Special Needs Sharing Question: Scooter Techie Tips About This Page:

[Sandra Bostwick]

Can any ECV experts share their tips for those who might be riding for the first time?

This is not for discussing specific rental places, which is discussed in the stickie, but for any mechanical, operational, or navigational hints.

[Eeyore Tattoo]

I own a REVO.
I find it easy to operate & use. The charger does have a slide switch that must be put into the "charge" space & the light will stay yellow till fully charged then it turns green.
When plugging the cord into the scooter you must be sure the plug is pushed all the way in..
It has a simple "thumb" operated forward & reverse bar & speed control knob. It also has a headlight for those late nights out.
It is small & turns sharp corners. It is easy to get on & off the buses, monorails & boats .Many off site companies rent out Revo..
I have taken to renting rather than bringing my own due to the damage it got from the airlines........

[Sandra Bostwick]

[QUOTE=Eeyore Tattoo;3024652]
It has a simple "thumb" operated forward & reverse bar & speed control knob. QUOTE]


Thanks for the info! I recall some of the people I know say the thumb control can aggravate arthritis.

Have you ever found that to be true?

[Eeyore Tattoo]

The only thing that bothers me sometimes are my shoulders from having my arms up on the handle bars.. Taking breaks or just getting off & stretching & walking usually helps. Also a nice hot jacuzzi in the evening relaxes all those sore mussels along with a good night of sleep..

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by Eeyore Tattoo

The only thing that bothers me sometimes are my shoulders from having my arms up on the handle bars.. Taking breaks or just getting off & stretching & walking usually helps. Also a nice hot jacuzzi in the evening relaxes all those sore mussels along with a good night of sleep..

I can see how the ECV can take care of some problems and cause little aches and pains someplace new.

[mechurchlady]

Yep, pain and aches of owning a scooter. You have to hold onto or push the levers to go forward. Imagine spending 2 to 3 hours a day with your arms stretched out in front of you. You cannot do cruise control either. I try alternating hands and try pushing the lever on the left side for a while.

I need the manual for a Lark 3 scooter and will never get one. IK am not sure if the flywheel is working or anything else.

I recommend a scooter that has an adjustable tiller like mine. I can have the tiller right near me or far away depending on how I feel. I prefer the Disney types that require flip0ping a switch to go in reverse because you then can pull on either side and push on either side. More work but more options to rotate hand usage. I love captain chairs but that make the scooter heavier.

Right now my scooter needs charging before I can go back to the parks.

[Teresa]

I don't use an EVC, but my DD has an electric chair, my dad uses a scooter full time, and my step-mom and mom need one while at WDW.

For those using one for the first time, I have some hints. We encountered some problems the first time we took dad to WDW - he didn't need a scooter full time then, but we rented him one at WDW.

The biggest problem is with navigating. Dad was afraid he'd hit someone, and was very embarrassed about getting on and off the buses. These two things caused him (and by extension, us) to not enjoy the parks as much as we would have liked.

So - if you are going to WDW and will be renting a scooter for the first time, I recommend renting one very similar to the one you'll be using at WDW while at home. Take it out to the mall. Practice going in between clothing racks, through a crowded food court, etc. Practice backing up. To practice getting on and off the bus (or more accurately, parked on the bus), set up four chairs against the wall. mark off that space, and put something on each side of the space. Now, remove the chairs and practice parallel parking. This was the thing that was hardest on Dad and what caused him to elect to not go to all of the parks.
If you can back up, go forward, zig-zag through traffic and park, you'll do well and have no problems at WDW.
If renting a scooter at home is too cost prohibitive, go to the mall or grocery and use theirs for a while. It's not the same (the ones at the stores don't go as fast or turn as well as most private owned ones) but it will give you an idea of how to go about enjoying your trip.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by Teresa

So - if you are going to WDW and will be renting a scooter for the first time, I recommend renting one very similar to the one you'll be using at WDW while at home. Take it out to the mall. Practice going in between clothing racks, through a crowded food court, etc. Practice backing up. To practice getting on and off the bus (or more accurately, parked on the bus), set up four chairs against the wall. mark off that space, and put something on each side of the space. Now, remove the chairs and practice parallel parking. This was the thing that was hardest on Dad and what caused him to elect to not go to all of the parks.
If you can back up, go forward, zig-zag through traffic and park, you'll do well and have no problems at WDW.
If renting a scooter at home is too cost prohibitive, go to the mall or grocery and use theirs for a while. It's not the same (the ones at the stores don't go as fast or turn as well as most private owned ones) but it will give you an idea of how to go about enjoying your trip.

This is a fantastic tip! Thank you so much.