Questions about wheelchair in parks?

[magchavez]

I had foot surgery at the end of April to remove a bone spur. I spent 4 weeks in a boot. I just got the ok last week to stop wearing the boot. I am allowed to wear any comfortable shoe. My problem is, if I am on my feet too much during the day, my foot swells and the pain can be excruciating. We leave for Disney on Thurs. and I'm starting to think I might need a wheelchair. I am thinking that I might use the wheelchair just to go from ride to ride. Once we're at a ride, I will be fine to stand in line and won't need the wheelchair in the queue. Is there a place to park the wheelchair while I'm riding the ride? Anything else I should know?

Thanks for your help.

Maggie

 

[WheeledTraveler]

You can "park" the wheelchair with stroller parking or somewhere else close to the exit (not all rides exit in the same place). I would suggest using it in the queues for Soarin' and the Safari because just the physical length is 1/4 mile each way. There's no way to cut that down and they're both completely accessible queues so you won't be separated from your party. I'd make sure before leaving your wheelchair outside an attraction queue that you can manage the wait (and, if you can estimate, queue length) while walking. Almost all the queues are wheelchair accessible and of the few that aren't, only Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Swiss Family Robinson don't have any way for a wheelchair user to access the attraction (you can get to Tom Sawyer Island, but can't really go anywhere once you arrive).

Unless there is someone (or multiple someones) to push you, I'd highly suggest looking into renting an ECV (scooter) from an offsite vendor. Rental wheelchairs really aren't meant to be self-propelled so are very heavy and clunky. The other thing about an ECV is just that it will mean you have more freedom on where you go/what you're facing while stopped, etc. (I've been a wheelchair user for almost 10 years and my father *still* forgets that if he stops to look at something he needs to turn me so I can see it, too.) They are more expensive to rent, but it's worth considering if you can. It is possible to rent ECVs that break down to be loaded into a car and almost all WDW transportation is accessible (the exception is the smaller boats that go, I think, from WL to MK).