Proof of disabilities! ASAP

[_pretty_pixie]

My older sister had knee surgery and the doctor says she needs to stay off of her feet unfortuntly this means no walking at Disney. Her doctor said it would be fine if she rode rids and stuff just not a lot of walking. Our question is do we need to have proof of her temporary disability? She has her own wheelchair but we would like to rent. Also how does going through lines work if you have a wheelchair? I should have done this sooner but it did not occure to us untill she had her surgery. Please HELP! ASAP! we leave in two days.

 

[ladysoleil]

There are no restrictions on wheelchair rentals, just walk up and rent one at the parks- you don't need any paperwork. If you want one for around town and use at the hotel, I'm sure someone else can steer you in the right direction for a longer term rental, I was able to get around with a cane at the hotel and use the chair in the parks.

I was in a wheelchair due to an injury during our March trip and found the CM's to be very accommodating and friendly. Generally the CM steered us in the right direction as soon as they saw us coming, with no problems. For pretty much everything, you'll wait in the main line and then they'll direct you to the appropriate boarding area, elevator, etc.

When in doubt, check with the CM at the attraction for instructions- some rides you need to "transfer", ie, get out of the chair and they'll park it for you, put it on the ride vehicle, etc. Some rides you board in a different place, or leave through a different exit.

 

[_pretty_pixie]

Wow that was fast! Thanks I love DIS! What if you repeat a ride? For ex. during the light show at MGM my younger sister and I ride the HTT back to back about 15 times can she just take the real elevator back? I'm not talking about during peck hourse when the ride is packed but the times were no one is in line can we just go to the front? I know and agree with the idea that we should wait in line just like the other guests.

 

[SueM in MN]

As was already written, she will not need any proof to rent a wheelchair.
She may want to look into renting an ECV (power mobility scooter); an advantage is that no one has to push her and she will have more independence. One disadvantage is the increased cost.
If she has her own wheelchair, she may want to consider bringing it with her. It can be transported by airplane; they can't charge extra for it and it doesn't count toward the baggage allowance. That way she would have a wheelchair for the long distances in the airport.

There is information about renting wheelchairs and ECVs in the disABILITIES FAQs thread located near the top of the board.
There is also information and some links about how the rides/boarding rides work in that thread.

 

[SueM in MN]

Wow that was fast! Thanks I love DIS! What if you repeat a ride? For ex. during the light show at MGM my younger sister and I ride the HTT back to back about 15 times can she just take the real elevator back? I'm not talking about during peck hourse when the ride is packed but the times were no one is in line can we just go to the front? I know and agree with the idea that we should wait in line just like the other guests.

That would be up to the discretion of the CM at the attraction at the time. If guests are basically getting off and then back on as quickly as possible, they sometimes let people who have difficulty moving stay on for multiple rides without getting off.

 

[_pretty_pixie]

As was already written, she will not need any proof to rent a wheelchair.
She may want to look into renting an ECV (power mobility scooter); an advantage is that no one has to push her and she will have more independence. One disadvantage is the increased cost.
If she has her own wheelchair, she may want to consider bringing it with her. It can be transported by airplane; they can't charge extra for it and it doesn't count toward the baggage allowance. That way she would have a wheelchair for the long distances in the airport.

There is information about renting wheelchairs and ECVs in the disABILITIES FAQs thread located near the top of the board.
There is also information and some links about how the rides/boarding rides work in that thread.

We will be driving to Disney we live in Georgia, but thank you so much for you help

 

[Talking Hands]

Just a warning. There have been times when no ECVs or wheelchairs were available. I would bring her own wheelchair or rent one off site as she will need it fulltime. Don't take the risk of not getting one.

 

[MommytoMJM]

Also, it is long walk from the parking lot to the wheelchair rentals. I had to get my own chair when I couldn't make that walk any longer...

 

[_pretty_pixie]

I think what I'm going to do is bring her wheel chair with us on the trip and the frist night we get to flordia I'll go and rent a wheelchair for a three day period. I really want to rent because it would be so much easyer to rent it than to log her wheel chair on to our hotel bus then on to the monorail and the through the gates. I don't no? Is the rental place at the monorail station or after you go throught the main gates? Maybe I we should use her personal wheel chair. OH, dear. *rests head on keyboard*

 

[_pretty_pixie]

Is there any way to rent in advance?

 

[MommytoMJM]

No way to rent in advance with the Disney WC's you can see if your hotel has one, but it will be easiest to have one all of the time if she can't stand or walk much...As far as busses, my daughter and I are both in wheelchairs and find loading onto the busses quite easy. They load WC's first so that no one has to move and then you get off last after the bus is cleared. MK's WC rental is under the train station, AK is in front of Rainforest and also at the Stroller rental place on the right as you enter, Epcot's is on the left with strollers and MGM's is on the right with strollers as you enter at Oscar's (looks like a gas station) There are sometimes courtesy chairs in the parking lot for help getting into the park, but they often are not available because others have used them.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you rent one from the park, you also take the chance that they won't have any when you arrive. That's not as much of a problem with wheelchairs as with ECVs, but can be a possibility in busy times. (and since you are going soon, it will be busy in the beginning of your trip. Cheshire Figment also posted that right now they have suspended selling multiday wheelchair tickets because it is too busy.

I think what I'm going to do is bring her wheel chair with us on the trip and the frist night we get to flordia I'll go and rent a wheelchair for a three day period. I really want to rent because it would be so much easyer to rent it than to log her wheel chair on to our hotel bus then on to the monorail and the through the gates.

I assume you are talking about going to the MK?
If you are, and you are at a WDW resort, the WDW buses go directly to the parks. So, you won't be going to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC)and then catching the monorail there. Your bus will drop you off near to where the boats from the TTC drop guests off at MK.
As MommytoMJM posted, getting on the buses is pretty easy. You'll also find more information in the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board.

If you are not staying at a WDW resort and need to take a bus from your resort that will drop you off at the TTC, you still want to have the wheelchair. There is a long steep ramp to go up from ground level to the monorail station which is about 20 feet up from the ground.

Once you get to the park, they have gates that are sort of like doors for letting guests using wheelchairs thru. The gates are located between about every 2-3 turnstiles. Not hard at all.