Wheel chair Rent or buy light weight???

[Tina1]

Hello everyone
I'm at a by pass, long story short doctors haven't diagnosed me yet. Waiting to see if its brain cancer or tumor??? I've been sick for a year and have decided I'm not missing my Disney trip. Not sure if I'm going to be able to walk the whole trip and the kids said they would push me around if needed. I was looking at a fold-able 19lb wheel chair. Now here is the question do I purchase this to take with me, we are flying. Or just wait and see. What makes me nervous, if we rent at the park do the run out of them later in the day?? And we park hop, will they still have them when we go to the next park???
Thanks everyone

 

[Sleepy425]

I would recommend renting an ECV from off property. We used Apple Scooter Rentals for my father in law and it was a seamless experience - it was there when he arrived at OKW, and he left it with the bellhop before we got on ME the last day. As long as you are able to move at least one hand (my FIL cannot move his right side very well), it would probably work for you.

 

[Tina1]

That was my first ideal. My brain does not work well when I push myself. I'm afraid I'll run someone over

 

[gap2368]

an ECV you will have to be alert at all times for people walking infant of you if you do not think ( for what ever resin) that you can handle this I would rent a wheel chair/ or a roller. if you do have a few people that can push you and you can walk some then a wheel chair may be better for you.

what ever you rent just remember that if you chose to rent a Disney ECV they do tend to run out and you can not take them out of the parks they do have wheel chair that you can take to the buss/ monorail/ boat but I am not sure if you can take them back to your hotel. I know they stoped giving wheel chair to guest at hotels and only have one or two for emergicey. So if you think you might need one at the hotel I would rent what every from an out side vender. Some Disney hotels are larger then you think, and after all day in the park you may not want/ have the energy to walk back to your room.

I wish you the best of luck with what ever they DX you with this must be a very scary time for you.

 

[IUTBAM]

I would buy a lightweight transport chair (the ones with four small wheels as opposed to 2 large back wheels and two small front wheels. They are lightweight, easy to maneuver, and can be purchased for around $100. You would have it to use at the airport. I don't know what airline you are flying but with Southwest, you will automatically be able to pre-board if you are in a wheelchair. That is a life saver for us with our special needs son. I'm sure other airlines offer that service as well. Good luck, and I hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[Tina1]

Thank you
All is well, In 2012 they sent me home to die due to skin cancer. I choose not to do treatment due to the side effects and low survival rates. The fact that I'm still here and alive is a blessing and I have nothing to complain about. But since this time last year I have been sick and the only thing they found was a small spot on my brain, which they are monitoring. I'm trying to continue my daily life and learn my limitations. I have accepted the fact I'm now handicap and learning to cope. Disney scares me to death now, no pun intended LOL. I don't mind the wheel chair but I know its going to hit my kids hard when they see me using it. But I've decided to go for it. I like the idea of the fold able 19lb wheel chair, and the resort I didn't factor in.

 

[CJN]

I would buy a lightweight transport chair (the ones with four small wheels as opposed to 2 large back wheels and two small front wheels. They are lightweight, easy to maneuver, and can be purchased for around $100. You would have it to use at the airport..

I've not personally used this type of chair so perhaps I'm speaking out of turn but does a chair with the smaller wheels work as well in the parks? I always had the impression they weren't as comfortable of a ride because they don't handle the bumps of rough terrain as well. Cobblestone or the rougher terrain of AK come to mind. And I've always been told they were a little harder to push which could make an extra exhausting day for your kids.

My advice is to not necessarily put cost first. Comfort and practicality are a must.

 

[Bete]

We used a portable, lightweight, travel wheelchair for my mom for six Disney trips. She weighed around 110 pounds. We got a cushion for the wheelchair. I was the female pusher and I was in my late fifties when we did it. I managed the parks by alternating shows with rides. The shows provided a rest. There were a few rides where you can take the wheelchair on the ride. We really did not do any roller coaster rides. Sometimes, we took a mid day break and we all took a nap and came back for the evening. We didn't do more than an eight hour day. We were careful with the wheelchair and avoided the bumpy areas as much as possible. The wheelchair we had was equipped with a safety belt. We used it. As a side benefit we used it at home for doctor appointments and when we went out for dinner and such.

There are some that use the wheelchair as a walker at times. So, if you want to walk for a while you can do it.

You may want to try a scooter. You can start with the free ones available in the stores. Those are a little harder to maneuver; so, if you can handle the stores ones you should do fine. You could go to a local zoo and rent one there and see how you do for the day. At the Disney parks you can have everyone surround you and the scooter and it should shield you somewhat from the crowds. You can always get help from the family to get the scooter on and off buses and such at the parks.

 

[perkinsrose]

If you would prefer and want to plan on being pushed, an option is to rent a wheelchair from a Florida company for your stay and it could be waiting at your hotel/resort. You could use it to and at the parks. At the airports, we called and had one waiting at the gate for us to use after deplaning though they do have the special one for use getting off the plane when needed/necessary. For our family, pushing a wheelchair rented for the week and using one at the airport worked fine and seemed best for our needs. Wishing you health and wellness.

 

[Mrsjvb]

I would buy a lightweight transport chair (the ones with four small wheels as opposed to 2 large back wheels and two small front wheels. They are lightweight, easy to maneuver, and can be purchased for around $100. You would have it to use at the airport. I don't know what airline you are flying but with Southwest, you will automatically be able to pre-board if you are in a wheelchair. That is a life saver for us with our special needs son. I'm sure other airlines offer that service as well. Good luck, and I hope you have a wonderful trip.

actually I would disagree with this advice. transport chairs are NOT comfortable long term( more than say half an hour at a time). furthermore with the all small wheels you are completely at the mercy of your companions. I may not be able to push myself very long or very far, but I can maneuver myself into the shade or down the bathroom hall to the HA stall if the companion restroom is occupied.

also they are NOT easy to maneuver in my experience.

any personal wheelchair will be gate checked on all airlines at zero cost and it will be waiting for you just outside the door at the destination.

hit your local thrift stores, there tends to be a lot of used medical equipment. just bring along someone who can give it a once over and check for structural integrity (all fasteners intact, good tire pressure etc) oh and for the love of your posterior, spend the money on a good gel foam seat cushion, preferably one with a cloth or sheepskin cover. mine was only $20.

if you really love the kids, give them a massage at some point during the trip. their back and shoulders will love you forever. on site you will pay a premium, but it will make it so much easier on them and they might be willing to continue doing it.....not sure off any of the chains are nearby offsite like hand and stone or Massage envy, but one off's there tend to be under $100.

 

[Mrsjvb]

I've not personally used this type of chair so perhaps I'm speaking out of turn but does a chair with the smaller wheels work as well in the parks? I always had the impression they weren't as comfortable of a ride because they don't handle the bumps of rough terrain as well. Cobblestone or the rougher terrain of AK come to mind. And I've always been told they were a little harder to push which could make an extra exhausting day for your kids.

My advice is to not necessarily put cost first. Comfort and practicality are a must.

as I just typed, you are absolutely correct in your assumptions. did it once, at DL. I made it a day and a half before I gave up, had him return it to the offsite place and trade it for a 'regular one' since at the time I did not have my own yet.

 

[happymommy]

I rented from an offsite place twice for my DD, and then found pretty much the exact same one on Amazon! It's not too heavy and about $150 (so cheaper now to bring our own).

I don't recommend a transport chair; they aren't any lighter, and don't do as well over the long distances as a wheelchair will. Plus, if we're in a shop, she can push herself short distances in the wheelchair (but you can't in a transport chair).

When we take it on the plane (Southwest) they did a gate check with it. I remove the footrests and put them in my carry on bag.

Good luck!

 

[sweetpeama]

Can you get a direct flight or will you have a layover.
If you have a layover how reliable is gate to gate assistance if needed
If there is not assistance will you have to change levels in the airport and then go to the opposite end of the airport
How much time can you get for a layover if you need to walk it
The answers to these would factor into my purchasing, renting from my home town area, buying used from a thrift shop, or renting from an off site company in Orlando.
I would not rent just for in the parks because there is also the getting to and from transportation and the park entrance or your room to deal with as well as wanting to check out your resort.

 

[happymommy]

I agree about not renting in the parks. We did that when my DD started not being able to walk so much (her shoulder had subluxed and she was in pain). It can still be a long walk to your room at the resort, and waiting for a bus or monorail, etc.

Last trip, she actually fell asleep on the bus one night in her chair (we normally fold it up to make room on the bus, as she can walk just not long distances, but she was so tired)!

Definitely direct (non stop) flight is ideal if possible!

 

[2Bnºoºt2B]

It all depends on your transpo needs ... if you need assistance in the airport ... and elsewhere other than the parks ... if you think the need for a wheelchair remains beyond the trip. Renting from offsite companies is easier than renting at the parks ... on our last DCL cruise rented a rollator walker instead of bringing along DW's ... ended up not using it as the model and type that was provided was unwieldy and not comfortable for her.

 

[Tina1]

Thanks everyone for the responses It really helped me to decide. I purchased a 15lb push wheelchair, folds easy $133. My only worry is how to make it airplane friendly. I have a couple months to play with it befor the trip. It folds but nothing locks in place after that. I do love a good challenge, or maybe just bungee cords LOL. I may make a carry bag with a strap. Hopefully it will get off the airplane in one piece. I've already decided if I end up not needing it, fingers crossedI'll just give it to someone in line who's trying to rent one.

 

[happymommy]

They do a good job with gate checking them, and we're flying Jetblue next trip. I've been told they have room to stow one (and only one) onboard, so we may be able to do that.

They just told us with Southwest to remove the foot rests, which isn't hard to do.

 

[jv3cv1]

You can gate check on delta also

 

[mamabunny]

Thanks everyone for the responses It really helped me to decide. I purchased a 15lb push wheelchair, folds easy $133. My only worry is how to make it airplane friendly. I have a couple months to play with it befor the trip. It folds but nothing locks in place after that. I do love a good challenge, or maybe just bungee cords LOL. I may make a carry bag with a strap. Hopefully it will get off the airplane in one piece. I've already decided if I end up not needing it, fingers crossedI'll just give it to someone in line who's trying to rent one.

The worst part about carry bags for wheelchairs is that they tend to be kind of awkward to deal with if you want to use the chair, simply because there is so much fabric to try and wrestle with! Bungee cords might be a great solution, but consider *this* stuff: Velcro One Wrap

You can cut it to length, and you only need one piece at a time, because the "hook" is on one side and the "loop" is on the other, so it's perfect for holding a wheelchair closed. (Instead of the old 1 piece of hook tape and 1 piece of loop tape and adhesive backing, and the whole mess...) This is the newer style Velcro, so it's softer; it doesn't have the big hard loops and prickly hooks like the older original Velcro does, but it still holds nice and firm every time! No worries about a bungee cord coming loose and "popping" you either! You can buy it on Amazon, and I have seen it in our local Wal-Mart in the tools/hardware section. I don't leave home without it - once we started using it, we found half a hundred other uses for it too LOL!

When I am not using it on Angus, I just loop it around the seat hoop, so it's handy to grab. I use it to hold my foot pedals up out of the way during loading/unloading/transport and also I use long lengths of it when I "double stack" my batteries to help hold them in place.

Hope this is helpful!

 

[xlxo]

We got ourselves an aluminum transport chair.... made a huge difference for everyone.
http://www.airgomobility.com/Products-TC-Flip-More-E.asp

Works great at the airport and collapses very well in cabs.

Small wheels does make it bumpy on rough sidewalks.