I’m short on time to research this for friends who are going to WDW for the first time next month for a family reunion. You are the best for accurate information quickly! 
It will be their first trip and it’s only 4 days. They are in their early 70s and she is in a wheelchair because of a medical issue she suffered 2 decades ago. She can stand and walk but she can’t walk, say, Costco.
- I’m thinking electric wheelchair or EVC would be best? Which one? Rental suggestions?
- She likely won’t qualify for DAS. I’ve seen EVCs in line. At some point, they do need to walk the remainder of the queue. Do all queues accommodate EVCs/wheelchairs up to a certain point? Please feel free to provide links. Are some queues more EVC/wheelchair friendly?
- Tips for navigating the parks with EVC/wheelchair?
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You are correct, mobility issues do not qualify for DAS. As far as I know, rentals for power chairs aren’t as easy to do as ECV’s. That wouldn’t be the normal scooter rental places. There are lots of good rental places, but the only one that can deliver to bell services at Disney Resorts is Scooter Bug. The rest you have to be there to meet them for pickup and returning. If they are staying at a non-Disney resort, many of them can deliver and pick up asynchronously.
Rides at WDW all have different loading procedures for ECVs. There are some rides that are ambulatory only, such as Peter Pan’s Flight, People Mover, and Swiss Family Treehouse. Some people can go all the way into the ride vehicle with their ECV, like Jungle Cruise. Many rides allow you to ride the ECV near the ride vehicle and then transfer to the ride. A lot of the older ones have separate routes to the ride. You can find all of the details here: Accessibility Services for Guests with Disabilities | Walt Disney World Resort. This has a wealth of information, including downloadable maps.
I’ll talk about tips for ECVs in my next post.
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Riding ECVs at WDW is … difficult and nerve wracking. Since she’ll be there with able bodied people, it is advantageous for them to flank around her, especially up ahead of her. She will need to practice going slowly and being aware of people around her. People tend to walk in front of ECVs suddenly and are usually oblivious. You will certainly find absolutely rude people, too.
She needs to use a very slow speed setting. Those things are much faster than grocery store ECVs.
I think that’s it. If I think of more tips, I’ll let you know.
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Such good tips! Thank you for taking time out of your vacation to write them.
I know driving an EVC is scary and frustrating! I see people’s stress look driving them! Many are so apologetic!
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Also thought of something else. If they rent one with a canopy, she’ll be more visible.
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