Are ECVs difficult to use?

[umbluegray]

We're taking my parents with us to WDW. They are both 61. All's fine but my mother can't walk great distances. She'll be renting an ECV to use while we're in the parks.

Are they difficult to operate or very straight forward. Although very sharp and intelligent, my mom is a technophobe.

Thanks

 

[dj2]

there'll probably be a dial to set the speed, and a bar to grasp/press to move, one way for forward, the other way for reverse. there'll also be a key to turn it on or lock it off. it's not like a car ignition, more like an on/off button. it's pretty simple.

i've seen others suggest practicing at the grocery store or wal-mart/target, etc., with the store's convenience carts. if you're renting off site, the ecv will probably only have 3 wheels (just one at the front instead of two) and will be even easier to steer.

dj

 

[umbluegray]

Thanks for the quick response.

As for those rented from an off-site vendor... though the ECV may only have 3 wheels instead of 4, is it as safe?

Also, is there a major price difference? I noticed the current rental price per the Disney site is $30/day. Do off-site vendors rent for less?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The three-wheelers are as safe as the fours. The advantage is they are MUCH more maneuverable.

All the ECVs I have seen or used have either three or four controls. There is the key (or possibly and on/off switch). There is a control which determines the maximum speed (The Disney ECVs go to about 2.0 MPH while the off-site's go to 4.5 MPH). There is a lever or bar that you press to drive which is also a speed control; the further you press it, the faster you go but limted by the speed control setting. Last, on some, is a forward/reverse switch (on others, pressing the lever with your right hand is forward and with the left hand is reverse).

Generally using an off-site rental is better, and to some extent will save money. Walker, for example, starts at $30 per day but $199 for a week, and then the daily rate goes down for a longer rental. Randy's is a lower rate, but they require you to be present at both delivery and pick-up.

A big advantage is the ECV will always be available to you. For example, you cannot rent an ECV at Downtown Disney. You don't have to worry about availability and will not have problems in getting between your car (or bus or whatever) and the location inside the park for rental.

If you want, there are other posts listing the off-site rentals.

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's the listing of places DIS posters have frequently reported good experiences from:
Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
Phone (407) 856-2273 • Toll Free U.S and Canada (800) 741-2282

Walker Mobility:
1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

RANDY'S Mobility is in Kissimmee 407-892-4777
http://randysmobility.com/

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html
(800)747-0246

http://www.scootaround.com/ Not much feedback. Several people who reported they had no problems.

If she tries an ecv in a store (Walmart, Target, etc). keep in mind that those are huge and harder to drive than the ones for rent in Orlando - plus, not too many people want to drive an ecv at WDW with a shopping cart attached to the front.
My FIL rented an ecv at Epcot on the last day of our March trip. He was pleasantly surprised how easy it was.

 

[umbluegray]

Thanks so much for the great responses.

I'll get started on this right away.

 

[cupcake]

I sincerely suggest renting offsite (3 wheel scooter, no availability issues, and you have it for use outside the parks). I've never seen people have problems with the 3 wheel scooters. As Cheshire Figment has noted, they are much easier to maneuver than the 4 wheelers. On the other hand, I have seen people looking stressed with the 4 wheel WDW ones when trying, for example, to back up when parking between seats at rides.

Here is the list of tips I have amassed.

Start your trip at Epcot, not because the ECV is hard to drive, but because Epcot is the roomiest and it will give your mom confidence.

Since your mom has limited mobility, consider parking the ECV at shows and having her sit on a regular seat. It can be tight at some shows to park (ex: Little Mermaid). Again, not that it is hard, but it is good to remember that she does not have to do it if she doesn't want to.

ALWAYS park facing out (so you can drive right out). It's a pain to have to back up to leave when there are tons of people streaming out. Unless a CM tells you not to, take your key with you.

Take a towel for the seat, it's often vinyl.

When you get the ECV, look in the directions to see where the free wheel knob is. This allows the wheels to move manually so you can push the ECV into place for her. It's good to know this as a backup should your mom freak out. Having a tendency to freak out myself I like to know it's there.

When getting onto a bus, go in turtle speed and back onto the lift. When you are ready to move, cut the wheel all the way clockwise right away!!! This will back you up in the perfect position to pull into the wc area. If you don't do this, you risk trying to have to parallel park w/o tons of room. If you do this, it is easy. Really!

When taking the monorail, ask which way you will be exiting. Sometimes you can drive onto one side and off the other, sometimes you have to back on or off as you will enter/exit the same door. I prefer to back on and drive off, but quite a few people here do it the other way.

If it rains, it is handy to use a poncho and drape it over your mom & the entire seat of the ECV. I don't know about all rental places, but Walker gives you a shower cap for the controls, which you should not get wet.

Remember that ECVs have magical powers. You get on one, and POOF, you become invisible. Feel free to say "excuse me" or tell people in back of you as you wait in line on a hill that the scooter will roll slightly back when you start it. Keep moving slowly in crowds.

Feel free to park the ECV so you can walk or stand. I like to walk into some of the smaller shops. I felt weird about this the first time I did it, but the ECV is there to aid with mobility, there is no requirement that you stay in it 100% of the time.

Turtle speed is the slow end of the speed dial and rabbit is the fast end. Turtle gives you greater control for steering even though it is the same speed as going very slow in rabbit. This will make sense once you are on the ECV!

ECVs are great!!! The freedom is amazing. Have a great trip!!!

Cupcake

 

[missydisney]

We pay 200 for a week with Walker. I think it is 30.00 a day same as the park. but you have it 24 hours a day to help with transportation, Downtown Disney and at your resort.
They deliver it to you so it is waiting when you check in.

 

[umbluegray]

We just bought a Chrysler Town and County minivan with the long wheel-base.

If we rent an ECV from an off-site vendor, does anybody know if it will fit in the back of the van?

 

[JudithM]

Originally posted by umbluegray
We just bought a Chrysler Town and County minivan with the long wheel-base.

If we rent an ECV from an off-site vendor, does anybody know if it will fit in the back of the van?

I have rented an ECV from Walker on the last several trips. the ECV does come apart - Cheshire Figment has instructions/details on how to do it. The broken down ECV has fit in a variety of sedans. Last trip we just picked it up & put it in an SUV without trouble (fitting it in).

 

[umbluegray]

We'll definitely go with an off-site provider.

But I'm curious... what are your liabilities and responsibilities?

I don't so much mind losing an umberella stroller while I'm at the park, but I'd hate to lose an ECV.

What are the issues?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I really don't know. I never had to sign any sort of contract when I rented from Walker. I always made sure that I did remove the key when left it unattended. I have never heard of one being stolen at one of the parks.

Similarly, I don't know what the situation is for liability. I would imagine that a person would be covered under a homeowner's type of policy. However, unless you do somethoing terrible it is very unlikely that anything could happen to seriously injure someone, especially where they would probably be at least partially at fault.

 

[cupcake]

Remember, with an ECV, when you get up you take the key with you. It would be hard to abscond with an ECV and then get any use out of it if the person had to push it. So theft in my opinion is really not an issue.

Walker has never had me sign anything. The company I recently rented from for DL in Anaheim did. It basically said I was responsible for the ECV if I failed to return it in the condition I received it in and that I would be using it from [beginning] to [end] dates. It also had a line for me to agree that I got the ECV in the decribed condition. Since I had to fax the form before I could see the scooter, I simply wrote in that it was described to me as being in [blah blah blah] condition. No one said anything about this to me, it wasn't a problem.

Cupcake

 

[spearenb]

I get from here that an ECV can be picked up to be placed into a trunk or the back of an SUV or even on the luggage rack. I would assume that the weight is around a small lawnmower. And, it goes without saying, that they can be broken down to fit a trunk or the SUV storage area. Are these correct?

Thanks.

 

[dj2]

the one i rented from walker broke into parts, the heaviest of which i think weighed almost 40 lbs. it fit in the trunk of the full-sized rental car, and was just manageable for me (a healthier person would not likely have any problems).

didn't come with great directions for dismantling, so i'd recommend searching for and printing out the thread that explains how to do it.

dj

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Do not consider attempting to put an intact ECV in a an, SUV or pick-up unless there are at least two strong healthy people. You are talking in excess of 100 pounds. When it breaks down, the heaviest part is just under 40 pounds.

If you need directions about disassembly, how best to put the parts in a car, and how to reassemble let me know; I have a canned message.

 

[Talking Hands]

Originally posted by spearenb
I get from here that an ECV can be picked up to be placed into a trunk or the back of an SUV or even on the luggage rack. I would assume that the weight is around a small lawnmower. And, it goes without saying, that they can be broken down to fit a trunk or the SUV storage area. Are these correct?
Thanks.

If you have 2 strong, healthy people they can be lifted into the trunk of a car or van. No you cannot put it on the luggage rack. Weight fully assembled is 100 pounds plus. It can be disassembled into smaller parts for transport.
Better yet take Disney transportation.