renting ecv at the parks ?

[bzzymom]

I am planning my first trip to WDW since my back injury. I am pretty sure I can tolerate the standing, walking, etc. I am back to work and get along well. I don't want to rent an ecv from an off-site company, since I may not even need it. But just in case, an ecv would be available at the park if I need it. My question is if I go into a park like Epcot for example, and I rent an ecv, can I leave to park for a break if the afternoon, and come back that evening and get a cart back again, or do I forfeit it when I leave?

 

[ckdsnynt]

I am planning my first trip to WDW since my back injury. I am pretty sure I can tolerate the standing, walking, etc. I am back to work and get along well. I don't want to rent an ecv from an off-site company, since I may not even need it. But just in case, an ecv would be available at the park if I need it. My question is if I go into a park like Epcot for example, and I rent an ecv, can I leave to park for a break if the afternoon, and come back that evening and get a cart back again, or do I forfeit it when I leave?

Keep your receipt and you can get another ecv at that same park or another park that same day with no additional charge so long as an ecv is available.

 

[magicbob]

If we're coming back to the same park after a break at the resort, is it feasible to take the key with us and just leave an ECV parked at a wheelchair/stroller area until we return? Or is leaving it unattended for that long too much of a risk?

Do CMs pay attention to how long an ECV is parked in a "legal" spot unattended? It seems like they wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) move it as long as it's not causing a problem. I mean, suppose we park it and then walk into The Land to wait for Soarin' and then have a meal? Ok, not a great analogy because I know you can (and would want to) take the ECV through the line. But my point is, they get parked for extended periods throughout the day for one reason or another.

How long is too long? I would hate to turn it in as we exit and come back only to find out that they had none available.

Another related question: I think I saw somewhere about a "length of stay" rental. I'm not talking about renting for the entire week 24/7 from outside company. We only need an ECV in the parks. Is there an option to pay in the park for four days all at once to expedite the process on subsequent days? Would the days have to be consecutive or can they be spread out? Only good for the same park or any park?

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Don't know about a cm moving it on you. Never had a problem with that. It is more expensive to rent them in the parks and they are not as comfortable as the ones we have gotten for FIL from outside companies. Also they cannot guarentee there will be one available in the parks when you get there. You did not mention if you are staying on property. Some of the resorts can be spread out and you might want to have one there also. If you rent one from an outside company they will deliver it to the resort and pick it up at the end of your stay so you do not have to worry about going to get it. We did the park rental the first time we brough FIL with us and ended up regreting it after one day. Called outside rental that evening and they delivered it to the resort first thing the next morning. We were staying at OKW. I went to the HH to retrieve it and drove it back to the villa. FIL was delighted and claimed it was like the Cadilac of ECV's. Hope this helps.

Ann Marie

 

[Cheshire Figment]

A couple of answers.

1. There is no "length of stay" rentals for ECVs. One of the main reasons is there is a small enough number that a Park can run out of rentals.

2. As far as parking, I know if you leave a Park ECV (or wheelchair or stroller) fairly close to a gate with nothing in it for a prolonged period there is a good chance that a CM will report or return it to rental. If this happens you can return to the rental location with your key and dated receipt and they will let you have another, if one is available. If you park it a long distance from the gate, first you are defeating the purpose of having one, and also it may still be moved.

3. Normally the rental location will not "hold" the ECV for you at the rental location because they cannot be sure if you are actually coming back, and others may need it.

 

[Minnie Monellen]

I really recommend renting from an outside vendor. Less expensive and easier to use than the Disney ECVs. And remember, you can only rent from Disney if an ECV is available, and they only have a limited number available, which are usually rented out very early in the day.

 

[magicbob]

Based on the extremely helpful information I received here, I decided we will rent an ECV for the week from an outside company. I have a couple of additional questions that hopefully someone can help me with.

1.) I'm leaning toward Apple rental... $150 for the week. They offer both a 3-wheel and 4-wheel model for the same price. In the past, we have rented just for the day in the parks (4-wheeled model). Is there are any advantage to getting a 3-wheel model? It seems to me that the 4-wheeler might be a little more stable for tight corners, hills, etc. Since the cost is the same, is the 4-wheel model the best choice? They look to be about the same size, but if one is easier to fit into tight spaces (see question #2 below), that could factor into my decision.

2.) I've already made reservations and did not request an "accesssible" room. We are doing a split stay at ASMo and CBR. Is it going to be a problem getting the ECV in the room to charge at night? It is going to be a small "elite" model. I'm a little concerned that it might take up what little floor space there will be at ASMo. I'm hopeful it can perhaps be parked between the bed and the wall. Worst case scenario, I could disassemble it and store it in the trunk of our car. Can just the battery be brought into the room to charge separate from the chassis/seat of the ECV?

Thanks!

 

[peemagg]

If you are getting one of the Go Go Elite scooters, you can take only the battery to the room to be charged. I would suggest two things. One would be to bring a folding luggage carrier to haul the battery back and forth. The other thing would be to go with the Elite Plus scooter as that has a bigger battery and can go farther on one charge.

As far as the difference between a 3 wheeled model and a 4 wheeled model, the 3 wheeled has a tighter turning radius and is a bit smaller. I know my 3 wheel Elite Plus is 22 inches across at the widest part.

 

[SueM in MN]

Based on the extremely helpful information I received here, I decided we will rent an ECV for the week from an outside company. I have a couple of additional questions that hopefully someone can help me with.

1.) I'm leaning toward Apple rental... $150 for the week. They offer both a 3-wheel and 4-wheel model for the same price. In the past, we have rented just for the day in the parks (4-wheeled model). Is there are any advantage to getting a 3-wheel model? It seems to me that the 4-wheeler might be a little more stable for tight corners, hills, etc. Since the cost is the same, is the 4-wheel model the best choice? They look to be about the same size, but if one is easier to fit into tight spaces (see question #2 below), that could factor into my decision.

2.) I've already made reservations and did not request an "accesssible" room. We are doing a split stay at ASMo and CBR. Is it going to be a problem getting the ECV in the room to charge at night? It is going to be a small "elite" model. I'm a little concerned that it might take up what little floor space there will be at ASMo. I'm hopeful it can perhaps be parked between the bed and the wall. Worst case scenario, I could disassemble it and store it in the trunk of our car. Can just the battery be brought into the room to charge separate from the chassis/seat of the ECV?

Thanks!

peerage already answered the question about tighter turning with the 3 wheel version.
The only thing I would add to that is some people find that they feel more secure and stable on the 4 wheel model since there are 4 wheels. If you find after using it for a while that you don’t feel comfortable on the model you have, you can call the company and ask if it would be possible to switch (either because you like the stability of 4 wheels or feel you need the tighter maneuverability of 3 wheels).

For the “do I need an accessible room” question, many people assume they need an accessible room with an ECV. Actually, the accessible rooms and the ‘regular’ rooms are the same size. Some accessible rooms have exactly the same arrangement, but have grab bars in the shower/tub and may have a raised seat toilet. Some resorts have actually put grab bars in all their showers/tubs or all on the first floor.
The other type of accessible rooms are fully wheelchair accessible rooms with roll in showers. These rooms are also the same size most of the time as the ‘regular’ rooms. The difference is in how the room is laid out. In order to make space for the roll in shower and a wheelchair to get close to the toilet, the bathroom is made bigger. They get the space to make the bigger bathroom by making the bedroom part of the room smaller. In some cases, the room will have a single King size bed because the smaller bedroom is too small for 2 queen or regular beds. In other rooms, there is space and they will have 2 beds.

CBR is the oldest of the Moderate resorts and actually has the largest rooms. If you find you need more space in the room at CBR or ASMo, you can request Housekeeping remove some of the furniture - some people have a chair or table removed to make more floor space.

 

[magicbob]

Thanks for the replies. Looking at the floor plans I don't think we'll have any problems "parking" the ECV in the room (I will need to ask for ground floor, at least at CBR though). I will probably go with 3-wheel, because I think my wife will be happier with better turning radius and manueverability. I will definitely look into the longer battery life. Worst case scenario, at least I know we can bring just the battery in to charge at night if it comes to that.