ECV Question

[tbrenk73]

Can they be reserved in advance or are the first come first serve?

 

[Chuck S]

They are first come, first served at Disney. However, you can rent them from an offsite company and have it delivered to your hotel. That way you'll have use of it both at the parks and at the hotel.

If you are staying onsite, the Disney busses can accomodate 2 wheelchair or ECVs per bus.

If you are staying offsite, most offsite rental ECVs can be taken apart and hauled in your trunk to/from the parks.

 

[disneynutz]

You can find additional info here.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=595713

 

[kimsuenew]

Just an FYI - if you rent from the WDW parks the EVC's are excellent (all new this year) and quite easy to use but they are "first come, first served" and during peak times they do rent out! We actually got the last one (I am sure there were spares somewhere in case one breaks down) they were renting at AK on a Saturday! I am considering renting for our duration next trip, so I do not have to rush to the parks and can use them at places like DDT, however I am not thrilled with the 3 wheeled models (they do not look stable to me... just my opinion) that rental places have, and I really liked the WDW ones, so I am considering it but not concrete in my choice! Have a wonderful trip!

 

[disneynutz]

Just an FYI - if you rent from the WDW parks the EVC's are excellent (all new this year) and quite easy to use but they are "first come, first served" and during peak times they do rent out! We actually got the last one (I am sure there were spares somewhere in case one breaks down) they were renting at AK on a Saturday! I am considering renting for our duration next trip, so I do not have to rush to the parks and can use them at places like DDT, however I am not thrilled with the 3 wheeled models (they do not look stable to me... just my opinion) that rental places have, and I really liked the WDW ones, so I am considering it but not concrete in my choice! Have a wonderful trip!

I find the off site rentals very stable. They are a little smaller and easier to maneuver. They cost less and you can use them at your resort.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yeah - what Disneynutz said! The three-wheel ECVs are extremely stable (except when you ride one sideways off a curb...). While I've seen the new Disney ECVs, I didn't look at the controls or - obviously - use one, but the older models were annoying in that you couldn't just back up by pressing the reverse throttle. You had to flip a switch, then flip it back to go forward.

If you'd still prefer a four-wheel model, you can rent a heavy-duty ECV from any of the offsite companies. These are built to carry much more weight (but still only one person) than the standard models, but a renter doesn't have to be heavy to choose one. They cost a little more per day than the standard ECVs, but again you will have it for use 24 hours a day; calculated on a per-hour basis, they're still an excellent deal. Example: Animal Kingdom is open 9 - 5. At $35 a day, the Disney rental would average out to $4.375 an hour. A four-wheel off-site rental at (estimated) $45 a day would average out to $1.875 an hour.

 

[kimsuenew]

Thanks Disneynutz & Kaytieeldr... I appreciate the information! Any specific company you suggest (from personal experience)? I know it is just my quirk... but I want 4 wheels! It brings me back to ATV's we used to ride (hubby, me, friends) when we were dating and young... the 4 wheeler my husband had was so much more stable than his friends 3 wheeler.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks Disneynutz & Kaytieeldr... I appreciate the information! Any specific company you suggest (from personal experience)?

Any of the companies that are listed in the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board are recommended by DIS posters (the link that someone posted earlier in this thread). In the disABILITIES FAQs thread, you will find links to websites and also phone numbers for a number of companies. Most of them have pictures of what they rent.