Which rides do you suggest leaving ECV at ride entrance if you can walk for short periods?

I've read that in certain rides, the ECVs funnel off and choke and sometimes cause significantly longer lines if you take them. I've also head that in some lines, they are technically wheelchair accessible but are steep or the turns are sharp making it more difficult than some with wheelchairs would like.

Alternately, which rides would you suggest STAYING ON the ECV for?

I'm not asking about transferring onto the rides, etc, I am mobile enough to do that.

I have a limited number of hours a day I can walk/stand before I give out. I'm just trying to "pick my battles", choosing which rides are worth standing for? With two small kids and a packed schedule, if it will make a big time difference or it will be very hard to maneuver, I would assume to park outside and walk for those rides.

Advice appreciated.

because you will need to use stroller parking to leave ECV you could have a short walk at any ride plus you usually do not come out at same place you start, I would use ECV in line for all rides. never know when something can cause line to stop and you end up with longer wait than what is listed. with 2 kids I would save walking as much as possible

I agree with Betty, ride everywhere you can! You will have to walk to Pirates or transfer to a manual wheelchair and have to walk a short distance on several other attractions. Let these be your battles, they will come to you

Definitely stay on for Soarin'! The ride queue is quite long.

Not the same topic, but vaguely related...... rides to have a person walk into, if they can do some walking, that are in a manual WC, being pushed around....... Space Mountain, and Soarin'!! When we have a FP+, or DAS return time, I have DS walk these, as it is so hard for me to push him up and down hills in the queues. He loves these 2, but it's getting harder for me as I get older to push a manual chair up and down hills.

I use the ECV for all rides. For pirates, you have to park outside the ride. There are really no tricky turns, all the lines have generous space. The ride attendants will direct you where to go when you get to a certain point. The trickiest part is getting on and off the buses. You'll be fine. It will save your legs and your trip will be so much more enjoyable.

When I'm using an ECV, I park it and walk for the Haunted Mansion. It's hard enough maneuvering through the pitch-black foyer and stretching room on foot; when I was talked into trying it in an ECV I plowed into more than one wall or door frame.

I did use my EVC in haunted mansion multiple times with no issue. I guess it really depends on your skill and confidence level.

Ones I specifically remember either being grateful I rode into or wishing too late that I had: Soarin', Toy Story Midway Mania, Great Movie Ride, and basically any show queue. For me, if the ride queue requires a lot of standing still and waiting, that is actually harder for me than one that moves (like the continuous rides) and you can keep walking.

One that sticks out in my mind where we've had a particularly LONG wait for the accessible entrance is Splash Mountain. After that experience we now park and walk that queue. However, if stairs are a problem, walking this one won't be an option.

Enjoy your vacation!

Am assuming you're asking about WDW. I used to always park in stroller parking and walk through all queues, but I NEVER do that now. Physically, I am no longer able to do that, but even if I was, I wouldn't recommend it. The regular standby lines are often long and tiring, and for the most part have enough room to drive through. If they don't, you will be directed by the CM stationed at the ride to do something else. POTC is the only ride I can remember walking for this past September right this minute. You have to either use one of the wheelchairs they provide at Pirates, or walk. You can't use your ECV.

IF you park for Haunted Mansion, you have to park at the very bottom, BUT if you ride, you have to stay on it THROUGH the 'Stretching Room'. So, I recommend doing this ONLY IF YOU ARE A VERY GOOD DRIVER! Otherwise, toes and feet of your comrades in that room WILL be sacrificed and there will be an angry mob. I try to go in VEEERRRRRYYYY slowly with Husband in front of me so I can only hit him. I wish they would just let me go straight through and avoid that room altogether because it terrifies me in a completely different way than the other guests!

There are several rides where the ECV route to get on the ride is a completely different way than the standby or Fastpass queue (Star Tours in Epcot comes to mind). I made a complete fool of myself there by trying to walk (I was having a great day and we had a Fastpass, and there was no one in line), but when I hit the big incline there was NO WAY. Since the ECV can't go that way, I had to walk back out, and felt so stupid and weak, but my arthritic toes just can't bend very far and that incline was just impossible.

This is a link to the official Disney list of which rides do/do not require transfer to ride, if they require transfer to a wheelchair, and if they require the person be ambulatory: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/mobility-disabilities/ Note that it's referring to the actual ride vehicle, though, so whether or not you can ride your ECV into the attraction can be misleading. Star Tours, for example, is listed as requiring transfer to a wheelchair. You can actually stay on your ECV until you get outside the ride "room" and if you can walk, then you just walk to your seat. Only if you're completely immobile would you need to transfer to a wheelchair to get to a seat in the ride.

And yes, do stay on the ECV for TSM, & Soarin!

Those are the only specific things I can remember right now. I hope that helps.

My mom is coming with us this trip and using an ECV. I'm grateful that almost all of the lines can accommodate her in it as it is sometimes more difficult for her to stand in the same spot for long periods of time than it is to walk. We plan to stick her in the middle so if she hits anyone by accident it will be one of us. She is mobile enough not to have to use it for the actual rides. Maybe this is a silly question, but once she gets on the ride without the ECV where do we find it afterwards? I'm a correct in assuming each entrance has a CM so we can ask this question?

most times her ECV will be waiting for her at the exit or where she left it depending on ride, the ones where this is not possible are the ones where you have to use the rides wheelchair. I would ask CM as you get on or they will tell as you are waiting to load

The cast members are great about showing you where your ECV will be, it will usually have been moved but will be easy to find. Put something on it to personalize it if you can to make it easier to spot in the group

ThistleMae said:

I did use my EVC in haunted mansion multiple times with no issue. I guess it really depends on your skill and confidence level.

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And your visual acuity in the dark. I had no trouble with the ECV in any lighted areas.

JenniBugInPink said:

IF you park for Haunted Mansion, you have to park at the very bottom, BUT if you ride, you have to stay on it THROUGH the 'Stretching Room'. So, I recommend doing this ONLY IF YOU ARE A VERY GOOD DRIVER! Otherwise, toes and feet of your comrades in that room WILL be sacrificed and there will be an angry mob. I try to go in VEEERRRRRYYYY slowly with Husband in front of me so I can only hit him. I wish they would just let me go straight through and avoid that room altogether because it terrifies me in a completely different way than the other guests!

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When I went through in an ECV, they had me wait until all the other guests were out of the room before starting up. Although I did hit the walls, I was grateful that I didn't have to risk hitting other guests!

ttintagel said:

When I went through in an ECV, they had me wait until all the other guests were out of the room before starting up. Although I did hit the walls, I was grateful that I didn't have to risk hitting other guests!

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It wasn't the leaving - it was the entering that was scary.

We tried this one time at KSafari. My mom started out in a wheel chair but wanted to walk the last part into the "normal" line. We tried to leave her chair at the stroller parking and were told no. We ended up headed to the wheel chair line which is always extra long. The next time we rode, I ended up leaving everyone at the FP line entrance and left her wheelchair near where you exit, then rejoining my family at the FP+ line. It was not easy to find the exit! LOL! This did work out better for us but it was certainly not easy.

Soarin' is another attraction where you will need an evc. The walk in and out is very long!

Little Mermaid is one where my mom preferred to walk in. The view from the normal EVC/wheelchair parking was bad as it was all in the back row. Today I think they have a few seats in the very front row but sometimes too close is not good either! Finding Nemo the Musical can be a better show from a non-EVC seat. The walk in is not too bad but the walk out can be long if you try to leave right as the show is over. If you wait until the theater is nearly empty it is not too bad.