Last minute accident - need advice

[panthergirl]

My neice (20) and I leave this Thursday for a short trip to WDW; coming home Monday. Yesterday she was in a motorcycle accident and received 36 stitches in her leg. She also has a swollen toe that doctors do not think is broken. At this time we are still planning to go but I am not sure if I should go ahead and rent a wheelchair locally to have with us the entire time or depend on the airlines and WDW to have one when she needs it. We are staying at POFQ and will be travelling from the airport via Magical Express. Any advice you can share will be greatly appreciated!

 

[SueM in MN]

Sorry to hear about the accident. Hope she is well enough to go.

If you can rent one from home and bring it with you, it might be less hassle. A positive would be that you would have it from the start and not have to worry about getting one in varous places. If you do rent one, you should probably tell them you plan to travel with it; that may or may not be OK.
You could gate check the wheelchair. That way, she can stay in it until you get to the door of the plane and then it will be deliverd to the door of the plane when you land. Ask the gate agent about gate checking well before they start loading the plane.

I have no experience with getting a wheelchair from the airlines, so hopefully someone else will comment about that. I would advise renting from one of the off-site places (see links in the disABILITIES FAQs thread) rather than taking a chance on the resort having one to lend. You might want to check if her doctor thinks she would need her foot raised; if so, you would be able to rent a wheelchair with elevating footrest from off-site, but not from the parks or resort.
She might also want to look into renting an ECV. It is more expensive, but gives more independence.

 

[vhoffman]

Please use a wheelchair--don't make a bad situation worse! Probably she's got some heavy duty painkillers from the ER; using them might encourage her to put more strain and pressure on it than otherwise. I'm not saying don't use the painkillers, they have a purpose, just don't let it give you a false sense of being able to do more than you can.

Also, I do believe POFQ has rooms with walk-in roll-in showers. Try to get one of those to make showering easier. Also do make sure you have a first-floor room or elevator access. I don't know if POFQ has elevators, best to call ahead and explain your situation. Insofar as the wheelchair goes, if she can manage some steps without one, using crutches, etc., I wouldn't hassle with taking/renting your own. For one thing, you really don't have time now to hunt one down, get the doctor and insurance approval and if you rent one prior to getting approval most insurances will only pay from the date they approved it, not from the date you started using it. Taking one on a plane is a major headache, you go through some procedure to check it, retrieve it, etc., its really better to just get one at the airport, they're readily available (no extra charge), you can request one at curbside when you check in your luggage, then get to the plane, get onboard, then request a wheelchair to be ready for you at your destination, they usually can arrange to have one waiting for you when you get there.

Then there's wheelchairs at all the parks, if she can just hobble onto the bus to go from park to park, hobble off, then someone get her a wheelchair it would be easier, in my opinion, than trying to take the chair with you all over Disney. Of course, it does depend on how much "hobbling" she can do!

Actually, if it were me, I'd forget the Magic Express bus and taxi from the airport to hotel and back. I've never used it but saw it our last trip. Its a really BIG bus! It also makes many stops, a taxi gets you there faster. Less frustration for someone traveling with an injury. Yes, its extra money, but worth it if it saves the trip. Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[vhoffman]

Well, my post crossed with SueM's. She always gives excellent advice, but for this situation I might disagree with her. Wheelchairs are readily available at major airports; the only uncertaintly is getting one at each park since its first come first served, but I've always seen plenty of them around. Just my opinion!

Great advice about keeping the foot raised--too much swelling could put a strain on the stitches. Also, do get a GAC--Guest Assistance Pass from Disney. Essentially it allows you to use alternative entrances (its not a head of the line pass) that a wheelchair can negoitate. I got mine from City Hall in Magic Kingdom, but I know they're available in every park. Disney does have a "special needs" phone number, I don't have it, just call Disney and ask for the number for special assistance for those with disabilities, they can tell you how to get the GAC.

 

[Hannathy]

Your niece also needs to check when the sutures need to come out. I'm not sure when she had them done but she doesn't want to let them in too long. Did they give her crutches? you won't have trouble in the airports just have her down for needing transport for medical needs. Another important bit of info is where the sutures are for example you could get around a lot better if the sutures are in her thigh vs around the ankle. Hope you have a good trip and her sutures aren't where she has to "sit" on the rides!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Actually, if it were me, I'd forget the Magic Express bus and taxi from the airport to hotel and back. I've never used it but saw it our last trip. Its a really BIG bus! It also makes many stops,

Um, well really the DME bus makes no more than four stop, and it's as likely the OP's bus could stop at POFQ first as anywhere else in the routing.

Great advice about keeping the foot raised--too much swelling could put a strain on the stitches. Also, do get a GAC--Guest Assistance Pass from Disney. Essentially it allows you to use alternative entrances (its not a head of the line pass) that a wheelchair can negoitate.

Generally, a GAC is not needed when a Guest is in a wheelchair or ECV. The mobility device itself indicates to the CMs that the Guest (and up to five members of her/his party) MAY need to use an alternate entrance.

 

[SueM in MN]

What is the best answer probably depends on how well she can get around. A lot depends on whether or not she can walk/hobble from where she is to where wheelchairs are rented. If she can, you might want to think of that option. If she can't or it is too painful, then use the option of having a wheelchair (IMHO, I would get a wheelchair or ECV either brought with you or at your resort with the description of her injuries). I think that in most cases, insurance wouldn't pay to rent the wheelchair anyway, (since she can get by without it if she was home) so you would not need to get authorization if that's the case.

Once you get inside the airport (or if you are dropped off at the curb), you can easily get a wheelchair. But, if you are not dropped off, you will have to get from the parking area to where ever you can get a wheelchair. That may or may not be a problem for her.

We travel with a wheelchair all the time, so I don't really think it's that much hassle to bring one on the plane (plus we have no choice). You just tell the gate agent before boarding (well before boarding) that you want to gate check a wheelchair. They fill out a special gate check tag and put it on the wheelchair. Then, when you board, you leave the wheelchair at the door of the plane. When you get off, the wheelchair is waiting at the gate for you. It's not that difficult (people do it all the time with strollers). You do need to take a bit of time getting off or you will beat the wheelchair (but the same thing could happen if you arrange for the skycap to meet you with a wheelchair).

We did not travel on DME, but others in our party did. If she has a wheelchair, you will have to wait for a lift equipped bus (people have posted it was maybe an extra 10 minutes). Then she could ride in the wheelchair up the lift to get into the bus. If she doesn't have a wheelchair, it is (I think) 3 steps up to get into the bus.

If you plan to get a wheelchair at the parks, she'd need to be able to get from your room to the bus stop and then from the bus to where wheelchairs are rented. If you have a wheelchair with you, there is information about traveling on the buses with wheelchairs in the disABILITIES FAQs thread. We have no choice since DD can't get out of her wheelchair, but someone who can fold their wheelchair and transfer to a seat could do that and it would take less time.

There is also information about Guest Assistance Cards (what they are, how to get one, where to get one) in the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board. GACs generally are not given out to people with wheelchairs/ECVs unless there are other needs besides a need for accessible lines. Just seeing the wheelchair/ECV lets the CM know that you need an accessible entrance and you don't need a GAC to use the alternate entrance if the regular line is not accessible.
In about 17 years of travel with a wheelchair, we have very occasionally had a problem - the most silly was at Splash Mountain where we got to a chained area with a wheelchair symbol. The CM would not let us thru because she said that she would be letting us "skip" too much of the line.
At that point, the regular line goes up a flight of steps and I asked her how the wheelchair was supposed to go up a flight of steps. She was not willing to budge, so we asked for her manager, who said the CM was being ridiculous because wheelchairs can't go up stainrs. The original CM continued to argue, but we were allowed thru. That is the exception rather than the rule and asking for a manager should always solve the problem (for what it's worth - we not only had a wheelchair, but also had a GAC, since DD has many problems in addition to using a wheelchair).

 

[vhoffman]

SueM,
How absurd! That a CM would argue the point that a child in a wheelchair was somehow trying to "skip line"? Like you said, how was the wheelchair supposed to go upstairs? Grow wings and fly? What a frustrating experience! However, glad most of your Disney experiences have been positive ones!

To the OP,

I guess the advice you take from here depends on your niece's condition, how much she can get around and what she can do. I'd still consider skipping the Magic Express in favor of a taxi, regardless of whether it stops first at your resort or not. That wasn't my point. My point was that its a really big bus with several steep stairs, that could put a real strain on the sutures/injury depending on the location. Also, crowds aren't particularly patient at times. I'm assuming she's on crutches, however, I've been all but knocked down and run over when using crutches. Best advice--just decide for yourself when you get there, but remember you do have options! Also, I've had insurance pay for wheelchair rentals for temporary uses without regard as to whether I could get around at home or not. They don't even ask for particulars, just a dr's note (usually on a prescription pad) stating needs use of wheelchair for however long. Even if you can get around at home, you need to get out sometime!

Its sounds more complicated than it actually is, getting around airports, Disney, etc., with a wheelchair. It works! Just doing some "homework" like you are now, is the key. Enjoy your trip!

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

FYI- You should print out the guides for guests with disabilities from the links in the FAQ threads of this board. Not every park seems to have a set of the guides in stock. When we rented a chair in Tomorrowland in MK (mom didn't think that she hurt her ankle "that bad" when she fell before we left the resort), the guide that they had available was out of date and the cast members had "autographed" the inside pages. When we tried to get a copy of the guide at MGM, nobody at the front of the park had one. Finally, at City Hall in MK, we were able to get guides for each of the parks.

If the injured person is 18 or above, I'd recommend the ECV. First, some of those parks are really big and hilly! You never notice the hills until you're pushing someone up and down all day! The ECV also gives the rider a bit more control and bumper from other guests who aren't paying attention to what they're doing. My mom said that riding in the chair was pretty scary.

HTH

 

[SueM in MN]

The ECV is a good idea, although if she is in a lot of pain or is on painkillers, It might be too difficult to drive. Also, the links to medical companies in the disABILITIES FAQs thread have pictures of ECVs that might help you decide if she will be able to sit with her leg that way. If she has crutches, you can also ask for a crutch holder.
I'd suggest choosing a park other than MK for her first park if you do rent an ECV.

MK is the busiest park and also the most congested, so it's easier to drive there after a bit of practice.

Glad to hear you were able to get a wheelchair paid for by insurance, vhoffman.

That's a good idea to print out the guidebooks. You should be able to be able to get current Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities at Guest Relations at any of the parks.

 

[panthergirl]

Thanks everyone. We are going to make a go-no go decision tomorrow. The problem now is that my neice is having pain in her ribs so she would probably end up having to miss her favorite rides. She is weaning herself off of pain meds and we will see where we stand tomorrow evening. If she does decide to go it looks like we have lots of options to get her around comfortably. Thanks to all who have taken the time to offer advice!

 

[SueM in MN]

Good luck on your trip.
Hope things work out well.