Help me convince my mom to use a scooter

[Macdonx]

My mom will be joining my son (9) and I in WDW for 11 days in December. She has had back surgery twice to fuse bones, she's got arthritis in her back, knees, and feet, and she's got stenosis. I told her that she might want to rent a scooter at the parks, just so she doesn't feel like she has to rush to keep up with us, and so that she's not in alot of extra pain each night. She said she didn't think she needed one. She'd just pop pills for the two weeks.
I told her that maybe she should just look into it - she can ride it around, and then park it and walk through the queues and into shows. She said that it only hurts really bad in the morning for the first few hours (she's retired, so she doesn't do alot of walking beyond cleaning her house - she not physically active at all). I said that maybe she could walk the first day (MK day), then ride on the second day. Or maybe ride on the big parks (EP and AK), and walk the small parks (MK and HS). I said that she doesn't have to rent it for the whole 2 weeks, she can just do it a few days at bigger parks. She still says that she'll just make sure her prescription meds are full, and she'll take painkillers all week and she'll be fine.

My mom's an adult, and only she knows how much pain she has, but I think that what it comes down to is that she's embarrassed to use the scooter.

What can I say to her to reconsider? Any thoughts?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

Basically a person has a certain amount of energy available to them daily. If they relax during the day the amount of energy available will increase; when they sleep at night they recharge their system,

However, when in pain energy is used up much faster than in normal conditions. If you become exhausted, with by what you have done or, more importantly, what you have done while in pain your system will not recharge to the original energy level overnight and you are starting the next day with a lower amount of energy available.

You might pick a location at least a half mile from where she lives and ask her would she like to walk there. If she hesitates, then say "and back", and of she is still not sure then add "at least three times in a row".

Once around the World Showcase Lagoon Promenade is more than 1¼ miles; most people tend to average 8 - 12 miles per day at WDW.

Please ask the following questions. Here are the suggested answers to go with them.

1. Are you disabled (even temporarily)? Yes.

2. Do the people you are traveling with, such as your family, know you are disabled? Yes.

3. Do you expect to meet anyone you know during this trip who may not know you are disabled. Probably No!

4. Do you expect to meet a bunch of people who you will probably never meet again in your life? Probably yes!

5. Is there any reason at all that you should care what these people think about you? Absolutely No!!

6. Will using a wheelchair or ECV make for a better vacation for you and your family? Absolutely YES!

 

[Macdonx]

This is exactly the kind of info I wanted.
I don't want to sound like a nag when I talk to her, and I don't want to tell her what to do (she's not a child, she's an adult...). And I don't want her to think that we don't want her there because she (maybe) can't keep up.

Truly, thanks for this.

Cheers,
Mary

 

[msmayor]

Last summer, my entire extended family (16 of us!) went to WDW to celebrate my parents' 50th. My Dad has some health issues that truly affect him in the heat, and we encouraged him to get a scooter. For 'pride' reasons, he refused...at first.

He did indeed tire easily. The heat sapped him. He'd leave the park and go nap at the resort because he got so tired. In short...he missed spending time with his kids and grandkids, the whole purpose of the trip.

With two days left we finally convinced him to get a scooter. He spent the WHOLE day in the park and had a blast...and was filled with regret for not doing it earlier in the week.

 

[bopper]

Here are top 5 Reasons that people think they shouldn't get one when they should.

I can't drive one. Go to your local Costco/Walmart/Target or other large store. They probably have an electric cart type thing that you could use while shopping. Try it out. I bet you can drive it.

People might think I don't really need it because I can walk. Are these people going to share the pain with you at the end of the day? Do you care what they think? Save your walking energy between rides and use it for lines or getting on the rides. Enjoy your family and your vacation.

It will slow my family down. No, actually it will speed your family up. No more rests because grandmais tired. No more going back to the hotel because grandma/whoever is in pain. No more cranky grammy because she tried to walk miles and miles in Disney instead of renting an ECV. You are completely mobile on your own (nobody pushing you in a wheelchair). What's the slow down here?

It's expensive. Um, how much are you spending on this vacation? Don't you want to enjoy it? If money is that tight, take a day off of your trip and spend that money on the ECV so you can enjoy it!

I don't want my kids/family to think I am disabled. You are either temporarily or permanently disabled in some way if you are even asking about this issue...once again, why not make it a better vacation by saving yourself from pain? Nobody is saying you have to confine yourself to a wheelchair permanently or you should not stop trying to get better. If somebody told you to go walk 4 miles, you would think they are crazy. But you are paying for the privilige when you go to Disney to do just that...why not use an ECV to make your family's vacation better?

 

[mooneyda]

My mom also does not get around very good. She had lots of trouble keeping up and needs to rest. so one day she rented at the AK to save wear and tear and was able to make the entire park. Then the next year she went one step farther she rented out side Disney to have the scooter for the entire trip and not have to worry whether or not they are rented out and actually it was like $250 dollars for the week or something but then she used to to go everywhere.Now she get everytime we go

 

[GetGlowing]

My sister and I are facing a similar situation for our trip with parents in November. Our dad has a very hard time walking. Sister and I decided that we would rent and pay for a scooter for him, he doesn't have a say in the matter. We have been season ticket holders at Dollywood for years and every time we visit the park we have a great time but he's not able to go up hills quickly if at all, and he basically hobbles through the park and is in discomfort much of the time. But he would never pay out of his own pocket for a scooter (tightwad!! lol) so we made an executive decision for the "team" for our WDW trip. We're really playing up the fact that he can be our fastpass "runner," bag carrier, stuff like that. He's cool with the idea. And I think he realizes it will make the trip much much more pleasant for everyone in our party.

Good luck with your mom, and have a great time!!

 

[Epcot4Me]

I had the exact same issue with my mom on our last trip. She has arthritis in her knees and I knew she would have issues walking around the parks (she has issues walking around the mall!)

She was adamant about not getting a scooter and really, really didn't want anyone pushing her in a wheelchair. Well, after 1 day in the parks, she was constantly in pain, always missing out on things to just sit for awhile, and popping pills like they were candy. So, I ordered her one and had it delivered to the resort. Halfway through the first day, she was thanking me profusely because of how much better it was for her.

For her, the best thing for me to do was just get it. I never would have convinced her ahead of time. I don't know if that's an option for your mom.

I can tell you the reasons my mom loved it so much. Obviously, there was less pain. She was not only able to keep up with us, she was ahead of us for most of the trip. No one had to wait for her, she never missed out on anything because she needed to sit for a minute. It was incredibly easy to use- and trust me, my mom is a horrible driver. She was very worried at first about others judging her, but this was never an issue- others did say things (especially loading the bus), but she just didn't care. She said the scooter just made such a difference in her enjoyment that a couple of comments weren't going to ruin it for her.

Good luck!

 

[ckdsnynt]

If i could, I would sit down and talk to your mom. This is what I would tell her.

For many years, I have dealt with backpain caused by degenerative dics, Pars defect and scoliosis. I have had one back surgery and physical therapy on three separate occassions. I have had two rounds of steroid injections. All of these temporarily help but soon, the pain comes back like a roaring lion. It devours me and destroys my energy as well as my sunny disposition. In the morning, I can barely get outof bed, but after an hour or so and two pills (one a pain pill and one muscle relaxer), I can move a bit better. I continue the routine of muscle relaxer and pain pill throughout the day so I can get through the day. I also take a long lasting pain pill every day to lessen the overall pain.

At WDW, I have always been the family leader. I ran the fastest to the ride, rode the most rides and out lasted everbody. First one up and last to bed. No longer. It is very difficlut to face the fact that any movement is a pain and my endurance is that of a child. My hips now hurt along with pain running down my right leg. So it is not just my back any longer. About two hours is all I can do at the parks. A nap helps but then I can only go back to the park for about another hour. Three hours total for all the money that we spend to go there. Not to mention that it effects my family. They don't want to go to the parks without me. They don't want to see me laying in the room or by the pool knowing I would rather be at the parks with them (they would actually rather be at the pool while I would rather be in the parks than at the pool!)

So, this past May, I did it! I rented a scooter off site, had it delivered to my resort and it changed my life! I actually went home rested, not broken down. My family had a great time seeing me actually enjoy myself again! Yes, I was once again the family leader and the first one to arrive at the turnstiles and the rides. I actually left them in the dust! Maybe this might not be a big thing to everyone but it is a point of honor to me!

Did people think I didn't need it? Propbably, since I look fine, even though I used a cain when I was not on the scooter. The cane did help me when I got tired. (Sitting on the chair of the scooter still hurts my back somewhat) Did people think I took advantage by getting on the bus first after they had been waiting a while? Probably. I can't help that. Disney sets the rules about who gets on first, not me. All I know is that I loved it and I will rent one again this December when we stay at the Poly.

For me, there is nothing to fix my back or leg. So, I can suffer while moping around the room or hop on a scooter and enjoy myself. No question which one I will choose!

Good luck with your Mom.

 

[ckdsnynt]

I had the exact same issue with my mom on our last trip. She has arthritis in her knees and I knew she would have issues walking around the parks (she has issues walking around the mall!)

She was adamant about not getting a scooter and really, really didn't want anyone pushing her in a wheelchair. Well, after 1 day in the parks, she was constantly in pain, always missing out on things to just sit for awhile, and popping pills like they were candy. So, I ordered her one and had it delivered to the resort. Halfway through the first day, she was thanking me profusely because of how much better it was for her.

For her, the best thing for me to do was just get it. I never would have convinced her ahead of time. I don't know if that's an option for your mom.

I can tell you the reasons my mom loved it so much. Obviously, there was less pain. She was not only able to keep up with us, she was ahead of us for most of the trip. No one had to wait for her, she never missed out on anything because she needed to sit for a minute. It was incredibly easy to use- and trust me, my mom is a horrible driver. She was very worried at first about others judging her, but this was never an issue- others did say things (especially loading the bus), but she just didn't care. She said the scooter just made such a difference in her enjoyment that a couple of comments weren't going to ruin it for her.

Good luck!

Bless you! Her story sounds like mine (read mine above here). My family is too scared of me to rent one for me but they really urged me to get one. I finally did and it changed my vacation and theirs - for the better! Pride is a terrible thing to let get in your way, isn't it?

 

[Macdonx]

You all have given me some great points to talk to her about.
I don't want to treat her like a child, but like you've said, I also want her to be able to enjoy her time, not be so broken by half way through the week.

If it comes down to it, I'll push her into renting it on our Epcot day (which is day 4 of our vacation, after MK, AK, and rest day). If she really, really doesn't like it, then we're out $50, and she gets to say "I told you so". But if she does have a better day, then I get to shut my mouth and say nothing

Thanks everyone.

 

[millerpjm]

My mom had broken her ankle over Labor Day last year, and we had planned 2 days at DL right before Christmas. By December, she could walk, but knew she would be in a lot of pain by the end of the day walking around the parks. We rented her a scooter, and it was worth every cent. Not only did she not have to rest (DH and I were actually the most tired of anyone!) but she would put my 6 year old DS on her lap and the two of them would cruise around, saving him from wearing out too.

She's already thinking she may rent a scooter for when we got to WDW, just to save her feet!

 

[SoScary'09]

I'm really glad to read about this topic. It's such a relief~

This year (while exercising for our big trip I might add) I ended up unexpectedly injuring my back. So badly so that I had to undergo x-rays, an mri and the whole works since they thought I might have slipped a disc. Turns out everything thankfully came out negative, but since May I've still been having a lot of pain and problems keeping the strength up in my legs. I've never used a scooter in my entire life, as before this I'd never had any kind of health issues whatsoever. Now with our family's week long vacation coming up, I'm really nervous about being in pain the whole time/ruining it for everyone.

SO I'm deciding to swallow my pride and rent a scooter if I get too tired. And as I've read, it doesn't mean I have to use it the ENTIRE time I'm there, since I can walk and be on my feet for short periods of time. I'll probably just go to MK the first day, take it slow and see how it goes. I need to keep telling myself to stop stressing out over it so much But now I see that I'm definitely not alone when it comes to this sort of situation. It makes me feel a whole lot better^_^<3 Thanks everyone for sharing your stories!

 

[fla4fun]

IFor her, the best thing for me to do was just get it. I never would have convinced her ahead of time. I don't know if that's an option for your mom.

My Mom was the same way. The last trip without a scooter, we started with MK. We managed about an hour an a half, and she had to lay down for a couple hours before we could even think about going back to the resort. So when we went to Epcot the next morning (we were at BC, so going in International Gateway) I just told her I needed to stop in the store for something, and I went in and rented the scooter. When I went out to get it, I told her I'd rented it, and if she didn't feel comfortable using it, I would use it. She tried it, and we've never looked back. At first, we just rented the ones in the parks, but these days we rent for the whole trip from an off site vendor to make it easier.

I think in her case it was more worrying about the expense than anything else. I know whenever I mention getting her one of her own, that's the first thing that comes up. I guess I'll have to give her a "surprise" one of these days!

 

[minidreamin]

For those that might consider renting an EVC but won't because of the cost, try renting from off property. I rented a scooter from this location on my last trip. The cost is about half of what Disney charges. They'll deliver and pick up form your hotel...on or off property.

The scooter they rent breaks down in to 5 pieces that fit into any car trunk easily. And being a small three wheel design, it'll go through queues very easily.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I looked at their web site and was not impressed by both the lack of information as well as all of their hype.

All they show is the Pride Go-Go, which is a travel ECV. It has a maximum weight limit of 250 pounds and a recommended weight of 200. The maximum life of a new, fully charged, battery is about ten miles. They show a fee for both drop off and pick up.

They only show the one model. They state "as low as $21.50 per day". They state "up to 50% off" {my bolding} and do not say off what.

There is no address shown to be able to look at their stock and facility only a phone number for contact.

And their domain name is though "Domains By Proxy" si it is not possible to see the underlying ownership of their web site.

If someone does use them please report to us on their equipment and service. But at this time I would suggest if people want to rent an ECV from offsite they use one of the ones listed in the disABILITIES FAQ as we have had many people with very good results using them.

 

[Bete]

All they show is the Pride Go-Go, which is a travel ECV. It has a maximum weight limit of 250 pounds and a recommended weight of 200. The maximum life of a new, fully charged, battery is about ten miles. They show a fee for both drop off and pick up.

There are many models available of the Pride Go Go scooters. I don't get any of this info your reporting at all from the site. I can't see where they are saying a certain model. If I'm wrong please show me were it states this on their website. Some go go models can go to 325 pounds. I'm not saying their rental one does. Also, with a heavy duty battery pack some go go models go for a 13 to 15 mile range on one charge which is outstanding for a portable, travel scooter.

Most go go scooters are rated for 275 pounds now. The newer models are all better now for weight capacity. I have talked to Pride many times who is the manufacturer of this scooter and the scooter best performs at about 20 to 30 pounds under the maximum weight capacity of any of their scooters. Finally, all manufacturers are basically the same on this point. For optimum results you don't want to be on the heavy end of the weight capacity of any scooter.

Could you please show me where you saw the recommended weight is only 200 pounds for a 250 pound go go scooter.

I'm a month away from buying my first scooter and Pride's go go model to me is among the best out there for a travel scooter. If you have concrete evidence to the contrary I sure would appreciate that info, now. I will be buying a heavier duty model, but I would like to hear any bad reports now before I purchase one.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

It has been about a year and a half since I was last shopping for an ECV. I see where Pride is now including the heavy duty battery with almost all of the Go-Go line (except the lowest) and the weight capacities have increased. And I was using the 80% of capacity as the normal guideline for ECVs. It appears that Pride is now using a 90% figure instead of 80%.

 

[HockeyKat]

I am likely to face the same problem, so I was really happy to see this thread.

We are taking my in-laws and extended in-law family (BIL, SIL, 2 nieces) in September, for a 6 day trip. My 67-yr old FIL has stage III congestive heart failure (implanted defribrillator), lung cancer, and COPD. He is doing fairly well right now, but still can't barely walk from parking lot to store without getting out of breath.

Seems like a no-brainer for an ECV, right?

Well, he is about the most stubborn individual that I have ever come across, and added to that, I think that he has, well, for lack of a better way to say it... suffered a few cognitive setbacks along the way. But regardless of why, he is adamant that he doesn't need one.

We have pretty much decided that we are renting one anyhow (BIL/DH have agreed to split the cost), as I imagine after a half-day at Epcot (our first day), he will get over his stubbornness?

 

[Bete]

I am likely to face the same problem, so I was really happy to see this thread.

We are taking my in-laws and extended in-law family (BIL, SIL, 2 nieces) in September, for a 6 day trip. My 67-yr old FIL has stage III congestive heart failure (implanted defribrillator), lung cancer, and COPD. He is doing fairly well right now, but still can't barely walk from parking lot to store without getting out of breath.

Just to let you know there's a nurse's station in each park. They can administer oxygen from what I was told. If they give oxygen they will call the Reedy Ambulance Service located in the park (behind the scenes). God bless that you don't need anything like this, but I thought I would pass on the info just in case.