scooter newbie, please help

[tseitel]

Hello. This will be our first trip with a scooter, as my mom is just not able to do all the walking involved. Last trip she was in a wheelchair, but this time we will be pushing a double stroller with twins.
We will be staying at the BC. Do we need to request ground floor, letting them know about the scooter?
I know I have seen them parked outside rooms, but I have never seen them in an elevator. Is this allowed? Do you take the scooter in your room to plug in at night? I know at the values we have seen them on ground level, but the BC rooms are inside hallways, didn't think that would be ok outside in the hall, possibly blocking foot traffic. Are they allowed in the room, and possibly get something on the carpet? Totally lost here. She is able to walk with her cane, so parking it somewhere and then retrieving it is not a problem.
Also, if we decide to do a water park (she would just enjoy laying in the sun) is typhoon lagoon accessible just enough for her to get from point A to point B?
Any and all suggestions GREATLY appreciated!!!!

 

[powellrj]

Not sure about the water parks, but yes, you can park your scooter in the room. You will need to charge it over night, so I am not sure why you wouldn't park it in the room. I would also be afraid of someone stealing it. Yes, it will be fine in the elevator, no need to let them know unless its something you think you would prefer. Since you said she will also be using her cain, you might want to ask about adding a cane holder. I have one with my rollator and its really handy!

 

[Starwind]

I used a scooter for the first time during my November trip. We stayed at WL and at BC in normal rooms. At BC we had an upper floor room. I did not tell them in advance of the scooter.

At both resorts I parked the scooter in the room. Finding a placce to put it was a bit of a challenge - we ended up deciding that in the "entranceway" beside the closet doors was the best place. To charge it we strung the cord to the nearest plug (in BC this was across the floor to the bathroom counter plug, which is a trip hazard, but for us two adults that was fine). It did NOT leave a lot of maneuvering room to get around the scooter for the humans, and certainly things like suitcases and strollers would be a no-go.

Also, getting in and out of the room took some work. Someone had to hold the door open, and since the door opens INTO the room the scooter had to squeeze past the human holding the door without running them over. In the mornings that was done while going backwards. There were some close calls. Moving at the slowest possible speed is a VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY good idea.

As for the BC elevators. The scooter fits. Just. Go in SLOWLY. Slowest speed. Sometimes you still still ram it into the far wall (I cringed each time that happened, but was going so slowly no damage appeared to occur). there is not much room behind you to the door -- a few inches at most, BUT THERE IS ROOM. There is room for a human to stand to the side of you if they enter first. Maybe another human at the other side if they likewise entered first. No other humans. Certainly no strollers. So your party will be split into multiple elevator trips if there is a stroller involved.

BC's halls are a maze. some of the corners are pretty blind. GO SLOW AROUND CORNERS. OTOH, having the scooter can be nice if your room is a very very long walk down a windy windy maze of halls

If you'll be using Disney buses, don't be afraid to ask for help ! I always made it known this was my first trip with a scooter and I wasn't very good at navigating the bus with it. Most of the bus drivers were absolutely wonderful -- giving step by step directions, and in some cases having me getting it onto the bus and into a position where I could get off to transfer and then they manually moved it back into the lockdown position. it varied, but their help was very good. When essentially parallel parking into the scooter spaces on the buses I would almost always bang into the bus (even going at the slowest speed), and was reassured that was normal as I was profusely apologizing.

-SW

 

[Tbone17701]

Starwind-(haven't tackled quoting with new format yet)-how did you make out with the scooter at WL (in the room, elevators, boats, etc.)? Considering one for our upcoming stay there and I too would be a scooter rookie.

 

[soar2014]

When the scooter company drops off your scooter they will give you a short tutorial. They are very easy to navigate and WDW hotels and parks are all handicap accessible so I wouldn't worry about it. I have put a scooter in WL with absolutely no trouble.

 

[Bete]

You have some options. If you want to avoid elevators then request first floor. You can have furniture removed from the room like the table to make more room for the scooter. It's a little frowned upon to have your scooter out in the hall.

You can have your mom practice on store scooters back home. There is a speed control and you can go slower if you want to. I would guide her and lead her to get around everywhere especially blind corners.

You may want to request a cane holder for the scooter when you rent. Some vendors have them. When mom is off the scooter she can use her cane.

Getting on and off buses if you use them will be the most challenging. You may have to help park the scooter on the bus for her.

Make sure she uses ramps and you don't want her to jump a curb. Around the castle in MK is one area where you need to be careful about this.

Smaller scooters may not have a headlight. If you are going to the parks at night then you may want to bring your own bike light to attach.

 

[tseitel]

Thank you for the suggestions. Love the cane holder ( was wondering if I needed to buy 1 of those folding canes). I think we will be putting it onto the bus. I believe (hope) that you can put it in neutral & push it?
Thanks again. I just keep telling myself to chill, it will all work out. Last trip was our 1st with a wheelchair, & we made out alright.
This site definitely makes me feel better after reading so many people in the same boat, & so many helpful posts.

 

[Hopefully]

I used a scooter for the first time in October. I was very worried before our trip.
But I found it extremely easy to use.
We stayed at BCV so the only buses I needed to load onto were to MK and AK. I too found the drivers to be very helpful and very patient. I ignored any grumbling from others. I was doing my best and I certainly would have preferred to be among the walking , like them. I really only had trouble the very first time. It is just like parallel parking a car. And you can take it slowly.
I don't think you want to put it in neutral and push it up the ramp to the bus. Someone should drive it up.
Good Luck

 

[Starwind]

Starwind-(haven't tackled quoting with new format yet)-how did you make out with the scooter at WL (in the room, elevators, boats, etc.)? Considering one for our upcoming stay there and I too would be a scooter rookie.

The scooter at WL worked fine, with some caveats (which apply no matter which hotel).

We did NOT attempt the boats with the scooter, although I understand the the larger boats can handle ECVs unless the water level is too low. The couple times we used the boats they were for short duration trips where I was comfortable with the amount of walking (i.e. not to go into the parks, but e.g. go see the holiday decorations at CR, then monorail to Poly and GF to see theirs then lunch at GF's QS Gasparellas, then boat from GF to MK then boat from MK to WL -- lots of sitting and taking breaks and a leisurely pace), so we left the scooter in the room.

We had booked a Woods view room, but according to what I can figure out online we were actually given a Courtyard View room. The initial room we were assigned was on the first floor of the south wing. At checkin when we were told where our room was, I asked if we could please NOT be put in a ground floor room (because I really really really dislike ground floor rooms). A couple minutes searching and they had us switched to a second floor room in the south wing. So, our room was on the second floor (same floor as the main lobby), overlooking the villas. Just past the "zig" of the zig-zag that the hall of rooms makes, for those familiar with the layout.

We did not request and the room was not a HA room. Some of the challenges we faced would not have been there if it was a HA room (e.g. more space; and I understand that many of the HA rooms have door openers). But, we need two queen beds and I have no need (or desire) for a HA shower beyond the normal safety bars they have in the bathrooms.

Getting to and from the room was easy.

Getting into the room was a bit of a challenge and required both of us -- me on the scooter going exceptionally slow and my sister holding the door open trying not to get squashed by the scooter We only had one near-miss, so not too bad. Backing up out of the room (I didn't bother trying to turn the scooter around inside the room other than the first night; see below; though I probably could have using the bathroom sink space and essentially a multi-point turn) was a bit more challenging for me and dangerous for my sister holding the door open, but we got the hang of it.

The first night I put the scooter down by the balcony doors; we moved the chair from the table out of the way and with some difficulty I got the scooter into the space nose-first. It was challenging getting it in. Well, getting it back out in the morning was even worse !! That location was obviously not a good idea. We ended up doing what we did at BC - parked the scooter in the "entrance way" as close to the wall as I could make it so we had space for walking around it (there is room to do so, you just have to watch where you are walking carefully). Just inside the room proper there is a plug on the wall that we were able to use for charging. This location worked much better, though it blocked access to much of the closet - the compromise was worth not having to get the critter out of the space by the balcony doors

Because of our room location we didn;t need to use the elevators at WL. I assume they would have been similar to BC - scooter fits in fine, and a person can stand either side if they got into the elevator first; be prepared to unintentionally drive the scooter into the far elevator wall no matter how slow you are going at least some of the time, but if you are on the slowest possible speed there is no visible damage to wall or scooter -- really it is more of a "bump" and not a "smash".

I took trips to Roaring forks both with and without the scooter. When I took the scooter, I did what I did for the rides in the parks -- park the scooter safely nearby and then walk, so I can't speak to navigating INSIDE RF with a scooter because I didn't attempt it.

Buses were fine. This was the first trip to WDW where we took buses between MK and WL, as we normally take the boat. The buses were great. We must have gotten lucky because in most cases the bus pulled up within seconds to a couple minutes after we arrived at the WL stop. We were always the only scooter. Coming back from one of the parks, once, there was another scooter ahead of us, but other than that we were always only the only one. The drivers were very very helpful and patient, though the degree of helpfulness varied from driver to driver. I always made a point of telling them at the start that this was my first time using a scooter and I wasn't very good at it on the buses. They would help with directions of what to do when. In a couple cases they had me get on and lined up, then transfer and they manually put the scooter into the final proper position.


Hope this helps.

WL is our favourite resort and I highly recommend it

-SW

 

[Starwind]

I It is just like parallel parking a car. And you can take it slowly.
I don't think you want to put it in neutral and push it up the ramp to the bus. Someone should drive it up.

I agree. I always at least drove it onto the bus and made the first 90 degree turn so it was now parallel with the bus inside. After that in most cases the drivers helped with some degree of verbal directions for me to parallel park it or, in a few instances had me transfer and then they manually parallel parked it with it in "neutral". I always drove off the bus.

-SW

 

[Tbone17701]

Thanks for the detailed report on WL Starwind!

Parallel parking...my nemesis. There only two things I avoid to the point of absurdity when behind the wheel...anything resembling a hill when in a manual shift vehicle and parallel parking. I really do think I better make apology signs to adorn my scooter.

 

[DisneySOS]

Following because I am traveling with my 80 yr old mom who will need to rent a scooter for the first time. Great suggestions.

 

[KisanMcG]

I've been using a scooter or wheelchair for multiple-times-a-year visits since about 2010, now, and I think that the best thing any scooter user can do is practice and get used to the feeling of driving a scooter before they get to WDW. Even if the rentals down there are slightly different, it is a significant help to have a decent comfort level with driving an ECV in and out of crowds and spaces. Practice at local stores, maybe even rent one for a weekend to get the hang of it a little better before arrival. If this isn't possible, try to build in a half hour or so to have a "training period" where the rider can get used to the controls.

It is my experience that the easier scooters to maneuver are the off-site rental scooters that use the Pride GoGo Elite and Victory models. I always remove the basket so I don't have anxiety about how far my front end sticks out, but that may just be me.

Another bit of advice that may be controversial - if there is someone in your party who has the physical capability to take apart and lift a rental scooter, I recommend renting a car. It saves so much time over the bus system, and any WDW deluxe resort will valet park the car for free if you have a state-issued handicapped placard. We use this accommodation to take the opportunity to dine at resorts with restaurants we might not have otherwise tried if we had to rely on Disney transportation.

If the rider is not used to sitting for long periods of time, make sure they remember to get up and stretch whenever there's a still moment. It can be hard to think about the person sitting down all day when the rest of the party has walked six miles and has sore feet, but there is a stiffness and soreness that can come from driving an ECV all day too. When one is walking, one can easily avoid running into another person and really just *seeing* another person around them is easy. When one is driving an ECV, one is pretty much spending the day at butt level, trying very hard to pay constant attention to the terrain underneath them and the crowd moving around them. The vigilance required, especially on a crowded day or in a crowded or tight area like in a store or exiting a show, can be just as exhausting as a day of walking. If the regular ECV driver hops out to take a break, ride a few feet in their shoes and you'll see what I mean. Kids and adults alike can dart out in front of the ECV to try and "beat traffic", the curbs and uneven ground can change suddenly underneath, and the crowd can try to push ahead past an ECV because folks looking out at eye level think the gap in their sights means a "hole" they can occupy to get ahead to the next fun thing. Try to be patient with your driver, and be willing to act as a buffer for them or go a little behind the crowd rather than in the thick of things.

Our stay at BC was wonderful. The staff at the front desk went above and beyond to make sure we were in a room that would be easier to navigate with the scooter. For us, that meant a first-floor room with a table removed to ensure there was space to park and charge. It was such a wonderful experience that my DH and I have decided that BC is our new favorite resort! Taking the walking paths and Friendship boats to DHS and EC were a breeze, and we even used EC as a cut through to get to the monorail for MK. The Captain's Grille in adjacent YC has one of the best breakfasts we've had on property and had a scooter parking area to use.

WL was a decent stay, though we found those rooms to be more difficult to park a scooter overnight. It might have been because that trip we had four adults in the room, but there was really not a lot in the way of space. The end result was that my able-bodied DH took the scooter to the bell services desk at night and checked it until morning for each night we were there. They didn't seem to think this was unusual, and even brought it to the room one morning when DH was getting breakfast to bring back. As far as the boats go - there has never been an issue for me in getting my scooter on to the larger boat to MK. Very occasionally, there is a slightly longer wait for the large boat instead of the smaller launches. Even more occasionally, the water level is not appropriate for easy entrance/exit for the boat, and the captain has asked all of the other passengers to go to the left side so that the right side will elevate and I can scoot on or off. This is always funny to me - "Everyone lean over as far as you can! We have to raise the other side by three inches!".

Good luck and have great trips!

 

[DisneySOS]

Thank you for your advice. My mom had both knees replaced so she has had some experience with an EC. We have them available here at the supermarket and she plans to ask the manager if she can use one (she can navigate a climate controlled supermarket but wouldn't want to take away from someone who actually needs it there). We also plan to have it delivered to the resort in the afternoon the day before we head to the parks so she can familiarize herself with it.
Right now she is unsure if she should go with a 3 or 4 wheeler. Both have pros and cons - was wondering if it's a personal preference or is one actual easier to navigate than the other?

 

[Simba's Mom]

Thank you! Your description of the difficulties involved in getting in and out of BCV rooms with a scooter makes me more understanding of having to navigate the scooter that was left in the hall near my room every evening on my last trip. I was a little grumbly and wondered at the time why they didn't put the scooter in the room. Now I see it from the other side. Thanks!

 

[ThistleMae]

Thank you for the suggestions. Love the cane holder ( was wondering if I needed to buy 1 of those folding canes). I think we will be putting it onto the bus. I believe (hope) that you can put it in neutral & push it?
Thanks again. I just keep telling myself to chill, it will all work out. Last trip was our 1st with a wheelchair, & we made out alright.
This site definitely makes me feel better after reading so many people in the same boat, & so many helpful posts.

Welcome to the world of Scooters. They are a life saver. I was nervous at first, getting on the bus. The drivers were good about helping. After a few times getting on and off ,she will get the hang of it. If she isn't going to ride it up onto the bus, it would be easiest for you to drive it on. I don't know whether you could push it up. They are rather heavy. And she still has to get on the bus. The boats were pretty simple and the monorail was very easy. The elevators are no problem and neither is getting it into the room. I stayed at Pop, the rooms are very small there and it fit in nicely. Had to move the little table over just a bit. And yes, someone needs to hold the door so she can get in and out of the room. Although, I did stand up, unlock the door and guided it into the room while standing behind it, using the power. This may be too tricky for her though...so lucky she has you to help. She will enjoy her trip so much more being able to be mobile. If she uses an electric shopping cart to get around in the stores, she should have no problem with the scooter. They do move right along, so she should just try out the controls to get the hang of it. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[disney david]

The bus drivers have joined the marvel Union of bus protection and will recurit you to be special agents on agent carter with their new agent carter bus. Just figured give a quick bus update to the new disers to the scooter and bus world that your be in good hands win Disney transportation and their drivers they work very hard to provide a safe and fun bus ride.

 

[DVCWishes]

Practicing at local stores prior to your vacation can be a big help.

 

[JenniBugInPink]

Three words: Bring a doorstop. You know, the little rubber things that you stick under a door to keep it open? For under $7.00, you can prop the door open without smashing anyone entering or leaving your room. Much easier. Never go to WDW without one. Sometimes Husband isn't around, and it's essential.

 

[dawnhaze]

Three words: Bring a doorstop. You know, the little rubber things that you stick under a door to keep it open? For under $7.00, you can prop the door open without smashing anyone entering or leaving your room. Much easier. Never go to WDW without one. Sometimes Husband isn't around, and it's essential.

After traveling solo with a scooter three times and always, always struggling with the resort room door - I can't believe I never thought of this!