Temporary disability and scooters...

[DisneyMom5]

My MIL now may not come on our trip, and if she does she will probably need a scooter for distances between attractions. She will be only 2 weeks post surgical for a kidney malfunction. [Like I said this is IF she gets ok'd to go.]

She will probably be able to leave the scooter to walk into attractions. It will be more of a stamina issue.
Will anyone give us grief over that?

[She is a heavier person and I am worried that people will not understand that some disabilities are "hard to see." Not that would affect us getting her whatever she needs to be able to enjoy her grandchildren at WDW.]

I am thankful that this will hopefully be a temporary thing, but I do think if she tries to push herself too much she will be ill and miss out on the rest of the trip.

Anyway, your thoughts, and any handy hints for folks who have not had to deal with scooter use before would be appreciated!

 

[ReneeQ]

I did this in January 2005. I had a bad episode of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and stamina was definitely an issue for me. To look at me, I looked perfectly healthy. I rented a scooter at the park each day and rode it from attraction to attraction. I parked it outside the attractions and walked in. Most CMs at the attractions had no clue I had even riden a scooter TO the attraction. It wasn't an issue at all.

I hope your MIL does well with her surgery!

 

[Lou-Ann]

I have had to do this the last 5 yrs I have gone to the parks. No one cares or says a word. You just park the scooter and take the key on the ride or in the restaurant with you. Tell her if she feels up to it to go for it and enjoy life and those Grandkids.....

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

A scooter is a lifesaver for me. I have plantar fasciitis and 2 bad knees. My best advice is to rent a scooter form an off-site place, so she has it for the resort, bacause no matter where you stay it can be quite a hike from the room to the bus stops alone. Many of the rides will allow her to take the scooter all the way to the ride car and then transfer to the ride car, others she will have to leave it outside and walk in the regular line. This was great for me, because my is mostly a stamina thing and well foot pain thing. Once I stand up, it can take me a few minutes to get moving correctly. I will tell you that at Pirates of the Carribean, she may want to transfer to a wheel chair because it can ba a long trek from the entrance to the ride car, this is also the case at It's a Small World. My mom also uses a scooter and they told her just to ride it in the HC entrance (which is the exit) becuase that is a hard one for her and they put us in the HC boat whcch is much easier for her to access. Disney is very accessible to everyone, even us larger women who are otherwise very self conscoious. I just returned last Saturday from a great few days at WDW and never felt out of place once. The CM's are great (you might see a few that aren't). Some of the bus drivers could use some manners training, though. Have a great time. No one mentioned it, but make sure you get her a guest assistance card when you arrive at the park, this will also help with her needs.

Suzanne

 

[seashoreCM]

I would say that there is nothing inherently wrong with renting a scooter simply because you would be uncomfortable walking everywhere all the time.

A Guest Assistance Card is not mandatory with a scooter, it's only needed if there is something else needed to go on the ride you cannot do that the average person can do.

There are those who will say that Disney should ask why you need a scooter so as to prioritize the availability to those others who need the scooters most. But current federal law prohibits such asking or discrimination.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[OneLittleSpark]

For hints and tips for first time wheelers at Disney, this is a good thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1543998

 

[julie.uk]

Hi I am due to have major surgery as soon as I return home from our holiday and have been forced to accept that I will need help geting around as walking is painful after a very short while so we have decided that I should rent a scooter for the 2 weeks we are in WDW later this month.
I have been offered a featherlite deluxe from travel rite and a pioneer 1 from Randys mobility.

I am told that the featherlite deluxe can be easily folded and will fit in the trunk of our rental convertible it is a lot more expensive than the pioneer 1 but if it really folds up that small it may be worth it.
any views on this?

Can anyone please give advice on the smallest most portable scooter that has enough battery power to get around the parks etc.
Sorry but I am very new to this and I would really appreciate any help you can give me.
Thank you
Julie

 

[Cheshire Figment]

As a general rule the full size ECVs can run up to about 25 miles on a full charge with full weight onboard. The smaller travel scooters have smaller batteries which are not good for much more than ten miles.

I had a period of a few months when I was using a travel ECV instead of my regular one. I made it a pont to carry the charging unit with me. Electrical outlets are available. If I was eating in a counter service location I would find a place to park the ECV and plug it in, and I tended to be there for about a half hour. If a full service restaurant I never had a problem parking in the lobby near an outlet and it would be able to charge up for more than an hour. Sometimes I even had it on charge when I was in a show.

If you are going to leave it parked somewhere don't be afraid to ask a CM where there is an outlet, or even ask for assistance in plugging it it. Just be sure to remove the key and don't leave anything of value in the basket.

 

[Marie14625]

I am renting a scooter from Randy's Mobility..they are off site, but will deliver and pick up the scooter. My disability is also hidden, if I am not up and walking. I have bad arthritis, and cannot walk long distances, and am also heavy. But my attitude is, if I will enjoy the trip more, then I am going to use it.
I will be having surgery, but not till after the trip.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have been offered a featherlite deluxe from travel rite and a pioneer 1 from Randys mobility.

no one has posted about using a featherweight delux or renting from travel rite.
A large number of posters have reported good experiences with renting from Randy's.
That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with either the featherweight or travel rite, just that we have no information about them

As a general rule the full size ECVs can run up to about 25 miles on a full charge with full weight onboard. The smaller travel scooters have smaller batteries which are not good for much more than ten miles.

The smaller the batteries, the shorter the distance it can do between charges.
Other things that affect battery life are the weight it is carrying (including anything you are carrying on it besides the rider), whether or not there are hills or uneven surfaces and the speed you are going.

There is a link in the disABILITIES FAQs thread, in post 3, to a past thread about where to find outlets.