We are staying at Port Orleans Riverside
We hope to do MVMCP on Monday December 6th

Holly

I completely understand what you’re saying about not wanting to deal with some of the hassles. First, though, let me say that the monorail is really NOT a hassle at all, other than making sure that the Cast Member remembers to put the ramp down to keep him from taking one giant bump for his rear-end .

To hopefully better answer your question, let me ask, where is it that you’re staying during that time period? Because, depending on where you’re staying, it may make a difference in terms of how much hassle you will/won’t be having to deal with.

Not knowing that, I’ll try to give a semi-generic answer. The crowd calendar seems to be showing 4’s to 7’s, other than December 5 itself. So, theoretically, you should be semi-ok for ECV’s. The one thing is, I would say that’s the case IF you plan on getting to the parks early. If it’s later on, then I can’t say with any degree of reliability. Additionally, there are plenty of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties that week (5 I think), plus, it’s also Pop Warner during that time. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the retired grandparents will be down to see their kids in Pop Warner, and if their kids are eliminated early or aren’t playing, they’ll probably be touring the parks. Of those, some will need ECVs, which will reduce the availability, especially if you’re coming to the parks a bit later.

Also keep in mind, if you’re going to MVMCP but will be touring another park earlier in the day, it’s quite possible that you’ll find that the ECVs aren’t available until sometime during the party itself. Be prepared for that possibility and plan accordingly.

So, what’s my general suggestion to consider? If you’re staying at a Deluxe on the monorail, I think you’ll find it fairly easy to manage an ECV on & off the monorail if you go to the Magic Kingdom &/or Epcot. Also, keep in mind, if you’ve got Park Hoppers and YOUR legs are up to it, you can always monorail to Epcot, walk through the park & the international gateway, and then take the boat to the Studios. He’ll find the boats at the Epcot resorts a breeze to handle, trust me.

If you’re staying at the Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan, or Dolphin, you’ll be able to use the boats to get to Epcot & the Studios, could use the same strategy to get to the Magic Kingdom, or you could manage the buses from any of those hotels to get to the Magic Kingdom. The bigger “hassle” is waiting for the bus, in my opinion, than in getting the ECV on or off. Plus, depending on his mobility, he may be able to reasonably get off the ECV before it’s loaded, get into the bus, and have the bus driver get the ECV on/off. For that, I can’t guarantee that all of the bus drivers will be willing to do this, but, most are. Also, you could always call the main WDW Resort phone number (407-824-2222), ask for a Transportation Supervisor, tell them that you’re considering getting an off-site ECV but your husband’s concerned about getting it on/off the bus, and ask them if their drivers would take care of the loading/unloading while he walks on/off the bus, while not on the ECV. They should be able to answer.

If you’re not staying at any of these listed hotels, yes, there’s more of a hassle to deal with the ECV, because you might have to wait for a bus to arrive that isn’t already loaded in such a way to keep you from being able to have the ECV loaded. If he’s unwilling to deal with the hassles of the ECV at those places, then about all I can suggest is that you should try to plan to arrive early and STAY, because they will not hold the ECV for your return, nor will they allow an unattended ECV to “just sit there” for several hours while you’re perhaps out of the park, hoping to recollect it upon your return. After a while, they WILL move it back to the main ECV area.

If you have any other questions, please let me know. If you want to let me know what hotel you’re planning on staying at, I’ll see if I can help pin down things with a bit more specifics. Whatever you do, enjoy the trip!

My husband does not want to deal with an ecv on the buses and monorails etc
we are going December 5 to 13th and want to rent inside the
parks
I saw your note about June – do you think it will be easier or harder to rent in the park during our timeframe?
thanks for your help
Holly

I’ve double checked with WDW to make sure that this information is 100% correct. Wishes cruises ARE accessible, with one specific exclusion. DO NOT book a Wishes Cruise to leave from the Grand Floridian. The Grand Floridian Wishes Cruise is not accessible, but the other locations are. To book a Wishes cruise, you can call (407) WDW-PLAY (407-939-7529). DO let them know that you’ll have a wheelchair, that will make things easier for everyone.

Any other questions, ask away! That’s what we put this here for!

I have an eight year old in a wheelchair. I have been trying to find out if any of the wishes cruise boats are accessible. Any ideas?

Thanks,

I would not leave things unattended, any more than I’d leave things in a stroller. People can WISH the best at WDW, but unfortunately, you don’t always get the best from everyone, even at Disney.

Any other questions, please, ask away!

Care Medical Equipment: http://www.caremedicalequipment.com

Walker Mobility: http://www.walkermobility.com

Randy’s Mobility: http://www.randysmobility.com

Buena Vista Scooters: http://www.buenavistascooters.com

Additional companies include Scootaround (http://www.scootaround.com) and Scootarama (http://www.scootarama.com) but I have know direct personal knowledge of them and have not heard a lot (positive or negative) about them.

Whoever you chose, make sure you ask about ALL fees that are charged (delivery, insurance, etc, as different places have different requirements or offer different options). Keep in mind that, even if the costs are the same as the WDW prices, you will have additional use of your wheelchair/ECV beyond the park gates, which you won’t have (not even as far as the parking lot or bus stop) with WDW rented ones.

Additionally, I have been told that SOME of the WDW hotel MAY have a FEW wheelchairs that may be borrowed/rented. There have been varying reports as to the condition of these wheelchairs (anywhere from great to awful), questions of cost/no cost, etc. Take note…. These CANNOT be reserved in advance, are on the first-come-first-served basis, and Disney does encourage people to rent from non-Disney sources if the chair is needed for the entire stay.

Please post any questions you’ve got & I’ll try to help!