considering a scooter - have some ?s

[disneydad1]

going to wdw for XMAS with all 4 grandparents, wife, and 3 DD's (5,4,2) - my mom has problems with arthritis in her foot and probably has a severe enough knee problem to have it replaced. my dad has similar issues though less severe. they get around fine here at home but i don't think they will be able to enjoy wdw if they are up and walking the miles each day that parks require. we'll be at wdw 12/18-12/27 and i have a some quetsions about them renting a scooter then trading it off using it b/w the 2 of them.

1. can anyone recommend an affordable, customer friendly service to rent from?

2. how much of a hassle are the scooters to get on and off a bus (we're staying at BWV and plan to walk to Epcot and DHS but will bus to AK and MK)

3. how do you actually get them on and off the bus - is there a space for them to load on the bus or do you have to disassemble to get them on and put them back together when you get off?

4. how well do they navigate in heavy crowds?

5. how well can they keep up with fast walkers in light crowds (i think scooters and i see the scene from seinfeld where george got chased by some senior citizens and they were all riding scooters but were being passed easily by people walking)

6. will a scooter last a full day in the park on a single charge/battery?

7. do you just park the scooter with the strollers, take the key, and get in line for attractions?

8. where do you park them overnight? in your room or in the hall?

9. do you remove the battery and recharge it or does it remain on the scooter?

10. most importantly - anyone have any tips for trying to sell my parents on using one of these?

thanks in advance for any answers or thoughts you have.

 

[KPeveler]

going to wdw for XMAS with all 4 grandparents, wife, and 3 DD's (5,4,2) - my mom has problems with arthritis in her foot and probably has a severe enough knee problem to have it replaced. my dad has similar issues though less severe. they get around fine here at home but i don't think they will be able to enjoy wdw if they are up and walking the miles each day that parks require. we'll be at wdw 12/18-12/27 and i have a some quetsions about them renting a scooter then trading it off using it b/w the 2 of them.

1. can anyone recommend an affordable, customer friendly service to rent from?

2. how much of a hassle are the scooters to get on and off a bus (we're staying at BWV and plan to walk to Epcot and DHS but will bus to AK and MK)

3. how do you actually get them on and off the bus - is there a space for them to load on the bus or do you have to disassemble to get them on and put them back together when you get off?

4. how well do they navigate in heavy crowds?

5. how well can they keep up with fast walkers in light crowds (i think scooters and i see the scene from seinfeld where george got chased by some senior citizens and they were all riding scooters but were being passed easily by people walking)

6. will a scooter last a full day in the park on a single charge/battery?

7. do you just park the scooter with the strollers, take the key, and get in line for attractions?

8. where do you park them overnight? in your room or in the hall?

9. do you remove the battery and recharge it or does it remain on the scooter?

10. most importantly - anyone have any tips for trying to sell my parents on using one of these?

thanks in advance for any answers or thoughts you have.

I can answer some of your questions...

1. There is a list of scooter rental companies in the FAQs at the top of the forum which have been consistently recommended by readers here.

2 & 3. I use a powerchair, and I find it fairly easy to get on and off the bus. Scooters and wheelchairs load first. There are spots for 2 or 3 per bus, so if you are renting two scooters, you may have to wait for an open bus or split the party if there is someone already in one of the scooter spots. You drive onto the bus usually via a ramp (although sometimes it is a lift) and then parallel park it against the side of the bus. The driver will tie it down. and the person riding it will usually transfer to a regular seat. When you get to your destination, scooters and wheelchairs are off loaded last.

4. A scooter is steered like a bicycle. To make to go, you press down on a button, usually with your thumb. To make it stop, you release the button. It does take some practice, and does not stop on a dime. I suggest practicing with ones at a place like walmart or target. Scooter users will have to have good reflexes and a constant awareness of people around them, as people will stop or walk right in front of them, totally clueless.

5. Scooters will keep up fine with walkers, and depending on the settings, can even go faster. Disney scooters are set to go no faster than a person's average walking speed.

6. That depends on the park, the distance travelled, the weight of the rider, etc. Most people here report no problem with going all day.

7. Almost all lines are mainstreamed, which means you take the scooters into the regular line. When you get to the loading area, the CMs will direct you to either load there, or continue through to the exit and leave the scooters there. There are a few lines where scooters cannot enter - at those rides you either park the scooter and walk, or use an available manual wheelchair to navigate the queue. There are a few rides which are not mainstreamed, and a CM at each ride will tell you what to do, or you can consult the "Guidemap for Guests with Disabilities" which is available in every park. I suggest keeping the scooters with you as much as possible, as some queues are very long (Soarin's queue is 1/4 mile long!)

8. A scooter will fit just fine in a room.

9. It depends on the model, but for most of them it i an "onboard charger" which just means you plug in the charger to the scooter and then plug it into a wall.

10. Most people walk 6-10 miles a day in Disney. Pick a point about 1 mile from their house. Ask if they can walk there. Almost everyone will say yes, even if it is not true. Then ask them if they can walk there and back. Then ask them if they can do it three times in one day. That is the MINIMUM you will want to walk in a day in Disney. If they are going with grandkids, remind them how disappointed the grandkids will be that grandma and grandpa have to stay behind on a park bench while they get to see Mickey. Remind them that the whole party does not want to have to stop constantly or watch them in pain. (I use guilt without shame - after all, it is only for a week they need to use them, not forever!)

Hope this helps some! Check out the FAQs for more information.

 

[KPeveler]

Just realized you are going at xmas -

Rent scooters for them now, then if they still refuse, cancel later - the companies are already running out of scooters.

It will be VERY crowded. If you think they are going to get tired of driving all day, especially with crowded buses and such, you may want to consider rentingh manual wheelchairs from off-site. It is tiring to push people all day, but it does take a lot of energy and reflexes and awareness to navigate a crowd all day.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I will add a few comments here.

The standard rental ECV has large enough batteries that you can go almost 25 miles on a full charge. Many people find they will do 8-12 miles per day. In any event, the ECV should be plugged in to charge overnight so you start off with a full charge in the morning. Because the 25 miles is for a new battery.

And, in closing, please ask the following questions. Here are the suggested answers to go with them.

1. Are you disabled (even temporarily)? Yes.

2. Do the people you are traveling with, such as your family, know you are disabled? Yes.

3. Do you expect to meet anyone you know during this trip who may not know you are disabled. Probably No!

4. Do you expect to meet a bunch of people who you will probably never meet again in your life? Probably yes!

5. Is there any reason at all that you should care what these people think about you? Absolutely No!!

6. Will using a wheelchair or ECV make for a better vacation for you and your family? Absolutely YES!



Some ECVs have the charge built-in, so you just plug the scooter into a wall outlet. Most do not have an onboard charger, so you get a separate charger which plugs both into the wall outlet and into the ECV.

The Disney rentals are slow. However, most of the off-site rentals have a maximum speed of between 4.5 and 6.5 MPH. I know if I am going full speed on my ECV people have a hard time keeping up with me.

 

[Debbie-TN]

My cousin has always rented her ECV from Walker Mobility and has never had a problem. When you go out to the bus stop at the hotel you will see where the handicapped sign is on the ground for each park. Be watching for the bus and when you see your bus, go ahead and pull out further on the sidewalk so they can see you. The drivers have at times not seen us if standing back where the sign is. They have to load the ECV's and wheelchairs before any one else. At any of the rides or attractions, if you're not sure to park or enter, just ask a CM. They are very helpful. It's really not difficult at all. Oh yeah, and about the speed of the ECV, at least the ones you rent off-site, I have to keep telling my cousin to slow down because she she keeps running off and leaving me. I've gotten lots of strange looks after saying loudly, "Pat, you're going the wrong way."