DME with your own ECV

[tmli]

My mom will be taking her own ECV to WDW for the first time this summer. Do I just let ME know when i make the ressies? Is it a seperate bus? Will the rest of the family be able to ride with her?

 

[SueM in MN]

My mom will be taking her own ECV to WDW for the first time this summer. Do I just let ME know when i make the ressies?

The short answers; yes

Is it a seperate bus?

Sort of. Many of the DME buses are wheelchair accessible. When you check in, if the one that is there is not accessible, they will call one for you.

Will the rest of the family be able to ride with her?

yes

You can let them know when you are checking in at the DME desk to leave the airport, but you will probably have a shorter wait if you call before your trip. There is no specific time in advance to call.
When you check in at the airport to go to your resort, they will make the reservation for your return trip. They should put in at that time for a lift bus, but verify it so you are not surprised.

If she can walk up the stairs to get onto the bus, they will have her do that and then the ECV will be lifted into the luggage area at the bottom of the bus. It's about 5 steps and fairly steep. If she can do that, you don't need a wheelchair accessible bus.
The wheelchair accessible buses have a lift near the rear tires of the bus. Most wheelchairs and ECVs should fit on the lift, but if she has an especially wide or long one, it may not fit. The ECV may be lifted onto the bus and then tied down inside the bus. Several rows of seats at the rear of the bus are rolled forward to make room for wheelchairs/ECVs.
My DD can't get out of her wheelchair, so she rode it up on the lift. I don't know if they would have an ECV user ride up with it, but I have heard of people who can't climb the steps riding the lift up to the bus seating area.

 

[clkelley]

If she can walk up the stairs to get onto the bus, they will have her do that and then the ECV will be lifted into the luggage area at the bottom of the bus. It's about 5 steps and fairly steep. If she can do that, you don't need a wheelchair accessible bus.

The ECV CAN be stored under the bus, however, the drivers will not load it under the bus for you, a member of your party must do it. Having said that, it is not that difficult. I have done it before. I just take the batteries off and roll it in there. When our boys are with us, they just lift it in there. The storage compartment is only a few inches above the curb.

 

[SueM in MN]

The ECV CAN be stored under the bus, however, the drivers will not load it under the bus for you, a member of your party must do it.

Whether or not the driver will do it seems to be inconsistent.
When I posted that other people had said the driver would not load it for them, someone posted that the driver did load it for them.
I would assume that you need to load it yourself. That way if the driver doesn't load it, you will be prepared.