Hi! I'm very happy my mom and dad are going to spend one day at DHS in September on the 15th... They plan to rent two ECVs at the park. Has anyone been when they've run out of ECVs? They don't have a vehicle big enough to bring their own... Anything yall can tell me to help make the process smooth would be great! Thank you!
Here are some GENERAL tips for new
ECV users: (I shamelessly borrowed these from some of my own posts over on the disABILITIES forum!)
WDW refers to scooters as "ECVs" (Electric Conveyance Vehicles) You must be 18 years of age, or older to use any ECV or
scooter at WDW.
For the purposes of this advice, I'm going to assume that you are staying on-site at a Walt Disney World (WDW) Resort Hotel.
The average family walks between 3 and 8 miles PER DAY at WDW. Many people prefer to have an ECV available to them all the time. Some of the Resort Hotel grounds are HUGE, and the walking there alone can add up really fast! Not to mention if you decide to visit another Resort, or go to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs (which is growing in size daily!) Since almost every form of transportation at WDW is "scooter friendly", it's no problem to take your rental along on the internal bus system, the monorails, and the majority of the boats. Almost all of the lines for rides & shows are "mainlined" as well, so you don't have to get off the scooter unless you want to park it, and stretch your legs.
When we talk about
ECV rental at WDW, there are 2 ways to rent an ECV. First type of rental is a "park rental". WDW has ECVs that are available to rent for $50/day currently + a $20 to $100 refundable deposit. These are rented on a "First come, first served" basis. The WDW scooters have just recently been replaced, and they are designed to be a heavy-duty workhorse unit (like the ones you see at grocery stores, minus the big wire basket on the front).
You cannot take this ECV away from the theme park that you rent it at, but you can "hop" the rental to another park, provided that park you hop to has ECVs available to rent. The theme parks often run out of ECVs early in the day, but as people go back to swim at the Resort, or start to park hop through the day, more ECVs become available. You cannot reserve a park rental.
Second type is an "offsite vendor". Walt Disney World has a list of "Featured Providers" (found on
this page) that are allowed to drop off/pick up rental scooters at WDW Resorts for guests staying there without the guest being present (so that the scooter can be there when you arrive, and be picked up after you leave). If you rent from a company that is NOT a "Featured Provider", you WILL have to meet the vendor both when they drop off, and pick up the scooter. This isn't a huge deal-breaker; just be sure to allow extra time in your schedule for this at the start, and the conclusion of your stay at WDW.
All of the non-WDW scooter rental vendors in Orlando can typically beat Disney's $50/day rate by a significant amount, when you look at a multi-day rental. You can rent for any amount of time - from one day to one year. There are many other posts here on the disABILITIES Forum that typically start with "Which Rental Company..." or similar where you can gather opinions. You should also go and look at the website for any company you are considering renting from to see not only rates, but the type of scooter they are renting. Here's a hint: When you have picked a scooter company, go back to the disABILITIES Forum, and search for posts about that company, to see what experiences others have had (and how recent those posts were) which company is the best to rent from (both "Disney approved" and not)
Before I had my own personal ECV, I would identify 3 different scooter vendors, then call each of them. Asked a ton of questions, and then I would base my decision on things like hours that they were available in case I had an issue, their policy on damage, and the model of scooter they were recommending for me.
When renting from an offsite vendor, ask about using extension cords or power strips to charge the battery. Often the outlets we need to use to charge the ECV are not in the most friendly locations; bringing along a power strip or extension cord from home means you won't have to dig around behind furniture every night. However, some scooter models have electrical systems that should NOT be used with an extension cord or power strip, so it's a good thing to know.
Charge the ECV *every night* in your Resort Hotel room, regardless of how much you used it. This makes sure you can go all day the next day with no problems.
- Practice at home prior to renting an ECV by using the electric shopping carts at your local
Walmart, Target, grocery store, Costco, etc. Master one of those giant, wheezing beasties, and a rental ECV will feel like a Formula One race car! Take along a length of brightly colored ribbon or a bandana - something to tie on your ECV to help it stand out in a potential crowd of similar rental units!
- If you rent from an offsite vendor be sure to work with the vendor regarding the height, weight and any medical condition the rider may have, so that the vendor can provide the most appropriate scooter. You can typically set up your rental as soon as your travel plans are firm. Be prepared to provide a credit card to the vendor.
- Backing up (reverse) can be the toughest thing to deal with. Try to plan ahead as you drive, and not get "trapped" in odd little spots where you may have to back up. If the rider can walk a bit, they may want to park the ECV for shops, since those are (overall) a bit less ECV friendly than anything else at WDW.
- Resort rooms: Most of the resort rooms will accommodate an ECV in the room overnight (to charge the battery). If you need the extra space in the room, you can call the front desk, and ask them to remove the table and chairs to make room.
- Watch out!!! People at WDW (and everywhere, really - let's be honest) are often so self-absorbed in their phones, conversations, surroundings, etc. that they will WALK RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. While you are moving! Mostly when they aren't busy running INTO you, or BUMPING you. It happens on a startlingly regular basis. Your most effective "weapon" is a bright smile, and a pleasant "Pardon me!". Just remember that it is NOT intentional - they just aren't paying attention to their surroundings. Try not to run over them if possible - that is definitely considered BAD FORM, and may lead to paper work, finger pointing, and other general nastiness!
- To take the scooter on a WDW bus: ECV riders at WDW need to be on the lookout for the "box" (a painted rectangle on the concrete) at every WDW bus stop (at Resorts Hotels, theme parks & Downtown Disney/Disney Springs). This is where you will park while you wait for the bus. The Driver will look to see if an ECV is in that spot. If it is, he will work with the ECV (and any other folks needing assistance) FIRST, and load other riders after. When you arrive at your next stop, the Driver will allow everyone else to UNLOAD first, and then he will work with the ECVs and others needing assistance LAST. And... just to be clear - the Driver is not allowed to "drive" your ECV on to the bus; if you are nervous about driving up/down the ramp, watch someone else do it first. It's not hard - I promise! Main thing is to keep yourself centered, and pointed straight forward, go slowly up the ramp. The ramps have a lip or small side to help keep you on the ramp. KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE ECV WHILE GOING UP OR DOWN THE RAMP. One last note on this; you will sometimes encounter new ECV users who don't know to park in the "box" to indicate they are ready to travel; you may also encounter a situation where there are multiple ECV's waiting for the same bus. Each bus has a limit of 2 ECV's and/or wheelchairs, if that's the case as you arrive at the bus stop, you may have to line up and wait your turn!
- In general, watch your speed, especially on turns, ramps, hills and bumps (like the trolley tracks on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom).
- You can take the ECV through most queues (there are a few notable exceptions, which will provide a wheelchair while you park the ECV) Typically, after your board the ride, a Cast Member will move the ECV to a spot close to where the ride disembarks. I think every show at every park has full ECV access; you can ride right in, and either take a seat after parking or sit on the ECV to watch. All of the dining options are very ECV friendly as well - just use a bit of patience and good manners, and you won't have a problem.
ECVs/Wheelchairs use the regular queues and FP+ lines just like everyone else. If there is an accessible ride vehicle to transfer to, or ride on to, signage and Cast Members will direct you.
- In fact, any time you have any question about where your ECV might be allowed, or not allowed, simply ask a Cast Member. They are all very helpful!
- Restrooms: Many of the Mens & Womens restrooms at WDW have large Handicap-accesible stalls (Many even have sinks in them. What a wonderful thing that is!). Some ECVs fit just fine, others can't make the super-tight turns needed to get in and out. (Thinking about the Women's HA stall at Pizzafari at Animal Kingdom...) It's OK to park the ECV outside the restroom, but use the HA stall if you need to.
If the ECV rider needs some assistance with toileting, look for a "Family Restroom". Those are typically big enough to fit an ECV (although the rider will typically have to back out)
Hope this is helpful! Have a Magical trip!
