YES READ BARNUM'S PREVIOUS THREAD!! I know for a fact as well that having a member of our group in a wheelchair did not give us "front of the line privledges". In some cases it is NECESSARY to go to the front of the line because the line itself cannot accomodate a wheelchair. But most rides now can accomodate a wheelchair all the way through, thus no line jumping necessary. Those that couldn't take a wheelchair all the way through usually involved a wait before loading, and in many cases, as Barnum stated, we ended up waiting longer than the people in line.
You shouldn't judge those in a wheelchair because you don't know their story, and someone in a wheelchair shouldn't have to spend any part of their vacation explaining why they need one. Our situation was this:
My daughter broke her foot 3 1/2 weeks before we left for WDW. The doctor agreed to remove her cast before we left she she could still perform if she felt able to, as part of Magic Music Days, which was the whole reason we took this trip. She was also able to swim, which she couldn't have done if she still had her cast.
However, she was still healing from the break and ON HER DOCTORS STRONG SUGGESTION, he did not want her doing that much walking while she was still healing. Basically our agreement was that he would take the cast off early IF we agreed to rent a wheelchair and keep her in it as much as possible.
Now, understand she was 13, full of energy normally, and especially antsy after being held back for 3 weeks in a cast, so it was not easy to keep her in it 100% of the time. We are so fortunate that she is healthy and had the ability to get up and out of the chair whenever she wanted. So I'm sure there were times she hopped out of it to throw something in the trash, or to go to the bathroom or whatever. On several occasions she left the chair to get in line for a ride, but we usually took it with us because we didn't feel comfortable leaving it (as it was stolen on one occasion). And yes, there were several occasions that her siblings rode the wheelchair, because #1, it was fun for them (what kid doesn't like that),and because #2, my oldest who we rented it for needed a break from it at times, to stretch, to be free, to be a kid (and I completely understand that most kids in a wheelchair don't have this option and it breaks my heart for them). And I think that we, as her parents, had every right to make the decision as to when she needed it and when it was ok for her to be out of it. We were the ones who talked to her doctor, who said she didn't have to be in it 100% of the time, but strongly recommended she stay in it for the majority of our trip.
Bottom line is that you shouldn't make assumptions about anyone. Maybe someone you thought was taking advantage was my daughter. Maybe that person you saw jump out of the wheelchair to throw something away was my daughter. Maybe the family you saw with 3 kids arguing about who got to use the wheelchair was my family. There's nothing worse than the last row in Fantasmic (which is where the wheelchairs sit) or the front row of Its Tough to be a Bug (3d effects are not great in the front row, but thats where the wheelchairs sit). Those are examples of specific disadvantages of being in one. Its also a huge disadvantage having a wheelchair because it slows you down going from one ride to another. Its hard to manuver in stores etc.