My husband has problems with his feet due to diabetes. Right now he is not supposed to be walking for long periods and is wearing a healing boot. We are going to WDW in August and will probably need to rent a scooter from one of the local medical supply companies recommended by Disney. How difficult will it be to maneuver around the parks on a scooter? Does anyone have any experience, either good or bad, with scooter rental?
-
The new WDWMAGIC iOS app is here!
Stay up to date with the latest Disney news, photos, and discussions right from your iPhone. The app is free to download and gives you quick access to news articles, forums, photo galleries, park hours, weather and Lightning Lane pricing. Learn More -
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Scooters in WDW?
- Thread starter CeeC234
- Start date
disney9752
Member
do u mean an ecv???????? u can rent them at wdw, i dont recall the price, as the parks are designed with disabled guests in mind it is fairly easy to navigate. just make sure he gets a driving lesson so he doesnt run anyone over in the thing.:brick:
figmentmom
Well-Known Member
If you're staying at a Disney resort, the resort buses are equipped to handle those scooters; it takes a few minutes to load them on the bus (same as a wheelchair), but the drivers are wonderful about taking the time.
My Dad prefers to use one of Disney's scooters when we go to WDW, so I've got experience navigating the parks with one. August will be crowded, and navigation will be a challenge (but not impossible). The Magic Kingdom was the hardest park to navigate in a scooter; EPCOT was the easiest. Animal Kingdom and MGM were about the same.
Dad's biggest concern was that people generally walk right in front of scooters, and it can be hard (if not impossible!) to stop on a dime to avoid a collision. (I said "Excuse us" and "Oops - sorry!" a LOT.
)
Hope you have a great trip! :wave:
My Dad prefers to use one of Disney's scooters when we go to WDW, so I've got experience navigating the parks with one. August will be crowded, and navigation will be a challenge (but not impossible). The Magic Kingdom was the hardest park to navigate in a scooter; EPCOT was the easiest. Animal Kingdom and MGM were about the same.
Dad's biggest concern was that people generally walk right in front of scooters, and it can be hard (if not impossible!) to stop on a dime to avoid a collision. (I said "Excuse us" and "Oops - sorry!" a LOT.
)Hope you have a great trip! :wave:
elpack
New Member
I've been renting a scooter (ECV) for the past 10 or so years due to walking/standing issues related to my stupid feet. Once the "driver" gets used to it - it is very simple to operate and very easy to navigate the parks. The important thing to master is backing up (makes it easier to get into some of the buses.) There are several different bus ramps that have been in use and some are harder than others to maneuver. I usually park mine outside most attractions and then walk in (with several exceptions where the queue is long.) I never have used it to get ahead in a line and chances are that won't be something you can do anyway since they've thankfully made most lines ECV friendly so you drive up the majority of it.
As far as renting goes.. you can choose any of the offsite companies. I have found the ones "recommended" by Disney or other popular Disney groups are way more expensive than others out there (all offer the same equipment and same service). I haven't decided who I'll be renting from my next trip (Sept) but I'm thinking it's going to be Medical Travel, Inc. a/k/a Discount Mobility USA because they have the cheapest rates. I have rented from Walker, Scootarama, Care Medical, and I can't remember the names... but I had no problems with any of them.
As far as renting goes.. you can choose any of the offsite companies. I have found the ones "recommended" by Disney or other popular Disney groups are way more expensive than others out there (all offer the same equipment and same service). I haven't decided who I'll be renting from my next trip (Sept) but I'm thinking it's going to be Medical Travel, Inc. a/k/a Discount Mobility USA because they have the cheapest rates. I have rented from Walker, Scootarama, Care Medical, and I can't remember the names... but I had no problems with any of them.
Do you have a grocery or any store near you that has scooters available? You might want to stop in and have your husband try using one there. That's what I did with my mother, and came to the conclusion that she would NOT be renting one at WDW; I pushed her in a wheelchair instead. Of course, she was much older than your husband, and had a hard time learning ANY new skills. :lol:
Vernonpush
Well-Known Member
They can only be rented at the Parks (and not taken to Resorts), and Disney can't guarantee that one would be available (there are some people who don't need them, that just rent them " 'cause they're fun" ). When my Mother went, she rented from an outside company (I don't remember which), and she said that it was at the resort waiting for her when she arrived.
Having worked in MK Entrance merchandise, and renting ECV's out on a near-daily basis, here's what I can tell you:
- The price to rent an ECV at a Disney park is $35, plus a $5 key deposit. You will be required to sign a hold-harmless agreement upon renting.
- The ECV's are available on a very limited first come/first serve basis. There is no guarantee on availability. Once they sell out in the morning (usually within the first two hours), it is likely that it will be hours before one comes back and is ready to go back out.
- They are easy to navigate and use, but can be tricky if the park is very crowded, and it's not uncommon to have people walk right in front of you. Very frustrating.
Dangeresque
Active Member
As a person who doesn't use a scooter I find that people walk in front of me all the time in crowded conditions. It's to be expected. But when your walking at the same pace as the person walking in front of you it's not a problem. But I've noticed that the scooters at WDW can travel much faster that the average person walks and the people in them will generally go as fast as they can in them. If they just kept to normal walking speed there would be no problem.
Good point. I'm just speaking from past experiences, having to ride one out to someone whose ECV ran dead or whatever, I've had a lot of people change their mind as to which way they were walking right in front of me. Just don't drive it too fast and you should be alright...
I had the same problem while pushing my mother in a wheelchair in crowded situations! Sorry, but I'm a good 3 feet behind her feet; if you stop suddenly, or change direction, I WILL end up hitting you, as it takes a few seconds to react. By the time MY feet stop, the footrests of the wheelchair could be hitting you. I also love the people who try to jump over the footrest (while crossing in front of us), but get caught up in them.
BTW, this is while walking at a "crawl" pace, a few inches at a time. It's very much like pushing a stroller, but an adult is heavier, so you can't move as quickly.
figmentmom
Well-Known Member
Dad and I traveled slowly and carefully, believe me. The number of people who decided to run ahead of us, got distracted, and then stopped dead in our path was absolutely amazing.
camshron55
New Member
I use a ECV while visiting WDW; and I can't tell you how many times I have had someone make eye contact with me and STILL walk right in front of my moving vehicle. DS and I jokingly say that these folks don't have any life-wishes left.
happymom52003
Active Member
Dad and I traveled slowly and carefully, believe me. The number of people who decided to run ahead of us, got distracted, and then stopped dead in our path was absolutely amazing.
I was shocked at the rudeness of so many people last December when my grandmother used an ECV on our trip. I know alot of people have very negative feelings about scooters at WDW, but I can honestly say that most of our "incidents" were not my grandmothers fault....they were the other people. One time I actually had to stop traffic like a police officer so she could cross a path....and this was after saying "excuse us" multiple times. People intentionally stepped in front of her because they did not want to wait a few seconds. I could go on and on with examples but I won't!
To answer the question of the OP, we rented the scooter from Walker and had no problems. We chose to rent outside of WDW because my grandmother needed the scooter at all times.....not just while in the parks.