Minimum age to drive a private golf cart?

[cbnsoul]

I was wondering what age is required to drive a privately owned golf cart at Ft Wilderness? I know the carts rented from Disney require the driver to be 16 with a valid license but the state of Florida only requires you to be 14. Not sure if that 14 minimum age is applicable at Disney since it is private property. Thanks.

 

[PaHunter]

Disney policy states all drivers must be 16, but I have never seen it enforced.
Part of the Fort roadway system is for campers coming in and going out, imagine a youngster seeing my rig coming at them. It is located in the signature. They may panic, and it could end badly.

 

[Teamubr]

To echo PAHunter's post. Here is the link to the Fort Cart Rental page. It states "Drivers must be 16 years of age and up with a valid driver license, and all drivers must have their license on them when operating the cart".

Now, this is in reference to a Fort cart rental. Many have interpreted this as ANY cart (personal or outside rental) needs to follow the same rules.

As others have (will) comment, you will see many examples of people operating a cart that likely are too young to have a valid driver license.

j

 

[Gino USMC]

I have heard stories that Fort Security has and will pull underage drivers over and confiscate rental carts or wait with the private cart until a parent/owner comes and gets it.

 

[Bjkandma]

Not sure insurance would cover accidents with some one under 16 without a driver's license. As you stated Disney is private property. Also, you are actually driving on roads with large rvs coming and going, along with younger kids.

 

[sippican]

I was wondering what age is required to drive a privately owned golf cart at Ft Wilderness? I know the carts rented from Disney require the driver to be 16 with a valid license but the state of Florida only requires you to be 14. Not sure if that 14 minimum age is applicable at Disney since it is private property. Thanks.

Does the age of 14 apply to street legal carts that are opertated on roadways occupied by vehicles other than carts?

 

[Bishoparc]

Picture of the FW Rules


No one under 16 or without a driver’s license is supposed to drive a cart on Disney Property. Notice in the private cart rules it says “Follow general vehicle and general cart rules above” which the general cart rules say “Cart drivers must be at least 16 years of age AND hold a valid driver’s license”.

The state law also says the following which enforces Disney’s ability to set their own rules “The operation of golf carts on roads must comply with any more restrictive ordinances enacted by local government and should be verified prior to operating these vehicles.”

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I couldnt back it up with proof but I recall reading here previously that the Sheriffs dept has jurisdiction over the roads inside the Fort and that they can and will write tickets.
As far as Disney security actually enforcing anything...... I will believe that when I see unicorns at the Fort.

 

[Stratman50th]

As far as the Sheriff enforcing traffic laws, the roads within the Fort are private property and state traffic laws, with the exception of DWI and Reckless aren't enforceable. Security would be able to enforce Disney rules with whatever sanctions they have available.
Once you get out of the Fort property proper the roads are subject to traffic laws. You could drive a cart on them but it would have to be licensed and need to be equipped with all the street legal equipment. The operator would also need to have a valid license.
I know this was probably too much info but hey, once a cop, always a cop regardless of retirement status.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

My understanding was that Disney had signed jurisdiction of the internal roads over. I am sure the process varies by state, again, I dont have the data to back it up but I recall someone spelling it out on here a long time ago. I doubt anyone at Disney would/could tell you but it would be an interesting conversation with one of the deputies.

 

[Stratman50th]

My understanding was that Disney had signed jurisdiction of the internal roads over. I am sure the process varies by state, again, I dont have the data to back it up but I recall someone spelling it out on here a long time ago. I doubt anyone at Disney would/could tell you but it would be an interesting conversation with one of the deputies.

I don't doubt it. When I say private property I use it in the legal sense. Legally, if the roadways within the boarders of the Fort were "public", you wouldn't be permitted to drive a golf cart on them unless they met Florida law as a street legal motor vehicle. Tagged and all the approved equipment like headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, a horn and not sure about this but maybe a slow moving vehicle triangle.
Look at the Fort as a giant parking lot.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Youngsters recklessly driving around on these carts very irksome, seen it in many campgrounds we have gone to. Not all or that yours would, but I hope they do enforce at least 16 year age.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Funny, this thread just highlighted, for me, that our oldest will be able to drive the cart when we camp in August. She will get her license next month. Doubtful we'd let her go out without one of us tagging along, but she will be able to drive. Some extended looping may be in order!

 

[jkh36619]

Saw quite a few under aged drivers this week. Guess its not to heavily enforced.

 

[himandher818]

our oldest will be able to drive the cart when we camp in August

Sounds to me like you have volunteer to pick up the chicken order from P&J's.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Saw quite a few under aged drivers this week. Guess its not to heavily enforced.

Like so many other rules at Disney its rarely enforced IMHO.

 

[Gino USMC]

Sounds to me like you have volunteer to pick up the chicken order from P&J's.

Get the pizza too, its Bama Eds favorite...

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Get the pizza too, its Bama Eds favorite...

We haven't tried the pizza yet. Will have to do that this time around!

 

[Gino USMC]

We haven't tried the pizza yet. Will have to do that this time around!

Bama Ed actually dislikes it very much. My family and I really enjoyed and then people on this board told me it is just a generic frozen pizza. I still really enjoy it.

 

[bama_ed]

Bama Ed actually dislikes it very much. My family and I really enjoyed and then people on this board told me it is just a generic frozen pizza. I still really enjoy it.

Well, to be honest, I've never had the pizza from P&J's takeout that I can recall but it's been 20 years. At most possibly once and it may have been underwhelming. I STILL have the Papa John's and Domino's phone numbers in my cellphone contact list for Lake Buena Vista.

But I had relayed a story from these boards over the years over the wide variety of pizza quality that fans have had. Some have been okay. More have been awful.

Gino might be referring to the story i repeated from somebody about getting a pizza from P&J's, taking it out of the box, throwing the pizza away, and eating the box (it tastes better). I thought it was an accurate (and humorous) story.

Bama Ed

PS - for the time it takes to get D or PJ's pizza in LBV, it's not very different as the trip down to P&J's to wait and watch them unwrap the frozen hockey puck pizza and put it in the oven and wait for it to come out-so it's the same as what's in the freezer section of your local grocery store. Plus at D or PJ's there is usually a coupon or two-fer option to get cheap hot delicious pizza to feed all the little chickens in my chicken coup. Locals prefer the Flipper's pizza chain in central FL but I haven't tried those.

PPS - you can eat your P&J and I'll eat my LBV chain and we'll all be happy.

PPS - but we are going