question

[Gabbygirl2020]

My Mom who just turned 50 is hoping to go to Disney with us. She however has severe tendinitis in her feet. Her legs and feet swell too. She has another appt with the Orthopedic doctor to see about new brace and injection in one of her feet. My question is could we possibly get her a scooter that she could push with one foot? She doesn't want a wheelchair. She said shes not disabled. I don't know what to do. We are staying at Cornado and that resort is big. Shes is thinking about not going now.

 

[Staren]

Do you mean a knee scooter or something like a razor scooter? The knee scooter, yes you can. Though from all reports those are much harder on you than you would expect. Something like a push scooter that isn’t a medical device, forget it. Disney security will not let you get away with that. No matter what story you give them.

 

[Gabbygirl2020]

oh sorry, no I meant the knee scooter.

 

[mamabunny]

oh sorry, no I meant the knee scooter.

As @Staren said above, a knee scooter at WDW is... difficult at best. Especially if the user has not had weeks of use and practice. I could see it making things worse.

Please tell your Mom this:
Mom, I'm about your age (OK, maybe a teeny bit older - but that just means you have to listen to me! LOL) and I want you to know something really, really important. Every day, *thousands* of people pass through Walt Disney World, and lots of those folks use scooters (Disney World calls them "ECVs") or wheelchairs that a family member pushes for them. A *large* number of those people never use a mobility device anywhere BUT at Disney World. Why?

Because at WDW, you can easily walk between 3 & 10 miles per day, on average. So, a knee scooter, or someone who is not a daily, lifetime wheelchair user at WDW quickly tires out simply because of the distances involved.

I have some health problems, too - mine just started a lot earlier in life I have to use my personal mobility device wherever I go because my legs don't work as advertised anymore. I don't like it, but I decided a long time ago that I would rather use the mobility device and go and have fun versus staying at home and being sad.

°o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

I remember very vividly the first time I had to use an ECV at WDW. I thought I was going to die from sadness and humiliation and mortification. I wasn't handicapped!!! This was not me!!! But there we were in the parks, and I had to call a vendor to bring out an ECV because I just couldn't walk anymore.

And then a funny thing happened.

I didn't die! (Look! You can tell, because I'm right here! LOL)

And something else happened on that trip. I found that because I wasn't in pain, and limping from bench to bench, constantly stopping to rest for a moment... that our family not only moved faster, but we were having more fun! When I got back to the Resort Hotel at night, I got a good nights sleep - not tossing and turning because I was sore and swollen - and there were lots of times when *I* was ready to go, and my family was begging to stop and sit for a bit! Suddenly, they weren't waiting on me anymore, and I could go all day easily - something I had not been able to do for a while at WDW. It was one of the best trips we had had in a while. I didn't realize until then just how much my stubbornness had negatively impacted our family vacations.

I learned something else important: The people you are with - and the people around you - will take their cues from you. If you are upset and unhappy and scared and angry about using an ECV, they will be as well. If, on the other hand, you treat it as a non-event, they most likely will as well. So, get on that scooter and ride! Have a great time, and wave at everyone like the visiting Princess you are!

And think about it like this: Using an ECV is simply using the best possible available TOOL to get the most possible enjoyment from your vacation.

If you need glasses, do you refuse to wear them, going through life squinting at everyone and everything? Probably not.

If you need to use a calculator to do math, do you refuse to touch it, and instead resort to pencil and paper - or counting on toes and fingers? Probably not.

Both of those - glasses and calculators - are TOOLS that we use every day to make our lives more efficient. At WDW, many people use an ECV as a tool to improve both their stamina, and their enjoyment of the vacation, and to manage pain.

If you are worried about other peoples perceptions of you, please don't be. A lot of the people you will see using personal mobility devices and aids at WDW have a "hidden disability". Anyone who judges them does so from a place of fear and ignorance. Using an ECV to maximize your vacation at WDW is no different than using a pair of glasses to see, or a calculator to do math. It is a tool to accomplish a goal or task. Nothing more.

°o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

Prior to owning my own personal mobility device, when I visited Disney World, I always rented from outside vendors. Here's a quick rundown of why:

- The transportation system at WDW is great for folks on wheels. Nearly every single boat, and all of the buses and monorails are ECV/wheels ready. Yes, you board first, and you get off last, so it can "slow" things down a bit, but once you are experienced, you will be amazed at how quickly you can drive on/off the bus and get on with your fun!

- Renting from outside allows you to use the ECV at your Resort hotel. Some of the resorts can have quite a hike from your room to a bus stop, or to the laundry, or to dining options, etc. Every WDW Resort hotel is very wheels friendly as well as the Parks. Plus, having the ECV at the Resort meant that I could get up and go get my early morning coffee at the QS while the rest of my sleepy turtles got ready in the morning. I was *independent*, and able to go everywhere I wanted or needed to.

- Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) is much larger than it used to be, and even with the new centralized bus stop and the boats running between the two far ends, you can still do a BUNCH of walking there. We absolutely love to go down there for shopping and dining, and so and ECV is a must for me there.

- Sometimes (not always) the parks run out of the rentals. During the course of the day, the inventory at any of the parks can fluctuate. You cannot reserve or hold an ECV at the Parks (or Disney Springs). You can "hop" your rental between them, but if you give up your ECV at (for example) the Magic Kingdom, and then go over to Epcot, and they are all rented out... you will have no choice but to wait until someone returns one as they are exiting the Park.

- Last, and (for me) not least is the maneuverability factor of the Park rental units. Those are larger, very heavy duty units, but as a result, they are far more difficult to maneuver around in tighter places. Some of the bathrooms are very difficult, if not impossible with those.

°o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

Remember that you can always visit the First Aid center in every one of the Parks if you need ice or to lay down and prop up for a bit.

Have a Magical trip - use the tools we have available to have the best possible trip for you and your family!

PS: We can give you TONS of tips for new ECV drivers if you decide to rent one!

 

[Euby]

I completely agree with what @mamabunny says! In my normal life, I do not use an ECV because I do not need it. However, after several trips to Disney, I have learned that I need one there. It's not an age thing either. I'll be 50 next year. I have 3 different "itises" in my left knee plus degenerative disc issues in my back. The ECV is a World saver at Disney (pun intended).

 

[gap2368]

My Mom who just turned 50 is hoping to go to Disney with us. She however has severe tendinitis in her feet. Her legs and feet swell too. She has another appt with the Orthopedic doctor to see about new brace and injection in one of her feet. My question is could we possibly get her a scooter that she could push with one foot? She doesn't want a wheelchair. She said shes not disabled. I don't know what to do. We are staying at Cornado and that resort is big. Shes is thinking about not going now.

Please take the post below and show it to your mom becuse everything @mamabunny said is spot on. I will also add that most people will not even notic your mom in an ECV becuse they are too into their own vacation taking there next self trying to get one more FP or dining reservation

Also people do not care any more becuse you are not getting on rides any faster as you ( for all but 5 rides ) will just wait in the normal line like everyone else.

I do agree with other that a knee scooter would be fine in every day like walking but not at Disney that she would find out very fast how tired she is ( try kneeling on the ground for a few hour no matter how soft and cushion it is you/ she will get tired fast.

As @Staren said above, a knee scooter at WDW is... difficult at best. Especially if the user has not had weeks of use and practice. I could see it making things worse.

Please tell your Mom this:
Mom, I'm about your age (OK, maybe a teeny bit older - but that just means you have to listen to me! LOL) and I want you to know something really, really important. Every day, *thousands* of people pass through Walt Disney World, and lots of those folks use scooters (Disney World calls them "ECVs") or wheelchairs that a family member pushes for them. A *large* number of those people never use a mobility device anywhere BUT at Disney World. Why?

Because at WDW, you can easily walk between 3 & 10 miles per day, on average. So, a knee scooter, or someone who is not a daily, lifetime wheelchair user at WDW quickly tires out simply because of the distances involved.

I have some health problems, too - mine just started a lot earlier in life I have to use my personal mobility device wherever I go because my legs don't work as advertised anymore. I don't like it, but I decided a long time ago that I would rather use the mobility device and go and have fun versus staying at home and being sad.

°o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

I remember very vividly the first time I had to use an ECV at WDW. I thought I was going to die from sadness and humiliation and mortification. I wasn't handicapped!!! This was not me!!! But there we were in the parks, and I had to call a vendor to bring out an ECV because I just couldn't walk anymore.

And then a funny thing happened.

I didn't die! (Look! You can tell, because I'm right here! LOL)

And something else happened on that trip. I found that because I wasn't in pain, and limping from bench to bench, constantly stopping to rest for a moment... that our family not only moved faster, but we were having more fun! When I got back to the Resort Hotel at night, I got a good nights sleep - not tossing and turning because I was sore and swollen - and there were lots of times when *I* was ready to go, and my family was begging to stop and sit for a bit! Suddenly, they weren't waiting on me anymore, and I could go all day easily - something I had not been able to do for a while at WDW. It was one of the best trips we had had in a while. I didn't realize until then just how much my stubbornness had negatively impacted our family vacations.

I learned something else important: The people you are with - and the people around you - will take their cues from you. If you are upset and unhappy and scared and angry about using an ECV, they will be as well. If, on the other hand, you treat it as a non-event, they most likely will as well. So, get on that scooter and ride! Have a great time, and wave at everyone like the visiting Princess you are!

And think about it like this: Using an ECV is simply using the best possible available TOOL to get the most possible enjoyment from your vacation.

If you need glasses, do you refuse to wear them, going through life squinting at everyone and everything? Probably not.

If you need to use a calculator to do math, do you refuse to touch it, and instead resort to pencil and paper - or counting on toes and fingers? Probably not.

Both of those - glasses and calculators - are TOOLS that we use every day to make our lives more efficient. At WDW, many people use an ECV as a tool to improve both their stamina, and their enjoyment of the vacation, and to manage pain.

If you are worried about other peoples perceptions of you, please don't be. A lot of the people you will see using personal mobility devices and aids at WDW have a "hidden disability". Anyone who judges them does so from a place of fear and ignorance. Using an ECV to maximize your vacation at WDW is no different than using a pair of glasses to see, or a calculator to do math. It is a tool to accomplish a goal or task. Nothing more.

°o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

Prior to owning my own personal mobility device, when I visited Disney World, I always rented from outside vendors. Here's a quick rundown of why:

- The transportation system at WDW is great for folks on wheels. Nearly every single boat, and all of the buses and monorails are ECV/wheels ready. Yes, you board first, and you get off last, so it can "slow" things down a bit, but once you are experienced, you will be amazed at how quickly you can drive on/off the bus and get on with your fun!

- Renting from outside allows you to use the ECV at your Resort hotel. Some of the resorts can have quite a hike from your room to a bus stop, or to the laundry, or to dining options, etc. Every WDW Resort hotel is very wheels friendly as well as the Parks. Plus, having the ECV at the Resort meant that I could get up and go get my early morning coffee at the QS while the rest of my sleepy turtles got ready in the morning. I was *independent*, and able to go everywhere I wanted or needed to.

- Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) is much larger than it used to be, and even with the new centralized bus stop and the boats running between the two far ends, you can still do a BUNCH of walking there. We absolutely love to go down there for shopping and dining, and so and ECV is a must for me there.

- Sometimes (not always) the parks run out of the rentals. During the course of the day, the inventory at any of the parks can fluctuate. You cannot reserve or hold an ECV at the Parks (or Disney Springs). You can "hop" your rental between them, but if you give up your ECV at (for example) the Magic Kingdom, and then go over to Epcot, and they are all rented out... you will have no choice but to wait until someone returns one as they are exiting the Park.

- Last, and (for me) not least is the maneuverability factor of the Park rental units. Those are larger, very heavy duty units, but as a result, they are far more difficult to maneuver around in tighter places. Some of the bathrooms are very difficult, if not impossible with those.

°o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

Remember that you can always visit the First Aid center in every one of the Parks if you need ice or to lay down and prop up for a bit.

Have a Magical trip - use the tools we have available to have the best possible trip for you and your family!

PS: We can give you TONS of tips for new ECV drivers if you decide to rent one!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My Mom who just turned 50 is hoping to go to Disney with us. She however has severe tendinitis in her feet. Her legs and feet swell too. She has another appt with the Orthopedic doctor to see about new brace and injection in one of her feet. My question is could we possibly get her a scooter that she could push with one foot? She doesn't want a wheelchair. She said shes not disabled. I don't know what to do. We are staying at Cornado and that resort is big. Shes is thinking about not going now.

been there and had to use an ECV at Disney but not at home. and everything that mamabunny says is very true. if she wears glasses would she consider going without them to Disney? I bet of course not. do glasses make her disabled because she cant see without them? before you think about knee scooter have her try using one outside on uneven ground. another thing to remember Disney has removed a lot of benches so stopping to rest in the parks is harder. plus how many of the people you meet at Disney other than the ones in your group are you going to see again outside of Disney. she will not be the only one using an ECV at Disney or one who doesn't use at home. if she decides to stay home it will be her memories that she will loose as many of us have had to do what she doesn't want to do to enjoy our trips. hope she decides to go and use the ECV and enjoy her trip

 

[Gabbygirl2020]

thank you all! I will show her these messages tomorrow. I hope she will listen.

 

[musicmom3331]

I was like your mom last year, but I rented an ECV anyway (from offsite). It was the best thing I ever did! I even bought a smallish one that I can take apart and put in the trunk for local theme parks so as not to hold the family back. I really enjoy the outings now! Before I would dread going, knowing I would shortly be in pain and would slow everyone down.

A couple of things I learned beforehand: Practice at your local Walmart/Target store. That was a big help for me. Also bring a towel to sit on to prevent swampbuns. I tied a bandana around the tiller to drape over it in darker areas. The tiller lights can be pretty bright and distracting. The bandana also helped me to quickly spot the ECV when I parked it to go on rides.

 

[Selket]

I started using an ECV a few years ago when I was close to your mom's age now. Both of my knees are terrible - one more than the other - and some trips they are better than others and I can walk more. Other trips I mostly stay in the ECV. The line ques are so mainstreamed at WDW that it's super easy to navigate most rides with an ECV and she will have it in to sit for any lines that are longer. For rides where one needs to transfer to a WC, I sometimes do that when a family member is with me, or sometimes I walk through the line if I have a fast pass and the line looks like it's not backed up or having problems. We also maximize our fast passes and I use the refresh strategy on the app to get more fast passes after my first 3 are up and I usually ride those things whatever they are - whatever first comes up! I've found sometimes the after hours parties are good if I really want to ride a lot - although these days I am fine riding less and watching more shows and doing more of the non-ride activities. I can't imagine a knee scooter but maybe that's because my knees are my problem.

I've stayed at CSR many times with the scooter - it's huge and a great help to have one there. I"m not sure where the bus stops first these days after the renovation but I like to stay near the first or 2nd bus stop (used to be Casitas was #1 and Ranchos was #2). I never had problems getting on a bus with the eCV at CSR.

If she thinks about it, she's really getting no perks for using an ECV. It doesn't allow you special line access or anything else and it can be a pain sometimes to get through crowds. At this point with my knees WDW is the only place I can go where I can do just about everything and keep up with my kids and have an amazing time. Perhaps some company like Gold mobility would be willing to rent an ECV to you but change it out for a WC if she hates it mid-trip.

 

[Gabbygirl2020]

She is worried about all the glares etc.. when trying to get on the bus. She has no clue how to operate it. She would just pay the $50 at the parks but is worried about having a knee scooter or something to get from parks to bus now. She is just going to have to get over it for sure.

 

[Gabbygirl2020]

She is thinking about watching the night time MK show at the train station. Is she able to get to the top by elevator ? How does that work? Is it only stairs? That wouldn't work at all.

 

[gap2368]

She is thinking about watching the night time MK show at the train station. Is she able to get to the top by elevator ? How does that work? Is it only stairs? That wouldn't work at all.

There is a ramp to your right thst goes up there. Also she dose not have to drive the ECV on the bus. Someone in the group can and then she can walk up the ramp to the set. Or if she want to rent an ECV at the park they will hold her mobility device for her there. If she has a knee scooter and just dose not want to rent off site this is what I would do

And most people looking st you when your getting on the bus are just looking becuse it is something new to them as they do not see this that often ( if at all )

 

[mamabunny]

She is worried about all the glares etc.. when trying to get on the bus. She has no clue how to operate it. She would just pay the $50 at the parks but is worried about having a knee scooter or something to get from parks to bus now. She is just going to have to get over it for sure.

Your Mom is over-thinking this. It's OK - it's easy to do!

I've been using a personal mobility device for *years* at WDW now, and - like my friend @gap2368 just right up there above me, I know that people who appear to be staring at you when you are loading/unloading from the bus really are often just watching out of curiosity.

Think about it like this: The bus pulls up, and everyone gets off. BUT before anyone can get on, the driver closes the front doors, and the back doors, and then walks to the back of the bus. The back doors open again - but only *after* the bus has "kneeled" (with a great huge wheezy gasp) and then barfed out a ramp with all kinds of beeping as well!

I'm always kind of surprised that Disney hasn't decided to sell tickets the spectacular that is the bus deploying/retracting the ramp!

So, what people are looking at is this giant bus that has just wheezed and groaned, and then beep beep beep beep barfed out a ramp, and someone on a scooter with it! Then there's more beeping while the bus folds the ramp up, and "unkneels" and it's all a lot - especially for folks who don't live in places where they have daily contact with metro bus systems (most suburbs out here in the flyover states, for example) or where they never see a handicapped person in their day to day life. Or both.

It's not hostility - it's just open curiosity. I know they were raised better, but folks on vacation at WDW often seem to leave their best manners at home. And that's too bad - it's the one thing you can bring with you that doesn't cost you a dime or space in the suitcase!

I won't lie - there are, from time to time folks who are obviously upset that they had to wait on someone who they perceive was getting "special treatment", or you will hear the obviously-meant-to-be-overheard "Must be nice to get on the bus first!" comment. I always stop, and turn, and look them straight in the eye, and tell them that I would *happily* trade places and stand in line if I could. I usually finish with a "Bless your heart", and a big ol' smile.

But the overwhelming majority of folks are just watching because it's something to look at. It's noisy and beepy and there's always the chance that the ramp won't flip all the way out or all the way back in... Your Mom, on an ECV isn't really the show - it's the bus they are all looking at!

 

[Gabbygirl2020]

thank you! I hope she takes this all in. Have you had to wait on a couple busses at times?

 

[gap2368]

thank you! I hope she takes this all in. Have you had to wait on a couple busses at times?

Depending on where what hotel you are staying you can wait 30-45 minutes for the buss at the end of the day

 

[mamabunny]

thank you! I hope she takes this all in. Have you had to wait on a couple busses at times?

Depending on where what hotel you are staying you can wait 30-45 minutes for the buss at the end of the day

Exactly. A lot of it depends on which Resort you are staying at - but just as important is how you time your travels around WDW. We tend to avoid Rope Drop these days, and go about an hour or so after opening. If we choose to stay for fireworks (or ROL at AK) then we will deliberately drag our feet leaving, and let everyone else run ahead of us to get to the buses. We shop, maybe grab a snack if there are any places open, and generally make a slow roll towards the bus stops. It lets the most impatient folks get on the buses, and out of our way - thereby avoiding a lot of the drama that is possible when cranky tired "type A" personality meets a long queue at the bus stop.

So, sometimes we don't even join the queue for the bus until it thins out a bit. That's OK - there's a bus (about) every 20 minutes or so.

At Parks close, we have also been known to head down to Disney Springs, instead of straight to the Hotel, and listen to music and have adult beverages Typically those buses don't get really full later in the evening, and again run about every 20 minutes or so.

If, on the other hand, we are not in the mood for fireworks (it happens!) and we decide to leave before the big crush afterward, then we will wait until just before the fireworks/ROL starts, and everyone is in place, and then beat it out to the buses. There will typically be very few folks there, and even if the bus doesn't leave until after fireworks (usually they will make a run during fireworks) you are going to be onboard and seated before the big crowds arrive.

It's just about patience, and timing. If you have someone in your party who is going to get antsy if they have to wait for the bus, you can always split the party, and send them on, while someone stays with your Mom and the ECV.