Question about WDW Hotel wheel chairs?

[WelcomeHome]

Hi! I'm taking my 85 year old mother to Wilderness Lodge Villas in January. While my mom can walk, she just can't take long walks or stand for long periods of time. As a result, I'm going to use a wheel chair provided by the hotel to help get her around more quickly.

Here's my questions:
1) Do these wheel chairs fold so I can put it in my car?
2) Can I take this wheel chair into the parks and where do I store it when we're going on rides?
3) How heavy are these wheel chairs?

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide. This will be my first experience with a wheel chair of any kind (and my mom's 1st visit to DisneyWorld!).

Sincerely,
Dave

 

[Cora]

Yes, they do fold and you can take them to the parks, etc. However, keep in mind most only have 2 chairs and they are on a first come first served basis. Also, I have found that they sometimes are not in the best shape. You may want to consider renting for the time you are there. I've used Care Medical in the past and they've been great. Here is there website Care Medical

 

[T.E. Yeary]

Dave,
I commend you for taking your mother on the trip of a lifetime. No doubt, you will see the child come out in her. That's what Disney's all about!

Have a wonderful vacation,
Tom

 

[Cruelladeville]

Actually, if something happens and they don't have a wheelchair for you to use, they will send someone over to one of the parks to get a wheelchair for you. That's what they did for me when I was staying at BWV--I had had a hysterectomy 10 days earlier, so I was moving VERY slowly! I felt that their wheelchairs were good for getting around, and the wheelchair I had rented was locked up over at Caribbean. No one could find a key.

 

[Merilyn]

We get 2 wheelchairs each time we go. We have never had any trouble getting them. I can tell you to please lock the chair to something when you are out of it. We lost ours last year to someone who justed wanted to borrow it for the day. They found it after the park closed and returned it. It could have cost us a lot of money since you sign for it. We were at MGM and one of the managers was so helpful and got us one to use while we were there. I will never just leave it unlocked again. I learned my lesson. I am so glad your Mom is going. Our memories with our Mother will always be some of our best. Have a great trip!

 

[Andrew Bichard]

lock the chair to something when you are out of it.

Dont lock your chair to anything because CM's might need to move it. Put a bicycle chain & lock through one of the wheels so it can still be wheeled on two wheels.

Andrew

 

[InstImpres]

keep in mind most only have 2 chairs and they are on a first come first served basis

Not sure about this since we had BCV chaitr #22 last trip. I was acuatlly staying at BWV but they had run out and had already borrowed from BCV so it was there when I requested it.

It does fold and go in the trunk but not too easily. As a precaution the legs are bolted on and not removable (on a regular chair they come off and it make it easier to place in the trunk). The valet loaded it for me no problem and figure out after a few minutes the trick is to fold the legs backwards. They are on the heavy side (it was a little tough for me to do alone in the MGM lot) I am used to loading it in the back of my van which doesn't require you lift it as high as a regular car trunk.

We kept are chair past check out (which I asked and was told no problem) for our final park day. Instead of keeping luggage in the car and going right from the park to the airport, we stopped at BWV at 6pm and swapped the wheelchair for the luggage.

It made for a great pain free experience for DD who has a knee fracture

 

[Dean]

Regardless, they are first come first serve as are the full size cribs and high chairs. And while they may go get one from another resort or park, it is not guaranteed they will do this. So having a backup plan of someone to rent from just in case would be a good idea.

 

[pumpkinboy]

So the others here have covered most of your concerns. My pal Cora is right to point you to Care Medical; also Walker Mobility will deliver to the resoerts. The Hotel wheelchairs are Tanks:very heavy and somewhat difficult to maneuver. They have the advantage of being free tho. The rental wheelchairs from Care or Walker are much fancier and easier to use. We always bring my DS's custom wheelchair, but when my Auntie comes down, she and her assistant do fine with a hotel wheelchair (assistant pushing Auntie, that is).

Good luck!

 

[SueM in MN]

If you want more information about wheelchairs and how to get them, follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES Board and look for the diABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of the board.

In the past people have posted varying experiences with the resort wheelchairs. In some cases, they were very happy. In others, they got a wheelchair that was either not in the best of shape or did not meet their needs (extra large when they really needed a narrow on or vice versa). To get a different one (or to get one period if the resort was out) has been posted to take various lengths of time - from a few hours to a few days. A lot depends on how much demand their is for wheelchairs while you are there.
If you do plan to get one from the resort, I would still suggest taking along the contact phone numbers for one of the off-site rental places in case you need it (numbers are in the FAQs). One option to rent from them is called a transport chair - it has small wheels, so it is easier to get into a car trunk. Much lighter too. The downside is that because it has small wheels, the person sitting in it can't propel it. But, most people who are renting are not going to be propelling the wheelchair themselves anyway.

 

[bjakmom]

I have rented a wheel chair for DD from Care medical for our upcoming stay as she just came out of her cast from a broken foot. I hadn't even thought of needing to lock the wheelchair - do I need to bring my own bike lock, or do the rental wheelchairs come with any kind of lock on them? I'd hate to loose and be held responsible for a rented chair - not to mention DD having to hobble all the way out of a park !!