Are the ECV's easy to navigate?

[Makmcm]

I would like to take my family to WDW, but they have several concerns. My mother gets knee and hip pain after walking for a few minutes, so I explained to her that we could rent an ECV for the duration of the trip to use in the parks. However, she is convinced they would be too difficult to steer and maneuver, being that she has never used one before. She's a nervous driver to begin with, so I think she is afraid she will run someone over! Can anyone who has used an ECV give me an idea of how easy or hard it is to navigate them, especially for a first-timer?

Their second concern regards pushing a wheelchair. My brother uses a wheelchair at all times (he is paralyzed). Although he can push it with his arms, he is not used to doing so for the whole day, so I know that I will have to push him myself for much of the trip. An ECV is not an option for him. For those of you who have been "pushers," how strenuous is this for a day at the parks?

If we do go, we would be driving our own lift-equipped van, so transportation is not a problem.

Thank you so much for your help. This board is a wonderful resource for travelers who must use wheelchairs and ECV's!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

You might want to take your mother to a nearby large (chain) grocery store. Many of them have ECVs with shopping baskets for people who need them. This will allow her to test one out.

Please be aware however, the rental ECVs, especially the ones from off-site, are MUCH easier to control than the ones in the grocery's, and also easier than the ones rented by Disney. Most of the rentals have a ontrol lever which is pressed by the thumb which controls both speed and direction. They are very easy to learn. There is a tiller, like a bicycle handlebar, which is used for steering.

As far as pushing a wc, there are a lot of hils and grades in the parks, normally not very noticile but are very easily noticed when pushing a wc.

 

[Wenda]

I am just back from WDW and it was the first time I have used a wheelchair there. I rented ECV's at Animal Kingdom and EPCOT and they were very easy to use. I too was scared they would be hard to drive. The only thing she would have to watch for is people running in front of her. Like a car, they don't stop immediately. It takes a foot or so depending on how fast you are going.

We stayed at CSR and used the free wheelchair from the resort to get around when we weren't in the parks. My DS was very good at pushing me around.

I was very impressed with how easy it was to get around WDW in a wheelchair and would not hesitate to do it again.

 

[ditzy]

The park rental DCVs are easy to use and they've reduced the speed so she should be very comfortable with it.

 

[doombuggy]

My grandma used an ECV that we rented from an offsite compnay that was great! It had one wheel in the front, instead of 2 that the parks have. It does have handle bars like a bike, but Grama has Parkinson's and she had no problems with her ECV. We went to view Spectro at the MK (parked in the h/c spots in Liberty Sq, after eating at the Tavern), but did not want to stay for the fireworks. it was also an E-ticket night, so it was crowded. She manovered thru the crowds waiting to see the fireworks great!

It doen't stop on a dime though, but has speed control. She would have done even better, but she has not driven a car in like 10 years, so she forgot a few things (about turning the handle a certain way to take corners or go in reverse). Sometimes I did it for her, while walking next to the ECV. I rode it a few times myself, as she would walk to the room from the car, then i would go back to put it together, ride it to the room and hook it up to the recharger for the night.

About the pushing of the wheelchair (I did this too), you need to watch your self. The first day I was there i pushed her around the marketplace in a w/c, wearing jeans, and gave myself a bad headache, doing this in the heat. Be careful! and have a great time!

 

[Makmcm]

Thank you to everyone who replied. It looks like our trip is on hold for now, as my mother has decided to have foot surgery this summer. Hopefully, this will help to alleviate some of the pain she has while walking, which might make it easier to convince her to try WDW after she recovers.