Mk or EPCOT?

[Im_Chipper_Dale]

My family are big dis'ers.... many trips on and off site... on always at the Poly....

Next trip we (DW and 2DD's and me) hope to invite my sister who has severe mobility problems (can walk a little but no stairs). We always stayed at the Poly but I can't help but think that an EPCOT stay would be better in this case. Sister is 55 and since she'll need wc or ecv - I thought EPCOT would probably be her favorite park because of her age and space to navigate w/ wc or ecv.

She'll almost surely need mid-day breaks too.

Comments on the above would be much appreciated... also...

any EPCOT pools have zero-entry w/ wc's (stormalong?) I know the Poly does.

Which EPCOT accomodation would you suggest... she's of good size... can't push a wc (arm problems)... so an ecv might be better although we would have 4 to push.

She also has back problems... much of her problem... any thoughts on if the heavenly beds would be worth the extra walk to EPCOT.

Anyone ever take the boats to MGM from the EPCOT resorts w/ wc or ecv... they pretty good?... we will have car so we figure we would avoid buses to AK (and maybe MK too) since we could park in HC area.

know it's a lot... but like others before me... know Dis but this is all new...

thanks much

Dale - aka, Chipper : )) (love to talk to those Disney chipmunks... they always play along w/ my name)

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Welcome to disABILITIES.

You are probably better off renting an ECV, as pushing a wheelchair can get very tiresome, especially if you are not used to it. Also it depends on the weight of the passenger and the condition of the pusher(s). Normally people who walk are not aware of the hills, but when pushing a chair they become VERY noticeable.

Some information for off-site rentals are:

Walker Mobility:
1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/

RANDY'S Mobility is in Kissimmee 407-892-4777
http://randysmobility.com/

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html

I have used Walker a few times. They will ask for a credit card and charge it the day before arrival. They will deliver the ECV to your hotel bell services before your arrival and pick it up there after your departure. Their rates, especially for longer than a week, are much better than Disney's. Also, their scooters are much better.

You don't say if you are renting a car or what. If you are using a car for getting around, the ECVs break down into five pieces, the heaviest about 39 pounds. They take about a minute or so to take apart and about two minutes (once you are used to it) to put it together.

Another suggestion is find out your state's requirements for a temporary disabled hang tag and get the paper work and have your doctor sign off on it. The tag will allow you to use any of the handicap parking areas (which will be a necessity). Also, with the policy of charging for valet parking, with a handicap hang tag the fees will be waived. Also the valets will usually volunteer to assist in loading/unloading an ECV. In Virginia I printed the required form from the DMV website. When I took the completed form to the DMV Office it took less than 15 minutes from the time I walked in until I had my tag.

The "Friendships" (which are the boats between the Epcot Resorts and both Epcot and the Studio) are very chair friendly. Their docks (one for Swan and Dolphin and one for Yacht and Beach, as well as one each for Boardwalk, Epcot and Studio) are floating, so the dock is always at the boat level. One of the crew will put a metal plate between the dock and boat for getting on and off. If you don't want to stay outside, there is space for about four wc or ECV inside in the back.

Almost all the Disney buses are either have lifts or ramps. The monorails are no major problem, except getting to some of the platforms in a wheelchair or sometime haveing to get off in reverse.

The "Heavenly Beds" are a Starwood trademark. As both the Swan and Dolphin are Starwood hotels, they probably have them. I can't say anything about them as I have never used them.

I do have two "testing" suggestions. One is take your sister to a large grocery stoe where they will probably have ECVs available for shoppers who need them. Be aware that the store ECVs are NOT as easy to handle or maneuver as the rentals, primarily because of the large baskets on them. The other is if you live fairly close to a Starwood hotel, contact them and ask if you and your sister can come in and have them allow your sister to get on one of the beds to determine if it is comfortable for her; if it is, that may sway you toward the Swan or Dolphin.

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome to disABILITIES.
I'll start you out with some info and I'm sure others will add to it.
My DD uses a wheelchair, but we have never stayed at one of the Epcot resorts with her. My DH and other DD stayed at BWV and DH and I stayed at YC over New Years. Either place would be good as far as location.

We always stayed at the Poly but I can't help but
think that an EPCOT stay would be better in this case.

I'd agree. You probably won't be spending a lot of time at MK and the Epcot resorts allow you to have good access to 2 parks. Epcot and MGM are both good parks as far as accessibility. Many of the rides/attractions are accessible without leaving the wheelchair or ecv and since you say she can walk a bit, she will be able to enjoy many of the rides that require a transfer too. Keep in mind that if she needs a rest part way thru the day, the First Aid in each park is an option to going all the way back to the resort. They have cots in individual cubicles where you can lie down to rest. It's quiet and dim in there. The cots are narrow and have hard mattresses thoug.
Here's a link to the DIS page about touring WDW with a mobility disability. It includes information about which rides require a transfer and which don't. Most of the rides at MK do require a transfer out of the wheelchair/ecv and into a ride car. A few times transferring is not a problem. Over and over (especially for the rides at MK, which tend to be short rides) gets very tiring for many people.

Anyone ever take the boats to MGM from the EPCOT resorts
w/ wc or ecv... they pretty good?... we will have car so we
figure we would avoid buses to AK (and maybe MK too) since
we could park in HC area.

We have taken DD on the boats from Epcot to MGM though. The boats in the Epcot area are not a problem for ecvs or wheelchairs. Also, if your sister will have an ecv, using the walking paths between Epcot and MGM should not be an issue either.
For AK, as you mention, you could drive. Parking in the handicapped area will bring you about as close as the bus would (a little closer, but we find it sometimes has been hard to get a spot in the AK lot, but we've been there over Spring break). For MK, parking in the handicapped parking area still means you have to ride the monorail or the boat over to the park. As you probably remember, since you have stayed at the Poly, the monorail has a steep ramp at MK to get to/from the station. If you take the bus to MK, you will be dropped off very close to the park turnstiles.
If she has a handicapped parking hangtag issued by her home state, she should bring it. Without one, you can get ticketed for parking in the handicapped parking area.

She also has back problems... much of her problem... any
thoughts on if the heavenly beds would be worth the extra
walk to EPCOT.

We have not slept in the heavenly beds, but you might want to ask opinions on the resort board if you don't get many here. You might also want to ask your sister what kind of bed she prefers. The heavenly bed sounds great to me, but my MIL and FIL prefer a really hard bed, so they would not like it at all.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

A couple of points not mentioned elsewhere.

I love the Boardwalk and have stayed there often, always at the Boardwalk Inn, untill I bought DVC points. The Boardwalk Inn has huge 'disability' adapted rooms at least half as big again as regular rooms.

As of my last visit in October 2001, none of the Epcot resorts had 'zero entry' pools. The most accessible was the Beach/Yacht Club pool, which has special steps for wheelchair transfer.

Try this link to view

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=871&papass=&sort=1&thecat=577

I also understand that Disney will make an exception to the 'no pool hopping' rule for disabled guests if they cannot use the pool at their home resort.

Andrew