Taking mom in ECV Question?

[cyfan]

I am taking my mother to Disneyworld the end of October. She has fibromyalgia and has alot of pain if she walks any amount of distance or is on her feet for extended periods of time. We have rented an ECV for the week from Randy's Mobility. We are both so excited about the trip. She didn't want to go by herself and I thought it would be a great bonding time together. My question to you guys is, " Since she can walk small distances should we park the ECV outside the attraction and follow everyone or take the ECV in as far as we can. She was hesitant to even rent an ECV but I felt she would get along much better by using one. Any advice would be appreciated so that I can make this trip special for her. She has been waiting 15 years to go. Thanks.

 

[teri]

cyfan, be sure to click on the link in my signature below and read the disABILITIES FAQ. Read about the GAC, and about pacing.

I would say that it is up to her... many queues are mainstreamed now, which mens that her ECV will be able to go through the entire queue. Since many of the attractions have theming in the queue, it relaly isn't so bad. When she gets to the part of the queue where wheelchairs or ECVs will not be able to pass through, they can direct her through the accessible entrance. The alternative is to use the GAC to go straight to an alternate accessible waiting area. Both ways work, and it is different for different attractions. There is a link on teh DIS main page to Disabilities Information, which includes accessibility info about rides and attractions. Also, there is a Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities at each of the parks, available at Guest Services.

 

[SueM in MN]

Some of the rides have a short walk from the line entrance to where you actually board. She might want to walk on those even if the ecv could get on. She might find that if she is sitting in the ecv all day, she gets stiff and sore just from being in one position and not moving.
Other rides look like it is a short distance, but actually the queue winds around inside in ways that you can't see from outside.
The CMs at each ride entrance can give information about how far it is until boarding and what the wait will be. Sometimes the wait that is listed outside is longer than you actually will be waiting.

 

[Daisimae]

I did WDW last year with FMS and an ECV. and we are going again next year. My suggestion would be to follow the lead of the ride attendant. They will tell you if you should park and walk/or transfer to a manual WC for longer queues. They will even reposition/move the ECV to the unloading area so it is ready for you when you come off the ride. We didn't have any problems with attendants in either WDW, SeaWorld or Universal/IOA. They seemed to be well trained and followed procedures.

Have a great trip!

Daisimae inkbounc

 

[SueM in MN]

Here is a link to DIS Board mobility info. It lists which rides you can stay in a wheelchair for, which ones you need to transfer from an ecv to a wheelchair and which ones you have to walk to ride.
The park maps have an icon to indicate the same thing. If there is a little wheelchair icon next to the ride, then wheelchair and ecvs can come into the line and the ride/attraction. If there is a icon of someone getting up from an ecv and getting into a wheelchair, then you will have to switch. There is a "standing" icon for those rides where you have to get out of the ecv or wheelchair.

 

[fostrmom2mny]

I am so glad this thread is here.

I have saved for two years to take this vacation. (Been to WDW twice before, but my DS won the trips and this one is financed by me)

I experienced a lot of mobility problems on our other trips, but never rented a wheelchair. On the last trip, I considered it, but was too embarrassed to do so. I am morbidly obese, but I am pretty active for a person my size. I suffer from aching knees and hips. My feet burn like a million bee stings after a lot of walking. Please tell me if this plan sounds OK.

I will walk on my own the first few days of our trip as we will not be going into the Theme parks but to the Malls, and a few other exhibits. I will have plenty of time to make stops and go at my own pace.

I will go day 1 to the theme parks w/o renting a wheelchair, but take it easy and rest as needed. (We've extended our trip to allow me to do this) But when the days of longer theme park walking occurs, I plan on renting a wheelchair of ECV.
On the days that I rent the ECV, is where my questions come up.

Will it be appropriate for me to combine some walking such as in some lines that are not long (20 min or so)? What happens to the vehicles while you are in line? I think I may be able to handle some of the standing in lines if they aren't too long, but I imagine that if the lines are very long, I'll need to sit. This a legitimate reason to use a ECV isn't it? Would I also need to get one of those special passes for when I use the ECV?

Thanks for the help.
Gerri

 

[SueM in MN]

An ecv is for someone who has difficulty with walking and/or standing (for whatever reason), so you certainly would fit that definition and should not feel at all embarrassed or worried that you shouldn't use one.
It sounds like you are planning to use it very minimally, so you especially should not feel bad about it. If you are using an ecv in line, you don't need a Guest Assistance Card; you will be directed to a line where an ecv can go. If you will be walking sometimes in line, you MAY need a GAC, but right now (even in normal circumstances) is not a busy time, so you may find your wait in line is minimal. Also, if you use fastpass, the wait in the fast pass return line is usually on;ly 10-15 minutes. Ask the CM at the ride entrances if you are worried about how long your wait will be or if there are things like stairs that might be hard for you. The ecv would usually be parked with the strollers if you are walking in line. Someone who has used an ecv can tell you netter; that's what we have seen.
If I were you, I would play it by ear and see if you need an ecv more than you think you will now. We find MK the hardest to get around with my DD's wheelchair, so that might be the park you don't want an ecv. Epcot is big and spread out, so for sure you want one there. You may want to bring the rental info and phone numbers with you. You could always call one of the off site places to try to rent an ecv later in your trip if you find you want one more than just a few days. You don't need to rent for your whole stay.
Keep in mind, if you rent a wheelchair, that the people traveling with you and pushing your wheelchair are not used to doing it and will probably get tired faster thatn they would just walking.