Alternatives for someone with lower back pain

EVE700

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jul 10, 2008
On past WDW trips, I've rented scooters for the parks because I am very prone to lower back pain. I only use the scooter to go longer distances, then park it and walk around. I normally rent the 3-wheel GoGo scooters that can be disassembled and put into our car. This has worked well in the past, but my husband recently had an injury that will make it difficult for him to lift the heavier parts of the scooter in and out of the car. I'm afraid the only answers will involve either taking Disney buses or renting in-park scooters, two things we definitely do not want to do, so I'm hoping that I can get some alternative ideas from people who deal with back pain in the parks.
 
Use a Rollator - it gives you a seat when you need one and supported walking the rest of the time.

And stay at a Skyliner Resort?

Please don't take this the wrong way, but no one here who has to use a mobility device *wants* to use the Disney buses with that device. We do it because we have to - because it's the tool that best meets our needs.
 
I’ve seen people on the parks on what look to be smaller, lighter scooters. No clue what they are but I am interested in this topic as well.

We have a go go 3 wheel scooter for my husband. I can manage the seat & battery. But it takes the two of us for the base. Planning for a day when my husband might not be able to assist.
 


Sorry, I have no suggestions to your question, but I hope that if you ride Kilimanjaro Safari, you ONLY take the first row or two. I have herniated discs and sitting further back, going over bumps was terrible. However, now I request first row, and I have no problems. Also, the CMs are very nice about it, and I rarely wait at all.
 
Or stay at an Epcot resort and roll to Epcot and DHS.
We would LOVE to do this, but we they're out of our price range, unfortunately.

I’ve seen people on the parks on what look to be smaller, lighter scooters. No clue what they are but I am interested in this topic as well.
I'd love to know about those smaller, lighter scooters!

and what is wrong with Disney's internal transportation? as in what are your objections to using it? we never have issues and TBH, have rarely waited because the HA slots were full.
My husband prefers driving. I don't mind the buses. But I would hate to be the person who holds everyone up. I've tried talking him into using buses, but he's stubborn.

Use a Rollator - it gives you a seat when you need one and supported walking the rest of the time.
I don't mind using a scooter, really, but I just couldn't see myself using a Rollator.
 
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I’ve seen people on the parks on what look to be smaller, lighter scooters. No clue what they are but I am interested in this topic as well.
I'd love to know about those smaller, lighter scooters!
I don’t know which brand you may have seen, but @mamabunny has used one in the past. I’m sure she’d be happy to tell about “Angus.”
 
Have a receiver hitch installed on your car and buy something like this. The hitch will be about $150 and the scooter-carrier will cost a little less than $150. Then you just roll the ECV up the ramp onto that carrier under power (but unoccupied), no lifting.

$300 is a chunk of change, but you end up with something you can use over and over. And, you'll get it back over time in the form of savings from being able to rent from offsite mobility providers vs. renting in the park.
 
Do you have a feel for how much weight your husband could lift?

Maybe a smartscoot or a travelscoot would fit your needs? There's also the glion snap-n-go, the gypsy be ev-rider, the ATTO, EasyTravel Elite, and the Lexis Light. I think I've seen ZooMe's in the parks, but they're around 50lb for the heaviest part.

Also, staying at a skyliner resort would limit the need to put the scooter in the car, if he can do it occasionally but not regularly.
 
I’ve seen people on the parks on what look to be smaller, lighter scooters. No clue what they are but I am interested in this topic as well.

We have a go go 3 wheel scooter for my husband. I can manage the seat & battery. But it takes the two of us for the base. Planning for a day when my husband might not be able to assist.

I'd love to know about those smaller, lighter scooters!

Meet Angus:

473585

He's a TravelScoot, and is named after Princess Merida's faithful horse in "Brave", who always brought her home safely from her adventures!

Without me, Angus weighs less than 35 pounds as pictured here. When I am riding this device, I don't use the backrest because I like to keep my core as strong as possible, and it forces me to sit up straight. It also means I can swing my "bad" leg over the set, and mount/dismount like a tricycle if I want to. Plus, the seat back hits me in a *very* painful area, and rather than have a customized seat back made, I just leave it off altogether. (I also have customized a standard boat seat to fit which offers a more comfortable seat for longer days.

The battery is located between the rear wheels. I charge it overnight, every night at WDW, and a new Li-on battery will take me through a full "Disney Day" - and I am a 3L! (Large Lovely Lady)

The red fabric triangle is very sturdy, and will hold a surprising amount of stuff, and can be easily removed (it's held on with velcro tabs)

The handlebars can be raised to any height you wish, and can be dropped to a height that will allow you to stay seated, and roll under most desks and virtually every table at WDW dining.

The standard throttle set up is a "twist throttle" (like a motorcycle) but I use a CrampBuster (sold as an accessory by Travelscoot) so that I can use my thumb, or even the palm of my hand to move the throttle.

There is reverse if needed.

There are bicycle brakes for the rear wheels that will stop you, but you have to be able to squeeze the brake handle.

It does NOT beep - ever. Not when you turn it on, or when you back up.

It has one rear hub motor on the left wheel, and can literally spin a 360 degree circle on it's back right wheel.

It does NOT have a key - I simply unplug the battery when at WDW, and tuck the battery cable under the motor out of sight. No one really messes with it, although I very rarely park him these days.

And last, but not least, it folds into a bag about the size of a golf bag for transport (if you want to). I typically just lift him ready to roll right into the back of my Kia Soul, and set his brakes, and away we go! I do have to put one of the seats down, but at 35 pounds, it's pretty easy to lift in and out - and oddly enough, easier for me to lift when he is ready to ride than when he is folded into his bag!

Yes, it's spendy - you will probably be looking at about $3000 all told. But you won't find a better made super-lightweight personal mobility device. My husband is an Airframe/Powerplant mechanic for a major airline, and he was/remains impressed by the build quality and the engineering that went into making it so lightweight, yet sturdy. And - the most important thing you have to remember is this - it's replacing your legs. Do you want something that's cheap, and you may have to replace in a few years, or something that you can rely on for years to come?

Travelscoot can sell you a wide range of parts to keep it running for years, and they even have the ability to sell you just the frame if anything every happens (like it gets bent in an accident). They also have an awesome "grow up" program that lets parents buy a small size TravelScoot for their child, and then when the child outgrows the small frame, the larger frame can be swapped in, and everything just moved over. TravelScoot USA is a small company, and they are so very helpful and friendly to work with. They also post a TON of "how to" videos on YouTube so that you (or someone who is mechanically inclined) can do virtually all of the maintenance and repairs you might ever need.

That's Angus. Let me know if you have any questions - or just visit the TravelScoot website; they have tons of info there, obviously.
 
If this were my issue, and my husband refused to access something that would help, I'd let him solve the problem himself :)

Lol! That's what already happens. He lifts the scooter in and out of the car despite his pain. But I have plenty of time before our next trip to work on convincing him to use the bus.

That light scooter (Angus :) ) is awesome and exactly what I'd want, but I wish I could rent one. It's way too much money to spend on something I'd use for just a few days once a year.
 
Lol! That's what already happens. He lifts the scooter in and out of the car despite his pain. But I have plenty of time before our next trip to work on convincing him to use the bus.

That light scooter (Angus :) ) is awesome and exactly what I'd want, but I wish I could rent one. It's way too much money to spend on something I'd use for just a few days once a year.

No one currently rents them in the US.

You might be able to find a used one on eBay, or Craigslist; I do know that people sometimes let the US TravelScoot folks know if they are selling theirs, so you can always call and ask if they know of anyone selling. They know that not everyone can afford a new one.

My family bought mine for me back when I used it only at WDW because it made such a huge difference in our trips that everyone in the family was in favor of it. As time passed, and I needed it more and more, we were very grateful that we had it; it has allowed me to maintain my freedom and I can go anywhere I want - museums, shopping, festivals and fairs, parks, zoos and of course, Disney.
 

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