Hiring a wheelchair - Fantasmic

[Tink2312]

Hello everyone

I'm hoping you can help me. My Mum is currently having some problems with her back and hip. It's looking like osteoarthritis and possibly a prolapsed disc causing the back pain (which hopefully may be sorted by the time of our trip- fingers crossed). Anyway, she can walk ok (although she gets pain afterwards), but it's sitting on hard surfaces that causes her the most pain. We've booked the Fantasmic pkg and remember from watching it a few years back how hard the benches were with no back rests and this would really cause her problems and she's talking about not watching it because of this.

Anyhoo, my question is would it be possible for her to hire a wheelchair from the park that day to sit in and watch it from? We're looking at entering at about 1-2pm and I was wondering on the chances of being able to hire one at this time (we're going in early November if that makes a difference).

Also, I can see there's wheelchair seating in the back row of the theatre (including the pkg section), but do we need to plan to get there very early to secure it even if we're doing the pkg?

I just don't want her to miss out because it's the first time we've done F! in a while.

Thanks in advance

 

[Bete]

Wheelchair rentals are available as you first enter the park on the right at Oscar's gas station. There's a fee for it. Now, this doesn't mean the wheelchair is a power chair; it must be pushed. Also, you don't hire someone at the park to push her; it's wheelchair only and you do the pushing.

You can have it at table side when you do your dinner package. You should call the Disney dining line for the package deal and tell them one person will be in a wheelchair. Remind the host when you enter the restaurant that you need this accomodation, too. I would show up a little earlier for dinner with a wheelchair. There are certain tables that are not suited for a wheelchair; so, it could take a little bit longer to get seated. You could leave the wheelchair outside of the restaurant, but I don't know how you would secure it. Another option may be to bring it into the restaurant and leave it somewhere safe inside and nearby to your table.

For the show, the handicap area does fill up pretty quick most nights. I certainly would allow myself extra time for it. I'm thinking about an hour ahead or so. There is a special entrance for those who buy a dinner package to the show. Don't use the regular line to get in; that way will take much longer. I can't exactly spell out how to go to this special entrance, but I'm sure others can help out to describe it better than me. It's like a hidden entrance. Make sure you get your Fantasmic passes from the waiter at the restaurant for the show. You will have to show those passes to get in the special section.

Keep in mind she may need help for the whole trip. There are scooters (mechanized vehicles) that can be rented and she would ride it and control it. Scooter rentals are cheaper if you rent from an outside company; Apple Scooters go for $150 American/week, right now. At the park it's around $50 dollars American a day. At the park, it's first come, first serve for renting one. By 1 or 2 pm you may have a hard time getting one at the park.

 

[peemagg]

What about maybe bringing in a staduim seat with a back and some padding for her? If she doesn't need a wheelchair for getting around all the time and is only thinking about renting one so that she can see Fantasmic, then maybe a stadium seat will work better for her and you can sit anywhere in the theater.

 

[SueM in MN]

What about maybe bringing in a staduim seat with a back and some padding for her? If she doesn't need a wheelchair for getting around all the time and is only thinking about renting one so that she can see Fantasmic, then maybe a stadium seat will work better for her and you can sit anywhere in the theater.

I don't know that they would allow those seats to be carried into the park.
And, if you could, there are lockers at the park entrance, but no guarantee that the seat would fit in the locker or that there would be any lockers available when you get there.

This is a picture of the benches for the show.

The accessible seating is in the back row, with a companion seat in that row for each wheelchair/ECV spot. The rest of your party would be sitting directly in front of the wheelchair in the 1-2 rows ahead of it.
Just how early you need to get there to get one of the wheelchair spots is kind of unknown. The show could be busy, but with few guests with mobility devices. Or it could not full for guests sitting on seats, but there are many with wheelchairs.

Getting a wheelchair at the park at 1-2 pm is probably not going to be a problem. Trying to get an ECV (motorized mobility scooter) would not be likely.

 

[Tink2312]

Thanks for the replies. Bete -when I was reading your post I just imagined hiring out a wheelchair "pusher" - I'm sure it would be a lot easier (understandably) for some people
Peemag- I never thought of bringing in a seat for her- might give them a call and ask about this, although I'm not hopeful.
SueM- thanks for the info and photo.
I think we'll have to wait and see how she is at the time and keep all this helpful info in mind so we know what her options are.
Thanks again

 

[SueM in MN]

This is what Disney says on their official website:
Q. Are there any personal items I should not bring with me into the Theme Parks?
A. Items that you may not bring into the Theme Parks include, but are not limited to:

* Items with wheels, such as wagons, skateboards, scooters, inline skates, shoes with built-in wheels, two-wheeled or three-wheeled conveyances, strollers larger than 36" x 52", suitcases, coolers, or backpacks with or without wheels larger than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high (coolers required for medication may be stored in a locker or at Guest Relations), and any trailer-like object that is pushed or towed by an ECV wheelchair or stroller
* Alcoholic beverages
* Weapons of any kind
* Folding chairs
* Glass containers (excluding baby food jars and perfume bottles)
* Pets (unless they are service animals)
* In Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park (for the safety of the wildlife), balloons, straws and drink lids are not permitted.

Note: Guests are not permitted to pull items behind them. Any item that requires a Guest to pull it behind them, including a stroller, is not permitted into the Park.

My guess is that stadium seats would fall under the "folding chairs" category and would not be allowed in.

Calling is likely to not give you a definitive answer because when you call, the CMs you are talking to are at a call center, not actually at the park. Sometimes they give some very wrong information because they don't actually know what they are talking about.

 

[clkelley]

I would just rent the wheelchair. You could rent it right before you enter Fantasmic! The chance of running out of wheelchairs is very slim.

 

[Schmeck]

For the show, the handicap area does fill up pretty quick most nights. I certainly would allow myself extra time for it. I'm thinking about an hour ahead or so. There is a special entrance for those who buy a dinner package to the show. Don't use the regular line to get in; that way will take much longer. I can't exactly spell out how to go to this special entrance, but I'm sure others can help out to describe it better than me. It's like a hidden entrance. Make sure you get your Fantasmic passes from the waiter at the restaurant for the show. You will have to show those passes to get in the special section.

Did they go back to this policy of the separate entrance for the dinner package, because I thought that had changed?