Golf cart rental questions

[minniebride]

Hi there!

We are heading to HDDR for Christmas Eve (first time!) & we thought we would go over to FW a few hours early that day. We've never been to FW and I've been curious to see it since the early 80's! We want to check out the surroundings for a future trip and also check out all the Christmas decorations at the campsites!

Anyways, we thought it would be really fun to rent a golf cart & I just have a few questions:

-Do we need to reserve one far in advance? As mentioned we will want to use one on Christmas Eve (afternoon-early evening).
-Can we rent one by the hour or half day?
-Can non-FW guests rent one? We will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge.

Thanks!

 

[bama_ed]

Hi there!

We are heading to HDDR for Christmas Eve (first time!) & we thought we would go over to FW a few hours early that day. We've never been to FW and I've been curious to see it since the early 80's! We want to check out the surroundings for a future trip and also check out all the Christmas decorations at the campsites!

Anyways, we thought it would be really fun to rent a golf cart & I just have a few questions:

-Do we need to reserve one far in advance? As mentioned we will want to use one on Christmas Eve (afternoon-early evening).
-Can we rent one by the hour or half day?
-Can non-FW guests rent one? We will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge.

Thanks!

Christmas is a busy time at the Fort so call as soon as you can to make a reservation. You will want to rent from Disney which is about $65/day (no shorter rates). Some off-site vendors provide carts at a price cheaper than Disney but typically require a 3-day minimum rental period. So going with Disney would be your best bet. Even if you are at WL you can reserve it for the day.

You pick it up at the check-in area of the Fort up near where the horse rides start from. You can take a bus or boat from WL to the Fort Settlement area (near Pioneer Hall and Trail's End restaurant) then take any bus (Orange, Yellow, or Purple) up to the end of the line which is the check in area of the Fort and get your golf cart there.

Bama ED

PS-reserve your cart ASAP!

PPS- you will love HDDR

 

[minniebride]

Christmas is a busy time at the Fort so call as soon as you can to make a reservation. You will want to rent from Disney which is about $65/day (no shorter rates). Some off-site vendors provide carts at a price cheaper than Disney but typically require a 3-day minimum rental period. So going with Disney would be your best bet. Even if you are at WL you can reserve it for the day.

You pick it up at the check-in area of the Fort up near where the horse rides start from. You can take a bus or boat from WL to the Fort Settlement area (near Pioneer Hall and Trail's End restaurant) then take any bus (Orange, Yellow, or Purple) up to the end of the line which is the check in area of the Fort and get your golf cart there.

Bama ED

PS-reserve your cart ASAP!

PPS- you will love HDDR

Thank you so much for the info!

I have a few more questions if you don't mind.

-We will likely be at FW around 1:30/2:00. We are heading there right after our 12 noon lunch reservation from Epcot (we are planning to split a quick meal). Our HDDR ADR is at 4pm, so we are only talking 2 hours max to explore the FW grounds. Do you think it's worth renting the golf cart for that short of time? We are not concerned about the cost. It's our honeymoon, so we want to make the most of it & honestly, I've been wanting to check out FW since my childhood trips in the early 1980's!!

-Do FW Disers ever set up systems where they let Diser's rent their cart for an hour or two (for a price of course)? Would it be worth starting a thread to ask or is that forbidden from Disney?

-We are so excited about HDDR!!! Perfect way to spend Christmas Eve in our opinion!!

Thank you!!

BTW: Hope you are staying cool in Alabama!! My fiance lived in Birmingham for 10 years (he worked over at Flemings Steakhouse) & we visited some of his friends there a year or two ago right around this time and man was it hot!!!

 

[bama_ed]

If the cost of one day's cart is no object I would still get one in your situation. Even if you only have 2 hours, the decorations at campers' sites are worth the view. It sounds like you have an early HDDR time so you would also have time to attend Chip & Dale's singalong/movie which would start at 7pm (singalong) and the movie is at about 745pm. You can roast marshmellows at the campfires they have. Plus pose for a pix with Chip or Dale. If you don't want to stay for the movie you can use the cart to view some more decorations. That is, unless you have somewhere else to be that evening. So take the afternoon/evening to enjoy the Fort.

Never heard of DISsers sub-letting their carts. I think you'll have to use the Mouse's at the one-day rate.

Although lots of sites are decorated, the heaviest concentration is down close to HDDR/Pioneer Hall in loops 700, 100, 200 and especially along the main roads.

Have a good time on your honeymoon and let your husband win an arguement every once in a while.

Bama ED

 

[minniebride]

If the cost of one day's cart is no object I would still get one in your situation. Even if you only have 2 hours, the decorations at campers' sites are worth the view. It sounds like you have an early HDDR time so you would also have time to attend Chip & Dale's singalong/movie which would start at 7pm (singalong) and the movie is at about 745pm. You can roast marshmellows at the campfires they have. Plus pose for a pix with Chip or Dale. If you don't want to stay for the movie you can use the cart to view some more decorations. That is, unless you have somewhere else to be that evening. So take the afternoon/evening to enjoy the Fort.

Never heard of DISsers sub-letting their carts. I think you'll have to use the Mouse's at the one-day rate.

Although lots of sites are decorated, the heaviest concentration is down close to HDDR/Pioneer Hall in loops 700, 100, 200 and especially along the main roads.

Have a good time on your honeymoon and let your husband win an arguement every once in a while.

Bama ED

I will try! & he says he appreciates you looking out for him

Money is no object for this trip-we are definitely doing a splurge of a trip for this round & have been saving up to do so.

You have convinced me! I'm going to call and reserve one in the morning.

Which # do I call to reserve a cart? (407) WDW-PLAY? Or a different number?

We have always wanted to see the campsite decorations! We've watched clips of them on Youtube.

Is there a FAQ on here with common questions about the carts? Like, is there a curfew at night when you have to stop riding them or anything? & how late they are open to drop off the cart when we are finished with it?

Our agenda that day (Christmas Eve) is:
-Some Epcot in the AM
-Appetizers & beer at the Rose & Crown at noon
-Head right over to FW from there.
-Explore FW until 3:45
-4pm HDDR dinner show
-Maybe do some more FW exploring Or head into a park just to say we did
-Back to our hotel (WL) to see if there are any holiday festivities going on & relax

 

[bama_ed]

Call 407-824-2742 option 5 for a fort cart. Rentals expire daily at 1pm approx so if u get it that afgernoon and turn it in that night it's a one day rental. When u call ask how long they are open for returns. Never rented a disney cart, used an offsite vendor, but plenty oof people have done so here.

No faq re: disney carts. You can ride them 24/7 as long as u follow the rules.

Try the campfire singalong at 7pm. The conestoga wagon behind the bleachers sells sticks/mellows/grahams/ choc to make smores all for abt $10. I hustle toget my pix with bothe C&D they split the group 50/50 so iget in the front of one side then hustle to the back of the other side.

Good luck!

Bama ed

PS-tip a Bass Ale at the Rose & Crown at epcot for me and my dad. We have a healthy habit of whenever either of us are at R&C we call the other while downing a Bass. Of course the one receiving the call is jealous and schedules his next trip to the fort to plot his revenge.

 

[minniebride]

Call 407-824-2742 option 5 for a fort cart. Rentals expire daily at 1pm approx so if u get it that afgernoon and turn it in that night it's a one day rental. When u call ask how long they are open for returns. Never rented a disney cart, used an offsite vendor, but plenty oof people have done so here.

No faq re: disney carts. You can ride them 24/7 as long as u follow the rules.

Try the campfire singalong at 7pm. The conestoga wagon behind the bleachers sells sticks/mellows/grahams/ choc to make smores all for abt $10. I hustle toget my pix with bothe C&D they split the group 50/50 so iget in the front of one side then hustle to the back of the other side.

Good luck!

Bama ed

Thank you Ed~you have been so helpful!! I am calling to book first thing tomorrow morning....I hope they still have carts available for Christmas Eve!

The campfire sounds like alot of fun! I think we will check that out as well.

It seems like everyone is rushing around to do alot of park stuff for Christmas Eve, but we are just looking to take in the other side of the Disney Magic.

ETA: Uh, oh, I found a website with the Bike Barn hours and they are open 8am-6pm Does that mean if we pick up our cart at 1:30-ish pm on Christmas Eve, we have to return it by 6pm that day? We would love to be able to use it again after HDDR (which will get out around 6:15pm)..... I'll ask when I call them, but I hope this is not the case. If the Bike Barn is not located close to HDDR, we would only be able to use it for a very short time....

OR, I wonder if you get the cart for 24 hours and it's actually due back the next day the same time we signed it out? If that is the case, where the heck would we park it for the night? We are staying at the WL.

 

[bama_ed]

Up until a year ago or so the golf carts were rented by disney from the bike barn in the center of the fort. Then it was moved up to the Reception Outpost checkin area of the fort which is open 24/7. Again ask about specific hours when u call but carts are no longer rented at the bike barn.

All I can say is ask when you call. In the interest of full disclosure I have never rented a fort cart but have read alot of posts of those who have.

Bama ed

 

[minniebride]

Up until a year ago or so the golf carts were rented by disney from the bike barn in the center of the fort. Then it was moved up to the Reception Outpost checkin area of the fort which is open 24/7. Again ask about specific hours when u call but carts are no longer rented at the bike barn.

All I can say is ask when you call. In the interest of full disclosure I have never rented a fort cart but have read alot of posts of those who have.

Bama ed

Will do Ed-thanks again!!