[mickey]

Epcot® is introducing an exciting new experience for Walt Disney World guests. The new "Around the World at Epcot" tour begins Feb. 14, and offers a tour of World Showcase while maneuvering on a Segway™ Human Transporter. The Segway is a motorized self-balancing, personal transportation device, recognized by Popular Science in 2002 as the "Best of What's New in Technology."

"Around the World at Epcot" is offered seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and costs $80 per person, plus tax. A 15% discount is offered to AAA members, Disney Vacation Club owners, Disney theme park annual and seasonal pass holders and Disney's Visa card members.

Each tour has a capacity of 10 people and must be pre-booked by calling 407-WDW-TOUR. The experience is available for guests at least 16 years of age, with a maximum weight limit of 250 lbs. Participants are asked to sign a waiver and children ages 16 and 17 will need to have a guardian sign for them. Helmets are provided and, in case of inclement weather, the experience may be shortened to a one hour inside-only tour at a 50% discount.

[LAURENGOLD]

This looks so cool. When I told my DH about it..he said "sign me up" and then "how much does it cost?....never mind, sign me up!!:laugh He just wants to ride the Segway though!!!

[Rob Parsons]

The segway at EPCOT's World Showcase sounds fantastic but it's a little bit too expensive at $ 80.

I want to do it , of course , but I'll have to wait and see if the price comes down a bit first.

[Al Edwards]

So they ban the use of the Segway to handicapped people and then offer for people to use them excluseively for $80?? I am sure some lawsuits will came from that. That is a really bad PR move.

[Rob Parsons]

I hadn't realised that they meant to exclude the less able members of our community. If that really is the case then that's not " playing the game ". I reserve judgement on that one.

I heard on the News this afternoon that Disney is the subject of a hostile takeover bid. Things like this won't help the existing Board's case will it.

[Al Edwards]

Here is the article I read on the Segways'.

http://www.mouseplanet.com/parkupdat.../wdw040209.htm

The reason they claim is because this is not a certified FDA medical device.

Again...this is a really bad idea to sell tours via Segway now.

[Rob Parsons]

Thanks for that information.

Two years ago I had a bad fall at my hotel on the 4th day of my holiday and was given the opportunity to use a wheelchair at the Insurers' expense.

It really hit home to me the difficulties that the less able of us encounter at the Parks. I knew the Parks pretty well having visited loads of times before and based on this I declined to take them up on their kind offer. I was at least able to hobble on sticks.

MGM is a particular nightmare with some of the public walkways being almost impossible to get through. I witnessed many people in conventional ( ie not powered ) chairs and their aids were really struggling. Food for thought for the WDW chiefs.

It was a real eye opener for me. I , like most people , had never given disabled access much more than a second thought. Well not for a number of years since my disabled Nan passed away.

I do now...........everywhere I go. WDW , Busch et al need to address these issues not compound them.

[crystalrp]

There is an interesting review from someone who took the Epcot Segway tour. Find it at:

http://allearsnet.com/btp/tour_seg1.htm

[Disnatic]

I'm only 15 !!!!! Maybe next year if they still have it and if I have the budget!!! :cry:

[Dana]

Originally posted by Disnatic
I'm only 15 !!!!! Maybe next year if they still have it and if I have the budget!!! :cry:

OFF TOPIC: I love your avatar. Did you make it?

[Disnatic]

Thanks Dana!!! Yes I made it myself.

[lawwin]

In Oct. 2003, I was injured (knee and ankle) at Blizzard beach. I was not offered a wheelchair by the Disney insurers', but a scooter for the entire use of the rest of our stay which was 5 remaining days. They also switched our room from the top floor, because we were at Port Orleans Riverside - Alligator Bayou (which has no elevators) to a ground floor handicapped access room at no extra charge. They went out of their way to accommodate me (in several other ways as well - sending a dr. to my room at company expense to check me out and even calling me after we got home to see how I was doing).

However, I know from that experience that there was no way that I could have used a segway, because I could not have stood on my ankle for an extended period of time. Segways are not easy to use. They require very good balance and the tour that is taken around the World showcase is done while it is closed. The people who take the tour have to take a one hour class beforehand to learn how to use the Segway and the ones that are used only have a maximum speed of 5 mph, not the usual 12. Segways are banned for use in WDW because there are so many people in there when it is open and if they were allowed everyone would want to use them and it would make for a dangerous situation, especially with all of the handicapped people who also use scooters and the pedestrians who don't even look out for them. It is an accident waiting for a place to happen at Disney's expense.

I think most handicapped people could not use a Segway anyway, so I really do not understand how anyone could say that this situation could be Disney setting themselves up for a lawsuit. The tour is a completely different setup than use during regular park operating hours. Most handicapped people use scooters, and I know this because of what I saw during my personal experience with one. Because of that experience, we are taking my handicapped stepfather back with us in Sept. of this year. He didn't go with us last year because he thought it would be too difficult, but my daughter told him about my experience with the scooter and he decided that it was worth it to go and see the smile on his granddaughter's face. So, my accident turned into a positve thanks to the very kind people at Disney.

Proud Fan of the Kingdom since 11/1971