Epcot is rolling out 2nd Segway tour

[napnet]

More Disney visitors soon will be scooting around Epcot on Segway transporters in the morning before the park gate opens to the general public.

For a couple of years, Walt Disney World has given Epcot visitors two options to ride Segways -- the two-wheeled, electric scooters that people stand on as they ride.

The big ride is a two-hour spin, including an hour of training indoors and an hourlong guided tour of Epcot's World Showcase. That attraction, which costs $80 a person, proved popular enough that Disney is adding a second tour, starting Friday.

Disney also offers a $45 one-hour version that's all indoors, during midday.

To accommodate the additional Segway traffic, Disney has built a new, larger indoor riding and training area, in the Innoventions West building. It replaces the old Segway station at Club Cool.

"They've been really popular, that's why we're adding to it," spokeswoman Lissette Campos said.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-tourism0306apr03,0,5502726.story?track=rss

 

[joshwill]

What I'd like to see are segways and atour for those of us of a wider girth

 

[maxime29]

Our family did the second session for the segway tour last January. The trainers made a big deal of how they had someone win a segway a couple weeks back for being the certain numbered person to take the segway tour.

Either way, the segway is very fun to ride. We will be doing it again next trip.

Just as a bonus, here is the training room we were in:
http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/7848/0080189pv.jpg

 

[Tinkershelly]

What I'd like to see are segways and atour for those of us of a wider girth

I agree. There are some of us who are a little more generous of proportion who would love!!!!!! to do this tour. I did an intro tour at Disneyland a couple of years ago, but DH wasn't allowed because of his weight. I had a great time, but I would have enjoyed it more if I had been able to share it with him.

Tink

 

[napnet]

They did have the new segways out last month... they had bigger tires and looked like they could take more abuse...

 

[Main Street USA]

Those new Segways are still only made for about a 240 pound capacity. It's a tad more than the regular, but not much more.

 

[Nemo14]

Our family did the second session for the segway tour last January. The trainers made a big deal of how they had someone win a segway a couple weeks back for being the certain numbered person to take the segway tour.

Either way, the segway is very fun to ride. We will be doing it again next trip.

Just as a bonus, here is the training room we were in:
http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/7848/0080189pv.jpg

My DH, DD, and DS are doing this when we go in May, but I'm a little chicken about it due to a previous injury (not from a Segway). Do you think they'll allow me in to take pics of them?

 

[Yoop33]

Wow only 240? I mean I am not up there yet but would like to be. How about the height issue? I am 6'5 and everyone that I have seen riding these things are under 6'0. Do the Segways have an adjustable handel bar?

 

[gibsonc]

The current Segways can carry 260 lbs (apart from the Segway p133 which is 210 lbs), for the tours Disney has a limit of 250 lbs, (this may be the limit of the older Segways). As far as I know there is no height limit. the handle bars are adjustable. I did the Segway tour last May, it was a lot of fun!

Just on the topic of the new 2nd tour does anyone know what it is?

Currently there are 2 Segway tours the Around the World Tour which is 2 hours and costs £80 and then there is the 1 hour training indoor thing. Are they adding another or just moving the indoor sections to the new area they have created?

 

[gibsonc]

My DH, DD, and DS are doing this when we go in May, but I'm a little chicken about it due to a previous injury (not from a Segway). Do you think they'll allow me in to take pics of them?

You could ask. The tour starts from innoventions west and heads towards Mexico, so if you are beween the two you could get some pictures as they pass, the same for the end of the tour from around the UK to Innoventions west. But the main part and chance for the people on the tour to ride around for a bit on their own is over by Italy which is not open until later in the day. The Cast members running the tour are more than happy to take photos for people on the tour, usually with Spaceship Earth in the background across the lake.

 

[DMage]

Would be nice if they offered a third tour for those who have ridden before (on either the 1 or 2 hour tour) that went strait to the world showcase or behind the scenes.

 

[Ringo8n24]

This thread has given me the best news I have had in a long time. :lol: I never thought about a weight limit on these and my husband is dying to do the Segway Tour when we go to WDW next time. He has been gaining "sympathy" weight with me being pregnant and has gotten dangerously close to the limit. I could not wait to tell him about this limit and he says we are going to diet together after this baby comes. I love it!!! Incentive for him and a post-pregnancy diet buddy for me!!! Thank you Segways!:sohappy:

 

[MickeyMan101]

Darn!

man, you got my hopes up! i thought they were lowering the age to ride them! i guess i read the thread wrong! i'm 15 and dying to do so! i have driven any thing think-able here in ohio! isnt the age that you have to be to do the tour 16?

MickeyMan101

 

[Frank Stallone]

the experience will now be located in Innoventions west, where that Dance Dance Revolution area used to be. It will be interesting to see how the tours work out, since guests walking by will now be able to watch the class/tour.

The tour originally took place in a secluded room (as you could see in a picture posted earlier in the thread). Now it will be out in the open, visible to anyone walking by in Innoventions West. Of course, there will be a barrier inbetween the guests and those on tour (I assume some kind of fence to keep the sheeple out). However, I bet the tour guides, as well as the guests are going to get hounded with "where is the line?" and "where do we go to get on one?" questions.

Glad they are adding an extra experience, however. It's a great tour for the guests, and is immensely popular.

 

[ChipnDaleGal]

Just on the topic of the new 2nd tour does anyone know what it is?

Currently there are 2 Segway tours the Around the World Tour which is 2 hours and costs £80 and then there is the 1 hour training indoor thing. Are they adding another or just moving the indoor sections to the new area they have created?

It sounds like they're just adding an additional day of touring. I would love it if they added another tour for experienced users. I went with my brother last summer and we loved it! I really want to go again but don't really want to pay another $80 for an hour of the same training.

 

[darthjohnny]

Aren't those segways with the big tires the Segway XT, the ones that can go off road?

 

[Dwarful]

Haven't done the segway tour at WDW, but we took my niece's girl scout troop to do the Segway tour at the St.Louis Science Center and into Forest Park and it was amazing. The girls had a great time. We won't be able to do the one at WDW for a few years as the youngest is only going to be turning 6 and the amount of "thats not fair" this tour would create for our family wouldn't justify doing it. For those of you that get too....."that's not fair"

have fun and enjoy!

 

[Main Street USA]

I've done both the St. Louis Science Center Tour and the WDW Tour, and I hate to say it, but the SLSC tour is way better (with the exception, of course, that you're in WDW.

The SLSC tour took nearly 4 hours, and they'll let you use all three keys, whic allows you to use the segway at it's full speed. Pretty awesome. Plus, the "training" only lasts about 3o minutes.

In WDW, the tour is a grand total of 2 hours (only one hour of riding), costs more, and you only get to use the slow key, which after the SLSC tour, is really slow. Like I said, only great thing is that you're in Epcot.

I'd still do the Epcot tour again, though. I love being in the park before others, and navigating an empty World Showcase, no matter how slow.

 

[WDWFanatic]

My parents won the segway during their tour. They were the 10,000 guest to take it. We were approached by the Annapolis segway dealer to help with sales and now we are representing our area. Yes they do have off road segway xt's they are nice, good for trail use but nothing to heavy duty.
here was our local article:
http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=17723&cat=500&ppuser=191

 

[wdwishes2005]

man, you got my hopes up! i thought they were lowering the age to ride them! i guess i read the thread wrong! i'm 15 and dying to do so! i have driven any thing think-able here in ohio! isnt the age that you have to be to do the tour 16?

MickeyMan101

Lol, You can drive but not ride a segway.... I bet it's just a liability issue.