DAS + Scooter (two different people)

[Maryrachel713]

We're hopefully headed to Disneyland June 18 (I know) and my daughter is a DAS user. I broke my foot and currently use a knee scooter. Can I just bring the knee scooter with me in the line? Do I have to do something different for it? I've never paid much attention to mobility devices so I'm not sure how the two go together.

 

[SueM in MN]

Mobility devices can be brought into lines without needing anything. If the boarding area is in a different place thân the unload area, a Cast Member will move it for you.
Disneyland has some attractions which are not accessible thru the regular line, so they have a different entrance for guests with mobility devices.
Disneyland just revamped their disability website pages. This is a link to the Mobility page which should be helpful.
Hope your trip goes well

 

[Yinn]

We're hopefully headed to Disneyland June 18 (I know) and my daughter is a DAS user. I broke my foot and currently use a knee scooter. Can I just bring the knee scooter with me in the line? Do I have to do something different for it? I've never paid much attention to mobility devices so I'm not sure how the two go together.

You’ll be fine. At DL, whenever you use the DAS, they seemed to always ask:

“Are you ok with stairs?”
“Do you have wheels?”
“There is an elevator over there if you need it”

It was a very different experience than WDW.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

We're hopefully headed to Disneyland June 18 (I know) and my daughter is a DAS user. I broke my foot and currently use a knee scooter. Can I just bring the knee scooter with me in the line? Do I have to do something different for it? I've never paid much attention to mobility devices so I'm not sure how the two go together.

Have you used the knee scooter for more than a few miles in a day? I don’t mean to pry but Disneyland is pretty walking intensive and it can be really hard on your body to spend that much time with a knee scooter (I haven’t had one but my mom did and found it dramatically reduced her walking stamina during the period she used it). It sounds like you have a month to work up to it, but you might want to consider a scooter rental or alternative accommodation if you’re not used to long distances in a knee scooter.

 

[elvispursley]

Agree 100% with the above. I did a trip to DL a few years ago with a broken foot and thought I’d be good with my knee scooter. After doing an afternoon and evening the first day, I ended up renting a wheelchair because my knee was killing me due to the various textures of the terrain. The air cast I had also really caused a lot of pain on my shin from all the hours of putting weight through it.

 

[Maryrachel713]

Have you used the knee scooter for more than a few miles in a day? I don’t mean to pry but Disneyland is pretty walking intensive and it can be really hard on your body to spend that much time with a knee scooter (I haven’t had one but my mom did and found it dramatically reduced her walking stamina during the period she used it). It sounds like you have a month to work up to it, but you might want to consider a scooter rental or alternative accommodation if you’re not used to long distances in a knee scooter.

Agree 100% with the above. I did a trip to DL a few years ago with a broken foot and thought I’d be good with my knee scooter. After doing an afternoon and evening the first day, I ended up renting a wheelchair because my knee was killing me due to the various textures of the terrain. The air cast I had also really caused a lot of pain on my shin from all the hours of putting weight through it.

No, I haven’t. I’m open to renting a wheelchair but I think I’ll need the scooter for the airport so will have it with me. I’m a teacher and use it at school but those are very smooth floors.

I’m also in a high boot because I have weak ankles.

Would you recommend against traveling with the scooter and just getting wheelchairs for Disney and airports?

 

[Evita_W]

No, I haven’t. I’m open to renting a wheelchair but I think I’ll need the scooter for the airport so will have it with me. I’m a teacher and use it at school but those are very smooth floors.

I’m also in a high boot because I have weak ankles.

Would you recommend against traveling with the scooter and just getting wheelchairs for Disney and airports?

For Disney, I recommend renting an ECV, having someone push you all day in a manual chair is very hard on them, there are more hills than you think.

I would also rent off-site and have it delivered to your hotel unless you travel with one

As far as the airport, if you fly into LAX, I would strongly recommend bringing your own as they take forever and you could miss your flight or be waiting an hour or two after landing to get a wheelchair and it seems we always get the furthest possible gate, if you fly into LGB, their wheelchair services are pretty good and the airport is super small, works out extremely well.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

For Disney, I recommend renting an ECV, having someone push you all day in a manual chair is very hard on them, there are more hills than you think.

I would also rent off-site and have it delivered to your hotel unless you travel with one

As far as the airport, if you fly into LAX, I would strongly recommend bringing your own as they take forever and you could miss your flight or be waiting an hour or two after landing to get a wheelchair and it seems we always get the furthest possible gate, if you fly into LGB, their wheelchair services are pretty good and the airport is super small, works out extremely well.

I have never used a knee scooter, so I’m not the best person to advise on that aspect—but I second the advice above to go with an ECV at the parks, and if you are staying on site (DL hotels or Harbor Blvd) renting one in advance and having it delivered to you. We used the Disney recommended service last month and it was seamless— just picked it up at DLH valet/bell desk when we were ready to head to the park.

You might get better advice if you ask on a new thread on this board specific to traveling with knee scooters— a lot of the strictly mobility-disability folks here don’t use DAS and may not see this thread. I am wondering if you are a teacher who is on her feet a lot of the day, you might be fine at airports—but I’m not sure. I typically walk 5000-7000 steps on a travel day, even through LAX, but it’s common to take upwards of 12,000 steps at Disneyland, and I can’t even manage more than 5-6 hours in the park on a very good day unless using a mobility device.

The trade off of using an ECV at DLR is that several rides require entering through the exit (which is sometimes a pro and sometimes a con).

 

[Evita_W]

Actually, I strongly advise against Scooterbug, which is the one that Disney recommends, when they work, they work, but most of the time they don't work well and when the fail, they really fail and take a day or longer to fix problems. Anaheim Scooters is at the Best Western across the street from Disneyland on Harbor. They have great customer service and their scooters are in great condition. In the rare case you have a problem, they generally have it resolved within an hour, usually less. They are as close as you can get to the service level that Gold Mobility provides out here on the West Coast

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Actually, I strongly advise against Scooterbug, which is the one that Disney recommends, when they work, they work, but most of the time they don't work well and when the fail, they really fail and take a day or longer to fix problems. Anaheim Scooters is at the Best Western across the street from Disneyland on Harbor. They have great customer service and their scooters are in great condition. In the rare case you have a problem, they generally have it resolved within an hour, usually less. They are as close as you can get to the service level that Gold Mobility provides out here on the West Coast

Thank you for sharing. I guess we got lucky. Ironically, we have used scooter bug at WDW and has a terrible experience with a (manual) wheelchair that somehow had improper alignment. This was at the very beginning of my spinal injury and I didn’t know enough to know to immediately complain. When we did try to contact them, it was difficult to reach anyone.

 

[elvispursley]

No, I haven’t. I’m open to renting a wheelchair but I think I’ll need the scooter for the airport so will have it with me. I’m a teacher and use it at school but those are very smooth floors.

I’m also in a high boot because I have weak ankles.

Would you recommend against traveling with the scooter and just getting wheelchairs for Disney and airports?

I did totally fine with the knee scooter in the airport. I just had it gate checked and it was brought back up when I deplaned.

I would probably go with renting an ECV like mentioned above. I would’ve preferred that in my case but DH is stingy and didn’t mind pushing me all day. I used the savings for more Minnie ears

 

[Maryrachel713]

For Disney, I recommend renting an ECV, having someone push you all day in a manual chair is very hard on them, there are more hills than you think.

I would also rent off-site and have it delivered to your hotel unless you travel with one

As far as the airport, if you fly into LAX, I would strongly recommend bringing your own as they take forever and you could miss your flight or be waiting an hour or two after landing to get a wheelchair and it seems we always get the furthest possible gate, if you fly into LGB, their wheelchair services are pretty good and the airport is super small, works out extremely well.

As I said earlier I mostly scoot in the school but we have a straight two part ramp to the parking lot and I am always mild afraid by the end of that thing. You really feel hills on wheels!

I did totally fine with the knee scooter in the airport. I just had it gate checked and it was brought back up when I deplaned.

I would probably go with renting an ECV like mentioned above. I would’ve preferred that in my case but DH is stingy and didn’t mind pushing me all day. I used the savings for more Minnie ears

This will 100% be DH over here. We did go on a cruise with my mom who ended up being in a wheelchair the whole time and the two of us pushed her but she weighs maybe 100 pounds and I....don't.

 

[Evita_W]

For off-site rentals, the price difference isn't that large, save yourselves the problems, especially at DL, there are actually quite a few steep hills that can't be avoided. Pushing someone in a manual chair all day is no fun.

 

[Maryrachel713]

I just went to the dr and I'm doing better than expected (yay!) so will not be bringing my scooter on vacation. I will either be clomping around with a boot or maybe even just in sturdy shoes. We're prepared to rent a wheelchair but hopefully I can make it on my own power. Thank you for all the advice and support.

 

[Maryrachel713]

You must be joking update: my broken foot continues to do well so I sprained my OTHER ankle. I have no good feet and we just bought a wheelchair.

 

[SueM in MN]

You must be joking update: my broken foot continues to do well so I sprained my OTHER ankle. I have no good feet and we just bought a wheelchair.

I hate to laugh at that, but it does sound like a really bad joke.
Hope you have a quick recovery for both feet and minimal pain during your trip

 

[Maryrachel713]

We head home tomorrow. DH pushed me around in a manual wheelchair all trip and was a champ. Today was our anniversary and he's already fast asleep but he earned it! Mostly smooth trip and we enjoyed our first visit to Disneyland!