Wheelchair Abuse

[mousermerf]

I am -NOT- reading 22 pages of bickering.

I will say this though:

We know some people need wheelchairs. We know some people abuse them (yes, they do, don't deny it).

But the real truth? Disney needs to figure out some way to accomodate every guest better in these situations. We're all getting screwed because of Disney's cheapness.

For the buses, Disney could easily setup a better system. First idea: run more buses! Second, what about a dedicated wheelchair transport vehicle set? Little easy to roll into vans - and little stations with ramps so they can roll right in. DLR does it for their parking lot and tram, why can't WDW do it for their resorts and the parks?

Oh, money, right.

 

[Stinkerbell]

This is not really the same type of abuse listed on this forum, but...... At our last trip to WDW, we were standing on Main Street watching Wishes. Right in the middle of the show, two ladies on scooters (I have no doubt they truly needed them) tried to make their way to the exits weaving in and out of the people watching the fireworks. They had their headlights on and we shouting "Excuse me!" to try to make people move. It ruined the show for me. I couldn't really hear the music while they did that. While most people in scooters and wheelchairs follow the rules and are polite, it is sad that some think that the same rules don't apply to them as everyone else. They do say to stay in the same area until the light levels are back to normal. Just a vent.

 

[iheartdisney91]

So you saw every single one of the hundreds of people in wheelchairs at their resorts walking around?:shrug: Wow! You must really get around when you are at WDW!

oh i know! i go around every where and memorize what everyone looks like!
...OF COURSE NOT!
heres my story when we went to MK there was a family of 3 people and they all had wheel chairs. then when we went back to pop century 2 of them were on the bridge going for a WALK... while the other one was in the food court getting drinks.... all w/o the chair. no i know not EVERYONE i saw didnt need it but there were quite a few people i saw that looked pretty well off to me when the stood up and started walking around.... just dealing with that all week made me a little mad... thats all im saying

 

[BuzzLite_Fran]

Trust me I don't let it bother me either.... We have been to WDW many times and don't let it get to us. More of a why do they do that policy question.
You misunderstood to what I am searching for the reason.:brick: I understand the reason to not leave someone alone to wait(Although adults .. I don't see the problem). And I never said they should have to ride alone. The policy I am looking for a reason for is.... Why by Aunt Susie having whatever ailment she has, does she or the whole family not have to wait at all.
It is the not having to wait at all policy I am searching for the reason. Guess I'll still be waiting for the reason.

Me thinks thou doest just want to squabble, the reasons are as plain as the nose on your face, but I guess common sense is just not common these days:hammer: :hammer:

 

[chucknstuff]

well i for one cant stand it when you are waiting for a bus for over 20 min and its hot, then the bus comes and right at the last minute here it comes a wheelchair.....

and pardon me if i offend anyone but the only person i saw in WDW last week that needed the chair was an old man with one leg, the rest didnt need it... i mean no i dont know them but when you see them later in the day walking around the resort NOT IN THE CHAIR! you start to get mad! its sooooooo annyoing!

My wife has stage 4 bone cancer all up her spinal column, I get her a wheelchair because she has a lot of pain. When we get to ride, she will get out of the chair and walk the queue with everyone else.

You would never know my wife had a problem unless you know her. Sorry pal, we do not advertise her illness and I don't think you are Kreskin; I would advise you to chill.

 

[elpack]

Although it may be easy to make assumptions about people based on the little you do see, those assumptions can be and probably are very far off from reality. It would be nice if a few people got to spend just one day in someone else's shoes (so to speak) and then turn around and be judged by others as they judge them.

Due to many reasons - most of them starting in my bones over 45 years ago before I was born - I have lots of physical problems that you can't see by looking at me. I like to walk whenever it is possible and whenever I can tolerate such things as pain and other fun stuff like nerve endings firing or joints locking up. There are times I can walk for very long amounts of time - other times it could be a few steps and I'm doomed. To be safe and to allow myself the freedom of worrying if it'll be a few steps or not, I rent a scooter for each and every trip to WDW. I don't do it to cut ahead on lines or to get a seat on the bus. Honestly - I wish I could wait on the bus line with everyone else and not have to worry about whether or not I will be able to walk or not. Such is not the way it is.. and after many years of many comments at the parks- some so rude and mean it would be enough to make me cry - I've finally given up and I just smile at those idiots that feel it necessary to make comments.

For the record - I usually travel alone or with the most 1 person. I've never cut any line because I park the scooter and get on line with everyone else for the most part. When people see me walking - which I try to do as often as I can .. that seems to give them permission to make rude comments.. meanwhile I'm thanking god or whoever i can think of that I can walk and hoping it will continue a bit longer.

So please, think before you make assumptions. There are and will always be people that abuse things = but that doesn't mean that everyone is abusing it. And those of us that can walk may just be trying to do so as much as we can when we can.

 

[iheartdisney91]

My wife has stage 4 bone cancer all up her spinal column, I get her a wheelchair because she has a lot of pain. When we get to ride, she will get out of the chair and walk the queue with everyone else.

You would never know my wife had a problem unless you know her. Sorry pal, we do not advertise her illness and I don't think you are Kreskin; I would advise you to chill.

to wrap this all up, i have a great amount of respect for people in chairs but i also think its not fair how they can cut in line in front of 100's of people. like i saw last week.(plus like 10 people in there party.. this happened like 3 times last time) then when i see people in chaires waiting in line i say "good for them". so please dont think im disrespectful its just the people that have many people in their party and cut the line makes me mad and thats what i think wheelchair abuse is. i never said anything about what ur wife does. but i do hope she makes out ok and i also give her loads of credit for walking in the line instead of cutting.

please dont be rude and call me Pal... i had a horibble experience being called pal... thanks and sry if i offended you. i didnt mean my words to be that "Wicked" sounding... i can get that way sry...

i just re-read what i originally said and i didnt mean it to sound like that. the people i was talking about that "didnt need it" were the little kids that were sitting 2 in a chair then cutting the line then getting on the bus in the front way while their wheel chair gets levated. they needed it cuz they were tired kids and then their party cut. thats what i orginally was talking about

so basically in my book people with wheelchaires and like 10 people in their party should wait in line, people in chaires with like 4 or 5 is fine im just agreeing with what was already stated, but i gave some details. i didnt at all point this at anyone type of person. it just when kids rent the chaires cuz they are little and tired and their parents have them out all day, then they share the chair when they "Dont need it" the people how are truely handi capped do, so they take that away from the people that truely need them, instead the kids should rent strollers instead.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

Me thinks thou doest just want to squabble, the reasons are as plain as the nose on your face, but I guess common sense is just not common these days:hammer: :hammer:

No I dont want to squabble....mostly because my head is starting to hurt from hitting the wall. :brick: :brick: :brick: If you read all my posts I basically said it really doesn't matter the reason someone needs a wheelchair or scooter, has a card or not,brings one with them, or rents one at WDW.
For the record, common sense is flowing just fine around me...can't say that for all other locations though.
As some else posted about the special ride vehicles on some rides and that is understandable and explained those rides but this I knew. If they have a wheelchair accesible car/boat come through why not let the wheelchair load.... hey I got no problem with that.
My real question is about the rides that don't have the specially equipped cars. I have seen it many times on Splash where the chair or scooter is driven down and the person then gets up walks to the boat and climbs over and in with the 8-10 people with them on regular boats. Now why can't they wait wherever like everyone? Also as I said we have been to WDW every year for the past 12 years, many times before and have been on all rides many many times, so waiting really isn't the problem. I just don't see how people think it is fair policy in cases like the Splash mountain example I mentioned thats all.

And for the record my nose isn't that plain.:lol:

 

[wesTcoastY]

So you know what I did, I rented a wheelchair for just a day to see what would happen.

You rock!

 

[wdwmomof3]

The only problem I have with wheelchairs is when people take off running with them or pushing them fast around a crowd of people. Same with strollers. It's just rude to hit someone else with anything like this.

 

[goofyfan13]

The only problem I have with wheelchairs is when people take off running with them or pushing them fast around a crowd of people. Same with strollers. It's just rude to hit someone else with anything like this.

Or when you have a sea of people in front of you as you're leaving the park at closing, and you get that old grumpy lady honking at you the whole way out on her ECV. That bugs me too. :lol:

 

[DisnFanatic10]

I did see two young people on our last trip went all the way to the front of splash Mountain and loaded from the exit, Then at the end of the ride they jumped out picked up the chair and walked out.

 

[Astro_Digital]

My Mom used to love Disney World, she was in pain could barely walk after day in the park. She had a handicaped card but at Disney World she would walk why ....

Because she was not lazy or rude, and she told me if she could and can walk she would do it.

I started a thread like this is the past it went nowhere people are either very honest like my mom was or lazy and rude.

Somebody tells me the wheel chair policy is not abused they are either abusers or are very trusting.

My Moms policy was pain be damned, I will walk.
You know walk for a few hours in too much pain take a pain killer, rest on a bench and walk again.

I personally think that 99% of the people are like my Mom but WDW has many guests and the 1% which are abusers give real handicapped people a bad name.

 

[BuzzLite_Fran]

No I dont want to squabble....mostly because my head is starting to hurt from hitting the wall. :brick: :brick: :brick: If you read all my posts I basically said it really doesn't matter the reason someone needs a wheelchair or scooter, has a card or not,brings one with them, or rents one at WDW.
For the record, common sense is flowing just fine around me...can't say that for all other locations though.
As some else posted about the special ride vehicles on some rides and that is understandable and explained those rides but this I knew. If they have a wheelchair accesible car/boat come through why not let the wheelchair load.... hey I got no problem with that.
My real question is about the rides that don't have the specially equipped cars. I have seen it many times on Splash where the chair or scooter is driven down and the person then gets up walks to the boat and climbs over and in with the 8-10 people with them on regular boats. Now why can't they wait wherever like everyone? Also as I said we have been to WDW every year for the past 12 years, many times before and have been on all rides many many times, so waiting really isn't the problem. I just don't see how people think it is fair policy in cases like the Splash mountain example I mentioned thats all.

And for the record my nose isn't that plain.:lol:

I was actually addressing what you posted in an earlier post wanting to know why it was necessary for the whole party to accompany the person who is in a wheelchair or ECV rather than get seperated. Me personally I have no problem in making someone who is in ECV or Wheelchair wait in the regular line with their whole party like everyone else, to me that seems only fair. Like I have said in my earlier posts we have had to use a wheelchair for my daughter, but it is just because she cannot walk long distances. So we park them with the rest of the scooters and strollers etc, and walk onto the ride and wait in the regular line just like ayone else. Thankfully my daughter's condition is such that we can do that. My only points throughout this entire thread was this:

1. Don't judge someone based on whether you can see an obvious disability, because some people do have problems that we as humans canot see just by looking at them.

2. YES as long as there are services like this at places like WDW a select few will ALWAYS abuse the generosity and courtesy that WDW and CM's provide on ride attractions. THIS IS SAD but true! I wish this would not happen, but it does. To these people YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!

3. For every person that IS abusing the system, there are many out there that don't and who legitimately need it.

4. There are a good number of RUDE people at WDW who will always be RUDE. I don't sweat the small stuff. It just burns me up to see posts that say only overweight people and abusers rent the wheelchairs and ECVs. It may seem like it but, it is not true. For as many rude people in ECV's and wheelchairs there are rude walkers who DONT watch out where they are going and walk right in front of someone being pushed in a wheelchair, and/or ECV ((I have experienced this personally.))

5. I feel that it is only right to allow the person who is legitimately using them, to allow their party to join them. My question is this: If it were you who were in that situation would you want to experience rides by yourself, or if you were a child only get to go with one of your parents, while the rest of your family has to be seperated and ride seperately just because you are disabled? Afterall riding the attractions with your family is the staple of the WDW experience and magic.
Well that is about it. I think I have covered my stance on this issue, responded to you, and cleared up why I posted what I did, and why.

You can discuss amonst yourselves....let me give you a topic.........How great is this WDW forums, and web site. IT's GRRREEEAAAATTTT! :wave:

That's pretty much it, I think I have made my points

 

[wdwmomof3]

Or when you have a sea of people in front of you as you're leaving the park at closing, and you get that old grumpy lady honking at you the whole way out on her ECV. That bugs me too. :lol:

That video was so funny!!

 

[BuzzLite_Fran]

What video

 

[RustyBridges]

Isn't a Disney rite of passage to get hit by either a wheelchair, stroller, or scooter?

My scooter story. More funny than bad.

I was on line for Dumbo with my son. A mother and daughter were behind us. The mom begins to yell over to her mom, who was on the scooter, to give her a juice cup. The other lady gets off of the scooter and proceeds to climb up, using the rail, to the edge of the ride, to pass the cup. I busted out laughing. I am thinking this person is on a scooter yet has the ability to climb like spiderman.

The only issue I have with the scooters is the extra-extra large folk who are using them. Now I am no small fry myself, but it is getting ridiculous. Get your butt off of the scooter and walk. It is to your benefit. I am sure there are issues due to the excessive weight. Come'on shed a few pounds and slog around the park with the rest of us.

You will agree with me when you are staring down death at the Adventureland bridge. A dude pushing 5 bills out of control on a scooter heading right for me, my dolewhip and son. I had to decide who to save. I choose my son of course, but it wasn't a no brainer. Just kidding of course.

 

[PhilharMagician]

I have been through it on both sides. Last year my mother in law came with us and she is disabled. I zigzagged that wheelchair though many queues and waiting in line wherever we could. The worst thing was pushing that thing all over and having people cut me off. I cannot beleive that I did not actually amputate anybodys feet. Try pushing a wheelchair with a 200+ pound person around and have sombody cut in front or stop suddenly. I really felt bad for people on Peter Pan. The stand by wait time was 90+ minutes and we just wheeled up and were put right on and that was not fair (however I did not complain).

What really drives me nuts is at night trying to leave the parks and the bus stops are packed and you have maybe a few hundred people waiting. I remember waiting for more than 30 minutes and then a scooter comes along with a party of 12 and were loaded in front of us after waiting like 30 seconds then we waited for another almost 20 minutes at Epcot for another bus. This type of incident has happend more times than I can count on both hands, but I also remeber the opposite happening when the bus came and the elevator for the wheelchairs did not work and the person and her family had to wait for the next bus.

Merf said it, WDW needs to do a better job in allowing wheelchairs to queue with all other guests and there would not be any issues.

 

[TinkerbellK]

I did not read all 337 replies but i read enough... btw, only at MK are the lines not accessible.

i just wanted to say as a disabled person, i HATE the fakers and abusers. i also want to say that you will probably think me one of them. i am a thin realtively-attractive 22 yr old who can walk fairly normally, but uses a chair at disney. this is because of my illness, which is entirely invisible. i would be happy to tell my story here on the forum or in a PM to anyone who wants to know. there will be times you see me push my chair for a short distance, rather than ride in it. that is because if i sit too long, it causes problems. i am not going into details right now, unless prompted. i remember walking all day at disney as a child, and i wish i could do that now. i use my chair to do things i would not otherwise be able to do. i just wanted to throw that out there as something to think about - the "fakers" may just have a disease or disorder you do not understand or know of... so please be kind!

that being said, i am not supportive of rambo-granny who is mostly blind careening through a crowd on an ECV. accessiblilty is important. so is safety!

 

[TinkerbellK]

ok, i just read more of the thread, and i have to say, i am APPALLED at one of the attitudes on here. some are ignorant, which can be fixed, but some are just plain offensive.

Lets dispell a few "disabled' rumors.

you cannot be required to "prove" disability. it is against the ADA. Most disabled people do not have a "card" other than a parking tag. if you drove to the parks, you obviously need to leave it in your car, so you cannot bring it with you...

being in a wheelchair does NOT get you head of line privilege.

I am a little offended at the OP "testing" the wheelchair at so many rides. if you were so embarrassed, why did you keep doing it?

there are more disabilities that being paralyzed.

there are minor disabilities that may not affect people in daily lifem, but make a difference at a place with as much walking as disney.

the average manual wheelchair costs $2000. the average power chair costs $20,000. this could be why people rent at disney, rather than buying their own.

i want to know what a "disabled" person looks like, and how you know a person is disabled by looking at them.

i want to know why overweight people are suddenly not allowed to eat. apparently eating while on a scooter is offensive. i fail to see how.

the wait for most wheelchair-bound people is longer than for walkers. this is because you have to wait for the wheelchair accesible car to come around.

there are some people with a temporary disability, which lead them to rent a chair in disney, but not need it full time.

there are invisible disabilities and illnesses, and when you assume that someone is faking, it is very hurtful for those of us who fight to be believed every day.

i would be happy to tell my story and give some examples of my life, but with as narrow-minded as some of the comments were, i doubt it would make a bit of difference...