglasses and there is a 4 year old standing in front of you. Get up and let the kid sit on her mother's lap in your seat. Its dangerous for young kids to be standing on these things. it takes real strength to maintain your balance en route to your hotel.

I became extremely frustrated (somewhat selfishly admittedly) on my last trip as I witnessed many able bodied people holding their seats and staring at the ground avoiding eye contact as elderly and young children stood in the middle. I'm in my late 30s and I'm holding a baby and a stroller, but I got up and had my wife hold two kids on her lap (a feat in itself) so they could sit. Suck it up, if you are young and fit, standing for a few minutes isn't the end of the world.

 

[jaklgreen]

So true. But let me add kids to that comment as well. If you are a 25 year old guy with nothing but a water bottle and sunglasses and there is a 4 year old standing in front of you. Get up and let the kid sit on her mother's lap in your seat. Its dangerous for young kids to be standing on these things. it takes real strength to maintain your balance en route to your hotel.

I became extremely frustrated (somewhat selfishly admittedly) on my last trip as I witnessed many able bodied people holding their seats and staring at the ground avoiding eye contact as elderly and young children stood in the middle. I'm in my late 30s and I'm holding a baby and a stroller, but I got up and had my wife hold two kids on her lap (a feat in itself) so they could sit. Suck it up, if you are young and fit, standing for a few minutes isn't the end of the world.

Agree. We have done this many times when our kids were young. I have always told my kids when they got older and could stand safely to get up for others.

 

[Goofyernmost]

He's 85 years old! Of course he needs an ECV

I assume that none of his legs work that well anymore! We should at least let him ride an ECV. As a side note, he does look awful.

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

Ok,time for some tongue in cheek humour. What if the ECV companies are subconsciously pushing people to abuse GAC?

"Look Grandpa, I wanna go on THAT ride NOW!!!"

"Oh mummy, that was so much fun, your turn, your turn!!!!"

 

[jaklgreen]

Ok,time for some tongue in cheek humour. What if the ECV companies are subconsciously pushing people to abuse GAC?
View attachment 33569
"Look Grandpa, I wanna go on THAT ride NOW!!!"

View attachment 33570
"Oh mummy, that was so much fun, your turn, your turn!!!!"

Maybe they all have "hidden" disabilities that they need to take turns using the ECV? LOL

 

[DISNEYCASTAWAY]

Simply put.. you're reading it wrong. 'on the basis of a disability' means to discriminate based on their disability.. not the lack of one. If you don't believe me.. call the Dept of Justice 800 - 514 - 0301 and ask them if it's illegal to offer an accommodation for a disability that you don't offer to someone without the disability.

Using your logic... the idea of handicap only parking is illegal.

It is not illegal to offer accommodation above an able bodied person. but the law only requires you be afforded the same equal rights as an able bodied person. If an able bodied person must wait for rides or buses why can't the disabled.The disabled have gotten used to the special treatment at Disney and now think that is the standard that they should be treated by. My husband has to use a cane and can't use stairs, no one on buses ever offers to get up for him and that is ok by him.Even though it is hard for him to maintain his balance on the buses while standing in a packed bus because he can not space his feet far enough apart. He does not let his disability stop him from moving forward with his life. Equal does not nor has it ever meant special treatment above what is offered to a normal person.

 

[pixargal]

WGN News in Chicago picked it up also as a good intention gone to abuse. Since the majority of guests that used GAC couldn't for various reasons stand in lines, the new system of FPs would keep those same guests out of long lines while cutting down on all types of abuse, (and they brought up the issue of hiring a disabled person for the trip) making every guests Disney experience better in line.

Sounds like they put a positive spin on it. I hope it works well for all involved.