[Idea] restrictions on scooters

[Bags deserves bett]

I remember about 4/5 years ago, scooters use was minimal

On my last visit it seems like the number has grown, and is not used primarly by handicapped it now seems also for the lazy/obese

It also seems that manners have also decreased for those operating them

On a Saturday it is almost impossible to deal with fantasyland and all the scooters.

This may come off as cruel to those who do need a scooter, this post is for those who consider it a luxury and not a need.

Should WDW look for medical clearance to use these on property?

[Disneytwins]

Re: restrictions on scooters

As far as I know, they do but it doesn't work. Many people here feel the same way about the scooters, even the people who use them for perfectly legit purposes.

[penguinsoda]

Re: restrictions on scooters

How do you know the person using the scooter isn't handicapped? Just because they don't have a sign attached to their forehead saying "handicapped" doesn't mean they don't have some kind of medical condition thats not clearly visible. To make a blanket statement that its only the "lazy/obese" people using them is ludicrous, when you have no idea just by looking at them if they have an actual medical condition that they need the assistance for.

[Bags deserves bett]

Re: restrictions on scooters

When you over hear their conversations, or see them arguing over whose turn it is to ride.

I have a pretty good idea, or that when their around 250 spots for handicapped cars and over 1,000 (est) scooters it's a pretty safe bet.

[G126]

Re: restrictions on scooters

In the parks I can dodge them so I don't have a problem if someone wants to pony up the bucks to get one. That keeps me from being bothered about whether its really needed, whether they should be eating what they do etc.

They do adversely affect me on bus transport tho - it must take 5 - 15 minutes (depending on how many) to get them loaded. I suppose smaller dedicated handicapped buses wouldn't be cost effective.

[Spacoli]

Re: restrictions on scooters

In the parks I can dodge them so I don't have a problem if someone wants to pony up the bucks to get one. That keeps me from being bothered about whether its really needed, whether they should be eating what they do etc.

They do adversely affect me on bus transport tho - it must take 5 - 15 minutes (depending on how many) to get them loaded. I suppose smaller dedicated handicapped buses wouldn't be cost effective.

Ooh i feel the same way! I can dodge them and I'm fine if people wish to buy them, but if your only buying them because your lazy, and then you affect other peoples vacation by stalling them to get to the parks it just angers me. I get to the buses first thing, always first In line and of course with my luck the bus is always late, then someone who doesn't require the scooter rents one and stalls not only me but the other people in line for the bus an extra 10-15 minutes.

[NapaRoseBarfly]

Re: restrictions on scooters

Always remember: Obnoxious and rude scooter riders are easy targets conveniently at "personal emission" level. Fire at will. I'm just sayin'.

[ORD84]

Re: restrictions on scooters

I personally agree, my aunt is obese and sometimes she does require a scooter to get around the parks (due in large part to her hip and knee surgerys) what drives me nuts is the people that don't need them don't walk with a limp just have decided to noT walk...seriously thats why most of these people are in their position to begin with, sloth and gluttony are both deadly sins and it has begun to show throughout our society...and unfortunately as unfair as it is to the people that ACTUALLY require them, they get stuck with that prejudice because of such persons

[TikiRoomLiz]

Re: restrictions on scooters

As stated by others in this thread, you cannot tell if a person is handicapped or not by just looking at them. I know this because from time to time I get a scooter or wheelchair to go through Disneyland.

I broke my leg three years ago, and because of the surgery and metal in my leg sometimes it makes it difficult to walk. There are days when I can only walk for a few minutes and then my hip starts hurting so much that I need to sit down. So rather then slow down the group that I am with I rent a scooter or wheelchair to keep up with the them, instead of having to sit down every five minutes to let the pain subside.

By looking at me you wouldn't know what is wrong with me, and it is due to this that I have learned not to judge others who use scooters or wheelchairs.

[Bug]

Re: restrictions on scooters

my only problem w/ the ECVs is the drivers themselves. please BE CAREFUL! you can really hurt someone if you hit them w/ your ECV! esp. CMs. just yesterday i threw one of my co-workers out of the way because a woman on an ECV was backing up and didn't even bother to look back to see if anyone was behind her! and another CM is on light duty due to a fractured hip when an ECV ran into him.

you can easily ruin someone's vacation or paycheck by not being careful.

i don't care who's driving the ECV as long as you're CAREFUL while operating it. just because you're on an ECV, doesn't give you the right to run people out of your way.

[ti2gr]

Re: restrictions on scooters

I am a photographer in the parks and while taking photos of another guests, one in an ECV ran over my ankle, since I was on one knee trying to get a good shot of the little princess. After other guests yelled at her to back up off my ankle, she continued to go forward. Finally she figured out how to back up and I got my ankle out. Luckily I was fine and only had a swollen ankle for a few days. But had she been watching where she was going and knew how to drive her own ECV (this was not a rented one) this would not have happened.

I think Disney should limit the use of ECV's and the use of strollers. There are way too many of those in the parks now. Too many kids old and big enough to walk beng pushed around by their parents in strollers. One day while working wished a kid in a stroller a Happy Birthday and asked him how old he was, he was 10. 10 year olds do not belong in strollers people.

[Eagleman]

Re: restrictions on scooters

my only problem w/ the ECVs is the drivers themselves. please BE CAREFUL! you can really hurt someone if you hit them w/ your ECV! esp. CMs. just yesterday i threw one of my co-workers out of the way because a woman on an ECV was backing up and didn't even bother to look back to see if anyone was behind her! and another CM is on light duty due to a fractured hip when an ECV ran into him.

you can easily ruin someone's vacation or paycheck by not being careful.

i don't care who's driving the ECV as long as you're CAREFUL while operating it. just because you're on an ECV, doesn't give you the right to run people out of your way.

This were I stand ECVs and the drivers !
At Disneyland Resort they mush to FAST...more so than not!
Most the time you be walking and before you know it they
comeing and cut you off....
or coming behide you without you knowing.....
and they not eye leavel to see them....
Almost like they own the (ROAD) walkway!

[Joshnyah]

Re: restrictions on scooters

I dont mind the scooters, I do get irritated when they run up behind you during crowded times or honk that little horn like "move Im coming thru get out of my way."

[Thorpeedo]

Re: restrictions on scooters

Can't say I have a problem, people are absolutely right, you can't tell by sight who needs to use an ECV and who uses them for convenience. I accept this, you just can't tell. It's not like there are always signs to let you know. You might mix genuine users up and think of them as simply lazy <removed>. In this day and age you have to treat people fairly and this unfortunately means some <removed again!> will try to abuse the systems.
I have a solution to this, my answer is to use my ears to tell me whether somebody is using an ECV out of comfort or necessity. If they drive are carefully and are pleasant and polite, then they are clearly there out of need and not out of convenience. If they are rude, grumpy or ignorant in behaviour, then they are simply lazy <removed for the last time!>

You then simply treat them according the whatever category they fall into, either being pleasant and helpful with baggage etc, or you teach them Anglo saxon words and sign languages.

No problem

[CleveRocks]

Here's a scenario ... what would YOU do???

My in-laws decided to come with us when we took our kids, their only granchildren, to WDW in May 2005. My mother-in-law is obese. And yes, she's lazy, and yes, she's a pain in the royal rump.

The only thing she really wanted out of the vacation was to enjoy the time with her grandkids, to see their faces light up in wonder and joy at each attraction, at each character greeting.

Our trip was Sunday through Saturday, and we went to parks each day. My mother-in-law walked everywhere with us the first two days. By the third day, her back and legs and feet were hurting too much ... she couldn't keep up with us. She ended up having to wait at a bench or a table for a while as we took the kids to do other things. The physical pain and strain was simply too much for her to do all that walking anymore.

YES, she brought this on herself. YES, if she lived her life eating sensibly and exercising even a little bit she wouldn't have had that problem. YES, if she took care of herself, she would've been able to keep up with her precious grandchildren.

YES, she's guilty as charged.

But thank goodness she was able to rent a scooter for the last few days. Thank goodness she was able to watch her granchildren as they experienced all of Walt Disney World and she got to share in the joy with them.

Please, tell me, should she have been restricted from renting a scooter just because she's fat and lazy?

[CleveRocks]

Re: restrictions on scooters

my answer is to use my ears to tell me whether somebody is using an ECV out of comfort or necessity. If they drive are carefully and are pleasant and polite, then they are clearly there out of need and not out of convenience. If they are rude, grumpy or ignorant in behaviour, then they are simply lazy <removed for the last time!

I do understand what you're trying to say, but I respectfully disagree.

I'm a rehab therapist, I work with people who've been in catastrophic accidents and are on their way to hopefully getting better.

let me assure you that not everyone who has a physical disability is careful and polite. Many people with disabilities ARE grumpy and rude and behave ignorantly.

I truly do understand that you didn't in any way mean it in this way, but please let me kindly and gently inform you that it is condescending and patronizing to assume that people with disabilities are a homogenous group, even if it's a nice thing such as "they're all nice." Many are nice, many are royal pains. Just like the rest of us. :-)

In short, it would be incorrect to "know" that someone who is discourteous and even downright obnoxious must be "faking it."

[longears]

Re: restrictions on scooters

I don't believe that we need to restrict who can and can't use the scooters in public, but I do think that there needs to be a liscense similar to a drivers liscense if you want to use one in public. In essance these are small cars and in order to operate them in public you need to have received basic training for the safety of everyone. The liscense should be issued from DMV and no rental or admittance will be allowed without verification of a valid liscense. Improper or unsafe "driving" will result in tickets and possible lose of the "driving" privillage in public.
In this way the why a person uses the scooters isn't an issue, just the how they use in in public.

[DreamComeTrueJoe]

Re: restrictions on scooters

I don't believe that we need to restrict who can and can't use the scooters in public, but I do think that there needs to be a liscense similar to a drivers liscense if you want to use one in public. In essance these are small cars and in order to operate them in public you need to have received basic training for the safety of everyone. The liscense should be issued from DMV and no rental or admittance will be allowed without verification of a valid liscense. Improper or unsafe "driving" will result in tickets and possible lose of the "driving" privillage in public.
In this way the why a person uses the scooters isn't an issue, just the how they use in in public.

Then you need to create lanes for driving them, have people to enforce the rules, and also train the pedestrians not to jaywalk in the lanes reserved for vehicles.....

[Bags deserves bett]

Re: restrictions on scooters

I think at minimum, Disney should have some information (flyer or pamphlet) for all guest entering the parks on how they should conduct themselves.

And for those not under ADA that their use of the scooters is not a right and can be revoked if they do not act in accordance.



Some things being yielding right of way to pedestrians, not striking other guest, being prepared to transfer for buses, monorails, rides and such.

[DreamComeTrueJoe]

Re: restrictions on scooters

I think at minimum, Disney should have some information (flyer or pamphlet) for all guest entering the parks on how they should conduct themselves.

For all guests or just those on scooters?? ;-)

There is a contract that is discussed verbally with you before you sign it with rules and regulations (onsite rentals).

Scooters rented onsite at WDW have their speed severely restricted, off-site scooters have no such restriction and are much more responsive.

FYI - there is a guide for the disabled available at Guest Services at each park.

being prepared to transfer for buses, monorails, rides and such.

Each monorail can accommodate wheelchairs or scooters without transfer, a simple ramp is lowered for very easy access; it is MUCH quicker than loading onto a bus.