NEW to this board -lots of ???

[Tinkerbelle739]

Hi all!

My first question is: What is an ECV? I am guessing some sort of motorized wheelchair?

I made plans to go to Disney in November with DH and two children (4 & 5) My grandparents who are in their 80's have requested that we allow them to join us at the Wilderness Lodge.
I would love that. BUT, my grandmother is very unstable on her feet and my grandfather was just diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. They will both need a wheelchair. I am wondering how I am going to handle this. My grandparents have been going twice a year to Disney since the first year it opened. (My uncle works at WDW)

I never thought about a motorized wheelchair, if that is what an ECV is, it would give my grandparents freedom to wonder themselves without us "pushing them".

Another question is: Do they have connecting rooms at the WL?
Do they have special rooms for the disabled (wheelchair accesible)?

Final question
Can an ECV be rented for the whole trip? OR, do you rent them at each park?

Any help would be appreciated!

Wishing everyone a "magical" day!

 

[McCall]

An ECV is an electric convenience vehicle you have probably seen people on them in malls or grocery stores. it is a scooter there are 3 wheel ones and 4 wheel onces they rent at the parks for $40 per day but sell out fast. You can rent one from Walker Medical to be delivered to your hotel and picked up again, for slightly less than that cost and you have it the whole time you are there including at your hotel. you bring them in and charge them in the room each night. you can take them on the boats and also the monorail and the busses, but it takes some practice with them.
I always fly down and take mine on the plane with me. then I rent one for my husband.
If you do rent one in the park it stays in that park but if you keep your reciept you can get one at the next park that day if one is available at no extra charge, and if you are coming back to the same park that day tell them to hold it for you.

 

[Tinkerbelle739]

Thanks McCall!

So, let me get this right. If you rent one outside of Disney, they will deliver it to your hotel and you can use it your entire vacation.
If you rent them from Disney, you rent them at the individual parks (much like strollers) and you do not get to take them to the hotel with you. Is this correct? We would need one for the entire trip, not just the parks. Do they also pick them up after your vacation or do you have to deliver them?

Also, are the ECVs allowed everywhere? Do you need to lock them up at every attraction?

Wishing everyone a "magical" day!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Connecting rooms are available at all the resorts. Note that generally the "accessible" rooms tend to have a King Size bed instead of two doubles (or two queens). They also have "roll-in" showers rather than tubs. If you get a standard room, housekeeping will provide a shower seat at no cost. All the accessible rooms are connecting to standard rooms.

(Note the term "connecting" means there is a door between them and you can go from one to the other without going into the corridor. "Adjoining" rooms are next to each other, but you must go into the corridor tio get from one to the other.)

If there is need for accessible rooms or a refrigerator for medications, or anything else medical related you should go through "Special Reservations" at 407-939-7807. They can provide a lot of assistance that other offices cannot. Note you should have your reservation number(s) available when you call them.

As far as ECVs are concerned, here is some information about off-site companies which rent them. Note that some of them have pictures of the ECVs on their web sites:

Walker Mobility:
888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
407-856-2273, Toll Free U.S and Canada (800) 741-2282

Randy'S Mobility is in Kissimmee
http://randysmobility.com
407-892-4777

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html
800-747-0246

ScootAround
http://www.scootaround.com
Toll-free, US and Canada 888-441-7575

I have used Walker a few times. They will ask for a credit card and charge it the day before arrival. All, other than Randy's, will deliver the ECV to your hotel bell services before your arrival and pick it up there after your departure. Their rates, especially for longer than a week, are much better than Disney's. Also, their scooters are much better.

Basically the ECVs are allowed everywhere. There are some attractions where a person has to transfer from an ECV to a wheelchair, and some where the person must be able to transfer from a wheelchair or ECV to the ride itself.

They all have keys; normally if you park them somewhere you just take the key with you. I have not heard of any being stolen. However, be sure that when parked you take anything you do not want to lose out of the basket.

Note that travelling with two ECVs you will pretty much be restricted to using Disney's transportation and not a car; Unless you have a cvan or SUV where the back seat can be removed you cannot get two ECVs in one car or van.

 

[SueM in MN]

I just got back from WDW and wanted to add a little.
First, here's a link to the official Disney page about touring with Mobility Disabilities. it includes a list of "Mainstream Attractions" , which can accomidate a wheelchair or ecv for the entire wait in line and attraction.

If you rent from the parks, they are for use at that park only - you can't take it with you to another park or to your resort. They are limited in number, so if all the ecvs in that park have already been rented by the time you get there, you are out of luck. Also, if you park hop, it is possible that they might not have any left at that park.

Almost 100% of Disney buses have wheelchair lifts or ramps. Occasionally, you will find a bus with a non-working lift. Each bus can hold up to 2 wheelchairs or ecvs, so if you have 2 ecvs and someone in a wheelchair is already on the bus, you can choose to have one of the ecvs in your party go on that bus or have both wait for the next bus.
The boats from WL are sometimes not accessible to wheelchairs or ecvs because of the changing water levels (the boat is floating either too high or too low compared to the dock). If that occurs, there are buses at WWL that can be used.