RaySharpton
Retired and going to Disney.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2000
- Messages
- 6,974
Does anyone have photos of the Disney Minnie Accessible Van and Minnie Accessible Van reviews?
I will be down at WDW this June 2018. I may want to use the Disney Minnie Accessible Van if I am too tired, or if my battery on my own mobility scooter is almost drained at the end of the day.
I have never seen a photo, but I wonder if it has a rear foldout ramp to drive up into the van and to be strapped down. Or maybe a lift that the mobility scooter is driven onto and lifted into the van. Or the same van, but the rider cannot ride on the lift and must walk into the van.
In Atlanta, Georgia, all of our city buses have foldout ramps at the front entry door that allow me to drive into the bus and to parallel park. I usually get out and sit in a nearby bus seat. Atlanta's mobility small buses have a lift that lifts the mobility scooter with the rider. You continue to park inside the small bus and it is tied down.
Disney has a foldout ramp at the side of the Disney bus more than halfway back. The mobility scooter driver rides up and parallel parks the bus and is either strapped in along with the mobility scooter or the driver moves to a seat on the bus. The Disney driver prefers the rider to get off of the mobility scooter because it could be more dangerous if a sharp bus turn forces the mobility scooter to turn over strapped to a very heavy piece of equipment. Especially on a three-wheel mobility scooter.
That is why I would like to take some photos. If I use a Disney Minnie Van in June, I'll take some photos. If you have any questions or want certain photos, just ask me here and I'll do my best. I probably won't be on the Disboards while at Disney.
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Once I found the correct word combinations to search on google, I was able to find some photos below which answers some of my questions.
The above looks like a larger Ford Transport Van brand. I looked at buying Ford Transport, but I didn't like the driver's seat comfort. I like the step for the driver. The other reason that I didn't like the Ford Transport was that it was too high for me to get into the driver's seat.
The above photo shows the rear of the Ford Transport Disney Minnie axxessible van with double opening doors. I liked the rear opening of the Ford Transport for the rear height alone. But the driver's seat nixed me buying one. Not the Minnie Van, but a regular Ford Transport.
The above photo definitely shows that it does not use a ramp. It uses an industrial size lift that I have seen in Mobility buses. But those buses carry six to eight movable seats and the lift is on the side of the small bus. The Ford Transport Minnie Accessible Van is much smaller and they had to put the lift in the rear. The driver opens the rear doors, uses a remote to have the lift unfold flat, extend out from the rear of the van and then lowers to the pavement. I don't know if they allow the scooter rider to ride on, but it sure looks like it does. If they did, the person would drive on, hold on to those two yellow hand grips as the van driver lifts you and the scooter up. Then he would direct you to drive forward. Then the driver could securely strap the scooter and person down. All of this is just my mobility experience and not actually using a Ford Trandport Disney Accessible Minnie Van. It looks like it works the same. The van driver might ask you to get off the scooter, but many people can not get out of their wheelchairs to walk in the side entrance.
This is the side of the Ford Transport Disney Accessible Minnie Van. I can only make out a child's stroller in the rear, but it looks like the van driver is tying down everything. This looks like two or maybe three seats in the second row One in the front and three in the second row. If the scooter driver stayed in his scooter that would leave four visitor seats, but if not then only three seats. Actually, it only looks like two seats in the second row.
The above photo has three second row seats.
The above photo is what it looks like with the lift folded from inside of the van without a scooter. It looks just like the special mobility buses that I have used in Atlanta. Except the lift is on the side with more bus seats.
Above shows the regular Chevy Transverse Disney Minnie (not accessible) Van next to the Ford Transport Disney Accessible Minnie Van.
The above photo just shows the rear of the regular Chevy Transverse Disney Minnie (not accessible) Van with two car seats in the back.
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Update 05/21/2018:
I just saw a photo of a power wheelchair with its owner riding the Minnie Van Transit Ford with a lift on an article at http://www.wdwradio.com/2018/05/traveling-in-style-in-an-accessible-disney-minnie-van authored by Andrew Prince. This is also the first article that I have seen talking about a person that actually used the Minnie Van Transit Ford with a lift.
Updated on 06/05/2018
I just saw this on wdwnews. Disney Minnie Van – ADA Accessible Ford Transit 150. And then below the larger Disney Minnie Van – ADA Accessible Ford Transit 350.
They also said that they were adding a larger Disney Minnie Van – ADA Accessible Ford Transit 350. I can see the higher roof and extra length with side windows behind the driver's seat instead of two side windows behind the driver's seat.
Has anyone used the larger Disney Minnie Van – ADA Accessible Ford Transit 350.
I will be down at WDW this June 2018. I may want to use the Disney Minnie Accessible Van if I am too tired, or if my battery on my own mobility scooter is almost drained at the end of the day.
I have never seen a photo, but I wonder if it has a rear foldout ramp to drive up into the van and to be strapped down. Or maybe a lift that the mobility scooter is driven onto and lifted into the van. Or the same van, but the rider cannot ride on the lift and must walk into the van.
In Atlanta, Georgia, all of our city buses have foldout ramps at the front entry door that allow me to drive into the bus and to parallel park. I usually get out and sit in a nearby bus seat. Atlanta's mobility small buses have a lift that lifts the mobility scooter with the rider. You continue to park inside the small bus and it is tied down.
Disney has a foldout ramp at the side of the Disney bus more than halfway back. The mobility scooter driver rides up and parallel parks the bus and is either strapped in along with the mobility scooter or the driver moves to a seat on the bus. The Disney driver prefers the rider to get off of the mobility scooter because it could be more dangerous if a sharp bus turn forces the mobility scooter to turn over strapped to a very heavy piece of equipment. Especially on a three-wheel mobility scooter.
That is why I would like to take some photos. If I use a Disney Minnie Van in June, I'll take some photos. If you have any questions or want certain photos, just ask me here and I'll do my best. I probably won't be on the Disboards while at Disney.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once I found the correct word combinations to search on google, I was able to find some photos below which answers some of my questions.
The above looks like a larger Ford Transport Van brand. I looked at buying Ford Transport, but I didn't like the driver's seat comfort. I like the step for the driver. The other reason that I didn't like the Ford Transport was that it was too high for me to get into the driver's seat.
The above photo shows the rear of the Ford Transport Disney Minnie axxessible van with double opening doors. I liked the rear opening of the Ford Transport for the rear height alone. But the driver's seat nixed me buying one. Not the Minnie Van, but a regular Ford Transport.
The above photo definitely shows that it does not use a ramp. It uses an industrial size lift that I have seen in Mobility buses. But those buses carry six to eight movable seats and the lift is on the side of the small bus. The Ford Transport Minnie Accessible Van is much smaller and they had to put the lift in the rear. The driver opens the rear doors, uses a remote to have the lift unfold flat, extend out from the rear of the van and then lowers to the pavement. I don't know if they allow the scooter rider to ride on, but it sure looks like it does. If they did, the person would drive on, hold on to those two yellow hand grips as the van driver lifts you and the scooter up. Then he would direct you to drive forward. Then the driver could securely strap the scooter and person down. All of this is just my mobility experience and not actually using a Ford Trandport Disney Accessible Minnie Van. It looks like it works the same. The van driver might ask you to get off the scooter, but many people can not get out of their wheelchairs to walk in the side entrance.
This is the side of the Ford Transport Disney Accessible Minnie Van. I can only make out a child's stroller in the rear, but it looks like the van driver is tying down everything. This looks like two or maybe three seats in the second row One in the front and three in the second row. If the scooter driver stayed in his scooter that would leave four visitor seats, but if not then only three seats. Actually, it only looks like two seats in the second row.
The above photo has three second row seats.
The above photo is what it looks like with the lift folded from inside of the van without a scooter. It looks just like the special mobility buses that I have used in Atlanta. Except the lift is on the side with more bus seats.
Above shows the regular Chevy Transverse Disney Minnie (not accessible) Van next to the Ford Transport Disney Accessible Minnie Van.
The above photo just shows the rear of the regular Chevy Transverse Disney Minnie (not accessible) Van with two car seats in the back.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 05/21/2018:
I just saw a photo of a power wheelchair with its owner riding the Minnie Van Transit Ford with a lift on an article at http://www.wdwradio.com/2018/05/traveling-in-style-in-an-accessible-disney-minnie-van authored by Andrew Prince. This is also the first article that I have seen talking about a person that actually used the Minnie Van Transit Ford with a lift.
Updated on 06/05/2018
I just saw this on wdwnews. Disney Minnie Van – ADA Accessible Ford Transit 150. And then below the larger Disney Minnie Van – ADA Accessible Ford Transit 350.
They also said that they were adding a larger Disney Minnie Van – ADA Accessible Ford Transit 350. I can see the higher roof and extra length with side windows behind the driver's seat instead of two side windows behind the driver's seat.
Has anyone used the larger Disney Minnie Van – ADA Accessible Ford Transit 350.
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