two ecv's and a diabetic at Shades of Green-transportation questions!

[shortbun]

Hi-we're a family of nine. Staying at Shades
of Green and wondering about getting to and
from parks. What I've read about SOG made me
rent a 2nd van for flexibility and we've rented
two ecv's frm Walker. Questions are: travel time
from SOG to Poly for monorail? Is there a
sidewalk? We don't have handicapped stickers for
the vans-we're going Easter and the week after-
we want to get to the parks for rope drop every
morning; should we drive ourselves in? Further
complications being leaving and wanting to
return-parking lots may be full. So we need the
scoop on REALLY how easy it is to get on and off
the monorail with TWO ecvs and the busses too.
Timing is everything in the morning-eh? Last-
on the night we have an Illuminations cruise-
can the ecv's go on the boat to get over to the
Boardwalk from Epcot(not on the Illuminations
cruise boat) and can we get back to EPCOT after
Illuminations to get to our vans or should we
try to somehow park at Boardwalk that morning and
leave our vans there all day? Lots of complications-I know. Thanks for whatever you
have. mimi

 

[teri]

mimi, you might want to post a silimar quesiton over on the Resort Board - lots more traffic over there, people who might know.

DIS disABILITIES Discussion Board FAQ under construction!
"My brain takes a vacation just to give my heart more room..."
teri@iluvdisney.com

 

[Judy from Boise]

wow, I think renting the vans was a good choice, In the long run I think driving will just be easiest. I think that leaving early you would be able to park fairly close ????
There is a walkway all the way to the poly, but you do need to cross a street, and navigate the bellman/luggage area at the poly, then catch the elavator up to the second floor, then wait until there is room for 2 evc's to fit onto the monorail.
I never saw evc's on the SOG busses, although I did see wheelchairs. I am not certain they could get two on the same bus ? I would call the resort and ask.

<img width="200" src="http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/judyfromboise/easter.gif">

 

[SueM in MN]

We just came back from WDW. At Epcot, we found that the handicapped (they call it "Medical Parking" is quite limited). We were not able to start out real early, but arrived around 11am. One time the Medical parking was totally full and we had to park on the row in the regular lot, about twice as far as the medical parking. Twice we ended up in the mediacl parking area, but in a regular spot which made it a little hard to get DD out of the van and into her wheelchair.
If you drive to the MK parking lot, you will still need to take a monorail or boat to the park entrance. The monorail resort monorails take you right to the park entrance.
My DD has a wheelchair, so I can't speak personally about how hard it is to put an ECV (maybe we should try for a new name Electric Mobilty Vehicle - EMV) on the bus, but people who have done it have posted that you get the hang of doing it really quick. You can call WDW Resort Special Reservations at (407) 939-7807 (voice) or (407) 939-7670 (TTY) for the questions about whether 2 can fit on a bus. I know 2 wheelchairs can, but I'm not sure about ECVs/EMVs.

SueM in MN
Co-Moderator of disABILITIES

 

[lisapooh]

Sue,
You can get 2 ECVs on a bus but it is not easy manuevering them. A lot depends on the bus. If the have the set dividers it is really difficult and someone will need to manhandle the second ECV in place. We've done it, but it was a real hassle.

Pooh Bear

 

[Judy from Boise]

but remember, these are SOG buses, and they are the "Greyhound" style bus, not the Disney "school" style.

<img height="200" src="http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/judyfromboise/easter2.jpg">

 

[lisapooh]

Maybe they need to call SOG and see if the buses even have a lift. They may not.

Pooh Bear