Disney and Mobility

Disney as an adult? Over Sixty?

Absolutely!

There really is something magical about a Disney World Vacation. Sure, you hear the stories about crowds and prices, but there are ways to enjoy the “Happiest Place on Earth” especially at this age. You just need to do a little research and know a few tricks.

And before you ask, yes, we’ve gone with our kids and grandchild.

This is different.

First, and foremost, you don’t have to work around a school vacation schedule. That, right there, gives you a smaller crowd possibility.  Better yet, there are websites that provide calendars that predict crowd sizes. An example is Undercover Tourist.

I suggest checking that one, and one or two others, for consistency.

Our favorite times of the year are the beginning of December and certain weeks in January or February.

Next, invest in comfortable walking shoes. Start wearing them at least a month ahead of time to break them in. 

Living with an injury, or any other reason that makes it harder to walk that much? There are many ways to rent an Electric Conveyance Vehicle, also known as an ECV.  I’ve rented them both through Disney at individual parks and through a company called ScooterBug when my hip was first injured. There are other places to rent ECVs, but these are the ones I’ve tried.

Oh, and my hip is doing much better thanks to my awesome Physical Therapist!

Renting an ECV through Disney is easy, and convenient if you’re staying off-property. You still must walk from your car to the rental spot, but you also have the convenience of asking a Cast Member (a Disney employee) if you run into issues like the ECV battery running out while you’re smack dab in the middle of Epcot or on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in Animal Kingdom. The downside (beside walking to the rental counter) is that it can be a bit pricey and you can only rent them a day at a time from whichever park you are visiting. If you show up later in the day, they may not have any available. Cost-wise, you pay a hefty fee up front (Right now it’s $70 at the main parks and higher at the water parks and Disney Springs), but you get part of it back as a deposit ($20 at the main parks) Here’s a link to learn more.

Renting an ECV through ScooterBug was great while staying on property. I booked weeks ahead of time (wise move on my part) and it was waiting for me at Bell Services when I got there. Return was just as easy.  I found the price reasonable (a bit lower than daily rentals at Disney). The downside, you have to fit it in your hotel room and learn how to maneuver it back out.

Both ECVs I’ve tried had a bit of a learning curve. Not only do you need to learn how it takes corners and how fast it goes, but they also stop VERY fast if you’re not careful.

The hardest part is watching out for the people that aren’t watching out for you.  You have to pay close attention to the people walking around you. They will cut in front of you.

I haven’t run anyone over…yet.

And on that note, I’ll share more Disney advice in a separate post so this one doesn’t drag on for days.

Llama