Getting a wheelchair w/o offending anyone, very long

[tarheelmjfan]

I'm hoping this is the correct board to post this on. I thought if anyone would have an opinion on this you guys would. Now to my question: I have nerve damage in my back due to severe herniated disk damage a couple yrs. ago. I also have arthritis. As anyone with arthritis knows, I have good days and I have bad days. I am 33 yrs. old with a 10 yo. DS. My problem is, I don't to want limit his life because of my health. And I also have a hard time accepting my limitations at times. When we go to the parks, I can only walk around a few hours, before I am in too much pain to continue. He doesn't understand that Mom has to go back to the RV shortly after lunch. No more staying in the parks from opening to closing. I also can not stand long enough to enjoy the shows like OH! Canada, etc...

I am very sensitive to those in worse health than myself and I understand how frustating it can be when you are at the parks and pass the same family twice, with a different person in the wheelchair each time. I can walk and am very thankful for that, after everything I have been through the last 3 yrs. I have hesitated about getting a wheelchair when we go to the parks, because I don't want to offend anyone by appearing to be one of those perfectly healthy people cheating the system by getting a wheelchair and cutting to the front of the line. (I do at times appear to be perfectly healthy, but unfortunately that only last a couple hours of walking.) This limits our park time immensely. If we want to watch the evening entertainment, we have to go to the parks in the afternoon and wait a couple hours for a bench, because I can no longer sit on the curbs.

What I want to know is: Do you think anyone would be offended if I rented a wheelchair just to ride in, then stood in the lines to ride the rides? I would like to rest whenever possible, but also not upset anyone in the process by thinking I was just trying to cut line. Thanks for reading nad your thought on this matter!

 

[Puffy2]

Get the wheelchair!!!! Or better yet, get an ECV!! You will be glad you did.
As some people on this board know, I go about once a year with my friend who has lupus. She looks perfectly healthy (at least to most I would think) , she can certainly walk, she doesn't "need" the ECV to see some of the parks, but she does NEED the ECV in order to see all she wants to see and enjoy the parks to their fullest. It makes a huge difference for her and allows her to have a vacation without being exhausted for weeks afterwards. Stop thinking about what a bunch of strangers think and get the ECV!

By the way, most of the time those with ECVs or wheelchairs do NOT go to the head of lines - everyone just thinks they do.

The way we use it is to ride the ECV from attraction to attraction, then we park it and get in the regular line. You can park it in "stoller parking" or anywhere else that is out of the way. Remember to take the key! It will be the BEST $30.00 you spend per day . If you are going by the end of June, hurry and use the coupon that is on www.orlandotripplanner.com for $10.00 a scooter rental from Walker Mobility. You have to reserve by the end of April to get the discount though and tell them where you saw the coupon.

Don't give this one a second thought; reserve your scooter today (I think you will enjoy the scooter over a wheelchair because your husband won't have to push you which would be tiring for him and you will have more independence). Enjoy your vacation!!

 

[Talking Hands]

GEt the wheelcahir or get an ECV! You are doing yourself no good by being a hero. If people get offended that is there problem not yours. You have a legitamate medical need.

 

[teri]

You are not cheating at all -- you are protecting your health and getting the vacation you need. Take a look at the FAQ - click on the link in my signature below. Look at the sections about wheelchair use, pacing, and the GAC. I think you will find them helpful!

 

[Mickeyworker]

After you rent your first ECV, you will never look back. You will have a terrific time and the
lack of pain is heaven.

Who care's what other people think? Are you ever going to see them again? As you say,
somepeople rent the wheelchairs and change passenger's all day. They usually do this just so they can get into the disabled viewing sites. They have to live with themselves.

Go for it! You will never regret it.

 

[teri]

Just to be fair... some people use wheelchairs and change passengers all day to pace themselves and help each other make it through the day...not just for the viewing areas.

 

[mhopset]

You are there for the enjoyment of yourself and your family. Who cares what other people think. (I can't believe I'm saying that) I had a real pride problem a year or so ago. I found out that a scooter makes everybody happy. I can let my wife and son sit down and take a breather while I go get them some snacks or something to drink, before I would get so tired I was ready to leave an hour after we got there. Now they have to drag me back to the hotel. Another nice thing. If you get bored while they are taking a nap, you can hop a bus and go to a resort and check it out. I love being independent instead of dependent.

Do anything you can to make your stay a fun and memorable one. You deserve it, you really do.

T.

 

[SueM in MN]

Ageeing with what everyone else said.
Anyone who thinks you get to the front of lines by havinga wheelchair or ecv has never traveled with one. That might have been true 10 years ago, but it was never a perk for people in wheelchairs; it was because the lines were not accessible! Now, almost all the lines have been changed to mainstream access, which means people with wheelchairs or ecvs wait in the same lines as everyone else.

There are people who will judge you, but that is their problem, not yours. There are a lot of people with invisible disabilities and the "judges" keep many of them from using equipment that awould help them conserve their energy. We've had people who have seen my DD sitting on a bench with her legs crossed and have actually heard them say "There's a faker." Well, she can't even stand up, so she certainly isn't a faker (plus her manual wheelchair cost more than a good, late model used car and her power wheelchair cost more than a small new car).

I am one of the people who suggests that anyone who can walk, should get up and walk occasionally. Some people (sometimes where really both could use a wheelchair or ecv) rent one and alternate driving it. That helps to keep you from getting stiff if you aren't used to using a wheelchair or ecv all the time. If you have a wheelchair, it also gives your pusher a chance to rest. It's hard work pushing around a wheelchair all day.

So, like the others said, do what you need to do to conserve your energy.

PS, you can bring a wheelchair or ecv into O Canada and the circlevision movie in China, so you can enjoy those shows again.

 

[Michelle NY]

I agree with what everyone else has said. Reant something to make your trip more enjoyable and do not worry about what anyone else says!

 

[JudithM]

After spending time reading note after note on this board about wheelchairs & ECVs, I gathered the courage to ask my doctor for an application for a handicapped parking permit (which I use on the not so good days) & to rent an ECV at WDW. Renting the ECV has been a life saver for both me & my husband! Gather the courage & rent something to help you on vacation!

Before I saw the doctor about my knee condition, a friend, who as feet problems, & I would sometimes rent one ECV for the day & share it. So maybe somebody saw us & wondered, but too bad ! It was helping both of us save on our feet & legs. Neither one of is "looks" disabled/handicapped.

I think you would make this vacation much easier & less stressful for both yourself & your child if you rented a wheelchair or preferably an ECV (then your son wouldn't have to push you). Have fun!

 

[chris1gill]

Boy, I wouldn't even stress over this!! Rent the wheelchair or the ECV!!! Don't even worry about it, that's what they are there for... nobody is going to say anything believe me. As for getting ahead in lines, don't worry about that either, it's a thing of the past! We wait just as long as anyone else & at some lines, even longer!

I remember I was nervous the first time I used my wheelchair at Disney, after the first day I wasn't nervous anymore... I could see & do things that I hadn't been able to do in years, because I was worried what people would think. I wish I'd known about this board back then. Go, have a good time & report back after your trip Have a great time!

 

[animalcrackers]

I think if anyone was offended because of that, they should be ashamed. i think it is more offensive *i know i am going to get flamed for this, but it is my personal opinion, so please respect it* when people who are really obese *to me its like just loose the weight, its possible or walk like the other obese people*. One woman who ahd two children and was in an evc, cariied her youngest *lik 4* and made the oldest walk *who was maybe 5*, when teh oldest tried to get one, she violently shoved her off and when she tried again, had her mother pull the child off and pinch her hard

 

[Talking Hands]

I do find you attitude offensive. You have no idea why a person may be obese. There are people who are obese who are able to walk. Others are can't. They may be obese because other medical conditions make it difficult to impossible to lose weight. To judge others because of their weight is just plain wrong.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Don't worry about what others may think. YOU are the judge of what YOU and your family need. Offer to change bodies with others and ask them the next day would they want to change back.

Personally I would suggest an ECV. Since you are in Florida, and drive to the parks, you may find a location local to you where you can get a better deal. Most rental ECVs can be boken into five parts, with the heabiest less than 40 pounds and easily put in the trunk of a car or into a RV.

Some information for off-site rentals are:

Here are the urls:

Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/

Walker Mobility:
1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

RANDY'S Mobility is in Kissimmee 407-892-4777
http://randysmobility.com/

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html

I have used Walker a few times. They will ask for a credit card and charge it the day before arrival. They will deliver the ECV to your hotel bell services before your arrival and pick it up there after your departure. Their rates, especially for longer than a week, are much better than Disney's. Also, their scooters are much better.

I have contacted Randy's. Thier rates are better than Walker, but they require you to be at the hotel when delivered and when they come to pick up. Also, they require you to sign a waiver of liability, which the otehrs do not.

 

[mamajoan]

AnimalCrackers, wow you should visit over on the debate board.. there are a WHOLE BUNCH of people over there who feel just as you do. I responded to several of their NASTY IDEAS regarding obesity and the use of ECV's... or rather what they THOUGHT was obesity and the use of ECVS.. Give me a break!!!!! The Debate board also has a thread going on free parking for the handicap... You may also enjoy that one too.

I will suggest to you the same as I suggested to them... Instead of judging the person in the wheelchair, ecv or handicap parking space...SAY A LITTLE PRAYER OF THANKFULNESS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE THE NEED FOR THESE NECESSITIES OF A DISABLED PERSON.

Please excuse me for getting a bit off topic of this thread. I truly felt that Animal Cracker's post needed to be addressed as he is not the only person who feels that way.
Again sorry for being OT of the thread

 

[SueM in MN]

Everyone has a right to their opinion (as long as they follow the DIS posting guidelines) but, like everything else, there are at least 2 sides to any situation.
The problem might be more than weight (as Lisa pointed out) or the problem may still exist if the person loses weight (like a heart problem, emphysema, paralysed or injured legs, etc.). The problem might be something totally unrelated to weight, like someone who is undergoing treatment for cancer and is very weak because of that.
Even if the only problem is weight, to tell someone to put their life on hold and "lose weight" before they go to WDW is not realistic or fair. They are at WDW right now and have a need for the wheelchair right now. Maybe in the future they won't, but right now, they do.
I've read a lot of posts from people who are overweight and most of them are already very self conscious about their weight, even if they are not using a wheelchair. Many have posted they are worried about being to big to fit into ride cars, turnstiles and seats in the theaters. A lot of stress just connected to access, much less getting around.
IMHO, judging an overweight person in an wheelchair is no different than judging a healthy looking person in a wheelchair. The observer has no way of knowing the whole story.

 

[JudithM]

Mamjoan, well said ... now I'll have to read the debate board .

 

[teri]

:::sigh:::
Beware of bait.

(Beware of inflammatory comments from people with low post counts)

 

[mamajoan]

Teri...huh?

 

[chris1gill]

Mamajoan,

Don't worry, I think Teri was referring to AnimalCrackers post & AnimalCrackers low post history... Sometimes a spammer will take a new name & make inflammatory comments just to start trouble... I could be wrong, but that's my take on it.... Personally I like your reply I know once I wasn't able to walk anymore I put weight on... in fact when we went to Disney in December, I put 10 pounds on during 17 days, because I ate twice a day!!! At home I eat one meal & just manage to NOT put weight on... I do have coffee in the morning, but generally dinner is it for me... My metabolism is DEAD SLOW... very frustrating... I guess I should put this in my own post to find others with this metabolism trouble!