First time considering a scooter....

[lorenae]

I’m rather embarrassed. I’ll be solo in December and with a friend in January, and I’m struggling.

I have a neurological disease, uncommon, but similar to MS. I do not look disabled in any way, and can often walk at a quick clip. Unless.....I can’t. Today is bad, and my legs are burning and I’m stumbling. Yesterday, I could have walked a 10K.

My concerns are two-fold. First, the cost of renting for the 1.5 days I’ll be there. I don’t have much extra cash, and this is a big concern for me. Secondly, the whole “oh, God, here comes a person in a scooter” thing.

The last thing is more of a sadness- one of my joys has been wandering MK and Epcot, enjoying the sights and sounds and even smells. I think in a scooter that will totally change and I’ll be watching out for pedestrians in front of me instead of taking it all in.

I’m so sad.

 

[gap2368]

I would look at renting from of site as they are cheaper Golds has been a favorite of many here.

and then you do not look disabled well, to be honest with you people are way too much in their own vacation to care what you are riding sitting or walking in. I think a big part of this is that scooters go in the standby line you there is nothing special that you get for being in them. and in the very off chance someone says something to you do what my friend did and lool at then very concerned and say I do not want to alarm you but your stupid is showing again next time try keeping your moth shout ( or it was very close) she tends to have a snappy comeback every time where the. the person just looks down and walks away.

Do what is best for you and enjoy your vacation and have a great time

 

[RaySharpton]

I’m rather embarrassed. I’ll be solo in December and with a friend in January, and I’m struggling.

I have a neurological disease, uncommon, but similar to MS. I do not look disabled in any way, and can often walk at a quick clip. Unless.....I can’t. Today is bad, and my legs are burning and I’m stumbling. Yesterday, I could have walked a 10K.

I can relate to that. Decades ago, I needed a walking cane to get from the parking deck to the office. But, back then I was too embarrassed to have anyone at work see that I needed a cane. I thought that they might think that I couldn't do my work as well. So when I got inside the lobby, I folded my cane and put it in my backpack.

I eventually got over that feeling, but it took years for me.

My concerns are two-fold. First, the cost of renting for the 1.5 days I’ll be there. I don’t have much extra cash, and this is a big concern for me.

I would definitely use an outside vendor so that you can use it outside the parks and at your resort. The DISability FAQ has a lot of suggestions. Check them out and get some quotes. It should be cheaper than just renting one in the parks and easier on you outside the parks.

Secondly, the whole “oh, God, here comes a person in a scooter” thing.

I eventually came to the conclusion that any comments from strangers at a bus stop when loading is just sad. This is how that stranger must act all of the time and it is sad that they have to judge others all of the time instead of understanding and having empathy for fellow human beings.

I didn't always feel that. It used to hurt my feeling when rude comments were made, but I now just think how sad that person must be and I feel sorry for them instead.

Don't these people know that their children observe and learn from this awful behavior? I have seen kids even try to tell their parents to stop and that they were rude.

But now, I don't really see this behavior anymore. I find most guests very kind and understanding.

You should enjoy yourself and not worry about what others might say or look. That is their problem and not yours. I think their behavior is an everyday behavior and that is so sad to me. Especially since their children must see this and either be upset or learn to imitate it depending on their age.

Plus, they just may not be aware of the WDW policies and they may never even have ridden a bus in real life at home, etc.

The last thing is more of a sadness- one of my joys has been wandering MK and Epcot, enjoying the sights and sounds and even smells. I think in a scooter that will totally change and I’ll be watching out for pedestrians in front of me instead of taking it all in.

I’m so sad.

You will be watching out for other guests, but if you go slower in crowded situations and keep an eye out, you can still enjoy everything. Just stop in a safe place and enjoy the view.

I am about to go to WDW and I am questioning myself for a different reason.

After breaking my wrist last September, I am supposed to go to my annual December vacation. But after breaking my wrist last September, I am still having issues with activities of daily living and I think that I may not enjoy myself as much.

I waited too long to see the physician since I thought it was a bad sprain after falling down, but it was actually a broken wrist. The physician said it was too late to rebreak the wrist to fix it and put it in a cast so he had me go to physical therapy to build up strength.

I have an appointment tomorrow, but since I will be out of town next week, I am sure he won't perform surgery until I get back from all of my vacations until March.

I am sad about this, too.

But I love WDW in December and my plans are still to go even though I may not be able to do everything like I usually do.

So try not to let the downers get you sad.

Think of all the wonderful things you will see and experience at WDW.

I am going to try and to do the same thing.

Best Wishes as Mr. Disney used to say.

I would look at renting from of site as they are cheaper Golds has been a favorite of many here.

and then you do not look disabled well, to be honest with you people are way too much in their own vacation to care what you are riding sitting or walking in. I think a big part of this is that scooters go in the standby line you there is nothing special that you get for being in them. and in the very off chance someone says something to you do what my friend did and lool at then very concerned and say I do not want to alarm you but your stupid is showing again next time try keeping your moth shout ( or it was very close) she tends to have a snappy comeback every time where the. the person just looks down and walks away.

Do what is best for you and enjoy your vacation and have a great time

I agree.

 

[mamabunny]

I’m rather embarrassed. I’ll be solo in December and with a friend in January, and I’m struggling.

I have a neurological disease, uncommon, but similar to MS. I do not look disabled in any way, and can often walk at a quick clip. Unless.....I can’t. Today is bad, and my legs are burning and I’m stumbling. Yesterday, I could have walked a 10K.

My concerns are two-fold. First, the cost of renting for the 1.5 days I’ll be there. I don’t have much extra cash, and this is a big concern for me. Secondly, the whole “oh, God, here comes a person in a scooter” thing.

The last thing is more of a sadness- one of my joys has been wandering MK and Epcot, enjoying the sights and sounds and even smells. I think in a scooter that will totally change and I’ll be watching out for pedestrians in front of me instead of taking it all in.

I’m so sad.

First of all, it is perfectly natural to grieve the loss of your freedom and mobility, even if you only use the ECV at WDW. I did, and others here have reported it as well. It's hard. The first time I had to use an ECV at WDW, I was there - in the Parks - and had to call a vendor to bring one out to me. I sat there and boo-hoo'ed over it. No kidding, it was ugly cry time. The poor CMs all kept trying to get me to go to First Aid, but I was *sad*, not sick!

But something funny-weird happened. Instead of everyone staring at me... no one really paid any attention to me. I was just another human on a scooter. No big deal. *And* instead of me being the reason we had to stop all the time so I could sit and rest... I was suddenly the one who could go go go all day, and do more and still keep going all evening, while everyone else was ready to go back to the hotel.

You *can* still savor everything about WDW - I am just like you, and I have found that we just have to do it a bit *differently* is all. First - and foremost - you are right about watching out for others. You are driving an open wheel vehicle, and sadly, most folks don't think about the physics of how scooters don't really stop on a dime. BUT... the thing I learned is that I only have to find a spot out of traffic, out of the way of the bipedals so no one walks into me, and I can sit and really look around for as long as I want. (Many of my favorite places to just sit and take it all is World Showcase.) Sometimes I will move my scooter just a few feet - just enough to change the view a little. I know WDW well enough now to know the places that I want to kind of focus on and so I will stay far to the right side, and go slowly, and find a spot that looks good, and then I will just park, and sit, and have a silly grin on my face because I am so happy to be at WDW.

Instead of worrying about how much it will cost, do the legwork right now, and call some of the vendors down there. See who has the best deal for you. That way, you know sooner rather than later exactly how it will impact your budget - and if nothing else, it lets you budget for that extra expense. Here's a bit of info for you: The WDW Parks scooters that are rented by Disney at the entrances to each Park cost $50/day. Typically, you can get rent for cheaper than that from outside vendors, so you may be able to trim that anticipated $100 for the Parks scooters down.

Some people may stare, it's true. As my friends above have said, some folks just don't have any home training, you know? There are rude people everywhere, not just at WDW, it's just that sometimes I think they stand out more at Disney World because most folks are so nice. People like that come from a place of ignorance and fear. So, we ignore them. If they get in our face, then we give them a big ol' smile, and a heartfelt "Bless your heart" (which is the best southern shade you can throw!) and - most importantly - we go on, and we forget about them, because we are at Disney World, and we don't have time for that nonsense!

Buses are a great example of a time when you may catch someone who appears to be staring at you. There are those people who have never been to Disney World - or maybe they are from somewhere that there is no bus service, so just watching how the bus works in general is interesting to them. Then, along comes a human on a scooter, and the bus beeps, and barfs out a ramp, and then the scooter is driven right inside. LOL when you think about it, it's kinda crazy So, they are staring at the spectacle of the bus and it's beeping and it's ramp, and whoever is on the scooter is secondary to the whole thing. Or, like me, they are so exhausted and overwhelmed, they have "zoned out" temporarily, and don't realize what they are even staring at!

If you have a cane (regular or folding) be sure to bring it, so that when you have to park and walk a bit, you will have that support. Hopefully, you will have good days, and the cane is just insurance. But better safe than sorry.

Overall, people are much more tolerant now of mobility devices and differently abled people at WDW. You *might* encounter someone who isn't as tolerant, but if you do, just remember that we go on, and we forget about them, because we are at Disney World, and we don't have time for that nonsense!

Have a lovely trip - and let us know if you have any more questions about using an ECV at WDW.

 

[RaySharpton]

First of all, it is perfectly natural to grieve the loss of your freedom and mobility, even if you only use the ECV at WDW. I did, and others here have reported it as well. It's hard. The first time I had to use an ECV at WDW, I was there - in the Parks - and had to call a vendor to bring one out to me. I sat there and boo-hoo'ed over it. No kidding, it was ugly cry time. The poor CMs all kept trying to get me to go to First Aid, but I was *sad*, not sick!

But something funny-weird happened. Instead of everyone staring at me... no one really paid any attention to me. I was just another human on a scooter. No big deal. *And* instead of me being the reason we had to stop all the time so I could sit and rest... I was suddenly the one who could go go go all day, and do more and still keep going all evening, while everyone else was ready to go back to the hotel.

You *can* still savor everything about WDW - I am just like you, and I have found that we just have to do it a bit *differently* is all. First - and foremost - you are right about watching out for others. You are driving an open wheel vehicle, and sadly, most folks don't think about the physics of how scooters don't really stop on a dime. BUT... the thing I learned is that I only have to find a spot out of traffic, out of the way of the bipedals so no one walks into me, and I can sit and really look around for as long as I want. (Many of my favorite places to just sit and take it all is World Showcase.) Sometimes I will move my scooter just a few feet - just enough to change the view a little. I know WDW well enough now to know the places that I want to kind of focus on and so I will stay far to the right side, and go slowly, and find a spot that looks good, and then I will just park, and sit, and have a silly grin on my face because I am so happy to be at WDW.

Instead of worrying about how much it will cost, do the legwork right now, and call some of the vendors down there. See who has the best deal for you. That way, you know sooner rather than later exactly how it will impact your budget - and if nothing else, it lets you budget for that extra expense. Here's a bit of info for you: The WDW Parks scooters that are rented by Disney at the entrances to each Park cost $50/day. Typically, you can get rent for cheaper than that from outside vendors, so you may be able to trim that anticipated $100 for the Parks scooters down.

Some people may stare, it's true. As my friends above have said, some folks just don't have any home training, you know? There are rude people everywhere, not just at WDW, it's just that sometimes I think they stand out more at Disney World because most folks are so nice. People like that come from a place of ignorance and fear. So, we ignore them. If they get in our face, then we give them a big ol' smile, and a heartfelt "Bless your heart" (which is the best southern shade you can throw!) and - most importantly - we go on, and we forget about them, because we are at Disney World, and we don't have time for that nonsense!

Buses are a great example of a time when you may catch someone who appears to be staring at you. There are those people who have never been to Disney World - or maybe they are from somewhere that there is no bus service, so just watching how the bus works in general is interesting to them. Then, along comes a human on a scooter, and the bus beeps, and barfs out a ramp, and then the scooter is driven right inside. LOL when you think about it, it's kinda crazy So, they are staring at the spectacle of the bus and it's beeping and it's ramp, and whoever is on the scooter is secondary to the whole thing. Or, like me, they are so exhausted and overwhelmed, they have "zoned out" temporarily, and don't realize what they are even staring at!

If you have a cane (regular or folding) be sure to bring it, so that when you have to park and walk a bit, you will have that support. Hopefully, you will have good days, and the cane is just insurance. But better safe than sorry.

Overall, people are much more tolerant now of mobility devices and differently abled people at WDW. You *might* encounter someone who isn't as tolerant, but if you do, just remember that we go on, and we forget about them, because we are at Disney World, and we don't have time for that nonsense!

Have a lovely trip - and let us know if you have any more questions about using an ECV at WDW.

mamabunny always has the best recommendations and posts and says what I tried to say.

 

[lorenae]

Thank you so much! I’m thinking that I may consider renting inside the parks- the exact opposite of what you guys are recommending- but I will have my car and I may drive to the park on the last day so that I can scoot home after spending some time at MK in the morning/early afternoon.

Do they “sell out” of scooters inside the park? I may arrive at DHS around 1 PM or so the first day (not sure yet) and leave around 2 PM the second day (staying at AS Sports). I can wait to see how I feel that day before deciding on renting the scooter- crowds will also play a part for me I’m sure.

If I park hop from DHS to MK- do I turn in the scooter at DHS and then pick one up at MK?

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thank you so much! I’m thinking that I may consider renting inside the parks- the exact opposite of what you guys are recommending- but I will have my car and I may drive to the park on the last day so that I can scoot home after spending some time at MK in the morning/early afternoon.

Do they “sell out” of scooters inside the park? I may arrive at DHS around 1 PM or so the first day (not sure yet) and leave around 2 PM the second day (staying at AS Sports). I can wait to see how I feel that day before deciding on renting the scooter- crowds will also play a part for me I’m sure.

If I park hop from DHS to MK- do I turn in the scooter at DHS and then pick one up at MK?

before you do check the cost both ways and yes they do sell out some times in the parks.

 

[Bete]

First, in answer to your question: If you park hop you must return the park scooter at the first park and pick up another one at the second park, if available. You need to have the receipt for the second park. You have to put down a security deposit for the scooter and you will get that back when you return the scooter to the second park.

It may be difficult to do an offsite rental for 2 days. I think many of them require a three day minimum, but I could be wrong.

Keep in mind that the average trek around the park is 6 miles per day. Some people actually do 10 miles depending on how long they are in the parks. The ride and show queues can have walking involved zig zagging through the line.

You don't want to get caught in the back of the park needing a scooter all of a sudden. That could ruin your day.

It is better to get a park scooter early in the day. It is first come, first serve. You can get on a waiting list if there isn't any left when you arrive.

 

[Selket]

You might want to price the cost of a portable scooter from an off-site place for a 3 day rental vs. the in park scooter. I don't know if you can lift and put it together yourself - another consideration - since you say it's a solo trip so I'm assuming you'd have to do all the lifting and putting together. It's not too bad but some parts are a bit heavy. I'd normally recommend off-site but sometimes it just doesn't work too well. The park scooters are big and clunky compared to off-site ones. However they do get the job done and may work well for your situation of a short trip and if you're fairly sure you can go from your car to the parks without it. I rented a park scooter at US/IOA (the situation required it - I couldn't do off-site at that time) and it was fine. (However I do think US/IOA has horrible access for people in ECVs so I don't recommend going there).

Don't worry about what anyone would say to you - I've rented a scooter many times now and never had an issue with anyone questioning why I use it. Also - if you're having one of those "I could do a 10k" day then you can perhaps either not rent it (?) or park it and walk in that area - then go back and take it to the next area. I do this sometimes. Generally I park it to go in stores. My knees are sometimes decent and sometimes terrible so each trip (and day) varies. It's better to do what you need to do to be able to get out and enjoy things - you're also not being an inconvenience to anyone or getting special treatment - most lines are mainstreamed for scooters if you need to stay in it. If I have a fast pass and I know the FP line is usually short - I'll walk. Some FP lines - like FOP - are long but you can stay in the scooter until near the end where you board the ride. Enjoy your trip!

 

[krayzie]

I decided to rent a ecv for the first time and am wondering if I can really depend on the ecv to last from rope drop all the way to the end of after hours. I know I need to turn it off whenever I am not moving. My trip is in 8 days so it should be an interesting experience. I do however have experience maneuvering my son's electric wheelchair through Magic Kingdom so it might not be too bad...

 

[mamabunny]

I decided to rent a ecv for the first time and am wondering if I can really depend on the ecv to last from rope drop all the way to the end of after hours. I know I need to turn it off whenever I am not moving. My trip is in 8 days so it should be an interesting experience. I do however have experience maneuvering my son's electric wheelchair through Magic Kingdom so it might not be too bad...

Just make sure you charge it fully every single night. And, when you pick up the scooter - whether it's delivered to Bell Services, or you meet the vendor - make sure you start out with a fully charged battery as well (unless it's more than halfway thru the day)

Since you already have experience with battery powered mobility devices, I think you will know pretty quickly if there is any problem with the battery, or if it isn't going to make a whole day.

Let us know if you have any more questions about using ECVs at WDW!

 

[Evita_W]

I decided to rent a ecv for the first time and am wondering if I can really depend on the ecv to last from rope drop all the way to the end of after hours. I know I need to turn it off whenever I am not moving. My trip is in 8 days so it should be an interesting experience. I do however have experience maneuvering my son's electric wheelchair through Magic Kingdom so it might not be too bad...

Not an issue with any company, such as Gold Mobility that uses extended range batteries. If they don't use extended range or large capacity batteries, you will most likely have issues.

Talking with many people on the parks, the worst on battery life are Buena Vista (they are so bad that they now lock the chargers to the scooters to make sure you bring the chargers into the parks and the chargers don't get stolen) and ScooterBug. Those from Gold Mobility and Walker never seemed to have any issues.

Aside from the battery issues, not a single person I spoke with that used ScooterBug had their rental available at bell services on time, some were delayed by several days.

Buena Vista people did say their were delivered on time, but only at set times based on your resort.

Of course, assuming you aren't coming in really late or early, Gold Mobility meets you at Magical Express or wherever is convenient for you. They picked up from our building at All Star Sports, because that was what worked well for us.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I’m rather embarrassed. I’ll be solo in December and with a friend in January, and I’m struggling.

I have a neurological disease, uncommon, but similar to MS. I do not look disabled in any way, and can often walk at a quick clip. Unless.....I can’t. Today is bad, and my legs are burning and I’m stumbling. Yesterday, I could have walked a 10K.

My concerns are two-fold. First, the cost of renting for the 1.5 days I’ll be there. I don’t have much extra cash, and this is a big concern for me. Secondly, the whole “oh, God, here comes a person in a scooter” thing.

The last thing is more of a sadness- one of my joys has been wandering MK and Epcot, enjoying the sights and sounds and even smells. I think in a scooter that will totally change and I’ll be watching out for pedestrians in front of me instead of taking it all in.

I’m so sad.

Unfortunately, I can't help you with your questions, except for your concern of "Oh, God, here comes a person in a scooter". I can tell you that you'll probably be OK. The first time I used a scooter at WDW, I was solo and so mortified that I called my husband and cried about it. I waited for all those snarky comments I expected, but they didn't come. Instead, I kept encountering super-nice, helpful people. The first time I needed to use the restroom and wondered what to do with my scooter, I finally just asked someone and they were happy to help.
I also have a neurological disease. and wonder what yours is. Mine is Spastic Paraplegia, which is uncommon also and similar to MS. The worst part is that it's progressive, which sucks. But I manage.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I’m rather embarrassed. I’ll be solo in December and with a friend in January, and I’m struggling.

I have a neurological disease, uncommon, but similar to MS. I do not look disabled in any way, and can often walk at a quick clip. Unless.....I can’t. Today is bad, and my legs are burning and I’m stumbling. Yesterday, I could have walked a 10K.

My concerns are two-fold. First, the cost of renting for the 1.5 days I’ll be there. I don’t have much extra cash, and this is a big concern for me. Secondly, the whole “oh, God, here comes a person in a scooter” thing.

The last thing is more of a sadness- one of my joys has been wandering MK and Epcot, enjoying the sights and sounds and even smells. I think in a scooter that will totally change and I’ll be watching out for pedestrians in front of me instead of taking it all in.

I’m so sad.

Unfortunately, I can't help you with your questions, except for your concern of "Oh, God, here comes a person in a scooter". I can tell you that you'll probably be OK. The first time I used a scooter at WDW, I was solo and so mortified that I called my husband and cried about it. I waited for all those snarky comments I expected, but they didn't come. Instead, I kept encountering super-nice, helpful people. The first time I needed to use the restroom and wondered what to do with my scooter, I finally just asked someone and they were happy to help.
I also have a neurological disease. and wonder what yours is. Mine is Spastic Paraplegia, which is uncommon also and similar to MS. The worst part is that it's progressive, which sucks. But I manage.

 

[cobright]

Secondly, the whole “oh, God, here comes a person in a scooter” thing.

I have a standard reply for any question that comes up about how other people will see and think of you at WDW. With few exception and little deviation, unless you are directly in front of someone at WDW and inconveniencing them, no one is thinking about you at all. Everyone there has paid a tremendous sum of money to have a vacation for themselves and their family and unless you are keeping them from that (and this says a lot about us as a culture) none of them care about you at all. I shouldn't use absolute statements like that. There will be one or two who happen to be judgmental jerks, misinformed about disability appearance, AND in to people watching all at the same time. But you really won't know which of the crowd this is so ... may as well live like they don't exist.

The last thing is more of a sadness- one of my joys has been wandering MK and Epcot, enjoying the sights and sounds and even smells. I think in a scooter that will totally change and I’ll be watching out for pedestrians in front of me instead of taking it all in.
I’m so sad.

I have a dear friend who's body was wrecked by cancer treatment and who depends on her powerchair. She looks fine, though slight, and she can move all her limbs and even walk 10-15 yards at a time; just not too often. She loves Disney enough to move there and she visits the parks 3 or 4 days a week. I'm in the long process o developing a power chair control system and she's been my primary test dummy (her words). When the treatments started she felt the same sense of despair you describe and my heart broke then as it does now.

All I can offer is that it was work on her end to find a mobility solution that enabled her, and work on my end to make that solution fit her needs better, but you can come through it on the other side just as able to have a magical time.

On a practical note, consider a power chair with an elevated seat. It will have a smaller footprint than an ECV which makes getting around a little easier, and getting up closer to eye level will help towards getting people to see you as a person (or even just see you at all.)

 

[lorenae]

Thank you all- I did well on Wednesday and Thursday except for one incident when I accidentally walked through a line that went across the road. I got yelled at for “cutting through” by a woman and her very large son jumped in and berated me for not going around the line. (Why does disney allow food cart lines to go directly straight out through the road and not along the cart???????) With the crowds, the sun in my eyes, and my limping gait, I simply did not see that there was a line at all. And it was obvious that I wasn’t cutting in the line- she even yelled “Don’t cut through!!!” Very odd family, not having a magical time apparently.

Unfortunately, MK was very very crowded (no party, EMH until midnight), so I left. No way I could manuver walking let along with an ECV. But I met a very nice lady while walking down Main Street in an ECV. We talked a bit about her use of one, and she encouraged me. So I think I will be ok with renting one next time if I feel like it. I did consider it at Epcot, since it’s a lot of walking, but I did fine. The only place I had an issue was at Test Track. The line was not long, and I had a FP, but once you build the car and you stand in the queue after that, I had to leave. I just couldn’t stand any more. I had ridden it earlier as a single rider, and that moved constantly so that’s the ticket there.

I did get a DAS at AK the next day, which I did not use but had just in case. I may need to use it next month, but we’ll see.

 

[lorenae]

Anyway- the point of my post!!!! (Forgot in my above post).

THANK YOU. Thank you, thank you. You all have been a tremendous source of support and encouragement.

 

[Bete]

So, did you rent a park scooter?

 

[lorenae]

No. I got concerned about learning how to use one in the huge crowd. I hopped to another park (DHS) where it was very uncrowded and not much standing at all. I will when I need one though!

 

[krayzie]

Made it through an evening on an ecv in the rain. The bus driver that picked me up seemed grumpy about the ecv. Guy at night was much nicer. Controls decently compared to an electric wheelchair.