Folding wheelchair to put in car?

[B.Mary]

Hello all:

We are taking my 80 yr old mom with us this December. She does not use a wheelchair normally, but doesn't have a lot of stamina. I am torn between trying to rent at each park, or arranging to rent one for our stay.

Having no experience with wheelchairs, if we rent one for our stay, how hard/heavy is it to fold it and put it in the car for when we drive to a park?

Also, if we use the bus, and my mom doesn't need to stay in the wheelchair to get on the bus, is it possible to fold it and carry it on the bus?

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I am not interested in an ECV -- and neither is she. She has no experience with one and is terrified of running into people -- as am I -- I would be stressed the whole time.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I found this http://www.abledata.com/abledata_docs/icg_whel.htm site, that indicates a wheelchair may weigh from twelve pounds or less up to 45 pounds.
While you should be able to borrow one from your hotel, renting a wheelchair from an offsite company (see the disABILITIES FAQ for some websites) would probably be better - you can find out in advance how much the chair will weigh.

 

[SueM in MN]

The 12 pound wheelchairs would generally be ultralight weight custom wheelchairs. I know some of the sport wheelchairs are that light.

My DD's manual wheelchair, which is considered a light weight wheelchair, weighs about 30 pounds (without the seat back and cushion, it weighs about 24). The usual wheelchairs that they have for rent at the parks or off-site places (or for loan from the resorts) would be more the 45 pound kind.

If you want something lighter and easier to transport, a transport wheelchair might be your anHere is a website with transport wheelchairs for sale so you can see the various types.
Here's a place that rents them. Besides being lighter weight, they fit easier into a trunk because they have 4 small wheels instead of 2 small and 2 large wheels.

 

[zumbergc]

If your staying at a disney resort, it would be simplier to take disney transportation. You can load and then get you or you and the chair strapped in like a regular staying in the wheelchair. I'm not remembering if they request people in wheelchairs to not stay seated. I know some bus drivers won't allow a ecv rider to stay in the ecv because they have a higher center of gravity and could tip.

Its been a while since we did the wheel chair.
I remember a couple cases where we would fold it up once we got the chair on the bus. Then try our best to stash it to the side. I'm thinking some bus drivers insisted on securing the empty wheelchair, while others let us hold the folded up chair.


If you drive. You park regular spots. Then you have to take a tram to the front entrance to get in the park. When we have driven to the parks, we fold up the wheelchair, and my husband was strong enough to lift the folded chair onto the tram, and put it on the tram. The tram really doesn't have a special spot for wheelchairs, The wheel chair will take up at least half a row on the tram, so make sure you contemplate enough space when boarding, if lots of people are trying to board at the same time in the same row.
If your doing MK. Its way better to take the disney bus. When you drive you park at transportation and ticket center. Then you ride the tram to front. Then you have to take either the boat or the monorail to MK.

About the only time we drive is when we goto downtown disney. The reason we do drive is because we tend to buy lots of things, and well, we put them in the trunk and then finish shopping, or goto disney quest.

IMHO,I think your better off renting from off-site. The disney resorts are quit large and depending on how far you are from the bus stops, or traveling around the resort looking for food options or the pool, or other items at the resort, would be more convenient w/ the wheelchair.
This would be especially important after a long day at the parks.

Connie