ECV's- Use park bus or drive and park ourselves

[emma'smom]

We are taking my mother who is recovering from knee surgery. She plans to rent an ECV from an outside company for the entire week we are there. We're staying at the Beach Club, so we plan to walk/ECV to Epcot and MGM as much as possible. We'll also be renting a mini-van for the duration of the trip (to leave the world for groceries and such).

What is the best way to travel to the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom from the Beach Club to make it most convenient for my mother and her ECV? She has a handicapped parking pass already and she'll bring this with her. How does handicapped parking work at AK and MK? With MK, is it just easier to take the bus so that she won't have to navigate the monorail and TTS? Isn't the drop off for the bus closer? Any advice would be helpful as I want this trip to run as smoothly as possible for her!

Thanks!

 

[powellrj]

the last time we were there we also rented an off-site ECV. I found it easier for load it into the SUV and just unload it at the parks.

The handicapped parking was really close to the entrances so it was really easy to just enter the parks that way.

Right before we left there were several posts about how angry people were about EVCs on the disney buses, so that was the main reason we rented the SUV. I wasn't sorry that we did. It was really easy to get around and we never had to wait for the buses.

We even drove to MK and found it easy to get to the parks from the parking lot.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would basically agree with your plan.

For Epcot just go out the back door and turn left and it is five minute to International Gateway.

For MGM either take the boat or the (long) sidewalk.

For MK definitely use the bus since the bus goes directly to the gate area. Otherwise you would have to drive to the TTC and then take either the monorail or ferry to MK. Also, if you have hoppers and MK does not close late you might want to return to BC by taking the monorail and then through Epcot to IG.

For AK you would want to drive. Note that handicap parking at AK is about as close as the bus parking to the entrance.

For dining at any resorts not in the immediate area definitely drive.

BTW, make sure that your handicap parking tag is showing when you check in at BC and all return times, that way you will not get charged the daily valet parking fee (but also remember that the valets are tip positions).