DME bad knees and the dreaded steps!

[michellelovesthemous]

My mum has horrible knees and is a wee bit pooh sized so we have a wheelchair rented for her that will meet us at Pop. But, the dreaded steps on the DME buses kill her she has had to drag herself up them in the past and is a little embarrassing for her with a full bus and some guests have been...well not so nice about it in the past. Does anyone have any experience wth them offering another option for her??? I mean how do folks that come with a chair or scooter use DME? Thank you for any advice!

 

[Toffeewoffy]

The only two alternatives are to hire a taxi to take you from the airport to the resort or to hire a car at the airport. I didn't like the MDE - I've got arthritis in both knees and found that all the steps - including the ones into the seats themselves - very difficult.

 

[minnie mum]

People who use a wheelchair or ecv notify DME in advance so that a bus with a lift is available for them.

 

[michellelovesthemous]

Ok. Duly noted and thank you both for the fast replies. Well bugger the guests that don't understand knee issues and slowing them down a wee bit. We will just muddle thru like all the other trips..she has a stiff upper lip for a reason.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

Going from the airport to CBR the bus was almost empty and we sat at the front - good because ours was the first stop.

Coming back we were the last pick-up and the bus was full. DD and I had to squeeze all the way to the back of the bus - and me on a walking stick - and literally climb into two tiny seats with an armrest that I couldn't lift. And then the first airport stop was Terminal A - where DD and I were the only two who had to get off and I had to struggle back down the bus again. I should have asked the people in the front(ish) row to move for me. Or the driver should have asked people to leave a few spaces at the front for the people getting on last and getting off first.

We won't be doing the MDE again ...

 

[Enna]

Just came home yesterday, and the front rows of DME were marked as reserved for those with special needs. The return bus had a wheelchair lift for a different guest. It arrived 15 minutes before the scheduled time to allow time to load that guest, so I'm glad I was outside early! If your mom needs the wheelchair at Disney, and the steps onto the bus will be a hardship, you could call DME and ask that they have one of their chairs available for her on the bus, and can load her via the wheelchair lift. (In the interest of full disclosure, I tried to tough it out for things like steps early in the trip and paid for it with pain and limited mobility for the entire trip. I'll be more proactive for future trips.)

 

[chaoslobster]

Definitely, definitely tell the DME people in advance that you are traveling with a person who cannot transfer from her wheelchair and that you need a bus with a lift. I bring my scooter (ECV only smaller with three wheels) from home every year and I have never had a problem bringing it on the plane or the Magical Express bus. I admit riding the bus lift scares me because I have severe acrophobia and the lift is pretty high off the ground, but it's completely safe. The only issue I've ever had is that I travel alone and 2 years in a row the bus driver stopped at my resort, let everyone off the bus and then began driving away without offloading me because he forgot I was back there! 2 years it happened, two different drivers! They were so embarrassed.

 

[SueM in MN]

This is copied from page one of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. If you need to refer to it again, you can find the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board.

Orlando - terminal maps and layouts; You can find DME on the Terminal Layout map, one Level One, look for the letter "S"

There are DME -Disney Magical Express - buses available with lifts to lift a wheelchair into the bus. It is recommended that you request a lift bus when making your DME reservations if you will need one.
If you didn't prearrange it for your trip from the airport to your resort, they will still provide one, but your wait may be longer. If you need one when returning to the airport from your resort, it is vital to prearrange getting one. If you don't, you might risk getting to the airport on time. My family usually asks to leave for the resort extra early to allow for any issues - like a wheelchair bus not coming or the equipment not working.

Here is a picture of the DME bus lift in its highest position:

DME Bus steps

Someone using a wheelchair or ECV can ride it up the lift and then the wheelchair will be fastened down to the floor of the bus.
A wheelchair or ECV can also be placed underneath the bus in the luggage storage compartment, but the person will need to climb the steps.
People have posted before that they were allowed to stand on the lift and ride it up for boarding because they were unable to climb the steps.
A DME bus driver posted in late 2008 that this was not allowed and only a person with a wheelchair or ECV is allowed on the lift. No one may stand on the lift.

If you have mobility problems or other disability, but can climb the stairs, the first row of seats is reserved for guests with disabilities.

If you feel you can't climb the steps, let the CM know when you are making your reservations for DME and again when you check in. They will need to come up with some alternative for you.
I have seen people using an airport wheelchair to ride up the lift, get out of the wheelchair to sit in a seat and then borrow a wheelchair at the resort to get out.
On our trips in the last 4 years, I noticed that there were 2 wheelchairs in the under bus storage area. Since we were the first on, the wheelchairs were on before the bus arrived at the stop.