ECVs and restaurants

[Simba's Mom]

I have a great deal of difficulty walking more than a few feet, yet most of the restaurants I've been to have been adamant that I must leave my ECV outside and walk into the restaurant. A few were Narcoosee's, Jungle Skipper Canteen, Sanaa, and Ale and Compass. Can anyone supply me with a list of restaurants that have been ECV "friendly", that is, allowed ECVs to your table (or at least nearby). Yak and Yeti has been inconsistent. A couple have been "ECV friendly" for me-Grand Floridian Cafe and Brown Derby. Any more? I'm especially wondering about Trattoria al Forno and Jiko (if it opens!

 

[Lizgistix]

Not on your list but T-Rex let us drive the ECV right up to the table, as did Pecos Bill, Satuli Canteen, and Ronto Roasters. Columbia Harbor House had a roped off dining area for wheelchair and ECV users.
Be Our Guest had to park outside, same with Geyser Point and Whispering Canyon. Cape May Cafe was another one and the restaurant on the Boardwalk with the on-site beer...can't think of the name right now.

 

[Bjkandma]

When you make your reservations (even online), open special requests. (if you book over the phone, be sure to mention it when making reservations). At near the bottom there is a place for wheelchair accessibility. I've been unable to walk in a restaurant and have always been accommodated. A scooter or wheelchair is placed away from doors, walkways,etc. If a restaurant doesn't know ahead of time, it can be difficult accommodate).

My scooter turns towards the table and I actually enjoy my meal in the scooter.

 

[Starwind]

T-Rex and Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs.

 

[Evita_W]

Just a note that DH and I have had some locations allow us to drive to the table, they then park the ECV and bring it back when you are done with the meal, this may be another viable accommodation.

 

[mamabunny]

Garden Grill has generally been “friendly” for me; having said that, I have had the same experiences as @Evita_W and @Bjkandma; we always note it on the ADR (for table service) and when we reach the podium to check in for the meal, I just ask politely if they can allow me to go all the way to the table. Typically, either a CM or a family member will then move my device away from the table for me, and it is returned at the end of the meal.

 

[Bete]

If it would help consider bringing a rollator/walker with you. It's a little work but you can attach them to scooters. You may need some bungee cords to do it.

Don't know how many are going with you but if you have two other people with you maybe each person could take a side and help you. You might have to walk sideways in the restaurant to get through to your table but it might work.

 

[Simba's Mom]

When you make your reservations (even online), open special requests. (if you book over the phone, be sure to mention it when making reservations). At near the bottom there is a place for wheelchair accessibility. I've been unable to walk in a restaurant and have always been accommodated. A scooter or wheelchair is placed away from doors, walkways,etc. If a restaurant doesn't know ahead of time, it can be difficult accommodate).

My scooter turns towards the table and I actually enjoy my meal in the scooter.

Thanks! I never paid attention to the "special requests". I figured that was just for allergy info. Now I know and feel much better.

 

[ttintagel]

If it would help consider bringing a rollator/walker with you. It's a little work but you can attach them to scooters. You may need some bungee cords to do it.

Don't know how many are going with you but if you have two other people with you maybe each person could take a side and help you. You might have to walk sideways in the restaurant to get through to your table but it might work.

I wish I could remember where it was, but there was one restaurant where they asked if I could transfer to a manual WC, and for that short distance on a flat floor it wasn’t a problem. I want to say it was Liberty Tree Tavern? But I’m just not 100% sure. I know it was someplace with an old-time decor. Chefs de France, maybe?

 

[SueM in MN]

I wish I could remember where it was, but there was one restaurant where they asked if I could transfer to a manual WC, and for that short distance on a flat floor it wasn’t a problem. I want to say it was Liberty Tree Tavern? But I’m just not 100% sure. I know it was someplace with an old-time decor. Chefs de France, maybe?

Liberty Tree Tavern has a large amount of seating up a small flight of steps. There is a lift next to the steps - people who can’t walk up the steps need to be in a wheelchair to use the lift. That might have been it

 

[TillyMarigold]

I'm learning so much from this board, thank you all.

I didn't think of mentioning the ECV when I booked dining, either. I haven't been able to find a way to add special requests to my reservation online. Do I need to cancel and rebook with the requests, or if I call 407-WDW-DINE can they add it over the phone? Does anyone know? Thank you.

 

[lanejudy]

can they add it over the phone?

Call. You can ask them to add a note to your ADR. Don't cancel to rebook as you may lose the reservation, especially if it's a popular one.

 

[Mydustydog]

This past June Narcoossees allowed me to drive directly to the table and park it adjacent. Maybe this has changed since June, not sure. Other restaurants I never thought to ask, just parked it outside and walked to the table. I can say for anyone curious - on the Disney Cruise line ships they allow you to drive to your table and then your waiter or whoever seats you will take the scooter and park it. Then they go get it for you at the end of your meal.

 

[Simba's Mom]

This past June Narcoossees allowed me to drive directly to the table and park it adjacent. Maybe this has changed since June, not sure. Other restaurants I never thought to ask, just parked it outside and walked to the table. I can say for anyone curious - on the Disney Cruise line ships they allow you to drive to your table and then your waiter or whoever seats you will take the scooter and park it. Then they go get it for you at the end of your meal.

Thanks for mentioning Narcoose's. Last time I ate there, two years ago, they insisted that I leave my ECV not just outside the hostess stand, but completely outside. I admit that I felt rather uncomfortable during my meal that my ECV was out of sight. Also, that's when I started wondering and noticing how difficult walking any distance was getting for me.

 

[RoseGold]

I've dined a whole bunch of places with a permanently disabled family member in a Whill Ci who can't get out of the chair. Everywhere has been able to accommodate it easily, no special requests or anything, even Disney Springs non-Disney stuff. Oga's required waiting a few parties because the standing tables weren't going to work.

The problem is the size of the massive rental scooters, and there's just so many of them. If you have a small power chair, it shouldn't be a problem. They just pull out a chair at pretty much any table.

It might be worth paying more, or going to non-Disney vendors, for a power chair. I know what I would do is rent a Whill locally and just bring it along. This has the added benefit of being able to fit other places the rental scooters can't, like restrooms and a lot of queues. With mobility issues, this is worth considering.

 

[SueM in MN]

I've dined a whole bunch of places with a permanently disabled family member in a Whill Ci who can't get out of the chair. Everywhere has been able to accommodate it easily, no special requests or anything, even Disney Springs non-Disney stuff. Oga's required waiting a few parties because the standing tables weren't going to work.

The problem is the size of the massive rental scooters, and there's just so many of them. If you have a small power chair, it shouldn't be a problem. They just pull out a chair at pretty much any table.

It might be worth paying more, or going to non-Disney vendors, for a power chair. I know what I would do is rent a Whill locally and just bring it along. This has the added benefit of being able to fit other places the rental scooters can't, like restrooms and a lot of queues. With mobility issues, this is worth considering.

Most of the WDW area places that rent power wheelchairs will only rent to people experienced in using one, so that is something to check out.

If you rent locally to bring along, double check with the rental company that is allowed under your rental agreement.

 

[MsHershey]

I've dined a whole bunch of places with a permanently disabled family member in a Whill Ci who can't get out of the chair. Everywhere has been able to accommodate it easily, no special requests or anything, even Disney Springs non-Disney stuff. Oga's required waiting a few parties because the standing tables weren't going to work.

The problem is the size of the massive rental scooters, and there's just so many of them. If you have a small power chair, it shouldn't be a problem. They just pull out a chair at pretty much any table.

It might be worth paying more, or going to non-Disney vendors, for a power chair. I know what I would do is rent a Whill locally and just bring it along. This has the added benefit of being able to fit other places the rental scooters can't, like restrooms and a lot of queues. With mobility issues, this is worth considering.

My husband is a bilateral amputee. We are planning a Disney World trip for next year. This will be our first trip since his disability. We were planning to bring his electric scooter but I am intrigued by this Whill CI. I have never heard of this before. Is it more compact than a regular 4-wheeled scooter? Will he be able to board the busses and boats on it? Is there a company in the Orlando area that rents these?

 

[RoseGold]

We were planning to bring his electric scooter but I am intrigued by this Whill CI. I have never heard of this before. Is it more compact than a regular 4-wheeled scooter? Will he be able to board the busses and boats on it? Is there a company in the Orlando area that rents these?

My relative is disabled waist down and uses only the Whill ci (now 2) and occasionally a manual chair, like for nights out in an Uber. The thing is incredible. The company has a cool backstory and is very nice. You can call them and they’ll walk you through all the options and send you to a local retailer. It might even be cheaper than your existing scooter.

We often get stopped by people asking what kind of chair it is. At WDW, easily 4 times a day. I’ve been flagged down, people have run after us to figure out what it is.

Its the size of a manual chair, maybe even smaller then some. The chair back flips down. It kind of disassembles and fits in the trunk of an SUV or a larger car, but it is heavy. Easy with two able bodied humans, tough with one. It fits in the bottom of a Mears ME bus. It easily fits in the Disney transport buses, or any other bus with a wheelchair lift, way better than the scooters. It fits in any normal height restaraunt table. It goes on the ferry boat from TTC, but it won’t work on the smaller boats, like maybe a foldable chair could, but scooters couldn’t. If you can clear width, it fits in bathrooms you never considered accessible before.

The Orlando rentals are a weird market. They have a lot of rookies, and I can see why it might be weird there. I know it’s rentable locally to me, I’ve done it.

I don’t have any connection to Whill other than constant use of their awesome product, which I discovered at CES in 2018 and bought within days of seeing the demo.

 

[Chickenlady]

I've spoken with several people who have rented in Orlando...I believe it was from Scootaround....not sure. We always started speaking when they saw that I owned my Whill Ci.

 

[KPeterso]

I know at Teppan Edo we were asked if we needed to bring to the table or closer to the table. We don't typically need that and just parked it in the upstairs lobby area. At Be Our Guest, I know my Mom rode it to about 8-10 feet from our table and then we parked it off to the side of the main ballroom eating area where the seater told me to put it.