Let the hate begin - Wheelchair only buses?

[ToInfinityAndBeyond]

No offense meant in my post, by the way. I was just commenting on my experience with the way the system works today. I can edit that portion out if necessary.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I don't see a "wheelchair-only" bus being practical, simply because an entire fleet of them would be needed to service all of the necessary routes.

I agree, though, that the particular bus design and ramp technology WDW uses could be vastly improved, to allow for faster loading of guests in wheelchairs and scooters, and without compromising safety. I recently traveled to Stockholm and was amazed and impressed at the speed and efficiency with which city buses loaded and offloaded guests in wheelchairs and/or with strollers -- it literally took seconds.

 

[SeanWM48]

i've been 3 times and never found this to be a big deal. people completely over-react to how long it takes. it's free transportation just relax and wait.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

i've been 3 times and never found this to be a big deal. people completely over-react to how long it takes. it's free transportation just relax and wait.

Exactly!!! People complain if someone in a wheelchair comes up at the last minute, and gets on right away. If you hear that at a bus stop, ask them if they would rather be in the wheelchair full-time, or able to walk? It amazes me sometimes (I know it shouldn't in our everything is about me world), that people are so crass and insensitive to everyone else.

The only thing I think Disney could do is different buses that allow easier ingress and exit for the scooters and wheelchairs. And I don't mean separate buses. Just ones that can load differently, while allowing everyone else to board.

 

[SeanWM48]

Exactly!!! People complain if someone in a wheelchair comes up at the last minute, and gets on right away. If you hear that at a bus stop, ask them if they would rather be in the wheelchair full-time, or able to walk? It amazes me sometimes (I know it shouldn't in our everything is about me world), that people are so crass and insensitive to everyone else.

i hear you. like yeah i guess it's frustrating if people abuse the privilege but overall this kind of stuff doesn't cross my mind. it's vacation, i'm in florida, it's (usually) sunny and warm. i'm too relaxed to care about bus/wheel chair etiquette. let them get on first and then walk on after.

i'm far too preoccupied with what my plans are for wherever the bus is headed. i'm not constantly looking for something to complain about like so many others do at WDW

 

[wogwog]

They just need a different design of bus. Over here in the UK the buses are much lower so with a simple push of a button the suspension of the bus lowers to curb level, a small metal plate then extends out and the wheel chair can simply roll on. It takes seconds.

This. As frequent London visitor for business and pleasure the London Transport design is genius. The bus has designated spots for self service boarding for chairs. No seats to clear and raise to make a spot. Adds mere seconds to the boarding process.

 

[ChesterKiwi]

Ho-ho-ho...wheelchair bus stories...

I really want to rant about the frustrating ordeal of waiting for 40 minutes for a bus and then another 5 for the bus driver's lethargic loading of a wheelchair, but I won't. I think they need better bus technology, so the wheelchairs can get on and off the buses without making a huge ordeal that takes so much longer than it really should.

 

[DManRightHere]

First off, yes, I travel with a person in a wheelchair and am 100% the rights of the disabled
Second, when in school we petitioned and wrote to all of our politicians to have the Curb Cut Requirement Act of 1976 to be passed

So here goes, we normally travel every year to WDW for 15 days and my partner has had 3 back surgeries and 2 discs removed so by the second or third day he is wheelchair bound
We are only a party of two and use the wheelchair option when boarding the buses back and forth, often putting up with the stares and comments about wheelchair abusers

I have also been on the other end, standing in line for what feels like hours waiting for the bus and then a family of 50 comes along with one wheelchair and they fill half of the bus

Come one, we have all had this same feeling of people abusing the wheelchair system

Why not have a wheelchair only bus? Have one designated bus without any seats that can pick up the chairs and families all at once without delaying bus loading of other passengers?
The buses can have the floor locks like the buses here in NYC to hold the wheels in place.

As a wheelchair family I would more than welcome this, any else agree?

I forsee massive waits for the disabled. It takes a lot of busses just to keep them coming every 15-30 minutes.

I will note that sometimes at bus stops if there is a line of wheelchairs and scooters and the bus stop is not the first stop (buses arriving already have too many people) and a CM notices, they can call for an empty bus.

I could see Disney organizing a few designated buses/vans to schedule pickups for the disabled. Though that could cause a whole other chaos. Maybe this is what you meant..."disabled only bus arrives at x time". They would probably need 2-3 CM's to run it efficiently..imagine the time it takes to load 1 wheelchair.

 

[jaklgreen]

I also think that they need better busses for this. I can't even remember how many times I have seen a senior driving and ECV and almost fall off the ramp trying to load it on to the bus. It's very dangerous the way they have it set up.

 

[Travel Junkie]

Disneyland has mobility buses. The following is taken from a Mouseplanet article last year. WDW is a different animal than Disneyland, but it shows it is possible.

Passengers board the Mickey Van outside the Mickey and Friends parking structure. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Disney recently completed a project at the Mickey and Friends parking structure, removing a planter at the end of the turn-around to create a new loading area for the Mickey Van used to transport visitors who use wheelchairs. Disney has tried several locations for the the van stop, most recently using the Pinocchio parking lot. This new dedicated van stop allows visitors parked in the parking structure to reach the Mickey Van without crossing the tram route. It appears construction of a similar stop on the Downtown Disney end of the tram loop is under construction.

http://www.mouseplanet.com/10804/Disneyland_Resort_Update

 

[seahawk7]

I also think that they need better busses for this. I can't even remember how many times I have seen a senior driving and ECV and almost fall off the ramp trying to load it on to the bus. It's very dangerous the way they have it set up.

I agree. I have seen many ECV drivers not be able to make the turn.

 

[Tom]

I also think that they need better busses for this. I can't even remember how many times I have seen a senior driving and ECV and almost fall off the ramp trying to load it on to the bus. It's very dangerous the way they have it set up.

I'm guessing the older buses were designed when ECV usage was not as popular as it is today. And the people who used them probably used them in their "real lives" too, meaning they were qualified to operate them.

 

[Monty]

I have no doubt Disney has done their research into all available options. The current system allows buses to service waiting clientele on an as-required basis. If there are no waiting wheelchairs/scooters, a bus can load a full complement of able-bodied guests. If required, the bus loads such wheelchair/scooter bound guests as can be accommodated and then fills up with remaining able-bodied guests. The logistics of loading makes loading any wheelchairs or scooters first the more efficient approach. Loading accompanying friends and family is courteous and logical.

Purchasing, operating and maintaining a fleet of on-call accessible vans or buses to meet the unpredictable demand for wheelchair/scooter transportation would likely be inefficient and potentially extremely costly without ever being assured it would/could meet the demand.

 

[Freshee61]

First off, yes, I travel with a person in a wheelchair and am 100% the rights of the disabled
Second, when in school we petitioned and wrote to all of our politicians to have the Curb Cut Requirement Act of 1976 to be passed

So here goes, we normally travel every year to WDW for 15 days and my partner has had 3 back surgeries and 2 discs removed so by the second or third day he is wheelchair bound
We are only a party of two and use the wheelchair option when boarding the buses back and forth, often putting up with the stares and comments about wheelchair abusers

I have also been on the other end, standing in line for what feels like hours waiting for the bus and then a family of 50 comes along with one wheelchair and they fill half of the bus

Come one, we have all had this same feeling of people abusing the wheelchair system

Why not have a wheelchair only bus? Have one designated bus without any seats that can pick up the chairs and families all at once without delaying bus loading of other passengers?
The buses can have the floor locks like the buses here in NYC to hold the wheels in place.

As a wheelchair family I would more than welcome this, any else agree?

I thinK it's a great ideA! All they really need is to have two to four buses on call and I think it would be a world of a difference for both parties.

 

[Lord_Vader]

The bus loading process has gotten better over the years, the current ramps are faster than the old lifts and the newer latching systems are better and faster but not optimal.

While there are many, many opportunities for improvement in the current system is better than it used to be.

With an occasional exception, Disney does a great job trying to make sure guests with disabilities are taken care of but could enhance their fleet with more efficient loading models that account for wheelchairs and ECVs.

The biggest complaint we always overhear is why are they being loaded first... Well if the chairs aren't loaded first, the seats designated for the chairs are also some of the first seats guests sit in and most guests sitting won't get up. If chairs could load and lock in place more efficiently everyone would be happier and overall service would be better.

 

[copcarguyp71]

Why not have a standard wheelchair/scooter configuration that works in conjunction with a pre-installed set of docking clamps on the busses and thus negating the laborious task of the driver having to strap these variously built contraptions down and the disembarkation of the riders from their devices. Drive on, manuver into the clamps that clamp onto the vehicle, they clamp down and....DONE! If you want to ride the busses your device has to meet the specifications and thus loading and unloading is less time consuming and laborious. I know...I am making too much sense and it does not track spending or follow any marketing demographics so it will never happen but....it makes sense to me.

 

[Master Yoda]

The biggest complaint we always overhear is why are they being loaded first... Well if the chairs aren't loaded first, the seats designated for the chairs are also some of the first seats guests sit in and most guests sitting won't get up. If chairs could load and lock in place more efficiently everyone would be happier and overall service would be better.

I use to wonder that until I was on a bus where the driver messed up and did not load a ECV first.

Cluster f is the only word to describe it.

 

[unkadug]

First off, yes, I travel with a person in a wheelchair and am 100% the rights of the disabled
...

Why not have a wheelchair only bus? Have one designated bus without any seats that can pick up the chairs and families all at once without delaying bus loading of other passengers?
...

If you have a bus with no seats, then where will the family of the wheelchair guest sit?

Am I missing something?

 

[Goofyernmost]

That would beg the question of legally being allowed to have buses without wheelchair service which due to the Americans with Disabilities Act (commonly referred to as ADA) is not going to happen. Disney is required to provide wheelchair service on all of its buses. What your asking for are additional service routes with unique equipment which is contrary to ADA's goals of providing equal access to the common haulage. Seperate but equal doesn't fly.

ADA... yes, that is an important consideration. One of the main purposes of ADA is to incorporate the disabled in with the rest of society. Separate provisions do exactly the opposite of that. It segregates them even further then they were before. That would not be allowed for the kind of transportation that Disney does. I guess we just have to stand there an bite the bullet. One way to overcome that anger is to spend some time being extremely grateful that we are not the one in the wheelchair. It makes it all seem a lot better.

It's hilarious how long it takes the buses to lower and extend the ramp. I laugh to myself every time it happens.

Perhaps instead of laughing you might jump right up there and show them how to do it faster, because based on what you are saying, you know a better way.

Thank you for posting this. This might be the "policy" but it is rarely enforced and you certainly can't rely on the party to be considerate of other guests.

First off, the mentioned 50 family members might just be a bit of an exaggeration. But, putting that in more realistic number you have to ask yourself. If you are traveling with a disabled family member how would you feel about being separated from your family. Place that on the idea that you have a family riding without disabilities and you got on the bus, but, there isn't enough room for your whole family and the solution that Disney comes up with is you leave part of your family behind and proceed ahead! How would you feel about that? I'm not even sure that is a policy at Disney. I don't think that the law would allow that type of separation. Anyway, it's not as bad as everyone tries to make it sound. I"m thinking that instead of spending time getting physically ready for the long days at WDW, we might spend time practicing our compassion and not assume that everyone that is using a Wheelchair or ECV is faking it, because I can assure you that using either one of those is not the piece of cake that everyone makes it out to be. Even if one can get out of them for brief periods of time it is a royal PITA.

 

[michaelnyc]

If you have a bus with no seats, then where will the family of the wheelchair guest sit?

Am I missing something?

They would stand with their wheelchaired family members. The same way everyone else does on a crowded bus or they could have the fold down seats like we have in some NYC subway cars.