Back Wheels First (Warning, long post!)

[February]

Okay, I meant to post this in my blog about our trip which I swear, I am still going to write even though people probably couldn't care less LOL. I'm forgetting little details of the trip already and I want to remember them, so I have to get to writing it soon.

But in the meantime, in case anyone is reading this, uses a wheelchair or ECV at WDW and stays at one of the EPCOT resorts. . .beware the Friendship boat people who are too lazy to want to get the ramps out for you.

Backstory: On a previous trip, I can't remember if it was last year or the trip before that- we were boarding a boat to get from the Studios to Epcot and when we pulled up to it, the Captain told my husband to take my chair onto it back wheels first. Before I realized what was happening or had a chance to see how far the drop onto the boat actually was, my husband attempted it.

That drop had to be almost a foot.

The chair pitched to the left, and I ended up black and blue, and very sore for the rest of the trip.

Fast forward to this trip.

I was determined on this trip to transfer out of my chair at every single opportunity that I could in order to save the CM's the work of hauling the ramp. However, on the day in question I was feeling very unwell and needed to stay seated. We had taken the bus to the Studios early and it was so insane there that we decided to give it up, go to the Beach Club (to eat lunch and see if we would want to stay there on future trips) and then head to the World Showcase.

Well, first thing I notice, happily, when we get to the dock is that they now have big huge wheelchair ramps. I was thanking my lucky stars, when the Captain comes up to my husband and utters that deplorable phrase: "Take her chair on back wheels first." Then she disappears, and gets into the front of the boat and starts blowing the 'last call' horn!

I looked at my husband, and we realized that if he tried to get the ramp, we'd miss the boat. This woman was obviously in a big hurry to get somewhere.

I started panicking and knew I had to get out of the chair, and so he gave me both his hands and helped me slowly up and onto the boat, and I started fuming. There was a perfectly good ramp right there- but she didn't want to be bothered.

When we got off the boat at the Yacht Club and the Captain was on the dock, I asked my husband to roll me up to her. I very politely asked if I could speak to her a moment, and then I asked her if she had ever been down the drop onto one of those boats in a wheelchair. She didn't answer me. I said, "Because I have, and I ended up black and blue last time and you really need to use the ramps to load anything with wheels on to your boat." I then elaborated that not all guests could get out of their chair as I did at the last minute and that I worried a child in a chair, especially, could be injured. I also cannot believe they ever get an ECV on that thing without the ramp, there is just no way.

The woman stood there, eyes glaring at me, the most fake smile I have ever seen plastered on her face, and she never said a word in response. Finally, we just left.

To be continued. . .

[February]

By that point, my BP was about through the roof. I went to try to talk to a CM at the YC about it but as has been standard for every time I have ever tried to talk to anyone at the Yacht Club about anything, nobody cared. They just said, "Huh, well they shouldn't do that. Have a magical day!" I wouldn't stay there if you paid me- I have yet to meet a CM there who seemed to give a care about anything. Maybe I have just not met the right CMs yet :( (I'm looking forward to hearing how Susi liked staying there when she gets back, that's for sure!)

We went on to the Beach Club (where every single CM I encountered was a total delight, BTW- I really, really want to stay there in future) and after I made the mistake of eating lunch thinking it would make me feel better, I felt worse than when we left the Studios- so I took some medication and waited for it to start working and we went to the gift shop to look around (I LOVE that resort's logo- wish I'd have bought 2 tshirts! I'm going to wear mine out.)

Anyway- we get to talking with a CM at one of the registers, who was from my husband's home state- and she could tell I was not feeling real well and I brought up my boat experience and how I had tried to talk to the people at the YC and they didn't care. She got a funny look on her face, took out a notepad and pen, and started asking me for some info. Turned out she was only picking up extra shifts in the shop there and usually works in transportation! She told me that she knew people who managed in that area and wanted to be sure they reminded their captains that they were to use the ramps- and she was very reassuring to me that they are never to try to load a guest on a Friendship boat without a ramp.

So feeling better- knowing someone gave a care what people were doing to cut corners, we finally headed back to the boat dock, and I thought, surely, that was a fluke and that woman was just not wanting to do her job. Surely it would be different with other Friendship captains.

Then, the guy who pulls up at the dock walks up to my husband, and says. . . "Back wheels first."

I just about had a hissy fit on him. I said, "Wait, don't you know how far that drop is? It really hurts to try it, that's why there are ramps!" and he immediately started stammering that he could get the ramp "If I wanted it."

I told him nevermind- I would deal with it myself, and once again my husband helped me out of the chair, onto the boat, then went back, got the chair, and we were on our way.

This is what keeps me from booking a trip to stay at the BC right now. I just don't know if I have it in me to argue with the people every time I need a ramp because I'm too sick to get out of my chair- which sadly happens with greater frequency than I'd like. : ( But what about the guests who can't get out of their chairs at all? If you're paying what it costs to stay at those resorts, you should not have to deal with issues like this at ALL.

Discuss.

Bru

[Theme Park Where]

We've used the friendship boats frequently from Y&B with my mother's ECV and never had that problem. We've always been offered the ramp. Someone must think it's just easier to push a WC over the drop backwards but is at least smart enough to not try it with the scooter. Geeze. I can picture my mother in the water clinging to her sinking scooter as she goes down with the ship! :(

That's actually one of the problems I've had at Disney lately - consistency. The cms for the most part are friendly and helpful, but they aren't being given consistent policies to follow. The other side of that problem is the newer cms seem to be unable or unwilling to think for themselves or use common sense. When I visited DHS a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised at how many cms I saw performing their jobs by rote. If they weren't taught to deal with it, they either didn't do it or were at a loss how to deal with it. If a situation came up that required some flexibility, they weren't flexible. They dealt with all situations the same. The two - flexibility and consistency - aren't mutually exclusive either. You can treat people equally without treating them the same. You can take personal needs into account without giving up policies. And you can and should do things like safety procedures, loading procedures, etc, the same way every time. That's one of the reasons I left RnRC - I was becomming increasingly afraid that someone else's inability to be consistent was going to cause me or a guest in my care to be injured or worse.

[joanna71985]

Wow, that is really dangerous! They should always be using the ramps.

[February]

We've used the friendship boats frequently from Y&B with my mother's ECV and never had that problem. We've always been offered the ramp. Someone must think it's just easier to push a WC over the drop backwards but is at least smart enough to not try it with the scooter. Geeze. I can picture my mother in the water clinging to her sinking scooter as she goes down with the ship! :(

That's actually one of the problems I've had at Disney lately - consistency. The cms for the most part are friendly and helpful, but they aren't being given consistent policies to follow. The other side of that problem is the newer cms seem to be unable or unwilling to think for themselves or use common sense. When I visited DHS a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised at how many cms I saw performing their jobs by rote. If they weren't taught to deal with it, they either didn't do it or were at a loss how to deal with it. If a situation came up that required some flexibility, they weren't flexible. They dealt with all situations the same. The two - flexibility and consistency - aren't mutually exclusive either. You can treat people equally without treating them the same. You can take personal needs into account without giving up policies. And you can and should do things like safety procedures, loading procedures, etc, the same way every time. That's one of the reasons I left RnRC - I was becomming increasingly afraid that someone else's inability to be consistent was going to cause me or a guest in my care to be injured or worse.

At the Studios, honestly, is where we've had the, ahem, least magical CM experiences overall. Firstly, I have nearly been mowed down on several occasions by people pushing those big white things through the park at really high rates of speed (they have Ice cream in them I think?) Also, when we were trying to find a place to see the Jedi Training Academy on our last trip (I mentioned this in my SGT on our april trip thread) the CM insisted I had to move but then had no clue when I asked if there was anywhere I could go to see better and just said "No."

I'm sure they use the ramps because there is just no way a ECV could make that drop. I would love to have a measuring tape on me and actually measure it next time, but I know it's a lot farther than it looks.

I would love to see Disney do an experiment- send a CM unknown to the boat captains around for a day in a chair and see how many captains are either getting the ramps right off or offering to at least. I bet they'd be in for a shock how few are actually doing it. In fact I think I'll suggest that when I write my letter.

Where, you rock. I wish there were more like you- you are such an 'old school' style CM like the sort I remember from the days of my childhood. It's CMs like you that try so hard to make magic for the guests that make up for the dunderheads who are so clueless (and who don't stay around at WDW long!) You're a peach.

I must say too I think that loss of common sense is a problem country wide here in the US (I don't know how the rest of the world is doing, I hope, better than we are!) People just can't seem to think their way out of a paper bag anymore. It drives me mad.

Bru

[Theme Park Where]

Thanks Bru! It's still a fun job, and honestly I left a much higher paying one to come back to theme parks as an industry because I missed them, so I'm like some of the others on this site who get frustrated by the lack of what I used to know as the "Disney way" these days.

I have to tell you my Jedi Training Academy story. I didn't have a problem finding a place to watch the show, and although it was 100 degrees out, the crowd was fairly large. Adults were making way for kids, and adults whose children were in the show were sort of naturally allowed to get a good position for videos. It was a nice crowd. Before the show started, two cms were "warming up the crowd" (not too difficult - as I said, it was 100 degrees out!). One was fighting lightsabre duels with the kids with his "portable lightsabre" (a rolled up park map) and being "Jedi pushed" into the stage every time he walked past twins with matching Darth Vader helmets! He was having a blast and kept the whole line of kids AND adults entertained in spite of the heat. Then there was his "partner". This guy just stood there - well, not really stood there, but LEANED there, against the rail - the entire time until the show started. He was also enjoying the show put on by his fellow cm. Unfortunately, his job WASN'T to enjoy the show, it was to BE the show. He was supposed to be talking to guests. Fine if he didn't feel like "acting" but he could at least have found someone to talk to. A kid to say hello to. A parent to say "wow, it's hot out here isn't it?" to. It really felt like watching a "how to" and "how not to" video. One cm doing everything right, and another doing everything wrong.

[Theme Park Where]

Just remember that the minute you use the magic "L" word (lawyer) your complaint goes out of the hands of the GR cm and into the risk managment office. You shouldn't have to threaten to sue to get someone to listen to and act on your complaint. Threatening to will put the case in the hands of the park's lawyers.

[February]

Just remember that the minute you use the magic "L" word (lawyer) your complaint goes out of the hands of the GR cm and into the risk managment office. You shouldn't have to threaten to sue to get someone to listen to and act on your complaint. Threatening to will put the case in the hands of the park's lawyers.

I know this is true. This is why i don't throw either word around- once when my daughter was just an infant (she's a pre-teen now) my ex husband did that when I had a shard of glass in my orange juice at a character meal- I didn't know what it was, but I saw it floating and (don't know what I was thinking, honestly) I quite stupidly reached in to investigate, and cut my finger on it.

He complained to the manager of the restaurant,(I know he wanted them to comp our breakfast- I was totally mortified) - he mentioned the word lawsuit and the next thing I knew, Reedy Creek was roaring in, ambulance, stretcher and all, and the manager demanded that I see them.

I was so humiliated. I was forced to walk out thru the busy restaurant with everyone staring and my ex husband still yelling and all the paramedics did was look at my finger and put a band aid on it. I apologized to them right and left, in tears, and the RC guys were really cool about it- they said "We're happy when the calls aren't bad." But I felt horrible for wasting their time.

Incidentally, that was the second, and last, trip I ever took to WDW with my ex. Divorce followed soon after.

Polar, you said:

All it would take is one person to fall out of their chair and get slightly injured and there would be grounds for a good lawsuit.

I could have been that person. I was black and blue along my side and arm the time I did slam against the side of my chair and the step/boat because we did as told by the CM.

At the time, I didn't even think about it because I didn't see any ramps at the docks, I thought it was just a sad consequence for my own decision to take the boat.

Bru

[dancinghomer]

At the time, I didn't even think about it because I didn't see any ramps at the docks, I thought it was just a sad consequence for my own decision to take the boat.

Thinking back to all my trips from staying at the Boardwalk, I seem to remember only typically seeing one ramp on the boat launch dock. Of course there are 2 sides to the dock, so the ramp could have been on the other side. If that is the same at the Yacht/Beach Club dock, I'm not sure, but that could be the reason why you didn't see it.

[Mayonnaise]

That's awful what they done to you. You definitely should have been within your rights to demand a ramp. Nobody should put your health and safety in jeopardy just to move things along a little quicker.

8^S