Going to Need an ECV this trip

[mom4praise]

Now that I have been fully diagnosed with Osteoarthritis and have days it hurts to walk through the grocery store, I guess it's time to admit I am going to need to rent an ECV on our next trip. My youngest (ds7) uses his stroller as a wheelchair when go, he has very low muscle tone and stamina - he also has a DAS for sensory issues and a few other issues. I was originally planning this trip just the two of us, but now my daughter (18) is coming with us. I'm wondering if it is better to rent an ECV from Disney to just use in the parks or from an outside vendor? I'm worried about transportation with his stroller (city-mini GT) and an ECV. Guess I'm just looking for reassurance that this trip isn't going to feel like I'm a hassle.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I feel for you, Mom4. I have the same first-time-going-to-need-an-ECV trip coming up in 9 days. I have a cyst on my spine that has me in moderate pain throughout the day, but this day is a normal work day, not an 8-10 mile Disney day. I know I am going to need the scooter,and I am opting to rent from Disney since I will definitely be able to manage walking around the resort and to/from the rental location at the parks. I know that I could get a better machine for less money, but I don't want to hassle with the buses and monorails if I can avoid it.
In your case, your daughter can manage the stroller, leaving you to maneuver the ECV onto the bus/monorail.

Good luck!

 

[powellrj]

It depends on how long and far you feel you can walk. If after using the ECV in the parks all day you will be OK not having it in the room or around the resorts it would be easier to just rent daily from the parks.

If you think you will need your ECV back at the resort, rent one off-site and have it with you.

If you have never used one before, go to a big box store like Target or Wal-mart or a grocery store and practice using one to see how they work.

 

[Bete]

I think this depends on how long you will be in the parks each day. If you have long days planned I wouldn't want to walk at the end of the day at all.

It takes some practice, but all of us get better each time on and off the buses or other transportation modes with our scooter.

You can try without a scooter outside of the park and see how it goes. You can do last minute rentals from outside vendors, if you need to change your mind.

 

[mamabunny]

I second what every one else here said - and just to add these thoughts:

Whenever you use the scooter, just remember it's a tool to get things done. Nothing more. It lets you go and do the things you want to do.

Everyone gets worried about that first bus load/unload with a scooter. Once you have the hang of it, you will be surprised at how quick and easy it can be. Like everything else, practice makes better! (LOL my hubby refuses to say "perfect") Although the driver is not allowed to drive your scooter on/off, they are very helpful, especially if you tell them that you are a first timer! And if your 18 year old is going along, she can drive the scooter on/off the bus for you. 18 year olds are notorious for being fearless!

Finally, look objectively at the resort you will be staying at. Think about these things you may want to/need to do while away from the parks:
- Take laundry back and forth to the laundry room
- Travel back and forth to the pool
- Travel back and forth to meals at food service
- Travel back and forth to the bus stops (this alone can be quite the hike, depending on the resort you are at)
- Travel around at Downtown Disney/Disney Springs
When you consider all of these extra steps, does that make renting a scooter "full time" from an outside vendor more compelling?

I hope that your trip is every bit as Magical as you wish it to be!

 

[JennyDrake]

HANDS DOWN rent from outside vendor so you have access to it 24/7. It's very easy (been there, done that!) to undervalue the walking from your room to teh bus stop and from the bus stop to the bag check and from the bag check to the first attraction.

 

[mamabunny]

AND I FORGOT TO ADD THIS:

*YOU* are *NOT* a "hassle". Does this suck? Yes. It sure does! I'll be the first to (slowly and painfully) stand and testify to that fact.

But you are NOT a hassle. Not now. Not ever. You are a human, dealing with a life-changing medical issue.

If you choose to use the ECV as tool while you are at WDW, you will see that an eye-opening thing happens. Suddenly, you can go all day. You have the energy to deal with the little things that before - when you were trying to walk and manage your own pain, and set your family's expectations - would overwhelm you easily.

Use the ECV and you may find that because you hurt less, you can laugh more with your children, and be more spontaneous.

No, I don't "blanket recommend" an ECV for just everyone. But when a person who can benefit from it, uses it to improve their life, their time with their family and their trip - it's a pretty powerful thing.

Now, get on that ECV, ride off towards the sunset, and wave to everyone like the pretty princess we know you are!

 

[jdb in AZ]

Hey, an ECV is actually fun to drive. I'm not the best at parking it on a bus, and the sympathetic bus drivers have been known to take pity and park it for me (saves them time in the long run), but the monorail is really simple. Just drive on, then off. No parallel parking involved.

 

[mom4praise]

Thanks everyone. I think I am going to rent off-site. We are staying at Pop, but I know the walk just from the park exit to the buses and from the bus to the room can get long. I've driven the ones in Target, Busch Gardens, and BJs so I'm not to worried about driving in the park. I'm just a bit nervous about the bus. I just need to do it and I'll be fine.

 

[Pats Dragon]

I still feel sad disappointing a line of people at bus stops when I get to load first. If they knew the down side to being in pain even with a scooter and hassling with prking it everywhere they wouldn't be resentful. It definitely makes a trip better. Let your family drive it onto the bus if that worries you.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

I had an arthroscopy in November 2012 because I tore the cartlage in my right knee, at which point I was diagnosed as having arthritis in my right knee and therefore probably had it in my left knee as well. I still can't believe that we went to Disney in February 2013 with nothing more than a walking stick to help me. It didn't even occur to me at that point to hire one! But we were offsite at a 2nd floor condo so it just wouldn't have been possible.

However, as the year passed, using the walking stick on my left side exacerbated the arthritis in my left knee and it was a cold winter over here in December 2013 - February 2014, and I decided to 'give in' and hire a scooter for our trip in February 2014. I was actually in a LOT of pain from mid-December right through to just after our trip. I'm so glad I did hire one, because I couldn't have managed the parks otherwise. It was really quite cold at night, and as we were there for late openings at the time DD and I went to MK nearly every night (one night wearing about 4 layers as I never take a coat to the US). We stayed in a preferred room at CBR so I could walk to the food hall, but it was still uncomfortable.

I started taking Omega Oil supplements in 2014 and that helped enormously with the pain. While winter 2014-15 was cold, and I did get some pain, it wasn't nearly as bad as the previous winter as we didn't get the snow and ice.

For our trip this March we stayed in a suite at AoA (Cars - the BEST 'land' to be in), and I ended up taking the scooter over to the food hall every day as it was so much quicker to nip over and bring back 3 hot chocolates or whatever in the scooter basket and sometimes even some toasted bagels and have them still hot when I got back to our suite.

Now, I'm okay in queues if they're moving or on the level, but I have a lot of problems with slopes and lots of steps - because my knees have no integrity in them and I just don't feel safe. I'm okay walking, but standing still in one place for any length of time causes a lot of pain because I feel as if my joints are compressing down and it can be really painful. So, while I strictly don't need a scooter all the time, I'd rather take it and use it for the getting around so that I can manage small bits (such as rides where I can't take it in the queue - eg Buzz Lightyear and Pirates). The hardest bit I had this March was getting up to the TTA when the moving walkway wasn't working.

So ... if your daughter is coming she can help with your wheelchair-bound son. Don't feel guilty or useless. Another thought is that I am okay with shopping because I can lean on the shopping trolley as if it was a rollator. For times when you feel you need to walk (I find I have to from time to time as it stops my joints locking up) then you can probably manage pushing the stroller - as long as it doesn't involve slopes and stuff because that adds unnecessary strain on the knees.

Finally, I would recommend hiring an offsite scooter because the Disney ones are huge, heavy and chunky and difficult to manoeuvre. I know they're getting news ones soon, but I don't expect them to be much smaller.

 

[ttintagel]

I'm just a bit nervous about the bus. I just need to do it and I'll be fine.

Every time I've been to WDW with someone using an ECV (including myself), the Disney bus drivers have been nothing short of amazing in their kindness and helpfulness in getting us on and off the buses. I know the unfamiliar is always something that makes us nervous, but I have no doubt whatsoever that you'll have a positive experience with them.