Plug in scooter??????????

[mickeyluvr004]

Hi all just a quick question does anyone know if the parks have any place to plug in scooters to charge while eating or if your battery gets low? we have never used one before what is the typical hours that a battery laststhanks

 

[SueM in MN]

Most scooters will not have a problem going a full day in the parks.
I'm assuming you are renting one; one of the things to make sure you know about is where the power indicator is so that you can keep an eye on it.
If you are running low on power, ask any CM where to find a power outlet. They are sometimes in places you would not think to look.

There are some things you can do to help conserve power. One is to turn off the power whenever you are stopped for more than a few minutes. Another is to keep the speed down - faster speed means more power used.

 

[mechurchlady]

It depends on the model and other stuff but most people can do a whole day in the parks without recharging especially the off site rentals which are best for ease of getting around and not getting worn out.

WDW has many places to plug in and just ask the CM. CMs can direct you to a place to plug in. If your ECV dies then cast members can help you get it to the front of the park, recharge it or at the least get you a wheelchair so you can get to the exit or the rental place to rent the chair or a temporary ECV.

Wednesday at DLR's DCA park I watched CMs driving ECVs in trains that had hooked together 3 or 4 ECV that were being transferred from Disneyland. Freewheeling is another way for CMs to move a scooter.
DLR has fewer spots for electrical plug ins. I leave my ECV at the DLR scooter rental area and they charger her up while I have lunch if it needs it but mine is a super deluxe antique, lol.

Make sure you take with you a shower cap to cover the controls. I use a plastic baggie that I made a slit and it fits fine but that is my quirky scooter. You have to keep the controls drive as the rain and mist can zap the controls.

 

[Momelie]

Don't worry! Should you get low on power, there are plugs EVERYWHERE! I never would have thought it, but once I got this new mini-scooter whose battery runs down if you look at it, I plug in during lunch, bathroom stops, during the Norway movie, etc. Once you know that you are looking for an outlet, they seem to be all over the place. The entrance of POC is a good one, there's one near almost every bathroom, including the one near Soarin', and almost every eating establishment has a few outside. (Except Plaza Restaurant)

Hope that helps!

 

[kaytieeldr]

As others have posted, there are plugs. But really, as long as you charge it at night according to the instructions, a charge should last all day. I'm "fluffy", i.e. on the higher end of the weight span for the regular rental ECVs, and I do tend toward higher speeds when it's entirely* safe to do so - and except with an offsite rental at Disneyland, I've never had a problem.


*Examples: In the evening, at the resort, heading for a DSA, when there is positively nobody within range; crossing the street at OKW; etc.

 

[RNMOM]

I've rented for 3 trips and used my own scooter this last trip and never ran the battery down. You must be sure to charge them but the typical full sized scooter will go 20 miles on a charge. It depends on the size of the scooter and the weight of the passenger. I require an extra large scooter so if that gives you some idea of the work my scooter does and I never have run my battery out.

 

[mechurchlady]

Does anyone know how long you are supposed to leave the scooter plugged in? I have a Lark 3 that comes with no manual and the company is bancrupt long ago so I was wondering how many hours to leave it plugged in.

My lark did DLR twice before running down to half power but she has two batteries.

 

[SueM in MN]

I'd suggest looking on the Internet to see if you can find a manual.
But, I'm pretty sure that the manual for my DD's power wheelchair doesn't say how long it will take to charge, partly because it will depend on how far run down the battery is. One rule of thumb is to just charge of overnight. That kind of charger supplied with devices like this usually charge quickly until the battery us almost fully charged and then switch to a trickle charge until you unplug it, so it's not possible to overcharge.

Are there any lights on the charger? If they are and they start out on, they might go off when it's all charged. My DD's wheelchair charger changes colors; amber when it's charging to green when it's done.

 

[mechurchlady]

Triple hugs the genius Sue, thanks and I never thought to check the charger as I usually jump off, hit the bathroom then run back out and ut it to bed with the charger plugged in. Silly me.

 

[SueM in MN]

Triple hugs the genius Sue, thanks and I never thought to check the charger as I usually jump off, hit the bathroom then run back out and ut it to bed with the charger plugged in. Silly me.

Good luck figuring it out.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Does anyone know how long you are supposed to leave the scooter plugged in?

I have three chargers that I use from time to time. My largest lives at home but charges fastest. It is good for two days/two parks on a single charge. My middle sized one is half the size but takes longer to charge but is good for a single park with a bit to spare. My smallest takes longer still. It is still good for as single park because my powerchair is good for two or three parks on successive days withou recharging. I only bring my smallest charger to Disney.

All three chargers have little lights on them that turn orange during charging and green when fully charged. I always park up next to my bed with the charger on the bedside table. Mostly my chair will be fully charged by four or five in the morning. After a particularly long day in the parks, perhaps riding BWV to DHS & return in the morning and BWV to World Showcase in the afternoon, it might take until I get up to recharge fully.

If your charger is anything like mine, you can't overcharge, so there is no reason not to leave your scooter 'on charge' whenever it is in your room/

Andrew

 

[mechurchlady]

http://www.absolutebattery.com/24v4.htm

Why didn't I think to look at that. Now to run out and check the amps on the batteries. Thanks so very much and big hugs and thank yous.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I looked at the charger you showed and worry about a few things.

One is that it hooks directly to the 12 volt battery. The problem is ECVs (and I think power chairs) actually use two batteries.

Second, and most important, it does not seem to have an automatic shutoff when the battery is fully charged, so you could end up with cokked battery.

Third it probably does not have the three pin connector which seems to be normal for mobility devices.

Before I bought my current ECV as well as the lift I had a special charging cord that was made by my DME company for me. It was "Y" shaped, with a three pin socket for the charger to plug into and two connectors of the type that went into the battery pack on the ECV. I could leave the broken-down ECV in the trunk of my car, take out the two battery packs (which were 24 pounds each), and plug in the special battery pack connectors and use the regular charger without having to assemble the ECV.

Now, of course, I do not disassemble the ECV and can plug it in while it is sitting on the lift.

 

[mechurchlady]

It does have automatic turn off when it gets full. The cord has an adapter attached to the original power cord. Who ever had this thought things out and there are home made wod pieces attached to the undercarriage, the pop-a-wheelie prevention wheels are worn, and they rigged up a thing to hold the basket on, lol. A handyman really worked that scooter over.

Thanks for your concern and I hope others listen to your advice. I would hate to have that go boom and hurt someone.

Big hugs for Cheshire

Laurei

 

[mickeyluvr004]

Thanks for all the replies I am now confident that we will have decent power to get the parks done
thanks again