Need advice on renting an ECV for my visit next month

Charlie C.

Retired teacher & Attorney; now an author/poet
Joined
Jun 18, 2018
Next month I will be in WDW with my wife, our daughter and her boyfriend. This has to be close to our thirtieth visit but for the first time I will have to use a rented scooter not only in the parks but outside the parks as well. This is the reason I am asking for advice. My first question is: are all the rental companies about the same?

Second, is it difficult maneuvering a scooter in the hallways, elevators and rooms? We are staying at the Jambo House at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We’ve been there before but I don’t recall any guests using scooters.

Third, for transportation within the Jambo House I intend on using my rollator. I will use the scooter to go to the Kidani Village, to the bus and then to the park. When not in use, can the scooter be parked in my room or does management require it to be stored off the lobby?

Finally, is there a preference for three or four wheel ECVs, light weight or heavier ones or what? I weigh about 250 lbs. I will turn 80 while visiting WDW and I’m in pretty good shape for someone who has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and who has two really sore knees.

Thank you and any advice will be appreciated.
 
This link is very helpful, I just used Scooterbug and was very happy with it. I had a 3 wheel scooter with the 350 LB limit, very stable, just watch going over a curb or on the bus ramp. Never had any low battery problems. Getting on/off the bus takes some practice, but the drivers will help. The scooter can be parked in the hall, just take the key, or will be a 'snug' fit in the units, Jambo is tight. They deliver to bell service and will pick up there when done. I WILL use them again.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...trip-next-trip-wish-trip.595713/#post-5873006
 
You'll probably get some great advice on the DISABILITIES Board. Lots of ECV renters there! I've rented ECVs from 3 different companies-Buena Vista, Walker, and Gold Mobility (ordered but haven't been to WDW for that one yet) The main difference is that some companies are what's called "Featured vendors", meaning they can leave the scooter at Bell Services and pick up there. Others aren't, so they have to arrange with you for drop off/pick up (so far a quick and painless process). Buena Vista's toggle switch was easier to deal with (a squeeze handle rather than a finger-activated speed switch), but I prefer the face-to-face contact when I pick up/drop off my scooter. With Buena Vista, Bell Services lost my key. which necessitated a wait. Also, Walker's basket seemed much larger (an important factor to me). We'll see with Gold Mobility.
 
Buena Vista failed to deliver the scooter we rented, but they are highly regarded.

Simba's mom is correct, hop over to the DISabilities board, tons of info and super nice people!
 


The featured rental companies can be found on the Disney World Website, I think it list about 3 companies.
 
Someone in our family has almost always needed or used in ECV. We have used Buena Vista many times without problems. We have also used quite a number of others. Most of which were featured vendors but when we stayed at Kidani village we did use a non-featured vendor. It was a hassle to have to go out and wait for the guy to show up with the scooter and then, at the end, go out and give it back to the guy. They were good in delivery and pick up, but it was one more thing that we had to schedule, twice. Much easier to use featured vendors Who can drop it off with the bell captain. I didn’t notice any difference in price between the different types of vendors. Just ask the company you are dealing with if they can drop it off with the bell captain or if you will need to be there to pick it up and give it back.

At 250 pounds you should be able to use almost any scooter. You might not want one of the larger ones. They take up more space in the room and on the buses.
 
This link is very helpful, I just used Scooterbug and was very happy with it. I had a 3 wheel scooter with the 350 LB limit, very stable, just watch going over a curb or on the bus ramp. Never had any low battery problems. Getting on/off the bus takes some practice, but the drivers will help. The scooter can be parked in the hall, just take the key, or will be a 'snug' fit in the units, Jambo is tight. They deliver to bell service and will pick up there when done. I WILL use them again.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...trip-next-trip-wish-trip.595713/#post-5873006
Thanks for the info. Will look them up. C.
 


You'll probably get some great advice on the DISABILITIES Board. Lots of ECV renters there! I've rented ECVs from 3 different companies-Buena Vista, Walker, and Gold Mobility (ordered but haven't been to WDW for that one yet) The main difference is that some companies are what's called "Featured vendors", meaning they can leave the scooter at Bell Services and pick up there. Others aren't, so they have to arrange with you for drop off/pick up (so far a quick and painless process). Buena Vista's toggle switch was easier to deal with (a squeeze handle rather than a finger-activated speed switch), but I prefer the face-to-face contact when I pick up/drop off my scooter. With Buena Vista, Bell Services lost my key. which necessitated a wait. Also, Walker's basket seemed much larger (an important factor to me). We'll see with Gold Mobility.
Thanks. I checked out the DISABILITIES board. Looks good. BV's ad sounds promising but some posts may have different opinions.
 
Buena Vista failed to deliver the scooter we rented, but they are highly regarded.

Simba's mom is correct, hop over to the DISabilities board, tons of info and super nice people!
Thanks. I hopped over. Your comment re: Buena Vista is appreciated.
 
Charlie C., I hope you have a great trip!

I used Buena Vista the most, and have been mostly happy.
 
If you don't want to be there to accept the scooter or to hand it back off to the company, you need one of the preferred companies. Otherwise, you cannot get the scooter from Bell Services who can only accept them from preferred companies. I used Walker Mobility and had to meet the truck at the Hospitality House at OKW to get my scooter. When we left, we had moved to the Swan and I could leave it with Bell Services there.
 
Thanks, Deb & Bill. I understand about preferred rental companies and their ability to leave an ECV with the bell captain. I think that's the way I'll go being my first time renting an ECV.
 
Charlie C., I hope you have a great trip!

I used Buena Vista the most, and have been mostly happy.
Thanks, Bobbi. From what I've read here and on DISABILITIES and on the BV website, I think that's the way I'll go. My fingers are crossed, though. "Mostly" is an interesting word.
 
I used Scooterbug on two different occasions after surgery.Everything was delivered on time and worked perfectly. I highly recommend them.
 
Long time scooter user. Buena Vista is off my list... all kinds of battery issues and very poor customer service. My go to is always Apple... pricing is good, includes insurance and always had excellent customer service. Having said that, you will find good and bad experiences reported for every single scooter company you can find.

The three wheel are much easier to turn and can navigate more easily in tight spaces. On the other hand, if you are not experienced, they are far more likely to flip on curbs and ramps. The four wheel gives superior stability but has a much wider turning angle so is harder to maneuver in small areas, e.g. backing into the scooter spot on the bus.
 
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Backing into the scooter carrier area on the bus is really just a type of parallel parking.

I Once used Apple Scooter in Disneyland. I will admit that maybe this is unusual, and maybe they were just having some particular problem that week, but my experience was the worst I’ve ever had. Our scooter had battery issues and frequently would be dead by late afternoon. When I tried to call them they did not answer for four days in a row. In fact that was the entire time we were there and we just ended up keeping the same scooter the whole time. Even worse than not answering their phone, they didn’t answer text messages and their voicemail was full. Very frustrating.
 
Backing into the scooter carrier area on the bus is really just a type of parallel parking.

I Once used Apple Scooter in Disneyland. I will admit that maybe this is unusual, and maybe they were just having some particular problem that week, but my experience was the worst I’ve ever had. Our scooter had battery issues and frequently would be dead by late afternoon. When I tried to call them they did not answer for four days in a row. In fact that was the entire time we were there and we just ended up keeping the same scooter the whole time. Even worse than not answering their phone, they didn’t answer text messages and their voicemail was full. Very frustrating.

That sounds beyond frustrating! :headache:

Interestingly, I had a similar experience with Lake Buena Vista at WDW and that was what made me say never again for them. But I know many people who swear by that company. So go figure LOL That's why recommending any scooter company is so experience dependent. Luckily, in the case of WDW, there are many options to choose from so if you are dissatisfied with one for whatever reason, you can always try another.
 
I used Cloud of Goods in San Diego, I noted on their website they deliver in Orlando too, thought I might be needing it. I thought the service was really good. Delivers between 7 and 11 pm on the night before arrival, and picks up between 7 and 11 pm on your last night. That was the only problem, my last night had to be spent in the hotel waiting for them to pick up.
 

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