Small ECVs?

[nicolejc83]

Is there such a thing as a small ECV? My husband and I both have mobility issues (he has bad knees and one bad hip, I have severe foot pain.) and he is concerned that an ECV will be too much trouble to bring to and from the hotel and I don't want to pay park prices, much preferring to rent from an off site vendor so that we will have something to use back at the hotel and the park.

I was hoping to find a smallish ECV that will still haul our big butts around, to take away any concerns about transport. My husband wants to take the monorail and boats as much as possible.

 

[Gilrond]

The GoGos are small. Buenavista has had the GoGo sport which is 43 inches long. I' m hoping they now have the GoGo Elite Traveler which is 37 inches long. That's what I use at work and I love it. I have the 3 wheel version and the turning radius is great but could tip if rider is tall and has high center of gravity.

 

[bidnow5]

ECV size is based on the riders weight if you get one that is too small it isn't going to last all day

 

[nicolejc83]

The GoGos are small. Buenavista has had the GoGo sport which is 43 inches long. I' m hoping they now have the GoGo Elite Traveler which is 37 inches long. That's what I use at work and I love it. I have the 3 wheel version and the turning radius is great but could tip if rider is tall and has high center of gravity.

Thanks so much, this is excellent information!

 

[nicolejc83]

ECV size is based on the riders weight if you get one that is too small it isn't going to last all day

I hadn't considered that, but, I am not sure that it has to last all day. We did ok at Disneyland without one until day three and I am hoping that if we use one for in the mornings that it will take the worst of the stress off of his knees.

 

[Bete]

Some of the outside vendors don't want you to weigh more that 175 pounds for the smaller scooters.

I would keep a strong eye on the battery power; so, you don't end up walking the scooter back to the entrance manually. I'm not sure Disney will be too kind if you are not renting from them. The vendors usually will not go into the parks.

If you are heavier than the next model up on the Pride scooters is the Victory. These scooters can handle weight above 300 pounds. They are not too much bigger and they come with two batteries and usually last all day.

You need to make sure you charge your batteries every night.

 

[dawnhaze]

I think any ECV that fits within Disney's size guidelines is going to be more or less equally easy and/or difficult to transport (depending how you look at it, lol), unless you're talking about loading it into a car.

On my last trip, I ended up helping a woman drive her small 3-wheeled ECV onto a bus at Pop one afternoon because her teenage kids had ditched her at the hotel and she wasn't comfortable driving up the ramp herself. I didn't find it any easier or harder than getting my larger Victory 10 rental on.

The monorails are drive on, back off, using a ramp. The boats that are big enough for ECVs are pretty similar - a ramp goes down, you drive over it. There isn't much maneuvering involved in either situation, really.

 

[nicolejc83]

I am 235 lbs and he is 260 so we are under 300 but over 175. My husband thinks it will be easier to just take a regular wheelchair with.

He uses a cane sparingly but at Disneyland life would have been so much easier if I would have used an ECV in the AM and he used one in the PM. His pride is probably our biggest problem at the moment. He has a hard time with being 36 and needing extra help. Nevermind the fact that all of this is due to his military service and he should not worry.

 

[Bete]

I am 235 lbs and he is 260 so we are under 300 but over 175. My husband thinks it will be easier to just take a regular wheelchair with. He uses a cane sparingly but at Disneyland life would have been so much easier if I would have used an ECV in the AM and he used one in the PM. His pride is probably our biggest problem at the moment. He has a hard time with being 36 and needing extra help. Nevermind the fact that all of this is due to his military service and he should not worry.

If you change your mind at the park you can always get a Disney rental scooter even if they cost more. A scooter has always allowed us to enjoy the parks longer and it made it easier for us. It's well worth the cost even at Disney pricing. When you think about it park tickets cost money, too and maximizing your park time makes your ticket go a lot further. Tickets aren't free.

 

[nicolejc83]

When you think about it park tickets cost money, too and maximizing your park time makes your ticket go a lot further. Tickets aren't free.

Tickets sure aren't free! I don't mind paying for it, I think the husband is using it as an excuse because he is so very prideful!

 

[Toffeewoffy]

This year I hired a Pride 3-wheeler ('sold' as the Victory 10 in a lot of places) and it was perfect for my needs. 3-wheels meant I could negotiate all the queues easily (only hit two barriers and that was only because the reverse lever was duff). The battery lasted all day - right through until midnight, in fact, and I just drove into our room and plugged it in as soon as we got back. It fitted on all the Disney buses (I don't know about the older ones with the lift though as we only had the more modern ones).

The wheels are wide enough so you don't get stuck in the rail tracks on Main Street, and the only balance problem I had was when I took a lowered ramp up onto a pavement and because I did it at an angle, one of the back wheels missed the kerb and I had a wobble.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

If you try without and then decide it's worth renting, you can call up one of the offsite rental companies and see if/when you could rent a scooter from them. Most can deliver one within 24 hours. You'd still need to rent from WDW for the rest of that specific day, but then don't have to rent from WDW the rest of the trip.

I don't know if this makes a difference, but at 36 he'll be far from the youngest person using an ECV (or other mobility aid). Many people need an ECV at WDW who don't need them in daily life at home. (Or could benefit, but choose to limit themselves at home to the places they can go without a mobility aid - usually due to pride.) At WDW you'll be walking a minimum of 4 miles and more likely actually walk 6+ miles. Most of that is between rides or getting to/from transportation. (Side note: you'll want to take the bus/other WDW transportation to the Magic Kingdom because it will get you closest to the entrance. The parking lot is no where near the actual entrance so you have to take either the monorail or ferry to actually get to the park.)

He could also decorate the scooter either to show that he's a veteran or to make it look "cooler". My guess is that's something he won't be interested in, but I wanted to throw it out just in case. I mean the way scientific research is going, pigs will fly some day, right?

 

[nicolejc83]

I don't know if this makes a difference, but at 36 he'll be far from the youngest person using an ECV (or other mobility aid). Many people need an ECV at WDW who don't need them in daily life at home. (Or could benefit, but choose to limit themselves at home to the places they can go without a mobility aid - usually due to pride.) At WDW you'll be walking a minimum of 4 miles and more likely actually walk 6+ miles. Most of that is between rides or getting to/from transportation. (Side note: you'll want to take the bus/other WDW transportation to the Magic Kingdom because it will get you closest to the entrance. The parking lot is no where near the actual entrance so you have to take either the monorail or ferry to actually get to the park.)

He could also decorate the scooter either to show that he's a veteran or to make it look "cooler". My guess is that's something he won't be interested in, but I wanted to throw it out just in case. I mean the way scientific research is going, pigs will fly some day, right?

Decorating it would draw attention to a man who would be perfectly happy hiding in a hole in the ground for the rest of his life. I am thinking that I might just rent one for me and make him use it. I strained my back last week and pinched a nerve in it to boot. I will just tell him there is no way I could do without it and when I need to be walking to stretch my legs he can use it. I really don't see us each needing our own and this way it is all my fault, which is how he prefers it.

 

[nicolejc83]

This year I hired a Pride 3-wheeler ('sold' as the Victory 10 in a lot of places) and it was perfect for my needs. 3-wheels meant I could negotiate all the queues easily (only hit two barriers and that was only because the reverse lever was duff). The battery lasted all day - right through until midnight, in fact, and I just drove into our room and plugged it in as soon as we got back. It fitted on all the Disney buses (I don't know about the older ones with the lift though as we only had the more modern ones).

The wheels are wide enough so you don't get stuck in the rail tracks on Main Street, and the only balance problem I had was when I took a lowered ramp up onto a pavement and because I did it at an angle, one of the back wheels missed the kerb and I had a wobble.

I am so grateful for all of these awesome recommendations! I really don't have the first idea of what to look for and this is very specific, thanks.