Renting ECV Offsite and Renting a Vehicle to carry it...

[2PugMom]

I'm going to Disney for 2 days in the beginning of July (MK and DHS) and my 2 fake knees and bad feet problems make an ECV a necessary evil. We're not staying on property, so I need to rent a vehicle to transport the ECV with 2 adults. I'm most likely going to go with Gold Mobility, but have to wait a bit to contact them till after we arrange our flight times. I'm 345 lbs and 6ft tall, so I know I'll need a "heavy duty" ECV, but I'm concerned about what vehicle we'll need to rent to transport that beast. :-( I've read that due to COVID, some car rental companies sold off some of their fleet....is this going to make getting the size vehicle I need more difficult? YIKES!!

Also, it's been YEARS since going to the MK...and I know the parking lot isn't very close. How do we get me and the ECV to the park from the parking lot?....is it more than a short walk? I just don't remember because we usually stay on property and take the busses everywhere. Any help to these 2 concerns would be truly appreciated!!

 

[Bjkandma]

I would suggest contacting Gold Mobility and actually asking them what size scooter as well as rental car you would need. You do not have to "book" your scooter now. They will assist you. As far as getting a rental car, you will want to book as soon as you can. Prices are ridiculous. Yes it is true, fleets are much smaller, and the law of supply and demand. (You may want to consider using Mears Transportation (Orlando's taxi service) for handicap accessible vans that you ride up the rear ramp). Not sure which would be cheaper for you.

When going to Magic Kingdom, you would drive to the Ticket & Transportation Center (or take a taxi). Currently you would walk to get to either the ferry or monorail to get to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[2PugMom]

I would suggest contacting Gold Mobility and actually asking them what size scooter as well as rental car you would need. You do not have to "book" your scooter now. They will assist you. As far as getting a rental car, you will want to book as soon as you can. Prices are ridiculous. Yes it is true, fleets are much smaller, and the law of supply and demand. (You may want to consider using Mears Transportation (Orlando's taxi service) for handicap accessible vans that you ride up the rear ramp). Not sure which would be cheaper for you.

When going to Magic Kingdom, you would drive to the Ticket & Transportation Center (or take a taxi). Currently you would walk to get to either the ferry or monorail to get to the Magic Kingdom.

I never thought about the option for an accessible taxi! Thanks for your input....more to think about and plenty of time for a panic attack or two. lol

 

[Evita_W]

First, I would go ahead and call Gold Mobility now, you can add flight times later with them with no issues. I would also book now rather than later, some of the other mobility companies are struggling and if any fold, it will out a strain on supply for a while at all other companies, best to ensure you have one available for your dates in my opinion to play it safe. I say this because out here in California we have that issue with our mobility companies, so many folded during the closure that the remaining ones are having a hard time keeping up and to add insult to injury, in park rental prices have increased at almost every park here, so that puts even more demand on the off-site companies out here. So, this is simply a word of warning to the wise based on the rumblings I have been hearing. A few of the companies out there are probably safe, including Gold, but several are on the brink.

You will want to go with the Victory 10, which has a 400 lb limit. The Maxima would likely be slightly more comfortable for you, but you would likely need to have 4 to 5 people to lift it. The Victory 10 should still be comfortable and it is fairly easy to remove the batteries if you have a hard time lifting it. When you call, ask what type of vehicle you need to transport it, they will be more than helpful. This is why I recommend calling now, as you can then book a rental car.

A tip for booking the rental car, sign up for the preferred program that lets you bypass the counter at whatever company you are using before renting, rental lines have been 2 to 3 hours at the counter lately, this let's you skip that and go straight to your car. Also, in this case, prepay so you are guaranteed the car level of your choice or better will be available when you arrive.

If you check third party sites like Priceline, Hotwire and Hotels.com, you may actually find it cheaper to cancel your existing off-site reservation and book onsite, especially once factoring in the outrageously high car rental prices right now. These sites are having the onsite hotels for as much as 60% off the normal price.

I would not recommend relying on accessible Taxis being available, there have been reports of them never showing up or there being up to a 4 hour wait lately.

As for parking, if you do go the car rental route, always ask for the medical overflow lot unless you have a handicap placard. And for MK, you would take the Ferry, Monorail or occasionally the bus from the Ticketing and Transportation Center to MK like everyone else.

 

[2PugMom]

First, I would go ahead and call Gold Mobility now, you can add flight times later with them with no issues. I would also book now rather than later, some of the other mobility companies are struggling and if any fold, it will out a strain on supply for a while at all other companies, best to ensure you have one available for your dates in my opinion to play it safe. I say this because out here in California we have that issue with our mobility companies, so many folded during the closure that the remaining ones are having a hard time keeping up and to add insult to injury, in park rental prices have increased at almost every park here, so that puts even more demand on the off-site companies out here. So, this is simply a word of warning to the wise based on the rumblings I have been hearing. A few of the companies out there are probably safe, including Gold, but several are on the brink.

You will want to go with the Victory 10, which has a 400 lb limit. The Maxima would likely be slightly more comfortable for you, but you would likely need to have 4 to 5 people to lift it. The Victory 10 should still be comfortable and it is fairly easy to remove the batteries if you have a hard time lifting it. When you call, ask what type of vehicle you need to transport it, they will be more than helpful. This is why I recommend calling now, as you can then book a rental car.

A tip for booking the rental car, sign up for the preferred program that lets you bypass the counter at whatever company you are using before renting, rental lines have been 2 to 3 hours at the counter lately, this let's you skip that and go straight to your car. Also, in this case, prepay so you are guaranteed the car level of your choice or better will be available when you arrive.

If you check third party sites like Priceline, Hotwire and Hotels.com, you may actually find it cheaper to cancel your existing off-site reservation and book onsite, especially once factoring in the outrageously high car rental prices right now. These sites are having the onsite hotels for as much as 60% off the normal price.

I would not recommend relying on accessible Taxis being available, there have been reports of them never showing up or there being up to a 4 hour wait lately.

As for parking, if you do go the car rental route, always ask for the medical overflow lot unless you have a handicap placard. And for MK, you would take the Ferry, Monorail or occasionally the bus from the Ticketing and Transportation Center to MK like everyone else.

WOW.....lots of great info. Thank you! I guess it would be a good idea to call Gold Mobility now since I know the three days of the week we'll need the ECV. It can only help, right? We're in Orlando for a conference at the end of the week, so we're staying at the hotel booked as a group....it's just hubby and I who are making a small vacation out of it by going to Disney for 2 days and then the space center at the coast for a day. (ECV is only for Disney) I do have a handicap placard, but I let it expire so unless I get into my doc before we go, I'll just ask for the medical overflow lot.
I think the rental car situation in general has given me trip anxiety! Hubby isn't a patient guy, and if we have to do much waiting to get the right car, he'll lose his cool. lol That's why I'm trying to handle these specific details for the trip.

 

[Evita_W]

WOW.....lots of great info. Thank you! I guess it would be a good idea to call Gold Mobility now since I know the three days of the week we'll need the ECV. It can only help, right? We're in Orlando for a conference at the end of the week, so we're staying at the hotel booked as a group....it's just hubby and I who are making a small vacation out of it by going to Disney for 2 days and then the space center at the coast for a day. (ECV is only for Disney) I do have a handicap placard, but I let it expire so unless I get into my doc before we go, I'll just ask for the medical overflow lot.
I think the rental car situation in general has given me trip anxiety! Hubby isn't a patient guy, and if we have to do much waiting to get the right car, he'll lose his cool. lol That's why I'm trying to handle these specific details for the trip.

Yeah, definitely sign up for the preferred program, this will be a huge help in bypassing the line at the rental counter.