A poll and comment about anyone personally renting and using electric scooter/electric wheelchairs?

[RaySharpton]

A poll and comment about anyone personally renting and using an electric mobility scooter/electric, power wheelchairs?

I was curious about your personal opinions about guests renting electric mobility scooter/electric, power wheelchairs for themselves at WDW.

I added electric mobility scooter/electric, power wheelchairs because I was curious about those that use and rent them and how they think about renting.

I know that some newbies may not be as adept to using an electric mobility scooter for the first time.

And I believe that even more newbies may not be as adept to using electric, power wheelchairs for the first time.

I have bought and rented my own electric mobility scooters for years.

And I recently bought my first electric, power wheelchair to use on the airlines or rental car to travel to WDW.

My personal experience is that:

I rented it first and used it a WDW before buying, but I didn't rent it for home use.
It took me several days to learn not to bump my big toe into anything, but otherwise, I went slow and cautiously the whole two weeks.
Speaking only for myself, I adapted very quickly using the electric, power wheelchair.
I eventually bought the same wheelchair and it works much better for me than my personal electric, power scooters.

The reasons that I like are:
•Net Weight with Batteries: 55 LBS
•Weight Capacity: 365 LBS
•Water Tight Rear Motor Wheels: 250 Watt x2 Brushless
•TSA & FAA Approved Lithium-ion Battery (Airplane Use)
•5-Hour Rapid Global Battery Charger: 100-240V 1.5A 50/60Hz (Compatible Worldwide)
•Heavy-Duty model comes with 2 Lithium-ion batteries (each battery weighs 2-3 lbs)
•Water Tight Dynamic Drive 360 Degree Joystick Controller
•5-Speed Control Modes: 0.5 MPH, 1 MPH, 2 MPH, 3 MPH, 4 MPH
•Joystick Quick-Release Connection for Enhanced Security & Travel Ease
•Super Tight Turning Radius: 31.5 inches
•Maximum Ground & Puddle Clearance: 5 inches (with Footrest Folded Up)
•Outstanding Hill Climbing Range: 25° Slope or 46% Grade
•Total Battery Charging Time: 5 hours
•Driving Range: 16 Miles – Includes 2 Batteries
•Front to Back Length: 38 inches
•Unfolded Height: 37 inches
•Width: 24 inches
•Folded Height: 30 inches
•Folded Width: 13 inches
•Seat Width: 18 inches
•Seat Depth: 17 inches
•Seat cover can hold up to 18” W x 17” D x 3” Thick
•Rear Wheel Dimensions: 12 inches by 2.5 inches
•Front Wheel Dimensions: 7 inches by 1.75 Buinches
•No Flat Solid Rubber Tires
•Brake Type: Electromagnetic
•Includes: Charger, Seat Belt, Storage Bag under the seat, and Mini Tool Kit for quick maintenance while traveling.

But I knew ahead of time that electric, power wheelchairs could have a steep learning curve for newbies whether they use a manual wheelchair or electric mobility scooter.

I remember SueM saying...First of all, they take more practice to drive because you are controlling everything (speed, direction forward or reverse, turning) with a single joystick.
It is not as easy or straightforward as it seems.

Power wheelchairs are much more expensive than ECVs and because of that, plus the practice required, many places will only rent them to either someone who already is skilled during them or is doing a trial to see if they can use it as part of the 'proof' for getting authorization for the purchase. They are also less likely to bend on age.

I added in the poll whether you are actually an electric power wheelchair user or you are actually an electric mobility scooter user.

I just want to be able to separate the comments from those that actually use an electric power wheelchair user or are actually an electric mobility scooter user.

And many people may rent for others or just have a comment even if they don't use a mobility scooter or electric, power wheelchair.

All comments are welcome.

It would be helpful if you also listed in your comments:

I don't use either at home or at WDW.
I rent for someone else to use at WDW.
I rent a mobility scooter for myself.
I rent an electric, power wheelchair for myself.
I use a mobility scooter, etc at home and I rent one at WDW
I use an electric, power wheelchair, etc at home and I rent one at WDW
I just wanted to give my own opinion even though I don't personally use or rent. either device

 

[RaySharpton]

I realize that everyone has different capabilities and abilities.

I rented my first electric, power wheelchair at WDW.

I later bought the same electric, power wheelchair that I use at home and traveling since I do not own my own car.

I realize after reading guests posts that there are a lot of newbies renting mobility scooters from WDW having never used one in such crowded situations. I am also aware of my large strollers and guest, in general, can get distracted while at WDW and walk or run in front of these users.

Personally, I think that it might difficult for many guests to get used to using a single joystick whereas a person using a mobility scooter may be more adept at steering a tiller. It may not be a steering wheel, but may be similar.

But what not be similar to driving a car is driving in a crowded situation without lanes to drive on.

I don't deny anyone the right to rent whatever they want to try. Just plan alternative options in case it happens.

And please play nice.

 

[cmwade77]

Honestly, I think it depends on the person. I think older (over 55) may have a harder time with an electric wheelchair than an ECV if they don't have experience. I think much younger than that and most people have spent enough time playing video games with joysticks and controllers that making the leap to an electric wheelchair wouldn't be too difficult, especially if it was one of the easier to operate chairs. I know that sounds odd, but it seems to be the case to me.

Now obviously this is a total generalization on both sides and there will be exceptions all around. I will say if someone isn't familiar with an electric wheelchair, they should see if the rental company will wait around for about 10 to 15 minutes while they drive it around the resort and if it isn't going to work for them would switch it out with an ECV. I think that would be the safest way to handle it.

Honestly when my mom had an electric wheelchair, it took me about 2 minutes to figure out how to safely use it in crowded theme parks (Sea World San Diego, Disneyland, Universal Hollywood, etc. during the summer), but I know that won't apply to everyone and hers was definitely one of the easier to use. Sadly that one no longer works and even if it did, she wouldn't be able to transport it anymore, but that's another story.

So would I recommend a power wheelchair for a newbie? The answer is a sound, maybe.

Just my opinion based on my experience and what I have seen.

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi, cmwade77. I didn't think about that. It makes sense to me. I posted this as a total generalization, too. It didn't take me too long to learn the ropes, either. But I have always liked to know how things worked and maybe that is why I adapted so quickly.

I agree with checking to see if the vendor will change out the electric, power wheelchair to a mobility scooter if it looks like it might be too difficult. When I first rented mine, I stayed on the lowest setting of power or speed since I knew I would in a crowd and I wanted to make sure to be careful. I finally set the speed to others at walking speed to keep pace with everyone else.

I like your answer todo "Maybe."

I'm going to try and add that to the poll.

Thank you, cmwade77 for your experience and comments.

Honestly, I think it depends on the person. I think older (over 55) may have a harder time with an electric wheelchair than an ECV if they don't have experience. I think much younger than that and most people have spent enough time playing video games with joysticks and controllers that making the leap to an electric wheelchair wouldn't be too difficult, especially if it was one of the easier to operate chairs. I know that sounds odd, but it seems to be the case to me.

Now obviously this is a total generalization on both sides and there will be exceptions all around. I will say if someone isn't familiar with an electric wheelchair, they should see if the rental company will wait around for about 10 to 15 minutes while they drive it around the resort and if it isn't going to work for them would switch it out with an ECV. I think that would be the safest way to handle it.

Honestly when my mom had an electric wheelchair, it took me about 2 minutes to figure out how to safely use it in crowded theme parks (Sea World San Diego, Disneyland, Universal Hollywood, etc. during the summer), but I know that won't apply to everyone and hers was definitely one of the easier to use. Sadly that one no longer works and even if it did, she wouldn't be able to transport it anymore, but that's another story.

So would I recommend a power wheelchair for a newbie? The answer is a sound, maybe.

Just my opinion based on my experience and what I have seen.

 

[RaySharpton]

Well, I tried to edit the poll, but it won't let me add nor change any wording. I like the idea of adding "maybe" as a choice.

 

[cmwade77]

I think saying yes and explaining I. The comments is probably good enough.

Now if the outside rental companies start putting sensors on electric wheelchairs and ECVs like Disney is doing, I can see both becoming a lot more difficult to use, to the point of being unusable for many. Let's hope they never follow Disney's lead on that one, as they sound extremely dangerous to me.

 

[Selket]

I rent a scooter for WDW but I don't use one at home - either in the house or at the store, etc. I can handle short distances fine and doing some grocery shopping. Shopping malls are getting more challenging if we're there for hours but I can always sit myself down and stop shopping. It's getting harder for me to get out and about to do things like mall trips or going to downtown DC to the museums and stuff - too much walking so I have to really target what I want to see. I have badly arthritic knees and the surgeon wants to wait until I'm older to replace them but that plan is taking a toll on the rest of me sadly. I still have a high schooler at home and one in college - it's sad not to be able to get out and do stuff with them. That's one thing I love about going to WDW - with the scooter I can keep up and am not limited. I've stopped trying to go anywhere else because I end up stuck in the hotel.

I don't see myself buying something for home use but I'm honestly getting to the point of considering it since I've been so limited. I'd consider something if it was cheap enough and portable - whether a power WC or scooter. I think I'd consider renting a power WC before buying one so I could try it though!

 

[Mrsjvb]

Former FT manual WC user here. now it's only needed for days where I will be traveling more than 2-3 miles or where I need to provide my own seating( you know.. like WDW)

a newbie should not rent either an ECV or an electric WC unless they have had time to practice. I have seen way too many little old ladies who have no idea how to operate either PMD and cause significant damage to themselves, others or the machine. not to mention the benches at the Tiki show. the learning curve for an Electric chair is even higher than an ECV so IMNSHO they should only be rented by people who already use one at home full time and just don't wanna travel with it.

 

[arminnie]

Official little old lady here (72).
I rented an ECV after an illness about 15 years ago. But I could easily take it apart and load it in my car.

I then went on many, many trips to WDW on my own until I developed a degenerative nerve disease 3 years ago. I bought an ECV from Amazon that I used at WDW several times. I rapidly went from a cane to a walker to an ECV to a power chair.

My Whill model C power chair is fabulous. I find it SOOOOO much easier to navigate than the ECV. It turns on a dime. The controller is mushroom shaped and I use the palm of my hand to use it.

I have not had my chair at Disney yet. But I never found navigating with my ECV through the densest crowds to be difficult. Maybe my personal ECV has more responsive speed control than rentals but I could always go at as slow a speed as needed in crowds to never even come close to hitting anyone.

I think the problem with the dangerous ECV drivers is that they either have declining mental capacity or are just plain stupid. Common sense and training come in real handy.

 

[Staren]

I think the safe blanket answer is definitely to recommend practice before using either an ECV or power chair in a real world setting.

I’m 35 and a gamer. I never had trouble using either type of device the few times that I have. However that being said, I knew enough to understand that I needed to take the time to get a feel for the device and know it’s speed, acceleration, control responsiveness, turning radius, etc before taking off, and to not just hop on and go.

I think the big difference is between the people who understand these are complex devices that you need to at least have a feel for the control of, and people who think they are supposed to be intuitive to drive for anyone with no learning curve. Going back to my gamer history. Even the best gamer needs a quick tutorial to at least learn the controls on a new game. Even if you know the general conventions used in controlling most games, there are always some individual tricks and quirks to learn.

 

[kaytieeldr]

While I can see Howard's point about being accustomed to joysticks, I believe that anyone using one requires specific operation training - more than a five minute demonstration.

 

[KPeterso]

I do not rent a ECV for myself. But I do rent one for my (80 year old) Mom at Disney World. For the most part, she does not need one day to day. She did last year after her knee replacement in a few stores, but that did not last long. She is supposed to walk a bit, so I do sometimes I ride it if we are moving around the park, but that is never for very long.

At Disneyland, we typically rent a wheelchair for her since we do mostly day trips there. I am starting to think that I should bite the bullet and buy a wheelchair for Disneyland to keep in the car. If she is not in it and walking, she will often push it as a walker for extra stability. I never use her wheelchair except maybe to sit for a minute or 2 when she is in the bathroom.

 

[tobikaye]

I do not use any mobility device, but my sister and mother need them to be able to do many things in life. They may not need them at home or for short trips with little walking or standing, but my sister usually requires a device for anything greater than 5 minutes of standing or 200 yards of walking at a time. My mom is probably good for a bit longer in standing if she can lean against something and can walk a bit farther as long as there is a sit at the end of where she is going.

Since my sister does not drive, when she started using the EVCs, I think she was more aware that she was using a moving vehicle of a kind. She did have some issues at first as she kept looking down, but has since learned that she needs to look up.

My mom has not had to use an EVC at WDW yet, but has started needing one for our local zoo and anything with longer distances and lots of standing. She borrows my sisters if they are not traveling together. She had to learn to not driver the EVC like she drives a car.

I think this is the biggest issue for drivers when it comes to using an EVC. They are used to being able to use a brake to stop so do not catch their speed at first. I have no problem with people renting devices to get around WDW. I do think that those that are unfamiliar with their use should try to find some time to practice using the devices first to discover any issues they might have. Even if they have used an EVC before, they need to become familiar with the ones they are using at that time.