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jcruise86
11-08-2007, 09:55 PM
I know a teenager who can walk who brags that she always gets a wheelchair at Disneyland. She is perfectly healthy (though she could use a little exercise), but does this only to avoid lines.

I'm going to try to talk her out of it because it's dishonest and (if word got out) could cause some guests to become suspicious of people who really are handicapped.

I don't think it's as bad as those UCLA athletes who got stickers so they could use handicapped parking, but I'm annoyed that she and her friends think this ruse is totally cool.

Where do guests obtain wheelchairs at Disneyland? If I contacted them could they turn her away, scold her, but not take away her AP? A part of me would like to see her busted when she goes on Veterans Day. But other than this dishonest stunt she repeats, she seems like a wonderful teen.

bloodnswash
11-09-2007, 04:27 AM
With her this dishonest I have to wonder what other things she does that she shouldn't be doing.

This is a number I was given once (over the phone by a CM) to obtain info at the park. You can possibly start here: 714-781-7290. I have never needed to use this number, but if they can't help they might be able to point you in the right direction.

I, too, would like to see her get busted.

kristinhawk
11-09-2007, 05:19 AM
We witnessed this exact thing this past August... We were waiting for turtle talk with crush in california adventure, and two teenage boys were actually making a bit of a scene switching back and forth in their rented wheelchair - "look, I'm healed!" ha ha ha. No one said anything, though I know probably shot a dirty look or two. It made me very angry, and it DID make me mentally question other young, healthy looking people that I saw in rented wheelchairs the rest of our trip.

On a side note, I have always been a little irritated when I see an entourage of 12-15+ getting handicapped access (little to no wait) to a ride with one wheelchair user. I understand the idea of keeping your group together, but beyond 4-6 it sometimes seems a bit excessive to me. (I sometimes get the sense that 95 year old grandma is only with so all grandkids don't have to wait in line...)

Extreme side note - I also once saw a sleeping elderly man in a wheelchair parked in stroller parking outside pirates, completely surrounded by empty strollers...

JMHO. It is terribly dishonest to rent/use a wheelchair if it is not really needed. There are plenty of people who I'm sure wish they could make the opposite choice.

samkj
11-09-2007, 06:14 AM
Kristin, only 5 people are allowed to enter with the person in the wheelchair. If you see otherwise, then its the CM not doing their job, or else the group is part of a tour or something similar.

You can report abuse of the system to any CM in the park. They should contact security to handle the situation.

DizneyMommy
11-09-2007, 06:38 AM
I don't get what she is doing though, I have a feeling she is more talk than action. I mean, anyone can rent a wheelchair if you have $8 or whatever it is now, but in order to get through the wheelchair accessible line you need a pass from City Hall. I always thought you had to show some sort of proof that you needed the accessible card in order to get one, but maybe I am wrong. Simply having a wheelchair does not get you to the front of anything, and in fact, sometimes the accessible lines can take longer that then normal line would.

On another note... as for the two teenage boys who were playing around with the chair - just because someone looks healthy to you, does not mean they don't need the chair. I had a friend in high school who passed away, who looked perfectly healthy but had bone cancer in his foot and could not walk on it for prolonged periods of time. He wore normal shoes, no cast or anything, and did not even limp most of the time, but after a short period of walking he would become very tired physically and his foot would ache. He would have been totally capable of joking around as the kids you saw were, and probably did it a few times, but was entirely deserving and needing of the chair. Not to say abuse never happens, but ya just never know....

kristinhawk
11-09-2007, 08:09 AM
Kristin, only 5 people are allowed to enter with the person in the wheelchair. If you see otherwise, then its the CM not doing their job, or else the group is part of a tour or something similar.

You can report abuse of the system to any CM in the park. They should contact security to handle the situation.

I was not aware that there was a specific rule, but I can think of at least one instance from our most recent trip in August. On big thunder mountain railroad - there was an older woman in a wheelchair with *at least* 8-10 other adults/children that we watched get on via the back entrance. It stuck out in my mind because we saw the same family twice again getting on through the handicap access that day when we were waiting for nemo and splash mountain.

But it's not nearly as big of a deal to me as the idea of taking advantage of that option by faking a disability...

kristinhawk
11-09-2007, 08:17 AM
On another note... as for the two teenage boys who were playing around with the chair - just because someone looks healthy to you, does not mean they don't need the chair. I had a friend in high school who passed away, who looked perfectly healthy but had bone cancer in his foot and could not walk on it for prolonged periods of time. He wore normal shoes, no cast or anything, and did not even limp most of the time, but after a short period of walking he would become very tired physically and his foot would ache. He would have been totally capable of joking around as the kids you saw were, and probably did it a few times, but was entirely deserving and needing of the chair. Not to say abuse never happens, but ya just never know....


I am well aware of that. I traveled with my father when he was awaiting a liver transplant. Other than his yellowish skin tone, he looked perfectly healthy. He couldn't walk 10 feet.

These boys were *bragging* about what they were doing. Switching in and out of the wheelchair, laughing and jumping, being overall PITAs. I don't think it was the case of a hidden disability, but I could be wrong.

I am not a jerk. I understand limited ability and am glad that Disney is so accomodating. Everyone should be able to enjoy the happiest place! But I am bothered when people *cheat.*

bloodnswash
11-09-2007, 08:17 AM
Kristin, only 5 people are allowed to enter with the person in the wheelchair. If you see otherwise, then its the CM not doing their job, or else the group is part of a tour or something similar.

You can report abuse of the system to any CM in the park. They should contact security to handle the situation.

I, too, have seen, on many occasions, more then 5 people waiting with their wheelchair person. It does get very frustrating at times.

KTHoover
11-09-2007, 08:26 AM
How sad that someone would pretend they are in a wheelchair just not to stand in line. Trust me if you are in a wheelchair you would love it if you could stand in line. My sister-in-law also has bone cancer and has to use a wheelchair to get around. I pray that someday they don't end up in a wheelchair and remember what they used to do just to save some time. I hope you aren't correct in the number of people that can go with a person who is in a wheelchair. We only had 4 so it wasn't an issue but if we went with all of our family we would have more than 5 people. The reason why you go to Disneyland is to be with your family and experience all that you can together. It woud be sad if they separated people just because you have more than 5 individuals with you. It is suppose to be a family park isn't it?

MammaSilva
11-09-2007, 08:28 AM
Before you judge that 'large group' so harshly keep in mind that you really have idea what is going on in the dynamics, I'm sure that people did a double take more than once when I would take groups to the park, some were ambulatory and some weren't so you might see 9 to 12 people one wheelchair, what you didn't see and is none of your business much less gives you a right to judge so harshly is that every single person in our group 'qualified' at the time for the guest assistance program. MOST trips I had enough chaperones to split the group into smaller groups so as to not 'stand out' but sometimes that just didn't happen and I'd take a large group on an attraction. The CM’s on each attraction know the rules for the program so you don’t need to feel like you need to be the “cheater police”. The CM’s are very competent and treat the guests using the exits with dignity and respect for the most part but they also have no problem saying, your group can only have six here, the rest have to go thru the queue, you may have seen them enter the exit, that doesn’t mean all 12 got on the ride.

Having said that, I agree, there are people who abuse Disney’s generosity on a daily basis, they cheat and rent wheelchairs or EVC's to 'line jump' and do all sorts of things like rush past folks in line saying excuse me I need to get to my family up ahead...Disney requires a person to be 18 to rent either style of wheelchair from their services and I have seen blatant abuse by young adults, families, you name it. The CM’s see it as well but are pretty limited in what they can do because of the ‘invisible’ disabilities issues. You ‘see’ a healthy person in a wheel chair….I see a person that may or may not have an invisible disability.

Klutch
11-09-2007, 08:35 AM
I thought most Disney attraction queues were now wheelchair accessable. Why would people in wheelchairs be able to get to the head of the line? Seems to me the wheelchair bound can wait in line just like everyone else.

bloodnswash
11-09-2007, 08:38 AM
Unfortunately, plenty of CMs don't say anything when something should be said...no matter what the issue.

LOL, "cheater police"...OMG, now that has me cracking up.

MammaSilva
11-09-2007, 08:39 AM
Klutch, over in DCA you'd be right, amazingly in Disneyland there are only a handful of the queues that are HCA ...and there are people who take advantage of that on a daily basis. Not as often now as before the switch but it's still happens.

princessy777
11-09-2007, 08:40 AM
I know of someone who did this at Grad night in order to avoid lines. So yeah when I was waiting in line for Nemo and 20 people went ahead of me with various people in wheelchairs or scooters I looked and speculated. I then hated myself for doing it. They looked healthy to me. But what if they were really ill and enjoying a last family trip. Now I think I will just take people at there word and enjoy the fact I can be on my feet for hours.

KTHoover
11-09-2007, 08:40 AM
Most of the Fantasy rides don't, and you wouldn't be able to make it up the stairs for Big Thunder, or Splash Mtn just to think of a few. And like I said before I don't care how many people someone has with them if they are together at the park they should be able to go at the same time.

janell
11-09-2007, 08:41 AM
I wish there was away that Disney could not rent wheel chairs to people that really don't need them. My mom has two bad knees and can't take walking and standing all day. So we are in line to get the wheel chair and I see people who have no problems walking or standing getting chairs. Now my mom you can watch her walk and see she has a problem. Plus she could get a doctors note. I know Disney can't do something, but it upsets me perfictly fine people get wheelchairs for no reason.

Oh and the lines, not all lines can the electic wheelchairs make it around the corners. Even something new like Finding Nemo. We had to go to a wheel chair area and wait. What they should do is send the wheel chair person to wait where ever and have the rest of the party or at least one person stand in line and wait their groups turn. I bet that would cut down on how many people get wheel chairs and don't need it.

MammaSilva
11-09-2007, 08:43 AM
Bloodwash, I agree that there are times when a CM should and doesn't speak up, but in my experince it isn't very often. I see it more with the folks who are smoking in the wrong areas when the CM's need to step up to the plate and don't more than the large group issue. Not to derail this thread but that's the area I get my knickers in a twist over, nothing worse than a reformed smoker with a medically fragile kid to wipe out any worries about approaching a stranger and saying "excuse me this is a smoke free zone, the nearest smoking area is >>>>" and kindly give them directions.

KTHoover
11-09-2007, 08:45 AM
I would agree with someone standing in line but again why separate people when they are together? I wouldn't want to be separated from my family while in Disneyland that is why I go with them. You never can tell why someone is renting a wheelchair. I am sure people who don't need it do it but a lot of times people who can't stand for a long time due to a medical reason may not seem like anything is wrong with them while they are getting the wheelchair but if they didn't use it they wouldn't be able to walk within an hour. So you never can tell.

KTHoover
11-09-2007, 08:48 AM
Are saying that it is wrong for someone to point out a smoking area? I have a premie Grandaughter and no I don't want people smoking around her. If someone is smoking around her I wouldn't hesitate to tell them where the smoking area is.... of course I would say it nice :-)

MammaSilva
11-09-2007, 08:55 AM
Once again with the 'judging'.....recently I went to Disneyland and I had rented a scooter off site...it broke....I can't walk the distance from the trams to the rental area....so my surogate family went and rented a ECV and brought it out to the security point and waited for me. So if you saw her rent it, you saw a healthy mom renting a wheelchair but what you didn't see was she brought it to me who couldn't walk that far....if someone has a mobility issue chances are one of her healthy family members are in the line and then bring the chair back to them.

MammaSilva
11-09-2007, 08:56 AM
Are saying that it is wrong for someone to point out a smoking area? I have a premie Grandaughter and no I don't want people smoking around her. If someone is smoking around her I wouldn't hesitate to tell them where the smoking area is.... of course I would say it nice :-)



Oh heavens no I am NOT saying it's wrong, it's one of the areas that I have NO problem walking up to a stranger and saying excuse me, this is a smoke free zone, you are free to smoke at the nearest smoking area and point it out to them.

bloodnswash
11-09-2007, 08:58 AM
I don't really have a problem with people in their wheelchairs and their parties; no matter what the number might be to any given party. However, I do have a problem, as I'm sure most of you out there would agree, with people that DON'T need a wheelchair and are taking advantage of the whole situation and have 15 people in their party. Unfortunately, plenty of people who don't need wheelchairs do this. This is what upsets me. And you guys are correct, nobody can tell 100% who needs a wheelchair and who doesn't. But there are those occasions where you can flat out tell that it is all a joke to them and they are abusing the system. Sad but true.

My mother in law many times could have used a wheelchair due to her heart condition. She couldn't walk very far or for very long. She was one of those that refused to use a wheelchair. That was her decision. But yes, I do get my panties in a knot when people who don't need wheelchairs do the garbage that they do. THAT is what bothers me...not the legit ones.

Also, I have seen people take their 90 year old grandparent to DL just so they can use the wheelchair system. And I am ashamed to say that one of those groups is my sister's husband's family. And they would have no problem admitting it to anyone. Needless to say, I don't hang around them very often. It just outright embarrasses me.

KTHoover
11-09-2007, 09:03 AM
Thats good :-) Thank you. Also about the wheelchair issue Disney should maybe put restrictions as far as who has to wait in line and who doesn't. People with a broken leg, etc., could wait in the wheelchair line longer than someone who has cancer and their stamina isn't going to be what others are. My experience with people who have cancer who are in wheelchairs would never last the day if they had to wait in long lines. Also children who have medical issues that don't handle waiting in long lines should also have this opportunity. Just a thought. Sometimes the wheelchair lines are just as long as the regular lines.

bloodnswash
11-09-2007, 09:11 AM
Thats good :-) Sometimes the wheelchair lines are just as long as the regular lines.

That seems to be the case often at POTC. At least when I've been there it seems to be that way.

cstephens
11-09-2007, 09:30 AM
That seems to be the case often at POTC. At least when I've been there it seems to be that way.

Space is like that too.