electric scooters and parking

[Cochise]

for october we have booked my mother an electric scooter but i am a little bothered with some parks and parking. My mum isn't normally in a chair but her walking is very limited and painful and she doesn't have a blue badge (hence why i tried planning rather than the disabilities thread.) if i remember sea world is relatively close, universal/ioa has preferred along with busch gdns, animal kingdom and epcot are close but the magic kingdom and hollywood studios are trolley rides. Can i request to drop her and the cart off with the family nearer and return to park? But i can see this being impossible at closing. Is there an alternative for us?

 

[snookhams]

Last year I used a wheelchair almost everyday - not through choice but following problems with my legs since enduring shingles on them, this resulted in much underlying damaged which means that my legs swell so much that I can't even wear normal shoes, unless I wear compression stockings every day - in my normal daily life I can cope but the heat in Florida means that even when wearing the stockings my legs swell i assume due to the heat. On previous trips we had to hire wheelchairs on occassions but as I have got older the problem has got worse - last year I admit I bought a AAA parking pass from ebay it cost me around £12 but most of the AAA parking is next to or near the disabled parking (I am in the process of applying for a blue badge so hopefully will have this for next year). This will only help you with Disney but it was a great help to our family. Can I ask where you hired your wheelchair as we are considering this over hiring one each day at the parks I assume this is cheaper.

 

[Cochise]

yes we have hired a scooter from randys mobility, works out at approx 160 dollars a week incl of tax for our 3 weeks

 

[Tony Toon]

We are just back and for the first time (hopefully the last) I was having to use a walking cane after an op on both knees in June. Obviously I don't have a blue badge but CMs are trained to help anyone with a problem. In the car parks I said I had a mobility problem and was immediately rerouted to either the disabled parking area close to the park entrance, no blue badge required, or at the very least at the end of the row next to the tram stop.

I only had two refusals - by the same lady at Typhoon Lagoon who, because I didn't have a "mobility" (blue badge) told me I must park in a regular space. My daughter is currently a new CM and a few days later in a training session the subject was the importance of help for disadvantaged guests. My daughter mentioned my refusal at TL (it wasn't a big deal as the car park is not huge) and the reaction was that the CM had been wrong and was asked the waterpark CM's name.

I would say don't worry as Disney is so very geared to disadvantaged guests so don't be afraid to ask for help. Also apparently it is illegal in the US to ask for proof of a disability. Have a great time.

 

[scojos]

i agree with PP. we travel with an autistic hilc, do not have a blue badge here, as never needed one, and i feel that the blue spaces should be kept for people with genuine disabilities (not that ous isnt genuine, you kow what i mean...)
however when we collected our GAC the lady said we could use alternative parking, we just wanted to park at the end of the row, so ds wasnt at risk from cars as they can drive v fast in the car parks, we spoke to tthe lady at the toll booth and she said to follow the disabled area. we never had a problem just showing the GAC- however we did chose to park "away" from the entrance on one of the further spaces to allow others to be nearer. this elimanated the risk of cars driving fast, which was our "need".
disney is amazing with disabilities which is why i love it so much.
hope you have a lovely holiday, id be interested in knowing how your rental goes, we are considering a rental for ds, he ll be 10 next year, has no mobiliity problems, but has spacial issues, doesnt like to be touched by strangers, and this could be a solution...
tracy

 

[Cochise]

Thanks for all your help, best to mention to the parking booth for directions to disabled bays. Where preferred is available we will pay that, i hate to think there is no bay and someone more needy than my mum wanting to park.

 

[SueM in MN]

i agree with PP. we travel with an autistic hilc, do not have a blue badge here, as never needed one, and i feel that the blue spaces should be kept for people with genuine disabilities (not that ous isnt genuine, you kow what i mean...)
however when we collected our GAC the lady said we could use alternative parking, we just wanted to park at the end of the row, so ds wasnt at risk from cars as they can drive v fast in the car parks, we spoke to tthe lady at the toll booth and she said to follow the disabled area. we never had a problem just showing the GAC- however we did chose to park "away" from the entrance on one of the further spaces to allow others to be nearer. this elimanated the risk of cars driving fast, which was our "need".

Disney calls their handicapped parking "Medical Parking".

There are some spots in the Medical Parking area that are marked with blue paint and/or blue signs. Those are the actual designated handicapped parking spots and you do need a handicapped parking permit (in the US) or a blue badge (for those of you in the UK) to park in those marked spots.

The county police do patrol the lots and will ticket people parked in those blue designated spots without a permit.

Each medical parking lot does have some unmarked spots that you can park in without a permit. Those are often the spots farther away. The Medical Parking areas also have an area where you can drive to the front and drop someone off before parking farther away.
They also have some wheelchairs available in the medical parking areas that you can use to get to the wheelchair rental area in the park. There is no guarantee they will have any, but that is a possibility.

Since you have rented an ECV for her, just let the parking lot CMs know that you have an ECV and don't have a handicapped parking permit. They will direct you to an appropriate spot.

Besides Randy's Mobility, there are some other companies listed in the disABILITIES FAQs thread (in post #2 - follow the link in my signature to get there). There is more information about parking in post # 8 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

 

[Cochise]

sue,
Thanks for the info, i will take a look after work today