Segway tour?

[BCKatie02]

How far in advance can you book the tour?

 

[Worfthedog]

I have heard others say that they think the class would be a waste of time and that just anyone can jump on a segway and ride it. Mind you most of these people have never ridden a segway or even been to Disney! So I have no idea where they got this concept.

What do you think? Could you have just stepped up to it and ridden away?

No Twende you can't just get on and ride. It is quite different to most other ways of travelling. It takes a little concentration at first, but soon becomes almost second nature. A guy in our class said he had rode one before and asked to skip the training park was told he couldn't.

Anyway he made a bit of a fuss about how he had ridden his friends HT before and then proceded to make a complete fool of himself when he got on the thing, he just had no idea how to control it and was trying to go too fast and push the two trainers to let him do more. He fell off twice within minutes of getting on while nobody else in the class had any problems at all or fell off at anytime. I took to it very quickly which surprised me because I have terrible balance and am very clumsy and can't drive. I do mountain bike so I think that helped a lot, where the other two people I was with can both drive and don't bike struggled a *little* bit more than me.

Paul.

 

[LisaS]

You must be 16 or older and weigh less than 250 pounds.

If I remember correctly, if you are under 18 you need a parent to sign the consent form. I mention this because months ago someone said they dropped their 16 or 17-year-old DS off at Epcot for the tour and he wasn't able to participate until the parent came back to Epcot to Guest Relations to sign the form. So if you are planning to have a 16 or 17-year-old son or daughter do the tour, you must go to Guest Relations with them to sign the form.

This tour is so much fun. My DH and I have done it twice. I am completely unathletic and I managed just fine. I was very nervous for the first 10 minutes on the Segway but I just stuck with it and a few minutes later I was doing just fine. Once we got out into the World Showcase, I felt like a pro!

 

[mugglemom]

I think this tour is well worth the money! DH and I simply loved it and decided it was one of the highlights of the trip!

We are definately including this tour on our next trip!

As to the question of just getting on it and riding off? Goodness NO!
I can see bodies scattered all over the sidewalks with the instructors trying to find a way to stop the segways. Also, Disney has to cover themselves for insurance purposes and I am sure they have an agreement the the manufacturer of the segway that states that riders will be properly trained before they are permitted to take the machine into the park.

 

[LisaS]

I have heard others say that they think the class would be a waste of time and that just anyone can jump on a segway and ride it. Mind you most of these people have never ridden a segway or even been to Disney! So I have no idea where they got this concept.

What do you think? Could you have just stepped up to it and ridden away?

"W" thought that same thing and just hopped on a Segway once and went splat on national television. http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushsegway.htm

So if you're going to do this, be sure you're well away from any obstacles and any other people and that there are no video cameras around to record the event and send it in to Americas Funniest Home Videos.

 

[Aisling]

I don't know if they still do this, but my son got a special segway Disney pin after the tour.

 

[BriarRosie]

The two hour tour is definitely the way to go.

If you have a Disney Visa, that is the best discount to get. $64 instead of
the $68 with AP or AAA. (Full cost: $80) I don't know why the Visa discount
is 20% vs. the 15% for the other discounts, but run with it while it lasts!

I disagree that you can step on it and just take off right away. You do
need instruction, because there are specific ways to handle steeper inclines
or low, overhanging branches. The indoor class covers all the basics.

The biggest mistake we all can make is to try to balance the Segway under
us, rather than letting the Segway balance US. Once I discovered to let
it balance me, I started getting more comfortable with it. Linda (one of the
trainers) kept asking me if I was having fun, because my expression was
"intense". "Smile, Lori!"

By the time we hit a few countries, I started feeling like an old pro. There
is one point where you feel as if the machine can read your thoughts. I
suppose I relaxed enough to let it become natural. Way cool.

The Segways are not set at full speed capacity, so there is no chance you
can go faster than you can safely handle. If you try, the machine puts up
a little resistance, forcing you back. Leaning back stops the Segway
naturally, so it's another safety measure. I can imagine the damage people
could do to themselves without the inhibitors!

I loved taking the second tour, because as World Showcase opened, we
became "Segways on Parade". It was a lot of fun to tell the Pop Warner
kids (now that I've identified that I took this tour in December) that
no, they can't ride it!

My group had people ranging in ages for 20's to 60's. We all had a blast.

The tour guides/trainers often received comments about having the tour in
other parks or having an "intermediate" tour for those who've taken this one.
I think the logistics for having those options isn't quite there yet, but if
they offer new or more advanced tours, I'd sign up for it again in a
heartbeat!

 

[Mister Disney]

What do you think? Could you have just stepped up to it and ridden away?

Absolutely not. Now that we've ridden before, I think I could get on again, like riding a bike. But to think someone could step on and zoom off is crazy.

How far in advance can you book the tour?

Most tours can be booked up to a year in advance. This tour is becoming MUCH more popular, hence they have 2 sessions, so....book early AND OFTEN!

I don't know if they still do this, but my son got a special segway Disney pin after the tour.

Yes, they still give out special Segway Pins....

Anyone doubting after all of us saying GO FOR IT!!!?

 

[Worfthedog]

Great review Lori, we had Linda too (very pleasant and helpful).

I don't know if they still do this, but my son got a special segway Disney pin after the tour.

Well remembered, I forgot about that! yes you still get the pin (and the joke about giving everyone a Segway to take home)

I assume that after this thread everyone is getting the message - TAKE THE TOUR!!! - (but leave a space for me on my next holiday!)

Paul.

 

[BriarRosie]

Great review Lori, we had Linda too (very pleasant and helpful).

I assume that after this thread everyone is getting the message - TAKE THE TOUR!!! - (but leave a space for me on my next holiday!)

Paul.

Thanks, Paul! It makes me wonder if people repeat this tour. So I'll pose
the question:

Have any of you Segway tour veterans taken the tour again? I'm seriously
considering it.

And I guess I'll have to eventually post the obligatory "Spaceship Earth in
the Background" pic.

 

[Mister Disney]

Thanks, Paul! It makes me wonder if people repeat this tour. So I'll pose
the question:

Have any of you Segway tour veterans taken the tour again? I'm seriously
considering it.

And I guess I'll have to eventually post the obligatory "Spaceship Earth in
the Background" pic.

Kevin and I had plans for a second ride on the Segways 2 weeks ago, but with all the rain during our vacation we bagged out for something a little drier. We plan to go on it the next time we go though!

 

[LisaS]

Thanks, Paul! It makes me wonder if people repeat this tour. So I'll pose
the question:

Have any of you Segway tour veterans taken the tour again? I'm seriously
considering it.

And I guess I'll have to eventually post the obligatory "Spaceship Earth in
the Background" pic.

DH and I took the tour in May 2004. We had so much fun that we took it again in May 2005. It was just as much fun the second time, maybe even more so because the learning curve was shorter the second time around.

 

[Worfthedog]

And I guess I'll have to eventually post the obligatory "Spaceship Earth in
the Background" pic.

I guess I'd better do that too (I've been putting off learning how to post pictures for far to long now... here goes)

That's me in the middle, my partner (Paul too) on the left and my housemate (Andrew) to the right.

Paul.

 

[lonegungirl]

I took it last Friday--it was great! The only downside was wearing the helmet in 90 degree heat. I'm not particularly physically adept, but even I got used to it in the 1hr training session. The hardest part I found was getting on, as I kept trying to pull on the handlebar instead of just stepping up on it, like a step without railings. Yes, Linda must have thought I was overly tense also, as she periodically reminded me to breathe.

I would take the 2hr again, but I would be disappointed to take the 1hr, as it's basically just the training without the actual riding around part.

Then you get a special pin afterwards, that she told us was only available to people who take the tour, if you are into that sort of thing.

Actually, novelty of riding the Segway aside, it was just fun to be around the World Showcase with absolutely no other visitors around! Imagine being able to zig around the courtyard in Italy without worrying about hitting anyone!