Traveling with an ECV *and* an infant?

[cynthiav2011]

My husband and I are planning a Disney World trip for the beginning of 2015, and will be bringing our daughter with us who will be approximately 6-7 months old at the time. (yes, I am still currently pregnant). I have Multiple Sclerosis and due to issues with fatigue, pain and leg weakness, I have problems walking/standing long and will be using an ECV.

I am curious if anyone has had experience traveling with an ECV and an infant? I will have DH there with me of course, and have already gone over with him the fact that he will have to do all of the stroller pushing. Which he is fine with. But I know there are ride queues you can't take the ECV in and I will have to transfer to a wheelchair, and of course we can't take the stroller in lines to begin with. In the latter scenario, I know he can hold her or use a baby carrier like the Ergo. But in the former situation, I was just thinking that I could hold her or have the baby carrier strapped on- since DH will have to push the wheelchair. Is this going to be an issue? I think a carrier would be very safe if I was seated in a wheelchair, but don't know if anyone will say anything. I was also expecting there may be some times I can use the baby carrier while still using the ECV. But I am not sure if this would be considered unsafe or frowned on?

Any other tips are definitely appreciated! This will be my 2nd trip since my health took a turn and will be using an ECV. My last trip I was able to use the GAC and it was a great experience, so I have been trying to read and understand all of the changes. We plan on staying on property but will be renting a car, since I can't imagine navigating the bus system with both a stroller and ECV. I just hope we aren't biting off more than we can chew! We are first time parents, and of course I am still newly dealing with MS which is already a handful to begin with.

 

[Gracie09]

First there are only a few rides that you can't take an ecv into the lines. Pirates is the first that pops into my head. There you would transfer to a wheelchair and your husband can strap the baby into a carrier ( I personally recommend the ergo, so comfortable!) and wear him or her or you can hold the baby or put him or her into a carrier and carry him or her that way.


Just to clarify, I am saying hold the baby while you are in a wheelchair NOT an ecv.

 

[lanejudy]

For safety reasons WDW (and the offsite rental companies) have rules against "passengers" riding on the ECV. I would think that also applies to a baby carrier. While your hands are essentially free, you could easily be distracted or kicked by the baby, and in a crowded park it takes quite a bit of concentration to drive an ECV (people tend to step in front of you unexpectedly, etc.).

You should be fine holding her in a standard wheelchair, though.

If you haven't already, I suggest you check out the WDW Disability Access Service sticky near the top of this forum. The first few posts have the details of the new DAS program.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[dawnhaze]

I wouldn't wear a baby while operating an ECV even if the rules allowed it... Heaven forbid you run off a curb or something and the ECV tips over, that could injure an infant really badly.

Wearing the baby in a manual wheelchair while someone else pushes wouldn't be frowned upon, I don't believe, especially if it's just in ride lines where you can't take the stroller anyhow. I've seen people doing it and no one said anything to them.

 

[cynthiav2011]

I wouldn't wear a baby while operating an ECV even if the rules allowed it... Heaven forbid you run off a curb or something and the ECV tips over, that could injure an infant really badly.

Wearing the baby in a manual wheelchair while someone else pushes wouldn't be frowned upon, I don't believe, especially if it's just in ride lines where you can't take the stroller anyhow. I've seen people doing it and no one said anything to them.

Thank you, those are points I hadn't considered! Definitely don't want to be a risk to my daughter or anyone else in the park. Its frustrating because I feel like I won't be as much help as I wish I could be with my daughter in the parks, in at least carrying her, etc.

 

[stitchlovestink]

If you are renting an ECV, you cannot have anyone on the device with you. If it is your own ECV, Disney does not have a written policy regarding passengers on personally owned equipment. So could you do it on your own ECV, Yes. But the bigger question would be "should" you? Probably not the safest way to carry a baby IMO.
But I also don't know that *I* would want to have them on me while being pushed in a WC either. I feel even less in control while being pushed in a wheelchair and I do not care for that whatsoever. But that is just me.

 

[cynthiav2011]

For safety reasons WDW (and the offsite rental companies) have rules against "passengers" riding on the ECV. I would think that also applies to a baby carrier. While your hands are essentially free, you could easily be distracted or kicked by the baby, and in a crowded park it takes quite a bit of concentration to drive an ECV (people tend to step in front of you unexpectedly, etc.).

You should be fine holding her in a standard wheelchair, though.

If you haven't already, I suggest you check out the WDW Disability Access Service sticky near the top of this forum. The first few posts have the details of the new DAS program.

Enjoy your vacation!

Thank you! Yes I learned that the hard way on our last trip, people just don't see you (or don't care) when you are in an ECV. Fortunately I didn't hit anyone but my dad wasn't so lucky when a woman walked in front of his scooter. I don't want to put anyone at risk so I won't use the carrier with the ECV, that was just a short-sighted thought I had on the matter so I could be more helpful but yeah, not a good idea.

I have been reading a lot of the sticky updates here about the new DAS program, I don't believe they would issue me a card since my limitations are mobility related, and since we are going in Jan or Feb, I don't have to worry so much about heat or sun issues.

This lends me to a few more questions though. The rides that accept Fastpass + are typically all accessible for ECVs? So I can still book the fastpasses ahead of time and should be able to go through the line? I have read about the Rider Switch program and was wondering how/if it would work if I was in a scooter. And I believe I already know the answer to this, but I have a handicap parking placard here, is it allowed to use it in Florida with our rental car at the parks?

 

[cynthiav2011]

If you are renting an ECV, you cannot have anyone on the device with you. If it is your own ECV, Disney does not have a written policy regarding passengers on personally owned equipment. So could you do it on your own ECV, Yes. But the bigger question would be "should" you? Probably not the safest way to carry a baby IMO.
But I also don't know that *I* would want to have them on me while being pushed in a WC either. I feel even less in control while being pushed in a wheelchair and I do not care for that whatsoever. But that is just me.

We were looking into the idea of purchasing an ECV for me since I do go to Disney about once a year, and other places, but I think for the moment its still probably cheaper to just rent from Apple. No I understand it wouldn't be safe to carry her that way, it was just a fleeting thought I had.

I would really feel really bad if my husband had to push me, and also have our daughter strapped on. That seems like a lot of work! I trust him really well though so I think I would be comfortable with the baby carrier if he pushed the wheelchair. Which I don't believe would be required for too many rides.

We were originally going to go with a larger family group (more hands, and more help!). But he is actually more excited about going just the three of us now. I am not confident he fully understands how much harder it will be for us, traveling with a baby and me not being able to walk or stand long. haha.

 

[lanejudy]

...This lends me to a few more questions though. The rides that accept Fastpass + are typically all accessible for ECVs? So I can still book the fastpasses ahead of time and should be able to go through the line? ...

Yes. The majority of queues are considered accessible. I think it is post #11 of the disABILITIES FAQ sticky that has details about rides that require a person to transfer from an ECV to a wheelchair.

One thing you may need to keep in mind is rides with a moving walkway, if that is of any concern to you. Peter Pan and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority cannot slow or stop the moving walkways. All others should at least slow it on request. But if you might need assistance and your DH is holding the baby, you'd need to be prepared how to do such rides.

... I have read about the Rider Switch program and was wondering how/if it would work if I was in a scooter. ...

This is a link to the rides with a height requirement: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/height.cfm Rider switch is available at rides with a height requirement. You might want to cross-reference this with the list of rides requiring you to transfer from your ECV to a wheelchair -- unless you can either walk the line or self-propel the attraction wheelchair, there may be a few that will be problematic for you.

... I have a handicap parking placard here, is it allowed to use it in Florida with our rental car at the parks?

That is correct!

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[lanejudy]

... If it is your own ECV, Disney does not have a written policy regarding passengers on personally owned equipment. So could you do it on your own ECV, Yes. ...

Actually, according to this link WDW does have a policy regarding passengers, and it doesn't differentiate personally owned equipment. It is specifically stated in rental policies both onsite and offsite, but besides that, WDW is allowed to enforce a policy for use in the parks regardless of who owns the equipment.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2349536

 

[Talking Hands]

Actually I have used a baby pack with my grandson several times and it was perfectly fine. He just curled in and slept. This was with a power wheelchair and with an ECV at our local zoo. Now he is older he rides on the foot rest of my powerchair. We do this any place we have to go alone at Disney or elsewhere. I would not do this with my younger grandson though as he is too rowdy.

 

[SueM in MN]

The contract for the park rental and all of the off-site rental companies I have seen specify that the ECV is single rider, with no passengers allowed. So, someone using a rental one with a rider is in violation of their contract and would be liable for any damage or injuries that occur. Riding with a child, especially for a person not familiar with using an ECV is not a very safe practice because there is a lot of potential for injury.

I have seen Security stop people with children riding on an ECV during our last trip (we got home April 11). There are a lot of people doing it and it may have hit the tipping point as far as being able to talk to the majority. They are probably more likely to stop guests with Disney park rental ECVs because they have direct control over those (and are enforcing their contract).
Non- park rental, maybe not as likely - it's not Disney's contract the people would be in violation of and it is possibly not worth the trouble to try to stop them unless they do something that endangers other guests. Also, on past trips when I saw CMs doing it, the person usually had the child get off until the CM could no longer see them - then right back on they went, so it may not be worth the trouble to even try.

WDW CMs are able to stop people who are becoming a danger to other guests. Things like driving too fast, driving erratically, letting a child passenger drive while the adult just sits on the ECV are likely to get someone stopped whether or not it is a Disney park ECV.
One of the guests we saw stopped recently by security was letting a child who looked about 3 drive the ECV for her.
Another situation was 2 older preteen girls riding together on the ECV and another was speeding pretty significantly faster than people were walking. These stops were by Security.
Cheshire Figment has kind of disappeared since January 2014 (hope he is OK since he is not a young man). He is (?was) a WDW Guest Relations CM and used to post about stopping people on ECVs himself for dangerous behavior like passengers. A Bell Services person at OKW told us in April that he was not supposed to stop people directly, but call Security and let them handle it. (This was when we were checking bags and someone whizzed by on an ECV with a passenger).

So, they may not be stopping everyone, but are intervening in dangerous situations.