Ecv vrs wheelchair

T

tinkerbellandeeyor

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Anyone have experience with both and help me compare the two I feel I can be more independent with a ecv

Is there a place to park it when I do the buffet for lunch with my family
 
Unless you have some ( and I do mean some) people to push you in a wheelchair or if you can do a good bit of walking and only need to sit every now and then. An ECV would be a better chose.

Yes, there will be a place to park the ECV when eating.
 
mamabunny said:
Just ask any Cast Member when you want to park the scooter - they will direct you to the best place to park.

Enjoy your trip! :)
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That's what we did at Tusker House and it was fine....EXCEPT please remember to cover the seat. Unfortunately we had one of those quick, but strong, summer rain showers while we ate, so dumb me came back to a seat covered with water.
 


Thanks everyone

My health went down hill I see my doctor in January so I am hoping for a quick recovery but if not I might be stuck in a ecv
 
As someone who is "stuck" in an ECV on a daily basis now, it's not the end of the world.

I would rather be at WDW, using my personal mobility device than "stuck" at home any day.

No one wants to use one of these devices; believe me when I say that I will happily give up every possession I own to be able to walk unassisted again. But I refuse to give up my freedom, my mobility, my ability to come and go as I please - so for me (and many, many others) that means we live with wheels under our butt.

If you have the option to go to WDW, regardless of if you walk or ride, congratulations - you are the envy of *millions* of people around the world.

I hope your trip is as Magical as it can be.
 
The parts of our trips where we stay at offsite condos we use a WC that we store at my sister's in Lakeland. For onsite stays we use an ECV. It's all about transportation. Luckily I can still push a WC with no problems. ECV is better but we do what we need to do.
 


I'm not sure if it's better to create a new post or if it's ok to piggyback on this one, but hopefully someone will let me know.
I use a manual chair at home for anything requiring lots of walking, but I need a family member to help with pushing because my shoulders and arms can't handle it for more than a few minutes. I was thinking that an ECV would be better for the parks because of the crowd and so that I'd be more independent. If I rent an ECV from Buena Vista or one of the other rental companies, will I be able to transport it to the parks each day in my van if I don't have a ramp? We usually avoid the buses while there if possible.
 
lepidop said:
I'm not sure if it's better to create a new post or if it's ok to piggyback on this one, but hopefully someone will let me know.
I use a manual chair at home for anything requiring lots of walking, but I need a family member to help with pushing because my shoulders and arms can't handle it for more than a few minutes. I was thinking that an ECV would be better for the parks because of the crowd and so that I'd be more independent. If I rent an ECV from Buena Vista or one of the other rental companies, will I be able to transport it to the parks each day in my van if I don't have a ramp? We usually avoid the buses while there if possible.
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You can rent an ECV that can be taken apart for transport in a van or car trunk. When you are arranging for the rental, you would specifically rent one that can be taken apart.
You would need to be able to lift the pieces into the vehicle - usually the largest piece is 30-40 pounds and might be an awkward shape to lift.
If you have a handicapped parking permit, bring it along with you so that you can park in the handicapped parking lots. (if you don’t have a handicapped parking permit, let the parking CMs know you have an ECV, but not a parking permit. You will be directed to an appropriate place to park. Just don’t park in any spot with blue paint or a handicapped parking sign without a permit).

An ECV would give you more independence, but is not necessarily better in crowds. The driver needs to be aware and ready to stop at all times because people do tend to pop out in front of you. Some people are not comfortable with that, so you would need to decide what your comfort level is.
 
tinkerbellandeeyor said:
Thanks everyone

My health went down hill I see my doctor in January so I am hoping for a quick recovery but if not I might be stuck in a ecv
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Do you think you will be comfortable driving an ECV Tink? If I remember correctly you do not have a license or drive a car now.
I find driving an ECV takes total concentration and it is exhausting. Folks stop dead in front of you, cut you off, run to get in front of you etc etc etc. and because I am so focused on driving I really do not get to experience the atmosphere around me in the park anymore.
I don’t want to discourage you but it is a lot to drive an ECV.
Good Luck.
 
Hopefully said:
Do you think you will be comfortable driving an ECV Tink? If I remember correctly you do not have a license or drive a car now.
I find driving an ECV takes total concentration and it is exhausting. Folks stop dead in front of you, cut you off, run to get in front of you etc etc etc. and because I am so focused on driving I really do not get to experience the atmosphere around me in the park anymore.
I don’t want to discourage you but it is a lot to drive an ECV.
Good Luck.
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Good point I well just have to use a wheelchair and tour at my moms pace
 
SueM in MN said:
You can rent an ECV that can be taken apart for transport in a van or car trunk. When you are arranging for the rental, you would specifically rent one that can be taken apart.
You would need to be able to lift the pieces into the vehicle - usually the largest piece is 30-40 pounds and might be an awkward shape to lift.
If you have a handicapped parking permit, bring it along with you so that you can park in the handicapped parking lots. (if you don’t have a handicapped parking permit, let the parking CMs know you have an ECV, but not a parking permit. You will be directed to an appropriate place to park. Just don’t park in any spot with blue paint or a handicapped parking sign without a permit).

An ECV would give you more independence, but is not necessarily better in crowds. The driver needs to be aware and ready to stop at all times because people do tend to pop out in front of you. Some people are not comfortable with that, so you would need to decide what your comfort level is.
Click to expand...

I have a handicapped permit. I'll also be with my husband, and he's able to lift things. That's why I use the manual chair at home, I wouldn't be able to get anything else into my van (I have an ultra light that I can break down). One of the reasons that I was thinking an ECV would be a better option is that I'd be able to control it myself. If I took my chair, I'd have to have my husband push me and that always stresses me out because he's not as good about avoiding passing ankles. Also, I'm very short and in my chair I'm even shorter. I think I'd take up a little more room in an ECV and be slightly less likely to be stepped on. When I've used them in stores, I've had pretty good luck.
 
bumbershoot said:
But who will be pushing the wheelchair? Propelling your own isn’t easy for someone not used to doing so.

Is your mom’s pace fast or slow?
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OP I agree with this 100% it is very hard to self-push a wheelchair. Depending on what time you go it may not be that busey and if you go slow you might not have much of a problem. can your mom walk or does she need a mobility device as if you both can walk some you might be able to share one ECV and just take turn driving/ riding ( I know someone that does this and it works out great for them.)
 
tinkerbellandeeyor said:
My mom or stepmom will be pushing
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You might want to take along an inexpensive pair of bike gloves (from Wal-Mart is fine) just in case whoever is pushing you has problems with blisters. Some rental wheelchairs have the old, hard shiny black plastic handgrips, and those can - and will - cause blisters unless your hands are already callused.

If you are not used to sitting in a wheelchair all day, you might want to consider padding the seat; if you rent from an outside vendor (not a Parks chair) you can add a gel cushion to the rental, which will help considerably.

Renting from an outside vendor will also allow the use of the chair at the Resort; remember how big most of the Resorts are at WDW; you can walk a considerable distance just to get coffee in the morning.
 
mamabunny said:
You might want to take along an inexpensive pair of bike gloves (from Wal-Mart is fine) just in case whoever is pushing you has problems with blisters. Some rental wheelchairs have the old, hard shiny black plastic handgrips, and those can - and will - cause blisters unless your hands are already callused.

If you are not used to sitting in a wheelchair all day, you might want to consider padding the seat; if you rent from an outside vendor (not a Parks chair) you can add a gel cushion to the rental, which will help considerably.

Renting from an outside vendor will also allow the use of the chair at the Resort; remember how big most of the Resorts are at WDW; you can walk a considerable distance just to get coffee in the morning.
Click to expand...




Thanks
 
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