ECV vs. Wheelchair

[darkpixie08]

My father needs an ECV to get around, he can maybe manage or step or two, but I have a feeling transferring in and out more than once or twice would probably tire him out. For the rides where you are not required to transfer, does that mean they allow you to go on the ride in an ECVs as well (I can't imagine so)? Or would we be better off renting a wheelchair for the parks so that he would not have to change back and forth from his ECV to a wheelchair for each ride? Thanks!

 

[pbrim]

I don't think there are any rides that will allow an ECV in the ride car. Most will be able to handle an ECV through the line and if not, there will usually be an alternate entrance that will allow him to stay in the ECV right up until he reaches the ride car. For most of the rides, there will be methods to transfer directly to the ride, such as sliding across to the seat in a more open ride car. In some cases he would have to do this even if he's in a WC. There will probably be someone along soon who can speak to that more than I can.

You may want to also consider the general pros and cons of a WC vs an ECV. For ECVs, the upside is he would have more independance but the downside is transfer would be more difficult and driving an ECV require a mental alertness and attention that can be tiring in and of itself. You have to keep your eyes open all the time because other people often don't seem able to see an ECV at all. Having a party large enough to sort of surround you to provide some space can help. The downside of a WC is that WDW is a lot more hilly than it looks, and pushing him around could be tiring. Again, a group of people to share the push duty can help.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Don't assume that all handicapped people enjoy being pushed by others. The dependence on other people would drive me insane!

My suggestion - Ask the disabled person.
I am sure that the handicapped individual knows better than anyone how comfortable they would be with ECV or wheelchair.

 

[darkpixie08]

Pluto,

Thank you for the input, and I appreciate your point of view. It's definitely an important thing to keep in mind, however in this situation my father tends to be pretty stubborn much to the detriment of his health, (pushing himself past his limits, and then becoming very very ill, specifically around his grandchildren). Due to low blood pressure when he stands, fewer transfers overall will definitely be better for everyone in the party in this case, and fewer chances of him passing out and falling and hurting himself.

 

[dvc one day]

The only thing I can think to give you an idea of how difficult using a manual wheelchair in the parks is this (imagine doing this, or try it, if possible):
In a multi-level parking garage, imagine (or try) pushing someone up a few of the ramps. The parking garage is not as difficult as the parks, but it could give you an idea if it's possible in your situation.

In reference to transferring, even in a wheelchair, it is necessary to transfer to the ride vehicle on some rides.

 

[old lady]

You can use both. They rent ECV at the park and you might want to buy a raincoat in case it rains. Watch out for weirdos though you might mistake your raincoat for a witch's cape in Hollywood Disney. I remember they started singing to me the song in the Wizard of OZ where the witch is riding a bike.

 

[GadgetTheInventor]

JC and the big paddle-wheeler are the only true rides I can think of where you can stay in an ECV. Be careful about doing the JC during EMH though because when boats get pulled for maintenance, they are pulled at the end of regular hours and so the HC boat is not always out during EMH. There are many shows he could stay in his ECV for.

There are only a few more rides that allow wheelchairs, but not ECVs. IaSW, flying carpets of Alladin, EEA, KS, TSM, BLSR, etc. It's a lot of work to push a wheelchair through the park all day for only a ride or two.

Has he been before in his current state of health? Transfers can be very exhausting. He might need to consider skipping many of the rides and just focus on spending quality time with his family during the other portion of the trip that isn't during those rides.

 

[darkpixie08]

Thanks everyone! DVC that comparison is really helpful. It seems like a tough call. This will be my father's last trip to Disney due to his failing health (he wants to take his grandchildren to Disney before he goes), and I know he wants to be as involved in the whole trip as possible. I know it would upset him to miss out on so many classic rides, specifically in Magic Kingdom, and I really do worry about him passing out if he tries to transfer more than maybe once or twice a day, or exhausting himself thoroughly before we've done more than a couple things. Obviously a long afternoon break will help, but even with a nap in the afternoon he runs out of steam pretty quickly.

We are fortunate in that my husband, my two brothers, as well as myself will all be there, so we'll have no shortage of people to help. Perhaps we'll bring his scooter, and rent a wheelchair for the one day where we do Magic Kingdom, and ECV it the rest of the time. This way he could transfer for the Haunted Mansion (one of his favorites), and then have it easy for the rest of the day. I'd definitely rather have us tired at the end of the day than him, we recover after a nights sleep, he does not.

Thanks again everyone for all the input.