Questions about mobility in parks and Wilderness Lodge

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

My mom has had the achillies tendon replaced in one of her feet and is having issues with the other....she was told recovery will take at least a year so I know she will probably need to rent an EVC...so my questions are where and how much to rent EVC's and can you keep it the entire trip or do you have to return it in the parks each day....

Also, can you take them on the parks boats like the one from Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom?

Another question, we are thinking about staying at the Wilderness Lodge, are all the rooms accessable by elevator or will we need to stay ground floor level?

[Disney4us2]

I don't know about Wilderness Lodge. I was at CBR on a ground floor.

As for the ECV's, I would recommend renting from an outside company. I used Apple Scooter in December and their service was fantastic. If you rent from an outside company, you will have the scooter at the hotel as well to get around with.

I tried to get on a boat from MK to the Poly and you need to step down into the boat. I didn't wait for the next boat, so I don't know if there are ramps for an ECV. I was able to ride the boats at the Epcot area resorts, going to/from Epcot and DHS.

If you mom is not used to scooters, have her practice on them at any store that has them available. Parallel parking is a must on the busses. I had practiced my parallel parking on my right side.... only to find you need to park on the left side on the busses. I was still complimented by the drivers on how well I could do it...lol

If you have any questions feel free to pm me.
Have a great trip.

[faline]

My mom has had the achillies tendon replaced in one of her feet and is having issues with the other....she was told recovery will take at least a year so I know she will probably need to rent an EVC...so my questions are where and how much to rent EVC's and can you keep it the entire trip or do you have to return it in the parks each day....

If you rent directly from Disney, they are only available at park entrance and you will need to return them there at the end of the day. There are a number of companies in the area that will rent ECV's for the duration of your stay. They will bring it to your resort before you arrive and pick it up after you leave. I looked into doing this after some foot surgery.

Also, can you take them on the parks boats like the one from Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom?

Typically, yes. However, if the water levels are very low in the lake or if they run one of the smaller boats, you may not be able to do this and would need to take the bus instead.

Another question, we are thinking about staying at the Wilderness Lodge, are all the rooms accessable by elevator or will we need to stay ground floor level?

All floors are accessible via elevator.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I don't know about Wilderness Lodge. I was at CBR on a ground floor.

As for the ECV's, I would recommend renting from an outside company. I used Apple Scooter in December and their service was fantastic. If you rent from an outside company, you will have the scooter at the hotel as well to get around with.

I tried to get on a boat from MK to the Poly and you need to step down into the boat. I didn't wait for the next boat, so I don't know if there are ramps for an ECV. I was able to ride the boats at the Epcot area resorts, going to/from Epcot and DHS.

If you mom is not used to scooters, have her practice on them at any store that has them available. Parallel parking is a must on the busses. I had practiced my parallel parking on my right side.... only to find you need to park on the left side on the busses. I was still complimented by the drivers on how well I could do it...lol

If you have any questions feel free to pm me.
Have a great trip.

thanks so much this is a lot of help

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

If you rent directly from Disney, they are only available at park entrance and you will need to return them there at the end of the day. There are a number of companies in the area that will rent ECV's for the duration of your stay. They will bring it to your resort before you arrive and pick it up after you leave. I looked into doing this after some foot surgery.




Typically, yes. However, if the water levels are very low in the lake or if they run one of the smaller boats, you may not be able to do this and would need to take the bus instead.



All floors are accessible via elevator.

You two have given excellent information thanks for all the help...I will check into an outside company

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

thanks for the information on everything...I know she will need it for the long days in the parks but I am hoping by then she will be recovered enough to get around the resort without needing it..I know it would be a lot easier as far as buses and boats go if she doens't but I want to be fully prepared....

[kakn7294]

The resort *may* have a free wheelchair available for your useage. They are supposed to have them at the check-in desk but quantities are limited and they are not able to be reserved. But it's something to keep in mind to help you around the resort if you use the Disney ECVs in the parks. WL is a great resort for those needing a bit of extra assistance to get around - all indoors and all floors accessible by elevator. If you rent your ECV from Disney, you may also be able to get a courtesy wheelchair when you turn the ECV in for the night - this is meant to get her from the rental location in the park to the bus stop. Just leave it there when you board the bus. We were pleasantly surprised when this was offered (and the second time, I asked) but I was told that not all CMs will do it so it's a hit or miss service.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

thanks

[faline]

thanks for the information on everything...I know she will need it for the long days in the parks but I am hoping by then she will be recovered enough to get around the resort without needing it..I know it would be a lot easier as far as buses and boats go if she doens't but I want to be fully prepared....

When I considered renting one, I knew I would not need it full time. However, it would also have been less expensive to rent it from on off-site company and have it full time versus renting it daily at the parks.

I second the advice about practicing with one in advance. Most grocery and department stores have them available. In some cases, however, you needed to ask for one as they were not immediately noticeable. They're pretty easy to use but getting used to how they work is pretty important.

[ElenitaB]

It is much cheaper to rent from an outside company than to rent at the parks each day. Plus, as others have pointed out, depending on the time of year you visit and the time you arrive at the parks, they may all be rented.

Another advantage to renting for your entire trip is that the rider gets proficient at using the equipment (the ECVs at the parks are very big and not exactly agile) and it's available for use between the park entrances alway the way back to your room.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Yes, I checked and it will be about $275 to rent from Disney as compared to $150 for Apple...thanks for the good advice...I will have her practice with the ones in the grocery store thanks.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

What is the difference in the 3 wheel and 4 wheel scooters?

[faline]

I looked at this a little bit and I thought that I read that the 4 wheeled versions are more stable and less likely to tip but that the 3 wheelers are a bit more mobile in tight spaces.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Do they really tip over that easy? I wouldn't think they would. I think the 3 wheeler should do nicely.

[kakn7294]

Do they really tip over that easy? I wouldn't think they would. I think the 3 wheeler should do nicely.

Another tiny bit of advice - watch those trolley tracks on Main Street in MK. They tend to catch wheels and I nearly dumped my mother out of her wheelchair! Proceed carefully over those!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Thanks I will

[faline]

Do they really tip over that easy? I wouldn't think they would. I think the 3 wheeler should do nicely.

I don't think it's much of an issue on flat ground - where it might be a little more of a problem would be on a downgrade such as from a sidewalk to a street.

[peemagg]

I use my three wheel scooter almost daily, and in ways that it was not meant to go. I have never had a problem with it trying to tip over. You just need to go slow and careful when you go sideways on a slope. Going straight up or down is always the best way if you can.

I personally love the fact that my 3 wheeled scooter can make the tight turns easy (really great help in stores with tight spaces between racks). I can go places with it that I couldn't with the 4 wheeled version. I also have more room to stretch out my legs without the 4th wheel getting in the way.

[ElenitaB]

Another tiny bit of advice - watch those trolley tracks on Main Street in MK. They tend to catch wheels and I nearly dumped my mother out of her wheelchair! Proceed carefully over those!

Always take the railroad and trolley tracks at a diagonal... I learned that tip right here on this forum.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

That's good tips thanks...we reserved one through Apple and mom said she wanted the 4 wheeler so that's what she'll get....BTW, she tried out her first one at Sam's this past week and did pretty well