My husband & I returned Monday evening from a wonderful 9-nt stay at POP. I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you who took time to answer my questions, offered advice, etc., with my concerns about using an ECV. I rented my ECV (and a canopy topper for an extra $15.00 - total) from Randy's Mobility and the service was excellent. I would absolutely rent with them again and in fact, I had several people stop me to ask if they could write down the phone number which, was embroidered on the canopy.
Our flight arrived at 8:05PM, and we did not check-in to POP until after 9:30PM, so I had arranged for Randy's to deliver the next morning. The driver was there promptly after 7:30AM. I was very, very hesitant, concerned, etc., about using an ECV as this is all still new to me. I quickly got my bearings and realized what a true blessing the ECV was.
With the exception of 3 RUDE WDW bus drivers (trust me - they were VERY rude) and my own initial frustration of navigating through intense crowds pre & post parade time
I managed very well. I'm normally a very positive person, so I didn't want to dwell on the rude bus drivers. I will say though, that not only was I treated rudely, the same drivers treated other disabled people on the same busses rudely. This was to the point that my husband & I finally went to Customer Relations at Disney. We suggested that they place able-bodied employees on ECVs or wheelchairs and let them ride various routes to see how their drivers treated them. I should stress that MOST of the drivers were absolutely wonderful. One was even very, very helpful off of the bus (shift change?) when we were waiting out a thunderstorm.
The CMs were all outstanding in their efforts to help! There were a total of 6 children and 4 adults in our group. Several times, we arrived at various times to one of the parks and only a few in our group were able to receive Fast Passes. Every single time I asked (nicely) if our entire group could be admitted together, we were allowed to! Twice, we didn't even have Fast Passes, but were wonderfully directed to the FP lane!! This was such a blessing because I would have found it very difficult to stand some days.
I'd like to also mention that my room was a "regular", ground floor room at POP and per the recommendation of someone here, we simply moved the table and chairs over a bit and the scooter fit perfectly in the room.
Sue, I particularly want to
thank you. One of the first posts I read here was your reply to a mother who had a teen who was resistant to the idea of using an ECV. Your words truly were a lightbulb moment for me. Though your reply was for someone else, your words were EXACTLY what I needed to hear to feel better about my situation. I had NOT wanted to give in to my situation and I was being a stubborn horses patoot at the idea that I "needed" an ECV. Thank God I found this site, and the encouragement I needed to accept my limitations. Because of you and the other wonderful people here, I was able to fully enjoy myself! I'm grateful to you all.
If there is anyone here who is hesitating, resisting, being a horses patoot, embarressed, dreading, too proud, (etc.) to use an ECV, PLEASE do yourself a favor and realize that without it, you may miss much. With it, you may miss none of the magic!
Our flight arrived at 8:05PM, and we did not check-in to POP until after 9:30PM, so I had arranged for Randy's to deliver the next morning. The driver was there promptly after 7:30AM. I was very, very hesitant, concerned, etc., about using an ECV as this is all still new to me. I quickly got my bearings and realized what a true blessing the ECV was.
With the exception of 3 RUDE WDW bus drivers (trust me - they were VERY rude) and my own initial frustration of navigating through intense crowds pre & post parade time
I managed very well. I'm normally a very positive person, so I didn't want to dwell on the rude bus drivers. I will say though, that not only was I treated rudely, the same drivers treated other disabled people on the same busses rudely. This was to the point that my husband & I finally went to Customer Relations at Disney. We suggested that they place able-bodied employees on ECVs or wheelchairs and let them ride various routes to see how their drivers treated them. I should stress that MOST of the drivers were absolutely wonderful. One was even very, very helpful off of the bus (shift change?) when we were waiting out a thunderstorm. The CMs were all outstanding in their efforts to help! There were a total of 6 children and 4 adults in our group. Several times, we arrived at various times to one of the parks and only a few in our group were able to receive Fast Passes. Every single time I asked (nicely) if our entire group could be admitted together, we were allowed to! Twice, we didn't even have Fast Passes, but were wonderfully directed to the FP lane!! This was such a blessing because I would have found it very difficult to stand some days.
I'd like to also mention that my room was a "regular", ground floor room at POP and per the recommendation of someone here, we simply moved the table and chairs over a bit and the scooter fit perfectly in the room.
Sue, I particularly want to
thank you. One of the first posts I read here was your reply to a mother who had a teen who was resistant to the idea of using an ECV. Your words truly were a lightbulb moment for me. Though your reply was for someone else, your words were EXACTLY what I needed to hear to feel better about my situation. I had NOT wanted to give in to my situation and I was being a stubborn horses patoot at the idea that I "needed" an ECV. Thank God I found this site, and the encouragement I needed to accept my limitations. Because of you and the other wonderful people here, I was able to fully enjoy myself! I'm grateful to you all. If there is anyone here who is hesitating, resisting, being a horses patoot, embarressed, dreading, too proud, (etc.) to use an ECV, PLEASE do yourself a favor and realize that without it, you may miss much. With it, you may miss none of the magic!
I used a wheelchair on a few days when we went to WDW in Dec. I am thinking about an 
Also try the mall or any other crowded place, that's where I'm going to go this weekend.
) patience is KEY to enjoying yourself on an ECV - at least for me. The first 2 evenings - I had my husband drive the scooter down Main St. 
(after parade) I hobbled along but I had HAD it with strangers' rears in my face, 
walking INTO me and losing everyone else (in our group) because they seemed to forget 
that I was trying to keep up. Anyhoo.....all worked out just fine and my DH got a taste of what it was like for me to maneuver in such crowds.
Another actually smacked my husbands' hand (to remove it from the control) then stood in front of the ECV, grabbed the control to move it into position on the bus. Seems my husband wasn't moving as quickly as the driver wanted. I held my breath on that one because I wasn't sure how my DH would react. A dear lady was accompanying her severely handicapped, adult son AND her handicapped husband both of whom were in wheelchairs. The driver was blatantly irritated to have to "deal" with these folks. When we got off of the bus at POP, I told the lady that this was my first experience with ECV and asked if the rude driver was the "norm" that her family dealt with. The dear husband spoke up and said that unfortunately, the entire week had been "like this". There were other rude attitudes, but the one that really got my husband was when we were leaving AK. I saw a bus sitting, door open, at our stop. There was NO one at the waiting station. Very few people on the bus which, I guess is why the driver was sitting there with the door open. I zoomed ahead of my DH and when the driver saw me, he gave me a motion with his hand across his throat. Sort of like if you are motioning like you would to tell someone to quit. Anyway, about the time I realized that he meant he wasn't going to take me, my husband walks up and approaches the steps and the guy shut the door in his face & left. Trust me here, I am NOT exaggerating this - it caught me so off guard that I didn't know what to make of it for a few seconds. It was obvious that the driver didn't want to deal with me. My husband was PO'd. It was really his final straw with the drivers. Ah....there was certainly more "magic" than meanies on this trip though - that's for sure. Lots of wonderful CMs & two drivers who were so absolutlely wonderful (time & time again) that I gave their names & compliment to a CS person.
and had to have my husband "park" it on the bus. The rest of the time, my husband took it onto the bus. I almost drove it into the bus wall. 
. In San Diego there was the time I fell aleep while at full throttle at SeaWorld. I almost drove off the ramp to the Ferry in Epcot.
WTG! I had to run several errands today and was thinking that I miss the ECV. Who'd-a-thunk-it? 
