Scooterbug vs. Gold Mobility

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I thought it was crazy and I'm the one it happened to!
Just back in the room and it's still not working so I will be calling again tomorrow.

So I called back this morning and spoke to a different person who said he was surprised that I wasn't given a new scooter yesterday. He is having a new one brought to me.
I'm still not sure about this company but at least I will have a working scooter today in Animal Kingdom (planning on getting out of there early before the rain now because I'm nervous about it getting wet)and hopefully for the boo bash tonight if it doesn't give me any problems.

 

[Debbie Jean]

So I called back this morning and spoke to a different person who said he was surprised that I wasn't given a new scooter yesterday. He is having a new one brought to me.
I'm still not sure about this company but at least I will have a working scooter today in Animal Kingdom (planning on getting out of there early before the rain now because I'm nervous about it getting wet)and hopefully for the boo bash tonight if it doesn't give me any problems.

I’m so glad they are sending a new scooter for you! That’s what I would have expected , as well. The company prides themselves on service… I have a feeling someone will have a word with whomever you spoke to the first time.

Enjoy Boo Bash! Hopefully the weather cooperates this time

 

[Evita_W]

So I called back this morning and spoke to a different person who said he was surprised that I wasn't given a new scooter yesterday. He is having a new one brought to me.
I'm still not sure about this company but at least I will have a working scooter today in Animal Kingdom (planning on getting out of there early before the rain now because I'm nervous about it getting wet)and hopefully for the boo bash tonight if it doesn't give me any problems.

I just found out that due to the labor shortages that after hours they have been having to rely on an independent scooter service company that is NOT doing well. They are aware of the issue and working to fix, but are stuck with them until the end of the month.

For anyone that rents from them, I would always suggest texting the person that dropped off the scooter or at least calling them directly. If you don't get a response right away, then go ahead and call the main number.

As for getting it wet, it really should be fine as long as you cover the controls with the shower cap. If the rain is really heavy, cover the tiller with a poncho as well. Seriously, DH and I never have had issues, even in torrential downpours and DH didn't have any issues at Knott's where puddles are massive in even the slightest rain.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I figured I'd pop back in and let you guys know the 2nd scooter survived all the downpours. I did wrap the tiller area completely with a plastic poncho because I was nervous about it getting wet and getting stranded someplace - that was a lifesaver for me because it wouldn't be raining when I went in someplace and pouring when I came out.

I did run in to another frustrating thing - Gold Mobility changed my pick up time! I'd chosen the time on purpose based on a CRT dining reservation I had. When I got the pick up time change message, I let them know that I didn't know if I'd make it because I had a dining reservation scheduled.
They responded with they were working to accommodate as many original scheduled times as possible. But due to high volume they sometimes have to move times.

That meant we had to scarf down our CRT meal as fast as we could do get out of there instead of enjoying the meal and we were still 10 minutes late to the resort for the new pickup time which was strange because I left us more than an hour to spare for getting back to the resort originally but I guess that wasn't enough time with having to wait for 30 minutes to even get into CRT.

So next time I rent from them (and that is still a maybe at this point) I will be giving even more spare time for pickup in case the pickup time changes again.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Unfortunately, Gold Mobility is only taking reservations through on line. You are charged at time of making the reservation. I tried calling for August 17th reservation and was told they were only taking reservations on line, with payment due at that time.

I just called yesterday morning at 8:00 am and arranged for an ECV for next week gave them my credit card info over phone and received a text confirmation a few minutes later. Their scooters have the higher backed captain seats so much more comfortable than Scooter Bug!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I wanted to pop back in with another Scooter Company experience. I was in Disney World for a last minute trip for the Ratatouille preview. I decided to try Scooterbug.

My first night I was able to get a last minute ticket to Boo Bash - 2 hours after I got to Magic Kingdom just as the party was starting the scooter was nearly dead. I'd done everything I was supposed to - turned it off every time I wasn't moving, keeping the tiller covered in the rain. I found a place to charge it up by the Rapunzel bathrooms and was able to charge it enough to get it through the party. Before leaving I took it back to that area for a final charge and it was blocked by the Photopass folks doing the adorable Rapunzel Lantern pictures.

The scooter itself was in bad shape and the arm rests were loose. Plus the not holding a charge issue.
So while it did make it out to the buses, it was a close call. I charged it up in my room and before I was out of the hotel, it was nearly dead again. I called Scooterbug and after explaining what was going on, they told me it would be 2 hours before they could bring a replacement. I was also informed that the scooter I rented - Pride Victory - would only last for 5 or 6 hours before it would need charging despite the fact that their website said it was good for 19 miles. Oh goodie.

I took it to Bell Services and went to the Magic Kingdom. I rented one of their scooters and when I got the call that Scooterbug had brought the new scooter to the hotel, I said screw it and just stayed in the Magic Kingdom with the park scooter because I was having fun.
When I got back to the resort, I picked up the new scooter. It was in better shape than the original one. I made sure to plug it in when I took it to the hotel room.

The next day was my Epcot day. Every 5 hours I was having to look for a place to charge the scooter since it was in the red by then. There aren't many places with plug ins I could access.
I had to ask a CM the 2nd time to help me out and they found a spot. I had to leave the scooter there and use my cane for hobbling around for several hours (basically from place to sit to another place to sit with stops for 2 rides in between) while the scooter charged but that wouldn't have been possible for some people.

I was in Epcot from 10:45am until 9:30pm. In that time I had to charge up the Scooterbug scooter 3 times. The 3rd time I only charged it for 45 minutes since I knew I was leaving soon. When I got back to the hotel I took it right to Bell Services since it was going to be picked up first thing in the morning anyways. They allowed me to leave it there instead of me dealing with getting it up to my room and back down at 8am in the morning.

So between the 2 scooter companies I've used in just the last month alone - Gold Mobility was actually the better one despite the frustrating issue I had with them the 2nd day. At least their scooters lasted a full day in the parks.
I have one rented with them for the 50th Anniversary weekend. (yeah 3 trips in just over a month with an 8 hour drive to and from. LOL) Here's hoping take 2 with Gold Mobility goes smoothly.

Oh and one change for me - Peter Pan ride in MK no longer lets you go through the old fast pass line if you are mobile challenged unless you have a DAS.
They require that you either walk the main line or be pushed through it in a wheelchair. Since I was solo, the wheelchair wasn't an option and I couldn't stand for 45 minutes (stupid knee) so I skipped the attraction. Just something to be aware of next time.

I hope all this info helps someone in the future!

 

[Evita_W]

I wanted to pop back in with another Scooter Company experience. I was in Disney World for a last minute trip for the Ratatouille preview. I decided to try Scooterbug.

My first night I was able to get a last minute ticket to Boo Bash - 2 hours after I got to Magic Kingdom just as the party was starting the scooter was nearly dead. I'd done everything I was supposed to - turned it off every time I wasn't moving, keeping the tiller covered in the rain. I found a place to charge it up by the Rapunzel bathrooms and was able to charge it enough to get it through the party. Before leaving I took it back to that area for a final charge and it was blocked by the Photopass folks doing the adorable Rapunzel Lantern pictures.

The scooter itself was in bad shape and the arm rests were loose. Plus the not holding a charge issue.
So while it did make it out to the buses, it was a close call. I charged it up in my room and before I was out of the hotel, it was nearly dead again. I called Scooterbug and after explaining what was going on, they told me it would be 2 hours before they could bring a replacement. I was also informed that the scooter I rented - Pride Victory - would only last for 5 or 6 hours before it would need charging despite the fact that their website said it was good for 19 miles. Oh goodie.

I took it to Bell Services and went to the Magic Kingdom. I rented one of their scooters and when I got the call that Scooterbug had brought the new scooter to the hotel, I said screw it and just stayed in the Magic Kingdom with the park scooter because I was having fun.
When I got back to the resort, I picked up the new scooter. It was in better shape than the original one. I made sure to plug it in when I took it to the hotel room.

The next day was my Epcot day. Every 5 hours I was having to look for a place to charge the scooter since it was in the red by then. There aren't many places with plug ins I could access.
I had to ask a CM the 2nd time to help me out and they found a spot. I had to leave the scooter there and use my cane for hobbling around for several hours (basically from place to sit to another place to sit with stops for 2 rides in between) while the scooter charged but that wouldn't have been possible for some people.

I was in Epcot from 10:45am until 9:30pm. In that time I had to charge up the Scooterbug scooter 3 times. The 3rd time I only charged it for 45 minutes since I knew I was leaving soon. When I got back to the hotel I took it right to Bell Services since it was going to be picked up first thing in the morning anyways. They allowed me to leave it there instead of me dealing with getting it up to my room and back down at 8am in the morning.

So between the 2 scooter companies I've used in just the last month alone - Gold Mobility was actually the better one despite the frustrating issue I had with them the 2nd day. At least their scooters lasted a full day in the parks.
I have one rented with them for the 50th Anniversary weekend. (yeah 3 trips in just over a month with an 8 hour drive to and from. LOL) Here's hoping take 2 with Gold Mobility goes smoothly.

Oh and one change for me - Peter Pan ride in MK no longer lets you go through the old fast pass line if you are mobile challenged unless you have a DAS.
They require that you either walk the main line or be pushed through it in a wheelchair. Since I was solo, the wheelchair wasn't an option and I couldn't stand for 45 minutes (stupid knee) so I skipped the attraction. Just something to be aware of next time.

I hope all this info helps someone in the future!

Yikes on Peter Pan, they need to rethink that one. Really, I do think the experience you had with Gold Mobility was an anomaly, as I said they have been using a third party to handle when they are overloaded and it didn't work well for them. Scooterbug on the other hand is very typical from all that I have heard from them for the experience to be even worse than what you dealt with.

 

[Bethctraveler]

Gold Mobility will adjust if you have a delay or early departure. Someone will text or call you the night before and you just let them know if there are any issues.

DH has spoken with a lot of people who used Scooterbug and very few don't have any issues, some don't even get the equipment they rented until 2 or 3 days after arrival.

Only Scooterbug is allowed by Disney to leave at bell services, but honestly, you will wait longer in line for bell services than for Gold Mobility, gold Mobility will generally be waiting for you as you get off of Magical Express, the lines for bell services can take up to 45 minutes at times.

Also, Gold Mobility doesn't do windows of time like some of the other companies, they do what they call exact time drop off and pickup, where they meet you at the time you arrange or as I said, generally when you arrive and just before you leave

Thank-you for the suggestion! We rented our mobility scooters from Gold Mobility Scooters on this trip rather than our usual Scooter-bug base on what we read on the Diz. Wow what a difference. We rented 4 scooters for 15 days. The scooters were much more luxurious and comfortable. They were $500 less price wise for the 4 scooters over 15 days we rented in an exact comparison. Huge Savings. Another big difference was the battery lasted 10-12 hours everyday and that way more time than we ever had on a scooter. It was no problem meeting in person either, it was much more convenient than waiting a bell desk. They showed up exactly on time for both pick up, and drop off with excellent communication. Gold Mobility has earned another lifetime customer.

 

[Bethctraveler]

Gold Mobility will adjust if you have a delay or early departure. Someone will text or call you the night before and you just let them know if there are any issues.

DH has spoken with a lot of people who used Scooterbug and very few don't have any issues, some don't even get the equipment they rented until 2 or 3 days after arrival.

Only Scooterbug is allowed by Disney to leave at bell services, but honestly, you will wait longer in line for bell services than for Gold Mobility, gold Mobility will generally be waiting for you as you get off of Magical Express, the lines for bell services can take up to 45 minutes at times.

Also, Gold Mobility doesn't do windows of time like some of the other companies, they do what they call exact time drop off and pickup, where they meet you at the time you arrange or as I said, generally when you arrive and just before you leave

Just a note to add, We rented multiple scooters (4) and we added the free extra rear basket options. We found using 1 basket on one of the scooters was better and more convenient. Rear Baskets make the scooter longer in length and harder to put on the bus. Overall experience was excellent with Gold Mobility. Not a single issue with the rental.

 

[Evita_W]

Just a caution about Scooterbug DH has been seeing on FB a lot of people reporting thst they have been overbooking and when they get to Disney World,there is no scooter and they just get a refund and get told tough luck.

On busier days, in park rentals are selling out within 30 minutes of opening apparently as well.

Gold Mobility makes sure they don't overlook like that. And I think there are a couple others that don't overlook either, but no matter who you rent from, check to make sure you get in writing that you are guaranteed the model you booked.

 

[Bethctraveler]

Just a follow up on the Lithium battery scooter search! It seems that no one that I could find in the Orlando area offers a portable scooter with the lithium battery option for rental. I called 9 places with no luck. Only one actually answered the phone live. The company I all ready use. I'm just going with the Victory 10 size scooter for short February trip to make sure it lasts all day. I just don't want to take a chance.

 

[Bethctraveler]

Just a caution about Scooterbug DH has been seeing on FB a lot of people reporting thst they have been overbooking and when they get to Disney World,there is no scooter and they just get a refund and get told tough luck.

On busier days, in park rentals are selling out within 30 minutes of opening apparently as well.

Gold Mobility makes sure they don't overlook like that. And I think there are a couple others that don't overlook either, but no matter who you rent from, check to make sure you get in writing that you are guaranteed the model you booked.

We heard this 10 times at the minimum in the park when people stopped us to ask where we rented our scooters from. Im glad we chose Gold that could have been us.

 

[Evita_W]

Just a follow up on the Lithium battery scooter search! It seems that no one that I could find in the Orlando area offers a portable scooter with the lithium battery option for rental. I called 9 places with no luck. Only one actually answered the phone live. The company I all ready use. I'm just going with the Victory 10 size scooter for short February trip to make sure it lasts all day. I just don't want to take a chance.

Yeah, some manufacturers like Pride offer them, but they aren't common and you would need a 240 volt outlet to charge them in a timely manner (i.e. less than 3 days from empty). If people charged them nightly, it likely wouldn't be an issue, but you know most people would push the limits and then wonder why they couldn't get a full charge overnight. DH did look into that as an option for his scooter as they would be lighter and the charge lasts longer, but we don't have a 240 volt outlet at home and there are other issues, especially with air travel and those large of Lithium Ion batteries.

Honestly, best to just rent from Gold, the batteries will last all day.

 

[Evita_W]

We heard this 10 times at the minimum in the park when people stopped us to ask where we rented our scooters from. Im glad we chose Gold that could have been us.

Yeah, Gold mobility is definitely the best of the best, even when they are having trouble keeping up with demand because other companies have left their customers without an option and we are talking about mobility devices here, something that is essential for many to be able to visit the parks.

 

[Bethctraveler]

Yeah, Gold mobility is definitely the best of the best, even when they are having trouble keeping up with demand because other companies have left their customers without an option and we are talking about mobility devices here, something that is essential for many to be able to visit the parks.

I felt so bad for the people left without scooters.

 

[Evita_W]

I felt so bad for the people left without scooters.

I know and DH has heard that they are trying to help as many of those who have rented from other companies and been left high and dry as they can, but even they can't make inventory appear out of thin air.

In all reality, there are a lot of things that have contributed to this problem:

• I know out here in California, many companies had scooters left with bell services at various hotels when everything shut down and many of those hotels didn't make it. Unfortunately inventory that were at those hotels disappeared and no one knows where they are, the company's insurance often denies claims for loss and even if they don't, there are other issues. I would assume the same is happening in Florida.
• Many outside vendors simply didn't survive, leaving more pressure on the rest.
• Most ECV manufacturers are running out of stock to sell due to supply chain issues.
• Batteries are harder to get
• As such there are fewer in park rental units available, so more people are looking to outside vendors
• So this leaves a lot of companies stuck, but then a lot of them still oversell their inventory and can't provide scooters to everyone they rent to.
• Another factor is there are now more people who need ECVs due to various factors throughout this, such as:
  • Long term health effects of COVID recovery
  • Lack of being able to get proper exercise
  • Health effects of not being able to get proper medical treatment at various points throughout all of this
• Many outside vendors have had their delivery trucks targeted by thieves having catalytic converters stolen, etc., especially during the closures

There are probably other factors as well.

So, yes, we can judge the companies a bit harshly, but there are reasons we are seeing what we are seeing, as when you put it all together and it is the perfect storm. The real question becomes more of how each company treats people and handles these difficult situations and that is where we see who is a cut above in my opinion.

 

[Lewisc]

Just a note to add, We rented multiple scooters (4) and we added the free extra rear basket options. We found using 1 basket on one of the scooters was better and more convenient. Rear Baskets make the scooter longer in length and harder to put on the bus. Overall experience was excellent with Gold Mobility. Not a single issue with the rental.

Rear baskets on the victory scooter exceeds Disney's limits. On some buses the scooters won't fit in at least one of the ECV spots. We were told to remove the basket on one of the boats (the one in EPCOT that goes across the lagoon. A few elevators have issues with scooters with rear baskets. Guests shouldn't use the rear basket, and use transportation, unless they are prepared to remove the basket as needed. It can work if you have a companion. It's easy to remove the basket. Not an issue if you can scooter directly from a monorail resort to the MK or from an EPCOT resort to EPCOT or DHS.

 

[Bethctraveler]

We put a basket on one of the scooters, and we just took it off when we traveled on the busses it wasn't hard at all to remove. It was nice to carry all of our stuff.

 

[Evita_W]

A word of caution on rear baskets, if you have one, it can become quite easy to overload the scooter and dramatically reduce battery life, especially if you are already near the weight limit. Just a word to the wise.

 

[Bethctraveler]

A word of caution on rear baskets, if you have one, it can become quite easy to overload the scooter and dramatically reduce battery life, especially if you are already near the weight limit. Just a word to the wise.

Agreed ! The scooter that had the basket loaded with the cooler and stuff used more bars of power each day we noticed. We still never ran out of power ever, but we did notice extra power consumption.