WDW: Walt Disney World Resort Scooter Rental Company Policy Change (10-30-2012 06:10 PM) About This Page:

[PassPorter News]

Walt Disney World Resort Scooter Rental Company Policy Change

Walt Disney World's resorts now have a list of five "preferred" vendors for electric scooter (ECV) rentals. The vendors - Apple Mobility, Best Price, Buena Vista, C.A.R.E, and Scooter Bug - will be the only vendors allowed to drop off and pick up scooters from Bell Services without the renter being present. All other vendors will have to schedule a time with the guest for both pick up and drop off.

Posted to the PassPorter News Desk and the PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2012 Guidebook Update List on 10-30-2012 06:10 PM

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[Yensid Srevol]

Why are they doing this? I love Walker Mobility! I have used a few of the other people and DO NOT like their services. Walker has always been fantastic.

[Dave Marx]

I haven't heard specific reasons. From a business standpoint? Maybe they're charging franchise fees to the companies that are participating - maybe we're seeing a list of those willing to pay, or who won the bidding. Maybe these are the companies that have given the fewest problems to bell services. Overall, bell services benefits by having fewer pickups and deliveries to deal with each day.

The number of companies delivering scooters, strollers, storage boxes, groceries, etc. just keeps growing, and the number of scooter companies is especially large.

[jenjen1127]

I was told by A scooter company I use all the time that Disney is demanding a $30 fee on each rental that is left at Bell Services. The five preferred are the only companies that agreed to pay it. Don't know if it's true but this is what the manager of the company I use said. He also said that a number of the companies that didn't agree are getting together and complaining to the government agency for ADA compliance because they feel it is a violation. This is what he told me when the change was first announced.

[jimmymac]

That really stinks. We've used Scooterama and they've always been great

[Zazu]

One reason for the change is that Disney wants all scooters to have industry standard tie-downs so that buses can load more quickly, and guests will be safer. As a result, we'll all get to the parks and back faster!

One side-effect of this rule is that the 3-wheel scooters are out, because none currently manufactured have the right tie-downs. The fact that the 3-wheelers are involved in more accidents per guest-day was a contributing factor.

While guests can continue to rent and use the 3-wheelers from unapproved vendors by meeting them in person, I rather suspect that Disney may eventually bar them from using buses. Something to watch for in future.

[yalibrarian]

I wonder about the three wheel thing, because we rented a three wheeler from Apple in November, and saw lots of other folks using them from "approved" vendors as well. I might add that my husband was very pleased with this scooter which was lighter and easier to manouver and dismantle to transport in our car than the slightly larger scooters we had rented from Buena Vista and Walker in the past.

[DSNYD]

I understand the thought process regarding the 3-wheeled chairs. It does take a long time to load chairs that don't have standard tie-downs, and I know that the 4-wheel versions are safer.

I am disappointed that there will be a change to pick up/drop off at Bell Services. I mean, I understand the overwhelming number of companies that provide services to vacationers, but part of the magic of Disney was how accommodating they are to the client (us). I feel this should include the right to choose from which company we want to rent.

It doesn't effect my next vacation because I plan to rent one at the park to avoid loading it onto the busses. However; my entire family is coming back in 2014, and will need several scooters for use during the entire vacation (not just at the parks). We prefer Walker Mobility, and now it looks like that may become a problem.

I also feel bad for people who bring their own scooters, if they end up not allowing them on the busses.