Disney eliminates outside vendor drop off/pickup services. Must meet vendor for drop off/pickup (mobility devices only so far it seems)

[Summer2018]

Not to mention that it still hasn’t been officially announced by Disney. All of this information is second hand and most of what people are reacting to is false. You’ll still be able to get your stroller and wheelchair at the resort from your company of choice, you’ll just have to be there to get it.

I tore my meniscus before my trip to WDW in July 2018. I ordered a wheelchair from Cloud of Goods. My wheelchair arrived minutes after check-in. On our last day, they were supposed to pick up the wheelchair in the morning. They didn’t pick it up for another six hours. We were long gone by the time it was picked up. Thanks to bell services, it didn’t affect our travel plans.

With this new system in place, I would miss my flight waiting for the delayed pick up of the wheelchair.

Unless you have needed a mobility device at WDW, you cannot truly know how people will be negatively impacted by this new rule.

 

[Summer2018]

I also don’t understand the problem with this policy - all Disney is doing is asking guests to take ownership when the rental is delivered.
I would think if someone was driving to the resort meeting the vendor would be easy to coordinate since you can arrive at a time of your choosing.
If you are arriving by air you may have to make your flights at a time that allowed you to meet with the vendor.
Wouldn’t the renter want to be there to meet the vendor to make sure everything was in good working order?
This is a private contract between you and the vendor and has nothing to do with Disney. I’m sure the vendors will work with you about late or delayed arrivals. After all, they want your business.

Well, when Cloud of Goods picked up my wheelchair six hours after my departure, they didn’t exactly “work with me.”

Going forward, I guess I will have to have my wheelchair picked up the day before departure in order to avoid missing my flight home. Too bad for me that I won’t be able to get around the day we leave.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Well, when Cloud of Goods picked up my wheelchair six hours after my departure, they didn’t exactly “work with me.”

Going forward, I guess I will have to have my wheelchair picked up the day before departure in order to avoid missing my flight home. Too bad for me that I won’t be able to get around the day we leave.

It sounds like they will still be working with a provider who is allowed to deliver and pick up at Bell Services. There may still be an option to for people with mobility devices when it all shakes out.

Who knows what price would look like with a lack of direct competition, but that’s another issue.

 

[disneygrandma]

Curious to read the official statement on this. When you're unable to walk distances, you're also unable to stand for long periods. It's not easy to arrange drop off and pick up of a mobility aid/device.

Do you think it's possible that Disney will start renting their own scooters, wheel chairs, and strollers at the resort? The strollers would need to be different than the style at the parks. This could be done by advanced reservation so the resort will have the desired inventory. Probably have a warehouse that stores the extras and distributes them to the designated resorts as needed. They already provide this service in the parks, why wouldn't they want to expand it to the resorts?

Of course, if the whole reason behind this change of policy is a reduction in the cast member numbers, then this wouldn't work.

 

[JoJoGirl]

There is NOTHING about the new policy on the DPB yet. When they changed the rules on smoking and stroller sizes and ice there was a post. I think people should wait for the official word from Disney before panicking.

Buena Vista Scooters just told my mother that the official policy announcement will come on Tuesday, October 1. They wouldn’t comment about grandfathering, etc., but did say that they will always deliver/pick up to the resorts even if they can’t use bell services. Mom prefers the controls on their scooters, so she is reserving today hoping to be grandfathered, and we will deal with whatever happens.

In the future, we will have to schedule flights and arrival/departure times to accommodate scooter pick up from the vendor, plus the possible delays that can happen with this procedure. Those afternoon flights are usually more expensive . This time we did not plan on it, and at this point our flights can’t be changed without spending $$$. We will handle it and have a great trip, but it is definitely one more hassle and expense for folks with mobility needs.

 

[Marionnette]

Buena Vista Scooters just told my mother that the official policy announcement will come on Tuesday, October 1. They wouldn’t comment about grandfathering, etc., but did say that they will always deliver/pick up to the resorts even if they can’t use bell services. Mom prefers the controls on their scooters, so she is reserving today hoping to be grandfathered, and we will deal with whatever happens.

In the future, we will have to schedule flights and arrival/departure times to accommodate scooter pick up from the vendor, plus the possible delays that can happen with this procedure. Those afternoon flights are usually more expensive . This time we did not plan on it, and at this point our flights can’t be changed without spending $$$. We will handle it and have a great trip, but it is definitely one more hassle and expense for folks with mobility needs.

An Oct. 1 date for the official announcement would explain grandfathering for those who reserved their equipment prior to that date. Much like when they grandfathered those with existing resort reservations from paying the overnight parking fee when it was announced.

From what I’ve read, and this is certainly not straight from Disney but from the vendors, there will be one company that will still be permitted to drop off and pick up at bell services. That vendor may or may not be one that many would choose to deal with but they are the only ones you can use if you want your stroller/ECV/wheelchair waiting for you upon arrival as well as the convenience of leaving it with bell services upon your departure. I don’t find that to be unreasonable if that is indeed the case.

 

[seashoreCM]

The situation, summarized:
A. Buy the strollers, wheelchairs, etc. from manufacturers and own them. Store the strollers, wheelchairs, etc. awaiting rental. Take orders and payments and assign the strollers, wheelchairs, etc.
B. Deliver the strollers, wheelchairs, etc. to WDW for renting guests. Retrieve them after the guests are finished using them.
Comparable proposal: Have the wheelchairs, strollers, etc. staged at WDW for handoff to guests and/or retrieval from guests at various places, any places, other than the existing interiors of resort buildings and existing pavement immediately adjacent to resort buildings.
C. Join up the guest and the rental company agent at the beginnings and ends of vacations for handing off of wheelchair or stroller, etc.

A few possibilities and permutations, some alluded to earlier but juxtaposed here for easy comparison:
1. A rental company might perform all of A, B, and C. Said company might be Disney (or a subsidiary of Disney) possibly coexisting with other existing rental companies.
2. A rental company might perform A and B and another company perform C for multiple rental companies. Disney could possibly be the company that provides C. (Another subsidiary of) Disney could possibly perform A and B only, coexisting with other rental companies.
3. A rental company might perform A and another company, possibly Disney, might perform B and C.

Some of the preceding replies have mentioned a willingness to pay an extra fee for C and/or pay a higher fee to get all of A, B, and C from the same company compared with having to arrange separately for C including such measures as getting an Uber.

Food for thought or conjecture: What rental companies would have the flexibility to accommodate guests in this situation? How do towncar companies deal with timing irregularities with guests arriving at the airport to begin their vacations? What would the resulting costs and fees be?

 

[DisneyHardin]

I can only imagine the massive amount of strollers and scooters they are handling to decide to take this sort of step. The resorts are not set up to receive, store, and hand out large numbers of scooters and ecvs.

A giant pain for those who need such things, but I get why they are doing so.

This is exactly what I was thinking. My thought was that it was a space issue. Groceries can be double stacked on shelving units - strollers and ECVs can't.

 

[JoJoGirl]

From what I’ve read, and this is certainly not straight from Disney but from the vendors, there will be one company that will still be permitted to drop off and pick up at bell services. That vendor may or may not be one that many would choose to deal with but they are the only ones you can use if you want your stroller/ECV/wheelchair waiting for you upon arrival as well as the convenience of leaving it with bell services upon your departure. I don’t find that to be unreasonable if that is indeed the case.

Yes, that is certainly better than an across-the-board ban. The sad thing is that it would reduce both choice and competition. Different companies offer different products. My mom Likes Buena Vista scooters because her hands are very arthritic and the tillers on their scooters don’t cause her pain, whereas others do. Other folks prefer different models, and it was great to have the choice. Also, without the competition, one preferred vendor will be able to charge a good premium. The end result will probably be less choice and increased cost. *sigh*

JMO, thanks for letting me vent a little.

 

[Marionnette]

Yes, that is certainly better than an across-the-board ban. The sad thing is that it would reduce both choice and competition. Different companies offer different products. My mom Likes Buena Vista scooters because her hands are very arthritic and the tillers on their scooters don’t cause her pain, whereas others do. Other folks prefer different models, and it was great to have the choice. Also, without the competition, one preferred vendor will be able to charge a good premium. The end result will probably be less choice and increased cost. *sigh*

JMO, thanks for letting me vent a little.

I completely understand. Disney has long been known for limiting choices while charging outrageous prices for things. Certainly having an exclusive vendor for drop off/pick up is going to lead to some price gouging. But we all pay in some way or another for convenience in life while compromising on choice. It’s just unfortunate that this decision will affect so many mobility-impaired guests. At least an option exists if the rumor of having one exclusive vendor is true. So many people have posted about the problems that arise for them if they cannot not have their equipment available upon arrival. They are valid complaints for some. I really hope that whatever vendor they have chosen will have an abundant, well-serviced fleet with a number of options to choose from (rumor has it that it will be Scooterbug).

 

[Disneypro1]

Rant incoming....

I've read all 5 pages now. And good Lord, enough is enough, Bob Chapek. Quit it already with the nickel & diming of Disney park guests. Seriously. Planning and managing a trip to WDW has now become so complicated that it's like planning the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Just bear with me on this for a sec.

This past spring, we took my MIL to Disneyland for a short 3-day visit. We stayed at the Park Vue Inn - a 5 min walk to the Esplanade (big open space in between the DCA & DL entrances). MIL had a handicapped accessible room on the 1st floor. And she arranged for an ECV to be waiting there at the hotel when she checked in. Like at any WDW resort (well, up until now), the ECV was basically waiting there when she checked in. It was great. SO convenient. My MIL has a hard enough time getting around now that there is literally no way that she could have joined us to go to dinner or anywhere that evening on arrival day if she didn't have that ECV or a wheelchair.

On another DL trip, a couple of days before our arrival at the DL hotel, I injured my foot doing yard work at home. I was able to hobble through the 1st day ok, but that evening, it was obvious that I was in a bad way. I was in a lot of pain and limping and hobbling around. The concierge downstairs at the DL hotel helped me rent an ECV from a local medical supply company. That totally saved the rest of my trip because the DL ECVs are not allowed to be taken over to the DL hotel. If this new WDW policy were to also apply to the DL on site resorts, then my trip would have been seriously screwed up. Yucko! No thank you!

So what if this was at WDW after this stupid policy goes into effect? What are our options? Well, not much really. Oh...but you can rent an ECV or wheelchair AT WDW...sure, but that's only AT each individual park and you can't take it on any of the transportation and you have to turn the ECV or wheelchair in at the park's main entrance at the end of your day. This won't work for a lot of disabled people.

Just think of the logistics of even getting from the check in desk at any of the WDW on site hotels to your room. In many cases, it can be a 1/4 mile walk. For somebody like my MIL, that's just not possible. So what's a guest to do?

I mean...think about it...what if your flight arrives late? Then you've missed your meet-the-wheelchair/ECV-delivery-person time, so you have to rearrange the meet time to pick up your disability transportation/mobility aid/device. What are you supposed to do in the meantime? I can just predict what Disney will do. An announcement about a new "service" where you can rent an ECV on site which you can take anywhere "on property" for the "low" price of $150/day. Well, forget it. In that case, I'll skip WDW altogether.

When you add that on top of all of the other complicated logistical decisions that you have to make in order to try to minimize having a lousy time waiting 1+ hour each time you want to go on a ride, well, it's just too much.

• increases in ticket prices
• on site hotel rates
• the insanity of making ADRs for TS restaurants 6 months ahead of time.
• don't get me started on having to reserve FPs. And heaven help you if somebody in your group actually wants to go on an attraction a 2nd time. Say your prayers because sometimes it'll take divine intervention to get another FP for that ride. Otherwise, it's a 90 min wait for you, kiddo.
• Magical Express & luggage delivery logistics - think of the hassles you might have had getting your bags delivered to your room in the middle of the night.
• You don't want to pay a small fortune for bottled water and you don't like drinking smelly pond water? Well, forget that now. Set aside time to meet the delivery person at the front reception/check in desk. And then figure out how you are going to haul your big delivery of groceries & bottled water to your room all by yourself. You know, since now you'll have to pay a fee for Bell Services to haul it for you the 1/4 mile to your room. Gee, a rental car would work out great for that...but you now get charged $25/day to park as a guest in that on site hotel. Might as well just forget all that and stay at a fancy resort off site and save yourself an arm and a leg instead.
• Check in process - sometimes it can take forever. God forbid there's a problem with your room because then you basically have to go down to the check in desk to get it sorted out. But oh wait! You can't do that, can you, because you need a wheelchair or ECV and yours hasn't been delivered yet!
• Memory Maker/Photo Pass - spend an arm and a leg for Photo Pass, but now they're replacing real live breathing PP photographers with automated cameras. FORGET IT! I'm not spending almost $200 for that! Forget it. I'll just use my iPhone for pictures.
• And now...the icing on the cake...no more accepting any deliveries for you at your on site hotel. You have to be there to pick it up in person. All of the transportation logistics alone and getting your bags delivered to your room can take forever and now add this on top of it. I mean, holy cow, now you've practically got to plan an extra day or 2 ahead of time just to unpack from what feels like a major cross country move to WDW before you can actually go DO anything.

We were seriously considering another WDW trip in a couple of years. But now? I'm not so sure. Planning and going on a WDW vacation now feels a lot more like work than it does an actual vacation.

Disney is starting to make it pretty clear that they don't really care much anymore about their theme park customer base.

Ah, Ok Sounds like maybe Disney isn't for you? As for us, We love WDW/DLR Nothing beats either one imho. If its all that bad for you...dont go.
We go every two years...WDW or DL Never have anything but a great time! Have never encountered your "issues" I personally love FP+ DL legacy FP is also great! I see you have a lot of personal complaints.........But again...you can always go elsewhere.
peace

 

[Brianstl]

Ah, Ok Sounds like maybe Disney isn't for you? As for us, We love WDW/DLR Nothing beats either one imho. If its all that bad for you...dont go.
We go every two years...WDW or DL Never have anything but a great time! Have never encountered your "issues" But again...you can always go elsewhere.
peace

Yeah those handicap people should just stay home.

 

[Disneypro1]

Yeah those handicap people should just stay home.

No, and that's not at all what any of this is about.....??
Its about a person that had more complaints about Disney than i have ever seen next to Katiebug. And all was about cost...and random complaints....wait times to check in....etc, water cost...etc.

 

[Brianstl]

No, and that's not at all what any of this is about.....??

Most of the post you replied to was about how Disney is making it more difficult and possibly more expensive for people with mobility issues to enjoy the parks and resorts.

 

[Disneypro1]

Most of the post you replied to was about how Disney is making it more difficult and possibly more expensive for people with mobility issues to enjoy the parks and resorts.

Others with mobility issues disagree. All Disney is asking is to meet for deliveries....etc. Anyone with issues will still enjoy the parks as always.
The poster i was quoting had along list of complaints...that has nothing to do with mobility.
This is all understandable....it was a complete mess..

 

[Brianstl]

Others with mobility issues disagree. All Disney is asking is to meet for deliveries....etc.

Which creates a hassle that didn’t exist before for people with a disability. It will, also, lead to increased prices for people with disabilities.

If you are paying $500+ a night on what are supposed to be deluxe accommodations or paid tens of thousands dollars + hundreds in yearly maintenance fees for a DVC these are services you should expect the resort to provide as part of the cost you pay. I would be especially upset if I was a disable DVC member who was now having the rules changed on me.

 

[Maggie Gallagher]

you can always go elsewhere.

I'm blown away by your lack of empathy.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Here is an email reply from Buena Vista Scooters after I asked them if they would be affected. They currently are one of the four 'Featured Providers' , currently allowed to drop off and pick up from bell services.

Hello Dan,

Yes, Buena Vista will be affected. Please remember though, all reservations made before Oct. 1st will be grandfathered into the NO meet and greet system. Even if the reservation is made for April 5th, 2025, Disney must honor the drop-off policy. All reservation made after Oct. 1st will need to be meet and greets. So make all reservation now on our website where you can save 20%. Also remember reservation dates can change, they just need to be on the books.



Thank you,

Buena Vista Rentals

 

[Disneypro1]

I'm blown away by your lack of empathy.

The poster i was quoting had complains far beyond mobility issues. One had nothing to do with another..so YES, if one has that many complaints...go somewhere else.
Also, i know posters that have commented on this thread personally. Some agree with Disney here....and they HAVE mobility issues.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

You could fly with your stroller or use bell services to deliver your luggage.

No, because we don't check bags or strollers because we hate to wait at the airport for them, because airlines are not exactly gentle on strollers, and because people do steal them at the parks. And bell services is a joke and has been long before they had a ton of people ordering Amazon items. We once checked our bags because our room wasn't ready at check in, when it was we called down and were told it was an hour wait to have them delivered. In fact, I've always had to go and fetch whatever I had being held at bell services because if I waited I would have been late for a dinner reservation or missed out on hard party ticket time, etc. It's not the going and fetching that bothers me personally, it's the having to meet them at a certain time, because flights do get delayed or sometimes you're the last stop on Magical Express. But I do think it's immoral to make people who need ECVs and wheelchairs have to meet at a certain time, because then they have to somehow make it to their room and back without the device, or else just wait in the lobby for hours I guess. Nevermind the possibility of missing a flight if your vendor doesn't show up on time on the pickup day.

I don't believe this policy will help the delays at bell services anyway, they will likely gain some space and cut staff without improving bell services at all. Call me cynical but they've also made cuts to live entertainment recently, they're trying to save on staff salaries not improve the guest experience, likely in order to bolster Q4 numbers in the wake of the tepid response to GE. It's pathetic.