Questions about ECV and Resorts

Margie Rose

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
My daughter will be in WDW from late June to Christmas on an Academic Exchange Program, and while I will definitely be travelling there at some point (late September perhaps), I've been dreading the mobility issue. I have very mild cerebral palsy (that's not actually the problem, believe it or not). Last summer I developed Bone Marrow Edema in my left ankle, and it's driving me insane. Some days I have absolutely no problems with it, and other days (like today) I struggle. Since the purpose of my trip will be primarily to visit with my daughter, I will likely only go into the parks one day and spend the rest at a Disney resort.

I definitely think that I will need to rent an ECV for the park day, and depending upon the resort, perhaps even to get around there (I love POR but it is very spread out). I haven't used one yet, but hopefully I'll be a fast learner! So....recommendations on which resort? I'm leaving it a bit late as it is, so I'm not sure what my options will be. Should I just ask for a room closer to the main restaurants and pool/s and forego having the scooter for resort-only days, or get an accessible room in which to have the scooter so it is always available?

I'm not sure I'm explaining this very clearly, but I've always been able to walk when I've been at WDW, and having to consider a mobility issue is new to me. Any and all thoughts are welcome!
Margie
 
Do you need an actual accessible room?
Are you going to be using the pool a lot?
Are you going to be eating in the main restaurant a lot?
Which park?
 
In addition to what @kaytieeldr said...

Have you considered POFQ instead of POR? It's much more compact, and has the same room types. The amenities are virtually the same, except there is no fishing rental or TS restaurant. And because they are connected via walking paths, you can get from one to the other quite easily.

Consider renting the ECV for length of stay - that way if you decide to spend some time down at Disney Springs, or go do Resort tours, or perhaps visit the Boardwalk at Boardwalk Resort (Highly recommend the Jersey Crumb Crake at the Bakery!), or go to Poly to visit the Pineapple Lanai and have a Dole Whip you will have that ECV.

There are lots of posts here about first time ECV users - but the main takeaway is this: Don't be so tired and exhausted from trying to get around that you don't really enjoy your time with your daughter :) WDW is such a big place, and so spread out! Gold Mobility is very highly regarded by many folks here; although I have never used them (I have my own personal mobility device) so far they have overwhelmingly positive reviews from everyone who has posted here.
 
Look into renting DVC points, on this board, to stay at the Saratoga Springs Resort. You could use the ECV to go to Disney Springs for the day while your daughter is working. A DVC studio would give you a small refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker, plus paper plates, etc. This would be convenient in case you were not feeling up to going out for a meal.
 
I have two bad knees (both need replacing) and some days are better than others - some trips I could do more parking of the ECV and walk - but these days I tend to need it for most of the day (I park it for some ride ques, going in stores and restaurants for example). I agree with mama bunny - f you rent an ECV for your length of stay then I think it doesn't matter which resort you're in or whether you're close to the main building or pool or whatever - you can get around at the resort and everywhere else just fine. If you want to walk you can always walk - or take the scooter to the main area and park it out of the way and walk (I do this when I stay at CSR and it's a long way to El Centro from my room). You may find that you'll want to get out more and do more because the scooter allows that freedom to go to Disney Springs, Boardwalk, etc. as MB mentioned. I've rented from Buena Vista Scooters and Gold Mobility and I definitely recommend Gold Mobility. BVS is fine too but Gold's scooters are nicer and their service is better in my experience.

You don't need an accessible room if the only issue is bringing a scooter inside to park it. That will be easy in any room - especially if it's just 1 or 2 people in the room.
 
If you mean this coming September 2019 -- I recommend making a reservation sooner rather than later. The new Stars Wars: Galaxy's Edge will bring a LOT of people to WDW once it opens, which has been announced for late August. You may find a shortage of available rooms if you wait to book.

Only you can decide how much walking you can do. But I would recommend considering a length-of-stay rental from an off-site vendor. That way you won't need to worry about where your room is located (you can't always guarantee "close"), and it would also open up options for you to go elsewhere -- Disney Springs or visit other resorts for dining, etc. Any room on-property should be large enough to accommodate an ECV, so an accessible room isn't necessary unless you need the additional accessible features within the room/bathroom.

If you aren't familiar with an ECV, maybe you can try one at a local grocery or big box store. Those are likely larger and more cumbersome than the rental, but would give you a chance to try it out.

Best of luck to your daughter with her studies and enjoy your vacation!
 
Thanks everyone! I probably don't need a truly accessible room; I was just thinking about where the scooter would be stored if I decided to keep it with me for the whole trip. Do they break down easily for storage?

I've just contacted my travel agent to start looking for a room for me. I will likely be traveling by myself, and my husband will take his own trip in November. That way Sophie gets 2 parental visits instead of just one!
 


Thanks everyone! I probably don't need a truly accessible room; I was just thinking about where the scooter would be stored if I decided to keep it with me for the whole trip. Do they break down easily for storage?

I've just contacted my travel agent to start looking for a room for me. I will likely be traveling by myself, and my husband will take his own trip in November. That way Sophie gets 2 parental visits instead of just one!

Typically, you won't break a scooter down for storage - just leave it parked in the room. Breaking the scooter down is usually only needed if you will be traveling with it by car, simply because it would be too big and heavy to lift into the back (trunk) of a passenger vehicle. But breaking it down for storage just means you will have some big, bulky, heavy pieces laying around the hotel room! And always make sure to plug it in and charge it overnight, every night, so that you have a full charge for the next days activities. :)

Most of the rooms have enough space (especially if you will be the only occupant) to park the scooter without it being in the way. You may find that you have a great spot in front of the window, or in front of a connecting door, or by moving the table & chairs, or even between the bed and the wall. Exactly where you park it in the room depends on which Resort and room type you have reserved. :)
 
Thanks everyone! I probably don't need a truly accessible room; I was just thinking about where the scooter would be stored if I decided to keep it with me for the whole trip. Do they break down easily for storage?
!

There's plenty of space to park it in the room - especially in a moderate if you are traveling alone. I think the easiest is just inside the door as there's usually a big enough spot there for it. To get it in by yourself you can get out and prop open the door and drive in. You can also turn the scooter off and on the back side there's a lever where you can slide it with your hand or foot so that you can push or pull the scooter easily and it will roll - I sometimes do that and roll it into the room. If you have back/shoulder issues or would have trouble walking a bit this wouldn't work so well though. I can also unlock the door and hold it open and drive it in if I've made a space - you just need to go very slowly.

It's possible to get a scooter that comes apart if you need to take it in the car - it's somewhat heavy to lift so YMMV with that. I don't think you'd need to get a portable one unless you'd like to take it with you in the car elsewhere like to Universal, etc.
 
Thanks everyone! I probably don't need a truly accessible room; I was just thinking about where the scooter would be stored if I decided to keep it with me for the whole trip. Do they break down easily for storage?

I've just contacted my travel agent to start looking for a room for me. I will likely be traveling by myself, and my husband will take his own trip in November. That way Sophie gets 2 parental visits instead of just one!

We just park the ECV in a corner or out of way space in the room, no need to break it down to store it. Park it and at night plug it in overnight to recharge the battery.

SW
 
There's plenty of space to park it in the room - especially in a moderate if you are traveling alone. I think the easiest is just inside the door as there's usually a big enough spot there for it. To get it in by yourself you can get out and prop open the door and drive in. You can also turn the scooter off and on the back side there's a lever where you can slide it with your hand or foot so that you can push or pull the scooter easily and it will roll - I sometimes do that and roll it into the room. If you have back/shoulder issues or would have trouble walking a bit this wouldn't work so well though. I can also unlock the door and hold it open and drive it in if I've made a space - you just need to go very slowly.

It's possible to get a scooter that comes apart if you need to take it in the car - it's somewhat heavy to lift so YMMV with that. I don't think you'd need to get a portable one unless you'd like to take it with you in the car elsewhere like to Universal, etc.
Something we discovered by accident at Animal Kingdom Lodge is if you push the door open hard enough, it stays open. In talking with some CMs, this was an intentional choice that was made to make getting ECVs in and out of the rooms easier without damaging the doors, door jambs, etc. and is rolling out to all of the resorts. So, try pushing the door very hard and see if stays open.

Some people also find it easier to put the scooter in neutral and push it into the room.
 
Something we discovered by accident at Animal Kingdom Lodge is if you push the door open hard enough, it stays open. In talking with some CMs, this was an intentional choice that was made to make getting ECVs in and out of the rooms easier without damaging the doors, door jambs, etc. and is rolling out to all of the resorts. So, try pushing the door very hard and see if stays open.

Some people also find it easier to put the scooter in neutral and push it into the room.

Thanks! I'm going to try that next trip-push the door very hard and see if the door stays open.

Last trip, I was able to do the "put the scooter in neutral and push it in/out of the room." The only problem was that when I tried to start up the scooter after I pushed it out of the room, it wouldn't go. I was about one second from calling the rental company when I realized that the scooter wouldn't of because it was in neutral (I wondered what that beeping noise was!) Once I figured out my dumb mistake, I was OK. But I'd really rather have an open door.
 
Port Orleans French Quarter is much more compact than Riverside, and has great atmosphere. I was staying there when I broke my foot and ended up finishing the visit in an ECV, and I thought it was a good place for it. it doesn't have as big a choice of restaurants or amenities as some resorts, but it's easy to get to Riverside and Disney Springs by boat so you've kind of got the best of both worlds.
 

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