Renting offsite ECV after you arrive?

[franklin1113]

Has anybody used one of the rental services AFTER you have arrived? How far ahead of time do you need to reserve them? I'm wondering how quickly you can get one, once you need it?

My issue is - I have a hip labrum tear, which makes walking pretty painful. Honestly, I do not want to rent a scooter because otherwise I look very able-bodied (tough maybe a little chubby) and I just don't want "the looks".

My first thought was to see if I really need it and rent once we are there, but the idea of saving a boat ton of money by renting one offsite is much more appealing to me. I also wouldn't have the worry of them being sold out by the time I get to the parks.

I also don't want the hassle of driving it onto the buses, if it turns out that I can handle walking to/from the buses well enough.

TL;DR
But I guess what I'm getting at is - has anybody gotten to WDW, realized they needed a scooter and then was able to get one the same or next day from an offsite rental?

Thank you.

 

[pezaddict231]

Yes I have and I think it was next day they were able to deliver it but it wasn't first thing in the morning, it was fine because we didn't have early morning plans but was an added inconvenience. I thought I reserved one but I had forgotten to actually place the order lol. If you think you'd need it I'd reserve it now, and it sounds like you would need it. Realistically can you walk miles and miles everyday for a week? Will trying to push through the pain cause more damage? I understand not wanting to because of how it looks to others and I struggled with that in the beginning. I have Heart Failure and I'm 37 years old, so I don't look like anything is wrong with me. My mobility issues are stamina related, so I'm sure to some people it looks like I just get up off the scooter and can walk just fine. Although I have never noticed anyone giving me dirty looks or anything like that.

The walk to/from the buses is what I find hardest. Usually in the park I will park the scooter and walk between the attractions that are close. That's also an option, just because you have it doesn't mean you need to stay in it all the time. I also use it as somewhere to sit in the parks when I need to rest, there are not many benches anymore and the seat is much more comfortable anyway.

 

[cmwade77]

Ok, first off, there is another thread talking about the reasons people don't want to get a scooter, so I am going to quote it here:

I can't drive one. Go to your local Costco/Walmart/Target or other large store. They probably have an electric cart type thing that you could use while shopping. Try it out. I bet you can drive it.

People might think I don't really need it because I can walk. Are these people going to share the pain with you at the end of the day? Do you care what they think? Save your walking energy between rides and use it for lines or getting on the rides. Enjoy your family and your vacation.

It will slow my family down. No, actually it will speed your family up. No more rests because mom is tired. No more going back to the hotel because grandpa is in pain. No more cranky mommy because she tried to walk miles and miles in Disney instead of renting an ECV. You are completely mobile on your own (nobody pushing you in a wheelchair). What's the slow down here?

It's expensive. Um, how much are you spending on this vacation? Don't you want to enjoy it? If money is that tight, take a day off of your trip and spend that money on the ECV so you can enjoy it!

I don't want my kids/family to think I am disabled. You are either temporarily or permanently disabled in some way if you are even asking about this issue...once again, why not make it a better vacation by saving yourself from pain? Nobody is saying you have to confine yourself to a wheelchair permanently or you should not stop trying to get better. If somebody told you to go walk 4 miles, you would think they are crazy. But you are paying for the privilege when you go to Disney to do just that...why not use an ECV to make your family's vacation better?

This is all very true, although I think you missed a couple:
I don't want to admit to myself that I am disabled to the point I need an ECV (temporarily or permanently). This is probably the hardest one to overcome and everyone has to overcome this one in their own way.

I don't need an ECV in my daily life, why should I need one at WDW? Remember that on average people walk 6+ miles a day at WDW, while in your daily life you are probably lucky to hit 3 miles a day and you are doing this day after day, so it adds up more than you may think and that is in addition to all of the standing in lines, getting in and out of ride vehicles, buses, monorails, etc., it all adds up, so while you may not need it in your day to day life, you might need it at WDW.

The thread is:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/debating-ecv-rental-please-help.3737369/

I would strongly recommend renting form offsite, since Disney is now installing sensors that slow or stop the ECVs whenever something gets what they deem too close to the scooter.

As for the hassle of driving it on and off the bus, the hassles have been greatly exaggerated and most bus drivers will help you if you ask politely and some will even offer, especially if you let them know you can get out of the scooter.

Disney World is a TON of walking, on average 6-10 miles per day in the parks alone and depending on your resort, you could end up adding another mile so to that in the morning and another mile at night. And the question becomes can you handle 12 miles of walking a day for every day of your trip?

So, personally, I would recommend renting one in advance, but if you choose not to, I did have to do this once many years ago and I was able to get it in about two hours, but it also was much more expensive than if I had booked in advance.

I would say rent one from Gold Mobility, for two weeks the cost will be around $220 (less if you go with the lighter weight scooter) and if you decide you don't need it, then you can leave it in the room, to me that small of an amount of money compared to the total cost of a Disney trip would be a small price for insurance to know that I could get around the parks no matter what. And their customer service is truly second to none. With them, I do recommend reserving in advance, as they can sell out. But as an extra note, their scooters are so fancy and in such great condition that our experience was people were commenting on how nice the scooter was and didn't get a single nasty look or comment, which is not something I can say about past trips before using Gold Mobility.

 

[franklin1113]

Thank you for the replies. I got back from a WDW trip in January where I was walking on average of 10.5 miles a day. That's where the pain developed from in the first place!

I had read about the WDW scooters getting the sensors and that's what put me on the side of getting one from offsite. I was planning on just getting one from WDW every other day to give myself a rest, but it does make sense to go ahead and just plan for it. As much as I don't want to.

Thank you for your opinions. I will still appreciate any others as well.

 

[Simba's Mom]

And I would say, don't worry about "the looks". That was one of my big fears also. When I first admitted I had to get a scooter, I got on it with the attitude "OK, bring on those 'looks' now". Well, I waited..and waited. The first glare I got was from a grandmother who suddenly darted in front of me trying to chase her escaping grandchild. And for every one of those "looks", there were at least 20 smiles and helpful people.

 

[KPeterso]

My Mom hated to admit she needed a scooter. She had gotten by with her cane before, but I knew the time had come. At first she would only agree to it for AK (due to unevenness of the ground) and Epcot (due to size). I figured I would just do an every other day plan with the other parks. Imagine my surprise towards the end of the trip that she says she will meet me at the hat (was awhile ago now at Hollywood Studios) and next thing I know she pulls up in a scooter. After she did that, I insisted the next year that we would be renting offsite to have it the whole time. She was scared about the buses, but got over it quickly after a few drivers helped and gave her some pointers. She is now a pro getting around with it and is very happy I made her go for it a number of years ago. Without the scooter, she would not be able to go anymore and she loves Disney. Cast members and 99% of guests are really nice and helpful.

 

[ktate82]

Has anybody used one of the rental services AFTER you have arrived? How far ahead of time do you need to reserve them? I'm wondering how quickly you can get one, once you need it?

My issue is - I have a hip labrum tear, which makes walking pretty painful. Honestly, I do not want to rent a scooter because otherwise I look very able-bodied (tough maybe a little chubby) and I just don't want "the looks".

My first thought was to see if I really need it and rent once we are there, but the idea of saving a boat ton of money by renting one offsite is much more appealing to me. I also wouldn't have the worry of them being sold out by the time I get to the parks.

I also don't want the hassle of driving it onto the buses, if it turns out that I can handle walking to/from the buses well enough.

TL;DR
But I guess what I'm getting at is - has anybody gotten to WDW, realized they needed a scooter and then was able to get one the same or next day from an offsite rental?

Thank you.

I also have a hip labrum tear (having surgery next week), and when I went for a "girls" trip in October, I thought I could tough it out. I could not. I ended up renting a scooter in the parks, and it was expensive and very slow. So I called Buena Vista scooters, and they were awesome! They delivered the next morning, and it was very easy.

 

[franklin1113]

@ktate82 - I may have to hit you up about your surgery. I have an appointment next Monday to talk about it. Thanks for your opinion!

 

[arminnie]

I personally do not worry about "looks" because I've never had any nasty looks.

If you still get freaked out that somebody may look at you wrong just get a knee or ankle brace even if you don't need it. You will then look "properly disabled".

 

[ktate82]

@ktate82 - I may have to hit you up about your surgery. I have an appointment next Monday to talk about it. Thanks for your opinion!

Good luck! My brother had the surgery in 2016, and now he said it’s like it never happened. I’m pretty hopeful.

 

[Euby]

In the several trips that I have had an off-site scooter, the only "snarky" comment that I got was on the bus. They said, "Must be nice getting on the bus first." To which I replied, "Yeah, but I get off last."

Otherwise, all of the other interactions with guests were positive, from people holding open doors, etc. Even got a few positive comments from folks about the under-carriage lighting on my rental from Gold Mobility.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

I may have to do that next week. This trip is just DH and I so I am hoping I can handle walking at a slower pace than when the kids are with us. I have back and knee problems. I had one guy say as he was passing me duh why dont I rent a wheelchair today. It was in AK and DH was pushing me because I didnt enjoy the ecv with all the July crowds. I honestly dont care what people think or say. If my back and knee need a break, I will use whatever I need to. Im hoping a next day rentel is possible too.

 

[mamabunny]

Has anybody used one of the rental services AFTER you have arrived? How far ahead of time do you need to reserve them? I'm wondering how quickly you can get one, once you need it?

My issue is - I have a hip labrum tear, which makes walking pretty painful. Honestly, I do not want to rent a scooter because otherwise I look very able-bodied (tough maybe a little chubby) and I just don't want "the looks".

My first thought was to see if I really need it and rent once we are there, but the idea of saving a boat ton of money by renting one offsite is much more appealing to me. I also wouldn't have the worry of them being sold out by the time I get to the parks.

I also don't want the hassle of driving it onto the buses, if it turns out that I can handle walking to/from the buses well enough.

TL;DR
But I guess what I'm getting at is - has anybody gotten to WDW, realized they needed a scooter and then was able to get one the same or next day from an offsite rental?

Thank you.

I had to do that, several years ago. At the time, Gold Mobility didn't exist, and Walker had about the best online reviews, so that was who I called.

I was sitting in the middle of Epcot at the time.

Just do this one thing - grab Gold Mobility's number, and stick it in your phone. Maybe even just call them first, and tell them that you are worried - will they be able to bring out a scooter, and what is the latest in the day you could call? That way you know in advance, and you can worry a bit less

And then remember this: When you have to use a personal mobility device at WDW, don't worry about what other people think, or if they give you "the look" (they won't - because they are all too busy posting to Facebook and Instagram and taking selfies and looking for the latest and greatest "Instagram wall") And here's why you don't have to worry: You will never see them again.

Seriously - the odds of seeing anyone you know from your "real life" back home? Slim and none, and Slim just left town. You have better odds of winning the lottery AND getting struck by lightning at the same time. And if you do see someone? So what? It's Disney World - and chances are that they are quite aware that the average Guest will walk between 3 & 10 miles PER DAY.

But you won't run into anyone you know, and no one will give you "the look" (because Instagram) and if anyone does say anything to you, just let it roll off your back. Get on that thing, and go have fun. Smile and wave like the visiting royalty that you are Yeah, it sucks that you have to use it, but you will be at Disney World, and trust me when I say, that's the place to be if you have to sit down and roll around.

Don't worry - I *promise* you will be a non-event; there are (literally) thousands of other people on wheels every day at WDW. Just tie a brightly colored bandana or length of ribbon to your rental to help it stand out when you park it.

 

[cmwade77]

If the odds of seeing someone I know at Disney World are that low, I need to play the lottery more and stay out of thunderstorms. Seriously, every trip I run into someone I know, not quite as much as I used to, it used to be every single day of every trip. But asayou say, even if I do, so what, I do what I need to in order to enjoy the parks without being in massive pain.

 

[mamabunny]

If the odds of seeing someone I know at Disney World are that low, I need to play the lottery more and stay out of thunderstorms. Seriously, every trip I run into someone I know, not quite as much as I used to, it used to be every single day of every trip. But asayou say, even if I do, so what, I do what I need to in order to enjoy the parks without being in massive pain.

LOL I am going to send you $20 to play the lottery for me next weekend!

 

[cmwade77]

LOL I am going to send you $20 to play the lottery for me next weekend!

Yeah, it used to be even more at Disneyland. I have had an annual pass off and on since the 90s and it used to be that I would run into people from my small high school (when I say small, I mean it, the entire school was about 500 kids) every single time I went for years. The town was Rosamond, CA, which is about 3 hours or so away, so it isn't even like we were next door where it made any sense and most of them did not have passes, so it was odd.

 

[mamabunny]

Yeah, it used to be even more at Disneyland. I have had an annual pass off and on since the 90s and it used to be that I would run into people from my small high school (when I say small, I mean it, the entire school was about 500 kids) every single time I went for years. The town was Rosamond, CA, which is about 3 hours or so away, so it isn't even like we were next door where it made any sense and most of them did not have passes, so it was odd.

Yeah - I can definitely see that at DL; it has always had that "local" aspect to it, more so than WDW. We have friends in Orlando who can go every weekend for *years* and never bump into anyone they know!

 

[cmwade77]

Yeah - I can definitely see that at DL; it has always had that "local" aspect to it, more so than WDW. We have friends in Orlando who can go every weekend for *years* and never bump into anyone they know!

The funny part is for my first couple of trips, I would also run into someone from my high school every day of my Disney World trip and it was a different person every day. Don't ask me how that one worked, it made no sense to me.

As you say, Disneyland at least made more sense.

 

[cropper]

My 19 year old athlete daughter is having hip issues! I am thinking of renting her a scooter for our June trip.
I was thinking of just getting her one at the parks if she needs it but after reading your comments about the ones in the park, I am questioning that and considering getting one off property.
Are the busses a pain? How often is there already one on the bus and you have to wait for the next bus?

 

[cmwade77]

My 19 year old athlete daughter is having hip issues! I am thinking of renting her a scooter for our June trip.
I was thinking of just getting her one at the parks if she needs it but after reading your comments about the ones in the park, I am questioning that and considering getting one off property.
Are the busses a pain? How often is there already one on the bus and you have to wait for the next bus?

On our last trip we had three ECVs in our party, which did mean that I was left waiting for the next bus a fair amount, but honestly, the drivers were really nice and just called for another bus that usually arrived within 5 minutes or so.

I would strongly recommend renting offsite, she will thank you for not making her walk at the resorts, some rooms can be a mile or so away from the bus stop, after a long day that could be difficult for her.

As for where to rent from, you will hear this from many of us, Gold Mobility is hands down the best of the best. Seriously cannot recommend them highly enough and you will most likely save a lot compared to renting in the parks. I say most likely, because they charge a flat rate for 1-7 days, after 7 days there is a per day charge. So if you are only going for one or two days, in the parks or another vendor may be cheaper, but really even at 4 days or so, Gold Mobility will be cheaper than most, if not all other vendors and at 7 days they definitely are. But don't think the low price means poor quality, quite the opposite, high end scooters with the best customer service I have ever seen.