Choosing Correct Size ECV

[Dannielle_1]

Long time visitor of WDW, but this will be the first time renting an ECV. My mother-in-law will be traveling with us and we are going to rent a scooter from one of the local vendors to help her get around. I'm just not sure which size ECV to rent.

My mother-in-law is small, probably 5'2" and maybe 130 lbs, but probably even less. She has a bad back & bad knees. I'm worried about the comfort level of the seat on the Go-Go Elite vs. the Pride Victory 10. However, I'm afraid if we go with the larger Pride Victory, she might be too small for it and it won't be comfortable. Is the height and reach adjustable on these?

As an aside, she will be the primary driver, however my husband will probably help her load it onto & off of the busses, and he is over the 175 lb limit on the Go-Go Elite. Should this be taken into account?

Lastly, I'm worried about the battery on the Go-Go vs the Pride.


Any input would be appreciated. We leave in 3 weeks and I need to make a reservation soon.

 

[savagefish]

We just got back from a week at Disney. My wife rented a scooter as she has a bad back and fibro. We rented the Go-Go Elite and it was just fine. The seat was fine for her. She is 5'4" 140#. As for battery life, we had no issues at all. We went hard each day with at least 12 hours in the park only once did the charge light even go down one spot. Battery life was no issue and we charged it each night. We drove to the parks each day except MK as we were at WL, so we needed the smaller scooter. My wife would take the tram to and from the entrance with our girls and I would drive the scooter to the car. I'm over the weight limit at 220# but had no problems with using the scooter. Now I don't know how it would be if I used it all day, but for light use I did fine.

 

[Bete]

To conserve the battery make sure it's turned off at shows, parades, fireworks and rest room breaks. Don't depend on your MIL to remember each time. Even in long waiting ride lines you may want to shut it off; until, you need to move in the line again. Soarin' would be an example of a ride where you might want to turn it off here and there; until, you get to the actual ride. Just a side note, Soarin' will require you to use an elevator to get down to the floor of the ride. Your hubby will probably want to do this for his mother.

Be diligent about charging your battery every day.

Take the battery charger with you to the park. Most scooters have a pouch on the back of the seat for this. If by chance the battery loses too much charge you can use outlets in the park to get a boost. Keep in mind this could take a couple of hours. It's not good for the battery to make a habit of this practice. If the charge is running low, then perhaps get a bite to eat and plug the scooter in for a boost while you are eating. Also, there is a manual override down below which makes it easier to move if that becomes necessary.

When you eat or whatever that requires you to park the scooter don't block a parade area if it's close to getting started with the parade. You can't block a door or a passage way, either. A Disney CM will move the scooter if you block an important area. This happened to us once for a parade; we thought we were parked ok. We went for an early dinner when this happened. Anyway, it took us a few moments to figure out what was going on and locating the scooter.


I agree that to load the scooter on and off the Disney transportation you should be ok with a heavy person riding it. Just watch the battery meter to make sure it's okay.

 

[Dannielle_1]

Thank you for the tips. It is much appreciated. Trying to make this as easy and as smooth as possible for MIL.

 

[Bete]

A few more thoughts..... For comfort the larger scooter may be better if she needs to stretch out her legs because of her knees.

I would still go with the smaller scooter, but I would get the 4 wheeler, not the three. It will be easier on her knees with the 4 wheeler.

Most feel that the three wheeled scooters maneuver better, but the 4 wheelers are more stable and won't tip over as easily.

 

[jdb in AZ]

The rental companies will know the size that will work best for your DMIL.

FWIW, my DH and I both rent ECV's. Because of his size, DH has to go with a heavy-duty 4-wheeler, while I rent a smaller 3-wheeler. The 3-wheeler has a tighter turning radius, so it's much easier to navigate around the tight turns in the ride queues. I can usually do the turns in one move, while DH often has to do a partial turn, back up, turn, go forward, etc.

The 3-wheeler seems to move faster, too. Not that DH and I would ever race along an empty path.

 

[JenniBugInPink]

The rental companies will know the size that will work best for your DMIL.

FWIW, my DH and I both rent ECV's. Because of his size, DH has to go with a heavy-duty 4-wheeler, while I rent a smaller 3-wheeler. The 3-wheeler has a tighter turning radius, so it's much easier to navigate around the tight turns in the ride queues. I can usually do the turns in one move, while DH often has to do a partial turn, back up, turn, go forward, etc.

The 3-wheeler seems to move faster, too. Not that DH and I would ever race along an empty path.

The company you rent from (if it's a decent company) will pick the appropriate size based on height and weight. I use Walker Mobility in part because of their great battery life, and also because their folks are great to work with and their service is top notch. We tend to have long touring days and battery life has never been a problem. I wouldn't carry the charger with me because I'd be afraid that it would be stolen, but that's just me. YMMV.