Advice for Disneyland with a Manual Wheelchair

[ValpoCory]

My DW, DD7, DS3, and I are going to Disneyland in January, and we just found out that one day, my aunt, uncle, and 91 year old Grandma will be joining us. So 7 of us in our group. We are excited. We will be renting a push-from-behind manual wheel chair for my grandma for $12. She still can walk for short distances, but can not handle the miles you trek at Disneyland or the long standing required for some rides.

This will be the first time I've had a guest in a Wheelchair in my party. Does anyone have any advice on some do's and don'ts for parties with a guest in a manual Wheelchair?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Geemo]

We had to use a manual wheel chair for one day due to a foot injury.
Take a ribbon or small balloon, something to mark your chair.
Makes it easier to find as the crowd grows during the day.

Oh excuse me.... Hmmmm late January isn't it? .... what crowd....
I totally forgot you are going during the special event week.... "World of closure"

It sounds like you'll have a SPECIAL family get-together. How many generations will be in your group?

See ya!

Geemo

 

[ValpoCory]

We had to use a manual wheel chair for one day due to a foot injury.
Take a ribbon or small balloon, something to mark your chair.
Makes it easier to find as the crowd grows during the day.

Oh excuse me.... Hmmmm late January isn't it? .... what crowd....
I totally forgot you are going during the special event week.... "World of closure"

It sounds like you'll have a SPECIAL family get-together. How many generations will be in your group?

See ya!

Geemo

Good points. And yes, 4 generations! And my aunt hasn't been since 1962, when she was 11! I don't think my Uncle has ever been. It should be a great day. We'll start it out at Minnie & Friends so they can see our kids interact with characters.

 

[Minnie Loves Mickey]

I took my mother last june in a push wheelchair...she was and is 90. It was very easy, we were able to access most rides that she wanted to do through the exit. I did insist on a GAC card for CA Adventure as there lines are wheelchair accessible and there was no way my mother would of been able to wait in lines even in a wheelchair. She has cancer and only spent a couple of hours in the park each day. At first they did not want to give it to me saying she could sit in the wheelchair in the lines but after talking to several people they gave me a card that avoided the lines. We really only used it a couple of times. When we took her on Splash Mountain the crowd was cheering and clapping when we came back into the station, apparently they announced her age when we were on the ride. The ride operator also told us we did not have to get off if we wanted to go a second time. We did not take him up on the offer as we were already soaked. Enjoy your trip and enjoy the great memories you will be making for your kids. My daughter would just smile when she saw how excited my mother got over things, she was like a child herself.

 

[ValpoCory]

Thanks Minnie! If we are just doing Disneyland, should I even bother with getting a GAC?

 

[imalwayscrazy]

Thanks Minnie! If we are just doing Disneyland, should I even bother with getting a GAC?

If someone is in a wheelchair it acts as th GAC in DL. No need to wait in a line at city hall to get one. They will even tell you no if you have a wheelchair. The only thing is that there is a max of 6 people that includes the guest in the wheelchair. When it is slower like around the time you are going the CMs will be a bit lax. Specially on attractions where they can accommodate larger groups.(Indy, jungle cruise, pirates) but they can be stricter with attractions like all the fantasyland rides.

 

[Disney Dreams]

OP, the wheelchair will act as your GAC. Unless there are other needs for additional accommodations, you will not need a GAC.

One tip to whomever is pushing the wheelchair: Be sure to stand straight up as often as possible. DH pushed me throughout DLR in a wheelchair and his back was so painfully sore the next several days as he was leaning over to push the chair throughout the entire day.

I took my mother last june in a push wheelchair...she was and is 90. It was very easy, we were able to access most rides that she wanted to do through the exit. I did insist on a GAC card for CA Adventure as there lines are wheelchair accessible and there was no way my mother would of been able to wait in lines even in a wheelchair....

With complete respect, I am curious why she could not wait in lines if sitting down in a wheelchair?

- Dreams

 

[ArchOwl]

If you would like to know ahead of time where to go and how the disabled guest will access the ride, check out the Disneyland guide for guests with disabilities: http://adisneyland.disney.go.com/media/dlr_v0200/en_US/help/disabil_gdebk_3_08.pdf

You can also pick up this guide at the parks. Have fun!

 

[ValpoCory]

If you would like to know ahead of time where to go and how the disabled guest will access the ride, check out the Disneyland guide for guests with disabilities: http://adisneyland.disney.go.com/media/dlr_v0200/en_US/help/disabil_gdebk_3_08.pdf

You can also pick up this guide at the parks. Have fun!

Thanks for that link ArchOwl!

One question. It says,

Wheelchairs -- A limited number of standard wheelchairs* and Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECVs)* are available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis. The rental locations are just inside each Main Entrance. For registered Guests staying at the Hotels of the Disneyland® Resort, standard wheelchair rentals are available at the Bell Desk.

Wheelchair rentals at the Bell Desk at the Grand Californian ... can that wheelchair be taken into Disneyland?

 

[ArchOwl]

Thanks for that link ArchOwl!

One question. It says,


Wheelchair rentals at the Bell Desk at the Grand Californian ... can that wheelchair be taken into Disneyland?

In my experience, yes that wheelchair can be taken into Disneyland. But the number of wheelchairs available for free at the hotels is very, very limited.

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

We stayed at Paradise Pier in October and the manual wheelchair to rent from the hotel was $10 per day. We decided to go this route because we were able to take the wheelchair into the parks and back to the hotel. I agree with taking something to mark the wheelchair if you do decide to get it from the hotel because there is no name placard on it. Just a note...be prepared..Disneyland is very hilly.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

And I would advise the person pushing the wheelchair to stay off the cobblestones near the Rivers of America. Those make for a bumpy ride for the person in the wheelchair and are quite jarring to the person pushing it.

 

[Spacepest]

With complete respect, I am curious why she could not wait in lines if sitting down in a wheelchair?

- Dreams

It could be restroom issues. A few years ago I was in a wheelchair for medical issues, and the medication I was taking made me have to use the restroom at least EVERY HOUR I was awake. There is no way I would have been able to wait in any line more than an hour long even though I wasn't standing, because then I would have to leave to go to use the toilet. So you can imagine the hassle that would ensue if I had to use a mainstreamed line with a couple hour wait. Plus that presents a whole other sets of problems. Its it okay for me to leave the line to use the restroom, being careful not to hit other people in the queue with my wheelchair on the way out? Should I then try to come back again to resume my place in line, upsetting the people behind me? Or do I have to go back to the front and start over? I could see why the OP would want a GAC for this reason.

 

[Loki0panda]

The thing to know is that most rides in Disney lets the party enter from the exit of the ride. For Indiana jones, star wars, and Space mountain, make sure to talk to a cast member. Their lines are a little special.

DCA is almost completely wheelchair accessible. The only slight exception is Tower of terror. They can only let you into the right viewing room due to the stairwell for the left.

Hope your family enjoys their trip and have lots of fun!!

 

[bumbershoot]

With complete respect, I am curious why she could not wait in lines if sitting down in a wheelchair?

- Dreams

The poster said that her mom was only in the parks for a few hours each day, because she is 90 and is dealing with cancer (and, I imagine, cancer treatments). Sounds like an exception was needed and was made, which was pretty nice of the CMs.


But in normal difficult circumstances, the wheelchair/scooter acts as a GAC, and you don't need the actual card.


I will have to say that having noticed how hilly DLR is, there's no way I would want to push, or be pushed in, a manual chair. I would want an ECV if at all possible, so that no one ends up sore, hurting, or even injured at the end of the day.

 

[audrey2580]

I took my mother last june in a push wheelchair...she was and is 90. It was very easy, we were able to access most rides that she wanted to do through the exit. I did insist on a GAC card for CA Adventure as there lines are wheelchair accessible and there was no way my mother would of been able to wait in lines even in a wheelchair. She has cancer and only spent a couple of hours in the park each day. At first they did not want to give it to me saying she could sit in the wheelchair in the lines but after talking to several people they gave me a card that avoided the lines. We really only used it a couple of times. When we took her on Splash Mountain the crowd was cheering and clapping when we came back into the station, apparently they announced her age when we were on the ride. The ride operator also told us we did not have to get off if we wanted to go a second time. We did not take him up on the offer as we were already soaked. Enjoy your trip and enjoy the great memories you will be making for your kids. My daughter would just smile when she saw how excited my mother got over things, she was like a child herself.

Great story about Splash! Go Grandma!!!!