Rollator questions

[FortWildernessLoopy]

Hello all! The last few times I've been to the park I had to use a wheelchair due to being unable to walk farther than about 15 feet before my back and legs would just stop working. At the same time I was lugging around a 2 lb uterine tumor (unbeknownst to me). Last October, I had surgery to remove said tumor and while it's taken a while, I think I'm back to health. I'm exercising more and more. Here's my issue...I don't know if I can take the standing in line. Walking is not an issue anymore, it's the endless standing without walking that gets me. I would rather avoid a wheelchair because my DH and I are getting seasonal passes and the exercise will do me good and help me lose all the weight I put on during my medical issues. I've seen and heard tell of the rollator but I have a few questions:

1. Do they make them for long-legged people? While I'm tall for a woman (5'10"), I'm just average for a man. Problem is my height is all in my legs and I hate having to walk stooped over.

2. Will it slow me down? I know the walker is made for those with mobility issues but as I've said, I seem to be able to walk just fine now. Endurance will be an issue and I may need to sit rather suddenly without locating a bench and I will need to sit while waiting in a line.

3. What do you do with it when you are on the ride? When I have had to use the wheelchair, they have it waiting on the exit side for me when I return. Same thing or am I expected to bring it on the ride with me?

4. Are they easy to transport on WDW transportation? I imagine the monorail will be no big deal, but what about the buses?

Thank you all for you help and advice. I could theoretically go , see how it works out, and get a WC if I need it, but I'd really rather not and just go with the rollator as emergency back-up to use as-needed.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Rollators are fully adjustable for height. The box or tag usually states the heights of the persons who can comfortably use it.

We had no issues on the busses or the monorail with the rollator. On the bus, we just held it next to our seat. The drivers had no problems or complaints at all.

At the attractions - I was permitted to take it directly to the ride & use it to board. The CM would then take it to the exit area. It was not a problem at all.

I don't feel that the rollator slows a person down at all. With it, I walk much better and faster than without it. Hopefully, this will be the case for you.

A word of advice - the lighter ones are MUCH easier to push than the heavier ones.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

I use a rollator almost exclusively while at WDW, because I like the flexibility of being able to walk or sit when necessary. My partner has also been known to push me in it occasionally in line when I'm sitting, facing him (I don't weigh all that much and this is when the line is moving slowly, as this isn't something we'd attempt to do to get quickly from one place to the other, since rollators aren't built for that sort of thing). I exercise regularly and am trying to keep myself mobile as long as possible, so I use the rollator as an extension of that. I also know I've always got the option of renting a wheelchair if I feel I just can't handle any more walking at any point during the vacation.

To answer your specific questions:

1. Most of the models I've seen have adjustable handles, so you can raise or lower them according to your height. Think of it like how you'd adjust the seat on a bicycle--it's usually a similar mechanism. I don't know if they have any models that adjust near the wheels or not. The one I have is collapsible, so I can see why that would be an issue with that sort of design. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have an issue with finding one that would adjust to your height, though. They're made for people of all shapes and sizes.

2. I'd definitely get a model with a seat, so you can sit whenever you need to. The one I have flips up so it can collapse and flips down when it's in rolling mode, so it's always ready if I need to plop down on top of it. I can also walk at a pretty good clip with my rollator (I could probably run with it, if I was capable of running without injury) since its made of aluminum and is very lightweight. I don't think having one will slow you down at all; quite the opposite! I found having a wheelchair tended to take more time, IMO.

3. You'll leave it on the platform just like you did with the wheelchair. Another advantage I've found with having a rollator is they're less common than wheelchairs, so it's usually easy to spot which mobility aid is yours when you're coming off the ride.

4. Well, this is where I had issues, but I'm not a big fan of Disney transportation at this point. The monorail was perfectly fine. They had to get me a ramp to get on and off, same as with a wheelchair, but I didn't have any problems. The ramps to get up and down to the monorail are crazy steep, but you're probably already aware of this. The problem I really had was the buses, honestly. I don't know if it was because I wasn't in a wheelchair, or if it was because I looked young, or what, but I had a lot of issues using the handicapped seats on the buses (when there were no other wheelchair or ECV users on the buses) throughout the length of my last stay. People would refuse to allow me to use the seats, and the drivers would refuse to enforce my right to sit there. This would often result in me having to sit in a regular aisle seat (because I'm not able to get up the stairs to the seats at the back of the bus) with my rollator collapsed and smashed against my legs. This was not only painful, but it partially blocked the aisle and there was nothing I could do about it. This happened more than once on the trip, so after that experience I decided I'd just drive to the parks from that point on.