What's the deal with all of the scooters?

[briternik]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this question, so please advise if it needs to be moved. I am just back from a week long trip and it felt like there were more scooters there than strollers!! They were everywhere! This is my first trip back in 5 years and I just can't believe the difference. We stayed at Pop so we used the bus system for transportation. I think maybe twice we didn't have to wait while they loaded a scooter or 2 first, along with all of their family members. The scooters took up 3 seats each, then the families were seated. It way very annoying so have to wait on 2 or 3 buses to come.

I know it sounds as if I am unsympathetic, but I really am not. It's just when you see these people hopping out of them to go eat or go to the restroom and they look like they don't have a problem in the world, it makes you wonder. I would say 90% of them are overweight and I wonder if they aren't just using them to save their feet some discomfort and not because they have a back injury or some other ailment.

Also, some of them seem to be first-time scooter users because they were running over toes and into the back of people's legs.

I've at least learned a lesson from it. I will choose a monorail resort from now on.

 

[BayouMickey]

 

[Magpie]

Oh, you're a brave one, aren't you?

Let's see, if I can get this in before the thread gets locked:

1. Disney is well known as being a wonderful place for the mobility-impaired to holiday, because they do a terrific job of helping people with special needs. That's why you'll see lots of disabled folks there, and why you see more of them every year.

2. Just because someone can get out of their scooter to walk into a bathroom or onto a ride, doesn't mean they're capable of walking around a theme park all day. Or even of standing for very long. Only people who can walk short distances get scooters anyway. If they couldn't walk at all, they'd be in a wheelchair with an attendant.

3. Scooters are pain to maneuver, and can be expensive. People don't ride them for fun or to "save their feet". People don't really enjoy having to stare at other folk's rear ends their entire vacation. Most people on scooters would be happy to be in your shoes. The scooters you see on the bus? Those folks paid serious cash to rent those.

4. Yes, it seems annoying to have to stand around while a scooter is loaded, but then you get to squeeze into the bus and head on your way. The next person waiting on a scooter has to wait for the next bus. I've seen multiple busses go past, packed with the able-bodied, while the line of scooter people has to wait, and wait, and wait. Plus, scooters may load first, but they also unload last.

5. People can be jerks, and will make nasty comments about other guests on scooters, in their hearing. Riding a scooter doesn't make you feel special. It makes you feel like a pariah.

6. It's impossible to know whether someone is on a scooter because they're so fat they can't walk, or if whatever condition it was that made it hard for them to walk has also made it hard for them to keep their weight down.

Try to have a little more sympathy. Or if you can't manage that, be grateful you're not in their shoes (or on their wheels, whatever).

 

[BrianL]

I try not to be suspicious of people, and if they need the scooter they need the scooter. I do take issue with those who do not know how to drive them or are reckless with them. I do understand that they might not in their day to day life, but a little practice, or just being careful and aware of your surroundings, would go a long way. EDIT: To add, that would go a long way for everyone, on or off a scooter!

 

[Son of Gadsden]

Not flaming you, but you can't tell by looking at someone if they need the wheelchair/scooter or not.

I'm a 23 year old male, look to be in good health, 140lbs...but I end up in a wheelchair almost every trip from ligament issues. As someone who gets the "he's faking it" looks, I can tell you, most of the time the person in the wheelchair scooter is having a lot less fun than you, and quite frankly, I find it embarrassing. To you, it may seem like they have it made, but try it sometime, it sucks. They are hard as hell to maneuver, and I feel like a pain in the *** every time i get in the bus and have to keep people waiting....which is why most of the time i just get the park chairs so I don't have to load on a bus. But I walk just fine when I get out of the chair most of the time and appear not to have any issues whatsoever. It's the long term that gets me limping.

Yeah, it's frustrating though, and people are jerks on the things a lot of the time. However, people walk through the park knocking people over, as well. You go to Disney, you deal with the mob.

Just so you know, you're probably about to meet the mob anyway...in 3....2....

 

[limabeanmom2003]

The number of scoters at WDW has increased dramatically over the past 10 + years. Scooters allow people who can't walk the parks to still be able to enjoy them. Yes, there are people who have mobility issues because of weight who use scooters. Take away the scooters and many of them would not be able to last more than an hour walking the parks. We had 2 great disney vacations with my dad before he passed, all thanks to having a scooter. I suggest those who get so irritated with people in scooters should be thankful they don't need one. Someday you may! Cut them some slack. People with mobility issues, regardless of the reason, have a lot to deal with. Not surprisingly, when we were in Disneyland we saw very few scooters. Very different lifestyle there, much healthier and fewer overweight people.

 

[kapoof]

This is a hot topic...popcorn. The strollers, I mean come on, it's disney, so lots of kids are to be expected. As far as scooters go lots of people have hidden health problems and need them.

 

[FreeTime]

We always have a scooter user in our party. Let me tell you, that it is uncomfortable because of the looks that other guests give us when we are loading the scooter, and grandpa gets off of it and walks onto bus. He is doing this as it is quick for my husband to load it. Then the looks we get when we join grandpa on the bus. He would get lost without us and likely get off at the wrong stop, otherwise, we would happily wait for the next bus and have him wait on the other end. Do I need to start flashing our handicap parking pass to show that we are legit? So of these scooter folks are overweight bec they can't do a lot of exercise due to their ailments. It is not thoughtful to assume if it strictly bec of their weight. Be happy that you are healthy!!!!!

 

[Merida226]

We had three almost incidents with scooters running/backing into us this week. I understand everyone has the right to be there and enjoy it, but there were so many, and we felt it was a safely issue for our son. Plus, crowds of people in Wishes, and trying to inch through everyone?? Not something I would want to do.

 

[PSUGuy]

For what it's worth, we just got back on Oct 18 from an 8 park day trip and wifey commented at the time that she thought there were fewer scooters than we're used to seeing in either Oct or March, our usual WDW vacation time. I agreed. I'd expect to see more during Food&Wine since there are fewer school age kids there and the festival attracts an older, more decrepit demographic. We're in the Golden Years bracket but are fortunate to have no such issues, several in our extended family would need scooters to navigate WDW.

Bill From PA

 

[DPCummerbund]

Yeah, this.

I've also seen another big group of fakers - people pretending to be from another country. When I went to WDW years ago, most of the people were good ol 'Muricans. Now, it seems like half of the people are international visitors! I'll bet most of them are faking their skin color and facial features, and just pretending to speak in other languages!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

There are plenty of people who have mobility problems that are specific to the mileage that WDW requires. Don't judge.

 

[klmall]

And remember too that we "baby-boomers" are all at the age where health issues are cropping up!

DH just missed the required school screenings for scoliosis and wasn't diagnosed until his thirties. He has a severe, inoperable deformity and cannot walk father than about 20 feet. Without a scooter he would never travel to WDW. When we travel elsewhere he often has to sit in the car while we walk etc. unless we can rent a scooter locally.

 

[W.E.D.]

Here we go again!

IBTL (In Before The Lock)

 

[bumbershoot]

The scooters took up 3 seats each, then the families were seated. It way very annoying so have to wait on 2 or 3 buses to come.

Meanwhile, we waited for a boat from WL and got on the second one. The people who had been at the FRONT of the line when the first boat came in were still at the dock when we left, waiting for the third, because they needed a boat that could deal with their child's electric wheelchair.

I don't feel sorry for myself, waiting because a family is getting onto a bus/boat and takes a bit more time or room because of a wheelchair or scooter. I'm GLAD that they have the opportunity to go.



And, OP, it's assumptions like yours that caused my husband to NOT rent a scooter last Feb, which injured him more and ruined his trip. See, he's a big guy. IN an effort to speed up the weight loss, he started a Couch 2 5K program and went a bit too fast (as he tends to do because he HATES being big and just wants the extra weight gone). He injured his achilles. He went to see an orthopedist, who, it turned out, was also fat phobic, and insisted that DH just needed to rest his foot. Ignored the fact that DH walks to the lightrail, walks to the train from the lightrail station, walks to the shuttle from the train station, walks to work from where the shuttle drops him off. And vice versa going home. He walks MILES every day. And there's no other way to do his commute. And then we had a huge WDW/Universal trip in under a month. The ortho wouldn't even prescribe a walking boot.

So DH went, more injured than he had been a month before, and was in tears from pain the WHOLE trip, or later, was drugged up. He used a cane (which caused a knee injury and then a hip injury), because he didn't want to be judged by people like you, who would assume he's in the scooter because he's big. He would have been in the scooter because he injured himself while trying to NOT be big.

Assumptions like yours helped to injure him more and ruin his trip in February. Oh and he's still injured. The ortho's lack of ability to help him has kept him from seeing anyone else ("why bother, since they'll probably all be just like that?"), he keeps on having to walk miles every day, and he's still hurt since he never got a walking boot or anything to help rest it.



WDW is a place that is known to be excellent for people with disabilities. That's why people go there. It's not a surprise that there are people on wheels there, because it's so good. If only fellow guests would be as good to others!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Yep another scooter thread.

Read this just after reading the thread by the people who are refusing to take the monorail because it might get stuck. And they'd have to wait in a crowded monorail. And there's the fact that at a monorail resort you still have to take a bus to get anywhere except MK and Epcot.

Not willing to assume that people who have scooters are just using them to get onto the bus first and really don't need them - because they happen to be able to get out of them for short hops or to get into a ride or something. Maybe they're like my parents and can't walk that much but they don't want to put their party through having to make sure they get back to the resort after an hour or two.

For one thing, they may get onto the bus first - but they get out LAST.

 

[bastos]

I like that WDW is friendly to a variety of people - mobile to mobility impaired.

I don't like that the devices are difficult, and take a while to get on the buses. I also don't like to be delayed. Ever.

I am not upset with the person. I am upset with delays. However, I have also found better times to avoid people and get moving quickly.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I like that WDW is friendly to a variety of people - mobile to mobility impaired.

I don't like that the devices are difficult, and take a while to get on the buses. I also don't like to be delayed. Ever.

I am not upset with the person. I am upset with delays. However, I have also found better times to avoid people and get moving quickly.

There is not one person alive that LIKES to be delayed. It's part of living in a functioning society.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It's true, who likes the delays. But the scooter/wheelchair has to be loaded on the bus, moved into its proper place, and tied down. And they have to do this for each scooter/wheelchair for safety reasons. Can't have a loose scooter rolling around the bus. Yes, the delays are something guests have to put up with occasionally (unless they drive themselves).

 

[pheonixheart]

I have to add with regard to driving ability....my mother requires an evc without it we couldn't go to disney. She's conquered a stroke and 3 different cancers. So her ability to drive is not so great.....and while you complain about a bad driver.....my mom goes off and cries bc she feels so bad about it and the person would NOT accept her apology.