Just got back from a trip with the mother-in-law that is in a wheel chair. Must say it was the first time we experienced the park with someone in a wheel chair, and there was one thing that truly bugged everyone in our party.... When you would go to a show they would direct the person in a wheel chair to one spot and the others in the group to some regular seats right by that area... No problem here... but then as they stopped letting people in we would invariably see lots of empty rows for the people accompanying those in wheelchairs yet others people sometimes having to stand in the back. Is there not a little common sense at Disney so when you've stopped letting folks in you fill in all the seats, including the ones for people with someone in a wheelchair?
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Wasted space from unused handicapped seating.
- Thread starter thomas998
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righttrack
Well-Known Member
It's probably a matter of logistics. Sure, they could fill those seats once everyone who needed accommodation were accommodated, but by then they are focusing on filling other areas. Probably a people-flow issue.
xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
Reported.
alissafalco
Well-Known Member
They must wait to see if anyone else is coming in a wheelchair, those seats must go to wheelchairs first. Then, if no one else is coming I dont see why they cant fill them with the other people in the party.
That was our thought... I know for certain when we were at the Frozen show they had the doors closed no one else was being allowed in but there were 3 empty rows behind us all the while we saw people standing at the back behind the seats because there was no place for them to sit. Just seemed like a very stupid thing on Disney's part... If they were trying to create animosity between those in the handicap seats and those not, that would be a perfect way to do it.
This. Trouble ensues when they start filling up designated handicapped spaces with non-handicapped people. Just ask any wheelie or bus driver who's tried to load a wheelchair after some people have sat on those designated seats. Musical Chairs can become one of the most hostile games on the planet.
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
Maybe they are afraid that if they allow guests to be seated in handicap section, even though all handicap guests are already seated, they will then believe handicap seating is available for them in the next venue. Once you start allowing non disabled guests to use handicap designated seats youve set a precedence. Theres sometimes grumbling, griping, comments directed at bus drivers when they tell a guest they have to move out of a seat for a w/c being loaded.
alissafalco
Well-Known Member
Agreed, yet when the doors are already shut for a show and they are no longer letting anyone else in, if there are empty seats they should allow the people standing to sit there.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
But what would happen if the occupied handicap area was suddenly unusable for some reason(protein spill)...Where would they move the handicap party?
I guess they need to have a backup ready just in case.
alissafalco
Well-Known Member
Tell the people who can stand to get up and make room for the wheelchairs.
MickeyMomV
Well-Known Member
I don't think this is one that has anything to do with Disney. I think they are following mandates set by the ADA. Think of it as a parking lot, there is a certain percent of spots that must be reserved for disability parking (sorry if it is not the PC term). If you go to MK after park close to pick up friends/Family that you dropped off earlier can you wait in a spot marked for disabled individuals since the park is closed and no more people will be going in? No, you can still get a parking ticket.
4disneylovers
Well-Known Member
First let me say that I agree people should not be standing if there are open seats. Total Guess... But maybe they're afraid that if they allow people to fill in the empty seats they will purposely hover in the back instead of taking those last bad seats waiting to run down to the handicap seating. Then they would have created a whole different problem.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
That makes total sense.
kesdjmarouse
New Member
It's probably a matter of logistics.
That makes the most sense. Say the law states that they must have X # of spaces for wheelchairs/scooters per seats. WDW probably went above and beyond the number. Then they probably have a formula for how many people, on average, will be with the person in that seating area.
As @4disneylovers mentioned, if it became known that the seats would be opened up once the doors closed, there would be a mass rush of people trying to change seats, or people will purposely hang back, creating a problem for those who have to get by them while searching for seats. This would delay the start of the show, as they want everyone seated before they begin.
SkipperButler
Active Member
If the theatre in question is the Frozen theatre where the wheelchair seating is towards the front, I have some thoughts on that.
First off, lets say Row One is for Wheelchairs, and Row Two is for their families. Row Three might be reserved for a combination of both Wheelchair families and VIPs.
Now, let's say that we start filling the theatre and all the little Frozen Freaks, I mean Fans, want to sit up close as possible. However they have to sit in Row Four. How come? Because the first three rows are reserved for Wheelchair guests and VIP seating. No big deal, most people are fairly understanding when it comes to giving priority seating in a theatre to Wheelchairs and VIPs. So the Frozen Fans go to Row Four and find that they actually have a great view because the rows in front of them are barely half full. They sit for about fifteen to twenty minutes, they got there early, and the show begins.
Let's say we put those people standing in the back in row three. Now those families in Row Four are missing part of the show because people who got there after they did are filling in the row in front of them, while the show is in progress, blocking their view and taking forever to find a seat. The theatre is dark, there are distractions, and now someone falls, or drops their phone in Row Three. Those folks who showed up early are now stuck behind the folks who didn't care enough to be their on time to get a seat in the first place and are now taking forever to sit down because little Joey doesn't want to sit next to his father. (This really happens.)
Another explanation might be that if Row Three is for VIPs, then they need to keep that row free for those who enter after the show has already started.
It could also be that Disney has a strict rule about moving guests around after the show has started and the theatre is dark. You get one person who trips and injures themselves in a dark theatre, and now you have to call the paramedics and possibly cancel the show, which will tick off a boatload of people.
So in conclusion, Disney is very rarely "stupid" when it comes to operational choices like this and there are always a slew of circumstances that affect what the course of action will be.
First off, lets say Row One is for Wheelchairs, and Row Two is for their families. Row Three might be reserved for a combination of both Wheelchair families and VIPs.
Now, let's say that we start filling the theatre and all the little Frozen Freaks, I mean Fans, want to sit up close as possible. However they have to sit in Row Four. How come? Because the first three rows are reserved for Wheelchair guests and VIP seating. No big deal, most people are fairly understanding when it comes to giving priority seating in a theatre to Wheelchairs and VIPs. So the Frozen Fans go to Row Four and find that they actually have a great view because the rows in front of them are barely half full. They sit for about fifteen to twenty minutes, they got there early, and the show begins.
Let's say we put those people standing in the back in row three. Now those families in Row Four are missing part of the show because people who got there after they did are filling in the row in front of them, while the show is in progress, blocking their view and taking forever to find a seat. The theatre is dark, there are distractions, and now someone falls, or drops their phone in Row Three. Those folks who showed up early are now stuck behind the folks who didn't care enough to be their on time to get a seat in the first place and are now taking forever to sit down because little Joey doesn't want to sit next to his father. (This really happens.)
Another explanation might be that if Row Three is for VIPs, then they need to keep that row free for those who enter after the show has already started.
It could also be that Disney has a strict rule about moving guests around after the show has started and the theatre is dark. You get one person who trips and injures themselves in a dark theatre, and now you have to call the paramedics and possibly cancel the show, which will tick off a boatload of people.
So in conclusion, Disney is very rarely "stupid" when it comes to operational choices like this and there are always a slew of circumstances that affect what the course of action will be.
Which really points to a bigger problem in with the ADA. Unlike most laws that spell things out the ADA is so vague that it has resulted in judges spelling it out in bits and pieces in various ruling that only cover certain jurisdictions. Would be nice if the congress would eliminate the ADA and replace it with something that was very specific in what it called for.
The most humorous thing I see in the ADA is that a drive in near our house has a handicapped spot in their drive-in... and by drive-in I mean it is a fast food place where you pull your car into a spot order from your window and the food it brought to your car... they wont serve you as a walk-up, there is no window for that you must be in your car... yet they had to put in a special parking spot that has no more space than any other, has no special device to order from, is identical in every way to the other spots except that if you don't have a hang-tag on your rear view mirror you could get a ticket... This is clearly one of those times when the rules of a judge on number of parking places had no contemplation of reality, and likely never will as long as the law remains vague.
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