Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

[71jason]

These are the folks who are use to driving them around. It is the rental ones that I watch out for.

I don't doubt this for a second. But these should be the easiest to regulate.

 

[Clever Name]

Truthfully, I have found that most of the people who have their own ECV are usually pretty good about them. These are the folks who are use to driving them around. It is the rental ones that I watch out for. I even categorize them. The herky jerky, the horn rider, the infinite beeper, the turininator and the speed demon.
The herky jerky can't handle the speed control. It is full speed or an e-stop. They ram you or you walk into them. The horn rider is the one who learned how to use to horn and thinks that everyone is required to get out of their way if they keep using it. These are the most hated ones by me. The infinite beeper is the person who can never figure out how to get out of reverse. Most of these things have some sort of tone when in reverse. You can tell them by the panicked look that usually ends with them backing into the wall. The turninator and speed demons are the most dangerous. The turniator will take that random high speed turn to the right or the left trying to get through traffic and plowing over small children, random parade characters and curbs in the process of trying to get to something they passed. The speed demon is the one who refuses to use the brakes. They get up to speed and to heck with anyone who is in their path. They are closely related to the people who use strollers like cowcatchers.

However, there are some courteous ECV drivers. I would offer to buy them an a adult beverage but don't think drinking and driving is a good idea.

You make it sound like so much fun that I may consider renting one on my next trip.

 

[marni1971]

You make it sound like so much fun that I may consider renting one on my next trip.

Just don't "park" it outside the exit door of the Harbor House. The door that I couldn't open outwards due to the moron who parked it right against the opening-outwards exit door.

 

[ChrisFL]

I think that's where Flower and Garden festival is heading towards: They are introducing food booths for that in 2013, one would assume to test how well they are going to be accepted. I was so disappointed when I heard about this as I find the Food and Wine Festival a nice concept but it totally destroys the World Showcase with all the clutter it adds.

I don't know how long its been there, but recently I saw a F&W style kiosk in front of Fulton's at DTD which was serving the chimichurri beef and a few other things.

Honestly I really enjoy the F&W festival, so I have mixed feelings about adding a second one each year.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Only in America does someone get special treatment because they have eaten themselves into handicapped.

 

[Victor Kelly]

A whoops elbow to the face has stopped one before. I was turning around and a speed demon ran straight into my elbow. Whoopsy. Those scooters are dangerous, more dangerous than the soccer parents with double wide strollers.

 

[misterID]

Only in America does someone get special treatment because they have eaten themselves into handicapped.

Yes, that picture represents the majority of people who have to use those things. Yeah, I mean, God forbid people have medical issues that you can't visually see, that makes them have to get around with assistance.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Yes, that picture represents the majority of people who have to use those things. Yeah, I mean, God forbid people have medical issues that you can't visually see, that makes them have to get around with assistance.

This guys handicap is pretty obvious. And did I ever say he is representative of the ECV using demo? But they aren't called "fat people chairs" for nothing.

 

[Clever Name]

Only in America does someone get special treatment because they have eaten themselves into handicapped.

I would guess that he is on his way to EPCOT to catch the next showing of "Habit Heroes".

 

[RunnerEd]

Except for one thing: DVCers haven't banded together and told Disney 'we ain't happy, we were snookered and giving us cheap APs so we don't go see Spidey or Shamu and free D23 memberships ain't gonna do it, you're going to have to spend billions in your parks and not on tracking technology'' ... when y'all DVCers get your act together, let me know.

I canceled a trip in May and booked one in July at the Grand Californian. I also asked the reservation agent if I could buy Uni passes through DVC. It's not much but it's a start

 

[sweetpee_1993]

This guys handicap is pretty obvious. And did I ever say he is representative of the ECV using demo? But they aren't called "fat people chairs" for nothing.

Not to sidetrack this thread into an ECV debate but I have to comment. I don't know a single person in their right mind who aspired to this physical state purposely. Oftentimes the weight is secondary to health issues that prevent a person from being able to exercise. Like a lady I worked with several years back. She was overweight & miserable because at 45 years old she had such debilitating arthritis that her joints could not handle physical exercise. Most days she had a hard enough time navigating life in constant pain of varying levels. Her docs wanted her to have surgical intervention for the weight to relieve the stress on her joints yet her insurance would not pay for what they deemed unnecessary surgery. A single mother of 3 couldn't pay for such out of pocket.

I know there's plenty who have no business using ECVs out of laziness. But lets not lose sensitivity and humanity to those who have no choice other than stay home. If that were your mother or father, friend or loved one, you'd not deny them the experience of fulfilling a dream. Lets remember not to cast judgement on those we don't know personally, and let karma sort out the abusers. I personally wouldn't cast judgement because I wouldnt want karma bring me a big, miserable lesson.

I'm all for medical documentation for ECVs & wheelchairs. I think it'd be a nightmare to suddenly start enforcing but I suppose you'd have to start somewhere.

 

[Britt]

Just don't "park" it outside the exit door of the Harbor House. The door that I couldn't open outwards due to the moron who parked it right against the opening-outwards exit door.

Why does this image make me laugh so hard...I can just picture someone peeking out the little windows shaking their fist....LOL

 

[marni1971]

Why does this image make me laugh so hard...I can just picture someone peeking out the little windows shaking their fist....LOL

I've a confession. I did get the door open from the inside eventually. And saw an ECV at a whole new.... Angle...

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Yes, that picture represents the majority of people who have to use those things. Yeah, I mean, God forbid people have medical issues that you can't visually see, that makes them have to get around with assistance.

Like it or not, at Disney it's absolutely the truth. 95% of the people that use them at MK are just fat, lazy white trash. Deal with them on a daily basis and then sit there and still try to justify their usage and maybe I'll hear your plea for the good of humanity.

 

[OFTeric]

This guys handicap is pretty obvious. And did I ever say he is representative of the ECV using demo? But they aren't called "fat people chairs" for nothing.

When I was on my College Program back in 04 we called them "blubber buggies"

 

[71jason]

Like it or not, at Disney it's absolutely the truth. 95% of the people that use them at MK are just fat, lazy white trash. Deal with them on a daily basis and then sit there and still try to justify their usage and maybe I'll hear your plea for the good of humanity.

The percentage of the WDW guest population that uses them vs. the percentage in, say, the Florida Mall or the outlet mall or even Universal pretty much tells the tale. The vast majority used at WDW cannot be medically "necessary" else we'd see them everywhere.

 

[alphac2005]

The percentage of the WDW guest population that uses them vs. the percentage in, say, the Florida Mall or the outlet mall or even Universal pretty much tells the tale. The vast majority used at WDW cannot be medically "necessary" else we'd see them everywhere.

It's one of the differences that's clearly noticeable between WDW and Universal. I never feel like a caravan of the not wanting to walk crowd is going to run over my wife, kids, or myself when turning a corner. There's substantially less of them there.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Again, tread softly as karma is known to be a b*tch.

Malls hold nothing that can't be obtained online thus have no draw. I'm able-bodied and avoid malls like the plague. Uni has in the past been known to draw a little different demographic so naturally you'd see less ECVs. I'd expect you see less strollers, too. Again, not saying ECVs are never abused but unless you are a doctor who knows each person's case and/or took the time to thoroughly survey every ECVer you saw on a given day (which would take a lot of time, admittedly), those are awfully loaded words to say out loud. Juuuuust sayin....

 

[sweetpee_1993]

When I was on my College Program back in 04 we called them "blubber buggies"

Nice.

 

[RunnerEd]

Again, tread softly as karma is known to be a b*tch.

Malls hold nothing that can't be obtained online thus have no draw. I'm able-bodied and avoid malls like the plague. Uni has in the past been known to draw a little different demographic so naturally you'd see less ECVs. I'd expect you see less strollers, too. Again, not saying ECVs are never abused but unless you are a doctor who knows each person's case and/or took the time to thoroughly survey every ECVer you saw on a given day (which would take a lot of time, admittedly), those are awfully loaded words to say out loud. Juuuuust sayin....

I agree with your stance on karma and on treading lightly on ECV's. Strollers, however, should be limited in width and that can be easily done (single wide only for example). At some point, the little pirates and princesses need to get their @$$ up and walk. I have 3 kids and with the youngest two, I stopped using a stroller when they were 4 (the oldest didn't go to WDW until he was 9). When I see near middle school kids in strollers, it brings out the Drill Sergeant in me that wants to make both parent and child do push ups and mountain climbers for a few hours (mostly the parents)!