phisigprincess
<font color=red>Finally a vet!<br><font color=gree
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2003
- Messages
- 5,281
I'd like to thank everyone on DISabilities for their help and advice about getting my sister and her broken foot through our week at the parks.
We rented an ECV from Randy's and had no problems whatsoever. She learned how to use it pretty quickly, and since we got a crutch holder on the back, we didn't need to worry about someone carrying them.
The Cast Members couldn't have been more accomodating. From the CMs at rides, the CMs at the restaurants, and the characters, we had a great experience all around. We had a GAC, which proved to be a life saver in a lot of situations.
My sister isn't allowed to put any weight on her foot, so sometimes we had a few issues with getting her into ride vehicles and transferring. If you have any questions about going with someone who needs crutches to transfer and which rides to avoid, just drop me a PM. We learned pretty quickly. I think she tried mostly everything, and though there were a few we couldn't do again, for the most part it wasn't a problem.
The only part that we had trouble with were the busses. For the most part it was fine, but we did run into a bus that didn't have a working lift (which we were told weren't allowed to be out on the route), one driver that made her go SUV style up and over a ramp that wasn't fully flat (DH ended up picking up the back end and hoisting her over), and the biggest problem was with a Mears bus.
Disney is now contracting with Mears to do some pick ups on the Disney routes in addition to the Magical Express. Mears drivers (or any big coach style busses) are NOT permitted to transport any wheelchairs or ECVs. If a driver tells you he is allowed, tell him no and ask him to call a regular Disney bus. We learned this the hard way and I don't want anyone to have to deal with what we went through. As usual, Disney rectified the situation well, but it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Please be aware of this if you're traveling there any time soon.
Again, I appreciate all of your help and it made for a smooth trip to WDW!
We rented an ECV from Randy's and had no problems whatsoever. She learned how to use it pretty quickly, and since we got a crutch holder on the back, we didn't need to worry about someone carrying them.
The Cast Members couldn't have been more accomodating. From the CMs at rides, the CMs at the restaurants, and the characters, we had a great experience all around. We had a GAC, which proved to be a life saver in a lot of situations.
My sister isn't allowed to put any weight on her foot, so sometimes we had a few issues with getting her into ride vehicles and transferring. If you have any questions about going with someone who needs crutches to transfer and which rides to avoid, just drop me a PM. We learned pretty quickly. I think she tried mostly everything, and though there were a few we couldn't do again, for the most part it wasn't a problem.
The only part that we had trouble with were the busses. For the most part it was fine, but we did run into a bus that didn't have a working lift (which we were told weren't allowed to be out on the route), one driver that made her go SUV style up and over a ramp that wasn't fully flat (DH ended up picking up the back end and hoisting her over), and the biggest problem was with a Mears bus.
Disney is now contracting with Mears to do some pick ups on the Disney routes in addition to the Magical Express. Mears drivers (or any big coach style busses) are NOT permitted to transport any wheelchairs or ECVs. If a driver tells you he is allowed, tell him no and ask him to call a regular Disney bus. We learned this the hard way and I don't want anyone to have to deal with what we went through. As usual, Disney rectified the situation well, but it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Please be aware of this if you're traveling there any time soon.
Again, I appreciate all of your help and it made for a smooth trip to WDW!
