Solo with ECV and buffets?

Agreed. And the government agrees.

See: https://www.ada.gov/reachingout/lesson11.htm including the illustrated example "At a self-serve food bar, a staff person is preparing a tray of food for a customer using a walker." And https://www.ada.gov/reachingout/trayassist.html "In a casual restaurant, an employee assists a man using crutches, by carrying his tray to a table.". Its about "Making it possible for customers with disabilities to purchase your goods and services is an important part of complying with the ADA." and "The ADA requires businesses to make “reasonable modifications” in their normal ways of doing things when necessary to accommodate people who have disabilities." and "Most accommodations involve making minor adjustments in procedures or providing some extra assistance."
This is what the law is. A CM carrying your tray if you are not able is a reasonable accommodation.

When I am alone with DD in a counter service restaurant, someone usually offers because they can see I can’t push her wheelchair and carry a tray at the same time. If they don’t offer, I ask the CM who is taking orders if someone can help me and I have never been denied. We do sometimes have to wait a little while, but assistance is provided.

For buffets, either the CM seating us or the server usually mentions that we should ask for help if we need it.
Again, we’ve not asked and been turned down.
Truly, everyone here is correct (except one) but if you have any concerns, make ADR's by calling, rather than MDE and ask about putting notations on the reservations about ECV / wheelchair seating and needing to be in an area closer to the buffet, bathroom, etc.. so it's noted ahead of time. The rest should be up to general human decency.
Besides adding that you have a wheelchair to your ADR, mention any special needs when checking in for your ADR.

You can add special needs using MDE, we do it all the time. After adding your guests to the ADR, scroll to the bottom for special needs. There are check boxes for the common things, like wheelchair or allergy.
 
Honestly...I think they would help you out with your tray....if there's one around to ask for help. All the buffets I've been to don't have a lot of extra cm's right there to do this,so if you decide to try you may end up waiting to find someone which can also be inconvenient. A TS option might be more enjoyable in your situation ,I'm just thinking about that factor. But I have seen people with ecv's at buffets so it's doable.
 
Thanks all! And I just remembered another experience I had. One time I was at CS with my ECV, and a fellow guest immediately insisted on carrying my tray to the table. Since I had my ECV, I was fine, thanked him but said I could handle it myself. But he was so insistent, and seemed to go away, happily thinking he'd done his good deed for the day. I really appreciated his offer to help and told him so.
 
Honestly...I think they would help you out with your tray....if there's one around to ask for help. All the buffets I've been to don't have a lot of extra cm's right there to do this,so if you decide to try you may end up waiting to find someone which can also be inconvenient. A TS option might be more enjoyable in your situation ,I'm just thinking about that factor. But I have seen people with ecv's at buffets so it's doable.
most buffets have someone cleaning tables, taking away dirty dishes or getting drinks you might wait a short time but as I said earlier they would much prefer that to cleaning up a spill or dropped plate for any reason not just handicapped person and yes I work in a park restaurant might not be right there but someone would be there shortly as it takes a lot less time to carry a tray than clean up afterwards
 
My personal experience at WDW has been that a CM always offers to carry my tray when I'm on an ECV. I have never even had to ask. I am usually fine on my own, but have taken them up on the offer once, when it was very crowded and a tricky path back to my table.
 
We found the areas around certain parts of the buffets to be rather poorly designed for people in ECVs (and the general flow of traffic) but that was a few years ago. We haven't done buffets for a couple of years. have they moved things around so you can get access around an ECV if they are waiting? I do remember being kind of 'pinned in' at one point by two ECVs, one trying to be at the buffet, one trying to go around, and there I was, with 2 kids, 3 plates, and nowhere to go to get out of the way. The person at the buffet had a plateful in her lap, but couldn't balance it and drive at the same time. And I couldn't help because my hands were full.

I think a rollator could be of great assistance at buffets - but only if the person can walk a certain distance. Or hopefully the buffet meals have opened up the space around the buffet? And have an assigned CM to ehlp out, direct traffic?
 

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