Still trying to accept that I have to have a ECV...

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
If you have the means, I would suggest buying your own scooter. It really isn't much more than renting one. I paid around $650 for my Bruno Rio 3 two year's ago. It is the cutest, fastest little thing. People don't give you the same looks when you own your scooter or at least that's my opinion.

Now, if I could only figure out how to attach a trailer for the kids. LOL. At the end of our day at the park, I had my toddler on one knee, kindergartner on the other and 9 year old riding on the back!

Thanks PrincessSuzanne. I made shirts for every day of our visit.

 

[SueM in MN]

Now, if I could only figure out how to attach a trailer for the kids. LOL. At the end of our day at the park, I had my toddler on one knee, kindergartner on the other and 9 year old riding on the back!

Thanks PrincessSuzanne. I made shirts for every day of our visit.

Sounds like you are kidding, but for other people,
don't spend too much time thinking about it because there is a 'what you are not allowed to bring into the parks' that says they will not allow anything pulled by an ECV.
Also, it's possible CMs might stop people with more than one person on an ECV, even if it's your own. The CMs are concerned about safety if the driver gets bumped by one of the riders. I have seen that happen when the child on the lap gets excited and tries to point something out to the driver. The ECV ended up almost going into the railinng at Epcot WS.

 

[MinnieForMe]

I was kidding about the trailer! However, I do have a child on my lap 95% of the time and have never been asked to remove him/her. I've never had any close calls but I use my scooter enough that I know how to handle it. The Disney employees kept commenting on how I could turn, park and maneuver my scooter compared with what they see on a daily basis.

I imagine those large scooters could be a challenge to handle especially if you are not use to driving one in a crowd.

I guess I should have put on my last post (now don't try this at home). I would never have a child on my lap or on the scooter for that matter going up/down an incline, entering/exiting the monorail etc.. One needs to use common sense! One should always know the weight limit of their scooter as well. I don't make it a practice to have all three on with me (happened once due to exhaustion in a park that was closed).

 

[DisneyDynomite]

Well, we are going to the World next Saturday. I am being "forced" to rent an ecv do to the fact I just got out of the hospital yesterday and due to long term kidney failure and being on dialysis that is not working as well as it should and being extremely anemic, I was told by hubby he thinks its best.

I am nervous, I have never been in one, but I know its for the best so I don't wear out and get sick. How easy are the one's at Disney to handle? Any driving tips?

 

[hematite153]

Well, we are going to the World next Saturday. I am being "forced" to rent an ecv...
I am nervous, I have never been in one, but I know its for the best so I don't wear out and get sick. How easy are the one's at Disney to handle? Any driving tips?

I have never driven the Disney ECVs but many people say that they are difficult to manage. (We have even gotten to the point where we rent a w/c offsite, over using the complimentary one from the resort, because of maneuverability.) I'd suggest you look at the listings in the disABILITIES FAQ and consider renting from offsite. Most of the companies will deliver to your resort, you'd have it available all day long, reports are that they are easier to maneuver, etc.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[SueM in MN]

My FIL rented one from the parks; last year when we rented one from off-site for him, he would not use it. He said he was used to the park ones and didn't want to learn something new.

The park ones are large and relatively slow. If you can drive a car, they won't be hard to get the hang of. This is a picture from allearsnet.com of the park ECVs. They are steered by turning the tiller (sort of like steering a bike).

The ones you can rent from one of the off-site places as smaller, can go faster and most have 3 wheels (2 in the back and one in the front). Being smaller and only having one wheel in the front makes them more manouverable.

 

[Withacy]

I was so happy to find this thread!

I've battled with my weight for many years, and on my 7 previous trips to Disney World I've been so exhausted by the end of (or even the middle of) the day, I start to lose my enthusiasm. As I've gotten older I've developed major back problems - I can walk for a short distance, but then my back hurts so badly I have to sit down.

On Saturday I'm leaving for a week at WDW with my goddaughter (who will turn 9 on the trip). Obviously, since it's just the two of us, a wheelchair would be out of the question, which leaves the ECV. I've been feeling totally mortified by the prospect of having to use one, because I blame myself for my problem (which I know stems from my weight). Not to mention my poor GD (who's a bundle of energy) being held back by me! Not that having to sit down every 100 yards or so, and being grumpy with pain would be any better for her.

It's just nice to know that I'm not the only person who's ever felt guilty or bad about renting an ECV.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

As the Norway ride says "You are not the first to pass this way, nor shall you be the last"! A lot of us, whatever age, weight, gender or disability, find it hard to accept mobility aids. However, if using one will make the difference between enjoying your holiday and not, it's definitely worth it in the long run! Who cares what the reason for you needing it is? You need to use it to have a good trip, end of story.

It might help if you think of a wheelchair / ECV as the mobility equivalent of a pair of glasses. Just as glasses aid someone who's sight is not perfect, an ECV aids someone who's mobility is not perfect. There's not really a stigma attached to wearing glasses, so why should there be one attached to using a mobility aid?

If you're a bit nervous about using an ECV for the first time, you might want to visit a local supermarket (e.g. Walmart) that has courtesy ECVs for customers, and try them out there. If you can drive one of those beasties you can drive any ECV that comes your way! Oh, and you might want to go at a quieter time, just to give you a little more room to practice in (and a couple fewer jerks to walk under your wheels).

I say rent the ECV; whiz around the parks, with your GD chasing to keep up (just don't go so fast as to be a health hazard!); and have a fantastic trip without having to worry about where the next bench will be, or how much pain you're in.

Have a great trip!

 

[Withacy]

Thank you.

OK, so there are some basic things I don't know. I'm not worried about the technical aspects of using one. But here's a stupid question - if you park with the strollers outside an attraction (which I'm assuming you do), what's to keep someone from taking it? I seem to remember people leaving personal strollers and even bags & coats and all sorts of things on them, so maybe Disney is just such a wonderful place that no one ever takes anything...


I'm ok in lines, as long as there's something to lean on (which most have). My problem is standing up straight without support and walking - On a bad day (especially after sitting at my desk at work all day) I might have trouble getting from the car into the grocery store, but once inside, when I grab a shopping cart to lean on, I can whiz around the store like a woman half my age and half my size!

 

[ShhhQ]

Thank you.

OK, so there are some basic things I don't know. I'm not worried about the technical aspects of using one. But here's a stupid question - if you park with the strollers outside an attraction (which I'm assuming you do), what's to keep someone from taking it? I seem to remember people leaving personal strollers and even bags & coats and all sorts of things on them, so maybe Disney is just such a wonderful place that no one ever takes anything...


I'm ok in lines, as long as there's something to lean on (which most have). My problem is standing up straight without support and walking - On a bad day (especially after sitting at my desk at work all day) I might have trouble getting from the car into the grocery store, but once inside, when I grab a shopping cart to lean on, I can whiz around the store like a woman half my age and half my size!

I had the same concerns when I went back in Aug. for the first time.... A good rule of thumb for leaving anything in your basket is this.... don't leave anything unattended that you can't afford to lose! BUT I didn't see this being a problem most of the time anyway. Almost all of your EVCs (maybe even all) will have a removable key that you can take with you. So if you leave it parked with the strollers just take out your key and go. We actually bought lanyards to attach them to so we could wear them around our necks when we had the key out.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

All ECVs have a key, take the key and it's going nowhere! I wouldn't recommend leaving anything on an ECV, wheelchair or stroller left in the parking area: Disney may be a wonderful place, but unfortunately that doesn't mean it only contains wonderful people.

A number of people do like to leave something on the ECV to personalise it, though. This does two things: firstly, it stops someone else spending a long time trying to get their key to work in your ECV and secondly, it helps you find it. Sometimes the CMs have to rearrange the stroller parking, in which case they may move the ECV (they can all be rolled without power). It should be in the same sort of area though, a brightly coloured decoration (e.g. a lime green Mickey head ) would just make it easier to find.

You might find that the ECV could help you through some of the longer queues. You may end up with a slightly longer wait, but it'd be worth it if it meant less pain. You could always see how you do walking some of the shorter queues, then see how you think you'd manage on a longer one. Fast Passes are very useful too!

HTH!

 

[Schmeck]

The ones you can rent from one of the off-site places as smaller, can go faster and most have 3 wheels (2 in the back and one in the front). Being smaller and only having one wheel in the front makes them more manouverable.

Sue, if it has 3 wheels, isn't it banned from the parks? This is what's posted on the them park FAQ's:

Q. Are there any personal items I should not bring with me into the Theme Parks?

A. Items that you may not bring into the Theme Parks include, but are not limited to:

Items with wheels, such as wagons, skateboards, scooters, inline skates, shoes with built-in wheels, two-wheeled or three-wheeled conveyances, strollers larger than 36" x 52", suitcases, coolers, or backpacks with or without wheels larger than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high (coolers required for medication may be stored in a locker or at Guest Relations), and any trailer-like object that is pushed or towed by an ECV wheelchair or stroller
Alcoholic beverages
Weapons of any kind
Folding chairs
Glass containers (excluding baby food jars and perfume bottles)
Pets (unless they are service animals)
In Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park (for the safety of the wildlife), balloons, straws and drink lids are not permitted.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

ECVs are excluded from that as they are classified as mobility aids, so cannot be excluded under the ADA. That rule is more to exclude bikes, trikes, wagons etc. Their own strollers also have three wheels, but these are not excluded from the parks (and I can't see then disallowing the 3 wheeled jogging strollers either).

 

[Dawn68PA]

I feel the same as several here. I hate having to use and ECV. I keep watching sales and eBay to possibly buy my own because I don't want to rent one. Partly for looks from others, partly because if I own it, I can then lend it. I do that with my wheelchair and it works out very well and gives me a good feeling to help others not feel so bad too.

It's very frustrating knowing there's nothing you can do. You have to use it if you want to have a good time. I want to be able to walk some but after 2 hours (I have muscle damage in my feet) I can go no more.

The positives are that I can keep up with my family and we will all have a great time. I'm sure of it.

 

[SueM in MN]

ECVs are excluded from that as they are classified as mobility aids, so cannot be excluded under the ADA. That rule is more to exclude bikes, trikes, wagons etc. Their own strollers also have three wheels, but these are not excluded from the parks (and I can't see then disallowing the 3 wheeled jogging strollers either).

I think the rule is for bikes, trikes, Segways and things like bike trailers that sometimes have a handle and can be pushed.

At one point they did not allow 3 wheeled jogging strollers in. If someone showed up with one, they were 'traded' a rental stroller for it. I don't know if they have given up on those, but they are not well suited for use in the parks unless they have swivel wheels on the front.

 

[Withacy]

We're arriving at MCO at 10:00 AM-ish on a Saturday (THIS Saturday, actually ). Then the ME to AS Movies. Then, if we're lucky, to the MK by 2:00. I was going to try that first day without an ECV - even though I'll be dragging myself & my carry-on through two airports, and all the sitting and standing in line at the resort. (OK, now I'm depressing myself.) But it would be pretty pointless to hope for an ECV to be available at that time of day, even if I wanted one. Unless a lot of people suddenly decide to leave.

 

[SueM in MN]

But it would be pretty pointless to hope for an ECV to be available at that time of day, even if I wanted one. Unless a lot of people suddenly decide to leave.

I would not totally give up hope.
It may not be the best time to arrive, but it's a slow time of year and many people go early and leave by early afternoon. If worse comes to worse and you have someone to push, you could still rent a wheelchair if you are just too tired. Otherwise, take it easy. It should not be so crowded, which at least makes getting around easier and less tiring.

 

[Withacy]

If worse comes to worse and you have someone to push, you could still rent a wheelchair if you are just too tired. Otherwise, take it easy. It should not be so crowded, which at least makes getting around easier and less tiring.

Alas, just me - and one very active, very excited about-to-be-9-year-old.

I figure we'll go stand in a couple lines, that will take us up to our 5:45 ADR, then there's the parade and fireworks. We're going back the next day, so maybe that will negate the desire to run around to get everything in!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Have you considered renting from an off-site company? That way you'd have the ECV 24/7 (including at the resort and DTD), you wouldn't have to worry about the park rentals running out, and often it's cheaper than renting from Disney every day. There are details of rental companies in the FAQ, as well as information on how to deal with buses, rides etc.

HTH!

 

[hematite153]

Have you considered renting from an off-site company? That way you'd have the ECV 24/7 (including at the resort and DTD), you wouldn't have to worry about the park rentals running out, and often it's cheaper than renting from Disney every day. There are details of rental companies in the FAQ, as well as information on how to deal with buses, rides etc.

HTH!

This is what I was about to say.

Not only would the ECV then be waiting for you with you arrived, but, it would also be CHEAPER!

We've reached the point where we generally rent a w/c from home for my DW (at some point we'll break down and buy something) and for our upcoming vacation we're renting an ECV for my DFIL from an offsite company.