Are the wheelchairs "self-drivable" at WDW?

[FrankDIS72]

I have had foot surgery recently and I may need to use a wheelchair to cut down on walking. I really feel uncomfortable to have my friends push me around all day. I feel like a pretty independent person ad would prefer to move the wheelchair myself. I saw a picture of a wheelchair posted on another site and they seem quite large. Am I able to move the wheelchair myself or will it be too heavy? I know my arms will have quite a workout after moving the wheels all day!

 

[gap2368]

I am 5 foot 1 on a good day and last time I was at Disney I hurt my foot and had to use a wheel chair I could barley move the wheel chair at all if I had gone alone I do not know what I would have done I would do 1 or 2 things rent a smaller wheel chair of site ( if you are short) or rent an ECV

 

[wilkeliza]

They are self propel-able but they aren't really designed for such. If you know you are going to need one it may be better to rent one from an off site vendor. The plus of that is that you will be able to us it to get to the buses or parking as well. You might also look into an ECV because then you won't even need to self propel you can just let the ECV do the work.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you rent from off-site, they may offer different seat sizes. I know Walker carries 18", 20", 22" and 24" seat widths. If you have short arms like I do, ask if the arms are removable.

 

[geek+nerd]

If you are not used to self-propelling in a wheelchair, you should get an ECV. Self-propelling is harder than most able-bodied people think. Self-propelling 6-10 miles a day at Disney is downright impossible if this is not something you do on a regular basis.

 

[minnie mum]

I agree with geek+nerd. Having been in a chair at WDW for many years, I would recommend that you get an ecv if you have no one to push you. The rental chairs are heavier and less manoeverable than the manual ones used by people who depend on them 24/7/365. You can certainly self propel them for short distances, but even if you have the arm muscles of a weight lifter, you won't make it through a day, let alone a whole trip.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And I ultimately agree with minnie mum. When I break my leg and have to spend weeks in a wheelchair in rehab, it's tough to get around - and that's all flat. WDW, not so much

 

[Belle1997]

I use a power wheelchair it took a few weeks for me to get comfortable to drive one. The joy stick is a little hard to get use to. I would recommend and ECV too. Also the places the rent these chairs suggest that you have already now how to control these. I bashed into quite a few wall and doors learning. Now if you are not used to it much easier to loose control in a crowd. EVC is much easier to learn and easier to control.

 

[SueM in MN]

The park rental ones are 2 sizes, wide and extra wide.
A chair that is too wide is very difficult to self propel because your arms won't reach. The wheels are set farther back than would be typical for someone to self propel and they are heavy.

If you want to self people at all, I agree with renting from one of the offsite places. Even then, totally self propelling is going to be very difficult and a hard workout.
If you can walk, but need support, a rollator (rolling walker with a fold down seat) might be an option. An ECV is really the only option if you can't use a rollator and don't want to be pushed at all.
A power wheelchair with a joystick is not an option. Most of the rental companies will not rent them to people who don't have experience driving one - they are more difficult then an ECV because a single joystick controls everything - direction (forward and reverse), turning and speed all at the same time. It's quite easy to get out of control if you are not experienced.

Post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread has info about renting equipment (near the top of the board or follow the link in my signature).

 

[Toffeewoffy]

Back in 2005 I got a bad blister on the sole of my foot which meant I was walking in a funny way, and this in turn resulted in my calf muscle locking up painfully so I couldn't walk. One day we'd spent the morning in HS (or MGM as it was then) and went over to MK at lunch time. We hired me a wheelchair at MK as I just couldn't walk anymore I was in so much pain. But it wasn't a good solution. OH more or less refused to push me around and I was having to self-propel myelf a lot. Even DD, at age 11, had a go at pushing me around. It hurt my arm muscles and also my hands as you have to grip the plastic wheel and push forwards. And that was just for 4 hours! MK is a lot less flat than you'd think! Plus the rental was rickety and very uncomfortable!

10 years on and I have arthritis in both knees (unrelated) and for the last year have hired an ECV to get round the parks. I even use it at Premium Outlets and Florida Mall!

 

[cmwade77]

I would suggest an ECV over a wheelchair any day.

 

[ttintagel]

I tried self-propelling in a manual wheelchair for a day at EPCOT, and I had never noticed how many hills and steep ramps there were. Unless you have really well-developed upper-body strength, my guess is that you will find it a great challenge. I had to switch to an ECV.

 

[ErinTwinmom]

Ok I do not know what all is rentable but I know their are a lot of medical supplies companies that rent for vacation. A few years ago the doctor had my mom using like a regular wheelchair moped. She propelled it like a normal wheelchair and a motor assisted.