Help with ECV for >350lbs

[emmaleigh47]

Hello! I am not sure where to post this... this isnt a board I have been on before. I am running the ING half marathon in Miami and have invited my mother to come with me. After the half marathon I am suprising her with a trip to Disneyworld because she has never been. She can walk short distances, but nothing more than 1 block due to severe athritis, so she will likely need an ECV. She is disabled and has a handicapped parking sticker.

I dont know how to ask this, but do the ECVs accomodate for those people of size. She is just under 400 pounds... and wont be able to just rent it for the park because she will need it to get back to the buses too. We will not have a car .... so here are my questions.

1. Do I need a GAC or file something for someone with disabilities?
2. What ECV company should we use?
3. Do they deliver and pick up or how does this work?
4. Can the ECV go directly onto the bus and monorail she will only have to walk as little as possible.

This means alot to me... and I want her to enjoy it, so I want to get this all figured out...thank you in advance!

 

[Bete]

by saying that using a bigger ECV may get to be too much for your mom to load and unload from the bus or monorail. You may have to assist in this process. The driver is not required to help. They will secure the scooter for safety, but it's your job to get it on and off the bus, monorail, etc. We have helped others get the scooter positioned on the bus, etc.

One trip for my MIL we rented a wheelchair for her for the buses and such and then we rented in the park for an ECV. It wasn't easy, but we did it. This may be a better plan for you, as well. The wheelchair can be held at the scooter rental in the park.

You do not need a GAC for renting a scooter. I'm not sure if a GAC would help in any other way.

You can rent from many choices. My favorite is Apple Scooters, but you better let them know the weight situation; so, they can rent you a correct scooter. They have been the most reasonable. They will deliver the scooter to your resort (usually the luggage area) and you drop it off there, as well. You have to get it into your room each night with the scooter and you have to charge the scooter's battery preferably each night.

Please realize scooters do not go on rides. You can go through a ride queue with them, but then you get on the ride yourself. There are some rides where you can transfer to a wheelchair for the ride. You can stay in a scooter for shows, parades, and fireworks. They don't do well in most eating places.

Using a scooter for the first time at Disney can be frustrating. Some will dart right in front of a scooter to get by. Kids don't pay attention too much; they are caught up in the magic. Parking in tight places and reversing can be challenging. I would practice a lot of manuevers at the resort before heading over to the parks.

 

[SueM in MN]

Hello! I am not sure where to post this... this isnt a board I have been on before. I am running the ING half marathon in Miami and have invited my mother to come with me. After the half marathon I am suprising her with a trip to Disneyworld because she has never been. She can walk short distances, but nothing more than 1 block due to severe athritis, so she will likely need an ECV. She is disabled and has a handicapped parking sticker.

I dont know how to ask this, but do the ECVs accomodate for those people of size. She is just under 400 pounds... and wont be able to just rent it for the park because she will need it to get back to the buses too. We will not have a car .... so here are my questions.

Post # 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread has more information about renting ECVs. There is contact information for the different companies on that thread. You can find the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

1. Do I need a GAC or file something for someone with disabilities?

No, you don't need a GAC to use an ECV or to use it in lines.
There is more information about GACs in post #6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. There are posts on page 2 of the FAQs thread for each park kind of detailing which attractions she would be able to bring the ECV into and use it during the attraction.

2. What ECV company should we use?
3. Do they deliver and pick up or how does this work?

I would feel comfortable renting from any of the companies listed in the disABILITIES FAQs thread. The most commonly used ones reported on this board are Walker, Randys and Apple. All will deliver and pick up to your resort - the cost is included in the rental price. Randys requires that someone be there to receive the ECV in most cases. The others will deliver to Bell Services and it will be waiting for you when you arrive.

4. Can the ECV go directly onto the bus and monorail she will only have to walk as little as possible.

ECVs can go directly on both the bus and monorails.
There are some pictures of the monorail in one of the posts in the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

 

[KPeveler]

Please note that all the Scooters rented by the companies listed in the FAQs have scooters that are all the proper size for loading on the buses. Baskets and backpacks are NOT part of this measurement.

There are some companies out there that rent scooters or wheeled devices that are too large for the buses (even without baskets and backpacks). If you have one of these, you may be refused entry to the buses. For this reason, I suggest you stick with the rental companies listed in the FAQs.

As Bete said, there are (almost) no rides she can take the scooter on to. Some of the rides that are have wheelchair accessible vehicles will have park wheelchairs she can transfer into to get onto the ride. I am not sure these wheelchairs will be of proper size to accommodate you mom.

There are a few queues that cannot handle ECVs at all (they are generally the older queues built before the ADA was passed). Many of the Fantasyland queues will ask that she park the ECV outside the ride and walk up to the ride vehicle (this distance is generally not too far, but you can always ask the CM at the ride to find out how far it is).

There are buses with lifts and buses with ramps. She will need to back onto or off of both buses and monorails, and she will need to parallel park the scooter on the bus. She should practice doing this in the parking lot at the hotel where there is plenty of room. It will make her feel more confident.

Orlando Airport is HUGE! So I suggest you arrange for a wheelchair in the airport for her. You can do this through your airline.

For shows you will be in the back row generally. She WILL have to park her scooter actually facing the stage (you would be surprised how many people complain about this!). Sometimes there is only room for 1 person to sit next to her. The rest of the family will have to sit in the rows in front of her.

For the Haunted mansion, she will either have to park the scooter outside and walk/stand for 5-15 minutes and walk all the way though the stretching room and the queue afterward. They CANNOT slow the moving walkway at this point. If she needs the walkway slowed or if she cannot walk that much, they will take her in the exit (after waiting in the queue).

The scooter cannot be taken into the line at Pirates. She will have to use a park wheelchair which is provided, or walk. Many people who are pooh-sized have reported problems with park chairs being too small.

There are some places she will do better to park the scooter. Table-Service restaurants can be so crowded, it may be more comfortable to wait in the scooter until the table is ready, and then walk to the table.

Hope you all have a great trip!