ECV availability

[Ronda93]

Our next trip includes a friend with MS. She has been doing well lately, but stress, heat, fatigue can make walking great distances very difficult.

We plan to do two parks per day. Kind of a morning park, afternoon park setup. I hope to rent an ECV and the first park. I understand it's like strollers... rental carries over to other parks - hang on to your receipt.

I realize that limited availability could mean no ECV in the afternoon. Will WDW let us fall back to a wheelchair without paying an additional rental?

thanks,
ronda

 

[Cheshire Figment]

You may be better off renting an ECV from one of the off-site companies. This way you are sure to have one available at all times, and the cost tends to be less than Disney charges.

I don't know about using an ECV receipt for a wheelchair rental, but as long as you are paying for an ECV you may as well have one.

Also, by using an off-site source you will also be able to use it at Downtown Disney and even if you need it in the hotel.

Some information for off-site rentals are:

Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/

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

I have used Walker a few times. They will ask for a credit card and charge it the day before arrival. They will deliver the ECV to your hotel bell services before your arrival and pick it up there after your departure. Their rates, especially for longer than a week, are much better than Disney's. Also, their scooters are much better. Also, they have different sizes and can handle up to about 400 pounds.

You don't say if you are renting a car or what. If you are using a car for getting around, the ECVs break down into five pieces, the heaviest about 39 pounds. They take about a minute or so to take apart and about two minutes (once you are used to it) to put it together.

If you don't have a car, generally there are no (or only minor) problem in using an ECV in the Disney Transportation fleet.

 

[SueM in MN]

Like Cheshire Figment said, renting from one of the off-site places might be best. If you are staying at a WDW resort, monorails and almost all the buses are wheelchair/ecv accessible and you would have the ecv whenever she needs it without having to worry.

If you are going soon, I personally don't think you will have much problem with what you plan (although we don't rent anything - DD has her own wheelchair). There should at least be wheelchairs available at the second park. I have never heard anyone say they were able to get a wheelchair without paying additional rental if the second park was out of ecvs, but my own thought is that they would let you do it. If they are out of ecvs and you paid for an ecv rental, it's not unreasonable to ask for a wheelchair instead. Ask to talk to a manager if you have a problem.

If you choose not to rent from one of the off-site vendors, you may be able to call and rent one while you are down there if needed. I don't know how much advance notice they want, but I'm sure that some people decide they need one after they have toured the parks fro a few days.

 

[Talking Hands]

Yes you will be able to fall back to a manual wheelchair with no extra rental fee. I would advise renting offsite though so you are sure to have the ECV. It isn't worth the risk of not having what you need.