Buena Vista Rentals, which is a popular company that provides many park guests with ECV (electronic convenience vehicles), strollers, and other equipment, is making some operational changes.
Main Street, USA
And these changes could impact your next trip to Disney World!
This new policy has been made for all third party stroller rental companies. Guests will now need to pick up their strollers in person when choosing to rent. The only way that a stroller can be left at the front desk without the guest being present is if they choose to book through Disney’s preferred service — ScooterBug.
Animal Kingdom Test Strollers
Due to this policy change, Buena Vista Rentals has announced they’ll be moving into a new drop-off and pick-up schedule that will go into effect for all NEW reservations made starting Thursday, November 3rd. (Any reservations booked before this date will not be affected by this schedule change.)
The Tree of Life
They are referring to this new structure of their service as a “meet and greet” system on their website. Due to recent changes in Disney World’s policies regarding outside rental agencies, Buena Vista Rentals will no longer be able to pick-up or drop-off your rental with the bellman of your resort, but instead must deliver your equipment to you, in person. Therefore, Buena Vista Rentals will be dividing the Disney World resorts into 5 zones/routes, and each route will do “meet and greets” three times daily.
New Buena Vista Rentals Delivery Schedule
Buena Vista Rentals has stated that guests choosing the late meet and greet time will not be charged for the first day of rental, and “…if they get their scooter the day they arrive they can take advance of a free evening of renting a scooter.”
They also recommend that if you need your scooter earlier or later than the meet and greet time at your resort, you could meet them at one of the nearby resorts instead — for instance, if someone is staying at Disney’s Pop Century Resort and needs a scooter earlier, Buena Vista Rentals could meet you at Disney’s Art of Animation instead.
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I appreciate BV coming up with a creative solution, but what a pain!! We typically rent strollers from BV but will just travel with ours from now on to avoid that hassle. There are so many variables with traveling (especially with children) that I don’t want to have to keep track of yet another time on both ends. It’s a poor customer service move on Disney’s part. We as guests are paying a premium to stay on property, the service is a huge part of it. No other hotel we have stayed at has had a problem with rental drop at concierge.
I get this is probably a huge pain for buena vista and they have come up with the best solution possible but I still hate this decision by Disney. On arrival day we always drop our bags and grab our ECV and head to disney springs for the afternoon/evening. Now, we can’t do that because we will have to wait around the resort for the meet & greet with buena vista.Lost money in shops/restaurants in springs for disney and wasted time for us waiting around at the resort without a room etc. not great. then, we can’t even stay out late on our last night because we have to come back to the resort by a certain time to drop it off if our departure is before the first am pick-up/drop-off time. again, lost money for disney and bummer way to end a vacation. not liking it at all!!! buena vista is great but this is no good.
So your not allowed to bring hour own stroller to your hotel or you are and do the y provide strollers in all the parks rental or can you bring your own please advise
Disney has out priced themselves and now are making it so inconvenient for both the disabled and BV.
Hats off to BV for their creative plan.
I have been coming to DW since 1981. I’ve bee. An annual pass holder eve though I live in Illinois. Did not renew. Disney is making it to expensive and inconvenient to come any more. I’ll miss the Mouse
I’ve read all the comments and I agree with you 1000%, Disney is not doing their guess any favors. That being said, I don’t believe Disney isn’t out pricing themselves, I’m sure they are getting a kickback from this company, Scooter Bug. I’m guessing they are using Scooter Bug because BV did not want to give a kickback.
Also you can still rent a stroller/ECV in the parks, but that can be a pain in the butt.
For Alexis, you can bring your own stroller. This is only if you wanted to rent a stroller and/or ECV. It is the convenience of the Stroller/ECV being with the bellhops when you arrived.
I am holding judgement until I hear reviews on Scooter Bug .
They have already started this. I booked a wheelchair rental last week for 9:30am at Fort Wilderness. They called the following day and told me the earliest they could do was 10:45am at Fort Wilderness.
Disney is no long a customer driven company. It’s all about profit and the heck with customer service. Guest relations have taken a hind seat to money grubbing. As a DVC member I am sorely disappointed in these Disney management pirates. The disabled and seniors are no longer valued by Disney.
You can always bring your own stroller or ECV to the resorts and parks. But if you choose to rent one, you either rent one from Scooter Bug and pick it up at the park or at the resort Guest Services. Or meet BVScooters at your resort during the times they have posted. Or rent one from one of the other vendors and meet them according to their schedule whatever that will be.
I would gladly rent from scooterbug, but they do not provide walker racks like BV does. I applaud BV’s innovative solution, and decry Mickey’s disdain for the handicapped. More and more price increases, less and less reason to come. January trip may very well be our last. Been coming since 1975. About to try out Universal’s hospitality.
Disney charges for everything now– Pretty soon you will have to insert a quarter to get a cast member to smile ( PUN INTENDED) ! But — How much will stroller parking cost ?? Again — Pun Intended.
If you can afford to go — GO!!!
Is this for all rental companies? We are using Apple scooter. We have used them before as they were recommended by Disney representative.
We are comung next September.
I have thought for a long time that Disney should expand their own ECV rental. They could meet you at the bus at the Parks and also at the resorts. I’d like to ride my ECV ftom my room to the bus stop, drop it off, be greeted by another scooter when I get off the bus. I could leave my scooter outside my room at night, and call for one in the morning. There, Disney,you’re welcome!
June, Disney specifies that Apple scooter rentals booked before 9/30/19 will still be able to be delivered without the guest present to pick them up. If you booked your rental after that date, Disney recommends contacting the vender to explore your options or make a plan for accepting the delivery.
Alexis, you can bring your own, you can rent Disney’s, or you can rent from a third party vender. That last option is the one impacted by Disney’s new policy about picking up and dropping off strollers.
Thank you Sarah. Apple scooter contacted me as well and I am good to go. 😀 can’t wait to visit again.
This has always been this way for some rental companies. We always use Walker for my ECV, and they don’t have this weird route system. They just ask us when we’re arriving, and they meet us at the resort when we get there. The only place that lets Walker leave it at the bell services is the Swan/Dolphin. BV must have lost their “preferred” contract with Disney, and now they don’t want to meet up with their customers except for at their convenience. This isn’t a Disney problem. It’s a BV problem. The non-preferred companies have always dealt with this.
Cindy, there is no more preferred status for vendors of strollers and ECVs except for Scooterbug now. None of the other companies can leave their products with Bell Services and guests must receive them and return them without Bell Services assisting.
I tried to plan as beat as possible and now they mess everything up. I am getting really frustrated with how hard Disney is making things. How is someone in a wheelchair supposed to just easily hop to a different resort to pick up their scooter. I never would have booked myself mickeys very merry Christmas party if I knew I may not be able to have a wheelchair. I get to Orlando at noon and have reservations at 4:30 in magic kingdom. When I thought my chair would be waiting for me. Now I am going to have to cancel and go with their other offering.
After calming down I looked at this more online. If you booked before 9/30/19 your ecv will still be able to be left at your resort. Phew!!
Cori, if you booked before 9/30, you’re grandfathered into the original process.
So…… Disney’s in bed with Scooter Bug !! Yep… the ecv’s are the same ugly 4 wheeler that have been in the park since EPCOT opened in 82′. AND…DISNEY’S PRICES… OUTRAGEOUS !!
What a shame… WILL NEVER USE ANY COMPANY OTHER THAT BUENA VISTA… EXCELENT COMPANY !!
Shame on you…Disney !!
I am deeply angered by this change. I use Buena Vista for many years now and they are always great. Disney has nickled ad dimed us over and over. It did have great customer service but it’s gone down over the years As a DVC member I am not happy about it.
Disney isn’t helping their theory. It’s about benefit and the hell with client care. Visitor relations have taken a rear seat to cash grubbing. That being stated, I don’t trust Disney isn’t out estimating themselves, I’m certain they are getting a kickback from this organization, Scooter Bug.