Childs1stTime2Disney
*A dream is a wish your heart makes*
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2012
I know this is hard for you.
It was hard for me - and many others here - the first time we had to use a mobility device at WDW. I wasn't lying when I said that I cried!
But as I mentioned before, a strange thing happened - I had a great time at Disney World, even with a scooter! My family didn't have to wait for me, and I didn't hold them back anymore. And as the first day progressed into the first evening, I realized that it was actually smart of me to go ahead and use the scooter because we were still able to have a great time as a family, and we got to do so much more than we had the day before, when I was limping along, and had to find a spot to sit every 10 minutes.
You have to remember that (unless you live in the Orlando area) the chances that you will *ever* see anyone you know from your "real" life at Disney World are terrible! You literally have a better chance of getting hit by lightning *and* winning the lottery on the same day. No fooling.
It's a tool - that's all. It's a tool that lets you go on, and have fun, and make memories with your family. You don't have to use it full-time; you can certainly park it, and walk around in an area, and then move on to another area. You don't have to sit on it to eat meals; you can park it outside (or even near your table) if you want. You don't have to have your pictures taken (whether you use PhotoPass/Memory Maker or just take selfies) when you are sitting on the scooter - you can always hop off (make sure you turn it off and take the key!) and take pictures, and then get back on.
When Disney changed the GAC to the DAS, it ended most of the abuse that was causing other Guests to be unhappy with mobility device users. As a result, most able-bodies folks now just ignore those of us on wheels. Very rarely does anyone here report that they have encountered outright rudeness - and if you do, just give them a big 'ol southern "Bless Your Heart!" and go on. Karma will take care of them!
I know this is tough. I can tell that you really want to go, and you really don't want to have to use the ECV (or other mobility device). But if you have to have one, know that you won't be alone; there are literally thousands of ECVs and wheelchairs at WDW at any given moment.
If I were you (and I was, once upon a time) I would go, and rent the ECV. That's 20/20 hindsight talking, I know. But don't let your fear of the unknown stop you from going to Disney World! We will all be here to answer your questions, and help you through this. Maybe even just take a deep breath, and re-read this thread from the beginning again to see how many of your questions have been answered, and then let us know if you have any more questions that we can help with!
It's so many things I have on my mind and this is such a big trip. I am thinking to ease my worry I may rent a scooter from BV rentals and book it for maybe a day or two into my trip. I don't mind being charged a cancellation fee. That way I am sure if I need it, I can get it.
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