Travelling with HC peeps

**gwennie81** · 06-10-2011, 05:32 AM

Just visited with my G'ma and aunt who both have limited mobility.

Rented ECV's at Epcot for the day for both of them. My aunt frequently uses them at the grocery stores and is a pro. However, last year her battery ran out about 100 yds. from the rental counter and we had to exchange. Guess what happened this week? YUP! Battery ran out in the middle of the ramp up to the Land Pavilion and we had to wait 20 minutes for a replacement!! (And the CM was kind of rude about it. She actually suggested to me that my aunt wasn't using it right. Uhhh...she was just driving it? How else are you supposed to use it?)

Long story short, make sure you get a CHARGED one before you leave the rental area.

They really are worth having and make those that have limited mobility enjoy the park just as much as those of us with full mobility.

Also, at Epcot, HC parking is located at the front of the parking lot but, the parking field is loooooong. There is a station at the end of the row with courtesy wheelchairs but don't count on it to be stocked. My fam didn't need them but it could be an added inconvenience to those that are dependent on some sort of assistance.

We also discovered it's easier (faster) to drive to the park and park than wait for the dang bus. I have an annual pass though so we parked for free and we had our handicap hang tag with us for the car.

**Wendy** · 06-10-2011, 08:03 AM

I would have thought Disney would have charged the batteries every night

to make sure they were fully charged.

I'm glad you finally managed to get a replacement

**Kate** · 06-10-2011, 10:59 AM

Ooooh, was she speeding or revving too much?!
That is pretty bad that the battery ran out so soon after getting it, like Wendy said i would assume all of them were charged overnight - suppose it was a good thing that it happened so close to where you got them though

**ukwdwnut** · 06-10-2011, 11:16 AM

theres no need for rudeness anywhere let alone from a CM at disney. as mentioned its down to disnet to make sure all ecv's are fully charged at all time when not rented, they all have battery meters on them to let you know how much power you have left so they should have checked this before it even left the centre

i had a wheel chair last trip and even that was a godsend, even though i was getting kinda seasick with denise weaving in and out of people. when i was in scotland last year every mall had a shopmobility site so i got and ECV for free and that was just the pups parts made me totally independant and didnt have to reply on a pusher as like the wheelchair

**gwennie81** · 09-10-2011, 05:42 AM

It was so funny because last year aunt's battery ran out just in front of the art shop in Innovations and we swear it was the same # ECV.

She special-requested an ECV with a large seat so they had to go get it out of the back. Maybe it wasn't fully charged or just hadn't been used in a while so the charge ran down.

But I remember looking at the meter before we left the rental area and it was fine. And she was NOT misusing it. If anything, my grandma was misusing HER'S. LOL!

At any rate, just keep in mind that you may experience technical difficulties if you are assigned ECV #81 at Epcot. LOL!