I want to go to WDW with my parents. They are 65 and 70 and both suffer from mobility issues and keeping their balance. Standing or walking for extended periods just won't work. My Dad could probably manage with an
ECV but my Mom will need a wheelchair as she gets overwhelmed with steering/driving. I clicked on a few stickies and WOW...overwhelmed with info. I'm looking for the Cliff notes version. Basically they can't walk far, can't stand long, anything with a moving floor will be a major problem. I saw someone else say to rent the ECV from somewhere else. Do they do wheelchairs too?
Cliff Notes, then go to the disABILITIES FAQs thread for more information.
You can rent from the parks, but the ones rented in the park can only be used inside the park it was rented at. If you rent from one of the off-site places they will also have them to use at the resort.
Most of the off site companies that rent
ECVs also rent wheelchairs, so you would be able to get both from the same place. They will deliver the ECV and wheelchair to your resort and pick them up again when you're done with them.
There is a list of places in post two of the disABILITIES FAQs thread - scroll down post 2 until you get to The part about rental wheelchsirs and ECVs.
That thread is near the top of the board as other posters mentioned - or you can follow the link in my signature to get there. The first post of that thread is an index that tells which post includes what information.
Just how hard is it to get both of these things on and off a bus or friendship boat.
First - wheelchairs. These are easy to push off and onto the buses and the boats.
The buses have built in ramps that are folded out to push the wheelchair onto the bus. The driver will tell you where to park and will fasten the wheelchair to the bus with hooked straps, called tiedown straps.
The boats have ramps, which the CM will put down for wheelchairs or ECVs to be rolled on and off.
ECVs use the same ramps and the driver/CM will direct where he needs to park. Before getting on a bus or boat the first time, he should practice backing up, going forward and turning while going forward and backward. All ECVs have a speed control - usually marked 'rabbit' for fast and 'turtle' for slow. Parking on the bus is like parallel parking on the driver side of the street.
Once he has done it a few times, he will probably do very well.
Can they turn off moving floors?
Post 28 on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread has a list of attractions with moving walkways. These attractions have moving walkways that can't be stopped or slowed:
Peter Pan
Tomorrowland Transit Authority (Peoplemover)
Pirates of the Caribbean - there is a moving walkway at the exit. This can be bypassed by using an elevator that is to the left of the moving walkway - down a short hallway.
Moving walkways at other attractions can be stopped or slowed. They will normally slow the moving walkway, but not stop it because most people can manage with slowing. If you need it made slower or stopped, you will need to tell the CM at the boarding area.
If they have to park the ECV outside the que is there someplace to sit and wait their turn to ride.
No.
Most attractions do not have a place to sit unless you bring the ECV or wheelchair into line with you. There are some attractions where the line is wheelchair accessible, but not ECV accessible. For those you can talk to the CM at the entrance. They have wheelchairs available that you can switch to on request. Just let the CM know that your dad won't be able to walk in line and will need a wheelchair if he can't bring the ECV.
All lines are wheelchair accessible all the way to boarding. All shows are both wheelchair and ECV accessible.
There is more information in posts 18 through 21 on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.
Am I supposed to get them an accessability pass? What should I ask for? Do they need a Doctors note or will just looking at them be good enough? Their issues are visible. Any help you experts can offer would be great even if theres a link I can read. I don't think I need a ride by ride breakdown just the general guidelines.
No.
They will be able to use the accessible entrance just by having an ECV and wheelchair. Because those are visible, the CM can see what they need and nothing else is required.
What you are asking about is called a Guest Assistance Card. It is not a pass, it is just a communication tool, meant to tell the CMs a little about what is needed by a guest with invisible disabilities.
