I’ve copied the following from another thread… hope it helps someone.
I was injured for (2) of our trips, and very self conscience about using an ECV. Don’t be… it’s great. TAKE THE CHAIR EVERYWHERE YOU GO. There’s a learning curve, but people are very willing to help, and if you’re not sure what to do in any situation, a Cast Member (CM) is very near, just ask.
If you want a little break from the chair, park it where they park strollers, turn it off and take the keys (really, REALLY important), and go in the shop, whatever.
EVERY RIDE CUE IS SUITIBLE FOR AN ECV. For ones that are not, like Star Tours, they will route your family down another entrance (without stairs or dangerous ramps). I was able to navigate the cue for flight of passage, every cue… BRING THE ECV. You forget how much walking, but particularly, how much STANDING is involved. Bring, bring, bring the ECV.
(and don’t get a regular wheelchair, you’ll regret it… hills and heat and running feet, don’t do this to your family member or yourself… rent the ECV every time you need one.)
I see you rented from Scooterbug (a Disney approved vendor), so that solves a couple of questions and answers right off the bat.
When Disney Resort hotel Guests choose to rent through ScooterBug, the Guest does not need to be present when the equipment is delivered to the Resort hotel. ScooterBug will work with Disney Resort Cast Members to manage deliveries and returns of rented strollers, ECVs and wheelchairs.
That is really, really great! If you aren’t around for pick up or drop off, you can leave it at your hotel’s Bell Services desk, and they take care of it between you and the rental company. I’ll save the horror stories of NOT doing this for another thread.
They are going to deliver the Scooter (ECV), a charging cable, a key on a wristband, and some other goodies. You can sometimes get extras (basket, water holder), it’s up to you. If it is the variety that can be broken down into 3 pieces, then you can rent any uber/lyft with a big trunk, or a mini-van. That’s sometimes the thing at the end of the night when you are just tired and want to go back to the room, but no worries if you don’t rent the kind that breaks apart. You just need to build in time to your transportation from X to Y throughout your trip.
- ECV tips you need to drill into your DS’s head
- Bring a bag that can go into the basket (things that you will leave in the ECV)
- BRING your charging cord - you eat at a restaurant? Plug it in, plug it in… hills eat up batteries
- If you can, run it slow - kids and strollers and yes, adults, pop in front of you, all the time.
- BRING BLING - Ribbon, a balloon, I’ve seen people use zipties that they later cut off to attach stuffies to the back of the chair. THIS WILL HELP YOU FIND YOUR CHAIR if you leave it outside.
- BRING A HUGE CLEAR PONCHO for you, and one for your battery. keep your battery dry.
- BRING A WASHCLOTH OR HAND TOWEL for your bag. You don’t want to sit in a wet ECV for long
- Nap time? Pool time? Resort time? Meal time? Plug in your ECV for a little charge. Ask, there are plugs in the strangest places, CM’s know where they are.
- Every night, without fail, plug in your ECV to charge it. People do it in the hallways at Animal Kindgdom Lodge, I’ve seen it everywhere that’s dry, the hallway is a GREAT place to charge your unit. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR KEYS IN THE UNIT EVER, or it will disappear
FINALLY - 9. The CM’s do NOT need your key to move your chair. If you leave it in a stroller area, and then it’s missing, look or ask for where they moved the strollers or ECV’s. Chances are they flipped the little switch (ask, they’ll show you how) to make it possible to move the ECV by rolling it like a stroller. This is great - safety is priority #1 in the kingdom!
BUS SERVICE - They all (Disney) have the bending bus situation, but if they are still renting Myers busses (think magical express) still, that may be up in the air. Just get in the normal cue for a bus, and because one member of your family has a wheelchair, you will ALL get in the line for the wheelchair bus connection. They are marked, usually look for the beginning of the boarding line for a bus (the next ones to board), and you’ll see the straight line next to their winding cue, with a handicap blue painted wheelchair symbol… that’s your line, take your entire family to that line, with the wheelchair in front.
They will load your ECV first onto the bus, lock it in safely, then seat your family, and then the rest of the bus. When it’s time to depart, they let everyone off the bus first, and then they come to unhook your chair, and you get off the bus on the lowering ramp. Note if you are not all getting off on the same stop (don’t think this applies to your family resort situation), just let the bus driver know where you’re going, and he will make sure you get there. We had to do this for Caribbean Beach Resort, which had multiple stops, as we were staying in Martinique (stop one - yay!!!)
FOR SAFETY, LISTEN, ASK QUESTIONS, AND DON’T BE SHY . This goes for all Disney transportation. The monorail system is a bit easier going TO the parks, but coming home to the ticket center at MK after fireworks may be a little bit of a wait.
AT THE END OF THE NIGHT , the bus managers are scoping people to see who needs extra transportation help to get busses running to the resorts as fast as possible to clear the park. When in doubt, just stop and ask, the CM’s are very helpful and friendly.
SKYLINER IS AWESOME in an ECV . Very easy, the easiest on the trip… you have your own line, you go in the middle of a special car, they lock you in, and boom, you’re flying!
DS13- he’s 5’8” and about 150 pounds
No problem, he’ll fit in any ECV they have
Staying at AKL Jambo house for 5 nights
we charged our ECV in the hallway, you will appreciate the extra room if you need it, see above, DON’T LEAVE THE KEY in the ignition. You can charge w/out a key.
Arriving around noon on our first day and not going to parks until 4:00 that afternoon
Great! You’ll have time to play with the ECV to learn how it works, and yes, plug it in for a few minutes to charge it!
We planned on using Disney transportation only, (bus to and from resort and skyliner/monorail between some parks),but we will have our vehicle there if needed.
Unless you have the break apart into 3-pieces ECV, you can’t really use your car to get the ECV to and from… but if you get one, you can put it into your trunk in pieces, no problem!
You mentioned jerky rides, that would be up to the comfort level of DS and you as the parental units. You can also ask about it at the front of the cue for, say, FoP. I see ECV’s use the bottom ramps once they get into the final cue, so you’re at the bottom of the “theater”. Not sure if they are able to stay in the chair or not, but if not, the thing that holds you in place on the dragon (seat like a bike with a calf press and a back/buttocks press to keep you in place) might not be comfortable.
I hear Guardians of the Galaxy is jerky too…maybe ask how stabilized the mobility device is on the leg, and play it by ear. You can always get off or out of cue if need be, they are very nice about everything.
Sorry, that was long, I have so much more I could share, let me know if you have any questions or other thoughts… but let your DS know that ECV’s do make the trip not only doable, but it will ease the mind on injury and pain. You’ve got this!!!