Taking ECV and using DME?

[mickeyluv]

We are going to WDW on May 20th and my husband is thinking of taking his ECV. Has anyone used ME and have taken their ECV with them? We thought about renting the ECV's in the parks, but DH was saying why don't we just take our own! Unsure of what to do!! Help!!

 

[clkelley]

My friends just used DME with two ECVs.

Magical Express is supposed to be accessible with at least some of the buses having lifts.

However, my friends were able to board the bus without the lifts, so their ECVs were stored under the bus with the luggage.

Have not heard any reports of anyone using the lifts on the DME busses yet.

Carol

 

[mickeyluv]

Thanks! My husband could actually board without the of his ECV also. He has some mobility, but not just for long distances such as in the parks. Do you just let the CM's at the ME desk know that we do not have to have a bus with a lift? I called ME today and she said to just call them so that they can note by our name that are traveling with an ECV and they would have a bus there with the lift. We'd rather just have them store the ECV rather then use the lift. That way it won't hold up the bus quite as long. We try to be conscious of other people's time.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks! My husband could actually board without the of his ECV also. He has some mobility, but not just for long distances such as in the parks. Do you just let the CM's at the ME desk know that we do not have to have a bus with a lift? I called ME today and she said to just call them so that they can note by our name that are traveling with an ECV and they would have a bus there with the lift. We'd rather just have them store the ECV rather then use the lift. That way it won't hold up the bus quite as long. We try to be conscious of other people's time.

From what I have read, most of the ME buses do have lifts. If your DH's ECV folds or comes apart, it should be able to be stored underneath with the luggage. If it can't he'll need to use the lift to get it on.
I would just let the CMs at the ME desk know that your husband would prefer to board the usual way and have his ECV stored underneath the bus. That way, they will be aware of what he needs. We haven't used the ME buses, but keep in mind that most of the regular large tour type buses have a rather steep set of 4 or 5 stairs to get on. Often the "lift" buses are lower to the ground and easier to step up to (that way the lift doesn't have to pull the wheelchair up as high to get it on.
Can anyone who has ridden confirm that?

 

[RaySharpton]

When I was in WDW I saw several of these buses at OKW with these lifts.

When I first arrived, I saw one of these buses parked beside the entrance as I was entering the OKW hospitality house. I asked the bus driver, who had a special uniform on, if that was a lift for scooter and wheelchairs, and what it was like. The bus was one of those tall, Greyhound buses with only one entrance at the front. But on the side/rear was a section that looked like it would open up since the opening was about the width of a lift and extended all the way from the bottom to the top of the bus. I thought that He said he thought so, but he had never used it before.

Interestingly, the next day I was arriving to board the WDW bus at the same entrance at OKW to go to Epcot when I saw a line of WDW buses out to the intersection behind one of these Magical Express buses. There was the bus driver, several suit and tie WDW people trying to get the lift to rise. It really looked very fancy and heavy duty, and high tech. But no one could figure out how to get it rise while I was there.

They eventually let the other buses back up and use the taxi/car drop off entrance to load everyone. By this time there were nine buses lined up to drop/pickup guests from different parks, etc..

When I came back that night the driver drove past the OKW regular hospitality house entrance, and turned into the parking lot. They had set up a white tent and baracades and dropped me off there.

I saw that they had barricades around the place where the Magical Express bus was before. The signs said pardon our construction. I think that they most have dragged the Magical Express bus out and away from the OKW drop off point with the elevator lift still down and open causing damage to the pavement. It took them several days to repair the pavement.

That must have been embarassing for everyone.

But I'm sure all the kinks are worked out, and all the bus drivers have learned how to use the elevevator lift. I think that the Magical Express bus's elevator lift is so high tech, and fancy, and very heavy, that it should be much more sturdier than any lift that I have ever seen.

Anyone get a chance to use one yet?

Sincerely, Ray

 

[BCV23]

My daughter and I used ME from the airport to WDW a week and a half ago. I had told the CM when I made the reservation that we would have a wheelchair. I called the night before to confirm that. The CM acted as if this was news but I'm not sure.

We arrived and the lady at checkin said they would radio for an accessible bus. This surprised me as so many of the buses are supposed to have the lift and supposedly ME pays attention to when flights are arriving.

We approached the Polynesian queue which had perhaps 10-15 people in it. Someone directed my daughter to follow her and I left the queue with her. I should have stayed and our experience might have been different!

Anyway, we were directed near a door and waited maybe 10 minutes or so. In the mean time my husband and son had gotten the rental car at Hertz and offered to come back and pick us up. But no, we were on an adventure.

The driver had trouble getting the lift down. My daughter wheeled on, she was lifted WAY up and then he couldn't get the ramp thingie extended so she could enter the bus. She was calm but I would have been scared (don't like heigthts). Anyway, she finally got on the bus and we waited.....and waited. Those people in the Polynesian line had to have been long gone as they never were on our bus. Finally, a few people trickled on. We were probably on the bus by ourselves for twenty minutes with a total wait time of 35-40 minutes. On both side of us, two buses each pulled out while we were waiting.

He had much less trouble with the ramp once we finally arrived. Our bus went to POFG, POR and CR before going to the Polynesian.

Our driver was very nice (unlike the lady at checkin), and I imagine the drivers will get better with the ramps. I asked him about the wait and he said they usually wait aboout 20 minutes to fill the bus somewhat before leaving so we were just unlucky I guess.

But it was free.