New at this....wheelchair questions!

[dis-happy]

Hi,
I read the FAQ's but still have some questions. My 18 year old dd will need to do WDW by wheelchair when we go the end of this month. She has mono, dx. 2 weeks ago, but had symptoms for a month previous to that (un-diagnosed through 4 different health care visits not to mention the ER doc). By the time she was brought to the ER she almost couldn't breathe. Her good doctor allowed her to return to class but only if she doesn't exert herself physically...she has a campus pass that allows her to drive and park near the buildings.

So much for backround, here are my questions:

The WDW wheelchairs: we'll get the push kind and push her around the same way we'll be pushing her younger brother around in the stroller. But aren't those wheelchairs quite large/wide? She's a slim petite girl. Would we be better off renting a push chair that collapses into our car and if so, would it be less ungainly and easier to push around? If so, any recs on where and what kind to rent?

We're staying at AKV and will probably drive to the parks. If we have a collapsed stroller in our trunk where can we park? Can it go on the trams like a folding stroller? Should we try for handicapped parking even though we don't have a pass? Is there an alternate pass that Disney would allow for parking there? All I have right now is her campus pass.

If she's in a wheelchair do we still need to get a GAC? I haven't paid a whole lot of attention in the past, but did notice some wheelchairs have tags that say something about transferring to rides (at least I think they did). She can get into rides just fine, we just don't want her to overdue it on standing and walking. Does this need to be tagged on the wheelchair?

Do you think I should make a "near elevator" request at AKV? Right now we are in a savannah view room. Just how long are those hallways anyway? Should I be concerned enough to call and make another room request?

If you've read this far: THANK YOU!!! I so appreciate any help you can give me.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

OK, firstly, don't panic, Disney is the easiest place to wheel around that I've ever been to. They are extremely accommodating, and are used to people, such as your daughter, who don't normally use a chair, but need to for the amount of walking involved in Disney.

By the sounds of it, I think it would work best for you to rent a chair from an off-site vendor, so you can have it with you outside the parks, as well as in them. The FAQ has a list of rental companies in the area, and I think all of them have had positive reviews from members of the site.

Alternatively, you could find a local rental company, then you could use the chair at the airport too. you will be able to use the chair right up to the edge of the plane, then you can gate-check it, meaning someone will take it away and put it in the hold. You'll need to talk to the airline employees about doing this.

I would recommend you go for a self propelled manual chair (the ones with the large wheels at the back), if she has enough strength to wheel herself a bit. Obviously, she's not going to wheel the whole park, but it would give her a bit more freedom if she could explore shops or the hotel on a good day. However, if you don't think she'd be able to do any pushing herself, transport chairs (four small wheels) are lighter. Whichever you go for, get her to test the chair out, to make sure it's comfy for her. Hopefully any rental will come with a wheelchair cushion; if not, you may want to take a cushion and / or towel, to make it a bit more comfy.

If you would feel more comfortable with a room closer to a lift, by all means request it. Make sure you put "for medical reasons" after the request, as they allocate medical requests first. However, if you rent the chair from off-site, it probably won't make much difference, unless your daughter wants to wheel herself a bit.

When you go to park, tell them you have a wheelchair, but no disabled parking badge. They should direct you to a closer parking area, so you don't need to use the tram. Alternatively, I think there are drop-off points, so you could unload the wheelchair and your daughter, then someone can go and park the car, while everyone else finds somewhere to sit and wait.

As long as your daughter's needs are met by the chair, you don't need to get a GAC. If however, she has other needs, such as sensitivity to sunlight, or the need to leave a theatre quickly if she feels unwell, you might want to talk to Guest Relations and see what they can suggest.

Here are a couple of links to help you some more: Tips on wheeling Disney and The Mouse on Wheels. Both of these are in the FAQ, I just thought I'd make them easier to find.

Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Your dd is 18 so you could rent an ECV which would eliminate the pushing problem. If you go that route I recommend Randy's. They deliver at the beginning of your stay and pick up at the end. They also give a tutorial on how to drive the chair and take it apart to put it in the trunk of your car.

You shouldn't need a GAC. At ach attraction the CM will direct you to the line that is wheelchair accessible (almost always the standard line) and ask if your dd can transfer. Since she can transfer there won't be any ride restrictions. Some lines will provide a manual chair to go through the line.