Practice at the resort with the
scooter before going to a park.
If you are using Disney transportation as an on site guest you may want to consider being the driver of the
ECV on and off the buses or at least help him if he gets stuck in some way. There's a manual overdrive; so, you can maneuver it by hand, as well if need be. Sometimes, backing up in reverse can be hard and you may want to drive it out for him. If you decide to do Soarin' in Epcot in the Living Land you need to do an elevator with the scooter to get to the level where the ride is located. Elevators can be scary for first time users of scooter; so, you may want to drive it for him in that instance, too. Finally, getting the scooter in and out of your resort room might be better handled by you, as well.
If you are staying off site, make sure you know how to take the scooter apart and put it back together before you go to a park. Make sure your car is big enough to handle the scooter with all your passengers.
Take the battery charger with you to the parks in case you need a recharge. Be religious about recharging the scooter every day. It's a real drag to need a battery charge in the park. There is a gauge to keep an eye out for your battery power. Be diligent about shutting the scooter off when you are viewing a show, parade, or fireworks. Save the battery when eating, too; don't forget to shut it off.
You can take scooters through many of the ride lines; so, do it. It will be much better than standing. Try to still do fastpass every chance you can.
Some of the smaller scooters do not come with a headlight. If you plan on a lot of nights at the parks you may want to consider buying a bike headlight that can attach to the handlebar of the scooter. You can get them for $12 or so. Personally, I don't have a problem at night, but my husband needs the headlight.
If you really want some good practice before the trip, try a local zoo. They rent scooters and it will ease his mind before going to Disney. Disney is always busy and very crowded; so, it would be good if your group try to shield him from the crowd. Depending how many there are you could actually surround his scooter. This will guard against people darting out in front of him if you are doing gunshot for him. He does have to watch the crowd carefully to avoid hitting someone. We always yield if we see someone too close to us. Be careful to use all the ramps for the handicap wheelchairs. You don't want to go over a curb with a scooter; you could get hurt or break the scooter.
Avoid the rain with a scooter. You could get the mechanical parts so wet the scooter won't work. Some people use coverups for the tiller when necessary like a poncho or shower cap. It's best to seek shelter until the rain blows over. There are places to go inside if necessary.
