I’m torn on what to do.

[SueM in MN]

We’ve used K&M since 2016, when DW first needed to rent an ECV, and they’ve always been good. And one of the benefits for us is that their office is on the 192, close to the Arabian Nights Boulevard junction, and you can save a few $$$ by picking up and dropping off at their place rather than have them deliver. We like being able to pick up our car at MCO, drop down to K&M and then go on to (usually) our villa. We have the ECV from the get-go and don’t have to worry about hanging around waiting for a drop-off that might be delayed for whatever reason…

We initially picked them off an internet search for no better reasons than the founder is a UK expat (who has now taken US citizenship!) and their prices were competitive and per day, which is handy when you’re looking at 16 days or some other odd period rather than multiples of 7 days…

This of course is not to decry in any way the other companies out there, who I have no doubt also do an excellent job; it’s simply that K&M are the only ones we’ve ever used…

I missed K & M
They have 2 types of power wheelchairs. One is a Jazzy and the other doesn’t say the brand, but is a rear wheel drive.

 

[Groot]

Okay y’all, just got off the phone with Orlando Medical Rentals and I’m gonna rent one of their powerchairs (and fyi, the model they have is the Drive Cirrus HD, which is a rear wheel drive powerchair.)

 

[bluecruiser]

Okay y’all, just got off the phone with Orlando Medical Rentals and I’m gonna rent one of their powerchairs (and fyi, the model they have is the Drive Cirrus HD, which is a rear wheel drive powerchair.)

Please post back after your trip to let us know how it works for you. I'm always looking for a backup in case my chair gets damaged on the way to Disney.

 

[Groot]

Please post back after your trip to let us know how it works for you. I'm always looking for a backup in case my chair gets damaged on the way to Disney.

Yeah, plus since we’re flying Spirit (ugh), it’s safer to do a rental. Now to figure out how to get to the hotel…

 

[mamabunny]

Yeah, plus since we’re flying Spirit (ugh), it’s safer to do a rental. Now to figure out how to get to the hotel…

Keep us posted on your solution here too, please; with DME ending in a few months, we are going to need to maybe compile a list of (reliable) options to get to Disney from the airport...

 

[DisneyOma]

Yeah, plus since we’re flying Spirit (ugh), it’s safer to do a rental. Now to figure out how to get to the hotel…

Get a manual wheelchair at home, (check local agencies to see if they have one for cheap) use that to get through both airports and then you will have it when needed and not have to wait for one to be available at either airport?

 

[Groot]

Get a manual wheelchair at home, (check local agencies to see if they have one for cheap) use that to get through both airports and then you will have it when needed and not have to wait for one to be available at either airport?

Yeah, but with a manual chair, I’m very picky with what I want (biggest feature is for it to be armless, because I CAN AND WANT TO push myself around and not be seen as unable to even do that.) And the chairs at the airports are really run down (hard to push on carpets because the rear wheels are as deflated as a Tom Brady football.), plus when I get to the hotel, I’m renting a powerchair for the week, so it’s kinda pointless to be dragging around a manual that won’t be used much.

 

[SueM in MN]

Wheelchair armrests can be helpful or can make it difficult to propel the wheelchair yourself.
The big high ones on the more inexpensive wheelchairs like these are made more for a person who is being pushed to support their arms.


Custom wheelchairs like my daughter’s have option for different kinds of armrests or no armrests at all. Hers don’t really interfere with her propelling her chair at all. She does use them to reposition herself, so it is a good idea to think of whether you might use them for some purpose rather than just how they look.
If you are using insurance and think they might be useful, you should be able to order them, but either remove them or not put them on. If you are purchasing a custom wheelchair yourself, you can always add them.
My daughter’s armrests on this wheelchair swing back, then can be lifted off.

 

[DisneyOma]

Yeah, but with a manual chair, I’m very picky with what I want (biggest feature is for it to be armless, because I CAN AND WANT TO push myself around and not be seen as unable to even do that.) And the chairs at the airports are really run down (hard to push on carpets because the rear wheels are as deflated as a Tom Brady football.), plus when I get to the hotel, I’m renting a powerchair for the week, so it’s kinda pointless to be dragging around a manual that won’t be used much.

Sorry, I'm not getting your point here - you can be as picky as you want, if you have your own chair from start to finish you won't have to worry about what kind of chair you get dumped with at the airport, if there's someone there to help you, etc. Having your own chair makes you that much more independent and not stuck in the airport waiting for help.

 

[mamabunny]

... I’m renting a powerchair for the week, so it’s kinda pointless to be dragging around a manual that won’t be used much.

Here's how you have to look at using the manual chair for travel *in conjunction* with renting a power chair for WDW:

The cost of getting the manual chair to use for travel (at the airports, and to be stored in the aircraft hold during flight) is relatively inexpensive or nominal compared to the cost of potentially damaging your personal power chair when traveling via the airlines.

Often, there are churches, or fraternal groups (think: Masons, Shriners, Elk, Moose, etc.) that have a "lending closet" with manual wheelchairs (and other health/mobility aides). You don't have to tell them why you need to borrow it; just saying that you need to use one "for a couple of weeks" is usually sufficient.

You can also possibly (depending on where you live) rent a good quality manual chair to use for the travel portion of your vacation. At the hotel, fold up the manual chair and leave it until it's time to return to the airport.

It's kind of the best of both worlds - your personal chair stays at home, safe and sound. You have a manual chair (you can pick out whatever kind you want to borrow/rent/buy) for the airport/airlines and the ease and convenience of the rental power chair while at WDW.