ECV Questions from Down Under

[mikipe2]

Hi All,

First of all thank you everyone for making this forum such an active, useful, informative, friendly, and supportive forum!

My name's Mike and I'm planning my first ever trip to WDW/Orlando (all the way from Australia!) in Jan/Feb. We're hoping to do 2 weeks at Disney, plus Busch Gardens, Universal, and Kennedy Space Center.

I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and am so excited by the idea of renting an ECV . I've tried walking the (smaller, less crowded) Australian theme parks, but i run down quickly, and need a full recovery day the next day.

I've been lurking around the boards for a few weeks gathering as much info as I can, but I've still got a few small questions. I'm hoping someone is happy to answer them if they know.

1) In show presentations (especially 3-D movie attractions) are you able to transfer from your ECV to a regular seat? I'd love to get all the tactile effects, but am worried that they count the amount of people to perfectly fit the theatre (theater?) and all of the seats will be full.

2) With rides that wheelchairs can board, can you generally choose to transfer to the normal ride vehicle rather than wait for the wheelchair accessible vehicle?

3) Are there any scooter rental companies that have better deals for long periods, eg monthly rates? (we're planning on going for about a month)


I hope someone can help me out, and once again, thank you everyone contributing to make this such an awesome forum.

Cheers
Mike.

 

[Chuck S]

For the shows with special effects built into the seats, theer is usually no problem transferring to a seat and parking the ECV. The exception may be the Little Mermaid show, it generally fills up completely. But then again, there really aren't effects built into the seats for that theater.

 

[peemagg]

When you have an ECV those rides that can board a wheelchair aren't set up for ECV's, so you transfer to a regular seat. You can just tell the CM who is boarding you that a car or boat that isn't wheelchair accessible is fine for you.

I would call around to different companies (or do online searches) to see who will give you the best deal for that length of time. It may be cheeper for you to rent one from a medical supply company near you and just bring it with you. It may also be covered under your health insurance this way too, especially if you have a prescription from your doctor.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Hey there! I've got Fibromyalgia, so am all too familiar with CFS.

As the others have said, you shouldn't have any problem transfering to a seat, if you want. If it looks like the theatre is going to be full, you might want to mention it to a Cast Member, but they normally only put parties with wheelchairs and ECVs in those rows - a lot of the time there are seats going spare. The only ones that I can think of that have special effects in the seats are It's Tough to Be a Bug (AK), Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (EPCOT). Any I've forgotten, guys? Some of the other shows, such as Philharmagic, have special effects such as bubbles and scents, but nothing built into the seats.

I'm sure you know what you're doing with the fatigue, but just make sure to pace yourself and look after your body. You've got plenty of time there, which means you won't have to rush. Make sure to plan regular breaks into the day, and try to keep your plans flexible in case you flare suddenly (I don't know if you ever get that, but I do) and have to leave.

If you need to lie down whilst at the parks, there are beds in each of the First Aid centres that you can use if you need. Just explain to the CM at the desk that you need to use one of the beds, due to Chronic Fatigue, and they'll help you out.

Other than that, have fun planning and even more fun on the trip!

 

[mikipe2]

Thanks for everyone's answers!

And thanks for the fatigue advice OneLittleSpark!

I'll have to make sure to use the first aid rooms whenever I need them.

We're planning to have every third day off, and on park days, just spend as long as I can (comfortably). My traveling partner is very accommodating, so I'm very lucky. The plans while at Disney will be very flexible.

Thanks again for all of your answers.

Cheers
Mike.