power source for EVC & ride accessibility

[happylady]

Two questions for the experts:

1) I had foot surgery this past Wednesday and will be in a hard cast for 6-8 weeks. We will be visiting WDW the first week of November. I will be renting an EVC to help me get around VWL and the parks. While at the parks is there access to outlets to plug the scooter in? Like when eating? I have a fear of running out of power.

2) By our trip, I should be able to put a little pressure on my foot and walk a few steps. Besides the water rides like splash mountain, are there any other rides that will be unaccessible?

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome to disABILITIES.
We have some ecv experts who I'm sure will answer your questions, but I can give some info.

For power, the ecv should be able to go for a whole day on one charge. My DD's power wheelchair is able to go for several days on one charge. But, if you are worried, there are places where you can plug in (as long as you have the pwoer cord with you).

For accessiblity, most of the lines are wheelchair and ecv accessible. Here is a link to the DIS page about touring with mobility disabilities. It includes a list of rides that are totally accessible and ones where you will need to transfer to a ride car.
Some of the ride cars are a difficult transfer, since (like Splash Mountain) , you need to step over the (rather deep) side of the ride car. Some of the boats (like Pirates) are a step down to the seat and then another step down to get your feet on the floor. But the sides of the car are not high and it's not so cramped as Splash. Other boat rides (like Small World and the ride in Mexico) have wheelchairs that you can transfer to for the ride (since the ecv can't come on) , you cans tep on like Pirates or you can ask to step onto the wheelchair car, whcih has a ramp.
You can download a copy of the Guidebook for Guest with Disabilities for each park from the official Disney site or you can pick them up at Guest Services in any of the parks. They don't have a lot of detail, so if there are any specific rides you are interested in, please ask.

 

[happylady]

Sue,

Thanks so much for all the info. The members of these boards never cease to amaze me with their knowledge.

 

[Nanajo1]

Happylady,
I have used an ECV on many trips and only ran out of power once. There are different kinds of ECVs, ones that have an on- board charging feature and those that have a separate charger. My problem was with the on-board type of ECV but I had other problems with that rental so it might have been a defective ECV. Some folks like the on- board ECV because the power cord is the only thing needed to charge and you can plug in anywhere. On the other hand, the charger looks like a small battery and would be awkward to carry around. I feel I got a better charge with the separate charger. I have gone from Early Entry to Illuminations to Downtown on a single charge. I was more run down than the ECV! My last few trips I have been given the separate charger type of ECV. Just remember to charge it every night regardless of type and you should be fine.
Have a great trip.