ECV’s on Disney Buses

[PetePanMan]

I understand that Disney buses to parks can hold two ECV’s. Just wondering if there is often a need to wait for multiple buses as they already have 2 ECVs. We are staying at Beach Club and on some days we plan to get there at park opening. Thanks for any insights

 

[BillSears]

As a wheelchair user I often have to wait for the second or third bus to get to a park. My worst was six busses when I was leaving EPCOT. I waited through the whole line and finally got to the area at the front with the gate for wheelchair users. I waited in the area for 6 buses. By the time I got on all of the walking crowd had already boarded and I had the whole bus just to myself.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

As a wheelchair user I often have to wait for the second or third bus to get to a park. My worst was six busses when I was leaving EPCOT. I waited through the whole line and finally got to the area at the front with the gate for wheelchair users. I waited in the area for 6 buses. By the time I got on all of the walking crowd had already boarded and I had the whole bus just to myself.

I don’t understand how this could happen. Were there 12 wheelchairs/scooters in front of you?

 

[Debbie Jean]

I don’t understand how this could happen. Were there 12 wheelchairs/scooters in front of you?

Certainly possible if you leave with the masses of people exiting at the same time after the nightly fireworks display… same with MK and HS.

 

[BillSears]

I don’t understand how this could happen. Were there 12 wheelchairs/scooters in front of you?

There were 6 wheelchairs/scooters in front of me. Because of the crowds they were loading 2 buses at a time but for the second bus they load they will not put wheelchairs on. So the walking crowd thinned out fast but at the end of the night I was the last person at the station waiting for a final bus to take me home.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

There were 6 wheelchairs/scooters in front of me. Because of the crowds they were loading 2 buses at a time but for the second bus they load they will not put wheelchairs on. So the walking crowd thinned out fast but at the end of the night I was the last person at the station waiting for a final bus to take me home.

That’s awful. I thought they had to take scooters if they were there. I hope this isn’t the norm and it was some weird fluke.

 

[Lewisc]

A real issue if a bus as multiple stop. The bus may have 2 returning pax at the first stop. Waiting ecv pax are out of luck
The bus may have 2 outgoing ecv pax by the last stop. Waiting ecv pax are out of luck.

POP offers the best bus transportation for ECV guests.

Edited to add
I should have included AoA.

 

[KPeterso]

We have had to wait multiple buses before. The one time at Boardwalk going to one of the parks (AK I think), the bus attendant had the ECV/wheelchair parties all lined up and numbered (thankfully we were first there and were 1, but it was up to 5-6 waiting in the end). That poor coordinator kept calling and saying to send her empty buses as she needed to clear out the mess that was at that stop.

 

[Groot]

A real issue if a bus as multiple stop. The bus may have 2 returning pax at the first stop. Waiting ecv pax are out of luck
The bus may have 2 outgoing ecv pax by the last stop. Waiting ecv pax are out of luck.

POP offers the best bus transportation for ECV guests.

Yeah, a lot of the deluxe/DVC hotels are the multi-stops. When I book there, I figure out what bus stop/hotel gets on first and request a room there.

 

[lanejudy]

Yeah, a lot of the deluxe/DVC hotels are the multi-stops. When I book there, I figure out what bus stop/hotel gets on first and request a room there.

Which still only helps with park-opening buses. Later in the day, if 2 ECVs are returning to the resort but they don't get off until say the 3rd stop, someone waiting to go to the park still can't board even though they are at the first bus stop.

 

[redberyl]

We were staying at all star and there were several stops before us. We had to wait for 2 or 3 busses almost every time. It was such an inconvenience that now we rent a minivan when we go

 

[Simba's Mom]

I understand that Disney buses to parks can hold two ECV’s. Just wondering if there is often a need to wait for multiple buses as they already have 2 ECVs. We are staying at Beach Club and on some days we plan to get there at park opening. Thanks for any insights

I've used that BC bus stop MANY times, and I use an ECV. I've only had to wait through buses twice, ironically for the same park both times, Animal Kingdom. But it wasn't ever at early opening, those two times were at 9:00 or so. Hope this helps!

 

[DisneyOma]

That’s awful. I thought they had to take scooters if they were there. I hope this isn’t the norm and it was some weird fluke.

When they double-load the buses at closing, the second bus is parallel to the first and entry is only at the front - at least that is what we experienced last year and years before. While the closer bus is loading guests with mobility devices, the other bus is loading walking passengers. It gets full pretty quickly, pulls away, and then the closer bus gets filled as well.

 

[gap2368]

POP offers the best bus transportation for ECV guests.

I am glade to here this is I will be staying at POP and will be using an ECV for the first time

 

[Lilsia]

That’s awful. I thought they had to take scooters if they were there. I hope this isn’t the norm and it was some weird fluke.

They don't have to take all of the scooters first, they just need to load them first. 6 ECVs compared to hundreds of mobile people, you do need to move the most amount of people as fast as you can. It stinks waiting but when lines get long, lots of people have to wait. That is just something we all have to deal with when hundreds of thousands of people try to leave the park at the same time. Personally, I try to avoid those situations by either leaving early or just hanging out inside the park until the crowds clear out.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

They don't have to take all of the scooters first, they just need to load them first. 6 ECVs compared to hundreds of mobile people, you do need to move the most amount of people as fast as you can. It stinks waiting but when lines get long, lots of people have to wait. That is just something we all have to deal with when hundreds of thousands of people try to leave the park at the same time. Personally, I try to avoid those situations by either leaving early or just hanging out inside the park until the crowds clear out.

I have been on a million Disney busses and I have never seen a bus driver tell a scooter person that they couldn’t board unless they already had 2 scooters.
Just because I haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it hasn’t happen.

I am with you. We always either leave before fireworks or at Kraft a half hour after. It just not worth the hassle.

 

[Lilsia]

I have been on a million Disney busses and I have never seen a bus driver tell a scooter person that they couldn’t board unless they already had 2 scooters.
Just because I haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it hasn’t happen.

I am with you. We always either leave before fireworks or at Kraft a half hour after. It just not worth the hassle.

We are talking about the second bus loading at the same time the first bus is. They are not pulled up to the curb properly and they do not load ECVs or chairs. This is the usual procedure during peak times, when their goal is to get as many people as possible on the busses and on the road. Otherwise the second bus would have to wait until the first bus loaded the ECVs, then loaded all of the people, then pulled up properly. That makes EVERYONE wait longer.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

We are talking about the second bus loading at the same time the first bus is. They are not pulled up to the curb properly and they do not load ECVs or chairs. This is the usually procedure during peak times, when their goal is to get as many people as possible on the busses and on the road. Otherwise the second bus would have to wait until the first bus loaded the ECVs, then loaded all of the people, then pulled up properly. That makes EVERYONE wait longer.

I totally missed that. Thanks for explaining.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I have been on a million Disney busses and I have never seen a bus driver tell a scooter person that they couldn’t board unless they already had 2 scooters.
Just because I haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it hasn’t happen.

I am with you. We always either leave before fireworks or at Kraft a half hour after. It just not worth the hassle.

Eh, I’d love to say it never but… I will say it’s a once in a blue moon. At BW one day going to MK and bus driver just didn’t want to load my scooter. Simple as that. When I called him on it he basically ignored me… old lady, solo in a scooter. Probably thought I wouldn’t do anything and he could make his run easier. Well, that’s not me. Got his name and bus number. Called and reported him to Disney transport. I’m sure this wasn’t the first time he did it… but I’m hoping if enough people report him, there will be consequences.

It’s human nature… all it takes is one guy with a bad attitude. Over the years, I’ve had wonderful experiences with bus drivers and have found them some of Disney’s best CMs… they have a tough job but overall you won’t find a more genuinely helpful group of people.

 

[sdk1231]

I've taken 3-4 trips per year for the several years using an ECV. I've only had to wait for a second bus one time - going early park opening from GF to DHS. In that case, the second bus came within 15 min of the first bus.