Very depressing trip.....

[LindsayDunn228]

Where is the thread on the CB? I can't find it and the search stinks. I know about the long rude one, as I was a part of that one. But where's the one started by the OP?

 

[dclfun]

Well, my heart literally hurts when reading about fellow human beings judging and causing pain to someone who is just trying to have a vacation like everyone else despite a physical, mental, or emotional challenge. I have to figure though, these people's attitudes are ruining their good time and then refuse to let their attitudes ruin mine. It's hard to do though and those kinds of stares and comments cut right through to one's heart. I'm so sorry the OP had to endure things that caused a well-deserved vacation to be filled with negatives.---Kathy

 

[chris1gill]

Where is the thread on the CB? I can't find it and the search stinks. I know about the long rude one, as I was a part of that one. But where's the one started by the OP?

Hi Lindsay, I never started a thread, it was the long thread you referred to that really just started this sense of negative awareness....

It sounds like many of you understand... it's so easy to say, don't let them (the jerks) bother you, but it really cuts to the core to hear the comments and feel the stares.... I hope I can get beyond all that crud and enjoy the next vacation without the guilt I felt during this one....

 

[Mkrop]

chris1gill,

If you dont then those rude people will win again! Dont let rude triumph!

Once again remind yourself all you have to be thankful for and how it is those peole with the problem not you! They obviously have never been blessed with the gift of patience, compassion and downright decency. So it is unfortunate for them.

I think I read part of this thread and I learned something from it. I learned that you dont go to the head of the line if you are disabled (not that I ever cared, thought it ws fine) but I learned that sometimes you all have to wait longer to get the proper accomdations on the ride. So all of us ignorant folk out here learned something.

Waiting stinks but we are all so fortunate that we are in WDW, so many cant be. Even though we scrimp and save to make it happen we are all still fornutate that we have the opportunity to enjoy it. I think people lose sight of the big picture when they are tyring to fit it all in and make it the "perfect" vacation.

 

[chrissyk]

Ooooh, that makes me mad Now I wish we'd been able to stay for the entire week. I would have had no problem giving the coffee guy a piece of my mind. Some people are such morons

I've noticed the impatience at Disney lately too. What is up with that

 

[emerymt]

Nill illigitimi carborundum

Translation:
Don't let the ba!*#@ds get you down.

 

[emerymt]

Who said Latin is useless?

 

[KPeveler]

There are way too many stupid people in this world. When my mom was there in a chair for a day (we rented one after she piched the nerve that runs along the arch of her foot - ouch! - and her foot would not support weight) we had great luck. i guess when they came up with the handicapped ideas they never thought of more than one person in a wheelchair being part of a party...

just console yourself by remembering that you are obviously smarter than they are, god (or whatever higher being you believe in) sorts it out in the end!

Its kinda like my frustration with people who use wheelchairs cause they dont feel like walking, or think that they will get special treatment. its bad karma. i like to think that god has a special place in you-know-where for those people who will have to spend eternity in a wheelchair going uphill to a summit they will never reach. then they will appreciate the ability to walk/walk distances/walk without pain...

 

[KirstenB]

Chris, I'm so sorry. What a jerk about the coffee, GRRR!!!

Selket and Mkrop, our 18 mth old has low tone. She's just starting to walk, but hasn't done any talking yet. We're trying to teach her sign language, but she's showing no interest whatsoever! I hear you about the stairs. I'm trying to figure out how to teach her to go down stairs on her bottom, but she has poor balance, so I think this will take a while. I didn't mean to hijack the thread, just had no idea that you both had children with low tone too. I've only met 1 other child with it in real life, and he's now a 5th grader.

 

[Dis1978]

So sorry that you had such a bad trip Chris. I felt upset just reading your post that you encountered so many nasty and rude people. I do believe that most people are basically understanding of disabilities, it's just that we notice the rude ones so much more.
My young son was in a wheelchair last year but he was able to walk for a bit. I know that people looked when he got out of his wheelchair and jumped on a ride but quite honestly I just decided that I would not care what people thought. I was just so glad to see my son enjoying himself and able to have some fun after a year of very serious illness. I stood and watched him go on the rides and thought back to only a couple of months before, when he couldn't walk even one step, brush his teeth, or do anything to care for himself. It made me grateful that we had got this far.
This trip another of my kids has just been diagnosed with a hidden disability, autism. It seems so unfair. I know we will get hassle from people cos he looks like a bit strong teen with nothing wrong with him. I am sure people will think he is trying it on to get to special privileges. Life has certainly been tough for us recently, and it is hard to deal with, but I will not let those selfish idiots like the ones you encountered spoil a thing for me. Like you, we have been through a lot and deserve to have a good time.
I do hope you know that there are a lot of people here to support you and hope that you feel better and stronger very soon.

 

[cupcake]

{{hugs}}

Some people are just incredibly self-centered and unempathetic. It is all about them and their issues and their wants and needs and anyone else can just go jump off a cliff for all they'd care. Hopefully as Sue said, there are fewer bad apples out there over time, but it sounds like you ran into all of them on your trip. Having had only isolated bad apple contacts, I totally understand how upset you would be. I would be too-- rationally I know I should ignore it, but it's hard to do! I'm really sorry that you had to encounter this during your trip.



Cupcake

 

[chris1gill]

Nill illigitimi carborundum

Translation:
Don't let the ba!*#@ds get you down.

Yeh, I need to remember this one... I used to live by it, I'll get my spirits back...

On an aside, my son is taking Latin, so it can't be dead

 

[chris1gill]

{{hugs}}

I totally understand how upset you would be. I would be too-- rationally I know I should ignore it, but it's hard to do! I'm really sorry that you had to encounter this during your trip.



Cupcake

Thank you to everyone who has responded, it means so much to me, especially right now....

Cupcake, you pinned it, rationally my DH tells me I should ignore it, but I just couldn't..... why now? why did this not bother me the prior five-ten years? A whole lot of reasons I guess.... But I'll get through this, maybe, I hope before my next trip

 

[BCV23]

chris1gill, I am so sorry your trip was sad. I agree with Carol....try not to read those really negative threads. I know easier said than done but some people just have no clue.

Sue, you showed more restraint than I think I could have mustered.

Michigan, we rode Nemo with our daughter in a power chair and encountered no stairs. I can't even picture where they may have been. Incidentally, those clamshells are supposed to have a new method of loading. The clam shell rotates, a ramp is lowered, you drive on and then it rotates again....something else is different but for the life of me I can't remember right now. Anyway it was very easy to use for our daughter.

 

[Michigan]

Michigan, we rode Nemo with our daughter in a power chair and encountered no stairs. I can't even picture where they may have been. Incidentally, those clamshells are supposed to have a new method of loading. The clam shell rotates, a ramp is lowered, you drive on and then it rotates again....something else is different but for the life of me I can't remember right now. Anyway it was very easy to use for our daughter.

My girls rode on it without any problem. The CM was insisting that they couldn't ride it because in the event of an emergency the policy is they have to be able to walk down a flight of stairs. I pointed out to the man that anybody asking to ride in that clam needed to do so because they couldn't walk onto the ride and would not be able to walk down a flight of stairs.

 

[BCV23]

My girls rode on it without any problem. The CM was insisting that they couldn't ride it because in the event of an emergency the policy is they have to be able to walk down a flight of stairs. I pointed out to the man that anybody asking to ride in that clam needed to do so because they couldn't walk onto the ride and would not be able to walk down a flight of stairs.

Oh, dear...he does sound confused!

 

[cmwade77]

Well, some here may remember me, some may not, but I'm coming here for solace and not to be flamed (as would happen on some boards)... But, I just got back from what I personally feel was my worst Disney trip EVER... part of it, was that I'd read a thread a month or so back that complained about us WC user's holding up the rides as we get on, and how we don't have to wait in lines (yeh right... I did my fair share) Anyhow, I guess it got to me... I've never really given a darn how people saw me, actually, I never cared, so I never noticed...

Well, I have to say I noticed this trip, and it was horrible... particularly the bus situation.. One guy who I could use adjectives for but won't, stood next to my chair (my two kids were standing in front of my chair not taking up seats on this full bus), anyhow, he's standing next to me with a cup of coffee in each hand and a pastry to boot... course the moment the bus moves his coffee spills on me, then I said something (politely)... he passed one of his coffee's back and told me I was lucky it wasn't the whole thing I said yeh, I'll take that to heart I mean it was completely ridiculous some of the things I heard and saw.... people cut you off and then blame me when I cannot stop my chair in time.... believe me I try, I do my best, but inevitably someone feels free to jump in front of me and my chair because they are too busy feeling that I don't exist I guess... Everytime a ride stopped to let me on, I knew those waiting were annoyed (thanks to Haunted mansion comments)... I mean it really just didn't end last week... and yeh, I guess the comments made on the other board made me sensitive for the first time ever, but believe me, some of this stuff (like the coffee) would have been evident even if I wasn't already sensitive about the trouble I cause everybody I'm just very sad I guess... Sad that this is what it has come to, and wondering how and when I will get back to feeling like my old self

I love when the Haunted Mansion stops, gives me time to look around at all of the details. Then again I also understand the need to have them stop it. The coffee, well first I would have been a little more aggressive after that comment and tried to get the guy to at least pay for a new shirt or whatever may have been soiled in the process, if he refused I perhaps would have talked with the bus driver as open drinks are not supposed to be on the bus. I had a person bring hot chocolate in a mug (that wasn't closed) on TOT next to me once, luckily this was at Disneyland and I live close, I also had a change of clothes in the car, otherwise I would have been ticked, so I can imagine how you felt there. Bottom line is you can't worry about what others think, just go an enjoy yourself, if they make comments directly to you, point out that it takes you longer to get from place to place.

Also if someone jumps directly in front of you, don't hurt yourself trying to keep from running into them (they won't do it again). Ok, so this is of course a tounge in cheek comment, but well...grr...I hate when people don't pay attention to people wheelchairs, of course I also don't like it when there is a large crowd and people in wheelchairs don't pay attention and run into me, I mean I can't go any faster than the person in front of me, I had one lady who kept ramming into me on purpose going "move faster" that annoys me too, I really couldn't there was a huge crowd leaving from the fireworks. We finally just got over and went into the shops and let the crowd leave.

 

[cmwade77]

We had a couple of bad times to on our recent trip but ours seemed to be from CM's more then guests.

Because both of my girls are in wheelchairs and neither can stand we request the wheelchair car. My youngest wheels on slides over into the companion seat and my oldest stays in her wheelchair. We had no problem doing this on any ride until we went on the Nemo ride. The cm told me that I couldn't do that and that both of my dd's had to be able to walk down a flight of stairs or they could not ride the ride. Ok after I calmly explained to the man that someone that needed that clam would not be able to walk down the stairs and he continued to tell me he didn't care it was for safety reasons he wasn't going to allow my dd's on the ride I suggest to him for his safety reasons that he find a supervisor. He left and came back and told me if I carried my youngest on and put her in the clam with her sister that they could ride.

The next one that still really bugs me is at the Festival of the Lion King at AK the front small benches used to be for handicap seating. In years past I sat at one end of the bench and my mother sat at the other with one space between us and my dd's sat one on each side of me and my mother. Now those are no longer handicap seats. The new row has a handicap seat followed by a bench with about 15 wheelchair symbols on it and then another spot for a wheelchair. I was told that I had to put my oldest dd (17) at one end and my youngest dd (9) at the other and sit next to the oldest one. Their new policy is that the person in a wheelchair has to be in the same row as the rest of their family. Since it was just me and the girls I couldn't have one in front of the other. Now this has to be the stupidist new rule I have ever heard of. At first I thought it was just this young kid's decision but after several cm's came over and told me that was now the policy I told them I would take her and sit her on the seat next to me and leave her chair at the end. Well, that's against policy too so they took her chair and then at the end of the show the theater emptied out and no one brought us back her chair and when I told them that I needed to know what they did with the chair they couldn't find it and told me I would have to wait until they had cleared the stage area for the next show. Again calmly I suggested that they find that chair fast or find me someone with $2,500 to pay for it. Then it was like a fire alarm went off and they started looking everywhere for the chair. They eventually went outside and found it halfway down the sidewalk.

That makes no sense on the Nemo ride, if there is a wheelchair vehicle, why on earth can't it be used?

So my question with this new setup is how do the GACs work at The Festival of The Lion King? We always went in with the wheel chairs and were told to sit where ever we would like, just not next to someone in a wheelchair so that a member of their party could sit next to them.

 

[emerymt]

I had a person bring hot chocolate in a mug (that wasn't closed) on TOT next to me once, luckily this was at Disneyland and I live close, I also had a change of clothes in the car, otherwise I would have been ticked, so I can imagine how you felt there. .

This is just about unbelievable (but I believe you ). So- this oblivion makes it by the CM at the entrance, into the elevator and holding area, past another CM, into the ride, and no one- including his friends- warns him that the hot chocolate might- no, will fly all over the place? Thank goodness you weren't burned.

Also, I'd have been ticked even if I had a change of clothes in my purse. You must be a saint

 

[cmwade77]

This is just about unbelievable (but I believe you ). So- this oblivion makes it by the CM at the entrance, into the elevator and holding area, past another CM, into the ride, and no one- including his friends- warns him that the hot chocolate might- no, will fly all over the place? Thank goodness you weren't burned.

Also, I'd have been ticked even if I had a change of clothes in my purse. You must be a saint

I was of course upset, but what could I do? Now as for the CMs, it was in a souvenir mug, so they may have thought that it was empty. Luckily the chocolate was only mildly warm at most, but really what do people think?