Golf cart rental

[sheri236]

Hello...I know that the golf cart rentals are available at 1pm but I was wondering if anyone had any experience picking theirs up earlier. We will be arriving earlier on our check in day and were hoping to have it to explore, maybe 11ish. Thanks!

 

[team bradfield]

In November, we picked up at 11am, as long as one is available you can pick up early

 

[Teamubr]

The Fort carts are staged near the Outpost drive in lanes. The handful of times I have reserved a Fort cart, if there was one available, regardless of time of day, you could pick it up.

j

 

[Stratman50th]

I've picked up one at 10 and 11 before. I've also had to wait till 1 before and stand in a line so it could go either way.

 

[yaksack]

We are going to stay in November 2022 for three nights. Can we rent a cart for full length of our stay or does it need to be returned at the end of the day?

 

[Stratman50th]

We are going to stay in November 2022 for three nights. Can we rent a cart for full length of our stay or does it need to be returned at the end of the day?

You can rent it for the full stay. You pick it up at check-in and drop it off before you leave on check out day so it's a full period of stay.

 

[yaksack]

Can you reserve them in advance or do I have to wait until I arrive?

 

[Stratman50th]

Can you reserve them in advance or do I have to wait until I arrive?

Reserve them as soon as possible. They go fast and people reserve them a long way ahead of time. Like now isn't too soon...

 

[Narcoossee11]

Can you reserve them in advance or do I have to wait until I arrive?

Reserved a year out. MUST be reserved at least 10 months out to be successful.

 

[Haley R]

Reserved a year out. MUST be reserved at least 10 months out to be successful.

That’s not true. We’re staying in May of this year and just reserved ours

 

[UrsulaTime]

Reserved a year out. MUST be reserved at least 10 months out to be successful.

That’s not true. We’re staying in May of this year and just reserved ours

I don't know about ten months in advance, but as of this morning, I can confirm that ten DAYS in advance is too late.

(Don't laugh at me -- just switched reservation from AoA a couple days ago!)

When I asked if I should check to see if there'd been any cancellations when I arrive in person, FW phone CM said they "work off a waitlist."
I asked how that works and he just repeated himself verbatim; I'd have to say, he was straight-up cryptic/annoyed by my ignorance...same when I asked if off-site carts are allowed. So much so that the conversation felt like interacting with a character rather than a CM, so I kind of enjoyed it.

The recording says you can reserve the carts "365 days" in advance. So PSA: If you're reading this and even considering a golf cart rental, do it now!

 

[Stratman50th]

What were you asking about off site carts? Don't know why he wouldn't answer that one, it's easy. Yes, off site carts are allowed, and yes, personally owned carts are allowed.
I've rented carts from Disney multiple times, and I've brought my own.

 

[UrsulaTime]

What were you asking about off site carts? Don't know why he wouldn't answer that one, it's easy. Yes, off site carts are allowed, and yes, personally owned carts are allowed.
I've rented carts from Disney multiple times, and I've brought my own.

To be more specific, I asked if off-site rentals are allowed. Even though I can't remember what his answer was (it was so elusive...he'd be a good politician for sure) I did come away knowing non-Disney golf carts are legal...it's how they arrive.
Thanks for clarifying though.

 

[bama_ed]

That’s not true. We’re staying in May of this year and just reserved ours

The issue is generally the time of year. May is not a particularly busy time at the Fort (too late for spring break or Easter and too early for summer travelers). But if your stay is from October to January or during Spring Break/Easter, book ASAP (up to a year). You can always call to cancel (I think they charge day before pickup but they do get the credit card number when you make the reservation).

Disney has also recently restricted renting THEIR carts to Fort-only guests which may take some pressure off booking early, particularly in the fall. You'd be surprised at the number of people staying off-property or in a different Disney resort who would book a cart for a day's use to see the site decorations all Oct/Nov/Dec.

Given the easy cancel policy, I'd say if you consider a Disney cart, go ahead and book it ASAP and drop it if need be.

Bama Ed

PS - Disney does not interfere in off-site cart rentals since that relationship is between the guest and the renter (much like using a non-Disney trailer vendor). What Disney does NOT permit is the vendor dropping off the cart in the Fort parking lot or heaven forbid the vendor dropping it at your site.

 

[UrsulaTime]

PS - Disney does not interfere in off-site cart rentals since that relationship is between the guest and the renter (much like using a non-Disney trailer vendor). What Disney does NOT permit is the vendor dropping off the cart in the Fort parking lot

^This^ is partly what I learned this morning while listening to the recorded greeting of an outside golf cart rental company. And you've confirmed in a much more straight-forward way.
I left a message as instructed, but haven't heard back. The recording said they meet customers in a 'safe location' (or did I make that up?) ten minutes away, where customers hitch a trailer to their vehicle. I'm assuming a hitch is needed. My aunt is driving to WDW so she'll have a car (I won't)...I'm not sure if she has a hitch...but we'll only be there for two days...here's hoping those internal buses are as much fun as they were last time I was at the Fort. When I was 7.

or heaven forbid the vendor dropping it at your site.

Does anyone have an educated guess why the parking lot can't be used? Perhaps an insurance/legal policy? I'm totally fine with the whole situation, but I'm curious, curious, curious!

 

[bama_ed]

^This^ is partly what I learned this morning while listening to the recorded greeting of an outside golf cart rental company. And you've confirmed in a much more straight-forward way.
I left a message as instructed, but haven't heard back. The recording said they meet customers in a 'safe location' (or did I make that up?) ten minutes away, where customers hitch a trailer to their vehicle. I'm assuming a hitch is needed. My aunt is driving to WDW so she'll have a car (I won't)...I'm not sure if she has a hitch...but we'll only be there for two days...here's hoping those internal buses are as much fun as they were last time I was at the Fort. When I was 7.

Does anyone have an educated guess why the parking lot can't be used? Perhaps an insurance/legal policy? I'm totally fine with the whole situation, but I'm curious, curious, curious!

Depending on the vendor, if your vehicle does not have a hitch to take their trailer with the cart on it, you can take their truck/trailer combo (leaving yours at the meet point), drive to your site, drop off the cart, drive truck/trailer combo back to meet point, and get your vehicle. That's a lot of work on you for an off-site vendor rental - although sometimes the vendor has a cart being used by someone else who is leaving and the vendor can tell you where to find the cart and the keys at the Fort. It all just depends.

Honestly, for two days rental that's a lot of work unless you can't get a reservation for a Disney cart. In my head (and I rent carts only rarely), the over/under is 4 days on Disney vs. off-site.

Vendors USED TO BE ABLE to use the FW parking lot as the meet point years ago but Disney put a stop to it because I think word was getting around the camper community about the savings the off-site vendors passed on to the customers. First time I ever rented off-site we met at the Fort lot. So IMO for purely anti-competitive reasons, Disney forced the vendors to meet guests off-property to make it more inconvenient for their guests. Because they could. Which then makes Disney's rentals more convenient and worth a higher expense.

A few folks have had bad rentals with off-site or poor support. Of course with Disney it's usually top-notch service and support.

Honestly, the choice is yours. If you can't get a Disney cart reservation and the vendor can get you one for a two-day rental, it's up to you. If both were available, I'd pay Disney for that convenience factor.

Good luck!

Bama Ed

PS - I've also been called and told by the vendor where a cart is and how to get the keys which is better than drive-meet-pull trailer to FW-off load cart-pull trailer to meet-drive back to FW. But it's all up to you.

 

[UrsulaTime]

Thank you, Bama Ed! I was craving information around this all day, and you delivered. Thanks again! I always feel better when I get some boots-on-the-ground insight.

I'll be at the Fort in 11 days (changed a reservation to the cabins from AoA a couple days ago) and I knew the cart was a long shot - there aren't any available through Disney. I'll follow up with the offsite rental company tomorrow. HOWEVER, I agree that it's not necessary for a 48-hour stay, and that the process of obtaining the thing is probably time and effort prohibitive.

I've convinced my aunt and cousin to come to WDW for a couple days, so I feel partly responsible for their experience, and my cousin just so happens to be 17, and guess who his favorite person would be if he arrived to find a golf cart in front of the room? . I had to try!

Thank you again for all of the valuable information!

 

[Sjm9911]

For a few days , skip the cart , take the fort bus system around. Will save you a few hours of picking up and dropping off a offsite cart. ( if you get one from the fort, thats a diffent story). And yea, when its busy the carts at the fort run out fast.

 

[truserv]

For a few days , skip the cart , take the fort bus system around.

Golf cart is very convenient, and its entertainment factor has to be factored in to the price to drive past the rv sites that are decorated and explore the fort.

 

[Sjm9911]

Golf cart is very convenient, and its entertainment factor has to be factored in to the price to drive past the rv sites that are decorated and explore the fort.

I never said it wasnt, i just dont think picking up a private cart and dropping it off offsite, wasting about 3 hours in a 48 hour stay is the best use of time. But thats up to you I guess.