Rent a wheelchair or take personal wheelchair from home?

[Julylady]

HI
We are planning a trip next April including my elderly Mom. She normally rents a ECV from Disney when she gets to the parks, but we are thinking of just pushing her in a regular wheelchair this trip since we will have multiple adults who can assist her. I've thought about renting an ECV from an off site vendor, but she has anxiety about bringing on a bus. She has a nice companion wheelchair of her own that she purchased from a friend. We use it occasionally when going to the mall or the zoo. We have never flown with a wheelchair though.

Alternatively, we could either rent a wheelchair for the week from one of the off site vendors or rent by the day from Disney.

Can you provide insight as to the pros and cons of each alternative? Can someone walk me through the process of flying with a wheelchair? (We have a connecting flight.) Is it a pain to bring a wheelchair on a Disney bus? Do you enter with it from the front door or the back door? Where do you put it?

Any ideas?

 

[gap2368]

The Disney bus is very Easey most if not all you load from the back you wheel up a ramp and the bus driver tells you where to go they lock you in and out a set belt around you if you want to stay in the wheel chair or you can sit in a normal set it will be up to your mom but I would have something all the time as the lines for the busses can be long

 

[minnie mum]

If you choose to bring your own chair with you, they will gate check the chair once you get to the aircraft. It will be waiting for you when you deplane, but be aware that you will be asked to wait until everyone else has deplaned. So you need to be aware of this if your connection is a tight one. If you leave her chair at home you can ask the airline to provide wheelchair transportation at each airport.

I'd recommend renting from an offsite vendor if you leave her chair at home. Some of the resorts require a lot of walking, and don't forget that it can be a bit of a hike from the bus stop to the park gates. The resorts have discontinued the courtesy wheelchairs at the resorts.

Taking a chair on the bus is uncomplicated. The chair is placed in the HC spot at the bus stop. The chair( and the person on it) goes up a ramp via the rear door. They can be strapped into a lock down spot if they cant transfer, or they can sit in a regular seat and the chair is folded and held by one of your party. The rest of your party (up to 6 guests) board the bus at the same time as the guest in the chair.

 

[pugdog]

HI
We are planning a trip next April including my elderly Mom. She normally rents a ECV from Disney when she gets to the parks, but we are thinking of just pushing her in a regular wheelchair this trip since we will have multiple adults who can assist her. I've thought about renting an ECV from an off site vendor, but she has anxiety about bringing on a bus. She has a nice companion wheelchair of her own that she purchased from a friend. We use it occasionally when going to the mall or the zoo. We have never flown with a wheelchair though.

Alternatively, we could either rent a wheelchair for the week from one of the off site vendors or rent by the day from Disney.

Can you provide insight as to the pros and cons of each alternative? Can someone walk me through the process of flying with a wheelchair? (We have a connecting flight.) Is it a pain to bring a wheelchair on a Disney bus? Do you enter with it from the front door or the back door? Where do you put it?

Any ideas?

Flying with the wheelchair is real easy. Depending on what plane your're on they might be able to store the wheelchair in the main cabin and not have to have it gate checked. The wheelchair will also take president over any luggage too, including crew luggage. Like a PP said they will make you wait till towards the end.

The downside is there are a lot of hills in WDW that you dont notice till your're pushing a WC. If she is uncomfortable about driving a rental ECV up the ramp you can and sometimes the drivers might too.

Above all have a great time.

 

[bopper]

Does she have to stay in the wheel chair on the bus? Can it just be folded up? That may be another option.

 

[pugdog]

Does she have to stay in the wheel chair on the bus? Can it just be folded up? That may be another option.

no she does not have to and yes you can fold it and they will secure it in the bus.