Power wheelchair

[DisneyCapers]

Hey Everyone,
My husband has ALS and we are taking his power wheelchair with us. He can't use a scooter because he wouldn't be able to steer it. He is worried about battery life. He mentioned taking the manual wheelchair instead but that is just too much for my daughters and I. Has anyone taken their power wheelchair and did you have any issues with the battery? Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[katrina1122]

Take the power, there are hills all over wdw. Believe me, pushing gets tiring really quick. Just bring your charging cord into the parks. If it starts running down just ask a cm where to plug it in.

 

[KPeveler]

Definitely bring the powerchair. Depending on the model it should hold up well over the day - just make sure to charge it fully at night. I have done WDW with manual and power chairs, and the powerchair was so much easier!

 

[DisneyCapers]

Thanks for your comments. I think the power wheelchair is the best option too.

 

[gap2368]

I have a friend in a powered chair and it last all day as long as they charge it at night but as other have said take the charger cord with you and if it starts to go down just plug it in. have a great trip

 

[Nanajo1]

Before I felt comfortable taking my own power chair I rented one from Apple. The past four years I have taken my own. I charge the battery at night and turn it off to conserve power while in shows, parades, restaurants and sitting around people watching. You might want to rig up some sort of umbrella for shade. My chair has black arm rests which attracts the sun so I cover them with towels. Please ask if you have any questions.

 

[pugdog]

If you haven't replaced the batteries in a while do that before you go. DW uses a Permobil M300 and we can go all day and still have half a battery left at the end of the day. We do charge it every night though just in case. She replaces her batteries about every 12-15 months at home to keep a good charge.

 

[sweeneyfamily]

Hi DisneyCapers,
ironically just come across your post, really hope you enjoyed your holiday. Unfortunately my hubby also has ALS and we are planning our final family vacation in October. Just wondering how you got on? we will also be taking power wheelchair x

 

[Swilson1]

Same question I had..lol I'm in a power chair because of TM. I was wondering if they would let me charge and where?

 

[KPeveler]

I was able to plug in almost anywhere, including restaurants and such. None of these are good for long-term charging, which is how those batteries work. They are good in an emergency if your batteries die and you are stranded. If you need to plug in for longer, an hour or more, I suggest going to First Aid. This is also a good place to lay down or take care of any medical needs.

 

[DisneyCapers]

Hi DisneyCapers,
ironically just come across your post, really hope you enjoyed your holiday. Unfortunately my hubby also has ALS and we are planning our final family vacation in October. Just wondering how you got on? we will also be taking power wheelchair x

We go on August 14th. We think we're going to rent a power wheelchair there instead of taking my husband's. We are having some issues with his and we think it would be less hassle to rent one. I will definitely let you know how are vacation goes. It's so stressful trying to make sure that everything is arranged to make it as easy as possible for him. I hope you have a wonderful vacation and make lots of memories!

 

[sweeneyfamily]

Awe hope you manage to rent something suitable. We did look into renting but we're traveling from UK so spending 3 weeks in Caribbean beach resort. We found rental for 3 weeks really expensive so will be bringing my husbands own electric wheelchair.
Hope you have a wonderful time, you're right its so stressful making sure everything is sorted and hassle free. Perfect family memories is what we both need with our hubbys and kids. Defo investing in memories maker package, can't wait x

 

[KPeveler]

Something important to remember about rental powerchairs is that they will be a basic consumer model like a Jet or Jazzy with plastic "leather like" captains chair seating and limited adjustability. In general, you cannot even put your own cushion on it (unless you put it on top of the existing seating). There will be no power functions like reclining or tilting seating. This works just fine for some people, but if you need special seating at all, I would bring your own. There are no companies I am aware of that you can rent a rehab chair from.

 

[Nanajo1]

I have rented a power chair off site. It worked fine for me at the time but I need more support and better seating options now. I hope you can find a suitable rental. The "jazzy" just wouldn't be comfortable for me now.

 

[Barbj38]

Hi. My daughter ,who has cerebral palsey, and I go every August. She has a power chair. A pride quontum edge. At home and college she charges every other day but Disney it is every night. She lasts all day and into the night. If the batteries are older you might want to see about newer ones before you go. It is definitely worth bringing his power chair.

 

[DisneyCapers]

Thanks everyone for your replies. We decided to rent one since we're having issues with my DH's. I appreciate all your help. We're so excited and arrive on Friday!