Parking the ECV and waiting in line.

[Bozni]

Hello all! My mom will be coming to The World with us in January and will be in an ECV due to a very bad hip that will be replaced next year. She can walk for short distances with a cane and can stand in one place for at least an hour. My question is: Is there any ride that she won't be able to park her ECV outside of and then go wait in line? Should she just park with all the strollers and get in line? Is there a designated spot for wheelchairs/ECVs outside all rides?

Also, are there any videos or tutorials explaining the process of loading on to a bus? She is quite apprehensive about the process (she is scared she will wreck the ECV while attempting to board the bus). Thanks for all your help!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

The majority of attraction lines in WDW are "mainstreamed". This means that a wheelchair or ECV will use the regular entrance and line all the way to either a show seating or ride load area. If a line is not mainstreamed there will be signs and/or Cast Members to direct you where to go.

If a show, normally there will be spaces to park a chair or ECV and there will be seats next to the space for other members of the group.

If a ride, usually you will have to transfer to a ride vehicle, although some rides will allow a person in a wheelchair to remain in their chair. If you have to transfer to a ride, and unload is not at the same location as load, your chair or ECV will magically appear at the unload area.

Some of the lines may look short, but can actually be 1/4 mile long. She would be much better off using the ECV all the way to Load.

If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information. Note that Post #2 discusses mobility and equipment. It might be a good idea to look at Post #11 for the various park "Guidebook For Persons With Disabilities" for more detailed information.

Or, if you want an easier route to the FAQs, click on the link in my signature.

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

FYI: kilamanjaro safari will keep her in the ECV because their line handles strollers up to a point. When you see the sign for stroller parking, insist that the ECV is just a go-between, otherwise they send you to the handicapped accessible car and you wait forever.

 

[SueM in MN]

Agree with Cheshire Figment - if she can only walk a short distance, she will want to bring the ECV in line with her in most cases.
Also, on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQS thread, check out posts 18 through 22 for more information about transfers and attractions where guests need to stand for a time.

I don’t have an ECV tutorial for the bus, but would suggest she get comfortable with the ECV. She needs to be able to confidently go forward and backward and turn in either direction while going backward or forward. Getting parked on the bus is like parallel parking on the left side of the street.

Make sure she knows where to find the lever, slider or dial that sets the maximum speed. It is usually marked with a rabbit for fast and a turtle for slow. Turtle is your friend.
Also make sure you know how to disengage the motor so that the ECV can be pushed. (this is called Freewheel). If worse comes to worse, you can put the ECV into freewheel on the bus and push it into place. Make sure to re-engage it so the ECV does not roll. When you are ready to get off, you can out it back into freewheel to manouver it out of the ‘parking spot’.
If someone else is more comfortable driving the ECV on and off the bus, they can do that and she can get back on once it is off the bus.

 

[Bozni]

Thanks for the replies!

I appreciate the information on taking the scooter into the line but that's not what she wants to do. She would prefer to stand in line since I told her that we won't be waiting more than 20 minutes in any line (Touring Plans and late January) plus walking is her main problem as opposed to just standing. That said, is there somewhere to park the ECV outside of all attractions? Just park with all the strollers? Thanks again!

 

[jdb in AZ]

Thanks for the replies!

I appreciate the information on taking the scooter into the line but that's not what she wants to do. She would prefer to stand in line since I told her that we won't be waiting more than 20 minutes in any line (Touring Plans and late January) plus walking is her main problem as opposed to just standing. That said, is there somewhere to park the ECV outside of all attractions? Just park with all the strollers? Thanks again!

Yes, she can park with all the strollers, if that's what she really wants to do.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Don't worry about loading onto the bus. MOST bus drivers are so kind - they will guide you step-by-step ---especially if they see that you are nervous about backing in, etc.

I suggest that she take her ECV in line. The CMs at the ride entrance will give you extra time to get in a ride vehicle if you just ask them. The ECV alerts them to your possible needs.

 

[livndisney]

Thanks for the replies!

I appreciate the information on taking the scooter into the line but that's not what she wants to do. She would prefer to stand in line since I told her that we won't be waiting more than 20 minutes in any line (Touring Plans and late January) plus walking is her main problem as opposed to just standing. That said, is there somewhere to park the ECV outside of all attractions? Just park with all the strollers? Thanks again!

Some things you may want to take into consideration are the distance she will walk in line. Some lines (like Soarin) are quite long. The line for TSM has you walking up and down line seqments and then up and down stairs. Others like Spaceship Earth have you walking up an incline and then getting into a moving car.

 

[jdb in AZ]

After she tries walking through the wait line a time or two she'll probably decide that taking the ECV through the line is much easier.

As for parallel parking an ECV on the bus, sometimes the bus driver will park it for you -- depends on how much of a struggle you're having with it, and how experienced (and patient) the driver is.

 

[SueM in MN]

Some things you may want to take into consideration are the distance she will walk in line. Some lines (like Soarin) are quite long. The line for TSM has you walking up and down line seqments and then up and down stairs. Others like Spaceship Earth have you walking up an incline and then getting into a moving car.

And, many are a distance equal to or greater than 1/4 mile.
Soarin’, Pirates, It’s Tough to Be a Bug, the Safari, Lights Motors Action, Fantasmic and the Train Station to Rafiki’s Planet Watch are among those where the walk from the entrance to the boarding/seating area is more than 1/4 mile.

 

[SashaFarce]

And, many are a distance equal to or greater than 1/4 mile.
Soarin’, Pirates, It’s Tough to Be a Bug, the Safari, Lights Motors Action, Fantasmic and the Train Station to Rafiki’s Planet Watch are among those where the walk from the entrance to the boarding/seating area is more than 1/4 mile.

Things like that we usually take our ECVs into and I definitely agree with SueM that those are a long distance to walk for someone with a mobility issue. For nearly everything else, at least one of us usually walks in the line (my partner and I both use ECVs in the parks). I strongly dislike taking mine into lines, especially when there isn't extra-bright lighting inside the queue, and frequently park in stroller parking.