Special Needs Not So Magical Cast/Guests - Page 7 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Originally Posted by bitterchickey
Reading all your posts mechurchlady, has me really discouraged about our 2012 trip to DLR. Has anyone else been with better results? Seems like it's a whole different "world" than how things are @WDW.
While I am not in a wheelchair or scooter, I use a rollator. I have never had a problem at the DLR. We are there almost every Saturday. The CM's have been great at the attractions. Yesterday it was busy and I expected to have a wait, but it seemed like they went out of their way to get us on quickly. I was amazed.
Went to the French Market for lunch and dinner. It is a buffeteria style restaurant. They have CM's to take your tray to your table. The food is good too.
We went to see Fantasmic and there is a special section that is roped off for wheelchair access. It works out great. If you go to the first showing the fireworks that follow will be partially obscured by trees.
Don't be discouraged, I think Disneyland is great. I try to focus more on the positive side. PM me if you need any more info. Have fun planning your trip.
By reading out posts on the bad people in parks you can learn how to prevent such problems, what is the right way to deal with problems, wrong ways with dealing with problems, and how to destress from idiots you find in both parks. Stay to the right, have patience with convoys, have alternate plans, park on the line at parades, save space around you then let in a few good people, know what you are doing ahead of time, and avoid certain areas at certain times.
We come here to this thread and list all the bad things then people post solutions and advice. I know that what happens in DLR happens in WDW. People walk in front of other people, people block walkways, people fail to yield to walkers and chairs alike, people use flash at the wrong time, people sing loudly off key, etc. I hope we learned things from these posts.
This thread was actually started to be fun and give us a place to vent about some of these behaviors. However, I am so glad that it has morphed into something truly helpful. Thank you everyone for your wonderful observations and advice. I have learned that the right side is usually reserved for wheelchairs, something I'm sure I observed but didn't really register. I also learned that making alternative plans is key. On out last trip, I made one plan and then we kind of used that as a guide. The only things we really kept to the schedule on were ADRs and everything else was subject to change dependent on what experiences we were having at the time.
This thread was actually started to be fun and give us a place to vent about some of these behaviors. However, I am so glad that it has morphed into something truly helpful. Thank you everyone for your wonderful observations and advice. I have learned that the right side is usually reserved for wheelchairs, something I'm sure I observed but didn't really register. I also learned that making alternative plans is key. On out last trip, I made one plan and then we kind of used that as a guide. The only things we really kept to the schedule on were ADRs and everything else was subject to change dependent on what experiences we were having at the time.
I've learned alot from this thread also!
Remember, Chantelle (AKA, Bitterchickey) This topic is all about annoying people, so please don't let this discussion scare you! I'm sure if it was about sweet, magical people, it would have a whole different aura!
Thanks for the reassurance ya'll. I apologize if my comment came off like an insult to mechurchlady, it wasn't meant towards you personally, rather you seem to go quite often, & the stories about people's behavior get worse & worse. Of course we all run into the occasional "brain-fart" person, but I guess going so often, you'll hit more of them than most.
The right side is for all people but I stress it a lot for disabled posts. Just like in a street or sidewalk the slow people stay to the right side of the road. People do not drive on the left side of the road unless they are passing or on a one-way street. It is common courtesy and things move better when traffic stays to the right side of the walkway or road.
People are in a hurry and they will not patiently walk behind people. They will pass people on the left to then cut off other people. They will walk on the left side of the path thus forcing oncoming traffic to veer into the people on the right side of the walkway. Some will even run through crowds while doing football moves that would put football stars to shame. They duck and weave instead of moving in the crowd.
It does not matter if it is a little kid, wheelchairs, rollators, seniors, or strollers. They will get where they are going even if they cut off a healthy person who is not walking fast enough to suit the needs of the idiots who have no patience.
I am hypersensitive, overstressed on trips because of Mom, have my own special needs, and by noon am worn out and hurting big time. Part of my differently wired brain is being a bloodhound and researcher so I see things on a different level than many folks.
DLR is more family to me than my family. The chef at Hook's Pointe that remembered us from many months before, the manager at a restaurant who remembered us, the ride operator who remembers us, and the many other people who take time to say howdy, how is your day, and are you having fun. IF the place was so bad then we would not scrimping and saving for June 13th trip. I cannot compare parks as I cannot afford the trip to WDW let alone the logistics of said trip. I can say that no place else except In n Out burger stand treat me so good.
Psst, there is a great seat on the left side of the Muppets and Bug's Life shows.
As for venting, it is nice to know that we are not alone in our complaints. The young healthy couple has someone walk right in front of them, the little kid has his view blocked by a big rude guy, and woman with the stroller has to wait for people to let her pass. There is no race, religion, ethnicity, disability or whatever when it comes to rude people or their victims. I have seen the woman in the scooter honking her horn like people are to move for her. I have be plowed into by an old man in a scooter. Mom ran over my shoe with her wheelchair, lol. It is a two way street on being rude though at times it feels like one side has a whole lot more lanes.
__________________
Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
We once encountered a group of teenagers (at least 6 of them) . traveling together at Epcot. Every single one of them had a scooter and were flying around people laughing! Now, maybe they were a group of disabled kids, but it certainly didn't seem like it. I hope everyone who needed an ECV got one that day!
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I just came across this post today and have at some of the posts. My family(DH, DS and I leave on our WDW trip in 7 days). This will be the first time I will be using a scooter due to knee and leg problems which keep me from walking/ standing for long periods. I have learned to take my hand off the throttle right quick(just wish the scooter stopped as fast) when someone pulls in front or stops quick in front of me. I actually learned some things from this post that I can use.
One I have decided to get a GAC(was questioning where I really needed one) and the right side for Fantasimic. Thanks for the fun posts as well ans informative one.
I just ran across this thread and I'd like to add:
THE PETTERS!! Yes, people who pet the head of DD. Then they try to play it off: 'She's got such pretty hair". Yes, I know. It was there when she was born. I didn't ask for it. As a matter of fact, I'd prefer it was any other color. Then people like you wouldn't feel the need to pet my child. She's 29 and in a wheelchair, she is married and lives with her DH in their own house, and yet people feel the need to TOUCH her like she's a pet. I don't walk up to random adults or kids and start petting them - I expect people to leave my DD some dignity.
I just ran across this thread and I'd like to add:
THE PETTERS!! Yes, people who pet the head of DD. Then they try to play it off: 'She's got such pretty hair". Yes, I know. It was there when she was born. I didn't ask for it. As a matter of fact, I'd prefer it was any other color. Then people like you wouldn't feel the need to pet my child. She's 29 and in a wheelchair, she is married and lives with her DH in their own house, and yet people feel the need to TOUCH her like she's a pet. I don't walk up to random adults or kids and start petting them - I expect people to leave my DD some dignity.
Maybe if she said "Woof Woof" they would see they were acting foolish petting her.... I agree what the heck is wrong with people? My sister & I went to a local festival and she pushed me in my wheelchair, She ran into some friends & they chatted like I was invisible even talking about me, HELLO I am right here!
Teresa, perhaps she needs to say "Please look with your eyes, not your hands" like we tell kids who want to pet our turtle at the library. Or maybe just sneeze violently when someone extends their hand.
Totally rude behavior on their part; I wouldn't touch someone else's child without permission unless to save them from harm, and I definitely wouldn't touch a strange adult unless for the same reason. Maybe my loud son, with autism, who sometimes flaps and hoots, is at an advantage in that people then tend to make way rather than coming closer.
I'm just shaking my head at that sort of behavior, Teresa. Frankly, not only would I not touch someone else's child, I would not touch someone else's dog either!
Teresa, perhaps she needs to say "Please look with your eyes, not your hands" like we tell kids who want to pet our turtle at the library. Or maybe just sneeze violently when someone extends their hand.
Totally rude behavior on their part; I wouldn't touch someone else's child without permission unless to save them from harm, and I definitely wouldn't touch a strange adult unless for the same reason. Maybe my loud son, with autism, who sometimes flaps and hoots, is at an advantage in that people then tend to make way rather than coming closer.
We teach all the kids to say "Personal space, please".
Other guests. I'm pretty sure that the true CM of Disney have a lot more tact and observation skills
While this may be true of MOST CMs, I had the unlucky opportunity to have a run in with a not so pleasant CM when we were there in Dec 09 and I was in an ECV. It was our first day at the World and we had spent it at MK, until party time and as we were not attending the party that night we were making our way out. Well we were trying to cut across Main Street down near the castle hub by the Plaza Restaurant. Well it was hard for me to get a straight on shot across the trolley tracks so the front wheel of the ECV got stuck in the tracks, RIGHT in front of a photopass CM. Now you would think that this CM being employed by Disney would come over and help me remove the ECV from the tracks and then go back to taking photos. NOPE, No way and no how. He was going to have none of it. He actually started yelling at me to move the ECV out of his camera shot. He didn't offer to help me at all, he just yelled and yelled and yelled. It didn't matter that I was now near tears and had a cast on my foot making mobility difficult, he didn't care one bit, he just wanted me out of his way. I couldn't lift the scooter and neither could my mom which was making him angrier and angrier and he just got louder the angrier he got. A nice couple who were near us actually stopped to help us get the ECV out of the tracks while the photographer never lifted a finger or even moved over to try to help us. I was so upset I couldn't think straight enough to go complain at Guest Services, but you can be assured that if that happens again on our trip this December (I have an ECV as I blew my knee out over the summer), you can be guaranteed that a trip to Guest Services WILL be happening.
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It is a two way street on being rude though at times it feels like one side has a whole lot more lanes.
at some of the posts. My family(DH, DS and I leave on our WDW trip in 7 days). This will be the first time I will be using a scooter due to knee and leg problems which keep me from walking/ standing for long periods. I have learned to take my hand off the throttle right quick(just wish the scooter stopped as fast) when someone pulls in front or stops quick in front of me. I actually learned some things from this post that I can use.
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