Swan Dolphin ECV on mears

[KMarston]

Does anyone know if the transportation for Swan and Dolphin can accommodate an ECV? I’ve order one for the week we’re there but it’s the first time in 5 years and that time I rented in the parks. It also seems to me that the back side of Dolphin has stairs, I don’t remember seeing an accessible ramp there because I would have taken it! I don’t want to be a pain for my party, I’ll just bite the bullet and rent in the park if it’s going to hamper them.
Thanks for any help.

 

[Evita_W]

I would think they are accessible, but you can call and ask. And there is definitely an accessible path in and out, don't know where it is, but there will be one there.

 

[KMarston]

Thank you!

 

[lanejudy]

I have not been able to find a definite answer to this since the change last fall. I suggest you contact the Swan or Dolphin to ask. I believe many off-site coach buses are not accessible with a lift, though the resort must provide you with accessible transportation if requested.

 

[KMarston]

Thank you, I asked on the S/D resort thread and no definite answer there either.

 

[mamabunny]

Thank you, I asked on the S/D resort thread and no definite answer there either.

You may need to dig a bit, and find a phone number for the hotel(s) and just call them directly. If front desk staff can't answer the question, ask for the general manager, or resort manager.

 

[Dispro1]

You are right about the Dolphin only having stairs on that back side of the resort. We thought it would be easy to roll our luggage from Dolphin to Boardwalk Inn and learned this the hard way! It seems like I remember finding an elevator down on another trip, but I would have to verify that. We will be staying at Dolphin on our arrival night of May 28th, so if you are unable to get the information you need by calling, please let me know, and I will see what I can find out when I am there.

 

[DisneyOma]

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.367...194-ro-0-fo100!7i5376!8i2688?hl=en&authuser=0
Not sure if the above link will work - but it's from google maps. There's a photo of what I consider the "back side" of the Dolphin (the part that goes to the boat ramp) and I don't see any stairs? Or are there stairs inside that are the issue?

 

[Dispro1]

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.367...194-ro-0-fo100!7i5376!8i2688?hl=en&authuser=0
Not sure if the above link will work - but it's from google maps. There's a photo of what I consider the "back side" of the Dolphin (the part that goes to the boat ramp) and I don't see any stairs? Or are there stairs inside that are the issue?

They are inside going from the lobby down to a couple of restaurants before you exit that side to the boat ramp. I'll try to remember to take a couple of pictures when I'm there. The Swan doesn't have any stairs, but I prefer the renovated lobby and vibe of the Dolphin personally lol.

 

[SueM in MN]

They are inside going from the lobby down to a couple of restaurants before you exit that side to the boat ramp. I'll try to remember to take a couple of pictures when I'm there. The Swan doesn't have any stairs, but I prefer the renovated lobby and vibe of the Dolphin personally lol.

Yes. The stairs and a set of escalators are inside the building to get from ground floor on that side of the building to the lobby.
We have not stayed at Dolphin, but have been in there many times. There is not a ramp - it would need to be a VERY long ramp.
There is an elevator down one of the little halls at the bottom of the stairs. Wherever a ramp would not work, you will find an elevato.

 

[Selket]

We stayed at the Dolphin Oct/Nov 2019 and I rented an ECV and had no problems. I remember coming in a door that was downstairs near one of the restaurants that must have had a button to push to open the door automatically. I also exited that door after eating breakfast some days it seems to me. Once you get the ECV perhaps spend some time just exploring the resort to see where all the shops and restaurants are and check out the doors so you know where to find the ones that will work with the ECV. Perhaps calling and asking that question as well as the bus question could work also. I'm 100% sure I did NOT just use the front door to go in and out most of the time as I remember winding around the outside of the hotel on the sidewalk.

 

[SueM in MN]

This picture is from TripAdvisor and is not real clear when enlarged, but it does show the stairs and escalators.
There are doors on each side at the bottom of the stairs that exit to the Boardwalk/boat landing area. The elevators don’t show in the picture, but there are elevators right in that area to get between the top and bottom levels.
We‘ve used the elevators multiple times with our daughter who uses a wheelchair.
I don’t remember exactly where they are, but they were not hard to find and there are multiple staff who can direct you if you can’t find them. Besides the exit doors, there are several restaurants on that bottom level.

 

[KMarston]

You are right about the Dolphin only having stairs on that back side of the resort. We thought it would be easy to roll our luggage from Dolphin to Boardwalk Inn and learned this the hard way! It seems like I remember finding an elevator down on another trip, but I would have to verify that. We will be staying at Dolphin on our arrival night of May 28th, so if you are unable to get the information you need by calling, please let me know, and I will see what I can find out when I am there.

Thanks a million for the offer! I don’t hear well on the phone but I’ll have my DH call this week! Hope you have a magical trip!

 

[KMarston]

We stayed at the Dolphin Oct/Nov 2019 and I rented an ECV and had no problems. I remember coming in a door that was downstairs near one of the restaurants that must have had a button to push to open the door automatically. I also exited that door after eating breakfast some days it seems to me. Once you get the ECV perhaps spend some time just exploring the resort to see where all the shops and restaurants are and check out the doors so you know where to find the ones that will work with the ECV. Perhaps calling and asking that question as well as the bus question could work also. I'm 100% sure I did NOT just use the front door to go in and out most of the time as I remember winding around the outside of the hotel on the sidewalk.

We’ll have the afternoon when we arrive to explore while our kids and grandkids do the pool!

 

[KMarston]

This picture is from TripAdvisor and is not real clear when enlarged, but it does show the stairs and escalators.
There are doors on each side at the bottom of the stairs that exit to the Boardwalk/boat landing area. The elevators don’t show in the picture, but there are elevators right in that area to get between the top and bottom levels.
We‘ve used the elevators multiple times with our daughter who uses a wheelchair.
I don’t remember exactly where they are, but they were not hard to find and there are multiple staff who can direct you if you can’t find them. Besides the exit doors, there are several restaurants on that bottom level.
View attachment 575464

Thanks for that!

 

[Debbie Jean]

Yes. The stairs and a set of escalators are inside the building to get from ground floor on that side of the building to the lobby.
We have not stayed at Dolphin, but have been in there many times. There is not a ramp - it would need to be a VERY long ramp.
There is an elevator down one of the little halls at the bottom of the stairs. Wherever a ramp would not work, you will find an elevato.

I guess I’m confused. Are you asking whether you can take an ECV down to the lower level in back where the boats are? If so the answer is yes. Take one of the elevators all the way to the bottom and turn left down a small corridor, press the handicap button, door opens and you exit along a narrow walkway which takes you to the boats, Boardwalk, etc. No stairs, escalators, etc involved. To return to the lobby of the Dolphin, you just reverse the process. I apologize if that’s not what was asked.

Whether Mears can take an ECV, I’ve no idea. Rented from Gold Mobility so picked up the scooter at the Dolphin.

 

[KMarston]

I guess I’m confused. Are you asking whether you can take an ECV down to the lower level in back where the boats are? If so the answer is yes. Take one of the elevators all the way to the bottom and turn left down a small corridor, press the handicap button, door opens and you exit along a narrow walkway which takes you to the boats, Boardwalk, etc. No stairs, escalators, etc involved. To return to the lobby of the Dolphin, you just reverse the process. I apologize if that’s not what was asked.

Whether Mears can take an ECV, I’ve no idea. Rented from Gold Mobility so picked up the scooter at the Dolphin.

Thanks for your reply! Yes, I was wondering if there was a way out that area, I’ve been before and didn’t remember elevators there. Even when my bad leg is good I don’t do stairs if I can avoid it so I thought there wasn’t another option. We’ll rent from gold mobility, since Dolphin isn’t using Disney transportation right now I wondered if the Mears transportation they are providing to the parks was accessible. I’ve read mixed accounts.

 

[Evita_W]

Thanks for your reply! Yes, I was wondering if there was a way out that area, I’ve been before and didn’t remember elevators there. Even when my bad leg is good I don’t do stairs if I can avoid it so I thought there wasn’t another option. We’ll rent from gold mobility, since Dolphin isn’t using Disney transportation right now I wondered if the Mears transportation they are providing to the parks was accessible. I’ve read mixed accounts.

Well, the nice thing about Dolphin is with Gold's batteries being in better shape than most, the person on an ECV can easily ride it to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, so that eliminates transportation to two parks. Also, for other parks, if it is an issue, you could go to Yacht and Beach Club or Boardwalk and use Disney Transportation from there. There are also the boats.to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

 

[SteveH]

@KMarston glad you came over here to get some info, I've been surprised no S/D users have shared about how they are getting around with Mears lately. I saw the new story dropped from Kelly Mack about using Mears to get to/from S/D. I was wondering if she was a user here and could enlighten fellow DISers. @SueM in MN do you know if Kelly is active on the forums?

 

[SueM in MN]

I guess I’m confused. Are you asking whether you can take an ECV down to the lower level in back where the boats are? If so the answer is yes. Take one of the elevators all the way to the bottom and turn left down a small corridor, press the handicap button, door opens and you exit along a narrow walkway which takes you to the boats, Boardwalk, etc. No stairs, escalators, etc involved. To return to the lobby of the Dolphin, you just reverse the process. I apologize if that’s not what was asked.

Whether Mears can take an ECV, I’ve no idea. Rented from Gold Mobility so picked up the scooter at the Dolphin.

not sure why you quoted me, but yes, the OP’s question was how to get an ECV up and down between the upper lobby level and the lower boat level.

@KMarston glad you came over here to get some info, I've been surprised no S/D users have shared about how they are getting around with Mears lately. I saw the new story dropped from Kelly Mack about using Mears to get to/from S/D. I was wondering if she was a user here and could enlighten fellow DISers. @SueM in MN do you know if Kelly is active on the forums?

I don’t know if she is active here because I don’t know her user name.
Good article though.

Personally, we are not looking forward to the end of Magical Express. My youngest daughter is a full time wheelchair user. We are not brave enough to bring her power chair - it’s got a lot of features like recline, tilt, raising and standing that make it more fragile than a regular power wheelchair. She brings her manual wheelchair to WDW, which sounds easier, but really isn’t. Without an accessible vehicle, we need to lift her out of her chair into the vehicle, then stow her chair. Magical Express was so nice because she could just stay in her chair. It was often an extra wait, but at least we didn’t have to transfer her.

Before it existed, we rented a van or car, but even that meant trying to figure out how to fit all our luggage and the wheelchair (taken apart). We did use an accessible taxi once to get back to the airport (Bell Services called it for us when the ME bus sent for us was not accessible). That actually worse trying to get all our stuff in than renting a van