What to expect...

[candsmain]

A friend of ours that is traveling with us will need to rent an electronic wheelchair while at disney. He is ambulatory but due to his back problems there really is no way that he would be able to walk the park the whole day. Will he be able to ride rides as well. Can he take his scooter in line with him?

 

[SueM in MN]

In post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread, there is information about renting wheelchairs and ECVs ( also called scooters). You can find contact information for a number of rental companies in that post.
The disABILITIES FAQs thread is near the top of this board or you can follow the link in my signature.
(Just FYI - you don't want to ask for an electric wheelchair when you rent. Those are different than scooters and mist companies will only rent electric wheelchairs to people who already own one or are very experienced because they take more practice to drive than an ECV does).

All lines and attractions are wheelchair accessible at least up to the boarding area. Most are also ECV accessible; for the few that ate not, they have manual (push) wheelchairs available at the attraction that he could transfer into.

There is more information about accessibility in the FAQs thread.

 

[Piper]

Whether or not he can ride the rides should be based on the advice of his doctor. Unfortunately, we know nothing about the condition of his back and cannot give advice.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The lines for almost all attractions at WDW are "mainstreamed". This means that the queue is set up to allow wheelchairs and/or ECVs to go through the line just as a person without a mobility problem. As it was built prior to the ADA, the Magic Kingdom is most likely to have non-mainstreamed lines. Some attractions, such as Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion you will go part way through the regular queue and then be diverted. Other attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain or SpaceShip Earth you will initially be directed to an accessible entrance.

All the theaters are set up with seats (usually in the back row) removed so a wheelchair or ECV can pull into a space and there will be regular seating on either side of the space for the others in the party.

Where there are quantity limits on space, or other limitation involving accessibility, you may have to wait longer to see a show or ride an attraction than people without disabilities.

The normal (and official) response of Guest Relations to people with mobility and/or stamina issues is to recommend rental of a wheelchair or ECV. The Guest Assistance Card (GAC) is intended for "invisible" disabilities not related to mobility or stamina. A wheelchair or ECV is sufficient to notify Cast Members of special assistance normally needed. However, if a person has other issues, such as auditory or visual, they would probably also need a GAC.

Note that a GAC is not intended to allow bypassing of lines, and it so states on the card itself. The only people who will get the special Front Of The Line GAC are where a terminal or medically fragile child is traveling on a trip from Make A Wish or similar foundation.

 

[LMC]

My DH had to rent a scooter, we used Apple and would use them again as they were great! He rode ONE ride and couldn't do any more. I push DS in a wc part of the trips so the chairs do go thru most of the ques now. At a certain point the chair line may split off but there is no reason that your friend shouldn't be able to stay in the ECV most of the day. I wouldn't try WDW without a scooter if I had chronic pain

 

[SueM in MN]

Whether or not he can ride the rides should be based on the advice of his doctor. Unfortunately, we know nothing about the condition of his back and cannot give advice.

Good point - I didn’t specifically mention that, but there is more information in the disABILITIES FAQs thread. That thread is near the top of this board, or you can click on the link in my signature to get there.

Post 15 of that thread has basic accessibility information about all the Theme Parks.

This is information about warnings:
You can look at the park maps for the attractions with warnings - they are marked with a red triangle on the map and also on a sign at the entrance to the queue.
The wording for the general warning is:
WARNING! For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.

For Epcot here are the attractions with warnings:

• Mission Space the sign outside the attraction says that pregnant women are advised not the ride both the more tame (green side) and the more wild (orange side)
• Test Track

For Magic Kingdom:

• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
• Space Mountain
• Goofy's Barnstormer (this doesn't have a triangle warning sign on the map, but does say that pregnant women should not ride)

For Disney Studio

• Star Tours
• Rock N Roller Coaster
• Tower of Terror

For Animal Kingdom:

• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Kali River Rapids
• Expedition Everest
• Primeval Whirl
• Dinosaur