Using a Mobility Scooter on WDW Transportation?

[SleepyPuppy]

When I made our reservations for spring 2016 the cast member I spoke with suggested renting a scooter from one of the local off property establishments. I have several questions for anyone who may have used this service. One major concern is how accessible is the transportation system at WDW for someone using a scooter? What kind of actual operational hours can be expected until a recharge is needed? I have limited mobility and walk with a cane and I know I would never be able to keep up with my family if I was on foot.

We are taking our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter to the “Happiest Place on Earth” next spring. It will be a first visit for our daughter-in-law and granddaughter, 5 years old, and I want to be able to share their experiences. Any suggestions and tips concerning scooting around WDW and their best transportation options will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Master Yoda]

I can answer one of your questions...transportation.

The Disney buses, ferry and monorails are all equipped to handle scooters so you will have no issue there.

I would imagine that the company you are renting from would have information on battery life is it will vary by model.

You will find quite a bit of information here. http://allears.net/pl/ecv_faq.htm

 

[gibsonc]

WDW transportation is extremely accommodating when it comes users of scooters, you would be perfectly fine. On our last family vacation at WDW my mum required the use of a scooter as she was awaiting a hip replacement and could not walk far without being in pain. Whilst transport and cast members are great when it comes to accommodating users my mum was not happy using the scooter we rented mainly due to the focus it put on her. As scooters are loaded onto buses first, or in the case of the monorail having to wait for a ramp to be put down, my mum felt that everybody waiting for the bus was watching and impatiently waiting for my mum to try an manoeuvre the scooter as required, which in some respects is the case, especially when everyone is tired, and/or people wondering if you really need the use of a scooter. Ultimately my mum abandoned using the scooter and restricted how much walking she did for the rest of the vacation, which ideally shouldn't have been the case. I think what I am trying to say is consider how you might feel in this type of situation and if you would be okay with it, then great, it is probably the best choice. But if not, although more expensive renting on a daily basis, or when needed at each park may be a better option.

 

[NYwdwfan]

We rented one for my husband when his back went out one year. We opted for an outside vendor (we used scootaround.com) since the scooter is yours for the duration of the trip and can be used at the resort, as well as in the parks. We found he was able to go the full day without recharging it, but if we found ourselves back at the room mid-day we plugged it in, just to give it some extra juice. We found it was great for EPCOT, AK and DHS but it was incredibly difficult to maneuver through the crowds in MK, and we were there during a slower period. We typically had him ride the scooter to a centralized location and park it and then walk (slowly) the short distance to the rides nearby. We didn't have an issue with the load/unload of the buses - it did take a few times to get the hang of how to maneuver it into its spot but it really wasn't an issue. Good luck!

 

[Master Yoda]

We rented one for my husband when his back went out one year. We opted for an outside vendor (we used scootaround.com) since the scooter is yours for the duration of the trip and can be used at the resort, as well as in the parks. We found he was able to go the full day without recharging it, but if we found ourselves back at the room mid-day we plugged it in, just to give it some extra juice. We found it was great for EPCOT, AK and DHS but it was incredibly difficult to maneuver through the crowds in MK, and we were there during a slower period. We typically had him ride the scooter to a centralized location and park it and then walk (slowly) the short distance to the rides nearby. We didn't have an issue with the load/unload of the buses - it did take a few times to get the hang of how to maneuver it into its spot but it really wasn't an issue. Good luck!

I have to agree with you on MK. Of the 4 parks, MK is the worst to get around in if you are not walking. While I have never had to deal with a scooter, I have logged many Disney miles on a wheelchair with my mom and on occasion my daughter. Not only are the crowds huge, but much of the ADA compliance in the parks seems to be of the retrofitted variety.

 

[NYwdwfan]

I have to agree with you on MK. Of the 4 parks, MK is the worst to get around in if you are not walking. While I have never had to deal with a scooter, I have logged many Disney miles on a wheelchair with my mom and on occasion my daughter. Not only are the crowds huge, but much of the ADA compliance in the parks seems to be of the retrofitted variety.

Agreed.

Also just realized that I haven't been there since the new hub walkways so it may be easier to navigate in front of the castle. We had the most difficulty in old Fantasyland. We felt like salmon swimming upstream no matter which direction the crowds were flowing.

 

[GrammieBee]

Having used a scooter for many of the times we have visited WDW, I can probably offer a few insights and suggestions..
First of all, renting a scooter off site is, by far, the most economical way to go. Besides, you can then use it at the resort where you are staying.. Since the scooter is delivered to and picked up from the resort, this can save a lot of walking as some of the resorts are quite large. Also, at some of the parks it is a long walk from the car, bus, or whatever, to the scooter rental. If you are not used to driving a scooter, you can practice driving around the resort before you get to a crowded park.

Second, Disney transportation is very accommodating for scooter users. The ferrys are absolutely no problem. The monorails require a small ramp to be put in place so you can drive on. You stay in your scooter. You do have to wait for the ramp and back down it when you get off the monorail. I would suggest a little practice in backing up. Busses have places for the scooter to be securely attached to the floor. This requires the lifting up of some of the regular seats.which means less seats for everyone else. Also, the scooter has to be manouvered into position. Since scooters are loaded first, don't come rushing up to the bus at the last instance when there is already a long line of people waiting for the bus. If you want to save a lot of hard feelings, wait for the next bus and be first in line.

Third,If you are staying at a resort accessable to some of the parks by monorail, boat or walking, and you have a car, you can avoid the buses and drive to the other parks. Many of the rental scooters can be taken apart and put in a car trunk. How far the scooter will go depends on the size of the person using the scooter and the weight of the scooter. The average milage walked in a park on any given day is nine miles and most scooters (unless thet are really light weight) with a less than 200 lb. driver are good for at least twice that amount. Hills and fast driving also cut down on the amount of milage. Rental scooters usually wont let you go past a certain pre set speed...

Finally, don't worry about what other people think. They are not feeling whatever pain you are having and would probably be the first to yell for a scooter if they were. As long as you are a courteous and careful driver, if someone takes offense about your scooter, they are the one with a problem, not you.. Unfortunately, there are some who do not need a scooter or who are careless in driving a scooter that give the rest of us a bad reputation..

 

[SleepyPuppy]

Thanks to all for your responses. They were very helpful.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

My Dad has a steel rod that is like 3/4 up his back so he can't walk for long distances and has had to use a scooter for our last four trips.
We found all of Disney transportation to be very easy to access with no issues. The only thing is the smaller launches of course are not doable but the bigger boats are with no problem. For the most part we had no issues with other guests you will always have that one who is going to be impatient or mad but he just brushed it off. We had to rent offsite because he needs it almost all the time not just in the Parks. I would recommend renting from one of the 5 Disney approved vendors because it is just easier, with them you can have the scooter waiting at your hotel bell desk when you get there and turn it back in to the bell desk when you are leaving so you don't have to worry about a meeting time to pick up or drop off. I know Buena Vista Scooters, Apple Scooters and Scooter Bug are approved. I just can not remember the other two. One thing about Apple there scooters are not the newest but they are the cheapest, they don't charge you till the day before you arrive and if something does happen to a scooter weather it is jus a drained battery or mechanical problem they will come to you wherever you are in the parks and replace the scooter, when it happened to my Dad is was less than 20 minutes from our phone call to them to the guy arriving with the new scooter and this was during the afternoon parade so he had to fight the parade crowd to get to us. One more note, if you have trouble parking it on the buses you can always just drive it up the ramp scoot into a bus seat and the bus drivers are very good with throwing them in neutral and putting them where they want them. This often appeases those impatient people.

 

[jencor]

I cannot help you with the scooter part, but my wife has used a wheel chair for about 20 years now with many trips to DW. I can tell you that you should not have problems with the transportation. Disney is set up to help you. I know when my wife first started to use a wheel chair she felt guilty, but that has gone away. It's not her fault. Most around you understand. There may be a couple here and there, but who cares what they think. They have not walked in your shoes. The big thing is for you to be there and see the joy in your daughter-in-law and grand daughter. Watching their faces and reactions will be priceless.
As mentioned earlier, Magic Kingdom is probably the hardest to get around, crowds and some rides were not originally set up for wheelchair, but they have that everything is workable. When we first went 20 years ago, we parked the wheel chair outside the ride and then came back to it after the ride. Since then my wife is less able to walk short distances like before, we go right up to the ride. Make sure if you are able to walk short distances, they know you can transfer. I will say one thing I noticed several times in Magic Kingdom is be aware of the curbs in the hub and main street. I have seen a few tumbles where chairs tipped over as they did not see the curbs, especially at night when lighting is not always great in all areas or you are looking up and not down. Last time I saw a lady go off a curb and the chair landed on her and she was hurt pretty good (or at least yelling pretty loud in pain). Go and enjoy. Most will respect you and enjoy it.