Electric Wheel Chairs

[SharpMomOfTwo]

Hey all -

We are going to Disney with both sets of grandparents this December, and one of them has made the annoucement that they will need an electric wheel chair. My question is - can you rent them from Disney to have them for your whole stay, or should we use an outside company, and if so, do you have a name? We will be there for 7 days - how much does it run about?


TIA!

 

[everylastbreath]

If you post this on the "Disabilities" board you will get a lot more replies. We used Randy's Mobility (www.randysmobility.com) highly recommend them. Cost was approximately $170-$180 for the week. Excellent service, they drop off directly to you and give you instruction on how to use ECV (we were 1st time renters for my Mom)

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

Good idea - I'll do that!

 

[SueM in MN]

If you follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread, you will find a lot of information. Post #2 of that thread includes information about renting wheelchairs and ECVs (power mobility scooters) with links and phone numbers of many different companies that DIS posters recommend.
Manual (push) wheelchairs and ECVs can be rented in the parks, but the ECVs are first come, first serve.

What they want is probably not a power (electric) wheelchair, but an ECV. Power wheelchairs are driven with a single joystick that controls turning, speed and forward/rear motion. Because they are more difficult to drive, most of the companies that rent them will only rent them to people who have experience using one (for example, someone who uses one at home, but doesn't want to bring it along with them).
ECVs are much easier to drive - they are steered with a tiller or 'yoke' the steers pretty much like a bicycle. There is a separate throttle that controls forward motion and another throttle that controls backward motion. They take a little practice, but are much easier to drive than a power wheelchair.