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Arquinsiel posted:They're able to roll up the full lifetime depreciation into their fiscal year, which ends on October 1st. This means they also get to go "here's all the revenue we would have made if we didn't close it" and add that onto their tax break. It's kind of depressing that Disney are doing short-term disaster capitalism thinking but I guess that'd be one way of escaping Florida faster. I don't think this is about escaping Florida but more about a realization that the customer base to make it profitable does not exist.
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May 24, 2023 23:37
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What I want to know is how they get the burning water to extinguish on cue. My wife suggested they just dispensed exactly the right amount of accelerant for it to burn for a specified amount of time, but it just seemed too perfect for that. While you’re at it, tell me how the Stormtroopers talk, because I’ve been watching them for years and I still can’t figure it out. It’s not the gloves or gestures, so my latest theory is that they can mumble a keyword into the helmet which triggers the prerecorded line to play. I escaped Florida again and had a great time… apart from the storms that rolled through Epcot and MK last night. Mission: Space was hit by lightning while we were on it at around 5:25, and we got stuck pitched facedown in complete darkness for about 20 minutes. Luckily the air system kept blowing and we were in there with a good humored Russian couple we were able to joke with before they rebooted the system and lowered/rotated us back to where we could unload. Edit: oh yeah, Tron was cool as hell but awfully short. Hazo fucked around with this message at 23:58 on May 24, 2023 |
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May 24, 2023 23:54
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Hazo posted:What I want to know is how they get the burning water to extinguish on cue. My wife suggested they just dispensed exactly the right amount of accelerant for it to burn for a specified amount of time, but it just seemed too perfect for that. quote:While you’re at it, tell me how the Stormtroopers talk, because I’ve been watching them for years and I still can’t figure it out. It’s not the gloves or gestures, so my latest theory is that they can mumble a keyword into the helmet which triggers the prerecorded line to play.
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May 24, 2023 23:58
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CapnAndy posted:Gas jets right at water level that they can just cut off. That makes sense! So just like CO2 jets that do a quick spurt? CapnAndy posted:Nobody knows for sure, but the best prevailing theory is that it's button presses on their rifles. Doesn’t work either. Vader, Din, and Kylo don’t carry rifles.
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May 25, 2023 00:00
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I would imagine the Star Wars masked guys work similar to talking trash cans and palm trees of the past, where an undercover CM presses buttons. They often appear to be alone unassisted, but you know that Disney doesn't send people out in fully covered character gear without an attendant somewhere.
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May 25, 2023 00:17
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Hazo posted:That makes sense! So just like CO2 jets that do a quick spurt? Craptacular! posted:I would imagine the Star Wars masked guys work similar to talking trash cans and palm trees of the past, where an undercover CM presses buttons. They often appear to be alone unassisted, but you know that Disney doesn't send people out in fully covered character gear without an attendant somewhere.
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May 25, 2023 00:28
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Craptacular! posted:I would imagine the Star Wars masked guys work similar to talking trash cans and palm trees of the past, where an undercover CM presses buttons. They often appear to be alone unassisted, but you know that Disney doesn't send people out in fully covered character gear without an attendant somewhere. Nope to this too! They’re in complete control of their delivery and accompanying gestures. And besides, they’re often nowhere near a handler who could hear their interactions over all the crowds and Batuu ambient noise, let alone control their audio. This weekend I saw a pair roll into the area outside Savi’s to badger the people waiting and there was nobody except guests within maybe 20 feet of them. I’m the kind of person who goes in wanting to understand how all the Magic works, and this is one of the things that eludes me. I even asked the guide on the Keys to the Kingdom tour during the “we’re offstage so I’ll give you an honest answer to anything you ask me” portion and she looked kind of puzzled and said she actually had no loving idea. I’m kind of surprised we don’t have any active CMs lurking on Something Awful to answer this stuff. Hazo fucked around with this message at 00:42 on May 25, 2023 |
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May 25, 2023 00:40
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I met a guy last week who I could have asked. He's a Coordinator for Rise and might know. Too bad you didn't ask a few days ago. Not sure when I'll see him next. But if I remember I'll try to find out.
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May 25, 2023 00:46
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The stormtroopers also have a huge array of lines so I think a menu would be rough.
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May 25, 2023 00:48
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Elendil004 posted:The stormtroopers also have a huge array of lines so I think a menu would be rough.
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May 25, 2023 00:55
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Exactly. There’s obviously some kind of trigger and my verbal keyword theory is the only one I can’t really disprove yet. Zero One posted:I met a guy last week who I could have asked. He's a Coordinator for Rise and might know. Too bad you didn't ask a few days ago. Not sure when I'll see him next. But if I remember I'll try to find out. That’d be great! And I’d love to know more about what goes into training the CMs playing the First Order officers on Rise. They honestly seem like they have one of the toughest jobs in the parks, alongside face characters. You’ve got people constantly thinking they’re going to throw you off by being snarky and clever, possibly after a couple rounds at Oga’s. I walked past some dick asking the interrogation officer about their 401k plan and benefits (which the CM probably doesn’t have in real life). Someone else was trying to convince a FO actor that their Grogu doll was the Resistance general. Then I read that a couple months ago there was some attention-seeking “influencer” model who put on a Mandalorian helmet and commandeered the ride or something, then when she got criticized she claimed the CM was in on it? I’ve got mad respect for those guys, and really for anyone else in Black Spire who has to stay in character constantly.
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May 25, 2023 00:58
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Hazo posted:Exactly. There’s obviously some kind of trigger and my verbal keyword theory is the only one I can’t really disprove yet. Well we did talk about that a little bit. Basically you get trained on the Resistance side first and then are eventually able to get trained in First Order when you have the experience. Fun fact I didn't know: Rise is considered two different attractions by Disney (at least for staffing). Resistance and First Order are seperate. Not that you can't move between sides if they need you to help cover a shift.
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May 25, 2023 01:01
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Hazo posted:That’d be great! And I’d love to know more about what goes into training the CMs playing the First Order officers on Rise. They honestly seem like they have one of the toughest jobs in the parks, alongside face characters.
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May 25, 2023 01:03
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One of the most  things I've ever heard about it is that they also know that if a kid seems genuinely stressed out by the atmosphere then they can bend down and "quietly" tell them that it'll be okay, they're a secret Resistance agent.CapnAndy posted:Nobody knows for sure, but the best prevailing theory is that it's button presses on their rifles.
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May 25, 2023 01:58
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May 25, 2023 02:05
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Arquinsiel posted:One of the most This has haunted me for years. Thank you.
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May 25, 2023 02:37
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Yeah if you watch the gloves you can tell. The motions are exaggerated and precise. They likely have some kind of modifier toggle too so that it's not the exact same line every time they point at someone. The patent has eye tracking and pressure sensors so various combinations of those could change it for a motion gesture. Launch Bay Vader is piped in though. He's not really capable of interacting with guests like the others.
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May 25, 2023 02:52
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I’ve watched the hand motions and have never seen a huge cause and effect from them. But— combining them with pressure sensors and pupil tracking makes perfect sense. Now I want to know what kind of training is involved with that gear to get their responses so snappy and perfect.
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May 25, 2023 03:03
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Aphrodite posted:Yeah if you watch the gloves you can tell. The motions are exaggerated and precise. They likely have some kind of modifier toggle too so that it's not the exact same line every time they point at someone. The patent has eye tracking and pressure sensors so various combinations of those could change it for a motion gesture.
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May 25, 2023 03:28
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Yeah that’s what I thought it was. I was a coordinator at DHS for a hot second so I got shown some of that but not enough to say definitively. BB8 and magic words used an iPad to fire lines, essentially. I got to sit backstage with BB8 and listen to what they heard and watch them work their magic, it was cool. I’ve heard that Launch Bay opened with Vader instead of Kylo Ren because they couldn’t get Adam Driver in to record his lines in time. I wonder if that explains why Vader isn’t as interactive, he was a plan B originally.
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May 25, 2023 05:29
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If I'm not thrilled about Disney IPs but I really enjoy the "theme" part of theme parks, would I still enjoy Disney World? I really enjoyed Universal Studios in Florida many years ago, mainly for the high-end production values and immersion put into everything. Hoping a Disney park would scratch the same itch.
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May 25, 2023 06:45
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Teriyaki Koinku posted:If I'm not thrilled about Disney IPs but I really enjoy the "theme" part of theme parks, would I still enjoy Disney World? What did you enjoy at Universal? If you liked the Harry Potter worlds for how immersive they were then yeah, there's some stuff like that at Disney where the section of the park is heavily themed around one thing (Star Wars, Toy Story, Avatar) but none quite as good as the HP stuff (Diagon Alley at least). If you liked the general vibe of the theme parks, WDW is much better overall. Most of the parks have themed areas that aren't centered around a specific IP, so you have Frontier Land, Tomorrow Land, Adventure Land, Main Street, Future World, etc. Animal Kingdom is divided into continents and has a ton of great theming and music and stuff. Just walking through the parks for the general vibes is great as long as the heat and crowds don't phase you.
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May 25, 2023 06:54
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Teriyaki Koinku posted:If I'm not thrilled about Disney IPs but I really enjoy the "theme" part of theme parks, would I still enjoy Disney World? Disney is so ridiculously gung-ho with their Imagineering that when they got the idea to put up "chintzy tourist trap carnival with cheap rides" as a land at Animal Kingdom (and yes, it was a bad idea, and yes, it sucked, and by the way it's closed now and good riddance), the first thing they did was lay down asphalt, pre-crack it, and paint faded parking spaces on it. They went and made a brand new worn down parking lot because that's what the cheapass tourist trap would've been built on. They're insane. They don't stop. You'll love it.
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May 25, 2023 07:25
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Im always impressed by the walls in the Star Wars area. Quite detailed and looking properly old, faded, worn, and rusty, and they didn’t exist a few years ago.
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May 25, 2023 14:00
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Yeah, Animal Kingdom, the back half of epcot, and Magic Kingdom (probably in that order) all have great vibes without relying on appreciation for a specific love of a movie. Pandora at Animal Kingdom is sorta an exception, but it isn't tied to the movies in much of a specific way. You can just engage with it as alien planet with a ruined human colony rather than "I wonder if Jake Sully and Neytiri were ever here," and it probably works better than if you're rolling deep in the Avatar lore. Hollywood Studios is weird judged on this metric. Obviously Galaxy's Edge is awesome, and again, if you try not to worry too much about specific ties to the movies, still works as a sci-fi world. Sunset Boulevard, with the tower looming at the end of the street, is a great stretch. The rest of the park is pretty aggressively mediocre, though.
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May 25, 2023 14:01
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if you think Universal is high end you're gonna love WDW.
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May 25, 2023 14:25
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Bottom Liner posted:What did you enjoy at Universal? If you liked the Harry Potter worlds for how immersive they were then yeah, there's some stuff like that at Disney where the section of the park is heavily themed around one thing (Star Wars, Toy Story, Avatar) but none quite as good as the HP stuff (Diagon Alley at least). If you liked the general vibe of the theme parks, WDW is much better overall. Most of the parks have themed areas that aren't centered around a specific IP, so you have Frontier Land, Tomorrow Land, Adventure Land, Main Street, Future World, etc. Animal Kingdom is divided into continents and has a ton of great theming and music and stuff. Just walking through the parks for the general vibes is great as long as the heat and crowds don't phase you.
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May 25, 2023 15:58
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Arquinsiel posted:I'm not sure if it was just the time of day we got over there or if Knockturn Alley threw off my impression but I remember very little about Diagon Alley except "it's very dark". THe Dragon is pretty cool though. The immersive nature of Diagon Alley always impressed me. Once you go through that hole in the wall, you can't see anything else except that area. Even if you're not very into Disney IP, you'll enjoy WDW. All four parks are genuinely great theme parks with different draws. DHS is a very weird park and definitely the most disjointed of the four, but it still has some solid theming and great attractions.
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May 25, 2023 19:09
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Arquinsiel posted:I'm not sure if it was just the time of day we got over there or if Knockturn Alley threw off my impression but I remember very little about Diagon Alley except "it's very dark". THe Dragon is pretty cool though.
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May 25, 2023 19:11
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WithoutTheFezOn posted:Im always impressed by the walls in the Star Wars area. Quite detailed and looking properly old, faded, worn, and rusty, and they didn’t exist a few years ago. Every time Disneyland sends me a survey after a visit, I ask for more stuff in Galaxy's Edge. Wanted posters, recruitment posters, ads for other planets, just more stuff. There is a lot of dead space in the area, put some building facades just off the path, anything! So I was amused when I visited last week, and they put in a few benches in the dead area. It ain't exactly in-universe world-building stuff but a nice place to sit is always appreciated.
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May 25, 2023 19:54
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Travel Agents and/or people familiar with renting ECVs. I am unfortunately unable to do a full day of walking in parks now due to my advanced arthritis (fun stuff at 35 years old!) and I am doing a few days once I am back in the state next month. I know how to rent an ECV at the parks, but I know that's subject to availability. Does anyone know if a third-party company does day rentals that drop off at the parks? I know most tend to drop off at the resorts, which makes sense for a long term rental. but I need it for a day at a time (eventually I will have my own electric chair of some kind, but for now I need to rely on rentals)
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May 25, 2023 21:05
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Akileese posted:The immersive nature of Diagon Alley always impressed me. Once you go through that hole in the wall, you can't see anything else except that area.  CapnAndy posted:Yeah, that was my experience too. I've only ever gone once and it was during a Halloween Horror Night so it was already pitch black outside by the time I got there and I'm sure that didn't help, but overall I found Diagon Alley twisty and confusing, with most of the buildings looking so same-y it was really hard to tell where I'd already been, and not even sure what was set dressing and what was another gift shop. Hogsmeade is laid out much better and you've got Hogwarts in the distance to orient yourself around.
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May 25, 2023 21:17
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TheBigBudgetSequel posted:Travel Agents and/or people familiar with renting ECVs. I am unfortunately unable to do a full day of walking in parks now due to my advanced arthritis (fun stuff at 35 years old!) and I am doing a few days once I am back in the state next month. I know how to rent an ECV at the parks, but I know that's subject to availability. Does anyone know if a third-party company does day rentals that drop off at the parks? I know most tend to drop off at the resorts, which makes sense for a long term rental. but I need it for a day at a time (eventually I will have my own electric chair of some kind, but for now I need to rely on rentals) I don’t think drop offs at the parks are allowed. Disney has a handful of approved, official partners and none of them have that option.
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May 25, 2023 21:42
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TheBigBudgetSequel posted:Travel Agents and/or people familiar with renting ECVs. I am unfortunately unable to do a full day of walking in parks now due to my advanced arthritis (fun stuff at 35 years old!) and I am doing a few days once I am back in the state next month. I know how to rent an ECV at the parks, but I know that's subject to availability. Does anyone know if a third-party company does day rentals that drop off at the parks? I know most tend to drop off at the resorts, which makes sense for a long term rental. but I need it for a day at a time (eventually I will have my own electric chair of some kind, but for now I need to rely on rentals) It pains me to recommend posting on disboards, but the folks in the DisAbilities subforum would know. https://www.disboards.com/forums/disabilities.20/ I'm not aware of anyone that can drop off next to the parks, but if anyone would, it would be the folks there.
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May 25, 2023 21:56
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Arquinsiel posted:I'm pretty sure I missed a huge chunk of it looking at the map. Just did not find my way into that pathway apparently.
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May 25, 2023 22:08
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CapnAndy posted:We had very similar experiences, sounds like. I found Knockturn Alley basically by accident, and the whole "the sky is already pitch black" thing ruined the it's-always-dark-there gimmick and anyway it was just one more really tiny gift shop selling Wizard Hitler memorabilia? The whole experience was just strangely off-kilter, and not in a fun "haha it's the wizard world, they do weird things!" way.
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May 25, 2023 22:43
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Arquinsiel posted:One thing I did enjoy about the location outside of Diagon Alley was how subtly wrong all the signage is for London. It's close, but not 100% correct. The Hogwarts Express is the most "I queued an hour for THIS?" ride ever though.
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May 25, 2023 23:09
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TheBigBudgetSequel posted:Travel Agents and/or people familiar with renting ECVs. I am unfortunately unable to do a full day of walking in parks now due to my advanced arthritis (fun stuff at 35 years old!) and I am doing a few days once I am back in the state next month. I know how to rent an ECV at the parks, but I know that's subject to availability. Does anyone know if a third-party company does day rentals that drop off at the parks? I know most tend to drop off at the resorts, which makes sense for a long term rental. but I need it for a day at a time (eventually I will have my own electric chair of some kind, but for now I need to rely on rentals) Last I was aware, you can't have them dropped off at the parks. I believe there was a drop off at Disney Springs for a while, but that just lead to a bunch of craziness at the bus stops. Your best bet is to park at MK, get the drop-off at Contemporary, and then scoot on over or take the monorail. ETA: a LOT of the companies sell relatively new scooters for relatively cheap, too. So you may wanna just look at that and having a "park" scooter for the moment rather than renting a bunch?
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May 26, 2023 00:59
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We got to Disney and Universal within a few minutes of opening for five days (three at Universal, two at Disney) and there were a lot of ECVs available. When we went to park our vehicle in the first place we told them we were going to have an ECV and needed to return via a wheelchair at the end of the night and they put us in special parking near the front. Then, at the end of the night they swapped our ECVs out for regular wheelchairs which we could bring to the parking lot (someone had to push, obviously) I know you mentioned being worried about availability, but if you get there near the opening I wouldn't be too worried about it. However, if you're planning to show up later, then you might have issues.
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May 26, 2023 01:36
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TheBigBudgetSequel posted:Travel Agents and/or people familiar with renting ECVs. I am unfortunately unable to do a full day of walking in parks now due to my advanced arthritis (fun stuff at 35 years old!) and I am doing a few days once I am back in the state next month. I know how to rent an ECV at the parks, but I know that's subject to availability. Does anyone know if a third-party company does day rentals that drop off at the parks? I know most tend to drop off at the resorts, which makes sense for a long term rental. but I need it for a day at a time (eventually I will have my own electric chair of some kind, but for now I need to rely on rentals) If nothing else works out feel free to message me, if I'm not out of town I can help you with a delivery/dropoff.
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May 26, 2023 02:03
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