How exactly does it work with wheelchairs on WDW busses?

[mamamelody2]

I am the type of person that likes to know exactly how things work in advance, so I really appreciate any info! I posted a while back about what would be better--renting a wheelchair from WDW (what we did last time) or renting from another company so we would have the wheelchair at the resorts and to/from the bus. This is for my son who will be 15, almost 16 on this trip. He does not use a wheelchair in daily life, but has had several surgeries to correct club feet and his ankles especially give him a really hard time. He has hardly any ankle mobility, and when he walks a lot, they get swollen and very painful. After my last post, I had planned to rent from an outside vendor, but when I talked again to DS, he said he wanted to try without, and get one if it didn't work out. WELL, we went to Chicago for a few days last week, and it is obvious he will need the wheelchair, so I have decided to rent from an outside vendor for sure. Oh, he struggled so much, I felt so bad for him! We had to stand on the train once and that about did him in.

ANYWAY, my actual question is about wheelchairs and WDW busses. I understand we will wait on the wheelchair spot and be loaded first. I realize if there are more than 2 ACVs/wheelchairs, we will have to wait for the next bus. Once we roll him on to the bus, what happens? He will want to transfer to a regular seat. Would the wheelchair then be folded up and secured in the bus? Once we arrive, I know we will exit last. Would he have to get back in the wheelchair while on the bus or can we roll it out empty and he gets in once we're on the sidewalk?

Also, how do I make sure the wheelchair is comfortable for him? I believe the WDW ones were mesh which helped with airflow, but not too comfy on the tush. Should I get a gel pad of some sort for the seat and bring a towel to cover the back? We are going in September so it will be hot.

Sorry this is so long, I just want to make this the most comfortable for my son as possible. Thank you!

 

[gap2368]

As fair as the buses yes you will wait in the handicap spot I think if there are already 2 ECV then you might ba able to ask the driver if you can fold the wheelchair and hold it while your son sits. And even if there are no other mobility device then they can use a lock down spot for his chsir. And he can sit on a bus set.

You migh want a gel set for him. Also you might want gloves for the pusher so you do not get blisters but it migh cause blisters ( I am raising my hand here).

The best thing is to be a little flexible as one bus drive might do things a little different and one might let you do something another will not.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I am the type of person that likes to know exactly how things work in advance, so I really appreciate any info! I posted a while back about what would be better--renting a wheelchair from WDW (what we did last time) or renting from another company so we would have the wheelchair at the resorts and to/from the bus. This is for my son who will be 15, almost 16 on this trip. He does not use a wheelchair in daily life, but has had several surgeries to correct club feet and his ankles especially give him a really hard time. He has hardly any ankle mobility, and when he walks a lot, they get swollen and very painful. After my last post, I had planned to rent from an outside vendor, but when I talked again to DS, he said he wanted to try without, and get one if it didn't work out. WELL, we went to Chicago for a few days last week, and it is obvious he will need the wheelchair, so I have decided to rent from an outside vendor for sure. Oh, he struggled so much, I felt so bad for him! We had to stand on the train once and that about did him in.

ANYWAY, my actual question is about wheelchairs and WDW busses. I understand we will wait on the wheelchair spot and be loaded first. I realize if there are more than 2 ACVs/wheelchairs, we will have to wait for the next bus. Once we roll him on to the bus, what happens? He will want to transfer to a regular seat. Would the wheelchair then be folded up and secured in the bus? Once we arrive, I know we will exit last. Would he have to get back in the wheelchair while on the bus or can we roll it out empty and he gets in once we're on the sidewalk?

Also, how do I make sure the wheelchair is comfortable for him? I believe the WDW ones were mesh which helped with airflow, but not too comfy on the tush. Should I get a gel pad of some sort for the seat and bring a towel to cover the back? We are going in September so it will be hot.

Sorry this is so long, I just want to make this the most comfortable for my son as possible. Thank you!

as for getting off bus I would have him back in wheelchair as the ramp is somewhat steep for walking and not sure he would be allowed to walk down ramp and to leave other way involve steps. also at end of day it is so times more easy on the feet to rest feet on foot rests of wheelchair than the floor plus if bus is crowded someone could accidently kick or step on his foot as seated guests feet are towards the center aisle. if at all I would bring chair with you in any line and not park with strollers in case of rain so it doesn't get wet. you are thinking of son's comfort but as someone has already mentioned get bike gloves or something similar for the pusher. if chair is folded on bus you guy will have to hold like a folded stroller. and lastly if using a poncho make sure back of poncho covers back of wheelchair so rain does not go down between seat back and person riding's back. you don't want to know how I learned this tip, just say I learned the hard way

 

[SueM in MN]

ANYWAY, my actual question is about wheelchairs and WDW busses. I understand we will wait on the wheelchair spot and be loaded first. I realize if there are more than 2 ACVs/wheelchairs, we will have to wait for the next bus.

all buses have 2 tiedown spots for wheelchairs and ECVs.
Some have 3 and you always have the choice of folding the wheelchair and holding it on the bus.

Once we roll him on to the bus, what happens? He will want to transfer to a regular seat. Would the wheelchair then be folded up and secured in the bus?

He can ride the wheelchair up the ramp and then transfer to a seat.
Folded wheelchairs are not secured. As others mentioned, someone in your group would hold the folded wheelchair the same way as people hold folded strollers.

Once we arrive, I know we will exit last. Would he have to get back in the wheelchair while on the bus or can we roll it out empty and he gets in once we're on the sidewalk?

That is your choice.
Some people unfold the wheelchair on the bus and the person gets back in.
Some people wheel the folded wheelchair down the ramp, roll it away from the bus and then unfold it. The person using the wheelchair walks down the ramp and the wheelchair is ready for them to get in.
The rest of your group can get off before the ramp is put down or they can walk down the ramp - there is no issue with people walking down the ramp. We walk down the bus ramps all the time. They are not as steep to walk down as they might look to people who have not walked down them.

Also, how do I make sure the wheelchair is comfortable for him? I believe the WDW ones were mesh which helped with airflow, but not too comfy on the tush. Should I get a gel pad of some sort for the seat and bring a towel to cover the back? We are going in September so it will be hot.

Sorry this is so long, I just want to make this the most comfortable for my son as possible. Thank you!

The rental wheelchairs are all pretty much the same, with mesh or nylon fabric sling backs and seats.
You can find pretty inexpensive gel seat cushions on Amazon. If he needs to rent a wheelchair periodically, it might be a good investment. Plan that you would need to remove the seat cushion to fold the chair and someone would need to hold it on the bus.

 

[mamamelody2]

Thanks so much for the info! It is greatly appreciated! As I know a lot of you know quite well, it is hard to watch your child (or significant other, etc) in pain. We use ibuprofen for DS, but that was not doing it in Chicago. Do you think alternating that with acetaminophen would work better? Or do you have any other good ideas on pain management?

If we were the 3rd/4th in line behind a couple of ECVs, would we still be able to get on if we folded the wheelchair? If so, would they ask if we want to do that, or do we have to ask if we an do that? It would be great to not have to wait for another bus. I feel like that's kindof working the system and jumping the line, but there is just no way my son can stand that long on a bus. If we had to wait for the next bus to guarantee a seat for him, we absolutely would.

As to gloves for the pusher, I can't quite imagine wearing gloves in that Florida heat. Last trip, we were there 7 days, and I did 90% off the pushing and didn't have any problem at all and that was with the WDW wheelchairs. This time, I will try to make it more 50/50 with DH. Hopefully that will work out okay.

 

[gap2368]

Thanks so much for the info! It is greatly appreciated! As I know a lot of you know quite well, it is hard to watch your child (or significant other, etc) in pain. We use ibuprofen for DS, but that was not doing it in Chicago. Do you think alternating that with acetaminophen would work better? Or do you have any other good ideas on pain management?

If we were the 3rd/4th in line behind a couple of ECVs, would we still be able to get on if we folded the wheelchair? If so, would they ask if we want to do that, or do we have to ask if we an do that? It would be great to not have to wait for another bus. I feel like that's kindof working the system and jumping the line, but there is just no way my son can stand that long on a bus. If we had to wait for the next bus to guarantee a seat for him, we absolutely would.

As to gloves for the pusher, I can't quite imagine wearing gloves in that Florida heat. Last trip, we were there 7 days, and I did 90% off the pushing and didn't have any problem at all and that was with the WDW wheelchairs. This time, I will try to make it more 50/50 with DH. Hopefully that will work out okay.

I have herd others say to use gloves ( I think they use bike gloves the one without finger) but if you have done with out you should be fine. Would heat packs or ice or ace wrapped help also first aid if he need to lie down with his lag up might help

 

[mamamelody2]

Would heat packs or ice or ace wrapped help also first aid if he need to lie down with his lag up might help

Hmmm, I had not considered ace wraps. That might help. Sometimes he will soak his feet in warm water after a long day camping, and that helps somewhat.

 

[Bete]

Don't know your situation completely, but maybe your doctor could suggest some stronger pain killers for the trip or perhaps get cortizone shots or whatever. Maybe, there are braces that can help or special shoes.

You can purchase a portable, lightweight transport wheelchair for around $150. Most of these wheelchairs weigh about 15 pounds. The wheels are not the best, but I really prefer the light weight chairs when pushing all the time. These wheelchairs fit in a lot of cars, SUVs and vans. They fold nicely. You are not charged for them if you fly.

 

[tinka-belle]

Definitely get some bike gloves, in the Sept. heat your hands will sweat more and are more likely to blister or develop sore spots. You can usually find them at the bike dept. in WalMart for under $15. Just good insurance to have if you need them.

As far as letting the driver know if he will transfer to a seat and not take up an ECV or wheelchair spot on the bus, just be pro-active when the driver stops and comes to the rear door to let down the ramp. Tell the driver then if you will transfer or not, esp. if there are others ahead of you that will need those spots. You may need to do this more when returning from the parks at night as there can be several wheelchairs or ECVs waiting in the resort que when the parks close.

The light weight transport chairs have smaller wheels so are a little harder to push over anything rough, like the paths in AK. Also watch that they don't get stuck in the tracks on Main Street in MK with the smaller wheels. They are very light weight to carry and hold folded up though, and since they are smaller can fit into most of the shops and QS areas better than a larger chair. If you purchase one you can gate check it for free with the airlines, just wrap a couple of bungee cords around it when you give it to them to store and secure the foot rests or remove them and take them in a carry on. If gate checked you will have it for the long walks through the airport instead of waiting for an airport chair.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thanks so much for the info! It is greatly appreciated! As I know a lot of you know quite well, it is hard to watch your child (or significant other, etc) in pain. We use ibuprofen for DS, but that was not doing it in Chicago. Do you think alternating that with acetaminophen would work better? Or do you have any other good ideas on pain management?

If we were the 3rd/4th in line behind a couple of ECVs, would we still be able to get on if we folded the wheelchair? If so, would they ask if we want to do that, or do we have to ask if we an do that? It would be great to not have to wait for another bus. I feel like that's kindof working the system and jumping the line, but there is just no way my son can stand that long on a bus. If we had to wait for the next bus to guarantee a seat for him, we absolutely would.

As to gloves for the pusher, I can't quite imagine wearing gloves in that Florida heat. Last trip, we were there 7 days, and I did 90% off the pushing and didn't have any problem at all and that was with the WDW wheelchairs. This time, I will try to make it more 50/50 with DH. Hopefully that will work out okay.

that same heat causes sweating which can lead to blisters on hands of pusher which cause a lot of pain for pusher. you could have been lucky as adult daughter ended up with blisters after 2 days one May when I ended up with unplanned wheelchair. if you do fold chair is there someone in your group who can stand and hold on to chair? if not I would plan on waiting for second bus as folded chair is same as folded stroller no place to store other than holding it. as for the pain I would be talking to son's doctor before trip for his ideas

 

[mamamelody2]

If we have the folded chair on the bus with us, how do we hold it? Sit down and hold it in front of us? That seems to be what a lot of the people with strollers do. Or would DH or I have to stand and hold onto it?

Sounds like I should talk to his Dr. about pain relief options. He hasn't been to his pediatric ortho doc for a couple years because they said there's nothing really to be done except stretching/soaking/pain relievers. They said if the pain gets too bad, they can fuse the ankle, but that's the only option. Ummm, no thank you.

 

[gillep]

When we took my husband's grandmother one of us sat and held the wheelchair sideways in front of us. I also recommend having the bike gloves as a backup just in case, my hands were really sore from pushing her, especially since only my DH and I were capable of pushing her, and she weighed almost twice as much as I did. The tight turns maneuvering around the larger crowds, and stopping going down an incline like The Land Pavilion were by far the most difficult on my hands, especially as they started sweating, I wished that I thought to grab a pair of my biking gloves from home. I was worried taking her as we had never used a wheelchair before, but all of the bus drivers were really kind and helpful.

 

[mamamelody2]

When we took my husband's grandmother one of us sat and held the wheelchair sideways in front of us. I also recommend having the bike gloves as a backup just in case, my hands were really sore from pushing her, especially since only my DH and I were capable of pushing her, and she weighed almost twice as much as I did. The tight turns maneuvering around the larger crowds, and stopping going down an incline like The Land Pavilion were by far the most difficult on my hands, especially as they started sweating, I wished that I thought to grab a pair of my biking gloves from home. I was worried taking her as we had never used a wheelchair before, but all of the bus drivers were really kind and helpful.

Okay, that's good to know. It will be me, DH, DS15 and DS12, so really any of us could hold the wheelchair in front of us. Luckily, DS is only about 100 pounds, so not too difficult to push.

 

[SueM in MN]

If we have the folded chair on the bus with us, how do we hold it? Sit down and hold it in front of us? That seems to be what a lot of the people with strollers do. Or would DH or I have to stand and hold onto it?

Sounds like I should talk to his Dr. about pain relief options. He hasn't been to his pediatric ortho doc for a couple years because they said there's nothing really to be done except stretching/soaking/pain relievers. They said if the pain gets too bad, they can fuse the ankle, but that's the only option. Ummm, no thank you.

How you hold the folded wheelchair is up to you.
You can sit down and hold it in front of you (which would be my choice) or stand and hold it.

 

[mamamelody2]

How you hold the folded wheelchair is up to you.
You can sit down and hold it in front of you (which would be my choice) or stand and hold it.

That would be my choice, too. Thank you!

 

[tobikaye]

Just visited over Easter weekend with my sister and her wheelchair. If she was transferring out of her wheelchair, I would get her settled and then fold the wheelchair and hold in in front of me so people could get by. The one time the bus was a bit fuller, and it was a shorter ride. I stood at the back exit door and held the wheelchair there with me out of the way. Since my sister usually walked off the bus so we could take our time to settle her in better out of the way, this worked well either way.

 

[Selket]

I always seem to have the odd experience but I was asked once to go in the regular bus line with the scooter (this was going from MK to the hotel last July). I was there in March (last month) and waited in a designated spot as usual. Of all the times I've used a scooter, it's the only time they've asked me to go through the regular line. I'll just add that I actually try to avoid getting in that WC waiting spot for the busses if there are a lot of people already in line because I dislike being loaded in after arriving later than other folks ... for a packed bus in other words).

I also went through the regular que taking the Friendship boat from Epcot to DHS. I don't remember doing that before either but maybe? If you're not adept at driving a scooter (I know OP is using a manual chair) then it can be a challenge. The boats load differently than the busses so I like that way of doing it (the WC area on the boat is just an empty space so it's easy to get in after many have already gotten on and taken a seat).

I guess the point is sometimes expect the unexpected - lol! The bus drivers are very helpful for the most part and will direct you if you need help. I hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[DisneyOma]

I always seem to have the odd experience but I was asked once to go in the regular bus line with the scooter (this was going from MK to the hotel last July). I was there in March (last month) and waited in a designated spot as usual. Of all the times I've used a scooter, it's the only time they've asked me to go through the regular line. I'll just add that I actually try to avoid getting in that WC waiting spot for the busses if there are a lot of people already in line because I dislike being loaded in after arriving later than other folks ... for a packed bus in other words).

I also went through the regular que taking the Friendship boat from Epcot to DHS. I don't remember doing that before either but maybe? If you're not adept at driving a scooter (I know OP is using a manual chair) then it can be a challenge. The boats load differently than the busses so I like that way of doing it (the WC area on the boat is just an empty space so it's easy to get in after many have already gotten on and taken a seat).

I guess the point is sometimes expect the unexpected - lol! The bus drivers are very helpful for the most part and will direct you if you need help. I hope you enjoy your trip!

On busy nights, MK has you enter the regular queue so that the buses get loaded more productively - if there are 2 busloads ahead of you in the queue without a WC or ECV, they can get two buses loaded very quickly and on their way, and then load you on the next bus. It also prevents backups in the HC area that could be very dangerous at night with all those buses, etc. They pull you out of the regular queue at a certain point.

 

[mamamelody2]

Thanks so much, everyone, for all your help!

 

[Selket]

On busy nights, MK has you enter the regular queue so that the buses get loaded more productively - if there are 2 busloads ahead of you in the queue without a WC or ECV, they can get two buses loaded very quickly and on their way, and then load you on the next bus. It also prevents backups in the HC area that could be very dangerous at night with all those buses, etc. They pull you out of the regular queue at a certain point.

Makes sense! I usually try to hit the bus area at a non-busy time (like during fireworks) so probably why that's happened to me just once!