Do WDW park rules prohibit hybrid mobility scooters?

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cobright

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For our next big family trip to WDW next fall, we are letting our two kiddos invite a friend. My son's best friend recently lost most of the use of his right leg permanently from a surgery complication and is using a mix of crutches and a mobility scooter.

To make his life a little less crappy, and because building things is how I choose to interact with people, I built him a new scooter with some improvements you can't seem to find for sale anywhere.

The main thing relevant to this topic is I pulled one of the 4 batteries and replaced it with an ultra quiet gasoline powered dynamo. Now, when he is outdoors, the motors run indirectly off of a gasoline engine powered generator. When idle or parked outdoors, the engine charges the batteries.

When driving indoors or in particularly crowded areas the chair functions normally as any other Go-Chair.

The engine is equipped with a catalytic converter and a tuned muffler. It makes less noise than most electric scooters and emits practically no scent. Even so, my idea is that if we bring this to the parks, he would run the engine only to top up the batteries in smoking sections away from anyone who might have sensitivities.

Advantages are that it has a 35 mile range. A faster top speed. Far more powerful drive motors (goes up and down ramps without laboring in the least). It will even lock itself securely to a bus floor without needing special tiedowns (though there is probably a code against riding that way, public transportation in MI lets him all the time). It also has adaptive collision avoidance that makes it impossible for him to bump into ... well anything. It takes up less room than an average human standing somewhere does and can turn like a ballerina. And if we are expecting to need it, we can outfit it for climbing stairs.

Also, though it's doubtful Disney would let us run this feature, it has an automated valet system. He can park it at a rides entrance and if the ride exit is a ways away he can summon it and it will come to him on its own. We did this all day at cedar point in Ohio and the staff thought it was incredible but I could see Disney having issues.

My question then ... is there anything in the rules (or laws) that would prohibit it's use? A common issue raised is a prohibition on gasoline engine driven scooters but there is no drivetrain connected to the gasoline engine. The only thing connected to the wheels are electric motors. Noise is less than any other scooter and emissions are less than a cigarette smoker.

And ... it's one of the really cool things he got in exchange for a much cooler working leg.

ETA: If it makes a difference (can't see how it would rules wise) but in terms of emissions or odors and such, the engine actually runs on alcohol and not gasoline. I mean, it can run on either but when we run it on alcohol he can drive it indoors and no one notices.
 
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I do not think disney will allow this I think there is some where in the rules that an ECV/ wheel chair can only be run on battery power ( and maybe one other thing) sorry I can not look up the rules as I have some whee I have to go soon but I think someone else could ir I can latter.
 
I would call Disney direct about this modification on the power chair. I would take names and see if you could get someone to okay this via email or whatever; so, you have proof. You may have to do this several times to get results. Even with written documentation it may get overruled once you are actually at a park.

To be safe I would rent a regular power chair while at Disney. Based on your post I'm not sure of your friends age and whether that will work, either.

Worse to worse, you may have to consider a manual wheelchair.

Hope it works out the way you want it.
 
According the the Disney website, all mobility devices must be manually or electronically powered. So a gas or alcohol powered device would not be permitted.
 

I would call Disney direct about this modification on the power chair. I would take names and see if you could get someone to okay this via email or whatever; so, you have proof. You may have to do this several times to get results. Even with written documentation it may get overruled once you are actually at a park.

To be safe I would rent a regular power chair while at Disney. Based on your post I'm not sure of your friends age and whether that will work, either.

Worse to worse, you may have to consider a manual wheelchair.

Hope it works out the way you want it.
The people who man the phones do not have authority to decide something like this. They are not ops people. No matter what they say if ops people at the park say no, it's no. They don't care that Debbie in customer service said yes. Debbie may not be located in Florida or ever even visited wdw. After the Segway settlement Disney was permitted to limit the size and type of mobility equipment (within Ada regs). So because the op has a gas powered scooter he prefers, it does not mean Disney has to permit it.
 
I know there is a disability department and maybe they have more authority. I'm not saying this will work, but it's worth a try.

I still think you will have to get a different power chair for the trip.
 
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This is from the WDW Website, under Prohibited Items.
image.jpeg
Two most important point:
- manually or electrically powered
- operated at a walking pace

Even if it is allowed in, I am certain they would not allow it to be operated at all with him not on it (valet mode). I don't know what you mean about 'locking down to the bus floor'. There is nothing to lock down to, so it can't really be secured that way. Public transports in cities may not require ECVs and wheelchairs to be tied down and may allow them to just lock their brakes, but they are usually traveling on city streets and not going at highway speed. Any electrically powered ECV or power wheelchair has brakes automatically engaged whenever the throttle/joystick is not being engaged.
WDW will not allow an ECV on the bus without being tied down - and with good reason; they travel at higher speeds.

And you will find the full text of prohibitions here:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/park-rules/?CMP=WPSTBK-6341-30305-PWTKLPH1EU-04

Also, because you modified it to use gasoline or alcohol, it no longer meets the definition of mobility device in the ADA. With a gas or other combustion engine, it fits into the OPMD (other powered mobility device) under the ADA rules. OPMD are not necessarily allowed wherever ECVs or power wheelchairs are allowed.
This is copied from the ADA OPMD page
image.jpeg
And you will find it here:
http://www.ada.gov/opdmd.htm

The concern about gasoline powered engines indoors doesn't have to do with the drive train, it is with having gasoline indoors, which is a fire hazard (and also with emissions, even though you say they are low). Ethanol is still a fire concern, even if it is less of an emmission concern.
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/...-store-gasoline-inside-or-aerosols-near-heat/
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/co/
http://santepublique-outaouais.qc.c...nd-health/indoor-gasoline-motors-and-heating/

So, he could be prohibited from using it in any indoor location.
 
If he is under 18, the WDW parks and most of the rental companies would not allow him to rent an ECV or power wheelchair to use.
Randy's Mobility is an exception. They have allowed older teens on a one to one basis after meeting with them and assessing whether they can safely operate the device.
 
I just wanted to say, whether or not it is allowed in Disney, congratulations on creating an amazing machine, and help for this young individual! What a kind thing to do! I'm sure they must appreciate it! :moped:
 
This is from the WDW Website, under Prohibited Items.
View attachment 159939
Two most important point:
- manually or electrically powered
- operated at a walking pace
Well walking pace is easy to comply with, the wording of the first part is where the rub is. Though it is technically a grey area as the device itself is electrically powered and has an optional module that is not, but not a hair I'm going to split.

Even if it is allowed in, I am certain they would not allow it to be operated at all with him not on it (valet mode).
I thought that would be the case at Cedar Point as well but they loved the thing there. Disney is much better at moving your mobility devices from ride entrance to exit for you anyway.

I don't know what you mean about 'locking down to the bus floor'. There is nothing to lock down to, so it can't really be secured that way.
It has a pair of soft silicon friction plates that will engage a smooth floor and tiny vacuum pump out of a commercial freezer. It works like a suction cup, like one of those things you stick a cel phone mount to your winshield with and it would hold fast even if the bus were rolled over onto its back. With regards to law abiding public transport it's little more than a party trick.

Also, because you modified it to use gasoline or alcohol, it no longer meets the definition of mobility device in the ADA. With a gas or other combustion engine, it fits into the OPMD (other powered mobility device) under the ADA rules.
What we have found is that these definitions create a distinction needed to prohibit the operation of an engine powered chair indoors, which is not something we would ever want to do.

The concern about gasoline powered engines indoors doesn't have to do with the drive train, it is with having gasoline indoors, which is a fire hazard (and also with emissions, even though you say they are low).
I mention drive train because the original local laws we were trying to comply with described mobility scooters based on whether the wheels were driven by an electric motor or by an internal combustion engine. In terms of safe storage and transport of fuel, we're talking about a pint or so of moderately flammable liquid in a nearly indestructible capsule. It doesn't present near the fire risk that a wall full of vodka does. For that matter, all those ECVs with lead acid batteries zipping around with sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas loose under the hood are (while tiny) more of a risk.

Because the chair is technically driven by electrical power I could probably just give it a tune up and have him run it electric whenever around anyone who would care and then play dumb if anyone notices. Or it might be time for an upgrade to hydrogen fuel cell, that would provide a 100% electrical power system.
 
I was thinking it would be an issue even if "dry"- residual fuel.
I agree.
Even if it was dry, there would still be residual.

If this is a serious post and not an April Fool joke, it would not be allowed in the parks or to fly.
Because of all the limitations on non-electric powered mobility devices and no longer being classified as a mobility device, it would not be a very practical series of modifications to make on a mobility device.

There is not really anything to add to this, so I am closing the thread.
 
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