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Choosing an ECV

ses1230

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
6,337
I am feeling a little overwhelmed planning for our scooter needs. We are taking my mom to Disney in December. She has mobility issues and I am planning on getting her an ECV from Apple scooter. I just went to their website and I have no idea what to order. She does not use one routinely so I have nothing to go on.

What is the difference in 3 wheel vs. 4 wheel? Is one easier to maneuver than the other? And the different chairs - is that just a matter of preference? I did read the brochures for each scooter and it diddn't really help.

Do people in ECVs really encounter rudeness/judgement from other guests? There was just another one of "those" threads on the TPAS board and now since it is close to our trip I and getting really nervous and a little sad that that might happen. :sad1:

Thanks for listening and for any advice you have!
 
The 4 wheelers are the most stable and the 3 wheelers are more maneuverable. The other thing that you need to consider is your mother's weight as there are different weight capacities. If she is close the weight limit go up to the next size as you will get better battery life.

You should get her to drive one at a grocery store to get a feel for it, although those are 4 wheelers, slower and clunkier than the rentals.

Rental scooters do not stop instantly and have multiple speeds. People will walk in front of her so she will need to be on the alert and do slow speed on and off bus and in crowds. I joke that when I get on my ECV it comes with an invisibility cloak because of the number of times people have cut me off and usually it is they do not see me - you are seated slightly below adult eye level.

I have been to WDW 6 times since MS took my ability to walk and have never heard a nasty remark. I am overweight (thank you steroids and other drug side effects) and until you see me try to walk to do the transfer to ride, there does not appear to be anything wrong with me.
 
but I will say somehow if the person is older using the scooter there seems to be a little more compassion. In our case, we have never had any rude comments or whatever and we've done it over 10 times with a scooter. We don't try to be commandos with one, either. We are very watchful of other guests and we always yield. It can help to have the family around the scooter while mom is driving; so, others don't get too close.

A 3 wheeler will turn easier (easier for ride queues), but they can be a little (and I mean just a little) tipsy if you are going fast around a corner, for example and so forth. There's no real issue with them; unless, you get carried away and use it incorrectly. You have speed control on them. I'll never forget seeing some young adults in a group doing the Food and Wine festival with scooters. It was obvious they did not need scooters and they were getting drunker and drunker making their way around all the F/W festival booths. We watched them for a while. I believe it was dangerous for anyone close to this group with scooters. We almost saw one tip over. This is how scooters get a bad reputation. We were disgusted with this group.

The 4 wheeler is more balanced to a degree; so, many feel they are more stable. We've done both and I would have to agree with this, but we really don't have any issues with a three wheeeler.

Weight does play a significant roll on the size of the scooter; there are limits involved. Also, comfort is involved. With a bigger scooter there's more room for your legs and usually a better seat. A bigger scooter is a little harder on and off the buses and ride queues and so forth. If you are using your car for transporting a scooter then make sure it can break down into parts. A bigger scooter is obviously heavier. A bigger scooter has a longer lasting battery. It's advisable on all scooters to shut them off when you are standing still like with a show, parade or fireworks. Take your scooter key when you are parking it like for a meal.

Going to a local zoo is great practice with a scooter. You can also test drive a scooter at a local mobility store. Go to more than one mobility store to check it out more. Some of these stores will have the exact scooter that Apple rents out. The free grocery store scooters and so forth are all right to get in some practice, but the scooters you rent are easier to use; so, don't get discourage using a store one.

You may have to help your mom and do some of the harder scootering for her. Parking the scooter on the bus can get tricky. On and off the lift of the bus can be tricky, too. Luckily, normal protocol is you are the first one on the bus, but the last one off. You may have another scooter or wheelchair boarding with you, too. Some bus drivers are kind and some are not, most are kind. There are some other instances where I might do the scootering for her. For example, to get down to the Soarin' ride in the Land Pavilion you need to take the scooter on and off an elevator to get it to the proper level. I think it might be better if someone else did this part. Also, this pavilion is very crowded almost all the time. Some will park their scooters in this Land pavilion and walk around instead. The trek to get to Soarin' is a very long one; so, I wouldn't advise walking for this ride. You may find it better to skip this ride; although, I think it's a fun ride. You somewhat have to learn to be more patient using a scooter.

It's probably advisable to get some practice in at the resort with a scooter before going to the park. Build up confidence about it. If she is having difficulty then you need to help more with the hard stuff. Again, you need to be patient and not expect your mom to be a pro at it and help with the tough stuff.

If worse comes to worse, you may have to consider doing a wheelchair. My mom never learned how to drive and there were other issues, too like Alzheimer's and so we used a wheelchair for her.

I think you will be fine; just do your homework, now.
 
I agree with the 3 wheel being more maneuverable, but I have not found it to be tipsy. I have the same scooter that Apple rents as my personal scooter, and have done things with it it was never meant to do. Never have had an issue with it tipping.

I would say as far as which scooter to rent, I would use this guide. If your mom is 250lbs or less, I would go with the smaller of the 2 scooters. If she is over that weight, then go with the larger one. If you are renting a car, then you want one that says "travel" scooter or says that it comes apart to fit in trunk of a car.
 

I have the Victory 10 at home--but I have the lower seat (not the captain's chair.) This makes it lighter. It is the 3-wheel model and I love it. It is easy to maneuver and comes apart easily.
 
with a 3 wheel scooter at a museum. He was making a sharp turn to turn around and it happened. He had his balance and he used his leg to balance the scooter somewhat; so, he didn't go down with it. He released the handles; so, the scooter wasn't moving. He wasn't going fast and that helped, too. He recovered nicely, but it was a bad moment. I saw it, too.

From that point on we rent a 4 wheeler. He goes over 200 pounds; so, maybe, weight had something to do with his bad moment. He wasn't trying to be a commando, nor was he going too fast for conditions.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice, it really helped clear things up. I'm leaning to the 4 wheel version, not because she won't be careful, but I think it might reduce nerves and increase her comfort level. And DH and/orI will be there to help also. We will go and practice, too, before the parks. :goodvibes
 
Due to CFIDS & Fibromyalgia, I can't easily walk long distances or stand in one place for more than a few minutes without getting dizzy. I tend to shop at stores where I know a motorized shopping cart will be available. When I visited WDW in 2000 & 2005, my daughter pushed me in a WDW WC. We kind of assumed that would be the plan for our trip this year (week after Thanksgiving), but I began to have second thoughts.

We want to do Animal Kingdom this time, and I've read that it can be especially taxing on the WC pusher in that park. Also, my DD got married in 2006, and my SIL is WC bound with MD. He has been using a motorized chair for years. She has become quite adept at meeting his physical needs with the use of a hoyer lift, but I don't want to overtax her back, etc. by pushing me around in a manual chair.

After reading these boards, I started checking out some of the off-site rental places. I can get a scooter from Apple for a whole week, for less than it would cost to rent a WDW scooter on 3 different days - and I won't have to worry about whether there would even be one available when we got to the parks. I've decided on the 4-wheel for the added stability (and peace of mind). I look forward to the independence I will feel, and to my DD having more freedom to enjoy WDW.

I've been away from these boards for 7 years, and it's good to be back!:yay:
 


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