Wheelchair Fakers

PARKGUY · Post by **PARKGUY** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:29 pm

Have you ever caught someone faking it in a wheelchair?

I remember one Horror Nights, I saw this wheelchair coming down the hall from a reflection in the mirror maze. I leaped in front of it, in my freaky Treak costume, and the guy in the chair PRACTICALLY LEAPED OUT OF THE CHAIR in fright, then got back in.

I really hope he had some sort of unseen condition, because that was just ridiculous...

Stduck · Post by **Stduck** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:34 pm

All the time. People still believe that you get priority line privledges if you are in a wheelchair. At DCA I believe all the lines are Wheelchair accessable. At DL some of our newer attractions have wheelchair accessable queues. Many times (in the case of Mansion or Pirates) the wheelchair line is as long or longer then the regular line due to how many chairs we can accomidate on the attraction at one time.

CBeilby · Post by **CBeilby** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 10:24 am

Back in August, I was sweeping Small World/Matterhorn when we had a group of four of these. Not only were they wheelchair fakers, they weren't even good at it. The little twits were RACING the things, which was proving a hazard to other guests. We ended up letting security know, but they'd been following these kids for some time already...

GMC · Post by **GMC** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 7:34 am

when i get a wheelchair, i make sure that I work at getting to the SAP entrance, i don't trust anyone to push me, so by the time i'm done wheeling myself around, i might as well have waited in line, and even if it takes me less time, my hands really really hurt. it's weird seeing the park from a wheelchair's point of veiw, everyone is taller than you, it's almost scary.(keep in mind i'm about 6' so having to look up to talk to people is ver strange for me.)

abc · Post by **abc** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 12:29 am

I have alway thought what it would be like to explore the parks in an electric wheelchair, not to get into SAP lines, but just to see what the park looks like when you haven't been standing up the entire shift and you are relaxed.

GMC · Post by **GMC** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 2:35 am

the ECV's are way too slow and clunky for my liking. i found it easier to get around in a regular chair under my own power, it also felt like my arms were getting an awesome workout.

Zazu · Post by **Zazu** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 3:09 pm

Thanks to my injury, I had the opportunity to visit the MK in a wheelchair, both by myself and with others.

It was a most revealing experience. First, because I learned just how stinkin' many *hills* that place has. Even the Utilidors were unmanageable, and only the help of volunteer CMs downstairs and guests upstairs allowed me even to get to the turnstiles.

Second lesson was that you become invisible when you're that short. I expected this one, as my 80-year-old father has recently had to buy an ECV, and it wasn't until he put up a small fiberglass flagpole with a flag at (standing) eye leve that people recognized his existance.

The third, and truely delightful lesson came from viewing the park from a kid's eye level. Imagineering talks a lot about "seeing the park with the eyes of a child," but this chance to view it from the *height* of a child showed me that they had really paid some serious attention to this "angle" of Park design. A good number of things looked *better* from half my normal height.

Finally, I learned that I'm *really* glad I don't have to! It's a major pain in the butt, arms, feet, elbows, and any other body part the guests might smack into. Not to mention the looks one gets when one does manage to stand up, even briefly. I'd hate to think how I'd have been treated if I didn't have a giant boot on one foot and hop from place to place.

In sort, I recommend that you *do* go visit your park in a wheelchair, powered or not. It'll give you a whole new view of the place, and of the folks who aren't faking it.

dannydp · Post by **dannydp** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:52 pm

Zazu wrote:Thanks to my injury, I had the opportunity to visit the MK in a wheelchair, both by myself and with others.

It was a most revealing experience. First, because I learned just how stinkin' many *hills* that place has. Even the Utilidors were unmanageable, and only the help of volunteer CMs downstairs and guests upstairs allowed me even to get to the turnstiles.

Second lesson was that you become invisible when you're that short. I expected this one, as my 80-year-old father has recently had to buy an ECV, and it wasn't until he put up a small fiberglass flagpole with a flag at (standing) eye leve that people recognized his existance.

The third, and truely delightful lesson came from viewing the park from a kid's eye level. Imagineering talks a lot about "seeing the park with the eyes of a child," but this chance to view it from the *height* of a child showed me that they had really paid some serious attention to this "angle" of Park design. A good number of things looked *better* from half my normal height.

Finally, I learned that I'm *really* glad I don't have to! It's a major pain in the butt, arms, feet, elbows, and any other body part the guests might smack into. Not to mention the looks one gets when one does manage to stand up, even briefly. I'd hate to think how I'd have been treated if I didn't have a giant boot on one foot and hop from place to place.

In sort, I recommend that you *do* go visit your park in a wheelchair, powered or not. It'll give you a whole new view of the place, and of the folks who aren't faking it.

I've been in a wheel chair for an extended period before (I still need one if I screw things up). I was in a large car accident that resulted in the replacement of a knee and other major surgery. After some time I was able to stand up and do a very awkward walk for *short* periods of time, but still needed my wheelchair if I went somewhere. I'd often stand up to get somewhere that the wheelchair would not be able to take me. I had people look at me weird, whisper to eachother, and even say things directly to me when I would stand up (Not that they don't do that when you're sitting down too). After being yelled at by someone for 'faking it' I invested in some tear away pants and would use those. Whenever someone was being rude I was just happen to have to get at one of the areas they cut into me. (Itch, adjustment, etc) and would expose the very disgusting mess to people. :)

Believe me. No one fakes being in a wheel chair outside of disney. It's not fun

Stduck · Post by **Stduck** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:57 pm

At the Mansion we can now load wheelchairs via "Creep Mode" and its actually part of the PA. So to test the new hires the lead volunteered myself and the other Cast member (2 PAs going on both new hires at load) to go get one of our stand by chairs and act like wheel chair guests. I pushed and was pushed. It was awkward being down there (not to mention all the strange looks we got from guests (we were in full costume)). But its tough in a wheel chair. I've decided that if I need to be in a wheel chair for a short period of time I'll skip the Disneyland trip.

Zazu · Post by **Zazu** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:51 pm

Stduck wrote:I've decided that if I need to be in a wheel chair for a short period of time I'll skip the Disneyland trip.

Don't do that! Use the opportunity to rent an ECV and exact your revenge on all the stroller nazis!