Is it hard to get a ECV around 4 or 5pm in the parks?

[ADisneyQueen]

I need one b/c I will be recovering from a broken foot and will (hopefully) be in a walking cast by then. If I rent one from the parks for the day and take a break in the afternoon, will it be hard to get one when I return around 4 or 5?
I'm not sure I want to rent one for the whole vacation (9 days) b/c we will be offsite with a car and not doing parks each day. Also, we will have either a mid size or full size car and I'm not sure it will fit.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

If I rent one from the parks for the day and take a break in the afternoon, will it be hard to get one when I return around 4 or 5?

I don't know if this was official Disney policy, but when my wife needed an ocassional ECV a couple of years back, on days when her hip was playing up, she would rent an ECV as we entered in the morning and return it to the rental store at lunch time. We would tell them we were coming back later and they would keep it to one side with her rental label in the basket for our return.

The general concensus on these boards is that it is always better to rent offsite, but in my wife's case this was overkill because she spent a lot of her time by the pool reading and relaxing, only making ocassional trips to the parks and then only using an ECV when her hip was particularly painful

Andrew

 

[bidnow5]

I bring my own ECV now but when I was renting a few years ago we would always go to the hotel for a while in the afternoon and they always held mine till we returned a few hours later.

 

[mechurchlady]

I don't know if this was official Disney policy, but when my wife needed an ocassional ECV a couple of years back, on days when her hip was playing up, she would rent an ECV as we entered in the morning and return it to the rental store at lunch time. We would tell them we were coming back later and they would keep it to one side with her rental label in the basket for our return.

The general concensus on these boards is that it is always better to rent offsite, but in my wife's case this was overkill because she spent a lot of her time by the pool reading and relaxing, only making ocassional trips to the parks and then only using an ECV when her hip was particularly painful

Andrew

I know that Disneyland allows you to rent one then return it for a hold for later. Last April I would leave mine at DLR and then drive home to feed my mother the drive back and continue in the parks.

 

[Bete]

If you park hop, it's an absolute no to holding an ECV from Disney. What I'm unsure of is whether or not you can hold it at the same park by coming back later. I doubt it.

I will say this about it all; MK starts to empty after the parade; so, there should be an ECV available right off, if you return at 5pm. I feel the same about HS after the Block Party; there should be ECVs available. You would not go back to AK; unless, it was for late extra magic hours and I would think you are okay on that count, as well. The bad place is Epcot. It's open late and it's more popular with adults, especially older adults, who are more likely to use ECVs.

We had a problem once at Epcot and I have a trick, but it still requires you to walk some or have someone else get it and come back with it to you. At World Showcase there is another entrance/exit by the boat docks. There are ECVs to rent there, as well. Since, not as many people rent there; you can usually get one pretty easy. If you are coming from the resorts with the boat dock like Boardwalk, etc. then you would come in that way anyway.

Finally, we were caught once at HS and you can be put on a waiting list for an ECV. You need a cell phone; so, they can get a hold of you.

Those are some of my hints.