Where indeed? Well of course you can bring your own from home if you have one. Disney allows them to be ridden on the entire property (unlike Segways which are not allowed).

But often I go up there with friends or family that does not have a mobility scooter lift in their car. So when I get there, I need to get one or the walking required would be painful and not very enjoyable at all.

Mobility scooters may be rented in two ways. I will discuss both below...

Renting from an Outside Source:

The best solution I've discovered is to rent them from a local scooter place in Orlando.

There are a couple benefits to this method. The main one is that you can use the scooter not only in the parks, but the hotels, and other activities. The rental ones at WDW are only for use in the parks. This is very helpful since some hotels are quite a bit spaced apart and walking can still be quite long.

The second advantage to this method is that they are generally cheaper than the daily rate at WDW. Some even give discounts for so many days which not only helps the legs, but helps the wallet.

So I how do I get one, you may ask?

When you have a date in mind, you can call the scooter rental place and reserve one. It's recommended that you do so in advance, so that you will be assured that one will be available for that time. Usually less than a month is sufficient. If you do it too early, you might want to verify the reservation as well as any new information you might have to give them (like hotel changes, or whatnot).

If your trip is spur of the moment, there is still a good chance that you will be able to find one on short notice. There are a lot of rental places and usually one will have one. I've never had any problem getting one last minute by calling around.

Once you have placed your reservation and the day that you arrive has come, the scooter should be delivered to the hotel before you get there. This way it is available to you right away. You do not need to check in to get the scooter. In most cases, you don't even need to go inside even. The scooters are generally dropped off and stored in the luggage area which is outside at most of the resorts. You simply give them your ID and tell them that you have a scooter waiting and they will check in the storage room and bring it out for you and give you the key. The scooter should be fully charged and ready to be used.

When you check out, you simply return the scooter to the luggage area and they will store it for the scooter company to retrieve.

Generally a credit or debit card is required to reserve the scooter, as they will charge the card for the scooter rental. Different rental places may have different policies, so it's best to check with the one you will be renting from. Don't forget to ask if they have a discount on longer rentals.

There is one place that gives you a cover over the scooter. This is very useful around the hotel and open areas to keep out of the sun. However, do not take this cover with you on the bus as the buses and a lot of places are not equipped to accommodate the cover. I actually found it more problems than it was worth actually.

If the scooter should die, there is generally a card or perhaps a sticker right on the scooter that will give the number to call. There should be a service person available to come out and replace it or fix it so that you can continue.

I did have one of them die on me, and the rental place did replace it, but I found the experience a bit embarassing. The Disney security people were quite helpful in getting the scooter to the front gate, but the attention was a bit nerveracking to me. In all fairness though, that was the only one that I had problems with and had far more problems with the disney ones.

Renting at Walt Disney World:

This option is more for people who can't walk the long distances required in a theme park only, but don't necessarily need to have one around the hotel. Before the pain progressed, this was my option.

Scooters are rented at the four parks for use in the park only. They do not let you take them outside the gate. If you switch parks, you must give up the scooter at one park and get another scooter at the other park. You do not have to pay again. However, Disney does not guarantee that one will be available for you at the other park and a lot of times, especially early afternoon, you may need to wait for someone to return one.

Rentals can be found near the entrances to all four parks, generally at the wheelchair (or children's scooter) rental desk. They are generally around $40 a day with a $10 deposit. You get the $10 deposit back if you return the scooter to the rental area and return the key. If you go to another park, you need only show your rental slip and they will give you another scooter if one is available. Then when you return that one, you will get the $10 back.

The four rental locations are:

Magic Kingdom - Inside the gate to the far left (before you go under the train station), there is a stroller rental location. It is here you will also find the mobility scooter rentals (as well as wheelchairs).

Disney Hollywood Studios - Once inside the gate, there is a gas station to your right. This is where you rent the scooter, as well as wheelchairs and lockers.

Epcot - Once inside the gate you'll notice the legs of Spaceship Earth. If you follow the leg on the left to a small shop that sells merchandise. That is where they also rent the mobility scooters.

Animal Kingdom - Once inside the gate, there is a shop and the child stroller rental on the right hand side. Again, it's hard to miss. There you can get a mobility scooter.

If they do not have one available, which is often the case late in the morning, early afternoon, you may have to wait until one becomes available. A lot of people do rent these, so it's best to get there early if you want to be sure to get one. Hopefully the wait isn't longer than a half hour, but it has been more.

If you should have a problem with the scooter, there is a large plastic keyring that will give a phone number to call. You can go to any of the internal phones (found near any phone booth) and call that number for assistance. A cast member (employee) can also assist you.

Well I guess you could if you were staying at one of the Epcot resorts that provide walkways to the theme park, but most of the time you will need to transport the scooter. Fortunately there is plenty of transportation options available around WDW if the scooter won't fit in the car.

WDW Buses

The most prominent of the transportation is the WDW Bus system which connects hotels to just about everywhere. Some people do, however, find this method a bit cumbersome at the start, but you get used to it.

In each gate for the buses is a handicapped spot (or queue) where you can wait with your party. When the bus pulls up, you will be at the back door, which is equipped with a lift system that will lift the chair or mobility scooter into the bus.

It's Disney policy that once the bus has unloaded, they will load you first before letting other people on. Of course, there may still be people on the bus as well depending on which bus it is. This is kind of embarrassing as you suddenly become the center of attention. And even more so for the next maneuver.

Once the ramp is lowered down to the ground, you will be asked to back the scooter onto the ramp. This is not always the easiest thing to do especially if you have spacial relationship problems. Before I got some practice, it took me two or three tries to get it, much to the chagrin of the other people. The bus drivers are always gracious though and will help you to maneuver. When you are on the ramp, it closes and you ride up the ramp for the next grand maneuver.

There are seats marked with a handicapped sign. These seats are put up by the driver, leaving a spot with two straps. Your next job is to move the scooter into position so that it can be locked down. This, again, is not always the easiest maneuver and even more nervewracking when there is a whole bus watching you. Once you make it into the spot, the driver straps down the scooter. He/She will also ask you if you want to sit in a regular seat or stay on the scooter. It's up to you. There are seats next to the scooter that your family can sit next to you.

There is only room for one wheelchair/scooter per bus. So if there is a line in the disabled row, you may have to wait for the next one. There used to be some buses that weren't equipped, but I think Disney has mostly replaced those. I don't remember seeing one that wasn't the last time I was there. Although the lift does vary between older and newer revision buses, they still use the same system for boarding / unboarding.

When you arrive at your destination, the way is much easier. The driver will let everyone out and then come and unhook the straps and setup the ramp. It's very easy to pull forward back onto the ramp, much easier than the opposite. You are then lowered to the ground and once there, can just drive your scooter away. Your family will most likely be asked to leave the bus the regular way before they take you out. If you need your loved one there for some reason, be sure to inform the driver.

Monorails

The Transportation and Ticket Center has ramps up to the monorail platform and so you can just ride it up the ramp for all three monorail tracks.

The Grand Floridian and the Polynesian both have regular elevators up to the monorail platform. The Contemporary is a bit different. Originally the only way up to the monorails was to take an escalator, a bit difficult when you have a scooter. However, around 10 years ago or so they put in an elevator from the third floor (also known as the Grand Canyon Concourse) to the platform. You will need to take the regular elevator to the third floor. On the side where the monorail escalator is, you will turn right and there is a small elevator that goes up to the platform. If you need assistance, there is generally a cast member there to help.

Getting in and out of a monorail is a very simple process and the cast members will be glad to aid you by putting down a small ramp so that you can drive in. There is plenty of room for the scooter.

The Magic Kingdom and Epcot monorail stations both have ramps for wheelchairs and scooters.

The Magic Kingdom Ferryboat

If you want to take the ferryboat by wheelchair and scooter, you can do so. There is a fairly steep bump that you have to get over which can get some scooters a little upset, but all in all, it's not that big a hurdle.

Other Boats

You will need to check with guest relations about other boat transportation as some are wheelchair and scooter compatible, some are not. Disney does have a guide for handicapped that outlines what transportation does and doesn't have facilities.

I do have experience with the boat that goes from Port Orleans to Downtown Disney. It does have a place for a scooter, but I'll be honest, it took me about four tries to get it in there properly. Not the easiest driving.

Cabs and Shuttles

Mears, which is the main cab company in Orlando, has wheelchair/scooter compatible vans, but they aren't anywhere near as plentiful as their cabs. In fact, last I heard there was only four for the entire area.

When calling Mears to get a cab, you must inform them that you want a wheelchair/scooter van. Otherwise they will just send a regular cab. The wait, due to the lower number, is often quite long, usually a half hour, but I've waited as long as an hour.

The drivers, however, are quite nice and are very helpful in helping you get the scooter in the van. They usually have you go up a steep incline into the van forward and then back it out at your destination. Once it's in the van, it's secured with straps like the buses. You have to option to remain in the scooter or you can transfer to a seat. Also if you aren't comfortable in loading the scooter yourself, the driver will usually do it for you.

The price for a wheelchair van seemed to be the same price as the regular cab. Usually I tip the driver a bit more because it is more work on their part than a standard cab would be, but that is up to you.

I've found the scooter to be incredibly helpful in my enjoyment of the Disney experience, but there are some things I've learned as well.

Be Careful of Others!

The scooters, though they are pretty slow, can cause quite a bit of pain for a person's feet if you hit them. It is important to keep in mind that you are driving something and thus need to pay attention to the road as well as the other sights. People will tend to dart in front of you on their own quest without looking, making it imperative to always be ready to stop. Good thing scooters do generally stop instantly, but it does take as much concentration as a car. I realize this is difficult with talking to friends and all the wonders there are, but it's a necessary evil.

Get the Chair, ignore the Stare!

This paragraph is as much for the general visitors as it is the scooter riders.

If you have health problems, don't risk a heart attack or go to Disney World in pain because you are afraid of what people might think. When I first needed a scooter, this bothered me a lot. While using it, I got some stares and heard some rather pointed comments. At that point, it was just the start of my degenerative nerve problems and so I could still walk a fair distance and do some tasks. But even for an athletic person, Disney World is very daunting and I couldn't do that without ending up in some serious pain. However, I could go up and get some food or get out of the scooter to reach for something and that brought a lot of people to think that I was cheating or something. It's hard for them to understand that reaching for something or standing for five minutes is much different than walking five miles. But after a bit, I started to ignore the comments because they don't have my life. They don't know that I am this way at home as well as at WDW. I'd gladly trade riding a scooter for good legs that could once again walk all of WDW like I used to.

You can't really blame them that much really. There is a saying that EPCOT means Every Person Comes Out Tired and I think when you feel like your legs about to fall off from the Animal Kingdom Death March, people in scooters seem to be getting off easy. Again, that would be fine if tiredness was the only issue (and maybe for some it is), but most scooter riders are doing so not to avoid walking, but to be able to enjoy their visit with as little pain from their health issues as possible. Many don't look disabled. It doesn't mean that they aren't.

On the other hand, there were a lot more nice people who were always willing to lend a hand or hold a door. I really appreciated their kindness. One lady almost missed the show while trying to help me get the scooter in a tight spot. She didn't though and i was glad for that, but it shows how nice people can be as well.

Charging the Scooter

All scooters need to be charged each night so they are ready for the next day. This usually requires them to be brought into the room where they can be plugged in for the night. You will also want to do this anyway so no one walks off with it.

Getting them into the room can be a bit tight depending on the rooms. The value resorts have smaller rooms than their more expensive counterparts, so sometimes some furniture like a table may have to be moved to accommodate the scooters. If you have your family there, it's not too big a deal, as one can hold the door while you drive in. If you are alone, see the section on Scooters for One below.

Disney will also be glad to charge them at the luggage desk as well if you would rather do that.

Important Safety Tips

Always shut off the scooter with the key (and pull it out) before getting off of the thing. The Disney ones seem to have a sensor in the seat that doesn't allow them to move if you are off the seat. But the rental ones often do not have this. I got thrown pretty hard off one the first time I used it by assuming they were the same as the Disney ones were and there was no sticker to tell me otherwise.

As I said above, you should be aware of your surroundings at all times, like you are driving a car. The reason is that there are a lot of tight spots at Disney that you could potentially get into trouble with if you aren't paying attention.

Curbs are a big one. The scooter with you on it, has a high center of balance. This means they tip easier than you would think. If you take the scooter off of a curb at an angle that causes two wheels to be up on the curb and two off of it, it's likely to tip over. Always go straight down a curb. I saw an unfortunate gentleman do this by accident at the MK and it fell over with him in it. Fortunately, there was a group of college guys ready to help. They picked him and the scooter up. As far as I know, he wasn't hurt, but he could have been.

If you are going up a ramp, do not do a u-turn as this could also very easily tip the scooter. You might be able to get away with it if you put your leg out like they do on tight motorcycle turns, but it's better to avoid these situations.

Not all are apparent. In The Land at Epcot, there is an elevator from the second floor (where you enter) to the first floor where Soaring and Living with the Land is. On the top floor, it's better to back in if you can. This way you can go out forward at the bottom. The reason I say this is because on the bottom floor, the elevator exit is very close to the Living with the Land ride canal. If you back out and aren't careful, you could wind up there.

Leaving Them Out

Obviously it would be a pain in the butt to take them into the room if you only plan to stay for five minutes there. I was wary about leaving it outside myself the first time. The guy I rented it from told me that I could leave it out except at night. He said that he'd never had one stolen. Now I'm sure different rental places may have different rules on that, so it's best to check.

It's also best to check with the hotel, especially if you are staying at a non-Disney resort. I had quite an argument with one hotel in Disney Plaza because they didn't like that I left it in the hallway while I was only in the room a short time. Even though I assured them I would bring it in during long stays. They finally agreed to that.

Avoid Getting Them Wet

I have heard that they have battery trouble when they get wet, so it's best not to get them soaked. In Florida, each summer afternoon brings some very wicked storms. It's really not good to be out anyway in these things, so if you see a big storm cloud, might want to head inside for a bit. The good news is, these storms generally only last a half hour or so and it will be dry again.

First, be sure to visit Guest Relations at the parks or the hotels for a copy of their WDW for Disabled guide. It is very useful in telling you what attractions are accessible directly, what ones need you to transfer to a ride vehicle and which ones, are not disability compatible (such as the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in Magic Kingdom). Another thing this free guide is good for is for telling you where the disability viewing is for parades and special events. These generally have wheelchair and scooter viewing locations that are fantastic. There is limited seating in these areas, so it's best to get there at least an hour early.

When you approach an attraction, there is always a cast member (employee) who is standing by the entrance to assist you. Sometimes he or she will tell you to go right in, or may tell you to follow a particular path or in some cases to go to the exit. It all depends on how the attraction is set up.

One particularly interesting show to get into is the American Adventrue at Epcot. Assuming they are using the front door, which they usually do. You enter as everyone else does, but before the show starts you are escorted to an elevator that is hidden behind a door that matches the decor. The cast member then will ride up with you to the second floor and make sure you get off the elevator okay. Once on the second floor, you ride around to where the doors are to the main theatre. Eventually the people will come up the escalator from downstairs and stand with you. Once you go through the doors, you turn left and then another sharp left to go into the wheelchair row (which is the far top of the theatre). There you will maneuver between sections of seating, where there are guest seats for your party (I think 3 or 4) to sit with you. The only bad part about this theatre, to me, is that given how huge the place is (it seats 1000), it often makes the animatronics look tiny. But it's not too bad. At least you get the wide angle view though of the huge screen that goes across the entire stage.

When dining in self service restaurants, I highly suggest that you get a family member or friend to get the meal for you. It is often difficult to maneuver around the line columns to get your food. It can be done (see the Scooter for One section on tips), but it's not easy. The tables are usually very easy to get around and in between.

I did find that performers do tend to pay more attention if you are in a scooter or wheelchair which is fun. I got a big hug from Timon, actually cheered me up since i was having a rough time.

If you have any tips to add to this section, please let me know by leaving feedback below and I'll update it!

I'm not familiar with all of the resorts as I've only stayed at the All Star resorts, Pop Century and Port Orleans Riverside, so if you have any other tips about other hotels, please send them to me and I will add them here with proper credit of course.

Port Orleans Riverside

This hotel is one that I had the most trouble with with a scooter. Even though it is compliant with disability laws, it still seemed to be a bit more of a problem than the others.

Nearest to the lobby is the Alligator Bayou. Originally they gave me a room there. As I was waiting for check in time, I decided to go exploring. When I went to these rooms, I found that the sidewalk where you enter the rooms has quite a significant drop (around a foot) to the ground with no guard rail, just some bushes. It would make for some very tight maneuvering not to fall into them. If you are just learning to drive a scooter, it may not be a good idea to stay in this section.

They then assigned me a Mansion room. These rooms are much less dangerous to drive around on as the sidewalk does not have a drop off. However, there is disadvantage to these as well. To get to the lobby, you need to ride over the bridges. These bridges will shake you and the scooter up quite a bit. It got kind of annoying after a few days.

The other thing about Port Orleans Riverside is the doors are not automatic, but push button. You will want your family member to hit these buttons (usually found somewhere close to the door) as some are hard to reach from a scooter.

Pop Century

Pop Century, one of Disney's newest resorts, was designed for wheelchairs in mind, and I enjoyed staying there with the scooter. The doors are automatic, so there is no buttons to push or maneuver too. The food court is fairly easy to get around as well and there are no harsh bridges or sidewalks.

They also had a wheelchair counter at the front desk which was lower so that you didn't have to get out of the scooter. That was a nice touch.

The only small problem was getting the scooter into the room, which required a little bit of rearranging of the chair and table, but minor.

All Star Music / Movies / Sports

Didn't have any difficulty in these hotels with the scooter that I remember.

The Contemporary

The tower has all automatic doors and while I didn't stay there, I've visited friends there and had no problem getting around. As I said earlier, they put in an elevator as well up to the monorail platform so it's accessible to wheelchairs / scooters.

Sure you can! I've done it a few times on business and while it's a bit more of a pain, it can very well be done. But it does require that you are at least somewhat mobile since some tasks are easier without the scooter.

Self Serve Restaurants

The most frustrating place is the self serve restaurants when you are alone. The lines are generally very tight and aren't really designed for scooters (especially the non-wheelchair type). A lot of times there is a counter on the very end of either side that doesn't require too much maneuvering. I usually head for those when I need to get the food with the scooter.

Another issue is carrying the tray back. Although there are CM's areound that would be glad to assist you in this respect. You'd also be surprised how many people are helpful this way too. If you have to get the food back to the table without help, the best way is to put the individual food items in the basket that generally comes with it, if it's big enough. If not, you can usually balance the tray on the basket, holding it with one hand, while driving with the other. You have to be real careful.

Don't fill up any soft drink cups you might have until you get the tray back to the table, because the cup will be the first thing to spill. You might also want to think about bottled water or soda as a beverage. At least if it falls, it won't spill.

If you are somewhat mobile, to be honest, it's sometimes much easier to just walk up and get the food. Again, this causes jeers, but sometimes it's just a more efficient process and less likely you'll drop the food.

Doors on Attractions, Hotel Lobbies, Etc

I've noticed that a lot of the doors are not automatic. If you are alone this can be a pain sometimes. In the resorts, many have push buttons for the door. They are sometimes not really in a place where you can maneuver, hit the door button and then get in place. Of course, you could ask someone to hit it for you. But one thing I found that helped was having an umbrella or a small pole of some kind. That way I could push it with that and still be in the position to get through the door while still open.

Hotel Room Doors and Scooters

Doors in the hotel rooms themselves are a bit difficult with a scooter. I found the best way to do this is to put the front of the scooter right against the door, lean forward, and turn the knob and at the same time move the scooter forward. This should push the door open further and further as you go in and then it will close behind you.

You won't be able to turn the scooter around in the room or at least it will be very unlikely that there will be room. Most hotel rooms are quite small on space. So to get out, you might try putting the key in the scooter making sure it's on. Open the door, and then hit the back button until the scooter is holding the door open. Then take the key out, sit down, put the key back out and get out the way you came.

As you can see, this is kind of a hard maneuver if you are by yourself, so it's probably best to not bring the scooter in for short visits to the room if you can avoid it.