parking your wheelchair help

[ChiTownZee]

If we went a wheelchair (not through Disney) for my MIL and we all go in a store, restaurant or ride, where to you park the wheelchair? I can't imagine there is anyway to secure it and I would worry more about someone taking/using it since it wouldn't be ours. Any tips?

 

[Figaro]

I usually just stay in my wheelchair, but when I leave it at a ride it is left where all of the other wheelchairs/ECV's are left and it has always been there at the end of the ride. What we have done in the past when we leave the wheelchair outside of an attraction/restaurant/shop, is bring a bike cable and lock and then (after asking the CM's where to park the wheelchair to make sure it doesn't block anything) put the cable through the back wheels and lock those.

We would never lock it to anything, just make it harder to move because of the wheels being locked together, because this way if a CM has to move it, they can, but no one would want to bother taking it because of the cable and lock. I have a backpack that fits over the back of the wheelchair, and we keep the cable and lock in the bottom of that. I don't leave anything of value in the backpack (got it on clearance at KMart for about 2 bucks)and so leave that on the chair whether I am in it or not (although nowdays it is almost always that I am in it rather than not)(smile).

 

[cupcake]

I tend to only leave the wc at rides or restaurants. At rides, as Figaro noted, you leave the wc in a specific place, not outside with the strollers. At restaurants, if you get out of the wc inside, they will place it somewhere inside as well, in my experience. If it makes you feel more secure, I can tell you that I used a wc (prior to my conversion to an ECV user!) for a good 8 or 9 years and have never had a problem with people taking my wc. I also bring a towel for the wc just so it is clearly mine when I am retrieving it, as they can look alike if people are not looking carefully.

I find that wcs are fine to navigate inside with (the ECVs can be a bit harder in tight or crowded spaces), btw. Have a great trip!

Cupcake

 

[Earstou]

IF you want to park the wheelchair outside, I was told by a CM to park it with the strollers.
I used a wheelchair for the first time last June and I preferred parking the chair outside. Walking into the ride, shop or restaurant allowed me to stretch my muscles enough to keep them from getting stiff and sore from inactivity! Also we found it hard to get through some shops with a wheelchair.
Let your MIL know she can park it inside or outside and see what works best for her.
Have a great trip!