Rollator walkers in the parks

[LK4Bama]

My parents will be joining my sons and I on our trip at the end of this month. My Mother will be bringing her rollator with her into the parks. This will be our first time with this experience, so we are not sure how it is handled. I have a few questions, so TIA for patience.

Are walkers allowed on Disney transporation? Do they have to be folded or stored? Any other tips for using these on transportation?

Are walkers allowed in lines? If not, where do you store them? If so, where do you leave walker while you ride, as some rides get off at a different location?

I had read on another thread that guests with walkers may use w/c entrance to rides. Is this correct?

Any other info will be greatly appreciated. Anyone else that has experience with this, please share! Thanks again!!!

 

[lanejudy]

Absolutely rollators/walkers are allowed in the parks! And it will be allowed on the buses/transportation - if it folds that would be appreciated so you don't block aisles. Yes, it will be allowed in lines - most lines at WDW are mainstreamed so the regular queue will be fine, if there are stairs or other obstacles the CMs will direct her to a different entrance or maybe just an off-shoot from the main line. At most rides you'll leave the rollator at the loading area; if the ride loads/unloads at different locations a CM will move it to the unload location; occasionally you may be directed to the unload area yourself and loaded from there - the CM's will direct you accordingly at each attraction. If a particular attraction has her use a different entrance, up to 5 guests may go with her - so your party can stay together to ride.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[LK4Bama]

Absolutely rollators/walkers are allowed in the parks! And it will be allowed on the buses/transportation - if it folds that would be appreciated so you don't block aisles. Yes, it will be allowed in lines - most lines at WDW are mainstreamed so the regular queue will be fine, if there are stairs or other obstacles the CMs will direct her to a different entrance or maybe just an off-shoot from the main line. At most rides you'll leave the rollator at the loading area; if the ride loads/unloads at different locations a CM will move it to the unload location; occasionally you may be directed to the unload area yourself and loaded from there - the CM's will direct you accordingly at each attraction. If a particular attraction has her use a different entrance, up to 5 guests may go with her - so your party can stay together to ride.

Enjoy your vacation!

Thank you so much!! Very helpful answer!

 

[bopper]

Also consider if an ECV (Scooter) might be something to rent for her. Yes, she would normally not need that, but no, she would normally not be walking for miles.

 

[I Love Pluto]

My parents will be joining my sons and I on our trip at the end of this month. My Mother will be bringing her rollator with her into the parks. This will be our first time with this experience, so we are not sure how it is handled. I have a few questions, so TIA for patience.

Are walkers allowed on Disney transporation? YES Do they have to be folded or stored? NO -HOLD IT Any other tips for using these on transportation? YOU MAY USE THE BUS RAMP, IF YOU WISH

Are walkers allowed in lines? YES If not, where do you store them? If so, where do you leave walker while you ride, as some rides get off at a different location? THE CM WILL TAKE IT FROM YOU AFTER YOU BOARD, THEN WILL BRING IT TO YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE.

I had read on another thread that guests with walkers may use w/c entrance to rides. Is this correct? YES
Any other info will be greatly appreciated. Anyone else that has experience with this, please share! Thanks again!!!

ROLLATORS ARE ABLE TO USE THE HANDICAPPED SECTION FOR PARADES


My answers are in bold. I hope this helps. A rollator is a wonderful tool when you are not steady on your feet & legs. Have a fantastic vacation!

 

[tobikaye]

When you get to the park, get the accessible park map, this will help you determine which lines are mainstreamed and which you will have to do something different. My sister used her rollator for one of our trips and it was great for her. Having the map helped us know which lines we could go through and when we needed to deviate.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

A wheelchair (or ECV) may be a much better choice. Most people at WDW walk 8-12 miles per day. Once around the World Showcase Lagoon Promenade at Epcot (without going into any of the pavilions is over 1¼ miles. If you do rent a chair or ECV they will store the rollator at the rental location until you leave the park.

 

[emeraldmom]

My mother used a rollator at Disney World. She does not have balance problems, but she felt like she needed someplace to be able to sit down when we weren't walking. My father was using an ECV, so she used his rollator. There are many places where the ground is not level. She fell more than once. Luckily she wasn't seriously hurt. She did have some scrapes and bruises, but refused to stop using it. Once she fell so hard that it broke the basket on the front of the rollator. All of these falls were due to uneven terrain. I would strongly suggest either a wheelchair or an ECV as an alternative. If she really wants to use the rollator, please warn her to be very careful. There are spots that are uneven, there are also spots where there is a bit of a bump going up the ramp onto the sidewalk.

 

[SueM in MN]

Post 33 on page 3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread is about walkers and rollators. You can find that thread near the top of this board, or follow the link in my signature.
You can also find links to the park maps with disability entrances that another poster mentioned in post 3 and post 11 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

They are handled basically the same as wheelchairs, except for buses; on the bus, they can't be tied down like a wheelchair. In most cases, it would be folded and held like a stroller. The one time we saw someone NOT fold it was on the OKW bus, which had just a handful of people on it. So, they were able to leave it unfolded and not block the aisle.

We've seen increasing numbers of people using rollators in the parks each time we've visited for the past 3 years.
They are a great tool for some people. As was pointed out, you still need to walk the distance. For some, that may be too much and they might be better off renting an ECV. But, for other people, they provide just the right combination of support and being able to sit and rest.

 

[LK4Bama]

Thanks everyone for your help. She gets around pretty well, she just needs the walker for stability and balance. She has an inner ear disorder and gets dizzy and unbalanced easily. We will use and ECV if needed though. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[bidnow5]

Make sure the rollator doesn't have small wheels I saw a man with one that had small wheels fall over at Animal Kingdom when he hit a small crack in the pavement

 

[LK4Bama]

Make sure the rollator doesn't have small wheels I saw a man with one that had small wheels fall over at Animal Kingdom when he hit a small crack in the pavement

How horrible...thanks for the advice!

 

[bopper]

Make sure the rollator doesn't have small wheels I saw a man with one that had small wheels fall over at Animal Kingdom when he hit a small crack in the pavement

THat is another idea....maybe for AK she gets the ECV, but for MK she uses the rollator.

 

[SueM in MN]

My FIL did not feel comfortable using an ECV in every park. He never did at MK because it was tighter and felt more congested.
So, choosing to use different types of mobility devices in different parks is a good way to go.

 

[LK4Bama]

I gave her a heads up on the wheels and possibly using an ECV, she isn't very comfortable with the idea of using one. I am trying to make her understand how much walking and standing is involved, she just isn't getting it. My parents haven't been in over 25 years...they don't have a clue!! I don't know what else to do. I am thinking she will over do it on the first day and be too tired and/or broke down the rest of the trip. Some folks have to learn the hard way!! (Even if its your Mother).

 

[ttintagel]

The nice thing is that if you get there and your plan isn't working, the rental companies are generally good about getting you a device pretty quickly so you can make a new one.