Traveling to the park by car with a scooter

[cristen72]

My inlaws will be going to Disney with us for the first time in January. My father in law thinks he will need a scooter.

I want to rent one from an outside company to be delivered to our room, and I plan to request one that can be broken down.

We prefer to drive to the parks instead of using the bus system. How will this work with a scooter? How do we take it on the parking lot tram? Do we take it broken down? Also, what about the monorail?

He can walk, but he has a heel spur that’s going to need surgery so he cannot walk long distances.

Thank you for any insight.

 

[Elcheetah]

My MIL had a scooter, we told CMs at the parking lot and directed us to the disabled parking area. She rode on her scooter from the parking lot to the park.
http://distickers.com/ticker/tickers/bjs7jqdw1074qm96.png

 

[mamabunny]

My inlaws will be going to Disney with us for the first time in January. My father in law thinks he will need a scooter.

I want to rent one from an outside company to be delivered to our room, and I plan to request one that can be broken down.

We prefer to drive to the parks instead of using the bus system. How will this work with a scooter? How do we take it on the parking lot tram? Do we take it broken down? Also, what about the monorail?

He can walk, but he has a heel spur that’s going to need surgery so he cannot walk long distances.

Thank you for any insight.

You will have to put the scooter together in the parking lot, and then he will drive the scooter, and the rest of your party rides the tram. You cannot take the scooter on the tram. Remember, if you plan on doing Park Hoppers, have ADRs in multiple locations, or plan on driving to Disney Springs that you will have to take the scooter apart, and then put it together again in the parking lot, every time, at every venue change.

The Monorail, as well as (most of) the boats have portable ramps that a Cast Member will place to allow the scooter to be driven on/off the boat or Monorail.

If you do decide to take buses, remember that although you (typically) board first, you will disembark last, after everyone else is off the bus. The bus driver will lower and raise the ramp for you, and will help guide with parking inside the bus (just let the driver know that your FIL is a first-time scooter driver at WDW; the drivers are awesome about helping newbies get the hang of the buses).

Just ask any Cast Member where to wait for the bus, boat or Monorail; they will direct you.

Have a great trip!

 

[powellrj]

We always take my scooter and drive. Can he see if he can get a handicap card from his doctor? I know we have temporary ones in Indiana. It will put you closer so you don’t need to use the trams. We always park at the park we intend to end the day and use wdw transportation from park to park.

 

[gap2368]

When you get to the parking lot tell the CM you have an ECV they will have you park in the medical over flow no handicap sticker needed for this

 

[Bete]

If you can get a temporary handicap placard from your doctor that will help with the parking. As others stated you will get a better parking space just stating you have a scooter, but it's easier with a handicap placard.

It's a little more expensive, but you can rent a wheelchair and use it from parking lot to park. Once in the park you can rent a scooter there. They will hold your wheelchair. If he can walk to get into the park then you can skip the wheelchair.

If you do rent an offsite scooter make sure you charge it everyday. If you come back for a break and are going to return to a park charge it then, too. Make sure you shut the scooter off when doing a show or parade or fireworks. This will conserve the battery.

Keep in mind most portable rental scooters weigh 100 pounds or more. One broken down piece can weigh 35 pounds. The base is awkward to handle. If you need to put it in a car trunk that's harder than a van or SUV.

 

[SueM in MN]

There is no tram service from the handicapped or overflow handicapped/medical parking area.
The teams are able to take folded strollers, but not ECVs from the regular parking area.

If he has a handicapped parking permit, you would make sure that it is showing for each CM directing traffic to see.
If he doesn’t have a handicapped parking permit, let each CM you get to know he has an ECV and they will direct you to the appropriate area.

In most states, you can download a handicapped parking permit application from the internet. Then you fill it out, send or take it to the doctor to complete and send the application in to the appropriate location in your state to apply. A heel spur may or may not meet the eligibility requirements for a temporary handicapped parking permit. It depends on extent the heel spur affects his ability to walk distances.

With a handicapped parking permit, guests can park in any of the medical/handicapped parking spots (although, if you don’t need the crosshatched side access area next to the parking spot, leave those for guests who do if possible).

Without a handicapped parking permit, don’t park in any spot with blue paint, a wheelchair symbol or a handicapped parking sign. Guests without a valid handicapped parking permit who park there could be fined.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

You will have to put the scooter together in the parking lot, and then he will drive the scooter, and the rest of your party rides the tram. You cannot take the scooter on the tram. Remember, if you plan on doing Park Hoppers, have ADRs in multiple locations, or plan on driving to Disney Springs that you will have to take the scooter apart, and then put it together again in the parking lot, every time, at every venue change.

This is exactly why we like to use Disney Transportation. I know that it isn't what the OP wants to hear, but even with a Handicap plate, it is a pain to disassemble and reassemble the scooter every single time we change parks or go to Disney Springs. And this is with my own scooter, that I have assembled numerous times.

 

[cristen72]

Thank you all so much for the helpful replies!

He has a doctors appointment this week, so I’ll print the application for a temporary handicap pass and he can ask his doc to fill it out. Even though we can park closer just by telling them we have an ECV, I think I’d feel better with an actual permit. Is it significantly closer as far as walking? We will also have my 70 year old mother in law with us. She has no mobility issues, but just curious of the distance.

As for breaking down/reassembling the scooter, I watched a video on the Walker site. Seems pretty simple, and we will have my husband and 15 year old son to help as well. We’ll be in a minivan, so that will hopefully make loading/unloading easier.

I assume there is special scooter parking just like strollers? Are they together? I figure the easiest thing to do, since he can walk short distances, will be to park the ECV and walk through ride queues, instead of driving it though. Or would it be easier to take it as far as we could?

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you all so much for the helpful replies!

He has a doctors appointment this week, so I’ll print the application for a temporary handicap pass and he can ask his doc to fill it out. Even though we can park closer just by telling them we have an ECV, I think I’d feel better with an actual permit. Is it significantly closer as far as walking? We will also have my 70 year old mother in law with us. She has no mobility issues, but just curious of the distance.

At most parks, the shortest walk is actually going to be using the buses/Disney transportation.
It is usually going through be a shorter walk parking in the regular parking and using the trams, but that’s not an option with an ECV.

Even if you drive to the other parks, most people feel it’s best to use the buses to get to MK if staying on site because the buses drop you off directly at the park entrance.
If you drive, you need to take the monorail or boat to get to the park entrance.

As for breaking down/reassembling the scooter, I watched a video on the Walker site. Seems pretty simple, and we will have my husband and 15 year old son to help as well. We’ll be in a minivan, so that will hopefully make loading/unloading easier.

When we drive, we need to break down DD’s wheelchair to fit in in trunk (don’t always have to if we rent a van).
Even though it’s not that heavy and we are pros at taking it apart and putting it together again, it is a bit of a pain and gets old.

I assume there is special scooter parking just like strollers? Are they together? I figure the easiest thing to do, since he can walk short distances, will be to park the ECV and walk through ride queues, instead of driving it though. Or would it be easier to take it as far as we could?

many queues are ECV accessible and keep in mind some of the queues are a long distance with no place to sit. For example, Soarin is more than 1/4 mile in and another 1/4 mile out.

Each attraction and the park maps have an icon to tell whether or not it is fully accessible. A wheelchair symbol means both wheelchair and ECV accessible.
A symbol with a stick figure getting out of the ECV going into a wheelchair means it is wheelchair accessible, but not ECV accessible and if a symbol of a figure getting out of the wheelchair is added, the ride doesn’t have a wheelchair accessible ride car and requires a transfer.
If he wants to park, ask the CM at the entrance where to park it.

 

[arminnie]

I've been going to WDW on a regular basis - several times a year most often - since the early 90s. I used to never use the buses. I always had a car, and I used to shake my head at people waiting for a bus as I went on my merry way to the parks.

But I really, really, really appreciate the buses now that I use an ECV. One of the reasons that I keep going back to WDW so often is the accessibility. I don't have to worry about how I am going to get to "x" destination, how to park a car, etc. I may sometimes have to deal with how a particular ride loads - but I know I can get to any location or restaurant on property.

 

[nolenbelledavis]

I just used a portable scooter when we were there the week before Christmas. It comes apart pretty easily. My husband just took it apart and put it back together every time. It's a little bit heavy, so you want to make sure you're comfortable with that if you're the one moving it around. The base and the battery are heavy. Parking is substantially closer and it's pretty obvious where you need to park the scooter at each ride.