Well, after my last trip, I think it's finally getting to the point where I need to consider an accessibility device. This was our first trip without using a stroller the majority of the time and honestly I hadn't realized how much I'd come to depend on pushing it. I was noticeably slower and in more pain at the end of the day on the days we didn't bring it to the park. I don't really want to continue bringing a stroller when my kids no long truly need it - it takes up a lot of room in the car and it's pretty inconvenient to push in crowds. I'm not sure about a wheelchair or
ECV - sitting/getting back up is a bit painful, and sitting for a while tends to mean that my joints will hurt worse when I get up again. I'm guessing a rollator might be the next step. What would you all recommend? Would it be best to rent one or just buy one outright, especially if we usually take two or more trips a year?
Especially if you think you might use it at home/around your community, I would say buy one, simply because you will quickly surpass the cost of purchasing with a rental.
You may want to consider either a walker or a Rollator. A walker is what a lot of folks think of first; it's a 3 sided frame, and you hold on to the sides closest to the opening, and push it along. Walkers can be equipped with all kinds of "feet", including the bright yellow/green tennis balls so often seen on TV and in movies. There are "ski" type feet and wheels, and even just plain rubber tips (which are meant to encourage the user to pick up the walker and move it, not slide it.) Walkers are typically super lightweight, and super compact when folded. There are *lots* of "accessories" for sale on
Amazon - like pockets that you can hang off of the walker to give you a bit of storage.
Rollators* are kind of like a walker and a wheelchair together, in that you have 4 wheels, and often handbrakes to help control your speed going downhill. They have a (typically padded) seat, and often a small fabric or wire basket under the seat for storage. Rollators give you something to hang on to while walking, and when stopped, a place to sit if needed. Rollators aren't really meant to act like a wheelchair; the wheels are too small, and the center of gravity really isn't right for pushing a seated person, plus there are no handles for a "pusher" to hold on to.
There *are* some further "hybrid" devices that will advertise as a walker/wheelchair/Rollator combo, but anytime you see those small wheels, it will be difficult for someone to push a seated person for any amount of time. Especially on all of the patterned surfaces at WDW. (And I bet you are now painfully aware of how many hills, slopes and inclines there are at WDW - it's kind of surprising!). These kind of devices won't really hold up to a full day at a Theme Park.
There are other options if you want to walk supported, and avoid a chair/ECV for now, however they are typically either not as readily available, or as inexpensive as a walker or a Rollator. (Devices like the
Upwalker)
If you decide to go with a manual wheelchair, avoid a "transport chair" - those are the wheelchairs with four small wheels. While those are great for short trips around your community, again, like with the "hybrid" devices I mentioned above, they just don't hold up for a full day at WDW. Not only are they difficult to push (because of the smaller wheels) but the seat can be *very* uncomfortable as it is typically a thin fabric "sling" that offers little, if any, support.
*Rollator is actually a brand name, however, over time it has become synonymous in the community for a "walker with a seat" device. Just like lots of folks say "Kleenex" for facial tissue, "Xerox" for photocopy, or "Aspirin" for pain relief (Yes, there used to be a brand-name called "Aspirin" but it became so generic that the drug itself is now called aspirin instead of acetylsalicylic acid!)
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