Need some helpful advice

[doombuggy]

Hi folks! I have been hanging around here a bit in preperation for my trip this coming May with my grama. She lost her husband of 57 years to Altzheimer's last July. With Grampa gone, she has started to do things that she never did before in her life (IE fly on a plane!). She beat breast cancer in 1999, but found out in 2000 that she has Parkinson's. She really needs a vacation, so I decided to take her to Disney! No better place, right?!

I want to rent her an ECV, probably from Walker (we are staying at Riverside) and I wanted to make a ressie now for the ECV. Is that necessary (I want to make sure I have one for the trip in May). Will they request a credit card number, but not bill us until May when we actually rent the ECV? She is paying for this herself (we are splitting the rest) and is on a limited budget. Any info you guys may have would help back me up!

I am renting a car (she has a h/c hang tag that will come with her), and have read that the ECV should not weigh more than 35 lbs. I understand that I will have to take it apart to load, but that's ok. I should be able to handle this (I hope, if it's not too complicated).

Any info that y'all can share would be great. My grandparents never really took vacations (don't fly, were you going to drive to from the Poconos?) and this is the first time that she will have any kind of vacation since first going to WDW in 1973 with her youngest son. I really want to make this trip special for her, as the Parkinson's is getting worse (not like MJ Fox or Ali, but getting there). She just turned 78 last christmas.

Thanks for your help! You guys rock!

PS: I requested a handicapped room at Riverside - anyone stay in one there? I hear the paths are lovely there - will she have any trouble getting around in the scooter, in case the parking lot is not close by?

 

[Talking Hands]

In my experience Riverside it the worst of the resorts for a handicapped person in an ECV. If you end up in a room where you need to cross the bridge to get to it you will be most uncomfortable going over the bridge. Bone jolting to say the least. Also if you are far from the food courts you may not have sufficient power to get there from your room.

Also even the handicapped rooms have poor access to the shower. Very tight quarters and you have the toilet in the way.

Coronado Springs were much better in my opinion althought there the food court was a bear for me.

The ECV weighs more than 35 pounds. There should be no part when you disassemble it that weighs over 35 pounds. But why disassemble it when you can just take a bus and drive on? Onsite you may not even need to do that.

Can't answer anything on Walker. I use Care Medical and refuse to use Walker ever.

 

[JudithM]

I rented an ECV from Walker twice last year - October & December. Both times I made the reservation a few weeks before the trip. I called their toll-free phone number. The Walker person will take all your information. You will be billed - charged to your credit card - the day before you receive the ECV. The credit card recipt will be mailed to your home.

Both times the ECV arrived at the time we decided. The first time we did not know that the batteries can be removed - my husband & a friend lifted the whole thing (minus seat & arms) into the trunk of our car. On our last night we found the directions! Second trip was much easier because we (actually husband only ) could take it apart inot more pieces. It only takes a few minutes to put it together or take it apart. Each night we recharged the battery. From what I understand the Walker batteries are heavy duty - they last a LOT longer than the Disney ECVs I rented at the parks.

I recommend bringing a white towel from the hotel room with you to the parks. It can be used for extra padding on the seat or to cover the dark seat when you leave the ECV to go inside an attraction or to help stay warm if it gets cool at night, etc.

Have fun!

 

[SueM in MN]

I think Wlaker is the one that has a link on their website with pictures showing how easy it is to take their ecvs apart. I don't know personally since my DD has her own wheelchair.
Whatever WDW you end up at, the buses are quite convenient. Almost all are equipped with lifts or ramps to load the eccv/wheelchair onto the bus and tiedowns to secure it on the bus. If you choose to drive, I always suggest taking the bus to MK. The bus drops you off right at the turnstiles. If you drive, you will need to park and then take either the monorail (with a steep ramp up to the monorail station) or the boat to get you to the park turnstile.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

JudithM was correct. I have often rented from Walker, sometimes placing as many as three reservations at one time and as much as six months out. They will immediately send a confirmation letter about the rental. Unless you cancel, they will run the charge on the full amount of the rental the day prior to your arrival.

Their ECVs come apart if five pieces (seat, motor/rear wheels, two battery packs, and main section). They say the heaviest is 39 pounds. I would imagine the total weight is around 100 pounds.

Note that a full-size sedan or larger is necessary. For example, when renting from Naitonal I find that a Buick Century will accept the broken down ECV, but is takes some good spatial relationships. A Buick LeSabre is much easier, and a Park Avenue has lots of room to spare.

I hope this information from all of us is useful.

 

[doombuggy]

tGrama can walk, it is just hard on her, mostly b/c of the hip replacement taht she had Labor day 2001. Since it is just the two of us, I knew I cound not handle pushing a w/c around for 6 days. Dad, Step-Mom and sister are there now (I elected not to take Grama now, as the parks are too crowded - now I wish i had, as we are bing buried in snow!). sigh~

The reason I elected to stay at a moderate was to spend the $ on a rental car. With her hang tag, we could drive where we needed to go, and not worry about spending time waiting for busses. I thought that would be a hassle with the ECV. I also have friends who work for Disney, but unlike me, they work at WDW (I work at TDS). I will probably do a little visiting too.

My question to Cheshire Figment (and anybody else) is about getting the ECV inthe car. CF, you mentioned renting a full size car. Since there's only 2 of us, I was going to get a compact, which is the same car I drive. Usually when I rent a compact, I get a Caviller or Sunfire (practically the same car and I had/have it). Can the pieces break down and some be put in the back seat (whether the back is flipped down or left up & stuff put there, ie the seat)? I took some measurements of my Sunfire's truck & back seat area (although not the greatest, it's about 12 degrees with a wind chill, even though the car's in the garage!)

The trunk is about 32" from front to back, and about 40" wide, 19 1/2" deep. Closed, the backseat is about 48" from door to door, and 32" from the back seat to the front seats. When the seat is down the opening to the trunk is 37" at the widest part, 19" and its narrowest. The opening is 17 1/2" high. From the back of the front seats to the end of the trunk is 67".

Do you think I can make do with this type of car? I would spend the extra $ if I had too, but with her being on a limited budget (me too) I would rather spend less than more. I just want to make sure I am making the right ressie for the car.

Thank you so much for all your help. I hate to sound like a pest with a lot of questions, but like I said, this will probably be her last vacation, and I want to make it special.

Thanks again!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Using the back seat as well as the trunk should be OK. However, make sure the car is a four-door and not a two. You will see why as I explain below. Some of these instructions will not make sense until you see the actual equipment.

First is the seat; this comes off by pulling straight up. Some wiggling might be necessary. The back of the seat does fold forward, but there is a post of about 8" length at the bottom. This can go in the back seat easily.

Then come the two battery packs. The have "quick-connect" plugs which just pop off. the packs are about 9" cubes, with straps around them. The straps can be used as handles. I would suggest putting them on the floor in the back.

There is a power/control cable connecting the rear wheel/motor assembly to the rest of the ECV. Turn the knurled knob where it goes into the rear wheel/motor assembly and it comes off. there is a "T"-Handle which you pull up which separates the rear wheel/motor assembly from the main body.

There is a single lever below the left tiller handle which pulls up. This allows you to lower the tiller all the way to the floor (have it turned slightly off-center when lowering so it does not stop on the support post for the seat. I would suggest one hand at the very front of the floor and the other on the post support so you have no change of pinching you fingers when you put this in the car.

The rear wheel/motor assembly has a rod type of handle across the top; Use this to put he assembly in the car.

Several notes for when putting it back together. Again, these will not make sense until you see the ECV in pieces.

There is a wide "slot" on the front of the rear wheel/motor assembly. Let the assembly sort of tilt backwards and place the rear of the main body into this slot. You will then lift the "T"-Handle, allowing the rear wheel/motor assembly to rock forward, and then release the handle to lock the two pieces into place.

Lift up on the tiller and locking lever until the tiller is vertical at the angle you want.

Take the plug from the body which goes to the rear wheel/motor assembly. There should be a (yellow) paint spot on it, that spot goes to the very top. Push the plug in and then turn the knurled knob until it clicks into place.

Put the two battery packs into the wells on the floor. Note that the connectors will be facing to the rear and next to the post. There will probably be some advertising on the side of the case; that goes to the outside.

Then put the seat post into the tube and you are ready to go. Note when putting it in turn it from side to side a bit until it locks into place.

As last note; there are two controls on the rear wheel/motor assembly; they will be toward you on the right whejn you are behind the ECV. One is an electric automatic brake release and the other allow freewheeling. To operate the ECV the toggle switch must be forward and the knob all the way down. To manually push the ECV the toggle switch muust be to the back and the knob must be pulled up about 2 inches.

Note when you turn the key on, if the meter on the control panel does not move (and neither does the ECV) check the switch positions, and that both battery packs are pluged in as well as the cable. Once in a great while something needs jiggling.

Note the charging unit can live in your room and be plugged into the wall all the time.

Hope this informaiton helps.

 

[ducklite]

Hey Doom!

Just wanted to let you know that unless things have changed, the handicapped rooms at PO are all king bedded. You might want to clarify this directly with the hotel unles you want to take a chance of having to share with Gram...

Have a great trip! We're outta here in 6 days, hopefully they'll be dug out from the snow we're getting today.

Anne

 

[doombuggy]

Thanks for your detailed directions, Cheshire Figment! I will print them off (once I get un snowbound, as I am housesitting & cannot find any paper to print on) and save them. I am trying to check the prices of some larger cars, to see if I can afford them. It's good to know that I could still use a car my size and pack it all in!

One more question: Can the battery packs be charged on their own, or is the ECV actually charged? If our room is near the parking lot, we might not lug the ECV in every night, as grama can walk some.

Ducklite: hoepfully the east coast will be dug out by the time you go - I am sure you will be VERY ready to go then too! My family called last night from WDW to check on us (housesitting at Dad's, watching the animals & caring for Step-nana, who is recovering from an injury), and all they could talk about was the weather here in Philly! They did tell me they were on their way to Boma, though!

Thanks again so much for everyone's help! I will call to check on the bed situation, although I could tough it out sharing a king with a 5'2" grama. She doesn't snore, just likes to talk at bedtime!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The batteries have to be charged while attached to the ECV. The special connector from the charging unit plugs into the control box on the handlebars. The connectors to the batteries are very different than the connector from the charging unit.

However, consider that the ECV is supposed to be capable of about 25 miles at maximum weight and maximum speed. There is a meter on the control box that has a green and red band. The needle shows the degree of charge. I weigh almost 300 pounds, so I am near the maximum weight of the mid-size ECVs. I have sometimes gone and left everything in the car overnight as I felt I I had not done much actual driving during the day and did not expect to do lots of driving the next. I have never had the needle close to the red area.

BTW, there is a pocket behind the seat which is useful for ponchos and/or folded umbrellas. The basket will hold quite a bit of stuff. If you take the ECV back into the room at night this will help you in carrying aything you might have with you.

Note also the Walker site has a small section which shows (very simplified) how to disassemble the ECV (and doesn't discuss the connectors). However, normally there is a detailed, with photos, sheet in the pocket on the back of the seat. Some people have not found this until their last day.

 

[LizL]

I would really give the buses a try. Although it sounds like you can manage the ECV with your rental car, you will likely grow tired of taking it apart and putting it back together again. The buses will drop you off close. You may end up parking far away if you drive yourself. I understand that the handicapped spots fill quickly and are not always close to the park entrance. DH and I just returned from a week at WDW. We had our own van with a wheelchair lift. We rented a power chair and could have driven around. But after the first try with the bus, we never thought about the car again. Every bus we saw was equipped with a lift and tie downs. It is easy to get on and off.
No matter what you do about the car/bus situation, make sure grama has some practice on an ECV before you go. You didn't say if she uses one now when shopping.

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree about giving the buses a try.
We don't have to take anything apart - just lift DD out of her wheelchair into the van and then lift the wheelchair into the back of the van, but that gets to be a lot of work after a few times.

 

[doombuggy]

Thanks everyone for all your tips! Although I am sure to have more questions later.

Sue & Liz, I will consider your tips about the buses, especially for MK. Gram doesn't swim, and is afraid of boats, so that might be the best bet. I just don't want to spend a lot of time waiting for the bus, which I have done in the past. I wanted the rental car to get to the resort quick from the airport, and in case I want to visit some of my CM friends down there (I am a TDS CM here in Pennsylvania).

Thanks again, everyone! I am sure I will have more questions after I recover from my surgery that I am having later this coming week. Have a great day!