Temp ECV: Parks only or Entire Trip

[Yellowstonetim]

We are going for 9 days the beginning of September and my wife just had surgery to fix bone spurs on both feet. Our trip will be within her recovery period. She should be able to walk OK, but probably not as much as Disney requires so we will use either a wheelchair or ECV some of the time. Hear is the question:

Should I rent in the parks or rent from an outside approved vendor and have it all the time? If we rent in the parks we don't have to worry about transportation and charging. But then we will be without it elsewhere if she begins to have any problems.

Do you charge the ECV's in your room? Has anyone used a wheelchair for getting around and then got an ECV in the park? She will certainly be able to walk short distances and for periods of time and will be able to board the bus. She probably won't want to ride ALL the time which leaves us with an ECV to get around. We could just use a wheelchair, but then I may get worn out pushing her around. But, pushing an empty chair is easier than dealing with an ECV if she wants to walk.

 

[catne]

After many trips, I can vouch it's best to have the scooter for the entire time.

Resorts are big (even off-site hotels can have long walks from elevator to room to parking lot) And it's usually quite a hike from where the car is parked to where you catch the tram, then another hike to get into the park before you can rent a scooter. If you go back in the evening (or hop to a different park) there is no guarantee there will be a scooter available for rent. If you're staying at a Disney resort, even the smallest has 5-10 minute walk from room to main facilities shop/restaurants etc. And some have much longer walks than that!

At first, we rented from off-site companies that deliver to Disney hotels...very convenient. We drive our own car, so we rented the type that comes apart easily (heaviest piece under 35 lbs)...the Pride Go Go Elite. Loved having it always available...many a time we were able to stay longer, or go farther, because I had the wheels with me!

Now I own one

We did rent a wheelchair, years ago, when my elderly MIL went with us. I can vouch that it is NOT fun pushing a wheelchair all day. There are way more hills in the parks than you'd think...and you learn all about them when you're pushing a chair.

 

[rtilner]

Go with the ECV. I usually rent from Apple they deliver to the hotel and you have it 24 7.

ECV charges in your room at night.

The person has independence and you not pushing a wheel chair all day.

It walk to the bus not to mention standing on lines. Also standing on lines for the rides.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Should I rent in the parks or rent from an outside approved vendor

Just wanted to remind readers that "approved" (or authorized) vendor doesn't mean those are the only good companies.

They're just the ones that are allowed to drop off/pick up medical equipment onsite without the guest having to be present.

 

[ttintagel]

I broke my foot the first night of my WDW trip in 2011. My sister was renting an ECV for herself, so I called the same company and rented a manual wheelchair. I had used one at home before for other injuries, and I figured it would be fine.

It turned out there were more ramps and hills in the parks than I had anticipated; pushing myself wore me out after a few hours, and while there were others in the group who could take turns pushing for me, I know it would wear them out before long, too. And, if my foot started to hurt and I wanted to go back to the room for a rest, it'd be kind of tough to get back there by myself. So, I called the company that evening and they had an ECV waiting at the resort for me first thing the next morning.

The point I was getting around to (in my incredibly roundabout fashion!) is that if you rent from an outside company, you can try it one way and if it doesn't work out it's pretty easy to switch to another (especially if it's one of the "approved" companies and you don't have to be there for pickup/dropoff.)

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Rent an ECV for the entire time, you will be so glad. I use one and had ankle surgery in Dec 2012, I don't have full ROM back and I can't walk long distances without using an ECV. I also had some muscle complications since the surgery. I will either leave it and walk short distances or let DH ride it when I want to walk. My main issue is standing for long periods, I can't handle that as much as walking.

I rent from Walker Mobility, they are not an authorized agent, but because I have used them for so long, my rental price is next to nothing, so I will meet the driver at the resort when he brings it to drop it off and again when we are ready to leave. I have only had a problem once or twice and their driver came out to fix it in no time, one even brought me a new battery and we met him at the entrance to the park. Very rarely will the battery run completely out. I rent an extended range heavy duty and I plug it in when we get a break or if I can find a place when we take a dinner break, but if not, it's not a problem.

 

[rj137]

I agree with PrincessSuzanne, rent for the entire stay as there are numerous advantages, especially with the summer heat. Also agree with her concerning Walker Mobility, as I stated in a previos post, my family has been using Walker for several years and they have been fantastic every time, no problems.

Also be sure to drink plenty of water as summer heat can really drain you when visiting the parks.