What Having a Wheelchair Means...

[dawnhaze]

Amen to all of this thread. I resisted using mobility aids on previous trips out of pride and fear of judgement, but an ECV has enabled me to have a nearly pain-free trip for the first time ever. A couple of people have been jerks and accused me of faking, but who cares. They're strangers I'll never see again.

 

[TreeSapp]

DH and I have been trying to talk his father into using a wheelchair on our upcoming trip. He hasn't walked over two miles in a day in over ten years! And is often very tired.

This weekend I talked DH into making the 3hr drive to Disney to 'practice' with a wheelchair. So that we'd be able to paint Dad a very clear picture of what to expect. We learned a lot!

DH was super self conscience and paranoid, but after about 30-45min realized that no one was judging him, pitying him or even looking at him. They were all too busy having their own vacations to care. He was especially relieved that the CMs didn't pander to him or make him self-conscience. He was impressed how smoothly and professionally they handled us (able to transfer) as well as other groups we were in line with who didn't have that luxury.

I was shocked how often I found us going up or downhill in the MK! The only time the chair was challenging to push was having to really lean into it going uphill, or trying to go downhill slowly enough not to clip anyone's heels. At 6ft 2 myself, I was pretty unhappy with how low the handles are - especially for pushing uphill.

My time in the chair (we did half & half) was pretty uneventful. I never noticed anyone look at me or care when I got up to use a water fountain, go to the restroom, or leave it parked with the strollers while we ate. I definitely felt like I had a different perspective - I'm just not used to being unable to see over the people in front of me. But I did enjoy the ability to absorb my surroundings as DH was busy navigating. Like I knew AK was very detailed, but I'd never before been able to just take it all in, without my brain jumping around trying to get to EE, Flights of Wonder, or the Safari ASAP!

Before anyone gets too up in arms, We were super considerate of guests who were not just 'practicing' wheelchair use. Never put ourselves in a position to take a spot from anyone or clog up Reserved seating in a show. We just sort of wandered around. Chose a few rides of each access type: regular line for ETWB, haunted mansion where you get on at the end, tiki room where they let you in first so you're not running people over, jungle cruise with a return time ticket and special boarding area.

Overall it was a fairly painless endeavor, except those darn hills! No one harassed or bothered us. And we especially never felt judged or condescended.

 

[dreamsdocometrue40]

Hi everyone. Question...my mother has back issues and walks with a walker/canes. She is very stubborn and wants to be able to walk at disney but we are wondering about getting a wheelchair for times when she is poope. I don't want her to fall and get injured. We are staying at AS Movies is it possible to rent a w/c or ECV for the whole time we are there?

 

[madaboutMickey]

I was shocked how often I found us going up or downhill in the MK! The only time the chair was challenging to push was having to really lean into it going uphill, or trying to go downhill slowly enough not to clip anyone's heels. At 6ft 2 myself, I was pretty unhappy with how low the handles are - especially for pushing uphill.

You might want to consider renting a transport wheelchair form an off-site company. Unfortunately, Disney does not have them. The handles are higher so the person pushing won't have to bend over so much.
That's what we are doing for our 11 trip in Nov. I am having foot surgery the week after we get back. I will need to use a wheelchair for the majority of the time. Not sure how DH will do pushing me but we tried out a transport w/c at a local rental company and he said it was much easier.

 

[TreeSapp]

Hi everyone. Question...my mother has back issues and walks with a walker/canes. She is very stubborn and wants to be able to walk at disney but we are wondering about getting a wheelchair for times when she is poope. I don't want her to fall and get injured. We are staying at AS Movies is it possible to rent a w/c or ECV for the whole time we are there?

You can rent from non-disney companies that deliver to disney hotels. I believe there are 5. Buena Vista Scooters is the only one I can remember offhand

 

[TreeSapp]

You might want to consider renting a transport wheelchair form an off-site company. Unfortunately, Disney does not have them. The handles are higher so the person pushing won't have to bend over so much.
That's what we are doing for our 11 trip in Nov. I am having foot surgery the week after we get back. I will need to use a wheelchair for the majority of the time. Not sure how DH will do pushing me but we tried out a transport w/c at a local rental company and he said it was much easier.

Thanks! I actually have a request in with a medical supply rental company near my home to see if they can loan me handle extenders for a week. I should hear back by tuesday

 

[curemyreed]

Hi everyone. Question...my mother has back issues and walks with a walker/canes. She is very stubborn and wants to be able to walk at disney but we are wondering about getting a wheelchair for times when she is poope. I don't want her to fall and get injured. We are staying at AS Movies is it possible to rent a w/c or ECV for the whole time we are there?

Hope you see this post as it is several days after yours!!

Please take a look at the disABILITIES FAQ'S sticky. It has tons of info you will find useful!

 

[pampam]

I remember someone pitying DD for being in a wheel chair. They felt she was confined to a WC. What a shame! I corrected their thinking by letting them know that without the WC she would be confined to her home. The Wc has opened up the world to her. It has liberated her, and she is now able to get out, enjoy life, be part of the comunity. They had never considered that part of it before.

 

[Mickey527]

I have had a GAC for my past trips and am looking forward to trying the new system. I am sure it will work for me.
I can't stand in lines for more than 15-20 minutes. I have neuropathy and my leg will go numb. I do get feeling back after about 10 minutes but for that time I can't move or I will collapse. I can walk to the attraction and get a return time and find something else to do.
I have a wheelchair but I am going to the parks alone this Dec. I have no one to push me. I can't push myself because I have lympedema from having all my lymph nodes removed when I had breast cancer. I have limits to lifting and since I hav enot used that arm for anything I have no strength in it anymore, plus I need to protect that arm from any bruising.
I have a DR's script for a rolling walker and an ECV but haven't found one I can use yet, they are all too heavy and bulky for me to user alone. Any suggestions??? I have a 25lb weight limit on my left arm so it has to be light.
I do hate using the wheelchair and will also hate using the ECV for a few reasons.
1) I hate spending all my time at Disney looking at peoples backsides. I wish they made chairs and SUV's that were a little higher so we could see peoples faces.
2) I go to Disney during some peak times. I have a problem with people walking in front of me and then stopping, or walking right in front of me as if I wasn't there. very frustrating.

 

[alizesmom]

I remember someone pitying DD for being in a wheel chair. They felt she was confined to a WC. What a shame! I corrected their thinking by letting them know that without the WC she would be confined to her home. The Wc has opened up the world to her. It has liberated her, and she is now able to get out, enjoy life, be part of the comunity. They had never considered that part of it before.

This.

 

[SueM in MN]

You can rent from non-disney companies that deliver to disney hotels. I believe there are 5. Buena Vista Scooters is the only one I can remember offhand

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread (or look near the top of this board).
Post 2 of that thread has information about renting wheelchairs and ECVs, including website links and phone numbers.

I remember someone pitying DD for being in a wheel chair. They felt she was confined to a WC. What a shame! I corrected their thinking by letting them know that without the WC she would be confined to her home. The Wc has opened up the world to her. It has liberated her, and she is now able to get out, enjoy life, be part of the comunity. They had never considered that part of it before.

That has happened to us too.
But, DD has used a wheelchair since she was around 2 years old. She doesn't know any differently and to her, it is like part of her body.
When she was smaller, she was able to get around by crawling, but has not done that in years. A wheelchair is easier and more acceptable for an adult than crawling.
To her, a wheelchair is freedom.

Here are a couple of links to good past threads.
Ray Sharpton's experiences using an ECV - going from not wanting to use one to having a great time because of using one.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=822281

And a long 15 page thread about coming to acceptance of using an ECV:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=822281

 

[JLTraveling]

Just wanted to add my two cents:

My dad was always one of those super-energetic, healthy as a horse types. He could do anything, no matter how physically demanding, all day long, then grab four hours of sleep and do it all again the next day. Mildly sick one or two days a year, if that.

Then in his 40s, Dad developed several medical conditions that caused severe pain, fatigue, loss of stamina, and an inability to bounce back from minor illnesses. Always a WDW lover and local annual passholder, he kept gamely trying to do the parks--and invariably he'd wind up doing the bench tour for a few hours before packing it in and going home. Like many people, he resisted the idea of a wheelchair or an ECV. He just couldn't wrap his brain around the idea that he was disabled. So he fought bitterly, and his medical conditions always won. Many days he simply couldn't get from the car into a park at all, and many nights we'd have to sit for an hour or two at the front entrance waiting for him to gather his strength to get back to the car.

Finally, one day he gave in and rented an ECV to get my mom to quit nagging him. It was like having my old dad back. He had energy again. He was paying attention to everything around him instead of focusing on the pain. He had an almost childlike sense of wonder as he took in the parks in a way he thought would never be possible again.

At the end of the day, when we returned the scooter, Dad literally cried. When I asked why, he said, "I feel like I got my wings back today."

Not long after that, Dad got a personal ECV, which he has taken all over the world. He's on a new medication regimen now, and mostly gets around with a cane. But the ECV continues to live in the back of the SUV, available for the times when he's having flareups. It's really amazing how transformative a mobility device can be in someone's life.

 

[babydoll65]

Just wanted to add my two cents:

My dad was always one of those super-energetic, healthy as a horse types. He could do anything, no matter how physically demanding, all day long, then grab four hours of sleep and do it all again the next day. Mildly sick one or two days a year, if that.

Then in his 40s, Dad developed several medical conditions that caused severe pain, fatigue, loss of stamina, and an inability to bounce back from minor illnesses. Always a WDW lover and local annual passholder, he kept gamely trying to do the parks--and invariably he'd wind up doing the bench tour for a few hours before packing it in and going home. Like many people, he resisted the idea of a wheelchair or an ECV. He just couldn't wrap his brain around the idea that he was disabled. So he fought bitterly, and his medical conditions always won. Many days he simply couldn't get from the car into a park at all, and many nights we'd have to sit for an hour or two at the front entrance waiting for him to gather his strength to get back to the car.

Finally, one day he gave in and rented an ECV to get my mom to quit nagging him. It was like having my old dad back. He had energy again. He was paying attention to everything around him instead of focusing on the pain. He had an almost childlike sense of wonder as he took in the parks in a way he thought would never be possible again.

At the end of the day, when we returned the scooter, Dad literally cried. When I asked why, he said, "I feel like I got my wings back today."

Not long after that, Dad got a personal ECV, which he has taken all over the world. He's on a new medication regimen now, and mostly gets around with a cane. But the ECV continues to live in the back of the SUV, available for the times when he's having flareups. It's really amazing how transformative a mobility device can be in someone's life.

That's fantastic. I took my mother to wdw in . 2009. She had just had knee replacement surgery and was going to back out of the trip because she knew of all the walking required. Someone on the disboards suggested renting a ECV and when I mentioned it to her she became very depressed because she thought after having the surgery she would be doing cartwheels. ( then she was at 66 years old) but once she got it she said it was like having two good legs again. Now we're heading down there in a couple of weeks to celebrate her 70th birthday. We have rented a scooter again from Apple scooter and iv never seen her so happy. She wants us to make plans in 2015 so she can ride the new rollercoaster in mk.

 

[Mrs.Malone]

Just wanted to add my two cents:

My dad was always one of those super-energetic, healthy as a horse types. He could do anything, no matter how physically demanding, all day long, then grab four hours of sleep and do it all again the next day. Mildly sick one or two days a year, if that.

Then in his 40s, Dad developed several medical conditions that caused severe pain, fatigue, loss of stamina, and an inability to bounce back from minor illnesses. Always a WDW lover and local annual passholder, he kept gamely trying to do the parks--and invariably he'd wind up doing the bench tour for a few hours before packing it in and going home. Like many people, he resisted the idea of a wheelchair or an ECV. He just couldn't wrap his brain around the idea that he was disabled. So he fought bitterly, and his medical conditions always won. Many days he simply couldn't get from the car into a park at all, and many nights we'd have to sit for an hour or two at the front entrance waiting for him to gather his strength to get back to the car.

Finally, one day he gave in and rented an ECV to get my mom to quit nagging him. It was like having my old dad back. He had energy again. He was paying attention to everything around him instead of focusing on the pain. He had an almost childlike sense of wonder as he took in the parks in a way he thought would never be possible again.

At the end of the day, when we returned the scooter, Dad literally cried. When I asked why, he said, "I feel like I got my wings back today."

Not long after that, Dad got a personal ECV, which he has taken all over the world. He's on a new medication regimen now, and mostly gets around with a cane. But the ECV continues to live in the back of the SUV, available for the times when he's having flareups. It's really amazing how transformative a mobility device can be in someone's life.