Looking for scooter recomendations

pls5286

DIS Veteran
Joined
May 27, 2008
I have finally faced the music that my health is not going to get better. Between needing knee replacement, a neurological condition that has balance and coordination issues, and diabetic neuropathy, that I need a scooter for our adventures. '

What are your recommendations. 3 wheel vs 4 wheel and other features. We enjoy going to Pigeon Forge TN, cruising and a few theme parks thrown in there too. Hubby has been pushing me in a manual WC at bigger places, such as the Island in Pigeon Forge and the Market in Charleston. He is usually exhausted from doing this due to hills, ramps etc.
 
My recommendation is to buy your own ECV. I bought a very reasonable one - Drive on Amazon for about $600. It works great on relatively smooth surfaces. I may be about ready to upgrade to one with suspension and larger wheels. The three wheel is better indoors. The 4 wheel has more stability.
 
I have finally faced the music that my health is not going to get better. Between needing knee replacement, a neurological condition that has balance and coordination issues, and diabetic neuropathy, that I need a scooter for our adventures. '

What are your recommendations. 3 wheel vs 4 wheel and other features. We enjoy going to Pigeon Forge TN, cruising and a few theme parks thrown in there too. Hubby has been pushing me in a manual WC at bigger places, such as the Island in Pigeon Forge and the Market in Charleston. He is usually exhausted from doing this due to hills, ramps etc.

First of all, make sure that it will fit in the "Disney box" (the white rectangle that is painted on the ground at the Resort bus stops) because it if is larger than
30 inches wide by 48 inches long you won't be able to use the internal bus system (or any other Disney provided transportation) and you won't fit in the queues in the Parks. (Most units you will be considering will be well within those dimensions)

Don't get too hung up on 3 wheel vs 4 wheel; that's a personal preference, and only you can answer that question. Personally, I'm not afraid of using a 3 wheel scooter because I am accustomed to that (my personal scooter is a 3 wheel). IMHO, 3 wheel scooters have a tighter turning radius and 4 wheel scooters tend to have a bit more foot room. Your mileage may vary. You will hear horror stories about people who tip over on 3 wheel units - the trick is to never "crank" the tiller over to the point where the front wheel is perpendicular to the back wheels. That's a surefire recipe for disaster.

Make sure any unit you buy either has solid tires, or has tires/wheels that can be easily replaced if damaged. In fact, check to see what user-replaceable parts are available, and how much they cost prior to purchase. If your new ECV requires a key, make sure you have at least 2 of them, in case one gets lost.

Overall, look at the things that will be important in your day to day use: How heavy is the scooter, both assembled and the weight of the heaviest component (if you have to take it apart to put it in your vehicle). Can you lift that amount unassisted? How will you transport the scooter? Make sure anything you buy will fit in your vehicle. If you will be using it on solo trips (maybe you just want to go to the art museum for an afternoon...) make sure you can manage it on your own.

How far will the battery take you (on average) in distance? At WDW, the average Guest walks between 3 and 10 miles per day - and frankly, our family tends toward the 10 mile end of that range. So make sure that you can "double stack" (use an auxiliary or secondary battery that you can either store onboard, or carry in a basket) if the range of the scooter is not sufficient for your needs. Increasingly, charging in the Parks at WDW is becoming difficult; more and more outlets are being "locked" from public use by Disney, so do not rely upon being able to "top up" your battery while in the Parks.

Your best strategy is to make sure that the battery(s) is/are charged fully prior to leaving for the Parks every morning. Start the day with a fully charged battery, and you should be OK. In addition to turning off the unit for shows, parades, etc., don't forget to turn it off when on buses, boats, and the Monorails. Also, I turn off my personal scooter if I am going to be sitting for more than 30 seconds or so (in line, or looking at something in a shop, or chatting with a CM) Turn it off at meals - even if you sit on the unit to eat.

(If so equipped) Don't use the headlight in the daytime. It won't give that much additional visibility, and it will drain the battery faster. Some folks don't even use the headlight at night. On my personal ECV, I have a bicycle lighting system that is self-contained and rechargeable so it doesn't pull from my ECV battery. The only time I tend to use the headlights/taillights is at night, between the Park entrance and the buses, just for an extra bit of visibility. (I do have LED undercarriage lighting that I use at night; it uses a rechargeable battery pack that doesn't draw from the main battery)

Look carefully at the seat; if you need a higher back, or if armrests are a deal-breaker, make sure the model you buy has what you need. You will be spending a lot of time in that seat, so make sure it's what you want and need. Many people here prefer a seat back that folds down when not in use; you can fold it over to help keep the sun off of your seat bottom while you are in a show or ride. I took the seat back completely off of my scooter because it forces me to sit up straight and keep my core tight, which is very important to my particular situation. Again, it's all about personal preference and needs.

Don't worry about "extras" that you can add after you buy, like lighting, cup holders, or baskets - focus on finding the right unit, because you can accessorize later. Many of us use backpacks, or aftermarket baskets; I personally have installed the undercarriage LED lighting, the rechargeable bike lights (front and rear), and I have a cup holder that holds 2 Resort mugs nicely that I found on Amazon as well. Those things are a bonus; focus first on the things you can't change.

Good luck - let us know what you decide!
 
I agree with what the PP said about 3 wheel vs. 4 wheel. I've used both, and there really wasn't much difference, except cost for me (the 4 wheel was a Disney rental). I've rented from both featured vendor (Buena Vista) and off-site (Walker) and I've found advantages to both. I had great service from both those vendors. The only comment about "extras" I'll make regards the sunshade you can get. I've heard from people who say it restricts viewing around you (and that's VERY important). And I'm not sure about the cup holder-the one time I saw one was when a woman was "scootering" along and her cup holder holding her coffee fell off her scooter unexpectedly and her coffee splashed all over. Has it worked for others?
 
My sister gave me this cup holder when I bought my scooter. https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Medica...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M5SEDFM6EPFW7SD1SXT4

I do not like it at all. It is not deep enough to securely hold anything while moving. I do use it when I am standing still - like when eating lunch.

I have a cup holder on my walker that is deeper and it works quite well as long as I do not fill it all the way to the top.
 
On the topic of cupholders:

THIS is what I have from Amazon. I ordered "basic black" LOL - and I also had to have my hubs clamp it on to Angus because I can't force it open on my own. It holds Resort mugs PERFECTLY! It has been in place for 3 or 4 trips now, and I have no complaints!

(Full disclosure: since the bottom of the cup holder is too narrow to hold any cup or water bottle I use, I had the hubs cut off the narrower bottom section in the garage, and it lets any condensation drip on through. It only has one "gripper" that way, but it still holds VERY firmly!)
 
So this summer I went with my brother, sister-in-law and 16 yr old nephew to Disneyland. I am a Senior with a bad knee and a creaky back.
The first day I tried my hardest to keep up but 1/2 way thru the second day I could just not walk fast enough to keep up. I succumbed to the ECV with tears in my eyes for about 7 minutes. Then I was like the Energizer Bunny. Not only could I keep up with them, I also rode more rides than I expected because I was not sweaty and exhausted every day (and the handicapped entrances helped too). Yes, I ditched it a few times to walk around on my own, but if we were whipping through to the next park to catch a dinner reservation or to ride Thunder Mountain one last time (per 16 yr old nephew), I was ready for action.

So now I am going to WDW all by myself and wondering if I should rent one again as I do not have anyone to keep up with. My sister in law actually suggested I do rent one because the parks are so much bigger at WDW and they worry that I may exhaust myself without anyone there to help especially in the Florida heat and humidity. I am aware they are tricky to maneuver especially after the fireworks, but I will hang back until the crowds thin out a bit before I attempt to get the bus.
So I will rent, just not sure which company. I am doing a split stay so am not sure how that works but I will call soon to find out.

So here is my theory to all those ECV naysayers....!.
1.My scooter is no worse than some of those 3 passenger GIANT strollers that
are in the parks and take up 1/2 an aisle on the bus
2. This is my vacation I aim to enjoy every minute of it without being in pain
3. Ifyou think you can intimidate this New York girl, you are sadly mistaken!
 


I think the biggest consideration on getting a scooter is to get one that is for your weight. Scooters are with different weight capacities. This includes whatever rides with you like a camera, bottle of water and so forth.

I love the two battery scooters. They are larger, but the Victory model from Pride is not too bad. This model is available at many rental companies. Anyway, you can have a very long day at the park without having a problem.

Many feel a three wheel scooter turns better and that can help getting through ride queues that zig zag. A four wheeler is less likely to tip over.

Turn your scooter off to conserve battery power at dead times like watching shows, fireworks, and parades.
 
So this summer I went with my brother, sister-in-law and 16 yr old nephew to Disneyland. I am a Senior with a bad knee and a creaky back.
The first day I tried my hardest to keep up but 1/2 way thru the second day I could just not walk fast enough to keep up. I succumbed to the ECV with tears in my eyes for about 7 minutes. Then I was like the Energizer Bunny. Not only could I keep up with them, I also rode more rides than I expected because I was not sweaty and exhausted every day (and the handicapped entrances helped too). Yes, I ditched it a few times to walk around on my own, but if we were whipping through to the next park to catch a dinner reservation or to ride Thunder Mountain one last time (per 16 yr old nephew), I was ready for action.

So now I am going to WDW all by myself and wondering if I should rent one again as I do not have anyone to keep up with. My sister in law actually suggested I do rent one because the parks are so much bigger at WDW and they worry that I may exhaust myself without anyone there to help especially in the Florida heat and humidity. I am aware they are tricky to maneuver especially after the fireworks, but I will hang back until the crowds thin out a bit before I attempt to get the bus.
So I will rent, just not sure which company. I am doing a split stay so am not sure how that works but I will call soon to find out.

So here is my theory to all those ECV naysayers....!.
1.My scooter is no worse than some of those 3 passenger GIANT strollers that
are in the parks and take up 1/2 an aisle on the bus
2. This is my vacation I aim to enjoy every minute of it without being in pain
3. Ifyou think you can intimidate this New York girl, you are sadly mistaken!

#ThumbsUp! for you! :)

Split stay should actually be easy - grab one of the new Minnie Vans (ask the Concierge to call for an accessible one) and move over that way; then you don't have to try and catch a bus with all your stuff and hub through a Theme Park, or Disney Springs.

Have a great trip! :)
 
Thanks for the advice. So I rented from Apple because they are the only ones that answered right away. The woman I spoke to (Karen)was very nice and helpful and the price was not too bad and it included insurance. Picking it up at the Pop Century and leaving it at POFQ at the end of my stay was no problem for them at all. I won't use it all the time, I plan on parking it sometimes and just walk around. But when I need to get from one side of the park to the other or to the buses to make an ADR it will come in handy!!
So watch out, I will be zipping past you on my way to Big Thunder Mountain!!:moped:
 
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#ThumbsUp! for you! :)

Split stay should actually be easy - grab one of the new Minnie Vans (ask the Concierge to call for an accessible one) and move over that way; then you don't have to try and catch a bus with all your stuff and hub through a Theme Park, or Disney Springs.

Have a great trip! :)


I have an early morning breakfast ADR the day I move, I will let Disney move my luggage then check in later and pick it up at. Too cheap to pay 25.00 for the Minnievan!
 

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