Knee scooter or ECV?

[gigem_aggies]

My husband has some torn ligaments in his foot. He will be in a boot when we leave for Disney in about 3 weeks. We are trying to determine what would be our best option: to rent a knee scooter from a medical supply store here at home OR rent a ECV from somewhere in Orlando? He's strained these same ligaments before and used crutches that time, but obviously crutches would be too difficult to manage in the parks all day. My main concern with the ECV is getting to a from the parks with it PLUS a double stroller. We are staying at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista, so it's not a WDW resort bus every day.

Thoughts? I haven't used a knee scooter before nor has he, so we don't know how well they operate in long durations...

 

[Bete]

You won't like my answer, but I would rent a scooter at the park. I would use crutches until you get to the scooter rental area. They will hold the crutches for you; I think. It costs more renting in the park. You may want to bring bungee cords or similar and secure the crutches onto the scooter and use them in the park when he gets off the scooter. I don't think Disney has scooters with a crutch attachment.

Anyway, the reason I say this is that a scooter is heavier than you think to lift in and out of the trunk or even an SUV. You haven't stated the car you will be using. Is it small, medium, or large can make quite a difference. I'm not sure you can do this on your own and it probably is not a good idea to make hubby help with the scooter in and out of the car. The smaller scooter you can rent off site are usually with weight limits. Make sure you get an appropriate scooter for the weight of your husband. It affects the battery life per day.

Then, as you stated you need to fit a double stroller, too. You may have to rent a stroller at the park if you want the scooter to fit in the car.

You may want to go to a local scooter mobility store and get a demo of a scooter he would use. Pride is a popular brand. Usually, they will let you take it apart and put it in the car. Have your stroller along and see how it will all work for you.

No experience with a knee scooter, but I would say they are lighter and more compact than a scooter. If hubby is in excellent condition it may be doable. Remember, the average trek around the parks is 6 miles a day. This will be everyday you are there going 6 miles/day.

 

[gap2368]

I would also do the ECV.

 

[tobikaye]

OP: I would agree with the ECV right now. If your husband does want to give it a try with the knee scooter, I would suggest renting one now and trying it for a few days, including trying to go somewhere where you would be using the scooter for hours on end like you would at WDW, such as a zoo or amusement park.

My mom broke her ankle a few years ago and someone loaned her a knee scooter. She tried using it for a few days but was not coordinated enough to use it. I tried it a few times just to see if I would be able to use it since I tend to twist my ankle and I know I would not be able to use one. I also was not coordinated enough plus I could not get it set to the right height to not cause pain elsewhere.

 

[gigem_aggies]

Thanks. He's super hesitant to rent an ECV because he's, well, being a man. But, I think I've convinced him he has to give something a try!

 

[scdak]

Thanks. He's super hesitant to rent an ECV because he's, well, being a man. But, I think I've convinced him he has to give something a try!

I was super hesitant to rent an ECV too but not because I am a man, but a woman that is Pooh sized and I was concerned that people would look at me and just think I was lazy! BUT a stress fracture in my foot 3 weeks before my fall 2016 trip and wearing a boot equaled an ECV or cancel the trip and that was NOT going to happen! It was 14 day combo conference / pleasure trip with lots of money invested so many tears later I broke down and rented one! Best decision to make the most of my trip, funny thing was my poor friend really screwed up her knee trying to help me and keep up with me (slow speed I might add) so on the 4th day of the trip we rented her one too, it was the only way to keep going and by that point the best days of the trip were to still to come.

You have gotten some good ideas about renting an ECV, renting onsite daily might have to be your answer considering the stroller but off site rentals are smaller, easier to use and if you have a vehicle that can handle both the ECV and the large stroller that might be a better choice, it would give your husband mobility around your hotel also. The motor is the heaviest component, the platform is not heavy but bulky but I can't imagine its much worse than dealing with the double stroller as far as bulky, the batteries and seat are easy to deal with. But it does depend on your vehicle - a SUV might be do-able esp if he could help without doing all the lifting, a large car trunk is not something I would want to tackle and I can't imagine that being an option considering the stroller.

As far as a knee scooter , it could be done if your husband is a healthy guy with pretty good stamina, it would be easier than crutches for sure! Can he try one at a rental store prior to your trip? Its not hard to use if you have decent balance, no limitations to the unaffected leg as that leg does all the work - pushing the scooter and supporting almost all the body's weight. He could expect to have a sore knee on the injured leg from putting weight on that knee for long periods of time even though they are padded but frequent breaks will help with that. if you are bringing a double stroller then I figure you have at least 2 kids so frequent breaks happen anyway My concern with it would be people walking into his foot that hangs off the back of the knee scooter and that could be painful and in the queues that could happen often when people aren't paying attention although I guess if you were behind him it would be you running in to him LOL.

Good luck in whatever the two of you decide and enjoy your trip!

 

[mamabunny]

Tell your hubby that using an ECV at WDW is no different than using a calculator to do math, glasses to see better, or hammer to pound in a nail.

It's a TOOL - with a purpose. The purpose is to allow him to enjoy his time with his family at WDW to the best of his ability.

It's not a cop-out. It's not a fail. THOUSANDS of people use ECVs at WDW every year. Using the ECV will help prevent any further injury, allow him to continue to heal safely and allow everyone in the family to enjoy the best possible vacation.

 

[Bete]

I believe he will last longer in the parks by using an ECV. What does his doctor say about walking at Disney? There's no reason to take unnecessary chances of hurting oneself.

 

[Zentra]

Just an added thought. My first trip I didn't want to use a scooter, but with nerve pain in my back and thigh from standing up for longer than an hour really put me in major pain and then my attitude went downhill. So after 2 days of that I decided to rent a scooter and boy did my boyfriend and I really enjoy our vacation from that point on. It made all the difference in the world for me to be able to enjoy my vacation. Now we stayed on disney property so had the convienence of using the Disney buses, however I'm pretty sure the Hilton Lake Buena Vista offers complimentary bus rides to the parks and if you were going to rent anything at the parks i'd say it should be the stroller as it is much cheaper than the ECV from the parks. I think it is like $31 a day for a double stroller versus $50 a day for the ECV.

 

[Hopefully]

Just an added thought. My first trip I didn't want to use a scooter, but with nerve pain in my back and thigh from standing up for longer than an hour really put me in major pain and then my attitude went downhill. So after 2 days of that I decided to rent a scooter and boy did my boyfriend and I really enjoy our vacation from that point on. It made all the difference in the world for me to be able to enjoy my vacation. Now we stayed on disney property so had the convienence of using the Disney buses, however I'm pretty sure the Hilton Lake Buena Vista offers complimentary bus rides to the parks and if you were going to rent anything at the parks i'd say it should be the stroller as it is much cheaper than the ECV from the parks. I think it is like $31 a day for a double stroller versus $50 a day for the ECV.

But is that shuttle bus ECV accessible?

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've noticed that so many of us who use a scooter/ECV don't want to and are embarrassed by it. I wish more people would recognize that, and be kinder to people on ECVs. The first time I used one, I actually cried about needing one. So please, don't assume we're all just lazy. Be kind!

 

[Zentra]

But is that shuttle bus ECV accessible?

I just called Hilton Buena Vista to verify that yes the buses are ECV accessible. I have stayed there once and while didn't use the buses I was pretty sure but didn't want to answer you without confirming. Hope this offers an alternative and help alleviate some concerns.

I called the Hilton Lake Buena Vista Palace but I believe it is the same at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista there across from Disney Springs also.

 

[gigem_aggies]

Wow, thanks everyone! Our plan is to go ahead and take the boot, with the idea that if he needs to rent an ECV, we will do that in the parks each day. It might be a little more expensive, but it will be easier than transporting that, our double stroller, and our 3 kids every day. Plus, he's able to walk with just the boot right now, but the long distances and hours standing will be the true test.

 

[bopper]

Here are top 5 Reasons that people think they shouldn't get an ECV 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 Dad is tired. No more going back to the hotel because grandpa is in pain. No more cranky Daddy because he tried to scoot 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 privilege when you go to Disney to do just that...why not use an ECV to make your family's vacation better?

 

[maxiesmom]

Wow, thanks everyone! We went ahead and rented the knee scooter and he's doing well with it. Our plan is to go ahead and take it, with the idea that if he needs to rent an ECV, we will do that in the parks each day. It might be a little more expensive, but it will be easier than transporting that, our double stroller, and our 3 kids every day. Plus, he's able to walk with just the boot right now, but the long distances and hours standing will be the true test.

I would take him out to the local zoo, and have him scoot for hours on end. That would be fairly close to what he will have to to at WDW. I would definitely plan on renting a scooter.

 

[JennyDrake]

From the "been there, done that file" RENT THE ECV!!

The distances, heat and uneven pavement (AK) are NOTHING like he is used to. A knee scooter will be h*ll on the uneven surfaces and long, slow hills. And that boot is going to get real old, real fast. Save everyone the stress and him the pain and get an ECV.