MK rope drop first time with ECV

[micheleq]

Hello,

My MIL will be renting an ECV for our trip in November (from an approved off site vendor), and I'm wondering if anyone has some helpful tips for us navigating rope drop at MK with the ECV? She has never used one before, but she is having back surgery today and our trip is November 25-28th so we are trying to be prepared.

We will have FIL's van, so we will drive to the park. Any tips on parking? Entry lines? MK is the only park we will do at rope drop.

I'm planning on getting some Xmas garland/battery operated LED lights to decorate her ECV She loves the holidays and I know she will enjoy that element of WDW.

Thanks in advance!

 

[tobikaye]

Parking - Will you have a handicap tag to park in handicap parking?

• If yes: Once you pass through the gates, follow the blue lines to the handicap parking. There are not trams from the HA parking areas. The HA area at DHS can get full very quickly. At MK, the HA parking can be a far walk from the TTC. I would suggest that you take the ferry from TTC to MK as I think it is easier to load and unload from versus the monorail.
• If no: The ECV cannot go on the trams so depending on how close you are, some may want to ride the tram while others walk while your MIL rides the EVC.

Parks - When you get to the parks, get a map for mobility disabilities. This will tell you how to approach each attraction. If they are not out with all the other maps, you can get them at Guest Services. (Sometimes they will have all the parks available so I get them all at once.) She should turn the EVC off when she is stationary so that she can conserve batteries.

If she has not driven an EVC before, she might want to try at a store before going. The ones at the store are normally bulky compared to the ones rented off-site, but she can get a feel for how they work. She should start at a slow speed until she has the hang of it.

 

[ttintagel]

When waiting in the mob for the gates to open, try not to have her sitting next to someone holding a small child at their chest level. I've been stuck in that position twice at rope drop, and got kicked in the head over and over as the children swung their legs.

Politely letting the first parent know their child was kicking me in the head resulted in a shrug and a "Wait somewhere else," which I couldn't do because the crowd was too thick to drive through. Doing the same with the second parent got her to turn the other way, but only after chewing me out for "hating children" and lecturing me on how I shouldn't come to the MK if I "can't handle kids being kids."

So be prepared to create a buffer zone around your seated MIL and any rowdy elements. Same goes for crowded parade areas.

 

[bidnow5]

Before you go have her use the ones at grocery stores or big department stores they will give her a feel for using one

 

[micheleq]

Parking - Will you have a handicap tag to park in handicap parking?

• If yes: Once you pass through the gates, follow the blue lines to the handicap parking. There are not trams from the HA parking areas. The HA area at DHS can get full very quickly. At MK, the HA parking can be a far walk from the TTC. I would suggest that you take the ferry from TTC to MK as I think it is easier to load and unload from versus the monorail.
• If no: The ECV cannot go on the trams so depending on how close you are, some may want to ride the tram while others walk while your MIL rides the EVC.

Parks - When you get to the parks, get a map for mobility disabilities. This will tell you how to approach each attraction. If they are not out with all the other maps, you can get them at Guest Services. (Sometimes they will have all the parks available so I get them all at once.) She should turn the EVC off when she is stationary so that she can conserve batteries.

If she has not driven an EVC before, she might want to try at a store before going. The ones at the store are normally bulky compared to the ones rented off-site, but she can get a feel for how they work. She should start at a slow speed until she has the hang of it.

Thank you! Very helpful -- we'll have to figure out parking and see if she gets a temp handicapped parking permit. I suspect she may as she'll have limited mobility for several weeks post surgery.

When waiting in the mob for the gates to open, try not to have her sitting next to someone holding a small child at their chest level. I've been stuck in that position twice at rope drop, and got kicked in the head over and over as the children swung their legs.

Politely letting the first parent know their child was kicking me in the head resulted in a shrug and a "Wait somewhere else," which I couldn't do because the crowd was too thick to drive through. Doing the same with the second parent got her to turn the other way, but only after chewing me out for "hating children" and lecturing me on how I shouldn't come to the MK if I "can't handle kids being kids."

So be prepared to create a buffer zone around your seated MIL and any rowdy elements. Same goes for crowded parade areas.

That's horrible! I'm sorry that happened to you. I'll make sure I prep MIL for the crowds and remind her that she will be at a different vantage point than she is used to.

Before you go have her use the ones at grocery stores or big department stores they will give her a feel for using one

Excellent idea. I'll see if FIL can get her to try one out beforehand.

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the advice!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I second trying at stores before you go. it is a big help to practice. also be prepare to follow CMs directions and to ask them if you or she have questions. rope drop is one of the hardest things to do at Disney with the crowds and be prepared to others to just move you out of their way

 

[cmwade77]

Parking - Will you have a handicap tag to park in handicap parking?

• If no: The ECV cannot go on the trams so depending on how close you are, some may want to ride the tram while others walk while your MIL rides the EVC.

That's terrible, Disneyland has the trams setup to accommodate ECVs and wheelchairs and they are essentially the same trams, so it should be able to be accomplished.