Getting to and around Universal and IOA

[bound2travel]

Can you rent an ECV at either Universal or IOA?

What rides have stairs and is there an alternative to the stairs for those attractions?

If I stay off site, where does the hotel shuttle drop off/pick up? City Walk or at the beginning of that loooonnnnggg walk way before City Walk?

Thank you

 

[Badge]

You can rent an ECV at the parks, but they can't leave the parks. That means you would have to walk around citywalk.

We just had to get an EVC on our last trip this summer. Granted we were staying onsite, so if you are staying offsite you might have to do something different. However, we just called the hotel and they booked an EVC for us from a company they use (apple scooters I think it was). When we got to the hotel, the EVC was waiting for us there. We even had a problem with it one morning where it was not charging. Called star services and they came and picked it up for us from the room and dropped off another for us in a matter of minutes.

As far as rides go, EVERY ride at the park can deal with wheelchairs of any kind. Some of them will take you to "backstage" areas to access an elevator, but everything has signs telling you where to go. If you are not in a wheelchair but can't manage stairs, ask the team member at the front of the ride (every ride has a team member at the entrance before you get in line) if the line has stairs and if so, you can use the wheelchair area to avoid them. Universal is really good when it comes to dealing with wheelchairs.

As far as where a bus will drop you off, I am not 100% sure. I think it is to the side of the Universal park (where their own busses drop you off if you don't take the boat I think) which means the only long walk will be getting to IOA. I could be wrong, so wait for somebody else to answer on that question.

Just google search wheelchair rentals near Orlando. There are a ton of companies to pick from if you are staying offsite and many will drop it off at the hotel for you for free. If you are staying onsite, give the hotel a call and they will be glad to help you.

 

[fairyprincess88]

While I am not sure about anything ECV related I do know where the hotel shuttles drop you off at. The drop off is under the parking garages, basically you take either the elevator or escalator up and then go to your left for bag check. So yep, it's the long way through City Walk. They do have the moving sidewalks though to at least help with part of the treck.

 

[christophfam]

We just did this a couple of weeks ago. We drove and found out we could rent a wheelchair in the main area of the parking garages near where the restrooms are just before the baggage check. From there we could take the wheelchair to the park (either one) and upgrade it to an ECV. I would recommend reserving your EVC by calling guest services because our first day arriving in the early afternoon they did not have any EVCs available.

http://www.universalorlando.com/Resort-Information/Rentals.aspx

 

[SueM in MN]

You can rent an ECV at the parks, but they can't leave the parks. That means you would have to walk around citywalk.

We just had to get an EVC on our last trip this summer. Granted we were staying onsite, so if you are staying offsite you might have to do something different. However, we just called the hotel and they booked an EVC for us from a company they use (apple scooters I think it was). When we got to the hotel, the EVC was waiting for us there. We even had a problem with it one morning where it was not charging. Called star services and they came and picked it up for us from the room and dropped off another for us in a matter of minutes.

As far as rides go, EVERY ride at the park can deal with wheelchairs of any kind. Some of them will take you to "backstage" areas to access an elevator, but everything has signs telling you where to go. If you are not in a wheelchair but can't manage stairs, ask the team member at the front of the ride (every ride has a team member at the entrance before you get in line) if the line has stairs and if so, you can use the wheelchair area to avoid them. Universal is really good when it comes to dealing with wheelchairs.

As far as where a bus will drop you off, I am not 100% sure. I think it is to the side of the Universal park (where their own busses drop you off if you don't take the boat I think) which means the only long walk will be getting to IOA. I could be wrong, so wait for somebody else to answer on that question.

Just google search wheelchair rentals near Orlando. There are a ton of companies to pick from if you are staying offsite and many will drop it off at the hotel for you for free. If you are staying onsite, give the hotel a call and they will be glad to help you.

To find some rental companies that are recommended by DIS posters, follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread and go to post 2.

The first part of that post is about renting wheelchairs and ECVs in the WDW parks, but if you scroll a little further into the post, you will find a list of phone numbers and web links to companies recommended by DIS posters.

Post 9 of that thread has a link to the Universal Rider's Guide for Guests with Disabilities.

 

[bound2travel]

Thank you for the replies. It sounds as if I'll need to splurge on an on-site hotel so that I don't have to travel the length of that llllloooonnnggg walkway before you even get to City Walk. A wheelchair isn't practical for me as I travel alone, but if I can get some friends to go.. then that will be an option.

My knee will be done for if I walk the garage, sidewalk and city walk. City Walk I can handle but not the rest.

I'll be back when I get closer to planning my trip.

Thanks again.

 

[donaldduck352]

To find some rental companies that are recommended by DIS posters, follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread and go to post 2.

The first part of that post is about renting wheelchairs and ECVs in the WDW parks, but if you scroll a little further into the post, you will find a list of phone numbers and web links to companies recommended by DIS posters.

Post 9 of that thread has a link to the Universal Rider's Guide for Guests with Disabilities.

Thank you for the replies. It sounds as if I'll need to splurge on an on-site hotel so that I don't have to travel the length of that llllloooonnnggg walkway before you even get to City Walk. A wheelchair isn't practical for me as I travel alone, but if I can get some friends to go.. then that will be an option.

My knee will be done for if I walk the garage, sidewalk and city walk. City Walk I can handle but not the rest.

I'll be back when I get closer to planning my trip.

Thanks again.

I deff look into the forum that SueM stated,that way you have a ECV for your whole vacation not a rent per park kinda thing that would cost alot of $$.