Disney Changes ECV Outside Rental Delivery Policy Effective Nov 1 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Disney Changes ECV Outside Rental Delivery Policy Effective Nov 1
I received this email today from a travel agent friend:
Quote:
I made a new reservation for a scooter with Walker Mobility and immediately received a call from {WM Rep name withheld} . Walker Mobility advised that Disney has limited the companies that are allowed to use the Bell service at Disney owned properties and they will no longer be able to drop off scooters in advance to the hotel, nor pick them up from Bell service at the end of a rental. This policy takes effect on November 1st.
The new policy for now is to have the client call Walker about 1 hour before they need the scooter (from the airport, or Magical Express) and a Walker driver will meet the guest at the hotel and give them one-on-one instructions for operation. At the end of the rental period the guest will again have to call Walker 1 hour before they are done with the unit and meet the Walker driver to return the scooter.
Walker Mobility advised me that they are hiring new drivers and calling all pre-booked clients whose service will be changed by the new policy. They are very willing to discuss any questions if you give them a call.
Not sure how this will effect other outside delivery companies like Garden Grocer, Owner's Locker, etc. I am only able to post this once per the board guidelines, but I really feel this should be shared in the Planning and Staying in Style forums as well.
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This is timely information for many people. I was just getting ready to rent a scooter for our upcoming trip, as my husband has decided to wait to buy his own until next year. I have always counted on picking up/dropping off at Bell Services. Wonder if this will change pricing any.
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Very interesting. Thanks for the info. I guess it's not too big of a deal though. It just requires a little extra planning on our part. I shall pass along the info to my parents - thanks again!
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This is very interesting. I was actually discussing recently with a friend how many new scooter rental places have cropped up in the past 10 or so years. I can imagine the number of scooters and different places picking up and delivering would make it difficult for Bell Services-- that's a lot of work for them without earning a tip except for those who actually deliver to the guest. Not to mention the storage issues. It's really not too bad for guests-- just a little more thought and planning-- but a lot more work and cost to the rental companies!
Yuck! I don't like this at all. Not as much the pick up as the drop off.
My questions are this....
Can I request a drop off for 7am, if I have an early ADR? Which means I would have to call at 6am?
It says, "Disney has limited the companies....." Does that mean select companies or ALL outside companies? For instance, if I choose Buena Vista or Randy's what is the policy?
I am trying to figure out why Disney would do this, and the only reasons I can come up with are...
1.) Too many scooters in Bell Services
2.) Disney is seeing how many people are renting from outside companies and are hoping to discourage that some.
Either way, I guess I will have to do some research before our next trip. Stinks bc I love Walker and I prefer to have a scooter around the resort.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Can I request a drop off for 7am, if I have an early ADR? Which means I would have to call at 6am?
It says, "Disney has limited the companies....." Does that mean select companies or ALL outside companies? For instance, if I choose Buena Vista or Randy's what is the policy?
I would call Disney and ask if they can provide a listing of companies effected by this.
It sounds like more of a pain, but I think it's actually not a bad idea. So many people rent scooters at WDW who have never rented one before and have maybe only used the grocery store ones. Those people are kind of dangerous! I'm sure it was taking up not just a lot of space but TIME by CMs, so WDW was paying people to do something that made Disney no money. Hope it all works out for everyone who needs them.
It looks like I will need to make a call to Apple rental and see what to do since we will be there until Nov 2. It is scheduled to be picked up at 8 AM on Nov. 2nd. It may delay our leave time if I can't leave it with Bell Service. I may call Disney and see what they say first.
My thought is that Disney is doing this because CM's are spending too much time teaching guests how to use their rented ECV's causing backups at Bell Services. I think they're trying to get the responsibility of teaching the guest how to use their rented scooter moved from the CM's at Bell Services to the Rental Companies that are profitting from the rental. I could be wrong, but it might be a contributing factor.
My thought is that Disney is doing this because CM's are spending too much time teaching guests how to use their rented ECV's causing backups at Bell Services. I think they're trying to get the responsibility of teaching the guest how to use their rented scooter moved from the CM's at Bell Services to the Rental Companies that are profitting from the rental. I could be wrong, but it might be a contributing factor.
from someone who hasn't used one, there also looks like quite a variety of types/styles of scooters. it would be wrong to ask CM to know every single type of scooter. when you add that liability to the time spent, i'm sure disney just didn't see the 'up' side.
I think it's a great idea, because someone from the rental agency ought to be who shows how to run the ECV. That's not something CM's ought to be stuck doing.
We've never rented from any agency but Randy's, and they send an agent out to meet you to deliver the ECV so that they are sure you'll know how to use it properly.
I'm guessing that the longtime companies like Walker's and Randy's will still be able to use bell services for dropping off your scooter when you're done with it. I suspect that the newbie ones that just dump one at bell services and leave it to CM's to teach the "rentee" how to use it are going to be removed from the list of acceptable companies. I can see that there could be serious liability issues for Disney if someone were injured because the CM didn't know all the fine points of operation for a particular scooter.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
While it is a bit of pain IMO to have to remember to call Walker (who we used last year and will use again) on our next vacation, I see Disney doing this because of a space / fire hazard issue more than anything. When waiting in line to get Lenny's scooter last year, I kind of saw into the room where they hold all the luggage and stuff at AS Sports and the room really wasn't all that big considering how many rooms are there. You try to put luggage in there, food deliveries and scooters and chances are something is either going to be broken or difficult to get to in a timely fashion. If luggage is broken, Disney know has an unhappy guest. A broken scooter? A really unhappy guest who know has to "waste" time waiting for a new scooter. A scooter that can't be located for some reason? Doesn't make Disney look good to the rental companies.
I truthfully see this as an advantage to both Disney and the rental companies. The rental company knows for a fact that the rentee has not only gotten it but has gotten it in working condition and Disney no longer has to find room to store them, especially if there is foul weather (who wants to show up and have a scooter already wet because it's been raining?)
My thought is that Disney is doing this because CM's are spending too much time teaching guests how to use their rented ECV's causing backups at Bell Services. I think they're trying to get the responsibility of teaching the guest how to use their rented scooter moved from the CM's at Bell Services to the Rental Companies that are profitting from the rental. I could be wrong, but it might be a contributing factor.
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Disney Changes ECV Outside Rental Delivery Policy Effective Nov 1
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