ECV's & Taxi's Do they go together?

[jennymouse]

I'm taking my 80 yo DF to WDW in February. I've arrainged for a ECV from Care Medical for the lenth of stay. He would like to go to Sea World and perhaps we'll even rent a car for a day to go to Kennedy Space Center.

Can we even get the ECV into a taxi to go to SW and can we get it in a rental for a trip to KSC?

I seem to remember reading that EVC breaks down somehow to get into a trunk, so I'm not so much worried about the rental car, but I'm worried a taxi will have a full trunk and not be able to accomodate us. Would we need to call for a special wheelchair accesable taxi and is there such thing?

Thanks in advance you your guidance!

 

[videogal1]

Originally posted by jennymouse
I'm taking my 80 yo DF to WDW in February. I've arrainged for a ECV from Care Medical for the lenth of stay. He would like to go to Sea World and perhaps we'll even rent a car for a day to go to Kennedy Space Center.

Can we even get the ECV into a taxi to go to SW and can we get it in a rental for a trip to KSC?

I seem to remember reading that EVC breaks down somehow to get into a trunk, so I'm not so much worried about the rental car, but I'm worried a taxi will have a full trunk and not be able to accomodate us. Would we need to call for a special wheelchair accesable taxi and is there such thing?

Thanks in advance you your guidance!

Just specify an accessible taxi when you call for one...Don't wait 'til the last minute and you'll be fine. Mears has taxi service and they have several types of vehicles. Other lines have accessible vehicles, too.

 

[jennymouse]

Thanks!

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Originally posted by videogal1
Just specify an accessible taxi when you call for one...Don't wait 'til the last minute and you'll be fine. Mears has taxi service and they have several types of vehicles. Other lines have accessible vehicles, too.

Your safest bet if you don't want to break down the ECV for each trip is Mears Bus Company, who will take you from your Hotel to Sea World in a shuttle bus.

In September, I used Checker Cabs (also owned by Mears) to get offsite to a grocery store. The promised accessible cab took for ever to show up (1.5 hours despite the promised 10 mins). The driver told me there are only 6-8 wheelchair cabs operating between Sandford & Orlando, and most of those will be off the road during the quiet part of the day. (ie other than park opening & park closing)

Lynx (Orlando's public bus service) runs between TTC and Sea World and is wheelchair accessible. I have ridden it in a wheelchair, but am not certain how easy it would be to make the turn next to the driver into the main body of the bus in an ECV. Maybe possible if you have a small one that can make tight turns. Also, getting from your hotel to TTC can be a pain, depending where you are staying.

Andrew

 

[clkelley]

Your best bet to Sea World is to request a Mears Accesible van. Call the day before. Your price is the same as everyone else, $13.00 round trip per person, except that you probably get a private ride vs. multiple resort stops.

The easiest way to call Mears is to pick up your phone in your room or any Disney House Phone the day before and dial "0". Once you get the operator, ask to be connected to Mears.

We did this just last week for a trip to Universal even though we had our own vehicle. Just lots easier than loading the ECVs into the truck and driving through Orlando, then parking.

They picked us up from the front desk at Ft. Wilderness a few minutes early, and took us straight there. We were given a phone # and asked to call two hours before we were ready to leave. The return van was right on time and took us straight back to Ft. Wilderness.

Now for Kennedy, that might be less to rent a vehicle and break down the ECV into the trunk.

Carol