Should I encourage my dad to rent a scooter?

Leelo

Never grow up. It's a trap!
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
I am planning a big family trip for January 2019. My 65 year old father will be with us on the trip. He has had a hip replacement and has compromised vision due to glaucoma. He cannot walk as far as will be needed to enjoy the parks like the rest of us. We will also need to point out changes in elevation and where curbs begin bc he can't see the distinction. We are happy to do this, of course, but I keep thinking a scooter would be the best choice.

He is not one to ask for help and never complains. He will probably say "I will be fine" and not be interesting in considering a scooter.

Should I encourage him to rent a scooter? Should I just rent one and tell him I have done it and not make a big deal or sales pitch about it? I do not want him to have to sit down and separate from the rest of us or be in pain at any point during the trip.
 
I am planning a big family trip for January 2019. My 65 year old father will be with us on the trip. He has had a hip replacement and has compromised vision due to glaucoma. He cannot walk as far as will be needed to enjoy the parks like the rest of us. We will also need to point out changes in elevation and where curbs begin bc he can't see the distinction. We are happy to do this, of course, but I keep thinking a scooter would be the best choice.

He is not one to ask for help and never complains. He will probably say "I will be fine" and not be interesting in considering a scooter.

Should I encourage him to rent a scooter? Should I just rent one and tell him I have done it and not make a big deal or sales pitch about it? I do not want him to have to sit down and separate from the rest of us or be in pain at any point during the trip.
Yes. My mother is ambulatory, but I rented a scooter for her and it went very well. She was so comfortable. I just can't imagine her walking all through the parks & resort without one. I strongly recommend renting one that you'll keep at all times, not just trying to get one at the parks. There is a lot of walking outside of the parks at WDW.

In your situation, I would not ask him, but instead just rent one for him and then let him know that you've done so. If for some reason he really doesn't want it, you can cancel.
 
Yes. I would. I'm only in my mid 30's, but had a hip replacement at age 29, due to complications from hip problems as a child. I went to Disney last year, and the last day, my friends rented a wheel chair for me. I'll be honest, I was kind of upset. I didn't feel I "needed" it, because, honestly, I can do longer distances. I'm just slow. Like... really slow, especially be the end of the day. I felt like I was taking advantage of something I shouldn't. Looking back, I'm glad they did rent the wheelchair for me, because the next day was departure day, and I'm honestly not sure I would have navigated nearly as well at the airport the next day with my luggage (carry on) if I hadn't had that "rest" day the last day in the parks.

One special thing that happened to me is I saw a young girl also in a wheelchair, with a pink cast on her leg. She looked pretty sad to have to use the wheelchair. But the moment she saw me, she got this HUGE smile on her face and waved at me. I think I was probably the first younger looking person she saw in a wheelchair, and it made her feel not quite so alone. So... all that to say there are definitely advantages to renting a scooter/wheelchair (use an outside vendor for a scooter) and there may been some hidden magic pixie dust in that scooter too. :D
 
I would rent a manual wheelchair. He can seriously injure himself and many around him if he can't distinguish between the sidewalk and a curb in a scooter. If he feels like walking he can push the wheelchair as a walker, with a scooter he'd have to park it and you'd have all the issues that led to renting a scooter over walking.
 
I would rent a manual wheelchair. He can seriously injure himself and many around him if he can't distinguish between the sidewalk and a curb in a scooter. If he feels like walking he can push the wheelchair as a walker, with a scooter he'd have to park it and you'd have all the issues that led to renting a scooter over walking.

While I generally agree that a scooter is great, I'm not so sure in this specific instance. The inability to see elevation changes (or even the curb) seems like a fairly big problem. Would you have enough people to push him in a wheelchair?

Good points to consider. We will only have 1 person strong enough to push him and probably not all day. The problem with elevation is, he can't distinguish between similar colors. For example, if a curb is gray concrete and drops down to gray concrete, the shadows indicating the change will not be something he can make out. However, if the curb is painted yellow and drops down to gray concrete, he can see it just fine. We are used to pointing out everything so he doesn't fall and I am sure we would do the same for a scooter but it is something I need to think about. Thank you for bringing that up! I am not familiar with how Disney has designed curbs and will need to take notice on our upcoming trip this fall.
 
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I just checked with my mom to make sure he can legally drive a car. She said he can. The issue is bc of his lower peripheral vision. He can't make out subtle color changes straight beneath him when walking but he can see ahead of him well enough to drive. I will ask him more questions about this and pay attention to curbs and elevation and scooter/stroller paths when we visit in a couple of months.
 


If you get a portable, travel wheelchair they are more lightweight. You can actually buy one for under $150. Then, you would have it even for the airport if you are flying. Wheelchairs are not charged for by the airlines.

If you mix rides, shows, parades, fireworks and eating there's time for the wheelchair pusher(s) to rest.

Your father would probably enjoy being hands free and be able to park and people watch more if you did a wheelchair. It can be taxing mentally for a newbie to drive a scooter. Your ride queues have twists and turns to maneuver through. You need to somewhat precisely park it at the shows. If you use Disney transportation to get to and from the parks with a scooter you need to get the scooter on and off the bus, monorail, ferry, or boat. That's not an easy task. Depending on your resort room location you may need to get a scooter on and off an elevator. Now, in some of these instances someone else can drive the scooter instead. If you rent a scooter at the park which costs more than you won't have all of these concerns, but it doesn't make it worry free.

You have to be a very defensive scooter driver; because, you have people darting out at any time in front of the scooter without notice especially children. Reflexes have to be very good to make sudden stops.

If you are really stuck on the scooter idea then I would practice locally. You can go to stores and drive around in a free scooter. Then, you can try a local zoo or amusement park and rent a scooter there and see how he does under those conditions. I feel with the extreme crowds at Disney it's one of the toughest places to use a scooter.

If you rent an offsite scooter, you have to get the scooter in and out of your resort room each time you go to the parks. You have to charge the battery everyday. If you want a longer day at the park you will have to rent a scooter that's more heavy duty with more battery power. You will have to be diligent about getting your dad to shut off the scooter when watching a show, parade, and fireworks to conserve the battery power.

It's not good for a scooter to get wet like being in the rain. The offsite scooters are more prone to failure, here.

Three wheel scooters are easier to turn, but they can be a little tipsy. Four wheel scooters are considered to be more stable.

Honestly, I would go with a wheelchair. I would practice using one and see how it feels for the pushers.
 
If you get a portable, travel wheelchair they are more lightweight. You can actually buy one for under $150. Then, you would have it even for the airport if you are flying. Wheelchairs are not charged for by the airlines.

If you mix rides, shows, parades, fireworks and eating there's time for the wheelchair pusher(s) to rest.

Your father would probably enjoy being hands free and be able to park and people watch more if you did a wheelchair. It can be taxing mentally for a newbie to drive a scooter. Your ride queues have twists and turns to maneuver through. You need to somewhat precisely park it at the shows. If you use Disney transportation to get to and from the parks with a scooter you need to get the scooter on and off the bus, monorail, ferry, or boat. That's not an easy task. Depending on your resort room location you may need to get a scooter on and off an elevator. Now, in some of these instances someone else can drive the scooter instead. If you rent a scooter at the park which costs more than you won't have all of these concerns, but it doesn't make it worry free.

You have to be a very defensive scooter driver; because, you have people darting out at any time in front of the scooter without notice especially children. Reflexes have to be very good to make sudden stops.

If you are really stuck on the scooter idea then I would practice locally. You can go to stores and drive around in a free scooter. Then, you can try a local zoo or amusement park and rent a scooter there and see how he does under those conditions. I feel with the extreme crowds at Disney it's one of the toughest places to use a scooter.

If you rent an offsite scooter, you have to get the scooter in and out of your resort room each time you go to the parks. You have to charge the battery everyday. If you want a longer day at the park you will have to rent a scooter that's more heavy duty with more battery power. You will have to be diligent about getting your dad to shut off the scooter when watching a show, parade, and fireworks to conserve the battery power.

It's not good for a scooter to get wet like being in the rain. The offsite scooters are more prone to failure, here.

Three wheel scooters are easier to turn, but they can be a little tipsy. Four wheel scooters are considered to be more stable.

Honestly, I would go with a wheelchair. I would practice using one and see how it feels for the pushers.

Wow! Awesome information! Thank you!
 
My husband uses a scooter. It is different than driving a car. It is not unusual for a child to dart out directly in front of his path. With your dad's glaucoma, it would be difficult for him to stop in time if he couldn't see the child coming from the side. Even adults walk into and in front of the scooter constantly.
There are no scooter paths, except for one at the entrance of The Land. It is very difficult to drive in crowds especially when the park first opens and after shows and fireworks. The curbs are not marked with yellow paint. Some of the curbs are pretty high. It is hard to navigate the scooter in the ques.
But my biggest concern is his ability to get on and off buses and the monorail because of the way you describe his vision.
 
With a trip a year and a half away, I wouldn't actually bring up a wheelchair or scooter yet. You have a lot of time to wait and see what the situation is when it's closer to your trip. Also, he may not want to enjoy the parks like the younger members of the party. He may want a slower pace and be ok staying in one area of a park while everyone else walks farther away to certain things he's not interested in. Maybe he'd enjoy time at the resort and either won't join you on all park days or would be happy to use FP+ and a meal and then return to the resort for activities there. Again, it's a little soon to set an itinerary, but it's something you might want to bring up when you approach your reservation window a year from now.
 
Definitely wait until closer to the trip to determine what he will need. In a year and a half a lot can change - he could be a lot more mobile from his hip replacement or his glaucoma could advance to where piloting and ECV would be dangerous for everyone. Wait a year and see how he is progressing.
 
If he has a visual impairment do not get an ECV.
Get a wheelchair and push him and only if he agrees to it. (Maybe he will say that he does not need one but then after a long day will give in for the rest of the trip but the decision is up to him)
 
Thank you all so much for your comments! I am so glad I asked. I knew you all would think of things I had not and have guidance to help me understand the scooter experience. The scooter option doesn't sound like a fit for our situation once I evaluated everything you all have said. I think we will plan a longer trip so we can take a leisurely pace with lots of breaks. Plus I can plan a route that will reduce walking distances. I am holding on to the option of renting a wheelchair if dad reaches the point where he cannot press on. Thank you everyone!!
 
As I have learned from taking trips with my father, sometimes it's better to just rent a scooter for them. He won't rent it for himself. You just need to have it there waiting for him. He will need a scooter. That is too much walking for someone with a hip replacement. If he wants to walk part of the day he can park the scooter somewhere safe and walk around. Then come back to the scooter retrieve it.
 
Thank you all so much for your comments! I am so glad I asked. I knew you all would think of things I had not and have guidance to help me understand the scooter experience. The scooter option doesn't sound like a fit for our situation once I evaluated everything you all have said. I think we will plan a longer trip so we can take a leisurely pace with lots of breaks. Plus I can plan a route that will reduce walking distances. I am holding on to the option of renting a wheelchair if dad reaches the point where he cannot press on. Thank you everyone!!


I think that an ECV *could* work - if you and your family commit to "flanking" your dad front and back to make sure he doesn't drive off a curb, etc. (BTW, curbs are mostly a problem in MK - as is the tracks that run down Main Street, and need to be crossed, ideally at an angle between 45 degrees and 90 degrees)

But, you know your dad far better than any of us do. So, if that does not seem like an option, what about a Rollator? It would give him the support of a walker, with a seat to sit in whenever he needed to take a break. It's a nice option for a lot of folks who resist a wheelchair, or simply need some assistance but don't want to/can't want to sit down all the time, like in a wheelchair.
 
People are crazy around ECV. I think sometimes people see them as a challenge and will try to race you to cut you off, will try to jump over you and just act crazy. A rollator or wheelchair I think would be easier for him to use.
 
I am planning a big family trip for January 2019. My 65 year old father will be with us on the trip. He has had a hip replacement and has compromised vision due to glaucoma. He cannot walk as far as will be needed to enjoy the parks like the rest of us. We will also need to point out changes in elevation and where curbs begin bc he can't see the distinction. We are happy to do this, of course, but I keep thinking a scooter would be the best choice.

He is not one to ask for help and never complains. He will probably say "I will be fine" and not be interesting in considering a scooter.

Should I encourage him to rent a scooter? Should I just rent one and tell him I have done it and not make a big deal or sales pitch about it? I do not want him to have to sit down and separate from the rest of us or be in pain at any point during the trip.
if he can not see curbs then maybe a scooter is not the best thing for him. How will he do in a very crowded area with people cutting infant of him?

I would talk to him and see what he wants, and mybe suggest a wheel chair where someone else can push it so that he is not having to worry about running into people. This will also give him the chance to walk as much as he needs too.
 
I am planning a big family trip for January 2019. My 65 year old father will be with us on the trip. He has had a hip replacement and has compromised vision due to glaucoma. He cannot walk as far as will be needed to enjoy the parks like the rest of us. We will also need to point out changes in elevation and where curbs begin bc he can't see the distinction. We are happy to do this, of course, but I keep thinking a scooter would be the best choice.

He is not one to ask for help and never complains. He will probably say "I will be fine" and not be interesting in considering a scooter.

Should I encourage him to rent a scooter? Should I just rent one and tell him I have done it and not make a big deal or sales pitch about it? I do not want him to have to sit down and separate from the rest of us or be in pain at any point during the trip.

I am strongly opposed to your Dad with vision challenges driving a scooter. I have recently started using one for severe shortness of breath. It takes intense concentration and is exhausting. As the others have said, folks continually cut in front of you from the sides. I worry about his safety and the safety of those around him.
Good Luck
 

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