What category of Uber will I need to use?

[Toffeewoffy]

We're not hiring a car in 2020 due to having to pay to park now (and thereby doubling the cost of having a car).

For February 2019 my daughter and I booked a Uber to Walmart to do some grocery shopping (water for the room, some snacks etc), and I left my scooter parked up on the side of the entry walkway while we went shopping. This meant that when we got back with the shopping I was able to load a lot of it onto the scooter and we took it all straight back to the room.

In 2020 we're staying at AKL and will want to go to Premium Outlets off Vineland in the morning, and then possibly DS after lunch. I will obviously need to take my scooter with to go to the Outlets, and we'll need a taxi there and then back to DS (from where we can get the resort bus back to AKL after dinner at DS).

Can someone please advise me what category of taxi I'll need to request so they can get my scooter on board? It may well be a Pride Victory 10 3-wheeler, as that is what I usually hire) which means a certain amount of dismantling and re-assembly will be required - but we won't be asking the taxi driver to assist with this I'm travelling with my husband. But we're talking about a vehicle like an intermediate or full size SUV.

An alternative way of getting to Premium, bearing in mind the distance, would be to get a bus to DS in the morning and get a taxi from there - it would be 2/3rds of the way closer and would save quite a lot on the fare, I reckon.

Our final alternative - and again bearing in mind the cost - would be to do a one-day car hire from DCCC - but can the shuttle to the DCCC to pick up the car transport my scooter? We don't want to have to drive all the way back to AKL with the hire car just to pick the scooter up!

Thanks.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You will need a wheelchair accessible taxi van. Mears has several.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

Thanks, but I am not using Mears: it would be cheaper to hire a car and pay for a night's parking!

 

[kaytieeldr]

and we'll need a taxi there and then back to DS (from where we can get the resort bus back to AKL after dinner at DS).

Maybe, then, don't say "taxi" when you mean "rideshare"?

I'll need to request so they can get my scooter on board?

You will need an XL, and you and your daughter should have it already disassembled, and be prepared to lift the parts into the vehicle yourselves. The driver might do it, or help, but he/she also might not.

Thanks, but I am not using Mears: it would be cheaper to hire a car and pay for a night's parking!

Sometimes in life things cost more than people want to pay. You could maybe consider buying a little less so you can get transportation directly from A to B? A rideshare partway followed by a bus or taxi ride seems unnecessarily time consuming.

 

[Staren]

You will want to request the SUV option on your rideshare of choice, either UberXL or think it’s called Lyft Plus, though I have not done this with Lyft so it might be a slightly different name.

I would have any needed breakdown done before they arrive and be ready to load up. Though that’s good general advice anytime you have a car coming.

You might want to be familiar with your pick up locations ahead of time if you’re not already. Remember that you won’t be as flexible to dash over to a different pick up spot if the driver doesn’t stop right where you expect them to. This should not be a big issue, but one worth planning for.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

Maybe, then, don't say "taxi" when you mean "rideshare"?


You will need an XL, and you and your daughter should have it already disassembled, and be prepared to lift the parts into the vehicle yourselves. The driver might do it, or help, but he/she also might not.


Sometimes in life things cost more than people want to pay. You could maybe consider buying a little less so you can get transportation directly from A to B? A rideshare partway followed by a bus or taxi ride seems unnecessarily time consuming.

I don't know what you mean by 'rideshare'. We don't have such a thing in the UK. I would use Uber as I have an account with then.

And I wouldn't buy much - not with the Sterling/Dollar exchange rate being so appalling at the moment. But I do like visiting the Kipling and Vera Bradley outlets at Premium. I don't do designer wear, so that's never been a problem.

The point of breaking the journey is that we need to go to Disney Springs to collect my gift card anyway, and we then want to have dinner at Homecomin'. As AKL is right up the other end, it's wasteful to go all the way back there and then come out again.

I'm not travelling with my daughter this time. The only reason my signature still says what it does is because I have been unable to change it! I'm going with my hubby of 28 years this time.

If I take the scooter I'm going to buy soon with (depends on whether my airline can transport it), then it comes apart very quickly and easily and all the parts are quite light. If not and I hire a full size Pride Victory 10, then that is heavier and takes longer to dismantle. That said, hubby and I devised a way of putting the whole thing - complete with the seat - into the back of the Town & Country/Grand Caravan that we usually hire - in one piece. It's just a case of coordinating our 'one, two, three, lift'!

 

[ImDMous]

Uber is a rideshare service, not a taxi here. Just semantics but now that we know what you're talking about...

Uber XL is only guaranteed to carry 6 or more people. That could mean an SUV with 3 rows of seating, a van, a station wagon, and probably other options I can't think of. That doesn't guarantee they will have a large open cargo area low enough to lift a scooter or scooter parts into. I think when they say 6 people or a large amount of cargo or luggage, they are mostly talking about lots of suitcases, back-backs, etc that can go in seats or on the floor, not necessarily one large empty space. It if folds up or breaks into pieces that would fit in the trunk, I would think you could even get a regular Uber, not XL.

You may need to just go in the app and see who picks up your ride and message them to see if they have the space you need. If they don't they can cancel the ride and someone else can pick it up.

If you don't want to break it down at all...
On their website they state:
"If you’re looking for a vehicle that’s guaranteed to fit your wheelchair or scooter, along with a driver who’s certified to be able to assist persons with disabilities, then we recommend checking out UberWAV (available in select cities). "

 

[Staren]

Uber XL is only guaranteed to carry 6 or more people.

This may be the technical answer, but I have never found this to be a problem. The vast majority of UberXL vehicles have been some type of SUV in my experience. It's very rare to get a van or truck which you can also just slide your device into as well.

My manual wheelchair does break down and I know how to get it into a regular car pretty quick. That being said though, my advice to anyone who doesn't have experience doing this is to go with the larger vehicle. It just makes everyone's experience a lot easier. It can get awkward if you don't do this type of thing a lot, and you're trying to work out how to finagle your mobility device into a vehicle.

 

[ImDMous]

The last time I took UberXL, it was a tricked out Excursion with a lift kit. I could barely get in it and the guy had to lift my suitcase for me because the back was at my chest height. I'm sure that's rare, but it's certainly possible.
I felt like a kindergartner getting on the school bus.

 

[toocherie]

I recently used Uber in Las Vegas and had the same issue--everyone around me were getting sedans--I got the Excursion--I actually had to cancel when he got there because I couldn't get in the high vehicle. the next vehicle was also an SUV but not a high as the first one. I think Uber/Lyft need an option to designate a sedan vs. SUV. (ETA: and I just requested a regular Uber--not an XL--because it was just me with a suitcase-no scooter).

 

[Toffeewoffy]

Because of our convoluted plans for that day, we will probably just hire an intermediate SUV for the day. I just need to find out how late the DCCC stays open so we can return it the same day. As it's going to cost us the equivalent of $45 (ie £42) I don't want to have to increase the cost by another 50% just to park at the resort overnight (especially as we have brunch at Cali Grill booked for the following morning.

I don't suppose anyone knows? I know that some places close early, and I can't plan until I know. Unfortunately I can't contact the DCCC direct to find out.

Also, does the shuttle to and from the DCCC take a scooter? As we're staying at AKL it would be a huge inconvenience to have to return there just to pick up the scooter and then do the same thing in reverse when we drop the car back.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I just need to find out how late the DCCC stays open so we can return it the same day.

Did you check the Alamo/National website? It should provide both the hours and direct phone number for each individual location.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

As it happens, I did visit the site - it appears to be open 8 til 8. But, does that mean the last return is at 8pm or they just close completely at 8pm?

Ringing them is a problem, simply because of the time difference. For us, being 5 hours ahead, it severely limits my opportunity to ring, especially as I'm at work during the day and can't actually ring until 1pm your time. At that time, however, I've just got home from work and have to make dinner - and the next thing I know it's 9 o'clock our time and too late really. I am home on a week's leave at the moment, so will try and ring tomorrow.