the main to remember with transportation is the CMs/drivers are your friends and they see many ECVs. ask for their help as they would rather help and have it go easier and faster. with crowds just go slow and think of how would you be getting a large stroller thru the crowd. it is not much different. other than the group you are with how many in that crowd are you going to see again. As far as Main St I would be more worried about the trolley tracks than the crowd. watch out for the cut out in the sidewalks. I say this to a lot of first timers and they laugh when I say it one of your biggest problems will be taking it easy enough on the walkers in your group. if you have enough adults in your group have one on each side of you. even if you are lucky enough to get a park rental you are still having to get it thru the Main Street crowd. and back to beginning of this post the CMs are your friends and are very used to helping guests with ECVs or wheelchairs.Just worried about taking it on transit and being frustrated that I cant weave in and out of crowds, having to take it on the bus etc, or I dread maneuvering through crowds on main st. etc
I get your thoughts about the bus because I was the same way until I got there. All the drivers were very patient and helpful, it went well every time. If your ECV has a control for the speed, my advice is to set the speed to a slow level that way you can't accidently speed up.Just worried about taking it on transit and being frustrated that I cant weave in and out of crowds, having to take it on the bus etc, or I dread maneuvering through crowds on main st. etc
I rented an ECV from the parks mid trip for our early December weekend trip. My experience was that there was no difficulty getting a scooter at park open. However, none available when we hopped to another park in the afternoon. I would not count on availability. I’m on the fence about what I’ll do next trip; mine is a stamina issue: can’t walk 15000 steps a day. I’d rent offsite except for the fact that my daughter and son-in-law like to Uber spur of the moment, and that would be tricky with an ECV. This next trip is their trip for his family. My current plan is to start walking once the snow melts and build stamina, so I can ride in the morning and walk in the afternoon.
I am going to try to not rent a ECV. I never have because while it may help some issues, it will create others since sitting too long agitates my neck and back, tailbone, etc. If you have spine or neck issues, does the ECV bother those issues more than walking? What park do you feel is the most difficult and that I may need an ECV and why? Any chance when I get there if I need one, I won't be able to rent (park ones or private companies)? Do they sell out?
Thank you. I reserved one for the second full day of my trip, to see how day one goes and if I will need it. I appreciate the reply. We shall see.I have rheumatoid arthritis so I have joint pain all the time - specifically worse in my wrists, hands, feet and ankles. Although my flare ups hurt my neck and jaw.
I find sitting with ECVs worsens the stiffness but allows me last longer in the parks as fatigue is another RA issue. I am trying to improve my endurance so have switched to a rollator for going out (but not at theme parks yet).
the walking isn't so much my issue, it's the standing. The standing hurst my back, hips, ankles and feet. You may find a rollator can help with that if you don't want to use an ECV. It will allow you to sit when you need and a support when you're walking.
ECVs can run out at the parks. I'm not sure how immediate availability is with private companies but you could rent it as an insurance plan. I have seen that places like Golds Mobility will sell out for certain times of the year. If you're onsite, you could rent the ECV, ride it to the parks and then leave it parked near the front and then walk around and then take it back. I'm all about making my day easier so when I go again, I'll likely rent the ECV (maybe not for the whole trip) and have it as back up.
Can you tell me where you rent from? Thinking of renting one for my mom. Thanks!While my physical issues are different than what you stated, I rented an offsite ECV on our last trip and that made me realize that I should have done so on past trips also. Not only was I in less pain, but I could do so much more and I wasn't holding my family back. That being said, I didn't use it 100% of the time. I would use it from the resort (or parking lot) to inside a park in whatever section we wanted to do something then I would park it and walk to whatever we wanted to do. Once we wanted to move to a different section of the park, I simply drove it there and parked it again. But then at the end of the day when the pain was worse I had it with me to leave the park which helped a lot. The offsite companies have smaller ECVs (i.e. different models) that are easier to control than the ones rented in the parks plus you also have it outside the parks. There are even some that can be taken apart and put in a car trunk. Basically all the fears and apprehension I had about using an ECV were gone within 2 minutes of trying it out.
Can you tell me where you rent from? Thinking of renting one for my mom. Thanks!