Thoughts on in-park ECV rentals

[chrisney]

Please take into account the difference between walking and scooting before deciding not to rent two. We've done this--one person walking or rollating and the other scooting. It's hard on the non-riding person! And that's without being "speedy gonzales" on the scoot. The walkers have to not only match speed, but dodge both the scooter and the crowds.
Please think long and hard also before having them rent a chair. Pushing one of them is HARD work for young, fit, able bodied.

 

[bsmcneil]

The big one - I know they can run out. In early/mid November, can anyone make guesses what time of day they would suspect they would be safe vs when they would be out of luck? Are we talking about likely running out by noon, or likely running out by 10 AM? I'm guessing EPCOT/MK run out earlier than HS/AK.

During a very "low-crowd" late September date, MK/HS ran out very early. I got to AK as the literal first person there to make sure I could get one because there was no option for me to tour without it. They will call/text you if you sign up for an alert if they're out and one is returned (I did that around 11am and got a call/text around 5p).

 

[JLTraveling]

Please think long and hard also before having them rent a chair. Pushing one of them is HARD work for young, fit, able bodied.

I am convinced that there is something about body type or muscle distribution or something that determines how easy or hard it is to push a wheelchair. My grandmother pushed my grandfather everywhere, including all over WDW, for a couple of years after he had a stroke. She was in her 70s, 5'2", maybe 125 lbs. He was about 6 feet and solid (muscular, not fat). She never broke a sweat.

I pushed my dad (5'7", about 140 lbs) around WDW for one day when his scooter was in the shop. I was in my early 20s and extremely fit, and I felt like I needed a chair myself by the end of the day. I have no idea what the difference was.

 

[mistysue]

Please take into account the difference between walking and scooting before deciding not to rent two. We've done this--one person walking or rollating and the other scooting. It's hard on the non-riding person! And that's without being "speedy gonzales" on the scoot. The walkers have to not only match speed, but dodge both the scooter and the crowds.
Please think long and hard also before having them rent a chair. Pushing one of them is HARD work for young, fit, able bodied.

My initial comment to my mom was they should consider these ECV's.. This is a subtle conversation that I have actually been having over the course of multiple years each time they go on a trip.
Anyway, their response to both being on scooters has always consistently been highly negative. For the first time they seem to be considering the idea of splitting one back and forth, which I consider progress because I know they are not really commando style so I don't think that either of them is really going to zoom off on the other. But thank you for bringing that up because it is a pretty good consideration that if it makes things worse, the solution might be doubling down, not giving up entirely.

I definitely don't think they would be able to handle push wheelchairs. My dad is a very tall man and my mom is short, He would have to bend over to push it and she would be overpowered by how heavy he is.

 

[jo-jo]

Please take into account the difference between walking and scooting before deciding not to rent two. We've done this--one person walking or rollating and the other scooting. It's hard on the non-riding person! And that's without being "speedy gonzales" on the scoot. The walkers have to not only match speed, but dodge both the scooter and the crowds.
Please think long and hard also before having them rent a chair. Pushing one of them is HARD work for young, fit, able bodied.

My DH has used a scooter last few trips. I find walking next to him is no issue at all. I tend to walk with my hand on the seatback. On a slope like going up to the monorail, I'm holding on and it gives me a bit of a pull up the slope. He doesn't drive faster than I can walk.

Before that, I push DH though most of disney world. Few areas, DH would walk up the slope. Once we entered Epcot and saw a storm coming in. I push him from the entrance of Epcot to BCV in one shot, no stopping. I was in my early 60s and not fit at all. DH weighed about 250.

What did almost kill me, was pushing him up the slope for the FP line to FOP. I had to stop several times. The second and last time we went on the ride. DH walked pushing the wheelchair and it almost killed him. We had to wave people on by as we stopped and then DH needed to rest at the top.

 

[jo-jo]

My initial comment to my mom was they should consider these ECV's.. This is a subtle conversation that I have actually been having over the course of multiple years each time they go on a trip.
Anyway, their response to both being on scooters has always consistently been highly negative. For the first time they seem to be considering the idea of splitting one back and forth, which I consider progress because I know they are not really commando style so I don't think that either of them is really going to zoom off on the other. But thank you for bringing that up because it is a pretty good consideration that if it makes things worse, the solution might be doubling down, not giving up entirely.

I definitely don't think they would be able to handle push wheelchairs. My dad is a very tall man and my mom is short, He would have to bend over to push it and she would be overpowered by how heavy he is.

Just to let you know, most people will fight tooth and nail before giving in to using a wheelchair or scooter. That story has been told over and over. And then the second part of the story is, why did I wait so long.

My DH didn't want to use anything. NO, NO, No. One trip before we even got half way through the airport, he said, we'll get a wheelchair. That first trip, was soooooooo much better.

But one down side is, using a scooter can be so mentally tiring. You need 6 sets of eyes, to check everywhere at once. Like driving a car, you never know when someone is going to "jump in your lane". Slow is always better. If they decide to rent , go to a club store or home depot and use one for some practice. I wouldn't start in a grocery store. Grocery stores are so jammed with people and displays in the aisles, I'd probably wipe out thousands of dollars of food in 5 mins or less. After some practice in the stores with BIG aisles, then move on to grocery stores.

I mention again maybe look into a rollator for one of them. You are still walking, but some of the pressure from your back and knees are carried by the rollator. And it has a seat. Great for waiting for the bus back to the resort. Great for sitting in the shade where there are no benches. Great for watching outdoor shows where there is very little or no seating.

 

[mistysue]

<snip>

What did almost kill me, was pushing him up the slope for the FP line to FOP. I had to stop several times. The second and last time we went on the ride. DH walked pushing the wheelchair and it almost killed him. We had to wave people on by as we stopped and then DH needed to rest at the top.

That ramp is brutal! We were taking turns pushing an 80 lb kid up that; I wish whoever designed it could be forced to spend a day escorting people in wheelchairs up it so it never happens again. (I think the standby was even worse if I recall correctly)

 

[Simba's Mom]

My DH has used a scooter last few trips. I find walking next to him is no issue at all. I tend to walk with my hand on the seatback. On a slope like going up to the monorail, I'm holding on and it gives me a bit of a pull up the slope.

My DH usually walks right in front of me-he says he wants to try to clear a path for me! Otherwise he says that he feels bad for me because so many people are looking at their cell phones and walk right into me, then give me that "watch where you're going!" glare. Fortunately he walks pretty fast, so he never has trouble staying in front of me.

 

[DanielleC]

I'm sending my parents down and want to be sure that I'm explaining everything correctly.
Please tell me if I'm giving them bad info before I mess them up. Basically, they are older people from the North, not very active and will not really be able to walk around the parks all day without it being an issue within a day. So my recommendation is they rent an ECV, swap it back and forth and don't wear themselves out.

My understanding is this will be similar to when we rent a wheelchair at the parks, same location, higher cost, but requires signing some extra liability forms and a deposit. Also can't be rented multiple days at a time, it's a day by day thing.

The big one - I know they can run out. In early/mid November, can anyone make guesses what time of day they would suspect they would be safe vs when they would be out of luck? Are we talking about likely running out by noon, or likely running out by 10 AM? I'm guessing EPCOT/MK run out earlier than HS/AK.

No one has really talked about the cost. Disney, in the parks and at Disney Springs rents ECV's for $65 a day plus a $20 deposit. With Disney's preferred provider, https://www.scooterbug.com/orlando/ , the scooter will already be at the resort waiting for them. They just need to let the bell stand know they are there and they will bring in out. Returning it is just as easy, just bring it to the Bell Stand and give it to them. They cost around $37 a day for a 4 day rental. for 4 days it costs $136. Only $6 more than Disney for twice as many dates. Damage Waiver costs an additional $24. The Dis' preferred provider will cost about $10 less but you need to be there waiting for them when they deliver and pick up. I think they give you a half hr window. Both will also collect sales tax, around $10.

 

[jo-jo]

That ramp is brutal! We were taking turns pushing an 80 lb kid up that; I wish whoever designed it could be forced to spend a day escorting people in wheelchairs up it so it never happens again. (I think the standby was even worse if I recall correctly)

The first time we went on, as we tapped into FP line, the CM said good luck. I had no idea........until two mins later.

 

[jo-jo]

No one has really talked about the cost. Disney, in the parks and at Disney Springs rents ECV's for $65 a day plus a $20 deposit. With Disney's preferred provider, https://www.scooterbug.com/orlando/ , the scooter will already be at the resort waiting for them. They just need to let the bell stand know they are there and they will bring in out. Returning it is just as easy, just bring it to the Bell Stand and give it to them. They cost around $37 a day for a 4 day rental. for 4 days it costs $136. Only $6 more than Disney for twice as many dates. Damage Waiver costs an additional $24. The Dis' preferred provider will cost about $10 less but you need to be there waiting for them when they deliver and pick up. I think they give you a half hr window. Both will also collect sales tax, around $10.

I get the feeling OP parents don't really want to use one, but to have to deal with buses and such might closed down the idea totally. It was a big sticking point for my DH.

The disney EVC, is the $65 the final cost? So when you rent one you have to give $85? That is a big difference from off site.

 

[DanielleC]

I get the feeling OP parents don't really want to use one, but to have to deal with buses and such might closed down the idea totally. It was a big sticking point for my DH.

The disney EVC, is the $65 the final cost? So when you rent one you have to give $85? That is a big difference from off site.

Yes, $65 a day, plus the$20 deposit. Once you rent one it is transferable to other parks and Disney Springs. I have a Disney Visa and the deposit was back on my card the next day.

 

[jo-jo]

Yes, $65 a day, plus the$20 deposit. Once you rent one it is transferable to other parks and Disney Springs. I have a Disney Visa and the deposit was back on my card the next day.

wow. I thought I was reading it wrong as the $20 was part of the $65.

We had rented a wheel chair a trip or two and then went to offsite for a few trips. Price wasn't that much different. Then we went to off site EVC. Never really looked at disney prices.

 

[lanejudy]

I thought I was reading it wrong as the $20 was part of the $65.

The $20 is refunded when you return the ECV.

 

[jo-jo]

The $20 is refunded when you return the ECV.

yes, but I thought with the refunded $20 deposit, you ended up paying $45 for the day. Not $65.