A few concerns from a first timer. Help,please.

[Sealight3]

Good Afternoon,
This is my first post on the disABILITIES board. I will be going to Disney in January , barring any complications.

I will be renting an off-site scooter and I am concerned that they state in their ad that they put your name/ hotel on the scooter for ID purposes. I am not sure if I am comfortable about this . Is there a way to "cover up" the name/hotel on the scooter? It states that the name is on the front and back of the rental scooter. Has anyone else been concerned with this or am I am just paranoid?

Also, I am not able to do stairs well or stand for a long duration of time due to balance/endurance complications from viral encephalitis. Is this cause to get a GAC for "just in case"? Otherwise, I will be able to get out of the scooter and walk to the boarding place if it is not for a long duration of time.

I would also like to know if I willl need training on the scooter where the company says they "just drop them at the hotel". I have never used one before.... OR ...will practicing in the hotel by myself be enough? Any first time users had difficulty maneuvering for the first time?

I have gotten wealth of information from this board. The messages have been extremely helpful. Thank you.

 

[livndisney]

Good Afternoon,
This is my first post on the disABILITIES board. I will be going to Disney in January , barring any complications.

I will be renting an off-site scooter and I am concerned that they state in their ad that they put your name/ hotel on the scooter for ID purposes. I am not sure if I am comfortable about this . Is there a way to "cover up" the name/hotel on the scooter? It states that the name is on the front and back of the rental scooter. Has anyone else been concerned with this or am I am just paranoid?

Also, I am not able to do stairs well or stand for a long duration of time due to balance/endurance complications from viral encephalitis. Is this cause to get a GAC for "just in case"? Otherwise, I will be able to get out of the scooter and walk to the boarding place if it is not for a long duration of time.

I would also like to know if I willl need training on the scooter where the company says they "just drop them at the hotel". I have never used one before.... OR ...will practicing in the hotel by myself be enough? Any first time users had difficulty maneuvering for the first time?

I have gotten wealth of information from this board. The messages have been extremely helpful. Thank you.

From what I have seen, all they would do is write "Smith, Pop Century". Much the same as you would do when you rent a stroller. (Ok maybe you don't write the hotel-but some people do this with a personal stroller.) They are not going to write all over the ECV "Jane Smith, room 101 Pop Century etc".

As far as practicing, it has been suggested here to practice in your local Walmart/Target with the ECV. Driving an ECV in a narrow space in a crowd of non moving people (LOL) is very different than practicing on the open sidewalks of a Resort. Some of the lines you can take a ECV in can be tight so I think it is a good idea to practice beforehand.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to both DisBoards and disABILITIES!

Livndisney is correct in suggesting there is no real problem with putting your name and resort on the ECV. It makes it more difficult to lose.

You will not need a GAC as having the ECV automatically alerts the CMs that you cannot do stairs. Almost all lines are "mainstreamed, so you will be able to take the ECV all the way to boarding or into a theater. If the line is not mainstreamed you will be directed to an alternate entrance.

Go to a large grocery store or WalMart (or similar) and you will find that you can borrow an ECV for use while shopping. Note that these store ECVs are much larger and harder to maneuver than the offsite rentals.

If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information, Post #2 is abot where people rent ECVs and Post #3 has many useful links, including to the official Park Guides for Guests with Disabilities.

And if you have a choice of parks to do first, Epcot is probably best as it has the widest walkways to help get used to the ECV.

Or, if you want an easier route, click on the link in my signature.

 

[Sealight3]

Thank you livndIsney and Cheshire Figment for your prompt replies. I am getting info ( and courage up!) to make this trip. I will probably have further questions from this group. I sincerely appreciate your help!

 

[Tiggerish]

You will have a great time! Going in January should mean less crowds so less people to run in front of you unexpectedly.

I also have balance and standing problems from MS and must have an ECV for Disney. The first time I ever used an ECV, I was on a 4 day solo trip and stayed at the Dolphin. I did not tell anyone but I had Walker deliver an ECV for me because on a family trip the year before, I spent all my time looking for a place to sit down and rest.

I had never driven one before, but spent about an hour driving around the hotel grounds and the Broadwalk area to learn how to use it properly.
I even learned to drive it on and off the bus with the help of a very friendly bus driver.

So do not worry, when in doubt, use the turtle speed and have fun.

 

[Ashton7]

Hi and to both DisBoards and disABILITIES!

You will not need a GAC as having the ECV automatically alerts the CMs that you cannot do stairs. Almost all lines are "mainstreamed, so you will be able to take the ECV all the way to boarding or into a theater. If the line is not mainstreamed you will be directed to an alternate entrance.

I'm not sure this is always necessarily true. I had a CM at DHS tell me that if I couldn't get out of my ECV and stand in line (for a character greeting, no less!) or have someone stand in line for me (my companion was also in an ECV!) then I would have to leave. I asked them to please just let me wait to the side, sitting on my ECV and tell me when it was my turn to go in. There was a side entrance easily available and I could walk that far but couldn't stand in a line that was 30 minutes long! The CM absolutely refused and told me I'd have to just leave, even though I repeatedly told them I was perfectly willing to wait until it was my turn, I just couldn't stand up that long and had no one to stand up in line *for* me. I had to have them call a manager and it took him almost 30 minutes to get there. Amazingly, *he* had no problem arranging for me to go in from the side entrance. Of course, by that time, I was so upset, any fun in the moment was ruined but I was determined not to just give in and leave.

 

[LindaBabe]

I'm not sure this is always necessarily true. I had a CM at DHS tell me that if I couldn't get out of my ECV and stand in line (for a character greeting, no less!) or have someone stand in line for me (my companion was also in an ECV!) then I would have to leave. I asked them to please just let me wait to the side, sitting on my ECV and tell me when it was my turn to go in. There was a side entrance easily available and I could walk that far but couldn't stand in a line that was 30 minutes long! The CM absolutely refused and told me I'd have to just leave, even though I repeatedly told them I was perfectly willing to wait until it was my turn, I just couldn't stand up that long and had no one to stand up in line *for* me. I had to have them call a manager and it took him almost 30 minutes to get there. Amazingly, *he* had no problem arranging for me to go in from the side entrance. Of course, by that time, I was so upset, any fun in the moment was ruined but I was determined not to just give in and leave.

Ignorant and uncaring cms are mercifully rare, but they sure are out there. Good for you for standing your ground, Ashton. I'm so sorry your experience was ruined.

Sealight, can you drive a car? I suggest 'backing' practice and parallel parking practice in your car as well as on a store ecv until it becomes second nature. When you can do things as easily backward as forward, you are ready. Those two skills will stand you in good stead when using Disney transportation on your ecv.

As Ashton pointed out, you also must be willing to advocate for yourself and insist on a manager in situations such as the one above.

I rent one every trip now. They always say first name last name, resort. on tape on the seatback, both back and front, and on the key tag.

I take a soft gymbag type duffle bag with a shoulder strap to hang on the seatback and joke with the guards that it's my 'trunk'. Nobody has ever bothered anything I've left in there.

After half a dozen trips using glowsticks to be visible at night, I finally acquired a couple of battery powered flashing sticks from one of the parade vendors that I hang on my basket. Sure, I look like a circus! Who cares?

Have a great trip!

 

[SueM in MN]

Ignorant and uncaring cms are mercifully rare, but they sure are out there. Good for you for standing your ground, Ashton. I'm so sorry your experience was ruined.................

As Ashton pointed out, you also must be willing to advocate for yourself and insist on a manager in situations such as the one above.

As Cheshire Figment mentioned, unless you have other needs that are not met by having a wheelchair/ECV in line, you don't need a GAC.

Occasionally, you do run into one of the type of CMs that Ashton ran into. When that happens, the best thing is to ask the CM to call a manager. That is how the CMs who are not doing things correctly will get told the correct information so that it doesn't happen next time.
My favorite happened to us at Splash Mountain (well, it was not so good at the time - it was very frustrating, but is funny in retrospect). We got to the point in the line where the line comes to a flight of steps on the left. On the right, there is a chained off gate marked with a wheelchair symbol. Since we were with DD who uses a wheelchair, we waited at the wheelchair symbol for a CM to open it.
A CM came, but she refused to open it. She said that if she opened it and let us thru, we would be cutting in line and she pointed that we needed to go up the stairs! I said we couldn't go up stairs with a wheelchair and she said she would not let us thru the wheelchair gate because that would be letting us ahead in line. I asked her how she thought we would get the wheelchair up the line since DD can't walk and we could not lift the wheelchair up the stairs.
She said again that she could not let us thru and I asked her to call her manager. The manager came quickly and said that "of course" we could not go up the stairs with a wheelchair, so told the CM to open the gate for us. She still didn't want to and was arguing with her manager.
And, we even had a GAC (for additional needs besides mobility), so not having one was not the problem.
The problem was a CM who did not know the proper procedure.

Interestingly, for the situation Ashton ran into, one of the things people are told when they get a GAC is that it is not used for character greetings. So in the situation that Ashton mentioned, the CM would have probably said you could not use the GAC there - so you would not have won anyway with having a GAC.

I'm sorry that the situation happened and that the CM's actions ruined your fun, but thank you for not giving in. Hopefully, the next guest with an ECV didn't have the same problem as you did.

 

[livndisney]

As Cheshire Figment mentioned, unless you have other needs that are not met by having a wheelchair/ECV in line, you don't need a GAC.

Occasionally, you do run into one of the type of CMs that Ashton ran into. When that happens, the best thing is to ask the CM to call a manager. That is how the CMs who are not doing things correctly will get told the correct information so that it doesn't happen next time.
My favorite happened to us at Splash Mountain (well, it was not so good at the time - it was very frustrating, but is funny in retrospect). We got to the point in the line where the line comes to a flight of steps on the left. On the right, there is a chained off gate marked with a wheelchair symbol. Since we were with DD who uses a wheelchair, we waited at the wheelchair symbol for a CM to open it.
A CM came, but she refused to open it. She said that if she opened it and let us thru, we would be cutting in line and she pointed that we needed to go up the stairs! I said we couldn't go up stairs with a wheelchair and she said she would not let us thru the wheelchair gate because that would be letting us ahead in line. I asked her how she thought we would get the wheelchair up the line since DD can't walk and we could not lift the wheelchair up the stairs.
She said again that she could not let us thru and I asked her to call her manager. The manager came quickly and said that "of course" we could not go up the stairs with a wheelchair, so told the CM to open the gate for us. She still didn't want to and was arguing with her manager.
And, we even had a GAC (for additional needs besides mobility), so not having one was not the problem.
The problem was a CM who did not know the proper procedure.

Interestingly, for the situation Ashton ran into, one of the things people are told when they get a GAC is that it is not used for character greetings. So in the situation that Ashton mentioned, the CM would have probably said you could not use the GAC there - so you would not have won anyway with having a GAC.

I'm sorry that the situation happened and that the CM's actions ruined your fun, but thank you for not giving in. Hopefully, the next guest with an ECV didn't have the same problem as you did.

I think I ran into this CM recently. If it was her, she is being "retrained"

I will say that after a really nasty CM at Big Thunder (I insisted on speaking with a manager and Disney Managment called me), we recently went on it again. The CM's could not have been nicer!!!!!!! One CM even showed us the hidden Tink!

 

[chunkygal]

I am here now with my family. we have had this vacation planned a long time, so a little thing like a broken ankle wasn't going to stop us. I am on crutches and non weight bearing. The first day i crutched from the bus to the entrance and rented an ECV. What a hassle. From the park I called scootarama and they delivered one the next morning, almost half from renting in the park and much easier. I have never used one before and it is easy as pie. I have not been able to do most ride because of the crutches, but i am having fun cause my kids are having fun. Either that or the people at the rides we talk to don't know what they are talking about.

you can easily cover up the name thing if you want, but it's no big deal. i can even carry my crutches so I can get in resteraunts to BR....

When i fell and knew my leg was broken (8/24) it was one of the first things that went through my mind....
"there goes Disney"

 

[wdwmickey]

Good Afternoon,
This is my first post on the disABILITIES board. I will be going to Disney in January , barring any complications.

I will be renting an off-site scooter and I am concerned that they state in their ad that they put your name/ hotel on the scooter for ID purposes. I am not sure if I am comfortable about this . Is there a way to "cover up" the name/hotel on the scooter? It states that the name is on the front and back of the rental scooter. Has anyone else been concerned with this or am I am just paranoid?

Also, I am not able to do stairs well or stand for a long duration of time due to balance/endurance complications from viral encephalitis. Is this cause to get a GAC for "just in case"? Otherwise, I will be able to get out of the scooter and walk to the boarding place if it is not for a long duration of time.

I would also like to know if I willl need training on the scooter where the company says they "just drop them at the hotel". I have never used one before.... OR ...will practicing in the hotel by myself be enough? Any first time users had difficulty maneuvering for the first time?

I have gotten wealth of information from this board. The messages have been extremely helpful. Thank you.

I have found practicing at Walmart to be very helpful The people on this board are very helpful and encouraging So as other questions come up just ask and someone here will be glad to help.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have found practicing at Walmart to be very helpful The people on this board are very helpful and encouraging So as other questions come up just ask and someone here will be glad to help.

I'm impressed.
Walmart is what I consider to be 'advanced practice' because the aisles are tight and the main aisles have a lot of merchandise displays in them. My DD is a very good power wheelchair user, but she doesn't like to drive in Walmart for those reasons.

(For anyone who is wondering about 'starter practice areas', I'd suggest Target because they usually have wide aisles and don't have anything in their main aisles. Grocery stores are usually pretty good too.)