EVC bus it or rent a van?

[Patpat15]

We are going to BWV, I am a DVC member. We will be going for 10 Days in July and are bringing my mother in law. She needs an ECV. After checking van prices, I was considering using the Disney Transportation to get around. Is this possible or would I be better off renting a van for the 10 days.

 

[cupcake]

I only have a few seconds here, but I am sure someone who's better organized will be able to point you to past posts re taking the EVCs on Disney transportation (it's a popular topic of conversation!). Short answer: bus to MK (or monorail if coming from Epcot), bus to AK, ECV to Epcot, boat to MGM, bus to most other locations. The only reason I can think of to rent your own transportation is if you want to go to other hotels, as it can be a pain to get there in that you can't go directly from Point A to Point B.

Kudos to you for renting off-site, I definitely think it's the way to go.

Cupcake

 

[mhopset]

I would take the bus. Like Cupcake said if you are wanting to visit other hotels you can't get there directly. It is not that big of a deal though. I just got to MK, and then take a bus to the hotel I want to visit. Then I catch a bus there and go to another park and then back to my hotel. I know it sounds like a hastle, but it's not that bad.

One problem I had was my new ECV is to long for the regular lifts. I had to wait on the newer buses called a "Nova". It is the kind of bus with a ramp. I usually didn't have to wait to long. Except for when I visited the Sawn and Dolphin. I wanted to go to DD. I had to wait for 1 and 1/2 hours for a bus to take me there. Other than that it was not bad at all.

Don't worry about the scooter you will be renting. You will be able to get on the regular lift type buses.

If you need any help or have any questions just PM me I will be glad to help.

Tony

 

[Cheshire Figment]

My answer is neither.

If you rent a full-size, four-door sedan (Buick Century or Dodge Intrepid or larger), you can break the rental ECV down into five pieces, the heaviest being 39 pounds. It will fit in the trunk. This type of car can carry six adults and it is much easier to get into than a van for a person with mobility problems.

Although Disney Transport does work and can USUALLY take the ECV, having a car available tends to be much more convenient. This is especially true if you are staying at a park until closing, or going at a time when the buses are crowded.

Also, Disney Transport is most effective if you are going directly between a Resort and either a Park or Downtown Disney, or betwween Parks. If you are going from one resort to another, such as for dining, then having your own transportation is almost mandatory. Can you imagine waiting for one bus, getting to a transfer point, and then waiting for another bus with the ECV. If either bus does not have a working lift, or is full, you will have a long wait; what if both have problems?

Also, from Boardwalk you can easily take the "Friendships" to either the Studio or Epcot (or use the walkways); you would only need tansportation for Animal or Magic Kingdoms or Downtown Disney, or of course to get to almost any other Resort.

The car would be more convenient (and cost less) than a van.

 

[cupcake]

Excellent points all around! I had to add . . . did you know that if you require a specific kind of bus to accomodate your ECV, you simply need to tell the concierge at your hotel what you need and where you are going. At the Swan, they required a 45 minute lead time. I understand that at the parks, you tell guest services to request a specific type of bus. Kudos to a lovely woman in an EVC that I met on the boat to MGM for this information, it worked great.

I personally did not have problems at park closing, in that I boarded first and thus there was room and I did not have the pressure of people around while I effortlessly backed in. (ok, maybe not! but I did get much better once I did it a few times). But I admit that I didn't do it much in my EVC and am used to a folding wc where I get up (also fine in that I sit until time to board).

Cheshire Figment, good point on the car vs. van. On the car vs Disney transport question, if you are going to places where you can go directly, that's one thing, but if you think you'll have to transfer a lot or want to do non-Disney stuff (gasp!) dissassembling the ECV in the car is a very reasonable option. It is nice to not have to wait and to just do what you want when you want. We went outlet shopping and dined in a variety of hotels (loved the buffet at AKL) and appreciated the car.

I guess what I was trying to say was that the Disney transport is a perfectly viable option, you would not have to rent a van in order to get around in an EVC.

Cupcake

 

[SueM in MN]

You got a lot of good ideas already.
I think you will find that you don't need to use a car/van very much since you are staying at a resort where you can easily get to 2 parks.
I always tell people to use the bus to MK though. If you take the bus, you get delivered very close to the turnstiles into the park. If you drive, you have to take the boat or the monorail over to the parks- much more cumbersome to do. You probably already know this since you are DVC members; just wanted to explain it for those who are not.