what to do different re: wheelchair on busses

[Trishnh]

HI everyone..We have made plans to return to the world at the end of April :sohappy: :sohappy: I am counting down the days!! If any of you recall, we had some pretty bad experiences on the busses with my daughter who is in a wheel chair. Just to recap a little, she is only 6 1/2 and very small (she is hardly bigger than my 3 y/o), therefore she has a specially designed wheel chair to fit her. I don't know how, but some people mistake it for a stroller (definitely not) and I think this was part of the problem last year. We did get a guest assistance 'pass' stating it is a wheelchair and can be used on all means of transportation as one. We still ran into a lot of problems with the bus drivers treating us rudely, not allowing us access before general boarding, not knowing how to use the lifts, etc. So, my question to anyone, but particularly those in the 'know' with Disney transportation...What can I do differently to insure these problems do not happen again? It was extremely stressful and upsetting last year and I do not want to go through that again--especially at the happiest place on earth! I am thinking about attaching a small flag with a wheelchair sign on it, but I really hate to 'advertise' the fact that my daughter has a disability.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks! :wave:

Trishnh

 

[shakes20]

I certainly feel for you, and understand completely what your problem is. A few years ago, we visited WDW with some friends whose child needs a wheelchair as well. As you said, at first glance it can be mistaken for a stroller, because at that age, children have needs that a traditional wheelchair can not accommodate. Not only did we encounter resistance from bus drivers (even though we had the same pass that you did, and we called in advance to warn Disney about our issues) but there were times that other guests waiting in line would make rude remarks about our boarding first.
I wish that I had some great suggestions for you, but unfortunately I don’t. It was only after an incident at the Polynesian Resort (where the bus driver refused to let us on, and sat with a bus load of guests waiting, while he called his supervisor. I swear it took 20 minutes before he was told to allow us to board on the lift) that we spent about two hours talking to different managers at the resort and with Disney Transportation, that word finally got out to the drivers. The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful as far as that issue went.
One thing that we have done for our own children (we have four, three of them have special needs), is to bring cards with us that explain some of the struggles that our children have so that we can hand them out to people who simply don’t understand. It’s nice to be able to deal with these situations without having to take a deep breath and tell a stranger your whole history
It amazes me that as accommodating as Disney is with so many issues throughout the park, that they can’t get this one resolved. I am very sorry that you had to encounter some of the same problems that we did. I sincerely hope that this trip goes better for you and you don’t have to take time out from your vacation to educate others on the special needs of some children. My only hope is that each time that this has to happen, it makes it easier for the next person who has to fight the same battle. Maybe someday they’ll get it.

In the mean time, here is a link to a website that might have some useful information. I hope that it helps!

http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/special.htm

 

[barnum42]

Contact Disney directly and let them know your concerns based upon your experiences last time. I'm sure they would wish to know so they can educate CMs, and they may have some suggestions to make this visit more special.

Disney World Contact Page

Official Disney World Guests with disabilities page

 

[Trishnh]

Shakes20, I am really saddened to hear that you also went through a lot of the troubles we did..I was thinking this was an isolated event, but obviously not. It also baffles me that we have to go through this in this day and age at someplace like Disney! Not to mention, the remarks from other guests. I have learned to ignore them the best I can, or I simply tell them, I would be more than happy to change places with them in order to have a healthy child without a disability--and her disability is quite apparent. There is no missing it.

barnum42, we did contact Disney after our past experience and they were not that great..Other than saying it should not have happened :lookaroun :brick: . At the same time I told them about a poor experience we had at the Princess Storybook breakfast and they were much more eager to 'handle' that situation than the bus issue--which was obvioulsy much more important to us.

Thanks for the responses..i would appreciate any others :wave:

 

[barnum42]

barnum42, we did contact Disney after our past experience and they were not that great..Other than saying it should not have happened :lookaroun :brick: .

All I can suggest is persistence. I had a request last year (not a complaint) that the official response on was not positive, but I kept at it and got the desired result.

Drop them another line telling them that their last response has not put your mind at rest and you would appreciate some reassurance that you won't come across the same problems again.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I hate to hear about situations like this. We will be visiting in December and I am contemplating getting a wheelchair for my mother as she has hip problems, arthritis, and vision problems. My thought was to rent a chair and take with us. She would have no problems getting on and off the bus, so I am tempted to fold the chair and carry it on. I am hoping that they let us do that because I dont wont to have to go through the hassle of "early bording" routine each time we ride the bus. That being said, I will do whatever is necessary to help my mom enjoy her first trip to Disney with her grandchildren.

 

[AEfx]

This is something I too have noticed on my recent visits. I have been paying special attention to wheelchair access as I will be bringing my teenaged niece down in the fall who uses a chari and wanted to make everything go as smoothly as possible. Although virtually all rides seem like we will be able to do with little worry (except Peter Pan - I wish they'd do something so they could stop the boats for you), the busses are such a hit and miss. I saw so many drivers that obviously weren't trained in the use of the lifts and lifts that did not seem to operate properly.

Let's hope Disney is working on this - it's ironic that the rides are more accessable in many cases than the bus line.

AEfx

 

[barnum42]

(except Peter Pan - I wish they'd do something so they could stop the boats for you),

I'm unaware that the won't stop the boats on this ride. As far as I know, if any disabled party will not be able to board with the ramp moving at a slower pace they they will stop it to allow them extra time to board.

 

[egionet]

I'm unaware that the won't stop the boats on this ride. As far as I know, if any disabled party will not be able to board with the ramp moving at a slower pace they they will stop it to allow them extra time to board.

Pan cannot be stopped because the boats are "flying". It's a safety hazzard to have the guests stopped in the air. So unless the ride has technical problems, it will not stop. This is also the reason that Pan needs to be evacuated by Reedy Creek and not the attraction CMs.

Trishnh, I'm very saddened to hear that you were not treated with respect by the Disney CMs. I know on my CP I was always extremely accomodating to anyone with a disability, especially if it was a child. If someone has a GAC, you never second guessed it. I was lucky enough to have a roommate who was in a wheelchair, so I was very informed about wheelchair situations. As for the other guests, unfortunately people are rude and extremely unforgiving when it comes to seeing someone who has the ability to do something they can't. I would suggest if another guests does make a comment, explain your situation. I'm sure they will back off very quick. Also as other said, I would contact Guest Relations again and see if there is anything else they can do for you. But the service you got was not Disney, and they need to do better.

 

[Disneytripper]

I'm taking a couple of friends to WDW in a week. Neither has been in 30 years (!) and one is in a wheelchair. She is a little over 3 feet tall but has stunted legs. She uses an electric wheelchair to get around. We are staying at the BW and plan to do a lot in Epcot so we'll be "walking" on many of our days foregoing bus transportation. We will have to transfer her to rides, though, and will use buses sometimes.

After reading several posts on this forum about this issue, I may post some observations about our trip when we return. She is one of my best friends, so I am also sensitive to this concern. I've planned a great trip so I'm trusting that 90% of it will go off without a hitch. More to follow when we return later in March!!

PS: My friend is one of the most inspirational people I know. She has taught me a lot about accepting others for who they and not judging them on physical problems. I actually hope we confront some of those small minded people on our trip; my friend will "kill them with kindness"...she's great at that!! :animwink:

Disneytripper
7 days and counting!!

 

[AEfx]

I'm unaware that the won't stop the boats on this ride. As far as I know, if any disabled party will not be able to board with the ramp moving at a slower pace they they will stop it to allow them extra time to board.

As egionet said above, indeed they can not stop Pan without shutting down the entire ride and Reedy Creek having to come in. They can't start it back up with people in the boats on the ride.

I paid a lot of attention to it, and the boats come in very low with only an inch or so between the conveyor belt and the part cut out for you to enter. It's just that you only have a few seconds to transfer and if you screw up and they have to hit the e-stop...the whole ride shuts down. That's a very potentially embarassing and trip-ruining experience.

Even the WDW literature they send out for disabled guests talks about it.

I understand the ride is very old, but there must be SOME way for them to make it more accessable. I find it highly ironic that the ride that wants you to believe that you can fly is very difficult for the people who are unable to even walk in real life to board, those that might find it the most magical.

AEfx

 

[bawden2]

Hi we have been 3 times and are going again in december. We have never had a problem with Peter pan ride. My daughter was 12 when i last took her. Diffrent in Disney Paris though.