Using my walker at WDW

[Gramma224]

Hi, I'm a 73 yr old gramma accompanying my son and his family and my hubby on our first trip to WDW. I am able to walk but rather than having to hold onto my husband for stability or pushing the baby's stroller, I thought if I took my walker i would be able to move faster and without burdening the rest of the family. I have rented the ECV's at Disneyland, but the price is climbing higher and higher and soon it will be the same as admission to the park.

My question is: Will I have problems using my walker there? Can I leave it next to the stroller when we go onto a ride? Can I get it on and off the bus and other transportation vehicles without much trouble?

Any thoughts and experiences would be helpful! Thanks.

 

[SueM in MN]

Five years ago, my family saw very few people with walkers, but the number is going up each year and in the last few years, we have seen several people per day with walkers.
The most common type I have seen are rollators (which are walkers with wheels and a small fold down seat). You can bring a walker in lines just like a wheelchair or you can park it with the strollers.

One thing to keep in mind though - an average person walks at least 3 miles per day at WDW, some as much as 9 or even more. Pick a place that is 3 miles away from your home so you can visualize that distance. If it seems like a huge distance to you and you don’t think you can walk that far, then an ECV or wheelchair would probably be a better option for you. It is less expensive to rent from one of the off-site places. You can find more information about renting an ECV or wheelchair in post #2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

There is also information about travel on the WDW transportation in post #8 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to both DisBoards and disABILITIES!

The "problem" with Disney World is it is very much larger than Disneyland. The Magic Kingdom is about twice the size of Disneyland Park. Once around the Epcot World Showcase Lagoon Promenade, without even going into any of the country areas, is almost 1½ miles.

At Disney World most people walk 8-12 miles in an average day.

There are a lot of outside companies that will rent ECVs and wheelchairs at prices that are much lower than Disney's prices and are better quality.

If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information. Post #2 deals extensively with mobility and stamina situations, as well as lists several companies from off-site which give consistently good service..

Or, if you want an easier route to the FAQs, click on the link in my signature.

 

[captsparrowslady]

Hi, I'm a 73 yr old gramma accompanying my son and his family and my hubby on our first trip to WDW. I am able to walk but rather than having to hold onto my husband for stability or pushing the baby's stroller, I thought if I took my walker i would be able to move faster and without burdening the rest of the family. I have rented the ECV's at Disneyland, but the price is climbing higher and higher and soon it will be the same as admission to the park.

My question is: Will I have problems using my walker there? Can I leave it next to the stroller when we go onto a ride? Can I get it on and off the bus and other transportation vehicles without much trouble?

Any thoughts and experiences would be helpful! Thanks.

You mentioned that you rented the scooters from Disneyland and the expensive cost of them... If you are still interested in a scooter (which would be really great to use for WDW since it is *SO* much *BIGGER* than DL *and* WDW is *VERY* hilly... There are *so* many hills at WDW), perhaps look for off-site scooter rentals.

The Bonus for that, is that you can rent the scooter for the entire time you are there, and keep it at your hotel (your hotel should allow you to keep it in the hotel lobby, so you can charge it overnight, but call your hotel and verify just to be sure, but it shouldn't be a problem because of ADA laws). The other bonus is, you can ride your off-site ECV Scooter from park to park without having to switch scooters from park to park (IE If you rent from Magic Kingdom and want to go into Epcot, you have to turn in your Magic Kingdom ECV in Magic Kingdom and rent another one in Epcot. Even though you use your reciept from Magic Kingdom to rent the one from Epcot so you're not paying extra money every time you switch, it's still a hassle and time consuming. They do this so each 'Kingdom/park' has the same # of scooters at the end of the day). With an Off-Site rental ECV scooter, you don't have the hassle of switching all the time.

You can request a Handicap accessable Disney Bus at the front desk of your hotel, and then you can just ride your off-site ECV scooter onto the bus and they'll drive you to WDW. For coming back at the end of the night, just look for the Handicap accessable Disney Bus.

I'm sure somebody can help provide reputable off-site ECV scooter rental companies near WDW. Usually they're places like a medical supply center.

EDIT: I found the post where it's mentioned about the Off-Site Scooter Rental Companies. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=5873006&postcount=2 You have to scroll down towards the bottom of Post #2 (it's listed under Boardwalk as 'Wheelchair and ECV Rental Companies')

Also I forgot to mention, the last time we were at WDW, my mom found it difficult to walk around so we rented a wheelchair from WDW (because wheelchairs are cheaper). Me and my dad took turns pushing her around and OMG! I know *exactly* how many big hills and dips there are and *exactly* how much walking is involved. I know that as a 24 year old woman with a bad knee, and knowing *exactly* how hard it is to walk WDW (the last time I was there I was 15 and it was hard for *me*), *I* personally would rent an ECV for myself if/when I go back to WDW.

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

Hiya,

I'm one of the people who prefers to use a walker (rollator, actually) at WDW instead of renting an ECV or wheelchair. This is partially because I don't really have endurance issues, but do have joint issues and problems with standing in one place for more than a few minutes at a time. Your needs may be different from mine, so you may find that a wheelchair or ECV may be better suited to what you're looking for on your trip.

However, I can answer a lot of questions about getting around the parks with a walker. You can park them outside queues if you want but many rides will let you take them all the way through the line and leave them on the platform when you board. If you do use a walker on your trip, I would honestly suggest doing that instead of parking it, as some of the lines can be incredibly long (I think the line for Soarin' at Epcot is almost half a mile, if I remember correctly).

A lot of the newer rides have mainstreamed lines where they're wide enough to take mobility aids like walkers all the way through the regular line, but the Magic Kingdom still has a few older rides where you'll have to take a walker through the wheelchair access line because the general line isn't wide enough. The the three that spring to mind off the top of my head are Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and the Jungle Cruise, though there may be others (I'm afraid I don't always ride everything).

I found having a rollator with a seat was extremely helpful to sit down in lines or while waiting for parades, since seating is a premium in the parks. It seems really difficult to find benches a lot of the time for some reason.

Regarding buses... it's sort of a mess right now. There's information in the FAQ, but when I went in October they weren't really following loading procedures like they did in the past. If you can't do stairs you can board via ramp or lift at the back of the bus, but it can sometimes be difficult to get the bus drivers' attention to let them know you need to board. It used to be that there was a separate handicapped waiting area for boarding and those people were loaded first, but they don't seem to be doing it that way anymore.

My partner and I went last October and we had some difficulty with the buses. Because the lines are mainstreamed, it can be difficult to get people to move from the handicapped seats if they've boarded the bus before you. Unfortunately, if you are not in the handicapped area, there is no other place on the bus for your walker that will not impede other passengers' movement, even if collapsed. This caused multiple issues when we boarded and I got to a point on the bus where I literally couldn't go any further, because I couldn't fit into the back "step up" area of the bus with my rollator and the people in the handicapped seats wouldn't move. I could sit or even collapse my walker until they did, and no one else behind me could get to the "step up" seats until the walker was stowed, so it held up the entire bus.

This happened multiple times during the trip and was incredibly frustrating. Several people on the boards are looking into the issue right now and hopefully Disney will be able to come up with a reasonable solution to accommodate everyone. I'm not sure how this differs from the experiences of those in wheelchairs and ECVs, but I can say it was a detracting factor from using a walker/rollator in my most recent experience.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask, and welcome to the boards.

 

[Bete]

First, as other posters have stated there is a separate thread explaining ECVs in depth for Disney World; please go to that post 2 in that thread to get more info.

Second, you can get an ECV from an outside source for as low as $150/week. It won't be as big as the park scooters, but they suffice. The outside company delivers it to the Disney resort at the luggage area. You pick it up there. At Disneyland I'm not even sure you have the option of doing an outside vendor for a scooter. It's nice to have the ECV all the time and you don't have to worry about the Disney parks running out of scooters. There are some minuses: you need to put the scooter in your room each night, you are responsible for charging the battery each night for the next day (not hard to do), and the worse part is getting the scooter on and off the buses and such (I would have someone else in the family do it a few times on the bus for you; until, you get use to this idea of on and off the buses yourself). You wait in the handicap line to get on the bus and your family joins you and you are the first to board. When you reach the park you are the last to get off. Also, you have to remember there are two or three slots per bus for handicap vechicles including wheelchairs. You have to wait your turn. Sometimes, this means waiting for another bus.

As others have stated this is not Disneyland; Disneyland and CA are smaller parks. I've been to both many times and I assure you Disney World has a lot more walking. I believe by comparison Animal Kingdom park is 5 times larger than Disneyland. You can try with the walker, but I think you will change your mind in a hurry once you attempt it. Believe me; I would say it's three times harder for walking overall at Disney World by comparison. A walker with a seat (called rollator) would absolutely be better than a regular walker if you go that way. You can sit when you are tired especially in lines for the rides and shows. Next, the resorts at Disney World are not next door like they are in Disneyland. You really can't walk back from any of the resorts easily from the parks.

If you insist on the regular walker, I would recommend taking the walker on as many rides as possible. It's not that hard to do so. I won't say you can do it for every ride, but I'm sure there will be some thrill rides you skip at Disney World, anyway. I would bring a lock and chain of sorts to attach the walker to the stroller, if you go that route.

Take some phone numbers of scooter companies with you; so, in case, you change your mind you are prepared.

By your own admission you have used a scooter at Disneyland. If you find it a help there it's an absolute must for Disney World. Also, I assume you are staying longer at Disney World then Disneyland and that adds to the challenge of trying to walk everday even with a walker. Even if you rent from the Disney parks for a scooter, it would still be better than trying to walk there. You may have to spend more, but you will be happier doing so. Be it that your family and you have not been to Disney World I think it will be even more crucial to have a scooter. There may be times you backtrack in the parks or stand around figuring out your next move, etc. and all of this will make everyone more tired. I don't think you will be able to keep up with the family without doing a scooter; unless, everyone's willing to go at a much slower pace especially as the day wears on you.

 

[bidnow5]

You have to do what you feel is best for you and your family but for me the best thing I ever did to make out Disney World trips better was to use a scooter. I was holding everyone up and causing lots of stress on everyone

 

[SueM in MN]

You can request a Handicap accessable Disney Bus at the front desk of your hotel, and then you can just ride your off-site ECV scooter onto the bus and they'll drive you to WDW. For coming back at the end of the night, just look for the Handicap accessable Disney Bus.

Just wanted to point out that there is no need to contact the front desk for a wheelchair accessible bus. ALL the WDW buses are equipped with either lifts or ramps and at least 2 wheelchair tiedown spots.
At some of the larger resorts, they occasionally use some tour type buses which are not all accessible during the busiest times (this is mostly at value resorts).

The bus procedure is kind of in a state of flux right now. Some lines have been changed to Mainstream lines and others have not. I am rewriting the information in the bus FAQs part, but it is a work in progress.

Someone mentioned keeping your ECV at the desk or at Bell Services and that is an option, but there is no requirement that they do it. Many people choose that option, but many prefer to keep it in their room so they have control over it, can make sure it's charged and they can avoid the trek down to get it every morning. If you feel you need more space in your room, housekeeping can remove tables or chairs or move things around for you.

 

[captsparrowslady]

At Disneyland I'm not even sure you have the option of doing an outside vendor for a scooter. It's nice to have the ECV all the time and you don't have to worry about the Disney parks running out of scooters. There are some minuses: you need to put the scooter in your room each night, you are responsible for charging the battery each night for the next day (not hard to do), and the worse part is getting the scooter on and off the buses and such (I would have someone else in the family do it a few times on the bus for you; until, you get use to this idea of on and off the buses yourself).

Disneyland does have outside vendors to rent ECV's from... there's a company called Alan's Wheelchair and Medical in Fullerton, California and they will deliver to the hotel, just FYI. And Alan's offers discounts for return customers (they keep your name on file forever).

Also, as for storing the Scooter, the hotel *should* allow it to be kept in their lobby, in a corner out of the way. You have a key for the scooter, so nobody can drive off with it. Hotel rooms are generally too small for a scooter to fit inside the room. However, you should call your hotel and verify that they will allow you to keep an ECV in their lobby. I haven't ever used an ECV at WDW, but when my family was at DL the hotel had absolutely no problem with letting us keep our *three* ECV scooters in the hotel lobby (and it wasn't a big lobby either). I *think* because of the ADA laws (American Disabilities Act) they are required to make the needed accommodations.

 

[Piper]

At WDW resorts (hotel rooms) my ECV fit just fine in the room--I have stayed at all levels, Value, Moderate & Luxury. It fit just fine in all of them. It fit in the hotel I stayed at in Disneyland, too.

There are several different companies that rent ECVs--just look in the FAQ thread at the top of this forum. I have used both Walker and Apple as well as bringing my own. I am using Apple again next week because it is less expensive and the service was great.

 

[pbrim]

A friend and I stayed at AKL and had no problem fitting two ECVs in the room, although I can't speak to other resorts.

 

[captsparrowslady]

well, as I said, my only experience with ECV's is at Disneyland... I've never used one at WDW. So I only really know based on my experience with the hotels in Anaheim, that we had to keep the scooter in the lobby because the room we had was too small... if the rooms at WDW are bigger, then that's awesome and good to know. lol