Scooters

[GarryandLindy]

We go to Disney World at least three times a year. We've seen it all and you know what? Who cares. We're just happy to be at Disney. Get over it. Be thankful that you don't need some sort of assistance.

Here's a tip. Take a $6 cab to your resort/park if you don't want to wait.

 

[RogueHabit]

Wow... 5 more minutes of your life spent waiting in order to accommodate someone who has a lifetime of disability.

Well, if iot's a lifetime, then technically to them it's not a disability...

Think about it...

 

[RogueHabit]

Why would you be parking in a handicapped spot unless you were handicapped?

Some people are just selfish that way...

 

[shurst]

you may not but i have seen it happen many of times, this time just stuck out because i actually ran into them later, the women that originally was in the scooter was walking, skipping and everything else except waiting in line with the rest of us. and i completely understand if someone needs to get up and stretch and walk some but this wasnt the scenario.

YOU DO NOT GO to the front of the lines with scooters or wheelchairs - trust me, I waited in every line with everyone else...

And lots of people need to get up and walk around when they use scooters. if you sit all day you get stiff and that can cause even more problems. i have a $2000 custom wheelchair and i need to get up and walk, even i get stiff!

 

[TinkerbellK]

one of the reasons why wheelchairs load first is that there are TWO spots for us, and MANY for the able bodied. I would be fine if TWO people were allowed on, then TWO wheelchairs, then the other able bodies and any wheelchairs that can fold up... Also, the bus driver would have to get up, walk through the bus, stand next to the seats where a wheelchair goes, tell no one to sit there, judge from inside the bus when the wheelchair is at the front of hte line, stop everyone from loading, get the wheelchairs on WITHOUT them hitting the people now standing on the bus, then go back to the front and allow everyone else who can fit to board.

I am not saying the procedure is fair, but it is what the law is (wheelchairs board first -this is to prevent bus drivers from loading up the wheelchair spots then saying "oops, no more room"). i think it all evens out in the end, given how much longer those of us with wheelchairs wait for a lot of rides.

also, I can get up, skip, run, and even do a whole water park sometimes (a bit at a time)... however, i can only do it for a few minutes, then i need my chair again. not saying that woman was right, just saying that woman may have been justified.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

I pray you never become disabled and have to deal with people like yourself every day.

In all honesty, I make every attempt I can to help those with disabilites. I'm not trying to come off as insensitive (and I'm truly sorry if I'm coming off that way. Please believe me, I'm not as bad a person as you probably think I am at this point. ). I can only imagine what it must be like to be confined to a wheelchair in order to move around, or to not be able to use my arms and legs to their full ability, and I know that a good majority of people out there do not abuse the system. Its just that from my experiences, a greater number of them have involved those who I feel "take advantage" of the situation, or are given too much preference over everyone else.

 

[Monty]

In all honesty, I make every attempt I can to help those with disabilites. I'm not trying to come off as insensitive (and I'm truly sorry if I'm coming off that way. Please believe me, I'm not as bad a person as you probably think I am at this point. ). I can only imagine what it must be like to be confined to a wheelchair in order to move around, or to not be able to use my arms and legs to their full ability, and I know that a good majority of people out there do not abuse the system. Its just that from my experiences, a greater number of them have involved those who I feel "take advantage" of the situation, or are given too much preference over everyone else.

Perhaps you've come across less sensitive than you'd prefer or perhaps I've misjudged and I will freely grant there are many who "take advantage" using wheelchairs/scooters that don't need them. In a perfect world, only those who need them would use them, but I've never been able to figure out how to honestly tell.

But those that need them and use them deserve every break, every preference and every bit of magic Disney can provide and I will never begrudge them that. There, but for the grace of God go I.

Despite my disabilities, I have the good fortune not to need a wheelchair or scooter yet, but it's only a matter of time. As a result, perhaps I'm more sensitive to the issue than most. :shrug:

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Perhaps you've come across less sensitive than you'd prefer or perhaps I've misjudged and I will freely grant there are many who "take advantage" using wheelchairs/scooters that don't need them. In a perfect world, only those who need them would use them, but I've never been able to figure out how to honestly tell.

But those that need them and use them deserve every break, every preference and every bit of magic Disney can provide and I will never begrudge them that. There, but for the grace of God go I.

Despite my disabilities, I have the good fortune not to need a wheelchair or scooter yet, but it's only a matter of time. As a result, perhaps I'm more sensitive to the issue than most. :shrug:

Oh, after re-reading my posts, I took a harder tone than I probably should have, so I don't really blame you for thinking I'm on the tad insensitive side. And I'm not even referring to those who "cheat" and use a wheelchair when they really don't need one. I assume whenever I see someone in a wheelchair that there must be a reason why they need it, even if its not obvious right away.

I'm not against loading those in wheelchairs or scooters onto busses first. I just find it somewhat frustrating that a person in a wheelchair and their party can go to the front of the queue area and board the next bus without waiting in line, even where there are enough people in line to fill the next two busses. I understand that they need priority because of their situation, but why should they get to skip two busses in front of others who have already been waiting patiently in line? All I'm basically saying is that those in scooters/wheelchairs should have to wait their turn behind people who are already in line, and once its their turn to board the bus, then they can be given priority and board first. :shrug:

 

[Monty]

Oh, after re-reading my posts, I took a harder tone than I probably should have, so I don't really blame you for thinking I'm on the tad insensitive side. And I'm not even referring to those who "cheat" and use a wheelchair when they really don't need one. I assume whenever I see someone in a wheelchair that there must be a reason why they need it, even if its not obvious right away.

I'm not against loading those in wheelchairs or scooters onto busses first. I just find it somewhat frustrating that a person in a wheelchair and their party can go to the front of the queue area and board the next bus without waiting in line, even where there are enough people in line to fill the next two busses. I understand that they need priority because of their situation, but why should they get to skip two busses in front of others who have already been waiting patiently in line? All I'm basically saying is that those in scooters/wheelchairs should have to wait their turn behind people who are already in line, and once its their turn to board the bus, then they can be given priority and board first. :shrug:

Two problems:

The scooters can't really navigate the roped-off lines, so waiting in line really isn't an option.

The scooter, unless the bus fills right before it reaches the front of the line, would then have to wait even longer for the next bus while people behind them boarded the bus that they waited for, thus reversing your "people shouldn't have to wait longer because of them" rule.

In the end, boarding them first is logistically easier and trying to sort out when it's their "turn" is virtually impossible. Disney, a corporate giant with many years' experience dealing with the most effective ways of moving people from point A to point B, have determined the best approach and it works.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

^Yeah, I see what you mean. In theory though, one could wait off to the side while the group waits in line. (And someone could wait with the person in the wheelchair to keep them company so they are not by themselves.) Then, when their group reaches a point in the line where they will be on the next bus, they can notify the driver so they can be boarded first, and ride with the rest of their group.

But, after reading what I just typed, that requires a lot of the person in the wheelchair in terms of planning how long it will take, guessing how many busses need to pass in front of them, where to wait so they're not in the way of everyone else, etc. (And from my experience at WDW, not everyone thinks things through in a practical matter like I would like them to. )

In the long run, I'll just deal with the current system, as it does make for fewer headaches for everyone in the long run.

 

[Goofnut1980]

*waits*

thats so funny.. I am laughing so hard... LOL I love it!

 

[unkadug]

Wow... 5 more minutes of your life spent waiting in order to accommodate someone who has a lifetime of disability.

Well, if it's a lifetime, then technically to them it's not a disability...

Think about it...

Perhaps I should have said "the rest of their lifetime with a disability."

 

[kimmychad]

Perhaps you've come across less sensitive than you'd prefer or perhaps I've misjudged and I will freely grant there are many who "take advantage" using wheelchairs/scooters that don't need them. In a perfect world, only those who need them would use them, but I've never been able to figure out how to honestly tell.

But those that need them and use them deserve every break, every preference and every bit of magic Disney can provide and I will never begrudge them that. There, but for the grace of God go I.

Despite my disabilities, I have the good fortune not to need a wheelchair or scooter yet, but it's only a matter of time. As a result, perhaps I'm more sensitive to the issue than most. :shrug:

due to your pride, good for for you monty

 

[kimmychad]

Some people are just selfish that way...

sorry if my post come off that
way but i don't park in a disability spot.
please see my earlier post on the subject.

 

[debvath]

I have to agree with the poster.
Here's one for you....
We were at Disney last week. We had to wait to get on a bus because of a scooter. No problem there. THe problem I have is the woman got off her scooter and left the bus driver to load it and sat down and took up not one BUT TWO seats rather than sitting on her scooter which she should have been seat belted to. The bus was OVER full and an older copule were left standing. So this woman took up 4 maybe 5 seats.
That is just plain RUDE!

 

[TinkerbellK]

I have to agree with the poster.
Here's one for you....
We were at Disney last week. We had to wait to get on a bus because of a scooter. No problem there. THe problem I have is the woman got off her scooter and left the bus driver to load it and sat down and took up not one BUT TWO seats rather than sitting on her scooter which she should have been seat belted to. The bus was OVER full and an older copule were left standing. So this woman took up 4 maybe 5 seats.
That is just plain RUDE!

Actually, the woman is NOT ALLOWED to stay on her scooter on the bus. even belted down they can tip or shift, and they are unsafe. if you look the next time you are on a bus, you will see a sign instructing people on scooters to move to a regular seat.

People with also often have the bus driver load the scooter if they have problems maneuvering in a tight and crowded bus, for safety reasons.

So while she may have been rude otherwise, she was doing was is required to move to a regular seat. Also, on disney buses, there is no belt to belt someone into a scooter or wheelchair, as there sometimes is on city buses.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Perhaps there would be less requirement for scooters if bloaters laid off the burgers.

 

[TinkerbellK]

Perhaps there would be less requirement for scooters if bloaters laid off the burgers.

wow, what a hateful remark...

yes, some people may use scooters due to their own actions (i.e. not taking care of themselves), but remember, you can't know just by looking. So if you make a judgement about my sister who is 100 lbs overweight and may need a scooter, you are going to be sadly and cruelly wrong. My sister may have a brain tumor, and i can stand up out of my wheelchair with no problem to get on a ride, so you would never guess the three different chronic illnesses that leave me disabled.

Yes, some people may be foolish, but please try not to judge, because you will be very embarrassed someday when you realize an error...

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Just making a gross generalisation, but many of the ECV chair users seem to me to have a habit for pies rather than suffering from genuine illness.

True I may not be able to tell those who truly need a chair from the idle but if they were habitual users Id guess they would know the manoeuvrability and possibly that they dont fit very well in the fast food collection lines and not role up with the two ton kids in tow.

 

[TinkerbellK]

Just making a gross generalisation, but many of the ECV chair users seem to me to have a habit for pies rather than suffering from genuine illness.

True I may not be able to tell those who truly need a chair from the idle but if they were habitual users Id guess they would know the manoeuvrability and possibly that they dont fit very well in the fast food collection lines and not role up with the two ton kids in tow.

You can think whatever you want. You are entitled to your opnion. I just ask that you keep opinions of reasons people use scooters to yourself when in disney. (i.e. dont make snotty comments outloud). My sister is having enough problems what with possible impending brain surgery without people being rude.

Pretty much i dont care what other people think as long as it doesnt impact MY vacation!