wheel chairs for WDW parks

[disneychic]

I leave for WDW in a few days, and of course I sprained my ankle ( actually I just found out today that I tore ligaments..ouch) and chipped a bone in my wrist due to an accident over the weekend. So, I'm in a soft cast for the ankle, and 1/2 a cast for my wrist and trying to use crutches. I can barely move around at home, and know that I'll need a wheelchair to get around the parks at WDW. How do I go about getting one at the parks? Should I bring the Emergency room papers stating my injuries? Can I just trade my crutches in for a wheel chair? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[tednvon]

hi...If you really are struggling on crutches I would suggest renting a good wheelchair before you go and using it everywhere you need.....If you don't you will be in and out of many different chairs, a some are pretty well worn....then you can also get a nice comfortable pillow to sit on......caution......your feet will be in front of you in a wheelchair in large crowds, and it will be easy to bump your foot and ankle.....very painful.....so just be careful...and caution your pusher to go slow......Good luck and don't be a hero....stay at the hotel and elevate your foot if it swells and just accept that you will not be able ot do it all this time........Ted from Ortho in Iowa City

 

[rascalmom]

Each park rents wheelchairs & ECV's. Check rates at Deb Will's site (www.wdwig.com). Most of the resorts also have wheelchairs available, but not ECV's. There are also some independent stores that will deliver the chair type of your choice to your resort for the length of your stay. Check the out the disability board on this site. Good luck! Hope you heal soon.

 

[SueM in MN]

Sorry to hear about your accident. Renting at the parks is probably not a good option since you will need it at the resort too and some of the rental areas are quite a way from the parking area.
Here are the links to all the sites that DIS readers have reported experience with. All of them will rent ecvs or wheelchairs and will deliver them to your hotel.
Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/

Walker Mobility:
1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

RANDY'S Mobility is in Kissimmee 407-892-4777
http://randysmobility.com/

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html

The advice about renting a wheelchair before you go is actually a good idea (although you don't have much time to arrange things). You will probably need a wheelchair to get around in the airport, so if you don't bring one with you, call the airline and arrange for a wheelchair for each part of your flight.
Wheelchairs are sometimes available at your WDW resort, but they are first come, first served and can't be reserved.
ECVs are more expensive to rent, but do give you more independence. ECVs don't have any way for you to elevate your foot if you need to. A wheelchair is a less expensive option, but someone will need to push you. You should keep your crutches with you. For some rides, you do need to get out of the wheelchair and the crutches can make your transfer a little more steady. Here's a link to the DIS site info on Mobility disabilities in WDW. It includes prices for renting from the parks and info about rides.
If teri repsonds, she has some great links to wheelchair/ecv info from previous questions/answers on the DIS. Otherwise, look for one of her posts and follow the links.
PS. You don't need any proof to rent a wheelchair, but it might be a good idea to bring your ER report along in case you have any problems and need the information to explain to a doctor what happened.
Also, in case you get tired and want to lie down for a while, there is a First Aid Station in each park. They are cool and dim and have cots in individual little cubicles for resting.

 

[JudithM]

In addition to the above suggestions, I would suggest you bring a white (or light colored towel) to put over the chair or ECV. The FL sun gets HOT! Don't hesitate to use the chair or ECV.

 

[Coll0610]

You might want to find a wheelchair at home and have the person who will be pushing you around try it out for a while before you decide to use a wheelchair at Disney. A friend at work used a wheelchair last year for a broken ankle, and I was suprised at how much work it was just to push her to lunch. There is no way I could do it all day for several days in a row. Since you don't use a wheelchair or crutches regularly (and have a cast on your arm on top of it), you probably don't have the upper body strength to push yourself in the wheelchair.

Someone mentioned that you will want to bring your crutches for transferring to a ride - you might also want them for going in and out of the bathroom!

 

[teri]

An ECV may be a better choice. If you do use a wheelchair, do your 'pusher' a favor and provide golf- or weight lifting gloves, the kind with the leather palm and open fingers. I got terrible blisters on my hands from pushing my mom around Animal Kingdom, and we still had Magic Kingdom and Epcot to go...

I hope you have a great trip!