To ECV or not to ECV

[ThanksMom]

Because of my medical situation I have very little stamina. I can run errands for a day, and then be in bed for two days recovering. I can walk just fine, but I wear out quickly.

We're doing 6 days in January, thanks to a legacy from my mom. She specifically designated it for a vacation for our family. We're staying at Art of Animation. My kids are 22, 20, and 14.

As I see it, I have three options:

1. No ECV, and realize that I'll be spending a lot of time on benches while my kids are doing stuff. This would not be terrible. I love WDW, and just being there is wonderful. My husband is not into thrill rides, so he wouldn't have a problem just hanging with me. BUT I'd really love to have this be a great family time, and I'd rather be able to keep up with the kids. I can ride most rides. I can't do anything jerky. (No roller coasters, no motion simulators, no Test Track, no Dinosaur.)

2. Rent an ECV in the parks if I need one any particular day (like the EPCOT day, with lots of walking.) BUT if I wear myself out too much the first day, I might not be able to get out of bed the second day, with or without the ECV.

3. Rent an ECV from an outside company. I could get one with a headrest, which would definitely be an advantage. I could even get a sunshade. BUT it would be a PIA with the buses going to and from the hotel.

What would you do? How much of a pain IS it to travel by bus with an ECV? How much do they slow you down in the parks, especially in crowds? Are most of the lines ECV friendly? (I don't mind being in lines with my family even if I can't ride the rides. Love the atmosphere.)

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILTIES!

A. Please ask yourself the following questions. Here are the suggested answers to go with them.

1. Are you disabled (even temporarily)? Yes.

2. Do the people you are traveling with, such as your family, know you are disabled? Yes.

3. Do you expect to meet anyone you know during this trip who may not know you are disabled. Probably No!

4. Do you expect to meet a bunch of people who you will probably never meet again in your life? Probably yes!

5. Is there any reason at all that you should care what these people think about you? Absolutely No!!

6. Will using a wheelchair or ECV make for a better vacation for you and your family? Absolutely YES!

B. Definitely rent from an outside company. If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information, including in Post #2 where people rent ECVs.

Or, if you want an easier route to the FAQs, click on the link in my signature.

C. The lines for almost all attractions at WDW are "mainstreamed". This means that the queue is set up to allow wheelchairs and/or ECVs to go through the line just as a person without a mobility problem. As it was built prior to the ADA, the Magic Kingdom is most likely to have non-mainstreamed lines. Some attractions, such as Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion you will go part way through the regular queue and then be diverted. Other attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain or SpaceShip Earth you will initially be directed to an accessible entrance.

All the theaters are set up with seats (usually in the back row) removed so a wheelchair or ECV can pull into a space and there will be regular seating on either side of the space for the others in the party.

Where there are quantity limits on space, or other limitation involving accessibility, you may have to wait longer to see a show or ride an attraction than people without disabilities.

D. Just be sure to try one out at a local large store. Note that the ones in the stores are very difficult due to the baskets, the ones rented from Disney are slow and hard to maneuver, and the ones rented from off-site are not only better than Disney's but also available for the long corridors or distances at the Resorts.

 

[ttintagel]

I tend to think I'd go ahead and do #3, and then just not use it if I happened to get down there and feel better than I expected. I'd rather have it and not need it than the other way around. The headrest is a big plus, and you'd eliminate any worry about the park running out at the exact moment you happened to have a bad spell.

Life is short. None of us knows how many trips we have left, and even if you go again next year you never know if your favorite ride will be torn down in the meantime. Might as well see as much as you can see this year.

 

[jendahl12]

IMHO definitely do the ECV (outside vendor, we do Buena Vista) and conserve your energy.

The buses really aren't a pain to deal with, and once you have a couple of days practice you'll likely be able to parallel park your ECV on the bus like a champ. You may wind up with a bus driver or two that wants to park it for you on the bus, each driver is going to be different.

Your energy during the day definitely lasts longer...you get to enjoy more of the experience...and so does your family by having you enjoy more with them.

The downside...some people are just so inattentive to their surroundings that they WILL step right into your path; you will hit...well, "nudge assertively"...a few people (that's okay...). That can't be helped, they will run into you even if you have been there for minutes completely stopped. It happens.

The wife's and my strategy for when it's getting crowded is 'if you see an opening, sprint'. She may get ahead of me for a little bit if she sprints through an opening, or I may open up a path for her to be able to follow. It all works out.

Sooo...'YES' to ECV. Yes for yourself. Yes for your family. Yes for helping keep Disney-zombies alert to others (on legs or wheels) around them.

Save the stamina (time out of the ECV) for the time of day that you really WANT to spent it.

DISCLAIMER: Wife got her first trip to WDW ever 3 years ago as a surprise and wanted to walk it; she had both her legs broken when she was 12 in a car-pedestrian accident (she was not the car). While she could walk smaller parks like Cedar Point for an entire day she left the Magic Kingdom in a wheelchair on her first day, and had to be in one for the entirety of the rest of her first trip. We've gone the ECV route for her since.

 

[Bete]

Based on your situation I can tell you really want to rent a scooter, but you have some fears. There is enough walking just getting back and forth from the park to exclude a Disney park rental for a scooter. You want a scooter back and forth to the parks and if you are going to use the pool or food court at the resort the scooter is nice to have there, too. I dislike having to get the scooter on and off the bus, but it's like a necessary evil; so, take it slow and practice will make you better each time. We have lifted a scooter a little to get it in the proper position at times on the bus; so, it can get strapped in. This happens sometimes for us when there is a scooter ahead of us already on the bus. Being second is harder than first for the buses. If you are using the smaller model you can maneuver it somewhat. Worse to worse, you can have other family members that could actually get your scooter in position for you on the bus. It may be easier for them to do it than you. I've done this for a few people in my time. Getting to the Soarin' ride in the Living Land with a scooter is a pain. You actually have to use an elevator to get on the floor level of this ride. Again, someone in your group may be better off doing this part for you. I would not venture the walk to this ride without a scooter. Disney is a real busy place and crowded and it can be hard to watch out for everyone, as previously mentioned. One thing to help this is to have all your family members surround you and let them protect you from darting individuals. Of course, they will have to be very alert themselves and warn you so you can stop in time. For us, the downsides of the scooter is not so bad that we won't rent one. You can practice for free at your local grocery stores and such. You might want to do a day at the local zoo in your area before going to Disney. Most zoos do scooter rentals quite reasonably and you would get a great feel for all of it that way. Make sure you charge your battery for the scooter everyday. Make sure you did it right; you should have a full charge each morning. Make sure you shut off your scooter when you're sitting for a show, parade, or fireworks. You want to conserve the battery power; so, it will last all day. Bring your charger to the park with you. You can always do an emergency charge in the park. There is a manual mode on the scooter ; so, you could wheel it to an outlet if you run out of juice. Don't stay in the rain with your scooter; seek shelter/protection for it. It not good to get the tiller wet. Keep the phone number of the scooter company with you at all times. If you have mechanical failure you can get help. There are preferred vendors that are allowed in the park. As a preferred vendor you may even be able to get help from a Disney cast member in an emergency.

 

[Ahrizel]

Rent the Scooter!
I've been in a similar situation my last two trips, although I was staying off property. Having a scooter, even with hauling it in and out of a car, saved me. Our vacation would have been a disaster, having the scooter saved enough energy for me to enjoy our vacation. The bus is a minor annoyance, the enjoyment you'll get out of this vacation is far more important. Have a good vacation!
Mary