Any advice for a first time wheelchair user in Disneyland?

[Sweet Melissa]

I searched the forum a little before deciding to post, but thought I might get even more helpful information if I started a thread of my own. A lot of the information here is for Disney World rather than Disneyland, and I'm not sure how park operations vary between the two venues.

Our extended family will be joining us for our annual Disneyland trip in early June. My grandmother has always wanted to take a big family vacation to Disneyland with her daughters and grandchildren, and we're finally going to make it happen. This trip is 20 years in the making for her and she's excited to finally go! She hasn't been to Disneyland at all since the late '60s when my mom and aunt were girls. However, she has knee, hip and low back problems that give her trouble in her day-to-day life. She has a walker for the really rough days. She'll definitely need a wheelchair for Disneyland.

I think it will be better for us to rent or purchase a wheelchair that she can use for the duration of our stay rather than having her rent a chair daily at the gate. That way she won't have to worry about walking from the parking lot or a nearby hotel. My family agree that she would become flustered if she had to use a power chair or ECV, so a manual wheelchair would be better. There are no shortage of able-bodied people in the family that can take turns pushing her. Two in our tribe work in assisted living facilities and should be able to maneuver Grandma through the parks and various obstacles with ease.

I suppose my questions are the following:

• Can anybody share with me any positive experiences of wheelchair rental companies in the Anaheim area? The family will most likely be driving down from Sacramento, so companies in the Sacramento area could be used as well.

• Roughly, what should I expect to pay for such a rental for a three or four night trip?

• My partner and I (ages 26 and 31) are used to touring the parks alone or with my sister and/or mother. How much more time should we expect things to take when we're in a party of nine (one with the wheelchair)? Should we consider a longer stay?

• Are there any areas or attractions in Disneyland and DCA that we should completely avoid in the wheelchair? She'll be fine, if a little slow, walking short distances without it. Obviously she won't be climbing through Tarzan's Treehouse. Which other areas should we be mindful of avoiding?

• Where are the best places for Grandma to view parades and nighttime attractions? Are there special areas reserved for guests with disabilities to view World of Color and the Disneyland fireworks?

• Any general advice for me? I've had very little occasion to consider the logistics of touring the parks with a disabled relative. What knowledge can this community impart to me so that I can be as considerate as possible and make sure that my grandma enjoys her vacation?

 

[Sweet Melissa]

I guess I'll try bumping this once, just in case the right person catches it.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I searched the forum a little before deciding to post, but thought I might get even more helpful information if I started a thread of my own. A lot of the information here is for Disney World rather than Disneyland, and I'm not sure how park operations vary between the two venues.

Our extended family will be joining us for our annual Disneyland trip in early June. My grandmother has always wanted to take a big family vacation to Disneyland with her daughters and grandchildren, and we're finally going to make it happen. This trip is 20 years in the making for her and she's excited to finally go! She hasn't been to Disneyland at all since the late '60s when my mom and aunt were girls. However, she has knee, hip and low back problems that give her trouble in her day-to-day life. She has a walker for the really rough days. She'll definitely need a wheelchair for Disneyland.

I think it will be better for us to rent or purchase a wheelchair that she can use for the duration of our stay rather than having her rent a chair daily at the gate. That way she won't have to worry about walking from the parking lot or a nearby hotel. My family agree that she would become flustered if she had to use a power chair or ECV, so a manual wheelchair would be better. There are no shortage of able-bodied people in the family that can take turns pushing her. Two in our tribe work in assisted living facilities and should be able to maneuver Grandma through the parks and various obstacles with ease.

I suppose my questions are the following:

• Can anybody share with me any positive experiences of wheelchair rental companies in the Anaheim area? The family will most likely be driving down from Sacramento, so companies in the Sacramento area could be used as well.

• Roughly, what should I expect to pay for such a rental for a three or four night trip?

• My partner and I (ages 26 and 31) are used to touring the parks alone or with my sister and/or mother. How much more time should we expect things to take when we're in a party of nine (one with the wheelchair)? Should we consider a longer stay?

• Are there any areas or attractions in Disneyland and DCA that we should completely avoid in the wheelchair? She'll be fine, if a little slow, walking short distances without it. Obviously she won't be climbing through Tarzan's Treehouse. Which other areas should we be mindful of avoiding?

• Where are the best places for Grandma to view parades and nighttime attractions? Are there special areas reserved for guests with disabilities to view World of Color and the Disneyland fireworks?• Any general advice for me? I've had very little occasion to consider the logistics of touring the parks with a disabled relative. What knowledge can this community impart to me so that I can be as considerate as possible and make sure that my grandma enjoys her vacation?

Yes, there are special areas reserved for handicapped guests, but for WOC you'll still need to get a fastpass for everybuddy.

Any "rough" rides will have large signs indicating that people with back problems should not go there. Every time you approach a ride, a helpful cast member will assist you with any info you need.

Sounds like your family has lotsa love for grandma, and that's what she'll need most for an enjoyable vacation. DMIL was in a wheelchair at DLR, and visiting with her grand-kids was her top priority. It's also nice that you have able-bodied wheelchair pushers.

DMIL had her own wheelchair (especially helpful in airports) so I can't recommend local rental agencies.

Have a great trip!

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Yes, there are special areas reserved for handicapped guests, but for WOC you'll still need to get a fastpass for everybuddy.

Any "rough" rides will have large signs indicating that people with back problems should not go there. Every time you approach a ride, a helpful cast member will assist you with any info you need.

Sounds like your family has lotsa love for grandma, and that's what she'll need most for an enjoyable vacation. DMIL was in a wheelchair at DLR, and visiting with her grand-kids was her top priority. It's also nice that you have able-bodied wheelchair pushers.

DMIL had her own wheelchair (especially helpful in airports) so I can't recommend local rental agencies.

Have a great trip!

Thank you for the insight! I agree; I think she'll enjoy herself. I just want to make sure she's as comfortable as possible and that I have some advance notice of any difficulties or restrictions we might encounter. Your post was helpful in that respect.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Sounds like you have a wonderful trip planned!

Many people here use Deckerts for scooter rentals, and I believe they also have wheelchairs. Another company I've seen is OC Medical. I'm not sure what they charge, but it shouldn't be too much.

As a 'chair dweller', I have a few general suggestions:

• Try to remember that people sometimes dart in front of chairs/scooters without warning. The person pushing Grandma should be sure to pay attention to the flow of people around the chair. If possible, you can have one of the group walking in front of the chair to create a bit of a buffer when it's crowded. It'll be less stressful for the 'driver' and Grandma.
• On some rides she'll be able to stay in her chair, while others will require her to transfer. There is a guide on the website and one at City Hall that will show the options for each ride.
• I have some of the same issues as your grandmother, and agree with the previous poster - pay attention to the warnings posted outside of rides to see if they will be harmful to a person with back/hip problems. When in doubt, ask a CM near the attraction.
• If you are in a large crowd watching a show or fireworks, STAY PUT for a while after it is over. The majority of the crowd will all leave at once, causing a bottleneck. If you hold back and wait, it'll be much easier to navigate.
• Remember that even though she'll be sitting in the chair, it'll take a lot of mental energy to be in the crowds. She may need to take a break now and then. In a pinch, the first aid station on Main Street can provide a quiet respite.

I hope you have a great time!

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Sounds like you have a wonderful trip planned!

Many people here use Deckerts for scooter rentals, and I believe they also have wheelchairs. Another company I've seen is OC Medical. I'm not sure what they charge, but it shouldn't be too much.

As a 'chair dweller', I have a few general suggestions:

• Try to remember that people sometimes dart in front of chairs/scooters without warning. The person pushing Grandma should be sure to pay attention to the flow of people around the chair. If possible, you can have one of the group walking in front of the chair to create a bit of a buffer when it's crowded. It'll be less stressful for the 'driver' and Grandma.
• On some rides she'll be able to stay in her chair, while others will require her to transfer. There is a guide on the website and one at City Hall that will show the options for each ride.
• I have some of the same issues as your grandmother, and agree with the previous poster - pay attention to the warnings posted outside of rides to see if they will be harmful to a person with back/hip problems. When in doubt, ask a CM near the attraction.
• If you are in a large crowd watching a show or fireworks, STAY PUT for a while after it is over. The majority of the crowd will all leave at once, causing a bottleneck. If you hold back and wait, it'll be much easier to navigate.
• Remember that even though she'll be sitting in the chair, it'll take a lot of mental energy to be in the crowds. She may need to take a break now and then. In a pinch, the first aid station on Main Street can provide a quiet respite.

I hope you have a great time!

Perfect! Thank you for the recommendations and advice.

 

[xipetotec]

DW severely injured her back last year. As a result, she was in a wheelchair for our 2-day DisneyLand trip. Let me say that for the most part, DisneyLand goes the extra mile for Wheelchair bound guests.

Granted, DW was able to transfer so that made it a bit more accessible for us, but since the park was not originally build with Wheelchairs in mind ( unlike WDW ), we would often find ourselves with front-of-the-line access. we were 6 people, I think the "limit" is supposed to be like 4, but the cast memebers didn't enforce this. Rather than split up the family, they just let us all go with her.

We rented a wheelchair directly from the resort, so I don't really know anything about other area's rentals. But i think at the resort it was something like 20$/day or something and it was first come first served.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

DW severely injured her back last year. As a result, she was in a wheelchair for our 2-day DisneyLand trip. Let me say that for the most part, DisneyLand goes the extra mile for Wheelchair bound guests.

Granted, DW was able to transfer so that made it a bit more accessible for us, but since the park was not originally build with Wheelchairs in mind ( unlike WDW ), we would often find ourselves with front-of-the-line access. we were 6 people, I think the "limit" is supposed to be like 4, but the cast memebers didn't enforce this. Rather than split up the family, they just let us all go with her.

We rented a wheelchair directly from the resort, so I don't really know anything about other area's rentals. But i think at the resort it was something like 20$/day or something and it was first come first served.

Thank you for your insights. When you say that you rented a wheelchair directly from your resort, do you mean the hotel? Were you staying at one of the Disney properties or one of the good neighbor hotels?

 

[xipetotec]

Thank you for your insights. When you say that you rented a wheelchair directly from your resort, do you mean the hotel? Were you staying at one of the Disney properties or one of the good neighbor hotels?

We were staying at the Grand Californian ( DVC villas actually, but the resort ameneties are the same either way )

 

[tiggerjay]

Exciting times for you and your family! I was temporarily disabled on two trips to Disneyland. I rented from Disneyland, but I would imagine it would probably be a lot more convenient to rent one for the entry stay, otherwise you're still walking to-from the hotels. Also note that you can bring your DLR rented chair from park to park. You can call your hotel and ask if they have wheelchairs for use, many of them offer them for free but they are sometimes first-come, first-serve.

Regardless of how you acquire your wheelchair, be sure to stop by either the wheelchair rental place at the park or City Hall for a guide - it will describe the limitations of each ride, and which ones require you to transfer or if there is other accommodations such as staying in your chair. Your family will be responsible for helping grandma transfer into the ride vehicle when necessary. Also, if grandma is able to transfer, sometime it is better to take that option instead of waiting for a special ride vehicle which you can stay in your chair. The reason is that they only permit one ride vehicle of this type on the track at the same time.

All shows have reserved areas for wheelchairs, be sure to ask a cast member for these locations.

Some rides have shorter normal lines versus taking the accessible route (this has almost always been true for Pirates) in these cases you might want to see if she can navigate the normal line.

To most people wheelchairs are invisible because they are below their sight line. When there are large crowds, people see a "void" where the wheelchair is, and they make a b-line for that void, and they run into the chair. Pack your patience and take your time. I would say plan on everything taking twice as long.

Also with a group that large, I would suggest splitting up from time to ride - into groups of like minded riders (dare-devils versus kiddie rides, etc) or guys and girls groups, etc. Taking that size of a group through the park alone can take a while.

The biggest advice I have for everyone is to figure out what you want to remember about the trip and then being intentional to make sure you setup the environment for that to happen... What do I mean, well if it is to enjoy the moments with grandma, make sure you'er enjoying moments, instead of rushing from ride to ride. Decide today if in your mind if everyone has a bonding moment with grandma yet you do 2 rides all day, will it be successful? Do we want smiles on our faces from sharing time together? Or, and equally valid for some people -- do you want to experience all of the attractions, and see the sights, and that will be success? What do you want this trip to be remembered by? And then set out to make that a reality.

Oh, and this is a vacation, right? So be sure to rest, relax, recharge from your day to day. Go to the hotel for breaks, take time when you're eating meals.

Also, if you've got energy charged teens, send them out to grab fast passes while the rest of you enjoy chatting after your meal.

Memories are created by taking time to stop and discover them, and not to simply rush by them.

Enjoy!