Question about ECV rental and rope drop??

[SingingMUA]

Hi all,

I have a trip coming up in May (woohoo! ), and I will be renting an ECV on park days. I usually rent an ECV on my trips (invisible disability), so I definitely understand how that works, but I've never done rope drop before, so I'm not sure how the two will work together.

My question is this: can I rent the ECV and get that all squared away BEFORE rope drop, so that I'm all set to high-tail it (as much as possible) to my favorite rides?? Or will I have to wait until rope drop and the park officially OPENS, to then go through the process of getting an ECV??

Oh, and before anyone suggests it, I don't want to rent from an offsite company, as we will have a rental car and be driving to the parks, and not really using Disney transportation that much (we will use it some, but it will be infrequent).

Thanks in advance!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Normally the parks tend to let people in 15-30 minutes prior to official opening. In all situation the stroller/wheelchair rental is between the gate and the holding area for the rope drop, so you would be able to get your rental before rope drop.

But you will probably not be able to get close to the rope.

If you are renting a car, if you have a four door sedan generally you can fit an ECV in the trunk. Just discuss this with the off-site rental company as some ECVs are easier to break down and fit in a trunk than others. Note Post #5 in the disABILITIES FAQs.

 

[Disneygranny1973]

I used to have to rent the ECV's at each park before I had to get my own and altho you can go thru the bag lines and ticket scanners they have the ECV/stroller part sectioned off and you cannot get to it before rope drop. The ECV/stroller rentals do not open until the park does. If you are there at rope drop you will most likely get one and if you can be there pretty early and close to the rope, the line/wait isn't that long. I would just go as early as I could.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The ECV/stroller rentals do not open until the park does.

I have to disagree with you. Current policy is that Stroller/wheelchair/ECV rentals are open at the time the first Guest enters the turnstiles. This is especially important as all of the parks have dining which is available prior to official park opening. And it can be quite a hike to the restaurants.

 

[Windjammermay]

Pardon my dumb question but what is a "rope drop"?

 

[mechurchlady]

Pardon my dumb question but what is a "rope drop"?

The park lets guests into a designated area before the park officially opens. Ropes are set up to keep people in the designated area. At the designated park opening time the CMs drop the rope and watch people running to be first on rides and get fastpasses. Usually there is a preshow at WDW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xriJvkvkbXw&feature=PlayList&p=C6F7B6AA46A019E5&index=0&playnext=1
This is from the studios.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvmr2GBszOg
Magic Kingdom

 

[SingingMUA]

Normally the parks tend to let people in 15-30 minutes prior to official opening. In all situation the stroller/wheelchair rental is between the gate and the holding area for the rope drop, so you would be able to get your rental before rope drop.

But you will probably not be able to get close to the rope.

If you are renting a car, if you have a four door sedan generally you can fit an ECV in the trunk. Just discuss this with the off-site rental company as some ECVs are easier to break down and fit in a trunk than others. Note Post #5 in the disABILITIES FAQs.

Thank you so much for the info!! I'm not worried about necessarily being close to the rope. I just want to be able to ride the few things I REALLY want to do without ridiculous waits. So, my solution is to go at rope drop to do the handful of things that are on my must do list, and then take the rest of the day as it comes (adding in a midday break for rest). I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't lose time by having to go through the rental process after the park opens instead of before.

A question about the bolded... We will be renting a compact car, not one of the larger sedans, as there will just be two of us. Does anyone have experience with transporting an ECV in a compact car?? It could change my mind about renting from an offsite company if it seems like it would be doable with a compact car. Thanks!

 

[Disneygranny1973]

I'm sorry, but for 4 years I had to use a ECV and not once was I allowed to rent it before rope drop. I would get there early and more than once asked if I could go to ECV rentals and was always told no. At the MK you are allowed past the turnstiles to watch the pre-show, but there is a rope that closes off the entrance onto Main St under the train tracks that keeps you from getting to the ECV/Stroller rental. Just to be sure that I gave the correct info, I called Guest services twice at 1-407-WDW-MAGIC and was told by both operators that I would have to wait until the park officially opened. One of them thought I might be able to rent early if I had a ADR, but she really wasn't sure on that issue. I am not trying to argue with you on this, but I know by my experience that I was not able to rent before RD...

 

[Windjammermay]

The park lets guests into a designated area before the park officially opens. Ropes are set up to keep people in the designated area. At the designated park opening time the CMs drop the rope and watch people running to be first on rides and get fastpasses. Usually there is a preshow at WDW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xriJvkvkbXw&feature=PlayList&p=C6F7B6AA46A019E5&index=0&playnext=1
This is from the studios.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvmr2GBszOg
Magic Kingdom

That was ssssoooo cool thank-you mechurchlady. I am going to have to catch that.

I think I will skip the part were you all go running in. I guess I should look for a safe place out of the way of the stampead.

 

[mechurchlady]

I am trying to get a scooter of my own and if I was doing Divas or other stuff I would rent for a week instead of parks. Next time rent off site and it will save you time and money.

Early entry at DLR is MM and at WDW is EMH or something like that. Hotel guests are allowed to get into one park a day an hour early and stay late at one park each day each day at WDW. DLR just has Disneyland partially open. If you can get that perk then you will be either on the rides early or closer to things you want to ride but are not included in the perk.