Should I rent a scooter for Disney World?

I trust my friends here on CC so I am asking a land question and will use it now and next year on the Disney cruise. We will be going to DW for Mar 7-12. There are 11 in our group (IT grew! somebody whispered that Granddaddy would pay!:D) In the group are a 3 yo boy, 10 yo girl (with diet restrictions and a medical diet), 2 sets of parents in late 30's (but one has psoratic arthritis (RA)) and my sister (broke ankle last August) and her husband (having knee surgery in March) another 20 something daughter, my husband (a walker) and myself (bone spur on knee and muscle cramps). My goodness as I wrote that I think we sound like a mess but we really are pretty healthy and able to go and enjoy our trips immensely! Limits are beginning to become a reality and I am thinking that I would like to rent a scooter (and my sister/bil each rent one too).

How much trouble are the scooters? I know will have to take them on the bus and into line etc. I also know that I won't be able to stand very long in line without back muscle spasms that literally bring me to my knees. I look fat and sassy but my problems don't always show. Will 3 scooters be just too much to deal with? Anybody dealt with Disney World? This is my first scooter experience though I have used them in stores etc. when shopping. Should I try to go without the scooter as long as possible-- pretty giant admission to the kids that the muscles and legs are just not that good anymore. :confused: Thanks for any help you can give. I guess everyone gets to this stage of deciding when to admit that I can't always count on my own steam anymore. I love to go and have been all over the world -- Is it doable without good legs?

Disney World is one of the easiest places to use a mobility scooter. The only issue of concern might be rental availability if planning to rent once inside the park.

Depending on the season and your arrival time at the park, the scooters could all rented. IEven Disney does not have an endless supply of scooters to rent. You definitely need to be at the park within the first 2 hours of openning to be assured of getting a rental.

I know Scooters rent out fast as many people stopped me at the park to ask how I managed to get a scooter ? In fact one little boy about 8-10 years of age came up to me as his grandmother had to return to the hotel because they arrived at the Park too late to get a scooter. It just broke my heart to hear this little boy tell the story of how he so much wanted his grandmother to enjoy Disney and she couldn't without a scooter. The next day I saw the family/boy again and Grandma was riding a scooter from the same company my was from.

I have stayed at a Hotel that's part of the Disney Good Neighbor Program. Meaning it's just on the out skirts of International Drive and the disney buses pick you up. Most of these hotels are on International Plaza Drive The Hotel Conceierge arranged a scooter rental through a local company to be delivered to the Hotel. Since I did not have an HC room the hotel charged the scooter each night for me in a secured area. The hotel conceierge also arranged to make certain a Bus with a lift was sent each day to pick me up. The Hotel and Bus company would reconfirm the time with me as to when I wanted to be picked up. Once arriving at the park the driver would confirm with me where and when a bus with a lift would pick me up. You need to be flexible with time as it's only a window of time not an exact time.

WDW is GREAT. ;) One of the very few land vacations that I can take DS with only minimal hassle.

If you need more info on WDW, send me an email. Don't need to spend time wasting everyone else's time.

I've rented scooters for cruises but never a land vacation. If you rent a scooter on your own do you know how long the charge lasts while at the park. I've rented them at the parks a time or two but, have had the charge die on me while there and the park has had to bring me another scooter. If you rent on your own I don't think that's possible. Thanks for the information.

Rhonda

We have on several vacations, rented park scooters, rented from a local vendor with delivery to a Disney hotel, and/or brought our owned scooters with us.

A fairly long walk is required to get to the scooter rental location and one time no scooters were available so we got a wheelchair. This is our last choice.

We have stayed in various Disney hotels and used the buses and boats to go to the parks. They usually hold two scooters and normally was not a problem, however a few times the crowd rushed the bus and we could not load until a later bus came along.

We have had a number of problems with the hotel staff assigning rooms that were on he second floor and no elevator, rooms up a couple steps and no ramp, and the incorrect amount of beds. Disney hotel staff are clueless regarding special needs. This is strange because we were treated very nice within the parks.

We have never run out of charge in the parks. We do take our chargers with us and would just find a place to recharge if necessary during a lunch or dinner breaks. We also make sure we are fully charged before leaving to go to the parks.

I just got back from WDW where I had called Apple scooter rental. They had scooter waiting for me in main building so I could sit on it while waiting in line to register at our Disney Resort. Bus drivers were all great about loading it for trips to parks. They were so friendly and helpful. Day we checked out we were still going back to Magic Kingdom so we got resort to stow our luggage and I kept the scooter all day. When we got ready to leave WDW I just had to leave it at the main building of our resort. We were there for 5 nights and rental cost was very reasonable. There are several companies that offer this same service. ( also will deliver to hotels outside WDW ). There is no way I could have done the parks without it !!

Check out this board http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=20 it is similar to this one and they have some great stickys with info and can answer any questions just like we do here!

3 scooters on the disney buses can be problematic. They only hold 3 max scooters/wheelchairs. So, if there are other people in line with you waiting for a bus with wheelchairs/scooters, your wait can be long to get on a bus or your party could get split up. They also have a new policy where scooters/wheelchairs use the mainstream line to get on the buses instead of a separate line as in the past. This has caused some problems recently also.

If you drive to the parks and rent a scooter in the park, there are wheelchairs located in the parking lots to use to get to the park and rental station.

When did they change to scooters in regular lines? I was just there a couple weeks ago and it was the 1st time my illness forced me to use a scooter. I was surprised that they handled scooters before reg. line. I actually thought it was kind of embarrassing to ride up to a bus stop where people were already waiting and when bus pulled up ,we went on 1st. I'm assuming they changed the barriers for the lines too. No way you could navigate those zig-zagging lines on a scooter. Will be back in WDW this fall and will be interested in seeing how they handle it. Thanks for update!

I've rented scooters for cruises but never a land vacation. If you rent a scooter on your own do you know how long the charge lasts while at the park. I've rented them at the parks a time or two but, have had the charge die on me while there and the park has had to bring me another scooter. If you rent on your own I don't think that's possible. Thanks for the information.

 

Rhonda

As long as you rent the full size scooter and not the travel portables such as a Pride GoGo you should not have an issue. I've rented hrough the hotel and and rented a Disney Scooter , was at the parks morning till after the fire works and never ran out of a charge. Sounds as though you got a scooter that was not properly charged before Disney rented it to you.

Tips on using a mobility scooter in Disney World

• Never operate on full power. Drive at low to mid power. This works best if you have people walking with you and you don't use the power so fast.
  
• Any ride that is somewhat stationary such as the Hall of Presidents has electrical plugs in the back as you enter the theater. I would use this opportunity to do a quick charge on the battery. You'll find many opportunities like this throughout the parks.
  
• What the power guage if you see that it's getting low ( dropped into the yellow zone) make your way to one of the guest services stations and they will let you plug the scooter in to charge for a while. Take the opportunity to get out of the sun and relax for a little while .
  
• If you rent , rent thorugh a vendor that supplies specifically for the disney as their scooter have the heavy duty batteries . Also if you run into a problem you can call the phone number affixed to the scooter and the vendor will also deliver a new one to you for use.
  

I have used crutches and/or a brace since I had polio as a child. But, once I started using wheels, I have been able to stay longer and do more at places like WDW. When our boys were with us, we rented a wheel chair, and everyone took turns pushing me. Now, I am using my own mobility scooter and it works well for me since I can't do much at all without it. You can drive it right onto the monorail, and assessible busses. You also might want to consider sharing a scooter. There are lots of places you can rest waiting for your turn...sit in the shade and have a snack, or do some slow walking. You have to decide on what options would work best for you. The last time we were at WDW, we ran into a huge rainstorm in the afternoon. Luckily, I had taken a rain poncho with me, and I used it to cover up me and the scooter so it would stay dry while finding a place to wait out the downpour (which happens a lot in Florida). Good luck with your trip!

I have used crutches and/or a brace since I had polio as a child. But, once I started using wheels, I have been able to stay longer and do more at places like WDW. When our boys were with us, we rented a wheel chair, and everyone took turns pushing me. Now, I am using my own mobility scooter and it works well for me since I can't do much at all without it. You can drive it right onto the monorail, and assessible busses. You also might want to consider sharing a scooter. There are lots of places you can rest waiting for your turn...sit in the shade and have a snack, or do some slow walking. You have to decide on what options would work best for you. The last time we were at WDW, we ran into a huge rainstorm in the afternoon. Luckily, I had taken a rain poncho with me, and I used it to cover up me and the scooter so it would stay dry while finding a place to wait out the downpour (which happens a lot in Florida). Good luck with your trip!

Thanks for the information and opinions everybody. I have been in those huge rainstorms and I have my large rain poncho that is a permanent part of my carry on bag and has been around the world since my last trip to WDW.

Still not sure what I will do as my legs feel different each day == just for variety. Do you think that I could order after I get to Disney for the next day? Will take the numbers or maybe just get one in the park so don't have to do the bus. I am lucky can still walk MOST of the time without a problem?

When did they change to scooters in regular lines? I was just there a couple weeks ago and it was the 1st time my illness forced me to use a scooter. I was surprised that they handled scooters before reg. line. I actually thought it was kind of embarrassing to ride up to a bus stop where people were already waiting and when bus pulled up ,we went on 1st. I'm assuming they changed the barriers for the lines too. No way you could navigate those zig-zagging lines on a scooter. Will be back in WDW this fall and will be interested in seeing how they handle it. Thanks for update!

They have been implementing the new policy for a few months now with the mainstream bus lines. There have been problems, and it has had its ups and downs. It seems to be just hit or miss on the bus lines. I guess from what I gather, you go with the mainstream line up to a point, then there is a turn off marked with a wheelchair that you wait in while the rest of the line moves forward. Also reports of double parking of buses so scooters cannot get on the double parked buses. There are some threads about it over on Disboards. We are going to WDW in April, so I will try and see where exactly these mainstream bus lines exist.

Thanks Laura S. I am sort of like you -- just on the verge of needing something because the bone spur only hurts occasionally like when I pivot or twist it but then it can be bad for a whole day (if it's going to rain:eek:) Your comment about the bus was reassuring. I really don't want to cause everybody to have to wait around for me nor do I want the speed walkers leaving me in their dust!!!

Still mulling but I bet that scooter and being able to sit in line wins out.

Oh by the way no good taking the Senior in your title too seriously;)

*Note that people with severe disabilities etc should visit Guest Services to obtain a GAC card, which would provide more access should you need it.

What is a GAC card? Also access to what?

Thanks

GAC Guest Assistance Card: You go to guest services in any park and explain what accommodations you might need, such as use stroller as wheelchair, low vision, etc. they will give you a paper card that lists what you need, and it will be good for the length of your stay for use in all the parks. You need to show the card to access some lines/shows to be able to use handicapped spots. Please note that the GAC is only for a party of up to 6 people. So, you can't have a party of 15 and expect that everybody will be able to sit with you in a show, or go through a diasbled access ride line all together.

^ Thank you.