Questions about transferring from a ECV to a manual wheelchair for rides when you are

[compmom]

handicapped and a large person.

I have read WDW at large and found it to be helpful to a certain point.

I have the guidebooks from all parks for handicapped and they provide valuable info.

No one covers what options are available at the transfer rides, when you don't fit into the wheelchair they have available? This is an embarassing question. I am 5' 7" and weigh 300 pounds. I know space mountain and a couple of other rides will not be for me to fit into, but there are some with bench seats and simlar that I can maneuver into I am sure.

Any tips or personal observations would be greatly appreciated.

Tina

 

[lisapooh]

I would suggest you rent from an outside provider and order a wheelcahir that will fit you or an ECV. This way you will save yourself the embarassment of not finding one that does fit.

 

[compmom]

I own my own 4 wheeled scooter/ecv and have a scooter lift on our Dodge Caravan, that part is not the issue. Certainly getting a power chair in my size would be a possible answer, but 2 things spring to mind. Besides the fact that it appears in the handbooks, that you would also need to transfer from a power chair too....

1) how would I transport the darn thing?

2) why should I have to go to additional expense, when I already have a medically prescribed vehicle paid for by my insurance?


I wish my size was the only issue, but I have to be concerned about my mobility issues too.

Again further thoughts and input would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Tina

 

[lisapooh]

Except for a few rides you can take your ECV through the lines or use an alternative entrance. For those you will need to transfer to a maual wheelchair. Or you may be able to walk through the fastpass line. Getting power chair your size won't happen. They only rent those to people who already use one and don't want to bring there own.

As to an extra expense. That can be the breaks in life when you have a handicap. No getting around it. Not pleasant but a fact of life. If you have a scooter then use it. If you can't transfer to a manual chair then you miss the ride. Been there, doen that and have the teeshirt.

 

[SueM in MN]

First, I am sure that you are not the only large person to have this situation.
I don't have an answer. Although I have seen wheelchairs of various sizes waiting at the rides that you need to transfer from. Whether they had one that would be the right size when you came would probably depend on who else is riding and whether they are using it at the time.
You might try asking at Guest Services in the park when you get there. They might be able to help you with the question. It's also possible that some rides that say you have to transfer, you really don't until boarding. Maybe if you give us a list of the ones you'd like to ride, some one has some better advice.

 

[Nanajo1]

Last Nov while at MK I needed to transfer from my ECV to a w/c for Winnie the Pooh. The only w/c that was available was an extra large one. The CM realized it was the same width as my ECV and she ushered me and my scooter down to the loading point. So there are bigger w/c but I don't know how you find out where they are and how to get them to the ride when you need to transfer.
Good luck.

 

[Safari Steve]

Sometimes we have a "double-wide" at the entrance to Pirates, but depending on what the supply is like at Wheelchairs/Strollers, we don't always have one. Pirates is an odd duck because of the load/unload situation, and we can't take the ECVs to the loading area because they then have to be reversed through the entire queue to get out of the building.

 

[compmom]

I worried a lot about nothing with this.

I did not get to go on Pirates(too small of a wheelchair), but access to most of Disney was okay for getting to or into. Well except for the darn Train. Why do they have a accessible rail car that does not handle ECV's? The only way to use the train was to get off my scooter and with my DH assistance enter the train vehicle and then ride round trip around the whole park, back to where my scooter was. I know my scooter batteries would have loved a little break from the jaunt from Frontierland to Toon town fair.


Tina

 

[Nanajo1]

Tina
I glad you were able to do most of what you wanted. I know what you mean about the train. I have never ridden it for that reason.

 

[SueM in MN]

Glad to hear you had a good time. I've seen a lot of ecvs sitting at the train station.
I can tell you that the train car looks the same to me as the first time that my DD had her wheelchair on it, so they probably have an old car. The lockdown system on the train is designed to clamp on to the wheelchair back wheel. I'm not sure what they do with wheelchairs that don't have a back wheel that fits. But, I'm pretty sure that's why ecvs can't go on.