2 ECV's?

[~Czarina~]

My grandmother and aunt are going with us to WDW this year and since we haven't had a wheelchair or ECV for over two years I am a little rusty.

Can they take them on the "Behind the Seeds" tour? Where do they sit for Fantasmic? Any tips...HELP! THANK YOU!

 

[Talking Hands]

I would not take an ECV on the Behind the Seeds Tour. It is very tight driving for a power wheelchair and an ECV might not make all the turns. A manual wheelchair can go.

 

[Nanajo1]

There are w/c spots designated at Fantasmic with room for family members to sit . If I remember, some spots can hold two ECV/WC. There are benches on either side for one or two family members and the row in front is available for family too as long as it is not too crowded. We've never had a problem. But as it gets closer to show time some folks w/o disable guests try to sit in those rows when the CM's back is turned. The CMs are very protective of the H/P seating. If you are not using the dinner package I would get there at least an hour early to insure sitting together.
I have not done any tours in my ECV so I can't offer any help on that one.

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't have anything to add except have a good time.
The wheelchair/ecv seating for Fantasmic is along the top row of the stadium. There are many spots where it would be big enough for two ecvs or wheelchairs to sit next to each other. There are also a few seats in the front row. I'm not sure if they are ecv accessible, but you would need to get there quite early for those and it's likely you would get wet from blowing water spray in those front row seats. Just FYI, there are snack bars and handicapped accessible restrooms inside the stadium (I always like to know when I am waiting that long).

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Originally posted by Talking Hands
I would not take an ECV on the Behind the Seeds Tour. It is very tight driving for a power wheelchair and an ECV might not make all the turns. A manual wheelchair can go.

I don't agree with Talking Hands. I've done the tour twice with a power wheelchair (Invacare Storm) which is not one of the smallest chairs, plus once in an ECV.

The two trips with the powerchair were an absolute doddle, no more difficult than a manual, and the only slight problem with the ECV was having to go a little beyond the turn-round point for the rest of the party to find a space to carry out a three point turn.

I have noticed that the tour varies depending on circumstances. Once the party asked many many questions at the start of the tour so we ran out of time somewhere in the big greenhouse where there is tons of space to turn around.

Another time, we made it right through the big greenhouse, all past the fish tanks and part way down the path past the banana trees before running out of time. When the party turned back, I had to continue in my ECV a few more yards to find a wider part of the path to turn.

BTW, I have never been beyond this point, and I could see the path continuing around a bend. Maybe one year I will get to the end!

Andrew

 

[~Czarina~]

I was thinking along the same lines as you were Andrew. I figured they might have to go up a little farther to turn around or what not. We made it all the way through when we were there last year and there is really nothing after the fish and banana's that I remember. All we did was walk along the one side wall which was were much single file and then we were dumped right back where we started from.

Thank you so much for all your help! If you have any tips or idea's I would be more then happy for them. I will pass them along just for their information.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I did Behind the Seeds a few months ago with an ECV and had no problems.

 

[~Czarina~]

Okay, I forgot to ask something rather important. We are staying off site (us evil sinners, us). Well, grandma and auntie don't have their own ECV's and we were trying to figure out how we would get them from the ticket and transportation center to Magic Kingdom and such since there would be no way they would get up the monorail ramps.

Also, how do we get them to Hoop Dee Do Review?

 

[SueM in MN]

Well, grandma and auntie don't have their own ECV's and we were trying to figure out how we would get them from the ticket and transportation center to Magic Kingdom and such since there would be no way they would get up the monorail ramps.

Also, how do we get them to Hoop Dee Do Review?

I'm not clear if the "them" you are asking about is your grandma and auntie or their ecvs.
If you are talking about the people and are planning on renting ecvs at the parks, it would be much easier to rent from off-site, if your vehicle is big enough to hold 2 disassembled ecvs. If you have ecvs with you, tell each parking attendent that you come up to and they should direct you to parking close to the TTC. If either of the people have a handicapped parking permit, you can park there; but if they don't have ecvs, keep in mind that there are no trams from that parking up to the TTC, so they might be in for a long walk. If you don't have ecvs with you, you will be better off parking in the regular parking - tell each Cm that you have 2 people who can't walk well and that you need to park close to the tram stop.
Then, once you get to the TTC, if you have ecvs, you can either take the monorail (the steep ramp should not be a problem for the ecvs) or take the boat - no steep ramp if they don't have ecvs and need to walk on.

Someone else who has done the Hoop de Doo can probably give tips on that. The only thing I can think of is to call the WDW dining number, explain your difficulty and ask for suggestions.

 

[Talking Hands]

For Hoop Dee Doo you have a number of opinions for getting there.
Drive your own car and park at the Reception Center and then take a bus to Pioneer Hall area.

Go to TTC and then take a bus to Ft Wilderness and get off at Pioneer Hall area.

If you are staying at Port Orleans Riverside they may still have a bus to the Ft Wilderness Reception Center and then you take another bus to Pioneer Hall area

From MK take the boat to Ft Wilderness marina and then walk up from the marina to Pioneer Hall.

No matter how you come there will be a short walk to the actual Pioneer Hall from either the marina or the bus stop.

 

[~Czarina~]

Sorry, the them I was speaking of is the people. We do have a BIG van (12 seater) but with the number of people in our party transporting two ECV's is would require TinkerBell and a shrink machine. (Can we rent one from "Honey, I shrunk the audience?")

For Hoop Dee Doo Review, how close is close? I am not sure that either one could walk much farther then a block. I am sorry, but every time I have been to this show I have been with people that didn't need wheelchairs or ECV's or anything so I didn't pay any attn. at all.

Okay, back to renting off site. Is it cheaper? How hard are they to put together? How heavy? Where do we find them? How much room do they take? Can you take them on the boats and monorails? I am almost positive that we will not have room but on the off hand chance I would like some more information.

 

[SueM in MN]

I wish I had one of those shrinking machines: I'd shrink DD's power wheelchair so that i could stick it in my purse and then we could bring both her power and manual wheelchairs with us to Florida!
Cheshire Figment is kind of an expert on how big and how heavy and how hard to take apart.
In general, ecvs are quite easily taken apart and put back together. The largest/heaviest pieces usually weigh less than 35 pounds. One of the sites below has pictures that show the "taking apart" process. You can bring them on the boats (sometimes a problem with the boat from MK to WL), but not a problem with the boats at Epcot at all. The monorails are also not a problem. There is a car where the door opens wider to allow wheelchairs or ecvs to roll right on. The CMs at the station will direct you where to wait. They also have a little ramp they will put up to bridge the gap between the station and the monorail train.
Here's a list of places that DIS posters have rented from:
Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
Phone (407) 856-2273 • Toll Free U.S and Canada (800) 741-2282

Walker Mobility:
1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

RANDY'S Mobility is in Kissimmee 407-892-4777
http://randysmobility.com/

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html
(800)747-0246
They are less expensive than renting each day at the parks. The other advantage is that you would have the ecv when you want one and not have to worry about whether they have run out of them before you get to the park. The park ones are first come, first serve and sometimes are all rented out quickly after the park opens.