If you have a scooter of your own, or have rented before elsewhere, you probably know what to consider for your Orlando scooter rental.  However for those of you who don’t own one or have never rented a scooter in Orlando, here are the top items to consider:

1. Make sure you don’t have to put up with a wet seat!  Florida is hot and summer season is rainy season.  Make sure your rental scooter has a water repellant, vinyl, seat.  Many scooters that are rented have the less expensive cloth seats and while they are sold as more comfortable in the heat, reality is you cannot wipe them dry when caught in one of the afternoon thunderstorms that rolls through (and cools things off a bit) and you end up sitting on a wet seat.  Ick.
2. Ensure you have enough battery power!  Scooters are built by manufacturers for individual’s, not rental companies and an individual using it for their personal use aren’t driving around huge area’s for 12 plus hour days. If you start out at 8 am to get to the theme parks by typical opening time of 9 am and go till a midnight closing, that is 15 hours of battery power needed.  Make sure the rental company quotes battery usage time.
3. Size does matter!  The older technology scooters are all very heavy, about 200 pounds.  The heavier the scooter, the larger the batteries needed, the more weight the scooter has to move (person and batteries) which all contributes to making the scooter heavier – it is a vicious cycle.  Older technology, lighter weight scooters which were built with transportability in mind are small, really small.  No extra foot room and if you are larger in height or statue you look like a giant riding on a kids tricycle.  New technology scooters provide room, usually more leg/floor room than the older, heavier scooters and are lightweight.
4. Don’t get roped into the sunshade canopy.  Florida is sunny, theme park paths go in all directions: north, south, east & west.  It is estimated that a sunshade canopy will provide shade less than 5% of the time which is not worth the problems they can pose and they do not protect you from the rain. Issues include when going indoors such as the great theme park shops, the canopies tend to get caught on items higher up on shelves and clothing racks. Imagine Mickey hats raining down around your ears (pun intended:)).
5. Using your scooter basket.  All scooters come with baskets.  All older versions have them on the front which many people like but when they are on the front they have to be smaller.  Newer technology versions have them on the back and can optionally put one on the front if you so desire.   If you aren’t sure about basket placement for the rental you are considering, call and ask and if you want it on the back versus front or vice versa, or want the to have both, just call and ensure the company you rent a scooter from in Orlando will accommodate your request. Recommendation:  Ask for both and therefore you have your choice!

Most importantly, make sure the orlando scooter rental company has detailed descriptions and videos of the actual scooter model you are going to rent on their website.  Watch the video and make sure that is the best model for you!