Do I need to lock the ECV?

[chamonix]

Grandma and Grandpa are coming on this visit, and we are going to rent her an ECV. (She can walk, but not very far.) We (and she!) have no experience with these things. She is afraid to drive it, actually, but she knows she has to!
What I wondered is, when we leave it outside an attration, do they lock? Do they have keys or something? Do we leave them with the strollers? We are going in early December when lines are usually short, so don't expect to use the wheelchair entrances, or anything like that. She can stand in line for a very short time, she mainly needs the ECV for getting aorund the parks. Oh, and how much cargo space do they usually have? Will she be able to carry our jackets, LOL?
Any tips or advice? TIA

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Welcome to disABILITIES. You will find several of us here more than willing to assist.

If you are renting from off-site, each ECV has its own key. The Disney ECVs all use a special plug, which are interchangeable. I have never had any problem in several years when leaving the ECV outside an attraction or restaurant.

Most of them (both Disney and off-site) have a basket that is about 16 inches long, about a foot deep, and about eight inches wide. The baskets from off-site are designed to fold up. Some of the off-site rentals also have a zipper pocket on the back of the seat, which can hold a poncho or fold-up umbrella.

WARNING!!! Although leaving an ECV outside is quite safe, do NOT leave anything in the basket that you are unwilling to lose. You might leave a sweatshirt or maps, don't leave cameras.

You might take your grandmother to a Walmart or large grocery store. Normally they have ECVs that can be used by the customers. Be aware that the ones in the stores are MUCH larger than the rentals and are nowhere near as easy to drive. If she can drive one of them there should be no problem at all with a rental.

If you want more information, just ask.

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome to disABILITIES.

Many people think that there are special wheelchair entrances to rides that save waiting time in line, but most of the lines have "Mainstream Access", which means that wheelchair and ecv users wait in the regular line with everyone else. There are some rides where wheelchair and ecv users board at the exit, but that's because it is the safest place for them to board and allows them to have the ecv/wheelchair waiting for them when they get off. In most lines, you will wait in the regular line until just before boarding and then will be routed to the exit for boarding.
So, besides knowing where the ecv is (and that it is safe), there are several other advantages to using the ecv in line.
1) Sometimes the wait isn't long, but it is a long way from where you enter the line until you actually get into the ride/attraction. An example of this would be the Safari at AK.
2) Some of the shows have a fairly long wait in the preshow area and there are few seats while waiting. Examples would be American Adventure, Hall of Presidents, and the 360 movies at China and Canada where you stand to wait for the show and then stand for the show, too.
3) Some of the regular lines have steps - Like Splash Mountain - that you will avoid by using the ecv in line.
4) Being able to board at the exit of the rides with moving walkways is much safer for someone who needs a little extra time for boarding.Here's a link to a past thread about boarding that talks about this.

And here's a link to the DIS page about touring with mobility disabilities, which includes a listing of rides with Mainstream Access.

If she chooses to leave the ecv outside a ride, you will probably want to check with the CM to see if how long the walk to the entrance really is and if there are things like steps or ramps that she would find difficult.