many questions from new member

[LizL]

I am so lucky to have found this board. DH and I really want to take an adult vacation to Disney before we have children. DH has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and cannot walk more than about 10 feet. We plan to go either in late October or next February.

We are going to rent an ECV while we are there. We are trying to decide whether to stay on or off-site. If we stay on-site we will stay at one of the resorts with monorail access (probably the Contemporary).

Is it necessary to have a rental car? How good is the Disney transportation during non-peak times of the year? DH has trouble sitting comfrotably for more than 2 hours or so, so we would be returning to the room several times per day. Anyone have a recommendation as to a particular resort?

If we stay off-site, we are considering one of the vacation homes with a pool since swimming makes him feel better. We would only go the parks for a few hours each day and to eat dinner each night. We would obviously need a rental car for this.

Can the ECV fit easily in a trunk or would I be better off with minivan like we have at home? I have no experience with ECV as he only has a manual wheelchair that I push because he has limited use of his hands and arms as well.

Thanks for being here!

Liz

 

[Figaro]

"Is it necessary to have a rental car?"

Hi LizL!

When we rented an ECV we had a difficult time fitting it into the trunk of a mid-sized car, but no problem fitting it into a van. As far as needing a rental car, a lot of it depends on which park you are going to spend the most time in and the resort you are staying in.

We like Epcot and the Studios the best, so we stay at the Epcot resorts where we can walk to and From Epcot and the
Studios. Well, my spouse walks and I ride,('') but you get the idea. When we stay at the Swan, my spouse will also usually push me through Epcot so that we can take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and the only time we use the Disney buses are to Pleasure Island and Animal Kingdom.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[SueM in MN]

I can't give a long answer right now (It's beginning to storm here!)
If you stay on site, pick a hotel near the park you want to spend the most time at. Contemporary is very nice if you are planning to spend a lot of time at MK. We've stayed at VWL and although it is a nice resort, it can be a pain to get to the parks. Sometimes because of the water level, the boats (the main way to the parks) is not accessible to ecvs. So, you would be best with a vehicle if you stay there.
If you stay off-site, you will need a vehicle for sure. Here's a list of the companies that DIS posters report renting ecvs from.
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
They all have pictures and one of the sites has a thing about taking the ecv apart for transport.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I normally rent an ECV from Walker. Note that these break into five parts, with the heaviest being about 39 pounds.

I will always rent a car, even when staying at a monorail hotel. My most recent rentals have been Buicks from National. I have found that a full-size four-door is a necessity for the trunk space. With a Century the ECV is a tight squeeze. With a LeSabre the parts fit easily with some room to spare, and with a Park Avenue you can not only fit in the ECV but a lot of other stuff. If you have something smaller one idea would be to put the ECV's seat in the back seat of your car and the batteries and mechanicals in the trunk.

You don't say if you have a handicap hang tag from your state. If you do there is no charge for valet parking. I have been told by the valets that obviously if I am using an ECV I am eligible for the free parking, but it is easier (administratively) if it shows. Also, if you park in any of the park handicap spaces and it gets fairly crowded you must have a hang tag or you may get ticketed by the Orange COunty police.

Normally I will tip the valets $2.00 both when parking and retreiving the car as they do not get any of the $6.00 daily fee. If the valet disassembles the ECV and puts it in the trunk, or removes it from the trunk and assembles it I will tip $5.00 instead of $2.00. (However, if a valet stands around, does not ask if he [or she] can assist, and just watches not only will the person not get a tip but I will discuss the matter with a supervisor.

On a related note, with a problrem of sitting for more than two hours at a time, it might be worth going to one of the First Aid Stations and ask to lie down for a half hour or so and then continue in the park rather than going back to the room. This will save lots of time.

Anyway, let us know what finally happens, and have fun on the trip.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

I visit WDW each year with a power wheelchair. I stay on site because I love to be immersed in Disney. My favourite parks are Epcot & MGM, so I stay at the Boardwalk with boat access (or walking distance) to each. I usually visit September/October and have never had a ppproblem with internal transport.

In the evening resort to resort transport involves a change of buses at Downtown Disney, so eating out at V&A say, involves a long tedious trip each way. There are, however wheelchair taxis available.

If you absolutely *MUST* have your own car, give Rainbow Wheels a call. (Don't know the number). They are based in Orlando, and rent out wheelchair accessible Grand Voyagers/Grand Caravans with wheelchair ramps that you can ride right into. You won't have to take your ECV apart.

(I have one of my own at home, and have carried two ECVs in the back without taking them apart.)

Andrew

 

[SueM in MN]

I need to clarify a little about the boats and accessibility. The boats on Bay Lake (the lake that MK and the MK resorts are on are sometimes not accessible due to water level.
The boats at Epcot, MGM and the Epcot/MGM resorts are usually never a problem. It was explained to me by a boat CM that WDW has more ways to control the water level in those waterways, so they can adjust more if the water is a problem.

 

[s&k'smom]

Hi, just wanted to welcome you to the Disabilities boards. This is a wonderful, supportive thread and I always check in here first. Of course everyone on the Dis is fantastic. I don't deal with the ECV issue but I can highly recommend traveling in October. Much cooler and less crowded.

 

[travelitis]

We rented an SUV which was great for hauling the ECV, and it cost less than the minivans. I went to WDW once without a car -- never again!

 

[SueM in MN]

I also wanted to mention an alternative to going back to your room for a rest - First Aid. There is one in each park and the staff are very nice. The areas are each a little different, but in general, you will find a dimly lit quiet place with cots in individual little cubicles for resting. We've been at MK and Epcot when DD needed to rest after a seizure and it couldn't have been nicer. Going back to the resort for a rest sounds like a good idea, but in reality, it can take quite a bit of time and energy (especially if you will be lifting an ecv in and out) to go back.
Also, you mentioned that your DH has limited use of his hands and arms. You might want to try out an ecv closer tom home to see if he is even able to drive one. It does takea a cartain amount of hand and arm use to drive. He may find that his arms get tired also since he is not used to driving one. In addition, the seats in an ecv are sort of like a desk chair seat. I don't know if he will have probelms sitting in one or not. If he has just a standard manual wheelchair with a standard seat, he may find the ecv seat is more comfortable. If he's used to a more specialized cushion-y wheelchair seat, he may be able to sit for less time in the ecv.