Using an ECV in large crowds

[crazytp93]

Hi Guys!

So I’m sure most of you have heard about MK closing yesterday because it was filled to capacity. Well, I’m headed south to WDW tomorrow for a 4 night trip. I’ll be traveling with my family and my grandmother. We think she is going to use an ECV/scooter. Based on experience, do you guys think it would be a good idea in these crowds? I heard this past week and this week are going to be brutal crowd wise. Is she better off in a wheelchair?

Thanks in advance. I leave early tomorrow morning!

 

[maroo]

Hi Guys!

So I’m sure most of you have heard about MK closing yesterday because it was filled to capacity. Well, I’m headed south to WDW tomorrow for a 4 night trip. I’ll be traveling with my family and my grandmother. We think she is going to use an ECV/scooter. Based on experience, do you guys think it would be a good idea in these crowds? I heard this past week and this week are going to be brutal crowd wise. Is she better off in a wheelchair?

Thanks in advance. I leave early tomorrow morning!

If she needs the ECV, then I would rent one off site to use in the parks. Because they will run out of ECV's with large crowds.

Check out the DISabilities board...they have lots of info on ECV's there.

I would not use a push wheelchair, because those are also hard to control in crowds and it would be exhausting pushing it all over Disney. I was surprised how many hills we "found" when we had to use a push wheelchair!

 

[CCM MusicEd]

The ECV would definately save a lot of manual labor as we all know how much ground those parks cover. However, one thing to consider is how well your grandmother is able to operate the vehicle. About 10 years ago I was with my family at then-MGM Studios and we had my 80 year old grandmother with us and rented an ECV for her. Unfortunately she was not able to get a hang of the vehicle and we received many, MANY nasty glares from people whose ankles she clipped with the vehicle. We ended up surrounding her and sacrificed our own ankles to keep the crowds away from the chair.

It could very well be the vehicles are easier to operate now or that it was an isolated experience for us. I feel if we would have arrived at the park earlier when it was less crowded and let he have a chance to experiement with it before hitting the crowds she would have done fairly well. Just wanted to share our experience.

 

[Jacksmom99]

I used and ECV for the first time during Christmas week this year. I found it difficult to get through the crowds, so I resorted to having DH or another adult in my party walking in front of me to clear the path. On the ECV I rented, there was a "speed" control knob as well as a lever to squeeze to go forward or backward and release it to stop. When the speed control knob was turned to the slowest speed, my six year old DD could very easily outpace me at a normal walk. That thing moved SLOWLY. The ECV's are much easier to control (and stop) when the speed is turned to slow, this is what I would recommend for buses, as well.

Good Luck!
Kim