Current wheelchair tie down system on WDW buses?

[Mary976]

Does anyone know what kind of tie down system is in use on the WDW buses these days? DD is getting these fancy wheels on her new chair, but I don't know that they are going to work well if the buses have the tie down system that grabs the wheels (as opposed to the straps that attach to to the chair frame).

Thanks,
Mary

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I think it depends on the model and age of the bus you board.

 

[SueM in MN]

The buses use QStraint systems.
They were trialing a high tech QStraint system, but it still used tie down straps with hooks. I have not personally seen it, but have seen pictures and watched a video.
There are none that just grab the wheels - they had those a long time ago in some places, but got rid of them many years ago because they do not accommodate power wheelchairs, ECVs or wheelchairs with small tires.

 

[SueM in MN]

This picture shows the tiedown straps attached to my DD's wheelchair.

You can see the front ones, attached to the front riggings of her footrests. She does not have swing away footrests, so the riggings are a secure part of the frame.
You can't see where the back tiedowns are attached, but there is a cross bar secure part of the frame behind the back of her wheelchair. That's where the tiedowns are attached.
We mark everything with bright colored tape to make it easy for the drivers to tell where they can safely attach the tiedowns straps.

I don't remember the buses ever having the type of restraints that attached to the wheels by grabbing them. The MK trains did have that kind a long time ago, but they got rid of them many years ago.

 

[Mary976]

Thanks for the info and the great picture. I hadn't seen the system that grabs the wheels recently, but then it turned out that one of the vans used by DD's school still has that system in use. If that were the case at WDW, I was going to take the fancy wheels off before we even left and swap out for the regular ones.

Thanks again,
Mary

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the info and the great picture. I hadn't seen the system that grabs the wheels recently, but then it turned out that one of the vans used by DD's school still has that system in use. If that were the case at WDW, I was going to take the fancy wheels off before we even left and swap out for the regular ones.

Thanks again,
Mary

What kind of wheels are they?

 

[Mary976]

The new chair is by Colours. The wheels themselves are normal, but DD really wanted these "spinners" on the wheels (of course the upgrades aren't covered by insurance, unfortunately). Anyway, when I watched the van driver clamp her current chair in the other day, I was thinking that they wouldn't be able to do that with the new chair.

Mary

 

[SueM in MN]

Cool.
Those sound neat.