First Time With Scooter

doublescoop33

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
We have been to WDW 4 times before but this time my 75 y/o mother is going to join us! Knowing that she cannot handle the amount of walking we've done in the past, we plan to rent a scooter for her. What tips, pointers, warnings, etc. do you have to help with our planning?
 
Have her practice, practice, practice. All too often in lines I see people who have no clue how to use the ECV. They get confused on how to even make it go forward vs reverse.
 
Here's a few tips for a first-time ECV driver:

Who to rent from is very subjective. I recommend CALLING and talking to several companies, and see which one you like best. Prior to buying my own personal ECV, I rented from Walker, but that was several years ago.

If she can, practicing her ECV driving and parking skills with the electric carts at Wal-Mart, Target, Lowe's, the grocery store, etc. will help a great deal. If you can tame one of those wheezing beasties, a mere rental at WDW will be a breeze! Having said that, do take the time to practice at the Resort (or somewhere outside the Parks) with the rental, to familiarize herself with how it stops, turns, etc. 10 to 15 minutes should suffice.

Please remember that WDW has a rule - for everyone's safety - One device, one rider. Period. Don't try to hold a child and drive an ECV at the same time.

Bring a brightly colored scarf, ribbon or bandana to tie on the rental scooter. It will help it stand out in a sea of similar units (if you stop to ride, eat, or shop a bit).

You will have to park the ECV in your room every night to charge it, so if you need to make a bit of space, ask for the table and chairs to be removed. You are not allowed to park it outside in a hallway or breezeway, or down at the lobby or bell services. (Pro tip: go directly to the front desk to ask for the table & chairs to be moved - don't call the "Front Desk" from the room phone, as that call goes to a Call Center for the Resorts, and not the Front Desk of the hotel you are at)

If the scooter has a key, always take it with you any time you park it anywhere except the Resort hotel room.

Don't be surprised if you park the ECV to go on a ride, or attraction, and it is moved when you return. The Cast Members are in a constant struggle to keep walkways clear and safe, as well as making sure that parking areas for mobility devices and strollers stay reasonably tidy. You will typically find it quite nearby, but if you don't, just ask any CM you see, and they will help you find it. (This is where that brightly colored ribbon or bandana comes in handy!)

Remind her to stay sharp and focused while driving the ECV - people at WDW tend to be doing everything but paying attention when they are walking, and many of us here have had folks run right into us, or walk right in front of us as we are moving! I try to make eye contact, smile politely, and offer an cheerful "Excuse me!" when needed, but know that she WILL at some point find someone who is either texting, taking a "selfie" or posting their latest selfie to Instagram and not paying attention. Children, who do not yet fully grasp all of the nuances of physics, are especially prone to running out in front of an ECV; they don't realize that most ECVs can't just stop instantly. I try to build a "bubble" in front of me (if I can) so that I can more easily spot those folks who look like they might pop right out in front of me.

It's true: pprobably the hardest thing anyone will do with the ECV all revolves around dealing with the buses, boats & monorails. Just FYI - IT'S NOT THAT HARD! Make sure she is parked in the white painted rectangle at the bus stop (unless another guest beat you to it) so that the driver sees you, and knows you are waiting to ride. (The exception to this is at the Ft. Wilderness Campgrounds, where there are not any white painted rectangles at the internal Resort stops for all of the Loops.)

When the ramp comes down, try to be pointed straight at the base of the ramp, and go right up the center. At the top of the ramp the driver will typically have to turn a bit to the right. GO SLOWLY, especially until you are used to the ECV. Even experienced users take this carefully - the last thing you want is to run over the driver, or hit the side of the doorway going in. Important to know: the drivers will give you instructions and will help as much as they can, but it is up to her (or a member of her party) to actually get the ECV up into the bus. Mobility devices will always board first, and exit last. Your family can walk up the ramp and board behind after the ECV. The bus driver will let them know when it is safe to board the bus *after* the ECV is properly tied down. The bus drivers (and all of the transportation CMs) are nothing short of amazing at WDW!

She can take the ECV on all of the boats (except for the smaller launches) and the Captains have a portable ramp you should be able to use. It is identical to the portable ramp they will use at the Monorail stations. The loading/unloading procedure is actually fairly similar everywhere - she will almost always load first, and exit last.

Finally, a few quick driving tips: anytime at WDW (or anytime using an ECV for that matter) be aware of ramps, hills and slopes. Going up, she will want to lean forward to help shift the center of gravity towards the front of the ECV. Take your time going up steep slopes, hills or ramps, and if possible, approach them at a slight angle at the base.

Coming down, be very aware of your speed, and make sure you can brake effectively. This is not the time to try and drink a coffee from Starbucks; two hands on the wheel!

When crossing the train tracks embedded in Main Street at MK, be sure to cross at a 90 degree angle. Otherwise, you risk the wheel(s) getting caught, and you could find yourself dumped on to Main Street. Everyone wants to have an unforgettable trip - just for the right reasons!

Hope these tips help!
 
We just returned from our first trip with an ECV. My dad has significant mobility issues due to a car accident so we rented an ECV from Buena Vista Scooters. It was at the bell desk when we arrived and all we had to do when we left was return it to the bell desk - could not have been any easier.

Cast members went out of their way to help us out and direct us to the right entrance to rides. He's able to walk short distances, so he transferred out for rides but stayed on it for shows and fireworks. As mentioned by previous posters, having something to tie to your ECV helps a lot when trying to find it after rides.

The two biggest hassles were parking it on the bus (though Dad was quite good at it) and getting through crowds after nighttime shows. I saw a few bus drivers offer to park for folks who were less experienced so that's an option. And, after the first night, we just waited awhile for the crowds to disperse.

If you haven't booked your hotel yet, I'd suggest one of the Epcot resorts - that way you don't have to get on a bus for 2 of the parks!

We were all a little nervous about the first ECV trip, but everything went smoothly for us - I hope it does for you as well!
 
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Remind her to stay sharp and focused while driving the ECV - people at WDW tend to be doing everything but paying attention when they are walking, and many of us here have had folks run right into us, or walk right in front of us as we are moving! I try to make eye contact, smile politely, and offer an cheerful "Excuse me!" when needed, but know that she WILL at some point find someone who is either texting, taking a "selfie" or posting their latest selfie to Instagram and not paying attention. Children, who do not yet fully grasp all of the nuances of physics, are especially prone to running out in front of an ECV; they don't realize that most ECVs can't just stop instantly. I try to build a "bubble" in front of me (if I can) so that I can more easily spot those folks who look like they might pop right out in front of me.


GO SLOWLY, especially until you are used to the ECV.

Mamabunny said it all! Unfortunately, needing to look out for other people is SO true!
And remember the mantra-the turtle is her friend, the rabbit not so much (she'll understand when she drives the ECV).
One last thing I've found is that 99% of people are so friendly and helpful. I remember the first time I was on an ECV and had to use the restroom-and I was solo. So I just drove up to some other ECV drivers and asked them for a quick "restroom with an ECV 101". They were so nice! And I've had so many people rushing to open doors for me and help me with things. This was such a pleasant surprise to me because I was mortified the first time I needed an ECV and was sure everyone would "judge" me negatively.
 


As others have said - practice!! Hopefully she can practice at a store (I already told my mother to start). Even with practicing with a store ECV, practice with your rental one a bit at the resort before tackling the parks. On my last trip I can't tell you how many times I saw obviously inexperienced ECV drivers crash into inanimate objects or tip the ECV because they hit a curb or fell off the path. Also, remind her to not only be aware of the people around her, but look in the direction she is going. Another thing I noticed on my last trip were people on ECVs so busy chatting to the person next to them that they didn't notice the ECV was drifting one way. People walking do the same thing, but in an ECV, much more damage can be done. (and walkers, put down the cell phone for 30 seconds and watch where you are going too!!)
 
Some body else can drive the scooter on and off the bus, and let the bus driver move it on the bus to park it
The buss is the hardest
 
I think it will be a great relief if someone else would get the scooter on and off Disney transportation. Also, have someone else get the scooter in and out of the resort room. We like using a doorstop to hold the door open. Someone else should make sure the scooter is charging properly every night.

Some ride queues can be tricky because they zig zag a lot. She may need help in those queues and let someone else do the ride queue if she can walk some.

Make sure she turns off the scooter when you are doing a show, parade, or fireworks. That will conserve the battery power. We like renting the two battery scooters because they last longer and they are more heavy duty.

Crowds can be a factor and it would be good if you could surround her like one in front and one at each side. This should help with stopping because of people darting out at you.

ECVs can use the handicap spots at shows and so forth. You can probably get better viewing by parking the scooter and going to a seat.

Keep in mind you will have to use all the handicap ramps around the parks. You don't want to jump a curb. This is especially tricky around the MK castle.

I'm in agreement about practice. The free scooters in the stores are actually harder to manuever than the rental ones, but it's good to get use to it. You can perhaps do a day at a local zoo with her to get better practice. They rent similar scooters as Offsite rentals at Disney.

You may need to take a break in the afternoon for your mom to rest.
 
I find having an ECV in the parks indispensable. I do not use one in my "normal life". However, they are a great tool for me to use when in the parks. There is no way that I can walk that my much with my back and knees as they are (going to PT for one my knees at the moment). An ECV definitely helps relieve some of the physical strain of the park. However, it can be mentally draining (especially when they are crowded). So your mom may need to take a break every now and again from driving. My suggestion would be have a nice sit-down lunch somewhere or do some shopping. The shopping would be best without the scooter though if she is mobile otherwise. While the shops can accommodate an ECV, you still have to contend with other people not paying attention to where they are going and blocking pathways that an ECV can't squeeze through like a walking person can. I usually just park outside the shop and use my cane inside.
 

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