Drive to park or use disney transportation?

carseatmommy

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We'll be in Disney in just a few weeks! My mom, nephew(12), DH, and DS(nearly 3) will be with us. My mom has mobility issues and will be renting the big scooter from Apple Scooters.(Pride Victory 10 Scooter)

We're driving down from MD and will have our rental minivan. We'll need to take the scooter, diaper bag, and stroller...and other stuff into the park daily. Will be better for us to drive to the parks daily or use Disney Transportation?

I think using Disney will be best, but the DH says driving. Anyone with experience want to chime in here?

Thanks
Susan
 
I use a scooter at the parks but haven't used the buses so I can't give you advice on that. As far as driving to the parks, will you have room for 5 passengers, the stroller & the scooter? We've had 5 people in a small SUV with my scooter & a stroller, but mine is the small Pride Go-Go. I'm not sure about the size of the scooter you're renting & how it breaks down to fit in the van.

If you drive, it would be nice if your Mom has a HC parking permit so you'll be able to park closer. It's not as easy to hop on a tram if you've got someone on a scooter.

Hopefully someone with experience using the buses with give you more advice. We're debating on using the buses to save on car rental...we've even thought about driving to save on airfare...then we'd have our own vehicle, but it's a long drive for us. Whatever we decide, if we have a vehicle, we won't use the buses.

Another thing to consider is your 3 yr old...how patient is he if you have to wait for buses. After a trip in Oct, my daughter who has a 4 yr old & a 18 month old said they would be renting a car until the kids get older. Their youngest didn't do well with buses. Since you're renting the van anyway, if loading the scooter in & out of the van isn't a problem, I think I'd drive to the parks. Have fun whatever you decide!
 
I'm interested in seeing replies to this as well. We're going to WDW for the first time next year. At DLR, we didn't need to worry too much about getting between parks, so this is all new to us.
 
We'll be in Disney in just a few weeks! My mom, nephew(12), DH, and DS(nearly 3) will be with us. My mom has mobility issues and will be renting the big scooter from Apple Scooters.(Pride Victory 10 Scooter)

We're driving down from MD and will have our rental minivan. We'll need to take the scooter, diaper bag, and stroller...and other stuff into the park daily. Will be better for us to drive to the parks daily or use Disney Transportation?

I think using Disney will be best, but the DH says driving. Anyone with experience want to chime in here?

Thanks
Susan

You said you'll be at WDW in a few weeks. I assume that means you'll be there during the holidays. Bigger crowds = more people waiting for the buses.

DH and I both rented scooters in early January, when the parks weren't busy. We didn't rent a car, but we stayed at a monorail resort, so we didn't need to use the bus very often. Steering the scooters onto the bus was the biggest challenge, but we managed.
 

We'll be in Disney in just a few weeks! My mom, nephew(12), DH, and DS(nearly 3) will be with us. My mom has mobility issues and will be renting the big scooter from Apple Scooters.(Pride Victory 10 Scooter)

We're driving down from MD and will have our rental minivan. We'll need to take the scooter, diaper bag, and stroller...and other stuff into the park daily. Will be better for us to drive to the parks daily or use Disney Transportation?

I think using Disney will be best, but the DH says driving. Anyone with experience want to chime in here?

Thanks
Susan

Hi, Susan. There are many people here that I am sure have more experience than me, but I will try and give you my personal experiences.

I think that many people here either prefer to drive and never use the WDW bus transportation, and there are others that like to use the WDW transportation not drive while on vacation.

If you are by yourself, it may be too difficult to disassemble/reassemble the ECV every time you want to go to a WDW park and back to the resort or other places. It may be necessary for them to use the WDW transporation system instead of driving.

But if there are other people in your family to help you, that may not be an issue.

Some people don't have a car/van/suv with special helping equipment to help mechanically lift an ECV on the rear or inside their vehecle. It may be necessary for them to use the WDW transporation system instead of driving.

Some people have a car/van/suv with a lift on the rear of their vehicle to easily lift an ECV without having to physically lift the ECV or take it apart. But if there are other people in your family to help you, it may even be easier.

Some people just dread using the WDW bus, monorail, boat launch transportation because of issues with how to get on and off and possible dealing with the few other guest making one feel like the ECV rider is holding the rest of the people in line.

Others just hate waiting in line for a bus to get to a bus stop and maybe having to wait for another bus because there are not enough spaces on the bus.

Originally, the buses only had two space per ECV/wheelchair. I am starting to see some buses with three and even four spaces. But they were few and far between when I was there last year.

Still other people may have young kids or even adults that cannot tolerate the waiting for buses all vacation.

Just so many different reasons for so many different people for so many different circumstances.

So I think that there are so many reasons why people may want to drive on their own or use the WDW Transportation system.



For me personally, I have been trying to do research on trying to find out what kind of economical car or suv I could buy that could easily carry my ECV in the future. I would certainly like that choice to easily drive my ECV up to my vehicle and have it mechanically lifted up and get in my car and go. I don't have that option for now.

I have not had many suggestions, here other than maybe four people.

I travel by myself.

I own my own ECV. Years ago, I thought it was cool that I could take it apart and put it in the trunk of my car and go where ever I wanted.

But now it has become increasing impossible for me to get around.

To travel to from just one place, any place, and return; I have to disassemble and reassemble my ECV four "4" times.

I drive my ECV to my car, take it apart. Put each piece in the trunk and drive to where ever I need to go.

Then when I arrive at my destination, I take each part out of my trunk and put it together and do what ever I need to do.

After I am done, I drive my ECV back to the car and take it apart and put it in the trunk again and drive home.

When I get home, I again take everything out of my trunk and reassemble my ECV.

I can longer do this. It is just too difficult for me. Sometimes, I lose my balance and fall trying to put the heaviest piece in the trunk or taking it out of the trunk.

I would never be able to visit WDW without the bus, monorail, and boat launch transportation system that allows my ECV to go anywhere on WDW property.

I love the WDW transportation.

I used to use local bus transportation to travel before I owned a car. I remember what might have only taken me 25 minutes to drive to work, might take me almost two hour by bus.

I would sometime have to make two transfers.

I would look at all of the bus schedules and try and plan the best route from home to work. Sometimes I had to wait almost 30 minutes for the next bus to arrive. But that allowed me to get to work. That is what I expected of the system. I had no choice.

So this is just my personal opinion, but I just am so grateful for WDW transportation that allows me to drive on and off without having to disassemble/reassemble my ECV.

And the ECV allows me to go everywhere at WDW.


So, I guess everyone will have there own reasons why they take their own car or use WDW transportation.

And that is okay.

It is not okay for anyone to be made to feel bad because they are using an ECV/wheelchair or to be verbally or nonverbally made to feel bad because they are who they are and doing the best that they can.

I think that it is great that you are getting an ECV for your loved one to use.

So here is some information for the ECV that you are renting that may help you make a decision about what you have to do.

The Pride mobility scooter comes in a three or four wheel model as shown below. But you did not mention which you would be renting. I like the three wheel for easier manuvering in tight spaces like on buses and the themepark queue lines as you turn back and forth with the rest of the line and people. But other people like the stability of have an ECV with four wheels.

Victory_10_Combo.jpg




Here is a link to the Pride Victory-10, 3-wheel mobility scooter specifications below to give you an idea of the weight of the pieces, etc.:

http://www.pridemobility.com/includes/SpecsNew.asp?Model=Victory 10, 3 wheel

It can be disassembled/reassembled. The foot print is only 22 inches by 45 inches. The heaviest piece of the scooter is 54 pounds and completely assembled is 176 pounds total.

Victory-10-disassembled_3509.jpg


Can you tell me you thoughts about what I have said above?

Will you be able to handle loading and unloading this ECV?

I think that if you just use the WDW transportation and come with an open mind and plan to arrive to the bus early and allow enough time to get to whatever place you need to get to, you should be fine with using the bus.

But that is a personal decision for you and your family.

Taking the bus from point A to point B is not the same as taking the car.

You just get in the car and go.

With the bus you may want to plan 30 minutes early for a bus arrival. Sometimes you are lucky and you get right on a bus. Somtimes you may have to wait for a second bus or third. But this usually happens to me on very busy times like at park closings or openings or bad luck.

Good luck.

On a side note. I wish some others would respond to my thread about their cars/suvs and their mechanical ECV lifts or whatever.

Thanks.
 
My scooter is an old one and about the same size and weight as the one you are renting I drive I have taken buses a few times and it always takes me a lot more time to get back to the hotel.

We like to have the freedom of a rental car so we just drive. The only problem is I can't put the scooter in or take it out of the car but we always go with my daughter and her fiance so they put it in the car and take it out
 
My scooter is an old one and about the same size and weight as the one you are renting I drive I have taken buses a few times and it always takes me a lot more time to get back to the hotel.

We like to have the freedom of a rental car so we just drive. The only problem is I can't put the scooter in or take it out of the car but we always go with my daughter and her fiance so they put it in the car and take it out

I agree with you.

I wish that I had someone to help me, but I usually travel solo. I would love to use my car and take my scooter whenever I felt like it without worry.

Sometimes going to MK by bus, I have gotten to MK before my friends. But they had to park at MK parking lot and take the tram to the TTC or park in the handicap parking area and roll to the TTC. Then either wait and take the riverboat or monorail to the MK park itself.

I think that I just got lucky that morning. But the MK buses do dropoff right at the MK park.

I also wonder if a lot of visitors that live in suburbs and always use cars have never had to plan a bus route from one place to another when at their home city.

I know WDW buses don't have a absolute bus time schedule like city bus transportation systems.

But if non bus users had to look up bus schedules at home and had to make transfers to get to their destination that they would really be surprised how much planning has to go into taking the bus from your home to work without being late.

But that's just my opinion.

I think that I can empatize with what other people have explained in their dealings with the WDW transportation good or troubling.
 
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We will be in WDW the first full week of Dec, so we should be avoiding the larger crowds.

We will have a standard(non-adaptive) minivan. Either a Town and Country or Grand Caravan. My mom does have a HC hang tag.

We've never taken our son to an amusement part---only things like rides at the beach and local fairs/carnivals.

She'll have the captains chair on her scooter and she rented the 4 wheel version for stability.

We also plan to come back to our rooms for our son to take a nap during the day--my nephew may use this time to work on his school work.

We're staying at CSR and I'm guessing she'll want to use the scooter around the resort due to it's large size.

Susan
 
This is a good topic for me to read too. We stayed in a monorail resort for our first stay (and were spoiled by it) but on planning our next trip, I wonder what we will be able to afford depending on what discounts are offered.

I am wondering if I can made a case for staying at a mod or value and just renting a mini van. I am glad everyone is discussing the options.

The monorail and the ferries were very accessible, but the bus was frustrating.
 
I think the biggest obstacle for bus transportation for you will be how well your mom can get the scooter on and off the bus. You do have to position the scooter on the bus in such a way that the tiedowns can be done. The bus driver doesn't do this for you; you need to have the scooter in the right place yourself. It's a very rare ocassion that a bus driver would help position the scooter. If you are prepared to get hubby or yourself to get the scooter on and off the buses for your mom it would probably be less stressful all the way around. Personally, we find this to be the hardest part to get a scooter on and off a bus. The lift can be tricky depending on the bus and the parking of the scooter on the bus is not much fun. I don't know the age of your mom, but that can make a big difference, here, too.

The Victory 10 is not a small scooter, but it's not the largest one out there, either. We have rented one before from Apple. The pieces come apart pretty nicely. The base of the unit to me is better put in the car by two people, not one. I think if you work with the pieces you will be able to fit everything into the van. Obviously, you can test this out before going to any park. If you don't need the scooter every time you go back to the resort then you can just recharge the battery on it's own without the scooter. Your mom may want to walk some at the resort; you can get awful stiff just being on a scooter all day, everyday. You'll better know on this once you are there. If you have a preferred building location it might not be that bad for your mom to walk at the resort. Even getting the scooter in and out of the resort room can be a bit fun due to heavy doors.

It can be a drag to get a stroller, scooter, and diaper bag onto the bus especially a crowded bus. It's doable, but it can be tough. I would try to put the diaper bag in the scooter basket or on the handle; so, it's one less thing to carry. You will need to fold up your stroller on the bus.

Through the years we have found it best to do both Disney bus and car from non-monorail resorts when using a scooter. For MK, I rather do a bus. If you drive you still have to park and walk to take the monorail or ferry to get to MK. I think considering your child's age you will be spending a bit of time at this park. It is a long trek to the buses from the park, but I still like doing it that way for MK. For AK, the handicap parking is pretty close to the entrance and it's easy to walk or drive the scooter from the handicap parking lot to the entrance. For AK, I would drive. For Hollywood Studios, it can be a toss up. The buses get you pretty close to the entrance. The handicap parking lot unless you get there early can get filled up fast and then it can be a little challenging finding a spot to park. If hubby is willing he can drop you off closer and then go park himself. We still like to drive over doing the bus, here and we just make sure we get there early. For Epcot, we have done it both ways. It's a very long trek from bus to park entrance. With handicap parking you are closer to the entrance from the parking lot. Basically, for all the parks that you repeat a visit you may want to try it both ways, then you'll know which way you like better.
 

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