Need advice, new ECV user going in Dec.

[RF536]

We are planning a large family trip ( 13 of us) to DW in Dec. My MIL has a hard time walking, she can walk for short distances, but walking all day the the parks would make her miserable. A couple of years ago she purchased an ECV to use while on vacation, but this is her first trip to Disney with it. She will use the ECV to get around, but will park it and wait in line with the rest of the group and will park it and sit in regular seats for the shows.

My question is how do we handle the parades, can she stay in the ECV and not use the wheechair viewing area?

Plus any additional tips would be appreciated, as this is the first vacation of this type she has taken.


Thanks

 

[Nanajo1]

We are planning a large family trip ( 13 of us) to DW in Dec. My MIL has a hard time walking, she can walk for short distances, but walking all day the the parks would make her miserable. A couple of years ago she purchased an ECV to use while on vacation, but this is her first trip to Disney with it. She will use the ECV to get around, but will park it and wait in line with the rest of the group and will park it and sit in regular seats for the shows.

My question is how do we handle the parades, can she stay in the ECV and not use the wheechair viewing area?

Plus any additional tips would be appreciated, as this is the first vacation of this type she has taken.


Thanks

Most of lines are accessible in an ECV so she can stay in it and still be with the group. Some of the lines are long and may take a toll on her. She can transfer to a regular seat if she wishes. She does not have to use the wheelchair viewing area. She may find a site better to her liking. I was waiting in the viewing area for the MK afternoon parade at the main hub but the sun was too intense so I found a shady spot that was not a wheelchair site. I now carry a small umbrella for portable shade.
Have a great trip. We doing a big Nov trip of 19.

 

[SueM in MN]

Some of the lines are long and may take a toll on her. She can transfer to a regular seat if she wishes.

For example, even if you use the Fastpass line for It's Tough to be a Bug (ITTBAB) or the Kilomanjari Safari, you will end up walking the same distance. In the case of ITTBAB, the line takes a scenic route around the big icon tree before you get to the show. So, before parking the ecv, she would be wise to ask the CM at the entrance how long (time) and distance the line is. Sometimes the time will be short, but the distance won't be.

Usually for the wheelchair parade and fireworks viewing areas, they will limit it to the person using a wheelchair/ecv plus one or two members of their party. If she doesn't use the viewing areas, she can just find her own spot (some of the viewing areas are actually in the sun and she might be able to find one that isn't).

We have traveled already with a group as large as 9 and the biggest hint I would make is to not worry too much to stay together. We found that with a large group, things like bathroom and meal stops took a lot longer and sometimes part of the group needed a stop while the others didn't. So, there were times when half the group stood around waiting while the other half were using the bathroom, etc. For meals, even to get a table for 8 is not easy, so we spent most meals eating at separate tables anyway.

We pretty quicklly decided that it made more sense for us to split into smaller groups. We had cell phones so the groups could communicate and we "switched" or rearranged groups during the day.

 

[RF536]

Thank-you for the advice, we will keep in mind the distance from where you enter the line until you get to the attaction. MIL can walk, however it is slow and to walk all day is painful. She does seem to perfer to walk the lines, because it gives her a chance to streach her legs, without feeling like she is holding anyone up.

We will be spliting up, but even in smaller groups, if my immediate family is with her there would still be 6.

I think the hardest thing for her is balancing what she needs, with her what she feels others think of her. She fears that other will think she is abusing the system, since she will be getting out of the EVC and walking from time to time.

 

[SueM in MN]

She fears that other will think she is abusing the system, since she will be getting out of the EVC and walking from time to time.

1) Because most of the lines are "Mainstream", where wheelchair or ecv users wait in the same line with everyone else, there is very little incentive to abuse the system.
2) If she's using the ECV , but not in lines, the only "advantage" she's getting is a place to sit while she travels from place to place.
3) She knows and you know that she needs the ECV. No matter what other people think, your family are the only people whose opinions matter.

 

[JudithM]

3) She knows and you know that she needs the ECV. No matter what other people think, your family are the only people whose opinions matter.

Sue, well said! To the OP, please tell MIL she only needs to care about what she needs to make her trip (& the trip of the rest of the family) work for her. I use an ECV at WDW. It helps for long distances, but sometimes I get out & walk awhile & let someone else in my group use the ECV. It is a fine line that only I can judge based on how I feel on any given day. I've never had my husband, cousin, friend, whoever, not want to ride the ECV for me for awhile !

Just go, use the ECV, & do what works best for you!! Enjoy!!

 

[SueM in MN]

here's a good report of a recent trip for your MIL to read. The poster, Ray Sharpton had a great time and he has a knack for explaining things in an interesting and humorous way.

 

[zumbergc]

One tip to think about. Sometimes its really cold in december. If your sitting in a wheel chair or using a scooter. You are not moving, like the people are walking around you. THe movement, help keeps you warmer. If your sitting and not moving you get a lot colder, a lot faster, and its hard to warm up. I can walk some, so my husband didn't get how cold i was until i was stretching my legs, and he was freezing his butt off in the scooter.

Gloves, hats, mittens, scarves. Make sure the wheel chair person is super prepared for the cold. I'm in ohio, but its not like i'm outside when its 30-40 degress out the whole day. All i do is go in and out of the cold, maybe have to go a little way to get into a store or something. Just something to keep in mind. Breif stints in the cold is not the same as being at MK the whole day and there aren't heaters in the rides to make it warmer. Ow i wish they did on some of those cold days.
My husband always makes fun of me when i pack my hats, mittens, and thos neat little neck warmer things. They cover your neck and so nice when its windy. Some of them cover your neck and then make themselves into a hood/hat too.

Connie

 

[Sue & Co.]

I would just like to confirm this. We went in Feb. and some days it was quite warm but not hot and sunny and whilst DH and the children were wandering round in short sleeved t shirts quite happy, I was freezing wrapped in my cardigan and husbands jacket because sitting is a lot different to walking.

have a great hols though.

Sue

 

[Nanajo1]

One breezy, chilly Feb day at DTD I had to buy a beach towel to wrap around my legs. It helped to block the wind. I always have a light jacket with me. Another thought is remember if you are using a poncho to drape it over the back of the scooter seat and do not sit on it . The rain will run off the poncho and not onto your seat.

 

[SueM in MN]

Yes, I forgotr about the cold.
We were at WDW for New Year's this year and it was quite warm - comfortable with sweaters and capri pants. But, I have been there over the winter when it was cold (and I'm from Minnesota, so it's not like I am not used to cold). The cold in Florida is a very damp, penetrating cold and, a the others mentioned, the wind makes it much colder. Even if it is was a nice warm, sunny day, once the sun goes down, it's like someone turned off the heater and it gets noticeably colder very quickly.

My DD is in her wheelchair full time, so we're kind of used to traveling with somone who thinks 75 is cold (but once it's over 82, she's wilting from the heat).