ECV and Disney trans.

[eLPack]

Hi all

I've got a few questions for ECV users. I've read these boards and the info on WDWIG but wanted to get some personal experiences if possible!

I'm going to WDW next Monday to the following Monday - a solo trip. I have foot, knee and back problems which making walking iffy at best so rather than risk it I decided to rent an ECV from Care Medical. Originally I was going to rent the ECV at the parks and try my luck in a manual chair outside the parks, but I decided to go with the ECV all the time since I plan on park hopping and don't want to risk not having one available.

I'm not renting a car. I'm staying at All-Star Sports which means that I have to rely on Disney busses and will need to take the ECV onto and off busses. Can anyone share your experiences with this? Anything will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[lisapooh]

you should have no problems. 95% of the buses are lift equipped. For your own safety, if the bus is not full I would suggest transferring to a bus seat. Do not get in the queues but drive to the area in front of the line so you are visible to the driver as he drives up. He should load you first before other passengers.
Have a great time.
I just got back Monday night.
Any specific questions just ask.

 

[joe.hurley]

Two suggestions from experience (that almost was a problem...)

1. Definitely transfer (if you can) to a regular bus seat after getting the ECV bolted in. In particular watch out the turn from Buena Vista Drive onto World Drive (lefthand turn toward MK. One of the bus drivers when i was there took it a LITTLE TOO FAST, and the ECV and I nearly toppled over due to centrifugal force (Hey Tom Morrow, how about explaining that to the folks here!).

2. Plug the thing in EVERY chance you get. If you go to lunch, if you leave it for a while to go do something, etc. The batteries will go faster than you realize, and when they go, it's a problem..... Darn bridge to adventureland!

Have fun!

Joe Hurley

 

[eLPack]

Transferring to a seat sounds like a good idea for sure. I don't think I want to experience the bus as roller coaster!

A question about going to the front of the line.. there's no designated spot at the bus stops for wheelchair/ECV users is there? That would make it so much easier..

As for plugging in.. glad that was mentioned here because that was another question I had - I've always used park ECVs and never had a battery problem - but I'll be using this a lot more and would like to insure I don't get stuck someplace. Are there places at the parks where I can plug it in? My plan for the most part is to park the ECV at each attraction and go on foot wherever possible.

 

[SueM in MN]

Ecvs and whelchairs load at the back door (unless there is something I don't know about the new buses). We always park our DD in her wheelchair approximately where the back door will end up when the bus is stopped. THat way, you are away from the front of the line and are able to be seen by the driver.
Usually, they load wheelchairs and ecvs first, but occasionally, they have loaded the rest of the bus before getting the wheelchair on. When that is happening, we usually send one of our party to the front of the bus to make sure the drivedr knows we need to load too.

 

[teri]

A Thread with ECV links

 

[eLPack]

Thanks to all! You are all great! Just a few litle things -

1. The bus stop - since I'm traveling alone I don't know that I'd want to wait by the back door, although I don't really want to drive up to the front of the line either and bypass folks in the line. However, if they do board the chairpeople first - chairpeople it would be most practical to be seen. I guess I'll see how that goes.

2. I'm really wondering about the recharging now - my plan is to be out and about from 7am or 8am till at least 10pm (assuming my own body battery doesn't run out and because I usually park the scooter and stand or walk around the attractions by evening I'll probably be using the scooter much more. I've had days when I can do a "normal" amount of walking.. even a many hours and be alright, but there are days that just a few minutes is too much. So my question is where can I plug in inside the parks?

 

[SueM in MN]

If you are waiting by the bus entrance or you just stay in line with everyone else waiting for the bus, the driver won't see you and it will be much harder to get on.
Boarding before everyone else is not a priviledge. It is because it is easier to load a wheelchair or ecv when the bus has relatively few people on. If everyone else boards first, there is not as much room to manouver and some people may have to move (some of the back seats flip up for wheelchairs and ecvs to sit there.
Just park yourself where you will be visible to the bus driver as the bus drives up and you will do fine.

 

[momejay]

My mom rents an ecv from Walker. We've never had a problem. As far as the battery, hers started to die leaving AK last time we were there. (on our 7th day of 8am-9pm) We usually take an hour or two afternoon break so my son can swim & we plug in then. Make sure you plug in before you go to bed & you should be fine.
We usually ask the 1st person in line to remind the bus driver that we are there. Bus drivers have always seen us coming.(Us being defined as... my mom in an ecv, a specialized stroller for my son, 7 yr old twins (one using a walker at times), myself, my babysitter & hopefully my dad won't wander off)

 

[joe.hurley]

Hi again. Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, but I had my annual pilgrimage to Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Wilmer Eye Institute today, and the flight down was at an unholy hour of 6:30 AM!

Anyway, since I brought up the issue of recharging them, I feel responsible for giving some suggestions.

1. When you have lunch or dinner, explain to the host/hostess that you would like to plug in your scooter during lunch. I've done this at Crystal Palace, as well as many of the resort restaurants. The CMs know where there are plugs, and have never refused me.

2. If you want to take an afternoon break somewhere, just pull the scooter up to an electrical outlet and plug it in! Every few minutes counts.

Think of it as your cell phone. If you keep it on all day without plugging in, the battery will go.

This was a problem that I had with Care Medical, so scooters from other places may not have the same problem.

This is in fact why I am considering using a different company next trip!

Have a great time!

Regards,

Joe Hurley

 

[mccachern]

Are these plug ins along the walkways at Disney? Where might you find them while you are resting in the park?

 

[joe.hurley]

McCachern wrote: "Are these plug ins along the walkways at Disney? Where might you find them while you are resting in the park?"


I hadn't thought of that, but there might be ones in the sidewalks.

What I ususally do is when I stop for a break, it is usually near some eating establishment (ice cream, soda, whatever). I go to some nearby shop or retaurant and ask them to let me plug in Scooter while I take a break. Have yet to be refused.

Places I've plugged in Scooter:

1. Crystal Palace during breakfast
2. Hoop de doo Revue during dinner

any many other restaurants while eating. The waitstaff all know where plugs are, and were very nice to help me find one.

The other way to save the charge is, really, simple. Whenever you are going to be stopped for a while (to watch a show, parade, etc.) kill the engine. (Take the key out.) even if you're not moving, the battery is used up whenever the key is in the ignition. So that can help too.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Joe Hurley

 

[lisapooh]

Joe,
The times I have rented from Care Medical I did not have to plug in at all during the day. In fact, I forgot to plug in one night and was able to go another half day before I had to plug in.
I think you just had a bad set of batteries. Did you ask Care to replace them? I would have.

 

[SueM in MN]

I asked about battery life when my DD got her power wheelchair and was told it should be able to run for something like 15 miles at high speed without recharging, so I agree you might have had bad batteries.

 

[eLPack]

Just got back about 15 minutes ago - and I miss my ECV already.
Quick recap - Care Medical dropped it off as scheduled last Monday. I didn't have to recharge at all during the day - if fact one day I started out at EPCOT by 8am (started at the hotel at 7am actually - and went virtually nonstop all day until close to midnight - drove around EPCOT so many times I couldn't count, then to Downtown Disney from the Marketplace to the West Side a few times.. and the battery still didn't run out!!

I had no problems at all - EXCEPT for at Downtown Disney twice. Thursday night was the first major problem - I was at the middle stop (Pleasure Island) and it was about 10:30 pm - the first bus came totally full. The second bus wasn't full and I was parked out in the front of the bus line near the sign. The driver stopped and told me I shouldn't be there - I should be further down toward the back of the bus so drivers could see me - he got out and walked to where he thought I should be. By the time he got back on the bus that bus was now full.. wait for bus 3 - and that driver stopped, let passengers on and left without giving me a second glance. Bus 4 comes - it's around 11:15 now - and he stops the bus where I am and tells me I shouldn't be waiting there - I should be up closer to the resort sign (where I was initially) and that if I want to ask other guests to give up their seats he'll load me.. he didn't wait for an answer.. just drove up and opened the door. Bus 5 comes - completely filled - bus 6 stops - same driver as bus 1 - but he's switching - and the new driver came up to me and told me I should be up by the sign after driver 1 started on me again and that he was going to radio dispatch to have another empty bus sent right away - so finally Bus 7 arrived - it was around 11:50. The next morning I had a nice discussion about this with a manager at All-Star Sports.. Then comes the topper.. last night (Sunday around 10:30 I boarded a bus at the Marketplace stop (first stop, so the busses are fairly empty) Carlos was the driver and loaded me on.. I told him I was getting off at Sports.. he asked at least twice. The bus was packed... Carlos is apparently a new driver, and has yet to master breaking, turning, accelerating or driving - it was horrendous and I was glad to get past the 2 other downtown disney stops.. and finally we're at Sports -- and what happens, he lets the other guests off, and instead of taking me off, keeps going.. so I try to yell up, and a few guests went up to him as well... but we continued onward to Music and Movies, and there I still am in the bus - I figured he'd go back to Sports... well NO back to downtown disney we go... and by this time I am fuming - I wanted to be back at Sports to eat dinner - and it was already 11:30 - so when the next group gets on the bus at the Marketplace I asked someone to go tell Carlos.. Carlos comes back and tells me that he just got on the bus, and "no one" told him I was there --- he was trying to make it out like he took over for the other Carlos (remarkable how both Carlos drivers were identical) He then skipped the last stop and I got back to Sports at 11:55 - and went directly to speak to a manager there.. This morning at 8:30am a supervisor from transportation called me - I explained the whole thing and he was extremely nice and offered to let me have a private van take me where ever I wanted to go.. which I didn't really want - so he offered me a $30 rebate on my room (which was all paid anyway) but it paid my whopping $6 of phone calls..
Although I could have gotten up and walked down the aisle of the bus I didn't for the sole reason that many people wouldnt be able to do that (and I was afraid I'd lose my temper..
Now, sleep.