Looks like you have already been welcomed and feel at home.
Some of my information might be repeating what the other posters have said, but it's more comforting to most people to hear it more than once and each of us has their own perspective. My DD had surgery when she was 5 and was in full leg casts on both legs. Lucky, we didn't go to WDW while she had them on, but we've been to WDW many. many times with her in her wheelchair.
I was told the resorts have wheelchairs for guests to use but is it for you to keep with you your whole stay or just to use when at the resort?
They do, but there are a few "buts" involved, so that is why many people choose to rent from one of the companies that Cheshire Figment posted. Some people have had good luck with getting a wheelchair that fit their needs, others have gotten one that was not in the best condition or was not the right size. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to get a more appropriate one. Most 8 year olds are too small to sit comfortably for a long time in an adult size wheelchair. The only way to guarantee you will have a child size one is to rent from offiste, so, even if you decide o try to get one from the resort, you should take the other numbers along. And, I think renting from off-site is the only way to get things like crutch holders and elevating footrests (if she needs her leg held up which she probably will with a full leg cast).
Are there actual handicapped seats on the bus so she would not have to sit in her wheelchair while riding the bus? If she can sit in a seat (she cant bend at the knee) what do we do with her wheelchair on the bus?
There are two seats right across from the rear doors of the bus that can be lifted up to make a place to strap down wheelchairs. Each bus can hold up to 2 wheelchairs and/or
ecvs. I am almost certain that they would strap down the wheelchair whether she is riding in it or not since an unrestrained wheelchair is a rather heavy moving object in case of a sudden stop. I'd suggest she just stay in the wheelchair; the bus seats are slippery fiberglass or plastic. If she is in one of the seats that face forward, there is not much space between the seat and the one in front of you. If she is on one of the sideways facing seats, her leg would be sticking out in the aisle. The newer buses with ramps at the back have fewer seats than the older buses.
As for rides, will they stop the moving belt on rides like Peter Pan so she can get into a ride vehicle safely, do we have to ask them to stop it for her?
Peter Pan is the one ride where they can't stop the moving belt. I've been told it has something to do with the ride cars being suspended and making a transition from being on the ground to being in the air. Here's a
link to a thread about boarding . In general, the CMs will be helpful, but they won't necessarily know whether she needs the ride stopped or not unless you tell them. Some of the rides can only be stopped on certain cars or at certain times in the ride cycle, so be prepared to wait (and also prepared to move when they tell you it's time).
Are there any rides her leg wont fit on since it wont bend at the knee? Are there any rides other than the thrill rides that she can not go on?
The official Disney website used to have a FAQ about touring the parks with a full leg cast. It basically just listed the rides that had a little extra room in the front of your seat. Not much more info than that. There were not any rides that they said you couldn't ride with a leg cast. Here's a
link to the DIS page about touring with a mobility disability. It lists the rides where you can stay in the wheelchair for the entire ride. For some of the rides with a wheelchair car, she might be too long with her leg extended (Pooh, the Aladdin ride and Buzz Lightyear come to mind) because those rides have a specific way the wheelchair has to fit, without a lot of manouvering room. Other rides (like Small World and the ride in Mexico) shouldn't be a problem because the wheelchair basically pulls straight in. You can go to Guest Services in any of the parks and get a Guidebook for Guest with Disabiliteis for each park. The guidebooks are also on the internet
(Click here for a link to them)
Will our entire party of 8 be able to stay with her and ride all together since she will be using a wheelchair entrance, or will we have to split up?
You'll notice in the Guidebooks for Guest with Disabilities and also on the DIS page, that most rides/attractions say they have Mainstream Access. That means that users of wheelchairs or ecvs wait in the regular lines with everyone else. Sometimes there is a wheelchair entrance (usually to avoid stairs or just a way to allow wheelchair users to board at the exit so their wheelchairs are waiting for them when they get off). The wheelchair entrance is often just before the rest of the line goes to the boarding area. (Sort of a longer way of saying what Cheshire Figment said). If you need to wait for a special wheelchair car, you often will be waiting longer than people without wheelchairs.
MK is the oldest park and has the most separate wheelchair entrances, but the lines tha have fastpass have mostly been adapted to have Mainstream Access. AK and the Studio were built with accessibility in mind, so almost all the lines are Mainstream lines. Some of the wheelchair entrances areas are large enough for a group of 8, some are not. And sometimes it depends on how busy it is and how many other wheelchair parties there are. If you had a group of 20, it's unlikely that you would be all able to stay together; with a party of 8, you probably will be. For shows, there usually are groups of open areas for one of two wheelchair with one of two theater seats next to them. In shows, we are sometimes asked to have only one or 2 people sit with DD in her wheelchair so that ehre is room for other people traveling with wheelchairs.
I apologize for any typos (it's getting late) and I invite you to ask as many more questions as you can think of.
