Can somebody please give me the specific "low-down" on boarding buses with an ECV?

[Lorelei528]

Ok, so I've read a few threads and here's our situation.

We've decided to rent a scooter from Walker Mobility for my mom this trip who is 85. She can walk, however, gets tired very easily and her back starts hurting etc.
After our trip (DH and I) last year when we walked up the incline to the monorail at EPCOT I think it was, I was like "Gee, if we ever bring my mom back, there is no way she could make it up here." 2 seconds later an elderly couple zoom past me in ECV's!

Mom has never used an ECV before and doesn't even want one this trip! But I rather have it for her and let her walk when she wants then not have it and have her say she just can't walk anymore...
Because she is not familiar with how to operate one I decided to have them drop it off at AKL the day we arrive so she can try it out etc. before we go to the parks.
Our first day will be at EPCOT and so we'll need to bus it.

So, I guess I have a couple of questions...

Getting on buses. I know the ECV has to be "parked" on the bus. I am worried my mom will get all nervous and flustered doing this. I think I read somewhere that sometimes the driver does it for you? Is this right? Can my DH park it for her once she gets on the bus? And then, when she's on the bus, she doesn't sit in it, right?


Also, she is getting the standard scooter which is the smallest. Will she have trouble going up the inclines to the monorail? I'm afraid she won't go fast enough and will start sliding backwards!

Will we need to recharge the battery do you think during the day? I think I read somewhere you can do this at restaurants or somewhere in the parks? As I said, she won't be in it constantly. I know she will leave it outside shops and restaurants and even most rides probably. It's really to help her get around but I know she still wants to do some walking. I thought we could just park it sometimes somewhere and then DH can go back and get it if she needs it?

Sorry this is so long, also we'll be 3 nights at AKV then switching to BLT, so we'll be doing monorails from there as well...any tips on that? I've seen ECV's getting on and off them so I think I feel pretty comfortable about that.

I'm just asking for some logistic help I guess!

Thanks so much! I'm just a little nervous and want my mommy to relax about using the ECV. Because I know her and she'll think she's inconveniecing fellow guests!

Please help-
Thanks!

 

[Piper]

It sounds to me like you should probably just rent a wheelchair from Walker or maybe even at home. If she doesn't have good reflexes and has never driven an ECV, it can be tricky! People don't watch out for you (they even dart in front of you and stop suddenly, etc.) It is really stressful watching out for everyone else, driving, etc.

She can walk pushing the empty wheelchair when she wants to and ride when she gets tired or is in pain. That seems to me like the best solution.

 

[KPeveler]

I may agree that renting a wheelchair may be the best thing. Yes, your DH can drive the scooter onto the bus for her, and occassionally I have seen a driver help. She does not sit on the scooter on the bus, but instead sits in a regular seat.

She has to have good vision and good reflexes to drive a scooter, as well as good control of her hands. I have arthritis in my hands and my fingers are deformed due to joint dislocations, so I cannot drive a scooter.

She should try driving a scooter at a local Walmart or grocery store. Those will be bigger than the ones she would get in WDW, but would give her good practice. If she gets flustered handling a scooter there, then Disney may not be the best place for her to drive one.

Yes, a standard scooter will make it up the ramps in WDW, even the monorail. It is easy to get to the monorail, easier than a bus, but she will still have to maneuver. She will have to back up into spots on buses, monorails, in shows, attractions, etc.

If she is uncomfortable, rent a manual wheelchair. She can push it like a walker empty, then sit when she wants to. Also, you can use it to board her on a bus, then she can sit in a regular seat and fold the manual chair, which you or your DH can hold.

Bring the number of some off-site places with you, so you can call for different equipment if you need it.

I also suggest renting offsite as the park wheelchairs are VERY uncomfortable!

 

[Lorelei528]

Hi. Yeah, the regular wheelchair is a no-go for my mom. She has already told me she doesn't want DSIL (my DH) to have to push her around all day in the heat etc.

The ECV is definitely the way to go, I think she'll be fine once she gets the hang of it. Her reflexes are fine and she doesn't have arthritis or anything in her hand at all. She's actually in relatively good health (knock on wood!)

I just want to be prepared so I can help her out as much as possible with info about loading onto buses and using the ECV...

 

[POOHsie]

I am a full-time ecv user. You are kind to get your mom a rental ecv for her trip. However, because of her advanced age and newness to driving an ecv, it could be confusing and worrying for her out among so many fast-moving crowds. Practicing at AKL sounds good. For the bus rides, I strongly suggest either you or DH ride the scooter on/off the bus. Don't subject you mom to this, she may become frightened and panic on this unfamiliar piece of machinery with everyone watching. Put her on the scooter after the bus trip. Same goes for the Monorail. You or DH ride the scooter on/off. The monorail handicap ramp is narrow and you get a frightening worry about driving crooked off the side of the ramp and crashing. In reality, it's the same as driving into your garage, go slow and keep the wheel straight. Same for backing out of the monorail.

The ramps to/from the monorail are indeed steep. If your mom is seated, get behind her scooter and help push the scooter up while she is giving it throttle. You would be amazed how much battery power is pulled going uphill on those small scooters. Do this same thing on the uphill entry to Nescafe's "The Land" building at Epcot. (Bonus: The Epcot Main Entrance monorail platform has an elevator.)

Because this is a small scooter, do not fail to charge it overnight. Bring the battery charger with you to the parks. Put it in the front basket. You should have all the battery power you need. These scooter rental people know what your power needs are for the Disney parks.

Carry a few empty plastic bags to cover the scooter controls (on the handlebars) in case of rain. If it looks threatening when you go in a ride, it may be pouring when you come out. Before going in, cover up the scooter controls and put a cheap poncho over the entire scooter. Buy ponchos at Wal-mart where the camping gear is. Much cheaper than at Disney store when you are getting soaked. Make sure poncho doesn't get near scooter wheels.

Always turn off the power and take the key with you when you park the scooter. I have a wristband with a key ring that I put my key on. Got it at Wal-mart, where the misc. small office items on pegs are located. If you are worried about battery usage, especially at Epcot, turn down the speed on the scooter and this will save battery power. If it runs out of power, by the back wheel there is a lever you can move that will put the scooter in neutral and you can push it from behind.

If you observe that your mom is having a hard time with the scooter, call Walker and make a switch to a wheelchair. I am sure they have encountered it all, and will be understanding. The best advice I can give you is, the scooter or wheelchair will help your mom healthwise, but it WILL NOT mean your trip will move at a pace of you younger, more spry ones. Have it in your mind that this will be a slow trip, exercise the patience of saints, and treasure the memory of you all together at the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

[Holoshed]

I agree 100% with what is said. I understand that elderly folks can have wonderful reflexes still, it is still VERY challenging using an ECV at Disney even though I wish I could tell people it was easier.

I have seen people in their 30s complain how hard it was so that should tell you something.

The hard part is NOT the Disney staff really, its the general public who does not care you are in a cart and a lot of the time will not see you. When you are (if you are) in a situation where people are crammed in, you have to be ready to swerve or stop within a half a second to keep from hitting someone. You become in a state of hyper vigilance Ive noticed.

In short, I still say an ECV is not for the faint of heart unless you have someone who is willing to walk ahead of you the entire trip.

If you are willing to do the walk ahead role and keep the path clear then doing the bus load/unload will be your biggest hurtle I think.

 

[Lorelei528]

but it WILL NOT mean your trip will move at a pace of you younger, more spry ones. Have it in your mind that this will be a slow trip, exercise the patience of saints, and treasure the memory of you all together at the Happiest Place on Earth!

I'm so glad you wrote this! (And I just printed out your post for my trip file, because your tips are great!). When we initially started planning this trip, we decided it would be more about my mom trying restaurants she's never eaten in before (it all actually started with Mom looking at our DVC book and oohing and ahhing over WL and me saying "oh, yeah, that's where Artist Point is" and as I said it realized she had never been there! It was then I knew we needed to take her back again. Also, we didn't get to take her on Soarin' on the wedding trip either) and just taking things slow and not having to rush. Really enjoying some real quality time with my mom. I have scheduled our breakfast ADR's for later than usual allowing for some sleeping in a bit. Also, we'll go back to the resort to rest up if she gets tired.

On our wedding/Disneymoon trip, she got there Thursday night and left Sunday morning, but walked around MK and EPCOT all day on Saturday and did just fine! (Albeit, slowly). But she did tell me the next day that she was tired and her back was hurting her...

I think we will (DH or I) board the bus ourselves and the monorail as well maybe unless we hear my mom say "I can do it!" like she did getting in and out of ride vehicles (IASM and even HM!!!) on the wedding trip.
But that will be a year and half ago by the time we get back to WDW. So, I just thought it would be very handy to have the ECV to use. And I don't see her zipping around in it at all. I have a feeling she'll actually go pretty slowly in it and we'll be walking at the same pace. DH and I are consciencely (sp?) going to slow down and keep reminding ourselves to do so. We're really going to stop and smell the roses this trip for sure!

 

[peemagg]

One thing I found when boarding the buses, was that I needed to turn the speed up a bit to get on the ramp and then turn it back down after I was on the ramp. By the way that lift for the buses can be kind of scary in and of itself. I know it is for me.

I also found that driving the ECV was not such a drain on me physically as it was mentally. Always having to watch for what the other people in the parks are going to do and be proactive to what they are doing, was a mental drain by the end of the day. This would be something to watch out for with your Mom.

 

[POOHsie]

I am happy for you, DH, and your mom. Hope she enjoys the majesty of the WL lobby. It is a stunning resort.

Soarin' is such a pain to get to by scooter/wheelchair. After that ridiculous uphill climb, you enter the building and there is a ridiculous downhill slope. (That is hairy with a wheelchair.) Then around the corner on the left is the elevator. It is small and slow. I think gerbils running on a small wheel actually power it. Always a line of handicapped there. What is really pathetic is that Soarin' is on the ground floor. This whole uphill-then downhill-then elevator is completely unnecessary. Soarin' could have had a sidewalk-level entry for handicapped. The Land (by Nescafe) is an example of P*ss-Poor design aesthetics with no consideration for disabled. (And, for good measure, their Nescafe-Disney coffee is undrinkable!)

 

[tww369]

If you mother is with you (I'm assumung she will be) you can help the bus driver load the ECV and mom take a seat and relax. I do this for my mom, she still gets nervous when loading on a bus. You set the drive to neutral (the wheels rolling free) and steer/push it onto the loading ramp. Its faster with less hassle. The ramp is designed to lift both ECV and ride (up to 600 lbs) but it makes mom nervous being lifted on the ramp.

 

[lovetoscrap]

One thing I found when boarding the buses, was that I needed to turn the speed up a bit to get on the ramp and then turn it back down after I was on the ramp. By the way that lift for the buses can be kind of scary in and of itself. I know it is for me.

I also found that driving the ECV was not such a drain on me physically as it was mentally. Always having to watch for what the other people in the parks are going to do and be proactive to what they are doing, was a mental drain by the end of the day. This would be something to watch out for with your Mom.

to both!!


Absolutely have yourself or DH drive it onto the bus. I haven't found a bus driver yet that would drive it and only a few that actually physically helped when I got stuck and frustrated. You are basically parallel parking the ECV in the bus, with very little room to move around in. The really great bus drivers will tell you exactly when to turn the wheels and where to get in the spot easily but sometimes it us just a pain. My ECV is so lightweight that I can actually just get it close and then lift it into the spot but the rentals are usually way to heavy for that.

Try to stay out of crowds. If you are leaving a show, hang back and be one of the last ones out. If you see a parade or especially the fireworks, don't be in a hurry to leave. Stay in your spot or find a nice bench out of the way to relax and people watch. Crowds are the most stressful time on an ECV.

Have a great trip!

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't know if you saw the information about buses, boats and monorails in the disABILITIES FAQs thread, but there are posts with pictures there.
You can get to the disABILITIES FAQs thread by following the link in my signature and the first post is an index that tells which post has which information.

To answer the question about bus drivers driving your ECV, one or 2 people have posted in the past that the driver helped them by driving their ECV. BUT, several bus drivers have posted that they are not allowed to drive ECvs or push wheelchairs for guests.

Also, not sure if anyone answered the question about sitting on the ECV while riding the bus, but it is much, much safer to get off. There are signs on the bus advising ECV riders to move to a bus seat.

 

[danalee]

If I can just throw this in

a couple trips ago when I knew my mom couldnt make it without somekind of "chair" she fought me tooth-n-nail" she didnt want to pushed around, be a pain to anyone, make everyone stop for her and so on,,,let me tell ya one practice run on and ECV at wal-mart and there was no question she would be pushed in a wheelchair!

really not trying to make light, honestly~ it was a fact when my mom saw a person coming towards her she started to panick, and with WDW crowds i figured that was a mix for disaster, plus i didnt want her stressing out about driving it and the loading bus thing would have made her nervous no doubt.

We rent her wheelchair at home so she has it with at all stages of the trip, and really pushing her isnt as bad as you think it would be, we take turns and my son loves to jump in and take a break in the chair when grandma needs to move about a little.

I agree whole heartedly let her try a spin at wal-mart/target somewhere before ya go, you will learn alot from that

oh and my mom loves her chair, she knows that without it Disney would be a no go, and she knows now its not that big a deal

Have an awesome trip & good luck to your mom, i am sure she will have a blast

 

[Bete]

She's 90, now. Anyway, she was still car driving at 87. If your mom car drives or ever did she will have an easier time of it. If not, I strongly suggest practicing at home in the stores. Driving a scooter at the store will not prepare you for the crowds at the Disney parks. Your mom absolutely should NOT do the scootering in and out of the bus. Getting it into the correct position for the bus (needs to be strapped in) is a hard task even with a smaller scooter. This will panic her and may affect the rest of the day in the park. I feel the same way about some ride queues; there can be a lot of zig-zagging and making sharp turns in a tight area with a scooter. Always leave some room in the front as you go through a ride line just to make sure you don't hit the party in front of you. Some ride queues are very long like Soarin' and she may not want to walk that ride line. Also, be aware that The Land Pavillon where Soarin' is located is always crowded; although, early morning is easier. To me, it's best to park the scooter inside and walk around except for doing Soarin'. To get to Soarin with the scooter you will have to take an elevator down to that level. I think elevators are scarier than the buses; so, someone else should scooter in and out of the elevator there. The elevator for this is located in the back near the Garden Grill. It's next to restrooms.

I believe I'm correct that you can bus it all the way to Epcot. At least I know you can do this from POP Century. Don't go to the Transportation Center for Epcot just go directly to Epcot. This way there is no need to do the monorail. For MK, you can take the ferry instead of the monorail. Walking the ramp is no fun for an 85 year old and I wouldn't trust her with the scooter doing it; since, it's her first time.

All the comments about being in the parks are true. You will have people darting out at you all the time and you need to suddenly stop with the scooter. In tougher situations we actually guarded our MIL by being at her side near the front of the scooter; so, we could help with the crowds and we were trying to get people to pay attention and not run into her. I stopped a few kids. Even a few adults I talked rather loudly to who got too close. If your scooter does not have a light (often time smaller models may not) at night it may be more challenging for your mom with the scooter. We actually bought a bicycle headlight and attached it to the scooter we were using for night purposes. Directing your mom will help, too. We always had a front runner for her to follow through the parks. This was me. I would direct her through traffic and getting to the next destination by using hand commands and talking. Try not to zig zag through the crowds. It's better to wait a minute and go more straight. You can't go completely straight all the time, but it helps not to zig zag. Eventually, you may not have to guide her as much, but the first day I would be very cautious.

One bad habit my MIL had was letting go of the accelator level on the scooter to adjust her sun hat or itch her nose. Of course, the scooter stops every time you do this. At one point she started arguing with us that she had a malfunctioning scooter. We finally had to demonstrate to her what she was doing wrong; because, it got really bad on this level. Then we had to remind her every time she was doing it again. She got the hang of it, but it took a couple of days. We had two in our party with scooters; so, we even traded scooters with her to show it wasn't the scooter causing it to stop, but her actions. This was a hoot!

If you need to reverse the scooter (back up) I highly suggest someone else doing this, as well. Parking for parades, shows, and fireworks can be tricky, too. By the way, the scooter will be treated as a handicap vehicle; so, you can go into the reserved areas for the parades, shows, etc. where the handicap watch, but it's difficult to get into these areas and you have to park it very straight and close to the party next to you. Again, someone else should do this part. Sometimes for the shows you park the scooter and transfer to a seat; sometimes, you can stay in the scooter as seat. If you stay in the scooter for a show, you will probably have to sit in the back.

Your battery will depend a lot on your diligency in using the scooter. Every time you watch a street show, parade, fireworks, etc. make sure the scooter is turned off. It uses juice if it's on, even if you are still. Keep an eye on the battery level gauge. If you are running low you will know that way. If you have to do a battery charge in the parks it will take a while. A full charge can take 6 hours or more depending on the scooter. You must be sure to do a recharge every night. If you completely run out of charge there is a manual overide on the scooter for it to be pushed. You can hopefully get it to a park outlet to recharge. Some batteries come off the scooter and you can charge them that way, but the batteries normally weigh 30 pounds or more. Doing inclines (hills) will use a battery charge more so; also, your own weight is a factor. The golden rule is usually around 85% for the person using it of the rated scooter weight. So, say a small scooter is rated for 250 pounds maximum; you don't want to be more than 212 pounds yourself to use that scooter. Putting items into the basket like the battery recharger or cameras, etc. has to be a consideration for this weight maximum. as well. The speed you do is a factor, also. Most scooters have a tortoise for the slow speed and a hare/rabbit logo for a faster speed. You don't want to crawl, either, but just keep in mind everything you do will use up battery juice.

Never criticize your mom's scooter abilities; unless, it a safety issue for you, her, or another guest. Practicing at the AK Villas will be a good idea. Try to give some constructive hints if it looks like she is having trouble. I think it's a really good idea to go to a zoo (or similar) for a day back home and use a scooter there with your mom to get a better feel of how it will be at Disney. We found this way to be the best. Also, you will know for sure if she can handle it or not that way. Thank goodness your mom doesn't have physical ailments that could hinder her. As another poster stated though there can be mental abilities that can affect how a person can handle a scooter or not. My own mom has Alzheimer's and believe me I would never think of letting her be on a scooter. If it turns out to be too much for your mom it's better to know before you get to Disney.