WDW ECV questions

[Mom2Em]

Hi!
My mother will need an ECV, only in the parks, because she cannot walk far distances. Can you tell me about them? I know nothing about them. Can you rent one before the park opens, ie if you have PS for a breakfast? Also, what keeps someone from taking them if she were to go on a ride or want to park it to go in and eat? Are they operated by keys, etc? I am sorry if these seem like stupid questions, I am totally clueless.
Thanks,

 

[SueM in MN]

Just bumping this up for you.

 

[SueM in MN]

bumping up again.
I answered in your post on the Theme Park Board, so look there for some information.
This is the type of question we usually get lots of answers to, but the disABILITIES Board is unusually busy right now and your thread is not staying at the top.

 

[mhopset]

I'll try and answer your questions for you. I would suggest that you rent from an offsite vendor such as Walker Mobility. I am sure Sue can give you names of other vendors. This is the one I used a few years ago before I got my own ECV.

I usually stay on mine all day long. I take it into the restaurants. Some of the restaaurants can be difficult to manuver in though. Most of them have a key and you control moving it with your thumbs. Right thumb is forward, left thumb is reverse. You can set them to go slow or fast.

As for going on a ride. I don't usually do rides, but you can take them on some rides and others you will have to park the ECV. Just take the key with you.

To save on battery life, if you are at a show just turn the key off and you will save the battery. You charge the scooter each night all you have to do is plug it in and unplug it in the mornings. The battery should last all day. I have been to all 4 parks in one day and still had half a battery left in the evening.

The buses are equiped with a lift to get you on and off. Most everything is accessible.

One good thing about renting from an offsite vendor is they bring the scooter to your hotel, and on the last day you leave it in the lobby and they will pick it up.

Don't be nervous, the scooters are very very user friendly.

If I can help anymore just pm me!

 

[Nanajo1]

I don't know about renting an ECV before the park opens. I have always rented from an off-site vendor. Always take the key with you when you leave the ECV. Most scooters have a free rolling setting that allows the CM to move the ECV if necessary without the key but no one would "steal" the ECV because it has no power without the key. As was mentioned before it is a good idea to turn the ECV off while just sitting to conserve the battery and as a safety precaution so the ECV only moves when you want it to. I hung my purse on the handlebars and accidently caught one of the levers and I was moving! I quickly remedy it but I learned not to turn the scooter on until I was all set to go.

 

[Mom2Em]

Thanks for you help! I hated to sound ignorant but... I was!

 

[Joy from Illinois]

It costs about the same to rent a ECV (an electric scooter) from the park each day or from an outside vendor who will deliver it to your hotel before you arrive and pick it up there when you check out (no extra charge). It is MUCH more convenient if you have pain or difficulties standing for any length of time to actually have to ECV to sit in while you are waiting for the bus. Just getting from the parking lot through the line where they search your bag (which can be lengthy at busy times) and to the place you rent a wheelchair can be painful. I didn't realize just HOW PAINFUL until I rented a ECV recently for my WDW visit. It was such a pleasure to enjoy the visit with my family without all the pain that walking and standing causes me and having the ECV with me from the start was great. Also, not mentioned is that we split our visit--we might go to the Magic Kingdom in the morning and then go to Epcot in the afternoon. If you rent an ECV they say you can take your receipt to another park and get one there without paying extra BUT I noticed as we left the park that there were no ECVs available. I've heard that they run out sometimes and then you simply can't get an ECV and can't get a refund. Has anyone run into this? It was this concern that caused me to rent from an outside vendor and I then found how convenient it was for waiting for the buses, boats, etc. Good luck with your visit and have lots of fun