Wheel Chair ?

[MomLC]

My 75 yr old mom feels she can no longer do WDW but I keep insisting that we can rent her a wheelchair at the parks. I am wondering how the cast members assist individuals who need help getting on/off the rides? My mother would not have to take the wheelchair on the rides but she cannot stand in line or just hop on/off the rides due to arthritis in her legs/knees. Thank you for any info you can provide.

 

[jworkkul]

My 75 yr old mom feels she can no longer do WDW but I keep insisting that we can rent her a wheelchair at the parks. I am wondering how the cast members assist individuals who need help getting on/off the rides? My mother would not have to take the wheelchair on the rides but she cannot stand in line or just hop on/off the rides due to arthritis in her legs/knees. Thank you for any info you can provide.

In my dealings with disabilities and getting on and off rides, it is not the responsibility of the CM's to help, it is up to the families to do this.

 

[SueM in MN]

CMs are not allows to physically assist guests on and off of rides.
The exception would be that they will remove a wheelchair from the boarding area after the guest has gotten off of it. They will also bring a wheelchair to the boarding area. There are also certain attractions with wheelchair cars where the CM will load the wheelchair onto the rude car ( usually those rides where the companion to the guest with a wheelchair needs to board first).

CMs may possibly hold a wheelchair while the guest is getting in and out. But, they are not allowed to lift or transfer.

 

[memakwed]

On our last rip my dad was recovering from a broken ankle and surgery to have a plate put in. He was in a wheel chair. CM can not help, you must help your family member yourself, however, they do stop the ride so you can do this in your speed vs. those able bodied that hop on and off the ride as it continues to move forward for loading and unloading. Don't think the continual loading rides will not stop, because they will, to give you the oportunity to get her on and off.
However,with that being said I have a disability myself and will know when I can no longer go to disney on my own accord. If she is saying to you she doesn't think she can do it, take her words into account. Perhaps she doesn't want to go in a wheel chair or maybe doesn't want to hold the rest of the family back desite your desire to want to take her.

 

[SueM in MN]

Pretty much all the lines are wheelchair accessible and she would be able to bring the wheelchair into the line so she doesn't need to stand.
If she uses the wheelchair in line, she will be automatically routed to the wheelchair/accessible boarding area if it's not the regular boarding area.

There is more information about boarding on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

 

[Mrsjvb]

most I get is a hand steadying me as I do all the work myself ..and then.. only the Jungle ride.

 

[Trekkie]

If you look at the guidemaps, every ride will have a symbol on it. Some rides, like Small World, you can ride the ride without even getting out of the wheel chair. Others, you can take a wheel chair, but is you're in a scooter, then you have to transfer to a wheel chair. Others, you can take the wheel chair to the ride, but then you have to be able to transfer onto the ride. (Kind of like switching from a wheel chair to a chair.)

The Cast Members can't physically assist the disabled. (I assume it's a liability thing. These people aren't certified Nurses, or anything.) But you are allowed to assist your Mom.

Sometimes, transferring simply means what I think of as a "stand and pivot", where my Mom stands up, rotates 90 degrees, then sits down in a different chair.

Other times, it's tougher for Mom. I can't take her on Pirates of the Caribbean or Splash Mountain, because she'd have to step down into the boat.

I assume from your comment that you're considering going to the park without a wheelchair, and getting one at the park.

One thing they've started doing that I think was a really Great Idea. At least at Animal Kingdom (and I assume they do this at the other parks. AK is just the one I've seen), when you park in the handicapped parking, they have a dozen or so wheel chairs sitting at the handicapped parking lot. These are for you to use, so you can get from the parking lot to the wheelchair rental counter.

One possible thing to watch for: At least the way things used to work, rental wheelchairs/scooters could only be used at one park. If you wanted to go to a second park, you had to turn in the wheel chair, go to the other park, and rent one there.

I've read that, if you save your receipt for the first rental, then they won't charge you for the second rental. But you still have to be able to get from Park1 to Park2, and there's no guarantee that Park2 will have any. (They do run out.)

I've read that they now have a solution for the "one park rental" problem, but I confess that I don't remember what it is. (We used to rent wheel chairs, years ago. But now Mom has her own, so we don't rent any more.)

 

[Mrsjvb]

most efficient way is to simply rent from off site if you do not own .. and it can be cheaper as well. many companies will deliver it right to the resort on or off site and pick it up when you are done/

that way you have it in the parks, at the resort, while at DTD and everywhere in between.


many times those courtesy chairs are useless.. bad wheels, locked wheels, broken wheels, I have experienced them all

now at disneyLAND there is one rental place, just outside of the turnstiles by MK and you can bring the chair over to CA without having to turn anything in.. but they are literally within a few hundred yards of each other. additionally you can get special permission to take it into DTD by turning in your deposit receipt and getting a piece of paper that tells the CM at the bag check tents that you have permission to take the chair into DTD and the resorts.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you look at the guidemaps, every ride will have a symbol on it. Some rides, like Small World, you can ride the ride without even getting out of the wheel chair. Others, you can take a wheel chair, but is you're in a scooter, then you have to transfer to a wheel chair. Others, you can take the wheel chair to the ride, but then you have to be able to transfer onto the ride. (Kind of like switching from a wheel chair to a chair.)

The Cast Members can't physically assist the disabled. (I assume it's a liability thing. These people aren't certified Nurses, or anything.) But you are allowed to assist your Mom.
Sometimes, transferring simply means what I think of as a "stand and pivot", where my Mom stands up, rotates 90 degrees, then sits down in a different chair.

Other times, it's tougher for Mom. I can't take her on Pirates of the Caribbean or Splash Mountain, because she'd have to step down into the boat.

Posts 18 - 22 on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs has more specifics about the type of transfer needed for each attraction. It also has information on how difficult a transfer it is.

I assume from your comment that you're considering going to the park without a wheelchair, and getting one at the park.

One thing they've started doing that I think was a really Great Idea. At least at Animal Kingdom (and I assume they do this at the other parks. AK is just the one I've seen), when you park in the handicapped parking, they have a dozen or so wheel chairs sitting at the handicapped parking lot. These are for you to use, so you can get from the parking lot to the wheelchair rental counter.

they do have those 'shuttle wheelchairs' at the handicapped parking at all parks and also at the bus stop at AK.
They are available to go to and from handicapped parking and the wheelchair/ECV rental areas.
There is no guarantee there will be any and WDW does note that for someone without a wheelchair or ECV who can step up to get onto thenparking lot trams, that is the least number of steps.

One possible thing to watch for: At least the way things used to work, rental wheelchairs/scooters could only be used at one park. If you wanted to go to a second park, you had to turn in the wheel chair, go to the other park, and rent one there.

I've read that, if you save your receipt for the first rental, then they won't charge you for the second rental. But you still have to be able to get from Park1 to Park2, and there's no guarantee that Park2 will have any. (They do run out.)

that is how it works for WDW:
- wheelchair must be turned in when leaving the park and can't leave the park where it was rented .
- hang onto the receipt; you can use it the same day to get a wheelchair or ECV at the second park without paying again .
- there is not guarantee the 2nd park will have one available. Wheelchairs are not usually a problem, but ECVs typically all rented out by midmorning.

I've read that they now have a solution for the "one park rental" problem, but I confess that I don't remember what it is. (We used to rent wheel chairs, years ago. But now Mom has her own, so we don't rent any more.)

they don't.
There are several things they do, but they don't affect the "one park" situation.
1) if you rent an ECV or wheelchair and leave the park for a while, intending to come back to the SAME park, they may hold the wheelchair or ECV for you while you are gone.

2) you can buy a length of stay ticket for wheelchairs (not for ECVs) where you pay the first day for all the days you plan to rent. Then when you arrive at the park, you use the voucher to 'pay'. The cost per day is a little less, but still no taking it out of the park it was rented in.

You can also sometimes get a wheelchair loaned by the resort, but people who have done it reported the wheelchairs are not always in the best condition. There is also no guarantee that any will be available and they can't be reserved ahead of time.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

For our May trip I rented a wheelchair from Randys mobiity. They deliver right to your hotel and pick up too. They were also one of the companys who did not charge an insurance fee etc.

Before this in our December trip, I had a wheelchair from the resort. It was actually the 3rd one they gave us at the Yacht Club and my dh had to try fixing it with a cm's tools in the lobby. That was the last straw in the decision to rent one for the week.

If your mom has mobility issues as others have stated, there may or may not be complimentary ones available just to get from the bus to the park etc.

For $100 a week it was so worth it for us.

Have a great trip!

 

[alizesmom]

Sue, I really must ask. What's a RUDE car? Karen

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Cast Members are not allowed to touch Guests to assist in loading or unloading at any attraction, even if the Guest requests that it be done. The only direct assistance allowed to be provided is to hold/stabilize a wheelchair, to remove the chair/ECV after an individual transfers into an attraction eat, and to return the chair/ECV to the unload area at completion.

 

[crashbb]

Sue, I really must ask. What's a RUDE car? Karen

I assumed it was a typo of RIDE car, but now you have me curious!