ECV Parade and Fireworks Viewing and CPAP Distilled Water

[GarrettJD]

Hi all! I'm a long time member and frequent WDW visitor. We have a WDW trip coming up next month and it will be our first trip in about 2 1/2 years. It will also be my first time with an ECV-- sadly, I now have mobility issues that severely limit the amount of walking I can do. So I've finally come to terms with using an ECV.

I've read many great ECV tips on here and I think I'm prepared. However, does anyone have any experience with the EVC locations for parade and fireworks viewing at the MK? We're doing a "regular" MK day and would like to see the afternoon parade and evening fireworks, as well as attending MNSSHP and would like to see the parade and fireworks there too. Where are the ECV designated areas and how quickly do they fill up for "regular" days and party days?

Also, I sleep with a CPAP machine due to obstructive sleep apnea. Is there anywhere on site I can get distilled water to use in my CPAP machine?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Starwind]

Garrett:

The WDW resort hotels have gallon jugs of brand name distilled water available. As far as I am aware they all have it somewhere in the resort. I would try the hotel store first. Please note that it may not be on the shelf, so I strongly recommend just starting by asking a CM where you can get distilled water. For example, at Wilderness Lodge they sell it at the Merchantile store, but they keep the distilled water in the back and you have to ask a CM who will happily get it for you. They do sell gallons of spring and sometimes nursery water, so if you DO see the gallon containers out on the shelf check very carefully that it is distilled water and not the other. Price is reasonable.

An alternative is to order it as part of a grocery or Turner Drugs order if you are already doing one.

SW

 

[kaytieeldr]

For parade viewing information, see the explicit, detailed, excellent FAQ pinned near the top of this forum.

 

[gap2368]

for the fore works they do fill up I would show up 30-45 minutes for a slower time and 60+ for buser time

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi all! I'm a long time member and frequent WDW visitor. We have a WDW trip coming up next month and it will be our first trip in about 2 1/2 years. It will also be my first time with an ECV-- sadly, I now have mobility issues that severely limit the amount of walking I can do. So I've finally come to terms with using an ECV.

I've read many great ECV tips on here and I think I'm prepared. However, does anyone have any experience with the EVC locations for parade and fireworks viewing at the MK? We're doing a "regular" MK day and would like to see the afternoon parade and evening fireworks, as well as attending MNSSHP and would like to see the parade and fireworks there too. Where are the ECV designated areas and how quickly do they fill up for "regular" days and party days?

Also, I sleep with a CPAP machine due to obstructive sleep apnea. Is there anywhere on site I can get distilled water to use in my CPAP machine?

Thanks so much for your help!

Hello, GarrettJD. If you want to try this, you can park your mobility scooter anywhere along the parade route that you think that you may like. If you have ever watched the cast members before a parade put the parade line poles in the street, they have little holes with a metal cap they remove before putting the poles into. You can guesstimate the line between any two pole holes and place your mobility scooter there and adjust forward or backward when they actually set up the parade line strips.

When parking on the sidewalk, of course, you have a curb to locate where you can stop your mobility scooter.

I used to always park at the sidewalk curb facing forward. But when the standing crowds come into the left and right of me, I can only see what is straight ahead of me and not to my left or right of me because of all the standing guests because of the mobility scooter I sit about two persons back from the sidewalk curb.

I started backing my scooter up backward, carefully, to the curb's edge. I turned my mobility scooter's seat around and now my body and eyes were mostly even with all of the other guests so that I can see the parade to left and right of me like everyone else.

I just say this if you don't want to watch a parade in the handicap areas.

For watching the parades, here are some MK photos.

Here is a photo of Magic Kingdom City Hall, restrooms, and the Fire Department. The Disney cast members are playing jump rope and they still have the poles up for a parade. I haven't seen the accessible area for mobility scooters since they moved it to this area supposedly in front of the City Hall/restroom area.

If you were wondering why they moved the handicap area, Robo's map shows that MK Tony's Dining Package is using the space and actually a lot more three times the space, so it seems that they moved the handicap parade viewing to the other side of the street.



https://www.*************.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Castle_Mime_Parade.jpg

This is not a very good photo and it is older. You can see the wheelchair area on the left lower part of the photo during a slow day, I think. It is located on the center island and on the lower quarter segment of the island. It takes up about one-quarter of the center island in front of the castle. I notice that they don't have the poles and ropes up in this photo like they usually do. If you were looking straight at the castle it would be located on a clock at between the 3:00 o'clock and the 6:00 o'clock area of the center circle at the end of Main Street.

This is a photo of the Frontierland accessible viewing area. They have the rope and poles up on this one. Across from the handicap, area is the Hall of Presidents.

The handicapped areas for wheelchairs/mobility scooters photos are listed below.

In the photo above you may be able to see a guest with some orange color on his shirt squatting down. That area between the two white columns against the white concrete wall all the way to the left is the area for parking your mobility scooter to watch the fireworks. They have those short little columns and a wrought iron fence, then a grassy area with a water fountain. Disney cast members will have the roped off area closer to fireworks time. That large area at the bottom of the photo is presently reserved for paid guests at the dessert party during fireworks. The earlier you get there, the more likely you can park your mobility scooter right up against the fence to watch the fireworks. The Disney cast members will allow more rows behind the first row with the ropes and poles.

This side is on the right and there is another space on the left side below.

And this is your view for the fireworks from behind the fence. The photo was taken right before closing with the streets empty.

Here is another view of the fireworks viewing area from the opposite direction on the other side. On this side, you can see in the background Casey's Restaurant outside table umbrellas and to the right the Crystal Palace.

This Robo's great map.

You can click on the MK Handicap Map above to enlarge it.

Another Robo map.

.

 

[Selket]

In reply to ECV viewing for the parade and fireworks for just the MNSSHP - I attended two parties at the end of August (the 2nd and 3rd parties of the year). The fireworks spot is in the hub-ish area where the gardens are and the walkways - on the Plaza restaurant side of the hub. The first time I arrived at the fireworks spot about an hour before - and boy was I early - lol! I was the first one there. The 2nd time I arrived maybe 30 minutes beforehand. I never saw it fill up either time and I don't think you have to get a spot on the "rail" to get a good view either (guests who come in with the ECV person are asked to stand in the back or sit or not block the view in other words). The MNSSHP fireworks are different than HEA because they don't project the detailed pictures on the castle (well as the CM put it - "most of it is in the sky") so you want to see the castle but if you don't have a completely dead on unobstructed view it's not that bad really).

If you can, try to get the 2nd parade rather than the first. Once you're done with the fireworks you can make your way over to where the viewing for the parade is - which in my memory was at the hub itself but facing more towards Main Street and the Plaza restaurant (or more towards Tomorrowland). Again there was no rush to get there and plenty of spaces - it seemed the parade viewing area was huge.

If it's the same as it was for me at the end of August, arriving 30 mins beforehand would be plenty of time for either for the party. I don't know about getting there for the first parade though - it may fill up quicker as there are way more people watching the first parade.

 

[GarrettJD]

Hello, GarrettJD. If you want to try this, you can park your mobility scooter anywhere along the parade route that you think that you may like. If you have ever watched the cast members before a parade put the parade line poles in the street, they have little holes with a metal cap they remove before putting the poles into. You can guesstimate the line between any two pole holes and place your mobility scooter there and adjust forward or backward when they actually set up the parade line strips.

When parking on the sidewalk, of course, you have a curb to locate where you can stop your mobility scooter.

I used to always park at the sidewalk curb facing forward. But when the standing crowds come into the left and right of me, I can only see what is straight ahead of me and not to my left or right of me because of all the standing guests because of the mobility scooter I sit about two persons back from the sidewalk curb.

I started backing my scooter up backward, carefully, to the curb's edge. I turned my mobility scooter's seat around and now my body and eyes were mostly even with all of the other guests so that I can see the parade to left and right of me like everyone else.

I just say this if you don't want to watch a parade in the handicap areas.

For watching the parades, here are some MK photos.

Here is a photo of Magic Kingdom City Hall, restrooms, and the Fire Department. The Disney cast members are playing jump rope and they still have the poles up for a parade. I haven't seen the accessible area for mobility scooters since they moved it to this area supposedly in front of the City Hall/restroom area.

If you were wondering why they moved the handicap area, Robo's map shows that MK Tony's Dining Package is using the space and actually a lot more three times the space, so it seems that they moved the handicap parade viewing to the other side of the street.



https://www.*************.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Castle_Mime_Parade.jpg

This is not a very good photo and it is older. You can see the wheelchair area on the left lower part of the photo during a slow day, I think. It is located on the center island and on the lower quarter segment of the island. It takes up about one-quarter of the center island in front of the castle. I notice that they don't have the poles and ropes up in this photo like they usually do. If you were looking straight at the castle it would be located on a clock at between the 3:00 o'clock and the 6:00 o'clock area of the center circle at the end of Main Street.

This is a photo of the Frontierland accessible viewing area. They have the rope and poles up on this one. Across from the handicap, area is the Hall of Presidents.

The handicapped areas for wheelchairs/mobility scooters photos are listed below.

In the photo above you may be able to see a guest with some orange color on his shirt squatting down. That area between the two white columns against the white concrete wall all the way to the left is the area for parking your mobility scooter to watch the fireworks. They have those short little columns and a wrought iron fence, then a grassy area with a water fountain. Disney cast members will have the roped off area closer to fireworks time. That large area at the bottom of the photo is presently reserved for paid guests at the dessert party during fireworks. The earlier you get there, the more likely you can park your mobility scooter right up against the fence to watch the fireworks. The Disney cast members will allow more rows behind the first row with the ropes and poles.

This side is on the right and there is another space on the left side below.

And this is your view for the fireworks from behind the fence. The photo was taken right before closing with the streets empty.

Here is another view of the fireworks viewing area from the opposite direction on the other side. On this side, you can see in the background Casey's Restaurant outside table umbrellas and to the right the Crystal Palace.

This Robo's great map.

You can click on the MK Handicap Map above to enlarge it.

Another Robo map.

.

Thanks for the detailed post! This really helps!

In reply to ECV viewing for the parade and fireworks for just the MNSSHP - I attended two parties at the end of August (the 2nd and 3rd parties of the year). The fireworks spot is in the hub-ish area where the gardens are and the walkways - on the Plaza restaurant side of the hub. The first time I arrived at the fireworks spot about an hour before - and boy was I early - lol! I was the first one there. The 2nd time I arrived maybe 30 minutes beforehand. I never saw it fill up either time and I don't think you have to get a spot on the "rail" to get a good view either (guests who come in with the ECV person are asked to stand in the back or sit or not block the view in other words). The MNSSHP fireworks are different than HEA because they don't project the detailed pictures on the castle (well as the CM put it - "most of it is in the sky") so you want to see the castle but if you don't have a completely dead on unobstructed view it's not that bad really).

If you can, try to get the 2nd parade rather than the first. Once you're done with the fireworks you can make your way over to where the viewing for the parade is - which in my memory was at the hub itself but facing more towards Main Street and the Plaza restaurant (or more towards Tomorrowland). Again there was no rush to get there and plenty of spaces - it seemed the parade viewing area was huge.

If it's the same as it was for me at the end of August, arriving 30 mins beforehand would be plenty of time for either for the party. I don't know about getting there for the first parade though - it may fill up quicker as there are way more people watching the first parade.

Thanks so much! This is immensely helpful. We will probably watch Happily Ever After from Main Street and Hallowishes from Fantasyland. I actually normally prefer watching MK fireworks from Fantasyland because of the lighter crowds, but I want to see HEA with the projections.

 

[jemlover]

If I got there early enough and was able to park my ECV up to the fence in the viewing area for the MVMCP fireworks, would they let DH sit on the concrete ledge in front of me? I think he could turn around and see the fireworks pretty well from there and I don't think he would block anyone's view. I don't think he could sit on the ground as I don't think he would be able to get up easily. He has issues also with neuropathy but I can't get him to rent an ECV for himself. This is all new to me. This is the first time I will be using an ECV and I'm nervous about all of this.

 

[gap2368]

If I got there early enough and was able to park my ECV up to the fence in the viewing area for the MVMCP fireworks, would they let DH sit on the concrete ledge in front of me? I think he could turn around and see the fireworks pretty well from there and I don't think he would block anyone's view. I don't think he could sit on the ground as I don't think he would be able to get up easily. He has issues also with neuropathy but I can't get him to rent an ECV for himself. This is all new to me. This is the first time I will be using an ECV and I'm nervous about all of this.

Your back is facing gr he fireworks then they do let people with you stand behind you