BillSears
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2003
I just got back from a short trip to WDW for the Food and Wine Festival and MNSSHP. I had a great time.
However one night returning from EPCOT after watching Illuminations I decided to hang back a bit to let the crowd thin out some. I arrived at the Pop Century bus stop at 9:45 and saw 5 ECVs in the line in front of me. I watched a couple buses leave with no tie down spots in use while we made it through the line. Then I saw the first 2 ECVs reach the front of the line. They were not loaded onto the bus that was there(that's 1 bus with no tie downs). A second bus pulled up and double parked next to the first(that's 2 buses). In the mean time 2 more ECVs reach the front of the line. Now we've got 4 ECVs waiting. These buses finish loading and pull away and we wait a while for a third bus to pull up, it's one of the new 3 tie down spots so 3 ECVs start loading. While they're loading the fifth ECV and I both pull up into the front of the line. So 3 ECVs loading, 2 ECVs waiting and a wheelchair. Another bus pulls up and double loads(3 buses pulling away without tie downs in use). The second set of buses pull away and we wait again for a new bus. A new bus eventually pulls up and it's got 2 tie down spaces so the 2 ECVs load. Of course another bus starts double loading(4 buses total with no tie downs in use while ECVs and wheelchairs are waiting). After all of these buses are loaded I'm left at the Pop Century bus stop by myself. Every single person boarded and left. There were 4 buses worth of people in line behind me who I got to watch leave. This really isn't right.
Which brings me to the second part...double loading buses. There were multiple times where I was waiting on a bus to go to the parks and there were more then 3 wheelchair/ECVs waiting for the bus. They would bring a bus into the stop and then bring a second bus. But that darn second bus would double park and not load the wheelchair/ECV. It would do a nice job of clearing out the regular line but it makes it much worse for the wheelchair/ECV line. I was left at the Pop Century bus stop once for this and I saw others left there twice during this trip. Disney needs to stop this practice!!!! Almost all of the double busing could be stopped if they would just stagger the buses better. Every time I saw double loading it was done with a break between buses arriving. They have to stop sending 2 buses at once and instead send 1 bus at a time.
One last thing. Wheelchair and ECV users are no longer allowed to ride on the outside back area of the World Showcase boats. This change really confuses me because for almost 30 years the only place we were allowed to ride was the back of the boat. There is now a spot inside the boat where they have removed some benches and if you use a wheelchair/ECV you MUST go inside if you want to ride. I declined the ride since the only reason I want to ride the boat is to see the World Showcase from the water. I guess I won't be able to enjoy that any more.
However one night returning from EPCOT after watching Illuminations I decided to hang back a bit to let the crowd thin out some. I arrived at the Pop Century bus stop at 9:45 and saw 5 ECVs in the line in front of me. I watched a couple buses leave with no tie down spots in use while we made it through the line. Then I saw the first 2 ECVs reach the front of the line. They were not loaded onto the bus that was there(that's 1 bus with no tie downs). A second bus pulled up and double parked next to the first(that's 2 buses). In the mean time 2 more ECVs reach the front of the line. Now we've got 4 ECVs waiting. These buses finish loading and pull away and we wait a while for a third bus to pull up, it's one of the new 3 tie down spots so 3 ECVs start loading. While they're loading the fifth ECV and I both pull up into the front of the line. So 3 ECVs loading, 2 ECVs waiting and a wheelchair. Another bus pulls up and double loads(3 buses pulling away without tie downs in use). The second set of buses pull away and we wait again for a new bus. A new bus eventually pulls up and it's got 2 tie down spaces so the 2 ECVs load. Of course another bus starts double loading(4 buses total with no tie downs in use while ECVs and wheelchairs are waiting). After all of these buses are loaded I'm left at the Pop Century bus stop by myself. Every single person boarded and left. There were 4 buses worth of people in line behind me who I got to watch leave. This really isn't right.
Which brings me to the second part...double loading buses. There were multiple times where I was waiting on a bus to go to the parks and there were more then 3 wheelchair/ECVs waiting for the bus. They would bring a bus into the stop and then bring a second bus. But that darn second bus would double park and not load the wheelchair/ECV. It would do a nice job of clearing out the regular line but it makes it much worse for the wheelchair/ECV line. I was left at the Pop Century bus stop once for this and I saw others left there twice during this trip. Disney needs to stop this practice!!!! Almost all of the double busing could be stopped if they would just stagger the buses better. Every time I saw double loading it was done with a break between buses arriving. They have to stop sending 2 buses at once and instead send 1 bus at a time.
One last thing. Wheelchair and ECV users are no longer allowed to ride on the outside back area of the World Showcase boats. This change really confuses me because for almost 30 years the only place we were allowed to ride was the back of the boat. There is now a spot inside the boat where they have removed some benches and if you use a wheelchair/ECV you MUST go inside if you want to ride. I declined the ride since the only reason I want to ride the boat is to see the World Showcase from the water. I guess I won't be able to enjoy that any more.