Question about renting a wheelchair

[disneysnowflake]

I'm trying to convince my parents to go with us next Dec.
My mom cannot walk great distances. She needs a double knee replacement.
She is too proud to use a wheelchair, but I'm trying to tell her it's no big deal at WDW.

She says it will be stolen when she parks it outside an attraction. Does that happen? I was told I'd have to give my credit card number as a guarantee it will be returned, but what happens if someone takes it while she's dining or in an attraction?

How much does Disney charge to rent a wheelchair? Do I get them at the resort?

Those who have rented them, do you tie colored bandanas onto the handles or something to tell them from others?

Thanks for any answers you can give me.

 

[MareSINY]

Whenever we go my dad rents one of those ECV's. This way nobody has to push him around and get worn out, and he doesn't have to feel like a burden. When he parks the ECV he takes the key with him, so there's no way it can be stolen. The ECV's are about $40/day I believe. You rent them, and the wheelchairs, in the parks. If you check the DISabilities board you'll see many discussions on wheelchairs and ECV's. I'm trying to convince my dad to let us rent him a ECV from an outside vendor for our December trip, this way he doesn't have to worry about any of the walking, inside or outside of the parks. That might be a better option for your mom as well, this way she will be able to get around the resort as well as in side the parks.

We use strollers all the time and have never had one of our personal strollers stolen. We've even left things in the stroller while on rides without any problems. On our last trip we tied a couple of balloons we bought for the girls to the stroller and never had trouble picking ours out of the crowd. The CMs move the strollers, wheelchairs and ECV's (they must have master keys) from the entrance area of rides to the exit area. It keeps the walkways clearer, but it can also make finding your "vehicle" a little more difficult, but with the balloons it was a snap.

 

[makinorlando]

My mother is 81, and has done Disney with us several times. This last November, one day in particular at EPCOT we got her a chair. We knew we wanted to go around WS, and that it just might be too much for her by the end. What we found was that she used it more of a walker, to give her stabilty and balance in the crowds and when she was tiring. She wound up pushing my DD in it! We got some funny looks! My mother is very proud as well, and tries her best to keep up with everyone, so by tellin her it was "just in case" -she didn't feel she had to use it the entire day!. It was money well spent, and with our receipt we could have gotten a chair at another park that day had we chosen to "hop"!

I would not worry about it being stolen, there are strollers and wheelchairs parked outside of each attraction. If something that that were to occur, you would just tell the nearest CM!
Here is the wheelchair rental link from the Disney site.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/common/guestServicesDetail?id=GuestServicesWheelchairRentalsDetailPage

 

[disneysnowflake]

Thank you very much.

 

[Karnak]

I had to use an ECV on one of my trips to WDW a few years ago because of a temporary foot problem. The ECV was no problem at all. I rented one from an outside source located near WDW. They delivered it, and when we checked into to our resort the ECV was waiting for us. A CM went to a back room somewhere behind the checkout desk and wheeled it right out to us. When we checked out, the CM took care of it for us until the company came by and picked it up.

It was no problem at all.

As for someone stealing it. That's nothing to be concerned about either, since the ECV has a key which must be turned on to make it operate. When you park at an attraction, just slip the key in your pocket.

At night, park it in your room and plug it in so that it may recharge overnight. No problem there either. The ECV batteries hold more than enough juice to run the chair during the longest day possible at the parks.

Enjoy.

 

[HayGan]

My mom had a stroke 3 years ago (she was only 54 at the time.) When we went to WDW last year, she joined us for 2 days. Although she is doing very well since the stroke, there is no way she could have done all that walking without the scooter. We rented from Walker Mobility and they were great! The scooters are $30 a day. They deliver right to your hotel. They have a key that you take with you when you go on an attraction so no one can steal it. We never had a problem with it! We will be renting from them again during our quick mother/daughter trip in Septemeber!!!

 

[mickeysaver]

Randy's Mobility served us well back in December. We rented a ECV/scooter for my mother outlaw. She just has no stamina due to CHF, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, and Emphasema. Needless to say, we had to have a scooter for her. She loved it. Randy's was great. They dropped it off at our hotel early so that we could have it for her in time for an early ADR. Their service was friendly and I will gladly deal with them again.

Getting a scooter at the parks is more expensive if you are going more than one day and there are limited numbers of these available at the parks....when you leave a park, you have to turn it in. If you hop to another park, you have to pray that there will be an ECV available. Later day arrivals at the park can leave you shut out. So, I prefer knowing that it's there and ready for the day!

Happy Planning! Maggie

 

[SueM in MN]

If you follow the link in my singnature to the disABILITIES Board and then check out the disABILITIES FAQs thread stuck near the top of the board, you will find lots of information about ECVs and wheelchairs. There are links in that thread to the places that DIS posters have most frequently reported good experiences with, Randy's Mobility, Walker and Care.

On that thread, there is also information about buses with an ECV/wheelchair and some links to past DIS Board threads about things like how to handle the attractions with moving walkways. There is also a link to the text portion of the Disney Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities for each park.

 

[mybgirl]

hi we used them JUNE 2004 POFQ for my DM who was 81 ,

and order for this OCT 2006 POFQ again for my DM THAT WILL BE 83 THEN ,


OK VERY VERY HAPPY , with them .



1- PHONE no # 1 -800-741-2282
2- FREE hotel delivery
3 GREAT rates
4- www.caremedicalequipment.com

I know you will be happy with them . Give them a call,



take care have a great TRIP

MARY IN PA

 

[mhingher]

2 years ago, I tripped and tore a ligament in my foot half way through our trip. We rented a wheelchair in the parks for the remainder of the trip and never had a problem... and we went during a really busy time-- the week before 7/4. PLUS we never waited on line too long... a CM always brought me and my group to the fastpass line or gave us FP to come back