What's the deal with all of the scooters?

[KWithers]

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.

It IS a safety issue for those who are unfamiliar with operating them, OR do not follow the rules. Last year I was run DOWN by a scooter driven by a lady with a kid on her lap. I'm talking she hit me full force, I didn't see it coming, and I was flat to the ground with my ankle caught under her scooter! I had to tell her to GET OFF MY FOOT!
I was left with serious bruising and cuts from that incident. Not to mention a crowd of rubberneckers.
I get it if you NEED one, but learn how to use the things!

 

[Jennasis]

 

[POOHsie]

I have no problem with people using scooters. However, I think they should have to wait in line for the buses just like everyone else. It's not air they get front of the line with a group of people, while others have been waiting as well.

The reason they load first is for safety. Driving a moving device onto a crowded bus and encountering peoples feet, tiny kids, etc. can lead to unfortunate, avoidable injuries. Only 5 people max. plus the rider are allowed to board, per Disney policy. When the bus reaches its destination, the mobility device is off-loaded after everyone has exited the bus. So there's no advantage for the disability family.

Most buses have 2 spots for mobility devices. And room for more than 50 other people. If the bus arrives and the 2 mobility spots are taken, or one is taken, then those waiting with a mobility device have to wait for another bus, while over 50 people able-bodied are allowed to board. I've seen a second bus pull up alongside the first bus, but only able-bodied are allowed to board these buses. If a bus arrives with a broken lift, that is another reason disabled people have to wait.

Please take all of this into consideration when you speak about what is unfair.

 

[Magpie]

No they just check their manners out the door. They use their lack of the english language to be rude, push you, butt in line and use their language as a crutch for rude behavior. Not all, but some. There is an international language of courtesy and excuse me.

Um, DPCummerbund was making fun of the folks who accuse scooter-riders of faking their disabilities, not actually complaining about international visitors.

It was an attempt to draw a humourous parallel between faking a disability and faking being foreign. One being about as likely as the other.

Honestly, when I think back to the few really rude guests I've met in Disney, the ones that I can recall all spoke English perfectly. One obnoxious family had what sounded like a strong Southern USA accent. The other had no accent that I could identify at all. The only time I saw "foreigners" creating a problem was when the CM in a show wanted some women wearing bikini tops to put their shirts back on, and they clearly didn't realize the voice over the intercom was speaking to them. They were staring at the stage, smiling, the entire time, until a cast member finally came over and mimed to them what they wanted. Then they complied, quite quickly.

 

[BayouMickey]

It IS a safety issue for those who are unfamiliar with operating them, OR do not follow the rules. Last year I was run DOWN by a scooter driven by a lady with a kid on her lap. I'm talking she hit me full force, I didn't see it coming, and I was flat to the ground with my ankle caught under her scooter! I had to tell her to GET OFF MY FOOT!
I was left with serious bruising and cuts from that incident. Not to mention a crowd of rubberneckers.
I get it if you NEED one, but learn how to use the things!

Two years ago I tore my ACL and was on a scooter.. I hit quite a few people, because they decided "hey lets cut in front of a moving vehicle". So maybe people should also learn about inertia and propulsion...

 

[tiggerdad]

I got my foot run over last year at EPCOT by one of them. Woman was very sorry. Told her it was no big deal and went on my way. It's not like they intentionally look for people to run over.

 

[KCSherri]

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

We were there from 11/6 until 11/12, and agree with this…in my opinion, there were far FEWER scooters than we've seen before. I figured it was due to the new GAC/DAS rules that have cut down on people using scooters to get FOTL privileges.

 

[bastos]

I have seen plenty of people NOT in scooters cut me off when waiting for a bus - or otherwise. Once, a man who cut in a line in front of me got ticked off - and nearly came to blows when I refused to allow his wife to come ahead of me in the line to be with him.

While I think a lot - I rarely say much. When I do, please be aware - I may make you regret your foolishness.

I do not ride in a scooter - and I am certainly frustrated waiting for a scooter to get on a bus. However, I have also NEVER seen a time when a person in a scooter was the first off of a bus, either.

I have seen MANY times when an able-bodied person jumped ahead of me in line to secure a spot on a bus - train, whatever. While it frustrates me, I understand that sometimes a person would behave ignorantly like that.

HOWEVER.... If you see an older person - or a pregnant person - or someone with young kids... and you are sitting down while that person is standing... You, are a mega lowlife.

I have a personal resolution to never sit on a bus if someone else has to stand. If you can, please follow this. My wife has a balance disorder, and problems with her feet, and will do the same - until it's just me left standing. If she can, you can.

For a person in a scooter, that person needs to sit. Do I think all of them legitimately need them? Probably not. However, if that person feels the need to fake a handicap to enjoy Disney World... Well, there isn't much hope for that person, anyway.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I have seen plenty of people NOT in scooters cut me off when waiting for a bus - or otherwise. Once, a man who cut in a line in front of me got ticked off - and nearly came to blows when I refused to allow his wife to come ahead of me in the line to be with him.

While I think a lot - I rarely say much. When I do, please be aware - I may make you regret your foolishness.

I do not ride in a scooter - and I am certainly frustrated waiting for a scooter to get on a bus. However, I have also NEVER seen a time when a person in a scooter was the first off of a bus, either.

I have seen MANY times when an able-bodied person jumped ahead of me in line to secure a spot on a bus - train, whatever. While it frustrates me, I understand that sometimes a person would behave ignorantly like that.

HOWEVER.... If you see an older person - or a pregnant person - or someone with young kids... and you are sitting down while that person is standing... You, are a mega lowlife.

I have a personal resolution to never sit on a bus if someone else has to stand. If you can, please follow this. My wife has a balance disorder, and problems with her feet, and will do the same - until it's just me left standing. If she can, you can.

For a person in a scooter, that person needs to sit. Do I think all of them legitimately need them? Probably not. However, if that person feels the need to fake a handicap to enjoy Disney World... Well, there isn't much hope for that person, anyway.

You have no idea who is faking a handicap or not. End of story.

 

[Sparkly]

I really hope nobody judges my Mum for using a scooter on our next trip. She really can't walk all around the park all day anymore. Be glad YOU don't need one!

 

[Roxy13]

From the other side of the scooter here is my take. Both my husband and I are in our 70's. neither of us are overweight. Both of us have had knee surgery but my husband has Diabetes and his recovery has been really tough.

We love Disney and up until 3 years ago struggled with walking the parks. After renting scooters we can enjoy the parks so much more than before. let's talk about the children and adults that we follow at a safe distance will stop abruptly or will turn around to walk back. We use lowest speed possible but with behavior like that it's no wonder people walking get hurt. We've had kids run right across our path, again causing us to stop abruptly. The day that guests say something to us about what a "pain" we are will be the day we stop going to Disney, please give us a break, we love Disney as much as you do, someday you will be old or injured too.

We always stay in a monorail resort or EPCOT resort to cut down on the use of buses. To make up for the cost of staying at those resorts we cut down on the amount of days we spend on vacation. We'd love to stay at a moderate but we would have to rely totally on buses.

 

[luvthemouse71]

If you have problems standing, wait for the next bus. Don't expect someone to get up for you.

 

[OtherScott]

OP tripped over the truth in his/her post -

Disney is probably the first time many scooter users have ever tried one out...like making a kid hit the interstate at rush hour on the day he gets a learner's permit...

My elderly mother refuses to go to Disney with because 1) she won't let anyone push her in conventional wheelchair and 2) she knows she'll take someone out in a scooter...

I argue point 1 with her, but I know point 2 is valid...

 

[OtherScott]

From the other side of the scooter here is my take. Both my husband and I are in our 70's. neither of us are overweight. Both of us have had knee surgery but my husband has Diabetes and his recovery has been really tough.

We love Disney and up until 3 years ago struggled with walking the parks. After renting scooters we can enjoy the parks so much more than before. let's talk about the children and adults that we follow at a safe distance will stop abruptly or will turn around to walk back. We use lowest speed possible but with behavior like that it's no wonder people walking get hurt. We've had kids run right across our path, again causing us to stop abruptly. The day that guests say something to us about what a "pain" we are will be the day we stop going to Disney, please give us a break, we love Disney as much as you do, someday you will be old or injured too.

You hit on a point that my wife and I were discussing on last trip, and that's the total lack of any kind of what I will call "flow assistance" provided by Disney - like lines on pavement and designated queues near concessions/gift shacks...

People just walk without any kind of predictable pattern...this is just a nuisance to most other walkers, but she pointed out how frustrating it must be to people in scooters...we could see fear on the faces of more than a few...

 

[going/again]

I have no problem with people using scooters. However, I think they should have to wait in line for the buses just like everyone else. It's not air they get front of the line with a group of people, while others have been waiting as well.

The reason for this has been explained so many times on here, talk about flogging a dead horse.

 

[MickeyOCD]

HOWEVER.... If you see an older person - or a pregnant person - or someone with young kids... and you are sitting down while that person is standing... You, are a mega lowlife. If you can, please follow this.


I agree. How many times I have seen an elderly person, pregnant woman, or woman with small children have to stand cause no one would give them their seat. I always appreciated it when someone gave me their seat when my kids were small and I could sit with one of them on my lap (they couldn't hang on very well with the rocking of the bus). That being said, my 9 yr and 12 yr old are old enough to withstand the rocking have been taught to give up their seat to others who may not be able to. They are happy to let others have their seat (when they are tired, they will share a seat in order for someone else to sit) who made need it, whether from a safety aspect (mother with young child) or a respect aspect (older person). My husband and I rarely sit, except on empty busses, we know how hard it is to hold onto/support a young child on those busses while standing. It's just a little courtesy that will go a long way.

 

[minnie mum]

OP tripped over the truth in his/her post -

Disney is probably the first time many scooter users have ever tried one out...like making a kid hit the interstate at rush hour on the day he gets a learner's permit...

My elderly mother refuses to go to Disney with because 1) she won't let anyone push her in conventional wheelchair and 2) she knows she'll take someone out in a scooter...

I argue point 1 with her, but I know point 2 is valid...

Yes, your second point certainly is valid. It is the reason that DH continues to push me around in a wheelchair at WDW. We've seen how difficult it is to safely manouever ECVs in the parks, and as long as DH has the strength to keep pushing (he claims it's great exercise, bless his heart), we will avoid renting ECVs. But many people don't have this option.

It would be lovely if the people who are so quick to judge and condemn ECV riders would take the time to educate themselves on the issue, instead of making assumptions and jumping to conclusions.

 

[PSUGuy]

You hit on a point that my wife and I were discussing on last trip, and that's the total lack of any kind of what I will call "flow assistance" provided by Disney - like lines on pavement and designated queues near concessions/gift shacks...

People just walk without any kind of predictable pattern...this is just a nuisance to most other walkers, but she pointed out how frustrating it must be to people in scooters...we could see fear on the faces of more than a few...

This! I've been preaching this to wifey for years. Run a white line down the middle of walkways in the parks, most paths are quite wide, and folks would stay on 'their side', probably being more careful if they had to make a left turn. Now. as for the Brits....

Bill From PA

 

[jennyerin]

I think it's great that Disney can be available to so many people because they can use scooters. Who knows, any of us could need a scooter in the future. The only time I get frustrated is when we have been waiting in the hot sun for a while for a bus in August (in a position in line where we should be able to at least be able to stand on the bus) and just as the bus arrives one or two scooters pull up. They weren't waiting in the shade as I have seen people do - which I think is fine - no they just pull up. The bus driver then loads them on the bus and we miss the bus. Waiting in the hot sun isn't good for little kids either... Fortunately this doesn't happen too often.

 

[jimmysmom74]

I have told this story before, but I am going to tell again. My MIL died at 55y/o 3 years ago. Her dream was to go to WDW with all her Grandkids and have a great time. She saved her Disney Visa $$ and planned away. She had bad knees and opted out of our trips for 2 years till she could get her knee surgery to fix them...she died 24 hours after the surgery. She never got that dream fulfilled. We as a family have went to DL last year and now WDW this year at Thanksgiving(her favorite holiday).

My parents decided to come with us this year, and last time my dad was at WDW he spent most of his time at the resort, because he couldn't walk long distances. He has been diagnosed with Afib and diabetes last year. I had to convince him to let me rent him a scooter. He is a tough guy, he doesn't want to be a burden, typical dad. But I know how much he wants to go and have fun with my DS. He asked if he can park it and walk around "the lands". I told him what ever he wants, and no one at WDW will think differently. He is overweight and thinks ppl will think he is lazy. But that isn't the case at all.

Ignorant posters who say nasty things to ppl who are in mobility devices should be ashamed of yourself. I am a pretty mild mannered girl and I love WDW(so I am at my happiest there), but if some moron makes an ignorant comment to my Dad in the ECV don't be surprised if I slap you with a giant MICKEY HAND! I am there this thanksgiving, so mind your manners!!!!