Concerned about afternoon ECV availability.

[TinkerPan]

Our plan is to rent an ECV from Disney each day. We plan to arrive early to have a better chance at availability. That said, we also will likely do an afternoon break. What does one do with the ECV? Do you turn it back in when leaving the park in the early afternoon? If so, will there be availability when we return later about 5:00?

I considered parking it somewhere while we are gone on the afternoon break, but where? Will a CM think it's abandoned? What if we are not up to returning in the evening?

Looking for how others have handled this. Thanks.

 

[Bete]

The way it works is you turn the ECV in to the Disney park scooter rentals and you don't take your deposit back with the idea you are returning later. Then, you present your rental scooter slip to whatever park and if one is available you get it. Every scooter rental at the Disney parks is based on first come, first serve.

When you return to the park if a scooter is available you will get one again. If not, then you go on a waiting list. We have waited 2-1/2 hours before getting a scooter again when returning. You are taking a big chance. We did shows and eating while we were waiting. If we would have waited much longer it would have been tough to continue.

If you try to park the scooter for your break you are taking a big chance of the scooter being there later. There's a manual override the cast members can use with the scooters to move them.

It really sounds to me that with your schedule needing flexibility you should probably get an offsite scooter vendor rental. Yes, it's more complicated transporting the scooter and such but then you know you always will have a scooter.

 

[Her Dotness]

Rent one from a vendor, no question. That way you'll have it for getting back to your room much more comfortably when too-hot-too-tired syndrome strikes.

There can be a lot of walking around your resort, depending on where your room is. Even if it's fairly close to the lobby, you may still have a fairly long walk to the bus stop or monorail station. For instance, if staying at BoardWalk Inn/Villas or Beach Club/Yacht Club, you'd have quite a hike to get to the International Gateway to Epcot.

Costs somewhat less to rent one from a vendor, too. You'll pay $50/day plus deposit for one of the Disney ones.

 

[Bethctraveler]

Rent from a reliable outside scooter rental vendor. In the past this was an issue for us a well.

 

[TinkerPan]

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions. However, renting an outside scooter doesn't really work in our situation. First, we are staying offsite and have no real means of transporting it. My husband's medical conditions almost makes it a necessity that he get an afternoon break. We do plan to bring a wheelchair from home but was hoping to use this as a back-up. The plan was to use the wheelchair to transport him from the parking lot area into the parks then get a ECV. I then would push the wheelchair and use it as a seat for myself as needed.

I hate to waste a lot of money on an ECV for only a few hours, if it would not later be available when we return to the parks. I guess I knew that was a possibility thus the need to bring the backup wheelchair. Ic am just having a hard time coming up with a good plan.

Has anyone just parked a rented ECV for a few hours and returned to get it?

 

[jo-jo]

So you will have a car? Someone about a week ago posted about a small EVC....I mean looked really tiny. I will try to find the post. Maybe it's something you could transport.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I rent at the parks. I've had to wait before if we go to a park in the afternoon, however if you are there in the morning you are likely to get one. Let them know you are coming back and they will hold it for you (yes, really!) I made that mistake once and never again LOL.

Edit: Keep your receipt so if you go to another park or the Springs, you only pay once per day, though you may have to wait.

 

[TinkerPan]

So you will have a car? Someone about a week ago posted about a small EVC....I mean looked really tiny. I will try to find the post. Maybe it's something you could transport.

We will have a car but it will be full up with six passengers. We can just fit a wheelchair -barely. But, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[TinkerPan]

I rent at the parks. I've had to wait before if we go to a park in the afternoon, however if you are there in the morning you are likely to get one. Let them know you are coming back and they will hold it for you (yes, really!) I made that mistake once and never again LOL.

Edit: Keep your receipt so if you go to another park or the Springs, you only pay once per day, though you may have to wait.

This is very helpful. I had no idea they might be able to hold it for us. That would be wonderful, and a big stress reliever. I know I can use the wheelchair, but pushing my husband all day will likely wipe me out. We are both in our 70s - no spring chickens. My DD and SiL will be with us, but they will have their hands full with 3 toddlers, 1, 2, and 4.

 

[jo-jo]

Here is the thread.... https://www.disboards.com/threads/small-scooter-rented.3881698/#post-63976147

Do you need the wheelchair for your self? I mean we all like a handy chair. LOL Maybe if you got an outside EVC, you could leave the wheelchair at the resort ?

I know almost nothing about EVCs, but was amazed seeing this tiny EVC.

 

[MICKIMINI]

This is very helpful. I had no idea they might be able to hold it for us. That would be wonderful, and a big stress reliever. I know I can use the wheelchair, but pushing my husband all day will likely wipe me out. We are both in our 70s - no spring chickens. My DD and SiL will be with us, but they will have their hands full with 3 toddlers, 1, 2, and 4.

Don't do a push wheelchair. Far better to wait around 15 minutes for an ECV. Little kiddos will be a handful LOL! I resisted an ECV for many years, but it changed everything for me and my family as just walking in from handicap parking does me in. Enjoy your trip!

 

[TinkerPan]

Here is the thread.... https://www.disboards.com/threads/small-scooter-rented.3881698/#post-63976147

Do you need the wheelchair for your self? I mean we all like a handy chair. LOL Maybe if you got an outside EVC, you could leave the wheelchair at the resort ?

I know almost nothing about EVCs, but was amazed seeing this tiny EVC.

My original idea was to bring the wheelchair to help get my husband from the parking area to the park, then rent an ECV, It would be there then as a backup too if we were not able to get an ECV. I was thinking maybe just parking the wheelchair somewhere. However, on reflection parking our own wheelchair didn't sound like such a good idea. So, it occurred to me to just push it. If I got tired I could sit in it, and if we needed to use it thru a queue for my husband that would be easier than the ECV.

 

[SueM in MN]

I rent at the parks. I've had to wait before if we go to a park in the afternoon, however if you are there in the morning you are likely to get one. Let them know you are coming back and they will hold it for you (yes, really!) I made that mistake once and never again LOL.

Edit: Keep your receipt so if you go to another park or the Springs, you only pay once per day, though you may have to wait.

Many people are not aware, but the WDW website actually says this:

“Length of Stay Rentals are not available for ECVs. However, vehicles can be held if Guests leave and return to the same park on the same day.”

If you are park hopping or going to Disney Springs you can avoid paying a second time, but there may be none available for a while. We just got back from WDW and as we walked past the rental area in early afternoon at Hollywood Studio, there was a sign to saying they were out of ECVs, but guests could sign up for the wait list with a 1 to 1.5 hr wait.

My original idea was to bring the wheelchair to help get my husband from the parking area to the park, then rent an ECV, It would be there then as a backup too if we were not able to get an ECV. I was thinking maybe just parking the wheelchair somewhere. However, on reflection parking our own wheelchair didn't sound like such a good idea. So, it occurred to me to just push it. If I got tired I could sit in it, and if we needed to use it thru a queue for my husband that would be easier than the ECV.

If you don’t want to push it, you might be able to store it at the wheelchair/ECV rental area. I know some people posted doing that before COVID. I’m not sure if it’s even possible now or not.
Whatever you do, it’s best to make sure the wheelchair is marked some way to make it easily identifiable. Easier to find if you do have to park it for a ride

 

[TinkerPan]

Many people are not aware, but the WDW website actually says this:

“Length of Stay Rentals are not available for ECVs. However, vehicles can be held if Guests leave and return to the same park on the same day.”

If you are park hopping or going to Disney Springs you can avoid paying a second time, but there may be none available for a while. We just got back from WDW and as we walked past the rental area in early afternoon at Hollywood Studio, there was a sign to saying they were out of ECVs, but guests could sign up for the wait list with a 1 to 1.5 hr wait.

If you don’t want to push it, you might be able to store it at the wheelchair/ECV rental area. I know some people posted doing that before COVID. I’m not sure if it’s even possible now or not.
Whatever you do, it’s best to make sure the wheelchair is marked some way to make it easily identifiable. Easier to find if you do have to park it for a ride

This is very helpful. Thank you.

 

[Evita_W]

Just be forewarned the last couple of times we were there, we saw the ECVs sold out anywhere from about 20 minutes before park opening to about 10 minutes after park opening. There was only one day out of the about 25 total we saw them available until 90 minutes after park opening when we arrived and they only had a few left.

If you are going to need it, it is better to rent from an off-site vendor for the length of your stay.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I am assuming you have a handicap tag and can park in the handicap area. There should be complementary (we call them WM wheelchairs) available to get to the ECV rentals. When leaving the ECV ask for a complementary chair to get to parking.

 

[SueM in MN]

I am assuming you have a handicap tag and can park in the handicap area. There should be complementary (we call them WM wheelchairs) available to get to the ECV rentals. When leaving the ECV ask for a complementary chair to get to parking.

‘Should’ is the operative word.
We’ve most often seen the wheelchair corrals empty. Our DD has her own custom wheelchair, so we don’t need them, but always look anyway.

if you get to a park late morning or during the afternoon, you may be parking in the ‘medical overflow’. Those are regular spots and tight space. If you don’t have a handicapped parking permit, be aware that any spots with blue divider lines are the legal handicapped parking spots. Guests parking there without a permit can get ticketed.

 

[RoseGold]

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions. However, renting an outside scooter doesn't really work in our situation. First, we are staying offsite and have no real means of transporting it. My husband's medical conditions almost makes it a necessity that he get an afternoon break.

Sounds like you need another rental car and an offsite rental. If any part of this plan goes wrong, like scooters already sold out or you can't get it back in the afternoon, the whole trip can't work. The stakes are too high IMO, and I would plan to bring my own or rent one for the trip. There are lots of foldable options, maybe time to get a more permanent solution.

 

[Bethctraveler]

Just be forewarned the last couple of times we were there, we saw the ECVs sold out anywhere from about 20 minutes before park opening to about 10 minutes after park opening. There was only one day out of the about 25 total we saw them available until 90 minutes after park opening when we arrived and they only had a few left.

If you are going to need it, it is better to rent from an off-site vendor for the length of your stay.

I AGREE 100%, your much better off going with an off site vendor.

 

[LoveToDisney]

When you rent the ECV, they will be happy to keep your wheelchair for you. When you return the ECV, they will return your wheelchair. I used to use a rollator to get to the park and then rent a scooter. They always kept my rollator for me.