Heavier Duty ECV's & Wider Wheelchair

[mindy1908]

We will be going to WDW in late January and the individual I'm travelling with needs the use of a heavier duty ECV and a 24" wheelchair (which we will be bringing from home). Renting the ECV is no problem but I'm worried about using the larger ECV in WDW provided transportation like the buses, monorail or launches. Does anyone have any experience in this vein? We are also planning to use Mears and their wheelchair lift equipped vehicles for transportation to the Yacht Club. I'd also be thrilled to hear any comments about staying at the Yacht Club. Thanks for everything we have learned in the last few weeks about making this trip enjoyable.

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't have the answer to your questions, but just want to welcome you to disABILITIES. We have never stayed at the Yacht Club, but we have visited the hotel and it looks really wonderful. The Boardwalk area is very nice.

 

[mindy1908]

I just wanted to say, again, thanks for all the information you keep flowing around here. I've spoken to the Disney customer service line and the mobility company and everyone says of course things will work, but then we know some folks think all ECV's and/or wheelchairs are the same and we know they are not. I was hoping for a chance to hear from some real folks who have dealt with these particular issues and know how things truly will work.

 

[SueM in MN]

I know that we have had posters who have used extra wide ecvs and wheelchairs, so hopefully one of them will be along.
We don't really have any problems with access, but my DD is a tiny 17 yr old and uses a narrow adult chair. So I won't be too much help on what would fit where.
You will find that the Yacht club is a pretty easy walk/roll from Epcot and MGM Studio.

 

[mamajoan]

Hi, I do not use a 24" seat for my w/c, however I have seen many use that type of ecv/w/c.. I remember seeing ECV's rented from Walker that were 275-375# usage. Those ECV's were easily accomodated on the buses, in stores and resteraunsts. The only difficulty I do remember someone having was in a VERY SMALL bathroom that was not meant to accomodate the disabled. The problem was with turning radius that was way to short on space.
I am sorry I can not recall the location of this bathroom. I hope you all have a great vacation.

 

[SueM in MN]

The only difficulty I do remember someone having was in a VERY SMALL bathroom that was not meant to accomodate the disabled.

Good point about the bathrooms. There are quite a few small bathrooms and bathroom stalls, especially at MK and Epcot since they were built before accessibility was commonly built in. Most of the restrooms there have a handicapped stall, but they are small and you can't take a wheelchair or ecv into the stall with you. Most of the larger bathrooms won't be a problem just getting in to the bathroom because they are meant to handle large numbers of people, so the passageways are fairly large. Many of the smaller bathrooms don't have a lot of manouvering room, so I'd stear clear of them unless you can manage without having the wheelchair or ecv with you.
The bathrooms at MGM and AK are not usually a problem since they were built with accessibility in mind.

We pretty much can only use the companion bathrooms now, so I don't often go into the regular ones (especially the small ones. Bathrooms I especially remember as being small are all the bathrooms in the Land at Epcot, and the ones in Innoventions also most of the bathrooms inside restaurants in WS.

 

[sneezy1956]

Don't ever try to get a ECV in the restrooms that are in the Moroccan restaurant. I promise you will not fit. A wheel chair barely fit and then you had to back it out and no one else could get in.