A wheelchair ?

[danalee]

I feel a little silly even bringing this up, but here it goes

My mom is coming with us in Sept and I have now just talked her into a wheelchair, she had a stroke almost a year ago and walking any distance is tough on her and she gets shortness of breath. Anyway i have been thinking of renting her a wheelchair from a place off site so we have it all the time, not just in the park.

Ok she has agreed to one, but would like one that we push her in, ok not a problem. Here's what flashed in my head with that, what if we park it outside an attraction come out and its gone? The reason I ask is last year we came out of a bugs life and this woman was flipping out (rightfully so) because her $200 stroller was gone, cm's were helping her look as sometimes they are moved. But when we were walking away they were all still looking the woman was in tears. We seen the family about 2 hours later and they had a park stroller!

So my thing is what if we come out and its gone, and its an outside rental? Like I said I hate to even think this way, but that poor woman flashed in my brain!

 

[Michigan]

She stays in the chiar until she gets up to the ride and since she can walk she will get up and the CM will put the chair by where the ride exits.

 

[Nanajo1]

Some folks bring a bike lock. They thread it through the front tires so the chair can be moved if necessry but it is useless for someone with out the key.

 

[SueM in MN]

For many rides, she would be best using the wheelchair until she boards, as Michigan mentioned. Some of the attractions have moving walkways and she could probably board more safely on those attractions if she was in the wheelchair until boarding. There is a link in the disABILITIES FAQs thread about boarding rides (especially those with moving walkways).

If she does chose to leave the wheelchair with the strollers, using a lock like Nanajo mentioned would make sure the wheelchair is there when you get back. You can't lock the wheelchair to anything, but it can be locked in a way that it can still be moved, but not used.
One suggestion, before leaving the wheelchair and getting into a line, it's a good idea to check with the CM to see how far a walk it is to the ride entrance. For some attractions, the wait might be short, but it's a pretty long walk in. Two examples would be It's Tough to Be a Bug and the Safari at AK.

 

[danalee]

Thanks guys so much!

She can walk (thank goodness) its just walking distances she cant do without not breathing well, so she will be able to park her chair and then wait in an attraction line so we will be "parking" the chair with the strollers. I know I am worried about nothing. I just want her to not worry about anything and have a great time!

Thanks again for the help!

 

[spiceycat]

Pop has free wheelchair for your use on WDW property.

you are taking your mother on your 8th anniversary that is so sweet.

 

[danalee]

Thanks, she is a great mom and my son loves to stay with her so for all she does for him (and us) we bring her to disney with us as a "thank you gift" in a way!
She is thrilled to come but she was worried about walking, and now with all the awesome help I have gotten here on the dis she (and I) are are ready to go and have a great time!
thanks again everyone!

 

[TEK224]

Danalee,

I'm glad I saw your thread, cause I was gonna post the exact same question.

I'm taking my Mom in Oct. and she can't walk distances either. I was trying to decide whether to bring her own wheelchair to use at the airports and then get one at WDW to use at the parks or just not bring her own.

I know the airports have wheelchairs to get people to and from the gate, but the last time we were in the airport, there was a rush on wheelchairs and we had to wait a while before one became available. Luckily, we were there early. I just don't want to take hers or rent one and then worry about it being taken, even if mistakenly.

Terri

 

[Schmeck]

Pop has free wheelchair for your use on WDW property.

you are taking your mother on your 8th anniversary that is so sweet.

But they are first come/first served, you can't reserve them, and so you can't count on one being available. If you know you definitely need one, I'd rent offsite to be sure.

 

[danalee]

Tek224, Check out the sticky at the top of this page, lots of great info there!

We are going to rent one from offsite. I thought about the walk/wait for a bus and since she gets so tired so quickly I want to have it at all times.
I am going to call the airport and see about getting one there as well, she was at the doctors today and told him about her trip and he said (being a big disney fan himself, I knew I liked that guy ) anyway he said, Sally please get a wheelchair, you will be so thankful you did. So that really sealed the deal!

TEK224 have a great time with your mom!

 

[C.Ann]

Can you bring a wheelchair from home on an airplane - SW specifically - and have it checked like baggage?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Check Southwest's website, but you should be able to take the wheelchair all the way to the plane and gate-check it; that way, it'll be brought back up to the jetway for you to use right from the plane through the airport.

 

[C.Ann]

Check Southwest's website, but you should be able to take the wheelchair all the way to the plane and gate-check it; that way, it'll be brought back up to the jetway for you to use right from the plane through the airport.

-----------------------------------

Thanks! Not sure how often my DD will have to use it, but I'm certain at some point she will have to.. The ongoing back problems from her car accident in March have really wreaked havoc with her ability to walk for extended periods of time; stand for extended periods of time; etc.. Her DH could just stick it in the trunk of the rental and if needed while we're in the parks, run out and get it..

 

[SueM in MN]

You can either check a wheelchair like baggage (ie, turn it in when you turn in the rest of your baggage) or what most people do is gate check the wheelchair. That way, you can keep it with you until you actually board at the door of the plane. Let the person know when you are checking in that you have a wheelchair to gate check. They may give you a gate check tag right then, or (more commonly), you will be told to ask the agent at the gate for a tag (ask well before boarding). The gate check tag is usually a very bright color and is marked so the baggage people can see where to take it when the plane lands. Sometimes they are automatically marked to deliver the wheelchair to the gate when the plane lands, but sometimes, it can be marked to be delivered to baggage or to the gate at your final destination rather than at an intermediate stop.
When you leave your wheelchair, remove anything that might fall off or break while it is in the baggage hold of the airplane. Fasten seatbelts and anything else that might catch.

 

[danalee]

Just thought I would add a little update.

C.Ann's post made think about "bringing one from home" so I checked it to. We have a local drugstore with a department that deals in hospital beds, wheelchairs and such so I called them, I can rent a wheelchair for a month for about $50 less than the outside site I was going to go with in Orlando. So needless to say we will be taking one with us!

Just something to think about