Age for driving a scooter in Disney? ?

[tobin04]

My 13 year old broke her leg. She's just in a walking boot, which is nice, but still, I'm thinking walking around Disney all day for 5 days isn't the best idea with a broken leg! What options do I have other than a wheelchair??? I can't imagine pushing her in a wheel chair all day!

 

[SMD]

You could try to find a company that rents to minors. Can she walk at all? You might be able to split time with a wheelchair and knee scooter. Those knee scooters get bumped a lot because people don't see them. I mostly see them at DLR where paths aren't as wide, though.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My 13 year old broke her leg. She's just in a walking boot, which is nice, but still, I'm thinking walking around Disney all day for 5 days isn't the best idea with a broken leg! What options do I have other than a wheelchair??? I can't imagine pushing her in a wheel chair all day!

none that I know of unless you can get one at home and bring with you but I am not even sure that this would work

 

[tobin04]

none that I know of unless you can get one at home and bring with you but I am not even sure that this would work

When I called one of them, they said DISNEY says they have to be 18...so I think that's mostly the issue. She can walk on it...it's in a walking boot. But the boot is huge and heavy-I'm sure it'll be a lot to walk in it all day.

 

[Gracie09]

yes the age to rent from Disney is 18. Randy's I think will rent to kid under 18, but I think that is more like the 16/17 year range not 13. Honestly its for good reason. Its a motorized vehicle that is driven in crowds of people including kids. It can be very mentally taxing to drive. I would look at a wheelchair. Depending on her size, maybe a smaller one from on off-site vender.

 

[cobright]

I looked into this about this time last year. For liability reasons, it's nearly impossible to find any place that will rent an ECV for use by a minor child. That said, there's no legal prohibition on children using powered mobility devices and Disney will certainly not prevent a minor in a chair from entering the park.

If an ECV is needed for your daughter, the only solution I can come up with is to buy one second hand. Craigslist has several in the Orlando area for $250-300, then sell it back at end of vacation to a place that buys them; expect about $100 for any ECV you buy for this price. Minus all the hassle, this isn't much more than renting one.

Or... you all take turns pushing her in a manual wheelchair. If you go that route, I strongly recommend renting a modern light chair. The tube-steel hospital wheel-chairs are awful heavy.

 

[lanejudy]

When I called one of them, they said DISNEY says they have to be 18...so I think that's mostly the issue.

That could be right. If a child owns their own ECV and uses it on a daily basis, I believe there is a special pass they need to request. I recall a post a year or so ago from someone who's son had a challenging time with CMs constantly stopping him in parks even though the ECV was clearly his own.

Randy's I think will rent to kid under 18, but I think that is more like the 16/17 year range not 13.

I believe this is correct -- plus, they may also require the older teen be someone who uses an ECV at home and simply choose not to travel with it.


@tobin04 Sorry your daughter is injured! Would she be able to use a knee-scooter? Personally I think that sounds tiring, but there have been reports of people using them in the parks. My preference would be a wheelchair.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Pridemom]

We pushed our then 16yo in a wheelchair last summer for our visit. We took turns and it wasn't that bad. If that ends being your option, take heart.

 

[Hopefully]

It is definitely 18 as the others have said, And I agree it is for a good reason.

 

[gillep]

I just wanted to comment on the knee scooter. My husband broke his foot while in WDW this past November and I rented him a knee scooter from offsite, as he didn't want an ECV. Big mistake! Every bump in the sidewalk really hurt his foot (AK with the pressed pavement was torture). It was also very tiring for him and he is a marathon runner/triathlete. If his foot had been a little more healed he would have been OK but it was just too painful for him outside of the carpeted resorts. As we were almost done with our trip anyway we just took the knee scooter to the park and rented an ECV for him there, the CMs were great and even able to store his knee scooter for us!

Also if you rent a wheelchair I recommend biking gloves for the pusher (although she may be light enough that you won't need them). DH and I pushed his grandma in a wheelchair a few years ago, and it wasn't bad except that it really took a toll on my hands as I wasn't used to it.

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[Mrsjvb]

unless she uses one in her daily life, you will not find any company that will rent one for her use. so yeah, her options are wheelchair, crutches or the knee scooter.

 

[DG25]

My sister has been in and out of w/c s for ever. She has had manual and electric. Here CP pulls her hip out of the socket when it is to tight. Anyway, even as a kid, the doctor would write a note of a ECV or manual or whatever, and she would go to DL or WDW and has never had a problem. The difference I see, is that she brings it from home. I can see why they would not want to rent from Disney, or even near WDW. But fromyour home town, with a doctors note, you won't have to much problem. Just as a disclaimer, I would say, judge your child, just like you would for a driving license, are the able to understand they are in control of something that can hurt others. Although, I would say she is most likely unable to go fast, but when clouds are large will she be able to stop and have patients, if not don't do it go for a manual one.

 

[Simba's Mom]

My understanding was that an ECV driver must have a driver's license, or at least be old enough to have a drivers license, for insurance purposes. Is that the case, does anyone know for sure?

 

[wilkeliza]

My understanding was that an ECV driver must have a driver's license, or at least be old enough to have a drivers license, for insurance purposes. Is that the case, does anyone know for sure?

Some rental places will rent to a 16 or 17 year old who has a license but there is not requirement of a license to use a personally owned power wheelchair or ECV. Most places will not rent a power wheelchair unless you are renting while yours is in the shop because they are even more tricky then ECVs.

 

[Mrsjvb]

My understanding was that an ECV driver must have a driver's license, or at least be old enough to have a drivers license, for insurance purposes. Is that the case, does anyone know for sure?

no DL is required. I have a fellow sufferer of the same disease whom I have known for 30 years. he got his first ECV at 12.

 

[SueM in MN]

My understanding was that an ECV driver must have a driver's license, or at least be old enough to have a drivers license, for insurance purposes. Is that the case, does anyone know for sure?

There is no requirement for a driver's license for driving someone's own personal ECV.

As others wrote, there is not a requirement to have driver's license to rent an ECV. Disney and most of the rental companies have elected not to rent ECVs for use by people to under 18 for liability reasons.

 

[DisneyOma]

If you do get a scooter for a minor, look to see what that does to your home insurance, if it's even covered under it. If the minor was found responsible for causing bodily harm while at WDW due to a scooter accident, you could lose a lot.

 

[persimmondeb]

If she's small, I'm wondering if a handicapped stroller might work better than a wheelchair (if she's willing). They're lighter and easier to deal with, even the ones for larger children, and I think you can rent them (although not from Disney).

 

[happymommy]

I started pushing my DD in a wheelchair at 15 at Disney, and it's not bad at all!

We rented at the parks first time, then twice from an offsite place. Then bought the exact chair from Amazon for less than $150, so bring it now (this will be our second trip next week bringing it).

It's super easy to push, no harder than pushing a stroller.

I'd rent from a vendor offsite, you have have it the whole time.

I've been in a walking boot. I'd definitely have been in a wheelchair at Disney!

 

[connie1042]

My daughter had a ECV from age 8. We never took it on trips, but it gave her the independence she wanted around our home and neighborhood. She also used it at school. They were more scared that without it, she would be trampled when everyone was changing classes. She was very fragile, and the ECV gave her some protection in a crowd. On trips we used a special need stroller or a wheelchair.