8 year old and wheelchair

[3DisMunchkins]

I just found out my 8 year old fracture the growth plate in his ankle and has to be on crutches with air cast (maybe regular cast) for at least 2 weeks. We leave in 2 weeks and 2 days, so I'm expecting to rent a wheelchair and push him around. Even if he is released I think the parks would be too much walking.
Any advice for navigating parks/rides with wheelchair?
He doesn't even know we're going yet...planned to surprise them 14 days out! But tickets are purchased and we'll just make the best of it! I'm sure he'll love the extra attention...and mom pushing him around!
Thanks!

 

[SMD]

How big is he? You might want to look at renting a pediatric size wheelchair from an outside vendor. People have said that the adult ones can be uncomfortable for kids.

 

[kamik86]

I brought my mom and we pushed her around some tips...

If he is able to walk shorter distances which is sounds like he will be able to some rides are easier if you walk. Example is the safari's if you park the wheelchair with the strollers you can get on any car, if you continue with it you need the special car, which takes longer.

Especially if you rent from an outside vendor also let the CMs know he can transfer. Often that makes it easier to get on and off rides as well. The CMs assume most in a disney chair can transfer, since well they got to disney without having a chair. But if your in an outside one it might appear to be yours.

 

[3DisMunchkins]

He's actually pretty small...about 49 in and 50 pounds. Any advice on finding a pediatric wheelchair? I checked deckert's and they only have adult. Considered even using a larger stroller but didn't know how Well that would work...guess it will depend on the Dr update before we leave.

 

[sgrap]

My 13-year old daughter had fairly foot surgery in September and just got her cast off. She can walk, but her foot will not be able to tolerate the amount of walking that Disney requires. I already rented her a wheelchair for our trip in 2 1/2 weeks. Even though she's not thrilled about it, it is better than not being able to go, and definitely better than being in agony trying to walk that far. I got her the smallest size adult chair since she is 5'1" and about 90 pounds. Try A Scooter 4 U Inc. We used them a year and a half ago and are renting from them again this trip. 562-697-7725

 

[3DisMunchkins]

Thanks strap! I booked it today. So is my understanding correct that he can take the wheelchair through most ride queues and the ones we cannot they will give us a ticket to return at the current wait time?

 

[Bud Ice]

I'm still trying to figure out why they put the Braille maps in the Middle of the park. Would think you'd want one on the entrance.

 

[Malcon10t]

Thanks strap! I booked it today. So is my understanding correct that he can take the wheelchair through most ride queues and the ones we cannot they will give us a ticket to return at the current wait time?

Yes. I think you had previously commented about a possible stroller. You can use a stroller, then at City Hall have it tagged as being used as a wheelchair, if that is easier for your child.

 

[sgrap]

Thanks strap! I booked it today. So is my understanding correct that he can take the wheelchair through most ride queues and the ones we cannot they will give us a ticket to return at the current wait time?

Yes , dca is all accessible , Disneyland has many where you go to exit ramp. You can get an accessible map when you enter the park that shows what to do on each ride.

 

[sillybaer]

Yes , dca is all accessible , Disneyland has many where you go to exit ramp. You can get an accessible map when you enter the park that shows what to do on each ride.

The exception to DCA is Toy Story Midway Mania. And unlike rides at Disneyland, they do not give out their own return times. You have to use the kiosks designed for guests with a DAS pass. (And the only cast members I found who knew that procedure and could explain it were at TSMM. When I asked before going there they told me to go directly to the ride).

I was always asked if I could transfer, but I was using a scooter so they may be less likely to ask with a wheelchair. However, I was asked several times if I could walk a short distance but never told that there may be a long wait at the end. Frequently I was left standing for 5-10 minutes waiting which was do-able for me if I had a railing or a wall to use as support but it bothered me because it might not be okay for everyone. (The worst was the haunted mansion because getting off the elevator there was no where for me to stand or support my weight off my bad foot. Had I known I was going to be thrown into a crowd of people and left standing in line with no support, I would have taken the skip the elevator handicapped option.) So depending on how he is doing at that time, if they ask if he can walk, you might also ask if he will have to stand for any length of time.

 

[Malcon10t]

My experience is different than above. DCA queues are accessible. Toy Story is accessible, and we have always used the regular line. When we approach the grouper, they send us to the HA side (no stairs).

As far as most rides in DIsneyland, if you cannot stand for 5 mins, be sure to tell the person at the entrance to the HA area. They can let you take the scooter to the front, or they can have you use a transfer chair. In Haunted Mansion, you won't bypass the elevator. You will take the scooter into the elevator and to the load area. It can take a little longer, but is relatively easy if it is needed.

 

[sillybaer]

My experience is different than above. DCA queues are accessible. Toy Story is accessible, and we have always used the regular line. When we approach the grouper, they send us to the HA side (no stairs).

As far as most rides in DIsneyland, if you cannot stand for 5 mins, be sure to tell the person at the entrance to the HA area. They can let you take the scooter to the front, or they can have you use a transfer chair. In Haunted Mansion, you won't bypass the elevator. You will take the scooter into the elevator and to the load area. It can take a little longer, but is relatively easy if it is needed.

That's interesting. I was asked if I could stand in the elevator, which was fine because I stayed near the edge. I saw someone else come on in a wheelchair near the load area and it looked like they entered from the a side area so I just assumed that was the alternative. I didn't ask because the walk to the elevator and the time in the elevator was described to me and sounded totally doable. The wait after (again in a crush of people with no support) was not described when I asked how long of a walk it was and that was the really difficult part. It may be better this time of year, but I'd never been on the haunted mansion when they were running the elevators that rapidly (but also hadn't been in almost 10yrs) and then I went in the height of the 60th summer. So the last time I was at DLR, you walked from the elevator straight to the load area and maybe waited a minute or two. This time there was a 10min+ wait after the the elevator that I was totally not expecting and wish would have been mentioned.

 

[xlxo]

I got myself a transport chair for loved one. Perfect size in taxi's and airplanes. Makes it so easy to take them around. The small wheels may be a challenge on large bumps.

 

[Malcon10t]

That's interesting. I was asked if I could stand in the elevator, which was fine because I stayed near the edge. I saw someone else come on in a wheelchair near the load area and it looked like they entered from the a side area so I just assumed that was the alternative. I didn't ask because the walk to the elevator and the time in the elevator was described to me and sounded totally doable. The wait after (again in a crush of people with no support) was not described when I asked how long of a walk it was and that was the really difficult part. It may be better this time of year, but I'd never been on the haunted mansion when they were running the elevators that rapidly (but also hadn't been in almost 10yrs) and then I went in the height of the 60th summer. So the last time I was at DLR, you walked from the elevator straight to the load area and maybe waited a minute or two. This time there was a 10min+ wait after the the elevator that I was totally not expecting and wish would have been mentioned.

What you described about waiting is more the norm. If I have my daughters, I generally park the scooter by the hearst and walk the inside portion. We tend to wait by the back so we are last off so no one is pushing me. Then we take the slow (generally at least 5 mins, has been as long as 12 mins) walk to the doom buggies. If I am by myself, I take the scooter to the front. When we come out of the elevator, the elevator operator waits til everyone is out, then they escort me up a walkway on the left side of the hallway. When we get to the load area we wait there until doombuggy 7 comes around (there are numbers on the bottom of the buggies.) If you get there when the buggy numbers are in the 100s (I think there are 139 buggies) it will be a short wait, however if it is in the low numbers (teens, 20s) it can be a 10 min wait. If you cannot stand/walk for 10 minutes, you should take the wheelchair/scooter to the front.

 

[bumbershoot]

So the last time I was at DLR, you walked from the elevator straight to the load area and maybe waited a minute or two.

Wow, it's almost never been just a minute or two after the stretching room for us. Much longer. And we tend to go at lower crowd times.

 

[sillybaer]

What you described about waiting is more the norm. If I have my daughters, I generally park the scooter by the hearst and walk the inside portion. We tend to wait by the back so we are last off so no one is pushing me. Then we take the slow (generally at least 5 mins, has been as long as 12 mins) walk to the doom buggies. If I am by myself, I take the scooter to the front. When we come out of the elevator, the elevator operator waits til everyone is out, then they escort me up a walkway on the left side of the hallway. When we get to the load area we wait there until doombuggy 7 comes around (there are numbers on the bottom of the buggies.) If you get there when the buggy numbers are in the 100s (I think there are 139 buggies) it will be a short wait, however if it is in the low numbers (teens, 20s) it can be a 10 min wait. If you cannot stand/walk for 10 minutes, you should take the wheelchair/scooter to the front.

That last part is what I wish someone would have told me when I very carefully asked how long the walk was. I didn't original plan on using a scooter in the parks so walking was possible but it didn't work well in a crowd and we did HM late enough in the day that I was already tired. And it didn't work to wait to be the last out of the elevator and try to hang back because that just meant that the next load from the elevator came out and pushed passed me so it was either push through the jostling crowd on my bad foot or stand there forever.

 

[mellers]

I just found out my 8 year old fracture the growth plate in his ankle and has to be on crutches with air cast (maybe regular cast) for at least 2 weeks. We leave in 2 weeks and 2 days, so I'm expecting to rent a wheelchair and push him around. Even if he is released I think the parks would be too much walking.
Any advice for navigating parks/rides with wheelchair?
He doesn't even know we're going yet...planned to surprise them 14 days out! But tickets are purchased and we'll just make the best of it! I'm sure he'll love the extra attention...and mom pushing him around!
Thanks!

You might do better to purchase one and bring it from home. If you notify the airline (and you're in the USA), it will be transported free of charge, and it will make navigating the airport easier as well.

 

[Malcon10t]

My daughter broke her leg/ankle in June. Surgery was 5 days later. And we headed to Disneyland 3 weeks later. She was in a cast. Rides were almost impossible. Between the nausea from meds and pain, only ride she did was Peter Pan (and she would have skipped that had it not been the new changes.) I don't know how serious his break is, but be aware that the forces on some rides may be more than he can handle. We are now 4.5 months past surgery and she is down to just braces.