Bingo. Like you I think a new contract was drawn up and Scooterbug was willing to pay more than the others. As for the 3 strollers available for rent, style wise, they seem to offer what most parents speak about wanting: lots of undercarriage space, sun shade, parent tray/cup holders and a choice of single and double. Maybe they'll buy more styles as they expand.That article makes me think this is a more a business transaction than a policy change. I’ve never heard of that company but I just checked their website and their stroller choices are extremely limited.
Scooterbug has actually provided wheelchairs, ECVs and strollers for all the WDW parks and Disney Springs for many years.That article makes me think this is a more a business transaction than a policy change. I’ve never heard of that company but I just checked their website and their stroller choices are extremely limited.
Bingo. Like you I think a new contract was drawn up and Scooterbug was willing to pay more than the others. As for the 3 strollers available for rent, style wise, they seem to offer what most parents speak about wanting: lots of undercarriage space, sun shade, parent tray/cup holders and a choice of single and double. Maybe they'll buy more styles as they expand.
Scooterbug has actually provided wheelchairs, ECVs and strollers for all the WDW parks and Disney Springs for many years.
I agree and what a bummer for the other companies who work hard for their customersThat article makes me think this is a more a business transaction than a policy change. I’ve never heard of that company but I just checked their website and their stroller choices are extremely limited.
I just checked out scooterbug's website, because I have no interest in trying to pin down a time that we'll be at the resort to do a face to face to both pick up and drop off our stroller with the providers we usually use. It seems like they have a lot of different strollers, more single than double, but of course they don't have the citi mini GT double which is the one we really like. I can use the regular citi mini double, but the one time we went with it at the recommendation of one of the rental companies I didn't like it nearly as well. it seems odd to me they don't have it, since it is one of the few the previous 3 preferred companies carried. Our trip isn't until February, so I'll have time to see how this all plays out. I also made a reservation with the previous preferred companies last night, but I'll have to see how the grandfathering in works and if making a reservation at 11:00 PM on Sept 30th was early enough to qualify for that! The problem with that is out dates aren't set in stone, and I think there's a good chance I'll have to adjust, and then I kind of assume we would lose the grandfathering in to the old policy.
I feel like planning a disney trip is like hitting a moving target. We figure out how to work things the best for us, and then the rules change and we have to figure out the second best way to make everything work. Stroller rental changes, dated tickets, non expiring tickets, APs skyrocketing, DVC resale rules changing, DVC direct minimums going up, dropping hotel nights getting harder, bell service delivery rules and charges, short stay resorts rooms unavailable when the entire week is available - these are just the few things that come to the front of my mind quickly that my family has had to either adapt to after a change for the worse FOR US, or is affecting future plans (we are contemplating DVC).
I also think this is related to money, and they got more money from provider willing to pony up. Because IMO most people will go with the provider that will deliver to bell services, and total volume won't drop all that much.
edited for grammar . I probably still missed something !
thanks soo much for this update JEEZ!!!! that would be difficult for a lot of people if food was affected
A total of 6 vendors. Technically only 3 were “featured stroller vendors,” but at least a couple of the featured wheelchair/ECV vendors also offered strollers.They listed about 10 stroller companies on there! I didn’t realize they had so many authorized providers.
I can't say I've ever seen strollers parked in the lobby...why do people do this? Are there stores that don't allow strollers?Do you think that Scooterbug was selected as the official provider only because they offered to pay the largest fee for the privilege, or did Scooterbug offer a variety of non-monetary advantages as well?
Like coordinating the delivery and removal of strollers, etc. in the resort lobby so not so many are parked there at any given time?
Like providing an extra person at the resort to do some of the busywork in the lobby, handling strollers, paperwork, etc.?
I assume they just gave Disney the most money and/or least problems for the rights, but I tend to be cynical like that. I would love to be proven wrong and find that they offer a better service for the guests and got the contract for that reason.Do you think that Scooterbug was selected as the official provider only because they offered to pay the largest fee for the privilege, or did Scooterbug offer a variety of non-monetary advantages as well?
Like coordinating the delivery and removal of strollers, etc. in the resort lobby so not so many are parked there at any given time?
Like providing an extra person at the resort to do some of the busywork in the lobby, handling strollers, paperwork, etc.?
I suspect it will be a combination of the company making more money (that's what they're in business for, right?) and centralizing the pickup and delivery of the strollers thus freeing up WDW labor, insurance, and efficiency costs. Should it work properly, it should be a win win for the companies and guests.I assume they just gave Disney the most money and/or least problems for the rights, but I tend to be cynical like that. I would love to be proven wrong and find that they offer a better service for the guests and got the contract for that reason.
I don’t think it’s a win for the customers at all. It used to be you could rent from many places and have the stroller handled by bell services, then you had to choose from 3 companies to have it handled by bell services, and now there is no choice. You use Scooterbug or you have to arrange to meet to pick up and drop off the stroller yourself. I don’t know about anyone else, but until there is no choice or we don’t need a stroller rental I’m not going to try to guess when it will be convenient to meet and drop off when I could just have it waiting for me and drop it when we leave the resort on our last day, so I’m stuck with their preferred companies until they don’t have any. When I looked at scooterbug (haven’t looked since they announced this) they didn’t have the citi mini gt double that we like, so unless they add it we will have to take a stroller we have used and like much less or have a fairly big (IMO) inconvenience, so I’m annoyed. I’ll deal, but I’m still annoyed.I suspect it will be a combination of the company making more money (that's what they're in business for, right?) and centralizing the pickup and delivery of the strollers thus freeing up WDW labor, insurance, and efficiency costs. Should it work properly, it should be a win win for the companies and guests.
Seems Scooterbug has expanded the types of strollers they carry and probably carry the type you prefer; they rent a Citi Mini Double with various accessories available now. Glad they did their research. As for the other stroller companies as long as they can successfully adapt to the new changes the strong will survive and the weak will probably sell their inventory to another company or find a new place of operation. Wouldn't be surpised if some companies lower their prices a bit to accomodate customers who don't mind/know about the former delivery system. Choices are still there just market shares will probably change.I don’t think it’s a win for the customers at all. It used to be you could rent from many places and have the stroller handled by bell services, then you had to choose from 3 companies to have it handled by bell services, and now there is no choice. You use Scooterbug or you have to arrange to meet to pick up and drop off the stroller yourself. I don’t know about anyone else, but until there is no choice or we don’t need a stroller rental I’m not going to try to guess when it will be convenient to meet and drop off when I could just have it waiting for me and drop it when we leave the resort on our last day, so I’m stuck with their preferred companies until they don’t have any. When I looked at scooterbug (haven’t looked since they announced this) they didn’t have the citi mini gt double that we like, so unless they add it we will have to take a stroller we have used and like much less or have a fairly big (IMO) inconvenience, so I’m annoyed. I’ll deal, but I’m still annoyed.
I agree, it’s a win-win for Disney and Scooterbug, as Disney will save money and presumably Scooterbug will make much more. But it’s a loss for the guest.
At least they Didn’t close that door altogether, I guess.
I didn’t recheck, but they had the City mini double but not the city mini GT double, big difference to me.Seems Scooterbug has expanded the types of strollers they carry and probably carry the type you prefer; they rent a Citi Mini Double with various accessories available now. Glad they did their research. As for the other stroller companies as long as they can successfully adapt to the new changes the strong will survive and the weak will probably sell their inventory to another company or find a new place of operation. Wouldn't be surpised if some companies lower their prices a bit to accomodate customers who don't mind/know about the former delivery system. Choices are still there just market shares will probably change.
... a win-win ...
Disney wasn’t the loser haha, you sound like you think we should feel bad for them or something. Guest spend thousands and thousands of dollars to visit Disney, offering them conveniences such as length of stay strollers delivered to them helps entice them to come, stay, and spend at Disney. I guess I’m am a little surprised Disney didn’t just start a Service like this themselves, though, if they decided to start closing doors on outside vendors doing it this way,Under the old system, the guests and the stroller etc., companies were the winners and Disney was the loser.