Electric Standing Vehicles (ESV) at Disney - Major update Post #18

[Cheshire Figment]

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has long been at the forefront of providing accessibility for Guests with disabilities. Electric Standing Vehicles (ESVs) will be available beginning May 2 at the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort locations where strollers, wheelchairs and Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECVs) are also available.

The ESVs, which have four-wheels for greater stability, provide a mobility option for Guests with mobility disabilities who rely on a Segway or substantially similar stand-up mobility device for assistance with their mobility. Guests will be charged a $50 daily rental fee plus a deposit for ESV use, which aligns with existing rental fees associated with ECVs.

If a Guest calls to inquire about the ESV, the following answers should be used as a guide:

Q1. Why are you offering this new option?
A1. ESVs are offered for use by eligible Guests in lieu of two-wheeled standup mobility devices, such as Segways, which are prohibited from use in Disney’s theme parks and resorts. ESVs are compatible with our unique environment and help maintain a safe environment for all of our Guests.

Q2. Will ESVs be advertised similar to wheelchairs and ECVs?
A2. At this time, ESVs will not be advertised for rental, but they are available upon request and may be reserved in advance.

Q3. Who can use an ESV?
A3: Guests with mobility disabilities who rely on a Segway or substantially similar stand-up mobility device for assistance with their mobility. Guests may request an ESV at stroller/wheelchair/ECV rental locations for a daily fee. Medical paperwork is not required to prove eligibility.

Q4. Can a Guest reserve an ESV?
A4. Questions about ESV reservations may be directed to Services for Guests with Disabilities at 407-824-5217.

 

[mad madam mim78]

Yippie...

 

[BonnieA]

Disney may be on the forefront but they are not the first to offer such vehicles. They have had them in Busch Gardens VA for a few years. Just giving credit where credit is due. Glad that Disney is making them available.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the update, Cheshire Figment.

If anyone is curious what they look like, there is a picture on scooterbug's website.

http://www.scooterbugmobilityrentals.com/equipment.html#scooters

Scooterbug is a supplier for a number of parks, zoos and similar places beside WDW.

 

[KPeveler]

I wonder if you must use a Segway or such device in daily life for Disney to feel comfortable renting it to you, or if anyone who requests one can have one. I, for one, would love to see the parks standing, if only for a couple hours, and a device like this would give me that ability.

I am not a good candidate for it all the time, but I could use it for a shorter day in the park. I wonder what will happen with this.

For anyone out there considering it, I believe it would be harder to drive than a standard ECV, if only because it is so much harder to see obstacles at ground level when standing. I have noticed this difference in my powerchair and my manual chair. My powerchair at its lowest setting has me sitting a good foot taller than my manual chair, and I find I have a much greater difficulty seeing ground level or low level obstacles.

 

[KathyRN137]

Wonderful news!

I will share on SpecialMouse!



Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

I wonder if you must use a Segway or such device in daily life for Disney to feel comfortable renting it to you, or if anyone who requests one can have one. I, for one, would love to see the parks standing, if only for a couple hours, and a device like this would give me that ability.

I am not a good candidate for it all the time, but I could use it for a shorter day in the park. I wonder what will happen with this.

For anyone out there considering it, I believe it would be harder to drive than a standard ECV, if only because it is so much harder to see obstacles at ground level when standing. I have noticed this difference in my powerchair and my manual chair. My powerchair at its lowest setting has me sitting a good foot taller than my manual chair, and I find I have a much greater difficulty seeing ground level or low level obstacles.

The different driving height may be part of the reason.

Another part may be that they are in limited quantities. They may be trying to keep them available to people who say they can't use a device while seated.
The settlement in the Segway lawsuit settlement provided that Disney make them available to people who say they need a standing device/use a Segway.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Any word on whether offsite rentals will be allowed? It might get kind of sticky allowing them because then CMs would be in the position of having to decide on a case by case basis which ones are permitted types of ESV vs ones that don't meet whatever requirement they've set.

That one from scooterbug looks more like a standing ECV than a 4 wheeled segway to me. There's no way anybody would mistake that for a segway which IMO is a good thing.

 

[DannysMom]

I just saw this and wanted to pass on the link. Electrics Standing Vehicles now available in DL & WDW.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/wal...ts-with-disabilities.htm#.UYJZNHQc6a4.twitter

 

[Piper]

Here is the link from Cheshire Figment's post the other day: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3105109

 

[DannysMom]

I did a quick scan of the top threads. I missed that. Thx.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards App, please excuse any typos or autocorrects!

 

[SueM in MN]

No problem.
I will combine the 2 threads, so people who saw Cheshire Figment's post can also see the link you posted.

 

[Twende]

Here is another pic of one

I am wondering if something like this would help my DH? It is an interesting option.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Any word on whether offsite rentals will be allowed? It might get kind of sticky allowing them because then CMs would be in the position of having to decide on a case by case basis which ones are permitted types of ESV vs ones that don't meet whatever requirement they've set.

That one from scooterbug looks more like a standing ECV than a 4 wheeled segway to me. There's no way anybody would mistake that for a segway which IMO is a good thing.

Officially my answer is "I don't know".

However, I would see no reason why one would not be allowed. It is specifically the two-wheel standing devices that are not allowed for safety reasons.

The problem I can see is how do you get it to the Park? My ECV is 192 pounds and it is not as heavy as those rented by Disney. I would expect the ESV to be in excess of 250 pounds for stability purposes and it looks as if it cannot be broken down except with tools.

You can't get it into a car, and I don't know about buses.

 

[jenn-n-okla]

I too am wondering if there is an offsite rental place. My 11yr old daughter has a lung disease and therefore will be carting around her portable oxygen concentrator. In years past we have just rented the double stroller fitting her and the oxygen inside. She is now 5'2" and weighs 91 lbs, a stroller isn't going to cut it. I looked offsite for a special needs stroller. The one company I found is no longer in business. We will be at Disney May 30th so I am getting a bit of anxiety. $50/day for 8 days would be OUTRAGEOUS!

 

[WheeledTraveler]

I too am wondering if there is an offsite rental place. My 11yr old daughter has a lung disease and therefore will be carting around her portable oxygen concentrator. In years past we have just rented the double stroller fitting her and the oxygen inside. She is now 5'2" and weighs 91 lbs, a stroller isn't going to cut it. I looked offsite for a special needs stroller. The one company I found is no longer in business. We will be at Disney May 30th so I am getting a bit of anxiety. $50/day for 8 days would be OUTRAGEOUS!

I highly doubt any company would rent an ECV or ESV to an 11-year-old. I'm positive WDW wouldn't. If you can't find a place to rent a special needs stroller, I'd suggest renting a manual wheelchair offsite and using that. She may prefer a wheelchair anyway due to her age (over a stroller). Even if you were to rent on-site the rental for a wheelchair is much lower than it is for an ECV/ESV.

 

[SueM in MN]

I highly doubt any company would rent an ECV or ESV to an 11-year-old. I'm positive WDW wouldn't. If you can't find a place to rent a special needs stroller, I'd suggest renting a manual wheelchair offsite and using that. She may prefer a wheelchair anyway due to her age (over a stroller). Even if you were to rent on-site the rental for a wheelchair is much lower than it is for an ECV/ESV.

Yes - most of the companies will only rent for use by an adult.
Randy's will rent for older teens, but not likely an 11 yr old.

Park rental is 18 and over.

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread. Post 2 of that thread has links and phone numbers for a number of companies. Some rent special needs strollers. Some rent narrow (16 inch) wide wheelchairs that should be the right size for your child.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I was at one of the Parks today and talked to a supervisor at the Wheelchair/ECV Rental about the ESV.

1. At the current time they can only be reserved in advanced.

2. They will not allow a person to rent one unless they currently use a Segway or similar vehicle. (I was not allowed to ride one as I do not use a Segway or other standing conveyance.)

3. The only exception to #1 is if a person shows up at the park with a personal Segway (or similar) they will be allowed to rent an ESV if one is available.

4. The entire base and control systems are the same as the current Disney ECV. The only differences are is the backrest instead of a seat and the tiller is taller. The weight and maximum speed are about the same.

5. Steering is the same; the two front wheels are steered by the tiller and the switches/levers are the same.

6. One major difference is the weight limit is only 260 pounds, compared to the 450 for the ECV. This is due to the weight being on the platform, which is the weakest area, as opposed to being on the motor assembly.

7. The rental rules may be subject to change.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the update.

 

[bellepearle]

Yes - most of the companies will only rent for use by an adult.
Randy's will rent for older teens, but not likely an 11 yr old.

Park rental is 18 and over.

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread. Post 2 of that thread has links and phone numbers for a number of companies. Some rent special needs strollers. Some rent narrow (16 inch) wide wheelchairs that should be the right size for your child.

I know this is about a year and a half after your post but I was just reading this thread and had to say something. I'm 30 years old. I've been driving either a motorized scooter or a motorized wheelchair since the age of 5. I first started driving a motorized scooter at age 5 when we discovered it at the abilities expo. It completely changed my life. Before that we used a Maclaren stroller for distances that were too great for me to walk with crutches. For the average child, I probably would not condone renting a motorized scooter to a child. However, for a disabled child who is used to using motorized mobility devices at home and would like to rent one for use in a park, it really is a shame that the age limit to rent a device is 18. Seems pretty absurd to me but that's just my opinion.