ECV / Scooter Info HELP - DL

[disneykreyzee]

Not sure if this is the right place to post but.....I am in desperate need of any info about ECV / Scooter rental and use for and upcoming Disneyland trip with the grandchildren. We will be staying at the Dolphin Cove off site and my ederly father is in need of some extra help but I don't know anything about ECV / Scooter use. This is his first time using them also.

Where to rent? How much? How easy is it to use in the park? Any problem areas to watch for? If we rent off site, how do I get it on the ART shuttle? Will that be a problem?

Thanks for any help!!!!

 

[elwise1966]

I'll answer the questions I can...
The rental is $55.00 a day of which they refund $20 when you return the key
You can use the scooter at either park and just drive it between them.
You can not take the scooter past the security check tents on either side of the entrance plaza.
The rental location varies depending on anticipated crowds. If it's going to be a busy day, they set up a tent to the right of the entrance gates of DL so you would rent it and then go into the park. For slower days, you enter the park first and the rental place is to the right hand side.
You can also rent inside DCA on the right side near the lockers/restrooms.
I have heard of a couple of offsite rental places (check the FAQ) and I believe they deliver it to your hotel. I don't know about loading an ECV on the ART bus, but I would assume they are accessible. Be safe and call ahead. The offsite rentals are generally 3 wheel scooters that are much easier to drive and control. The ones at the park are 4 wheel and a little harder to maneuver, but not too bad (they are heavy duty models btw).
Using them in the park is pretty easy.
When you rent one at the park, they will give you a guide for guests with disabilities that tells you where to go to get on each attraction. Most of the DL rides you enter through the exit gate or a separate entrance and bypass the line entirely.
At DCA, all the rides are compliant and you get in the queue with everybody else.
At DCA there are curbs in the Hollywood Backlot area you need to watch for.
At DL, be careful on Main St. More than one person has driven off the curb, and I know of one lady from the boards here who actually tipped it over going off the curb and had the scooter pin her to the ground.
I would strongly suggest you take your father to the grocery store or some other store that has ecv's for customer use and let him practice for a while.
As for which is easier...it's a toss up. It's easier not to have to drag the ecv from the hotel and have it loaded, then unloaded. But if your father can't manage a short walk, he'll need it.
The ART bus drops you off fairly close to the entrance plaza. I would say he'd have to walk maybe 75 yards or so at most (to DL rental, DCA is a little further).

Wow that was long...If you have any further questions, just ask.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I will toss in to additional comments.

One is that they tend to run out of ECVs fairly early in the day. I went several months ago and did not get there until about noon, and not only were they out of ECVs but they told me there were 12 people ahead of me on the waiting list.

If you do rent from off-site, beware of Alan's Rentals. I have seen, both here and on another board, many negative comments about this company. To which I added three additional negative comments from a five day rental I had.

 

[elwise1966]

Cheshire is right, they do tend to run out of them fairly early in the day and you can't reserve one in advance. It's strictly first come, first serve.

 

[kaytieeldr]

At DL, be careful on Main St. More than one person has driven off the curb, and I know of one lady from the boards here who actually tipped it over going off the curb and had the scooter pin her to the ground.

Um, that would be me but I do want to state that I was not injured at all! Just embarassed...

 

[emerymt]

The DL scooters have faster speeds than the ones at WDW which (so I hear) only have one setting- slow.

 

[cupcake]

I am not sure if this will work, but here is a trip report for DL in an ECV I did. If it doesn't, I pulled this up by searching for me as the author. The post says something like DL trip report (so creative!) in the title.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=596631&referrerid=&highlight=

Another no vote for Alan's. I got a truly lame ECV (slow, inconsistent speed, no auto brake when I stopped on an incline, seemed to be on the verge of dying, did not hold a charge so I had to carry the charger with me and keep recharging it) and was told it was bc they were supplying for another big event and that was all they had. Sorry, but not a good excuse. If you do not have enough ECVs, then don't rent subpar ones that should be retired. Called to complain and was told that was all there was. It died after a few days leaving me stranded mid-park. They must not rent a lot to DL guests, as they did not even have an AP, and had to be escorted by a front gate DL cast member to rescue me. I got a fabulous fancy ECV from their sales floor for the rest of my trip.

On the plus side, the ECV was waiting at my hotel and it was still better than worrying about whether I would be able to get an ECV at the park, plus we stayed across the street from DL and I was able to commute to the park.

Do read my trip report, if for nothing else than to be aware of DL's practice of having wc guests exit nowhere near the wcs. If you can transfer, take your sc/ECV in with you, even if you don't want to use up a wc spot!

Overall, would not rent from them again. Have a great trip!!

Cupcake

 

[SueM in MN]

Does anyone know of a company for Disneyland other than Alan's?
That is the only company I have seen anything written about for DL. And I appreciate knowing about the negatives, since I had only seen sort of neutral reports (not negative, but not overwhelmingly positive either).

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There is a place called Century Medical. Here is a link from a different forum that discusses ECV rentals at DL and give's Century's web site and phone numbver.

 

[SueM in MN]

thanks

 

[elwise1966]

Um, that would be me but I do want to state that I was not injured at all! Just embarassed...

I beg to differ...your pride was indeed "injured"


Hi Kaytieeldr! How have you been?

 

[Lachesis00]

(((kaytieeldr))))

I drove off the curb too. Seems like one of the back wheels. Luckily I held it up as my poor husband helped me move it. Talk about embarrassing!

I also tended to get stuck in the tracks for the little trolly that goes around. Those wheels fit perfectly. :/