/ RE: scooters in the parks?

[MAJ RN]

My son will use his scooter on our upcoming trip. Is there anywhere at the parks that it could charge if the battery were to get low and/or die? Thanks for any info in advance!


Melissa

 

[peemagg]

There are places all over the parks. Just ask a CM and they will show you where you can plug it in.

A lot of people plug theirs in too while they are in a restaurant eating.

 

[MAJ RN]

There are places all over the parks. Just ask a CM and they will show you where you can plug it in.

A lot of people plug theirs in too while they are in a restaurant eating.

Thanks you for answering my question! This is the first time he will use it in the parks, he is looking forward to having some freedom from me pushing him in his manual wheelchair!


Melissa

 

[kaytieeldr]

Just so you know, though - the right size scooter, properly charged overnight every night, shouldn't need to be recharged during the day... even a very active Disney day

 

[daisyduck123]

Is this your own personal scooter? Most rental places, I believe, will not allow a child under the age of 16 to use one. We looked into it because we went to WDW after DD (then 14) was released from a 17 day hospital stay.

 

[SueM in MN]

Is this your own personal scooter? Most rental places, I believe, will not allow a child under the age of 16 to use one. We looked into it because we went to WDW after DD (then 14) was released from a 17 day hospital stay.

That is true.
Most of the rental agreements do state that it will not be operated by a child (some say the operator must be over 18).

I agree with the others that a properly maintained ECV should last all day on a single charge. But, if you feel you need to charge it, there are outlets in many places (even outdoors), but the most convenient place to charge is while you are eating since you will be sitting still then anyway.

If it is your child's own ECV, I would suggest getting it checked by your equipment company before you go so you can make sure the battery is holding a full charge and charging to full capacity.

 

[MAJ RN]

This is his own personal scooter. It is made for a small adult/larger child. It holds a charge very well but I just wanted to know if I had the option to charge it in the parks if needed. We use it at the mall and shopping, but I have never had it out for long periods of time. Thanks to everyone for your advice.


Melissa

 

[SueM in MN]

This is his own personal scooter. It is made for a small adult/larger child. It holds a charge very well but I just wanted to know if I had the option to charge it in the parks if needed. We use it at the mall and shopping, but I have never had it out for long periods of time. Thanks to everyone for your advice.


Melissa

There is also an old thread with locations of electrical outlets that people used. A link to the thread is in post 3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board.

Another thing that can get to be a factor is how long it takes to fully charge the ECV battery. You should be able to find that out from the manual. I know some people who have had problems with the ECV not holding a charge found the reason was that theirs took 12 hours to charge and with late nights and early mornings, it was only being charged for 7-8 hours a night.
Other things that make a difference in the amount of energy used are the weight of the person/ things being carried compared to the load specified in the manual and the driving conditions - hilly or rough terrain, faster speeds and situations with less traction use more power.

Also turning the power off whenever sitting still for more than a few minutes is recommended to help conserve power.