Disney World on a Scooter? The What, When, Where, Why and How | Sir Willow's Park Tales
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- Опубликовано: 20 авг 2024
- Our last trip to Walt Disnew World I rented a scooter to use while we were there. How did it work out? And if you're thinking about it, what should you know? This is my experience and what you might want to know if you're thinking about renting one, or want to know what it's like to rent one- good and bad (and there is one especially bad part hehe)
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![Rolling Through Disney | Answering Your Mobility Scooter [ECV] Related Questions](/img/1.gif)
When I took my 80-year-old mother, niece and nephew to WDW for Christmas, I got my mom a scooter from WDW. Without it, she simply wouldn't have been able to keep up. Additionally there was so much basket space, it practically carried everything for us. The handlebar basket ended up being our buffet. All our drinks, snacks, went into it. We were constantly bypassing the ride lines as the Disney employees constantly had us use the handicap entrance. We never asked once. And the Disney employees were VERY good at helping my mom get on and off the rides. Sometimes they stopped the moving ride to help her get on and off. Never did they make us feel like we were a bother. Just the opposite. They were all smiles and upbeat. They doing that made our visit that much more special.
Just a comment, Gold Mobility drops off on your schedule between about 7 AM (sometimes earlier) and 7 PM. Gold Mobility is also the only company that includes damage AND theft insurance in their price. They include a captains seat (makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE), cup holders, fan, ponchos and a free additional accessory.
When I say they meet on your schedule, I do mean it, they will be there waiting for you, not the other way around, we used to do Bell Services before they were around and sometimes had to wait as much as 45 minutes for Bell Services.
They also have the largest batteries out of any of the companies and they are constantly replacing their inventory. What they do is replace after a certain amount of time. When it comes time to retire a unit, it is fully refurbished and then sold as used at a massive discount from new.
And if you have any problems with the scooter, they will come to you inside the park if needed. Many of the other rental companies expect you to get them back to the front of the park or back to your resort. As you said, Scooterbyg can come to you.
When the battery was dying, Gold Mobility would have brought you a fully charged scooter under the circumstances.
Would.it work for everyone? No, not until they can get back to being able to drop off 24/7, which they used to be able to do, but since the theme parks reopened labor shortages have posed issues.
Alternatively, before COVID, as I recall they were working on being able to pickup and drop off at the airport, possibly even at your gate and provide transportation to and from, hopefully they can circle back to that idea as well.
Also, if you look at all that Gold Mobility includes, they are far cheaper than the other companies.
And one caution about Scooterbug (and a few others), they have been having inventory issues where people show up and find that their reservation was cancelled, leaving them with no device. Gold Mobility has a system to ensure that doesn't happen, but not all do, so make sure you have a written guarantee that your device (and the exact model you rented) will be there on time or that there will be appropriate compensation provided.
Thanks so much for the info! I'll have to look at them next time I'm in the area.
I am in a manual wheelchair and when I go to places like an amusement park, not everyone speaks the language I do (English or French) so when you are trying to get people to move out of the way, it's a little bit difficult. I do find that making a BEEP BEEP noise is the universal way of saying 'You're in my way' lol
Thank you so much for your video. I suffered a severe TBI last year and we have a trip in 37 days. I took a trip to the zoo today and my kids had to help me walk out after 3 hours and 85* heat because I almost fainted. I’ve never done a scooter and your video reassured me.
I used a scooter for the first time myself recently and was blown away how much it really helped. The cast members were wonderful to me as well ! Thanks for sharing your experience!
I went from someone who walked an hour to work every day to someone who worked from home. After three years of barely leaving my house, I’ve not only lost a lot of stamina, but my feet have become so tender from never wearing shoes! This video is so helpful because I’m really looking forward to our upcoming trip but I was so worried I was not going to be able to walk like I used to!
Thanks for this fun and informative video!
I was on an ECV in 2015 when I got my chance to visit WDW. I really recommend it as I made the mistake of walking on the 1st night when we went to Epcot. I spent the next day stuck in the hotel room with my body buzzing from pain. I managed to arrange for a rental the rest of the week and they loved me when I paid cash. Best money spent.
It's nice that the cast members are accommodating. We had the same experience renting a wheelchair. It was really nice having a special viewing area for the parade
Finally getting to watch this makes me smile, to revisit the trip in a new way! I can speak on scooter bug’s pickup process, between them and the cast members were super helpful. Vroom vroom through Contempo lobby!! 🏎
Thank you for this video! I’m feeling less worry about going to Disney with my scooter now
Thanks for the video!
I am 57. I go to WDW alone. I need a scooter to visit the parks without pain. At Disneyland I can do 4 hours then I go home. I have rented from Disney, Walker Medical, and Buena Vista. I have been satisfied from all three of these choices.
This video was so incredibly helpful. Thank you.
This is really helpful, I've not been to Disney yet but I'm saving up for it and as a wheelchair user I'm guessing my arms will die on me at some point and I'll need to try one of these so hearing your experience is great
Thank you so much for making this video!! My bestfriend uses a scooter and was hesitant about going to Disney but this video made her feel so much better!! Thank you!! 🥹💚🙌🙏
We pushed my wife around in a manual wheelchair at Disneyland. Would have been less of a workout to have one of those!!
To answer your question about security if you can’t get up: Pop is now 90. After breaking his leg a couple years ago, getting up off the scooter for security just isn’t good for him. I would have to take his walker along and even then he’s pretty unsteady. So I take anything in his basket through the metal detector, and they will wand him or pat him down. They are so sweet with him, very patient because even with hearing aids, he doesn’t always understand if they are fast talkers. Pop wears his Vietnam Veteran hat and they’ll thank him for his service. I thank them for helping keep us safer. Takes a little longer, but they make it as simple as they can.
Thank you for this! I’m taking my mom to galaxy’s edge in September and have had a lot of questions about what it’ll be like with the scooter. This helps a lot, thank youN
I’m debating on renting one , I’m having a lot of issues with becoming winded and I have slipped discs. I’m 32 and going alone w my 9yo and want to keep up but I feel embarrassed as well. This video was helpful
Loved your video!!! Very informative!! 😄
You can also get a complementary wheelchair from the parks to go to you parking spot or bus stop. It sure helped me!
you can plug in to almost any power plug in the parks to top off, especially when you have a time when you are stopping for food. another tip is to turn off scooter anytime you are not moving. (in shows, eating, waiting for others...)
That's assuming that you remembered to bring the big bulky charging cable with you to the parks. :-P We had left it back in the hotel room.
@@SirWillow other companies have them bolted in the seat bag. Still glad you had fun
SO VERY HELPFUL!!
Thank you so much for this info!! It will be our first time with someone using a scooter (my grandma) so this is very helpful
So Scooter Bug will deliver your ecv to the park itself? Or do you mean that they will just deliver it to your hotel? I really hate those massive Disney ECVs and am considering renting a small three wheel scooter from a third party this time when i go to wdw in a few days. I know they will drop it off at whatever place you’re staying, but that then leaves the burden of having to load it up in the car or Uber every day, which is a system far less ideal than having your scooter bug rented scooter delivered right to whatever park you’re at for that day. Is that possible, or do they just deliver to resort hotels?
To the Disney resorts, and some of the non-Disney hotels. I don't believe they will deliver to the parks. The Disney buses, monorail and boats can all accommodate the scooters. But if you're wanting to leave Disney then you're probably looking at having to either having a carrier on your car or renting one where ever you are going.
I don't know of any companies that deliver to the parks on a daily basis. if you're wanting something like that, then you're kind of stuck with the park rentals.
@@SirWillow yeah, I figured I misunderstood you there and that they only deliver them to resorts. But man, park delivery would be awesome if it didn’t cut into Disney’s own rentals and they allowed third parties to deliver them to the parks themselves. Too good to be true.
I really have no problem walking to get to the parks, it’s just the several-mile walking days are to be avoided in my situation, which is where the scooter comes in. Luckily I’m not totally immobile and walk everywhere in my daily life without a problem, I just have orders from my Dr to take it as easy as possible on one of my legs due to the several extensive and pretty unprecedented surgeries I’ve had on my leg because of a cancer diagnosis when i was around 12 (they removed the tumor and most of my femur and put in a 12” femur bone graft surrounded by numerous plates and screws; I’ve been cancer-free for almost a decade now), and in order to try and preserve my relatively fragile leg as much as I can, I avoid walking Disney-sized distances (several miles every day) and get a scooter. I’m only 24, and not a very big guy so those Disney scooters are like way overkill and annoying to deal with. Fortunately the three-wheeled scooter I’m going to rent can be broken down a bit and fit in a car trunk, so that’s not too bad to deal with. It would just be way easier if I didn’t have to transport the scooter to and from the parks, but oh well, that’s just the price to pay to not have to try and navigate crowds of people with one of those massive boat-looking ECVs Disney rents out lol. Thanks for the response!
I rented from scooter bug when I went to wdw and it was worth it. Only complaint wasI paid for a cup holder and back basket and did not get it and I got no refund. In Disney not all busses cold take a scooter and had to wait but I did enjoy the stay Looking forward to the next visit. thanks.
I hate that I need my scooter, but without it, my life would be 10x worse!!!
My elderly mother used a scooter in WDW for a few years, but she couldn't seem to master driving it onto or off the bus. She always had to get one of us to drive it in for her. Needless to say, the people standing in the hot sun (August!) waiting to get on the bus were pretty angry, thinking she was "obviously" faking it. Heard one little kid say, look she CAN walk! Lol
getting those on the bus and lined up is tricky. I had to have the bus driver help me a few times.
And just because someone can walk doesn't mean they don't need the scooter
As of Jan 2024, Scooter Bug will not drop their units off at the park, only the resorts. So if you're staying outside the resorts, you're out of luck. I talked to a rep who had confirmed this.
Scooterbug will drop off at a lot of other hotels as well, not just Disney resorts. Easiest way to find out is to contact them and ask. :-)
I like that this video showed the Skyliner and the monorail and the buses. However, there’s nothing on here about any of the boats…
Most of the boats are just ramps.
Wonderful information as my mother will need a scooter to get around the parks. Thank you!
PS: My mom wants to know what the rest of your t-shrt says! 😁
I took 4 years of Spanish and all I know is “Por favor manténgase alejado de las puertas!”
(it's the Spanish audio from the Disney monorail that says to stand clear of the doors"
@@SirWillow Thank you! She kept hoping you'd stand up so she could see what the rest said. LOL The mystery has been solved! 😁
Thanks so much I'm getting a scooter this time
You had a better experience than I did as far as where they put me in some attractions. They always stuck me in the back row instead of the front.
Greatly depends upon the attraction and where the seating is arranged for scooters and chairs
@@SirWillow They put me on the back row in the Frozen sing along as well as the Muppet show and philharmagic. Basically on the back row everywhere I went. Lol
Scooter bug is who I use in vegas I don't have to be there when the they pick and drop and you can leave it at the bell desk if you're driving somewhere off strip the battery life isn't exactly as good as they say but still well worth the money😊
I’m currently getting a manual wheelchair sent to me through my insurance. I have cerebral palsy that prevents me to walk long distances. However I have rented the park scooters for $150 a day. Thus the reason to get a wheelchair free😅
Once when we went to alantic city my whole family my dad had a 3 wheel scooter but we could not find the charger for it as we were pack so I took the battery out of it opened the bat case and hooked 4 wires on the inside 2 on each battery and taped them down and marked on the case +&- for each battery and popped the breaker on the battery pack so each battery will charge by its self using my rc car charger it worked
Great video! I have a question. I was wondering how long the batteries lasted on a full charge?
You should do some follow-up’s to this as so many use scooters there. Seems like so much more could be said.
What else would you like to be said or commented on? :-)
Scooterbug has set all there scooters to match the slow speed of the gray scooters at the parks at Disneys demand to the walking speed of a (slow walking) family. Where as the none Disney associated scooter companies move 3 to 4 times faster depending on the model. All the all day rental come with charging chord. The only problem it takes a long time to get to recharge enough to get hour ride out of it
thank you thank you thank you!!!!!
Does Scooter Bug scooters have a horn on them? Also, do the ones you rent from inside the parks have horns on them? I rented one at Busch Gardens Williamsburg & those obes did and that was helpful just if nothing else so you didn't hit someone not watching where they were going and walking right in front of you.
I’m late to this party but have a question. How easy would it be to load into an suv? At the end of the day? I will potentially have hip surgery before we go so I’m trying to plan for every possibility. Also was there any parks that you didn’t feel like you needed it? (More of a pain to use) thanks for the information and yes getting old sucks.
There are some that are designed to be taken apart and stored in vehicles. The pieces may weigh 25 to 50 pounds.
There are also trailer hitch platforms you can put on the back of a vehicle and drive scooters on and off of.
I want to thank you for this video. I've lost a lot of mobility and it's also hard for me to breathe. If I ever go back to Disney or really any other theme park I'm going to have to rent a scooter. I do have one question however. I've not been diagnosed with anything officially because I'm not seeing a doctor for financial reasons. Do I need to see a doctor with an official diagnosis to rent these scooters?
nope. no doctors note or exam or anything like that. I made my reservation online and there was no asking why I needed it.
I think everybody feels this way the first time they rent a scooter. My brother and I started using scooters at Disneyland on a whim just to save our feet from all that walking in the park. We realized it was the only way to see Disneyland comfortably! We would park them in the stroller area and stand in the regular lines. Now it’s 20 years later and I have some foot issues so I definitely need one. But they are not really a medical device, so you don’t need to prove why you have to use one. They are just for anybody who prefers to ride rather than walk - but most people don’t view them that way.
I like that you said you're mad demon on a scooter but you can't move very fast you move at 2 mph
Loved the incite
You're welcome!
Was there someone sweeping or a truck nearby with a white noise backup alarm toward the end?
Very possibly. LoL
I just reserved a scooter from Buena Vista for my upcoming trip in March. Can anyone give me their opinion on service and battery life? Also as this is my first WDW visit as a scooter driver, can you advise any tips on ensuring my vehicle stays as charged up as possible to last the entire day? I understand they only estimate 4-5 hours dependant upon my weight and other extenuating factors
Make sure that you plug it in overnight wherever you're staying. I never had charging issues with my scooters as long as I had them fully plugged in overnight. 4 to 5 hours is a very short battery life
@@SirWillow so is your opinion that i chose the wrong company to rent from then ?
I say it's far more likely that there is some confusion over how long the battery will last. Not the company.
@@SirWillow or perhaps they are
covering themselves by only 'guaranteeing' that time period
I always use a scooter at Disney and the battery easily lasts all day. The key is to make sure the scooter is large enough for your weight. A heavy person on a small scooter will wear the battery down very quickly.
Hi, thank you for the information, your video really help me. We are going to WDW next month and I'm planning to rent one for my mom, one question, did you charge it in the parks??
as long as you fully charge it overnight in your room, you shouldn't need to charge it in the parks. But you can easily enough at any electric outlet. You can find them easily enough at many of the restaurants or other places where people are sitting and relaxing, as well as other places throughout the parks.
7:08 - At first I was trying to figure out what my recording had to do with you on a scooter.
Thank you for the info. I'll be renting a scooter for our trip in Jan.2025 I don't know how we will be getting from yet . But I have a health stuff like you and will be doing this for the first time my self. so If you have more tips and tricks I'd love to hear it. thank you
We're visting again in a couple of weeks, and once again renting a scooter, so I'm expecting to have an updated version of this in about a month or so
@@SirWillow That would be grate. I love watching you. would you be able to talk more on the 3rd party scooter rentals for thows of us how are not staying with disney. We are vrboing our stay. Thank you for your time.🏰🎆
We'll be staying at Disney again, and renting from the same company as before, but I'll try to do a little research on some of the others and how they work for everyone. If you're at a vrbo there's a good chance you'd have to pick up
@@SirWillow We fould one called cloud of goods and they say they will delever to us but I have not got the chance to call and talk to them about it yet.
Trip advisor is always a helpful source of info. :-)
www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34515-d16781566-Reviews-Cloud_of_Goods_Orlando-Orlando_Florida.html
How easy was it to pack in your room at night. And what type of room and resort were you staying at. I’m thinking of rent next trip,
We were in a DVC one room suite at the Contemporary tower. It fit in the front part of the room just fine. Best the best way to know is to call the resort you will be staying at and ask them. I know at some of them they tell guests to park them in the hall and charge them there.
Be careful of going off curbs. I witnssed two elderly people flipping over by not noticing a curb. There is no difference in color of a sidewalk, curb, or the road and they are easy to misstakenly not see and cause an accident! My wife and I get them from Disney every time we go. We were in Epcot when one had the battery run down. We told a cast member and they Brough a replacement right to us so we could continue on.
My wife & I each have a Scooter Bug reserved for April/'24. When I called our resort the lady told me that we could leave the scooter outside our room, plugged in all night (Port Orleans Riverside). Is this true?
Trust yhe cast members. They deal with them all the time.
Our room at the contemporary had plenty of room to park it inside the room but that may not be true at all rooms or resorts.
Did you run into rain while on the scooter and what did you do? Did you have to cover it while in use?
The couple of times it rained I took it indoors or into shelter and didn't operate it.
Hum…Scooter Bug huh? Just had a heart procedure 2 days ago with 2 weeks for recovery and wasn’t sure if I’d rent from Disney at each park or get one the whole time I’m there. So other than the night it didn’t charge, no problem getting the scooter to last all day?
No. No problems at all. And I'm really thinking that the one day was just because I hadn't plugged it in right
@@SirWillow how many hours was your day? we are open to close park ppl...12 hrs or more
Are there any place you can charge in the park? We are renting one on a coming trip but my concern is losing power because its only 5 to 6 hrs. Especially on Halloween party night. A very full day.
There are actually a number of places you can plug in inside the parks. Most places to sit down and eat will have electric outlets for example. There are also what they call "Relaxation Stations" (basically unused parts of the parks) where they will also have outlets for you to charge up at. You'll likely see others plugging their ECV's in the same places.
About to head to WFW was getting the scooter in your hotel room a problem and getting it out again? I was told by scooterbug it’s the only way to guarantee not stolen overnight
Our hotel room had plenty of room to drive it in the door, park it and plug it in. Having someone to hold the door open helped, and it did take a couple of times sometimes to get the angle right to get through the door.
If you get out of breath easily, you need to check your heart
hehe, thanks I'm very aware of what my health conditions are and what is causing the breathing issues. And am in close connection with a regular doctor as well as a cardiologist. I'm a unique example. My doc was actually showing me off to a student yesterday when I was visiting because of how those all work together.
Sir willow how did u know which compartment of the monorail 🚝 had the wheelchair 🦼 ramp? And which one was it?
They cast members placed the ramp down then pointed me in that direction. It was just a matter of listening to them and following their directions
@@SirWillow oh ok thanks for the info because I am disabled but I am trying to save up and go to Disney world
People jump in front of the scooter without knowledge of the inertia, time and distance it requires to stop.
Sir willow I'm thinking about taking My gm to disney world and I'm not sure I know how to back it up into the buses will the cast members help me
Yes they will. I needed help at first as well
You'd be a great voice actor
First I thought you mean those annoying things that the naughty Kids and Adults driving those motorized versions cuz nowadays they are to lame and to lousy to walking or using those old school ones were you drop yourself forward with your own leg but this seems to old school for those.
But fastly I realize you call those supporting mini drivers were you seat on and driving around for poor people that have some issues or old ones or that have walking issues and those things also called Scooters.
Why they actually calling both scooters or is the scooter the Kids/Adult thing and a Scooter is the big vehicles or did they just is called both Scooter??? But thankfully Disney do that to rent it or maybe other companies do it as well.
Paris had that as well. But even when you are little bit limited I guess at least it had done a little bit of Fun using them so happy you could enjoy even when sometimes not so easy be careful on not hitting people :=) yeah we believe you sometimes it was pretty temting I guess ;=).
but usually I think you call the ones that I meant Rollerscooter back than at least I think??? :=)
Are the canopies allowed?
As far as I know they are
I have always let people in wheelchairs or motorized ones etc. go ahead me 👍🏻
Thank you Rachel that is very kind
@@janmacdonald1547
Your welcome 👍🏻
Scooter Bug . Call before you go.
How many people had to be kicked out of those seats on the bus so you could park your scooter there? That happens in the city where I went to university
No one is kicked out of their seat, scooters are loaded first..
Disney busses aren't multiple stop generally. So they load scooters and mobility things on first, then everyone else. So no worries about kicking people out of their seats.
That makes sense I didn't think about them being only one stop. Common sense would have told me that.
this is what u teach?
I'm not quite sure what you're meaning there.
so this guy is mad that people going way faster than him "cut him off". Then he get's mad when his wife stops in front of a wheelchair and gets hit???? decide on a policy brother
LoL my wife had not stopped. The people behind her rammed her while she was walking because they weren't paying attention.
Which is the same when someone cuts in front of a moving scooter from the side.
Simple policy: pay attention to what is going on around you and be courteous.
Seriously? God bless your family.
I probably would have given you a speeding ticket if you were speeding 🫣😱🤔🤨