wheel chairs

[jasonrachel]

I am going down to disneyworld in November to get married.
My mother is going to need a wheel chair while we are down there. How do I go about setting this up? Thanks

Jason

 

[Cheshire Figment]

You may be better off renting an ECV, as pushing a wheelchair can get very tiresome, especially if you are not used to it. Also it depends on the weight of the passenger and the condition of the pusher(s). Some information for off-site rentals are:

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

Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/

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

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

I have used Walker a few times. They will ask for a credit card and charge it the day before arrival. They will deliver the ECV to your hotel bell services before your arrival and pick it up there after your departure. Their rates, especially for longer than a week, are much better than Disney's. Also, their scooters are much better.

You don't say if you are renting a car or what. If you are using a car for getting around, the ECVs break down into five pieces, the heaviest about 39 pounds. They take about a minute or so to take apart and about two minutes (once you are used to it) to put it together.

Another suggestion is find out your state's requirements for a temporary disabled hang tag and get the paper work and have your doctor sign off on it. The tag will allow you to use any of the handicap parking areas (which will be a necessity). Also, with the policy of charging for valet parking, with a handicap hang tag the fees will be waived. Also the valets will usually volunteer to assist in loading/unloading an ECV. In Virginia I printed the required form from the DMV website. When I took the completed form to the DMV Office it took less than 15 minutes from the time I walked in until I had my tag.

If you want to stick with a wheelchair, you can also rent them from the off-site companies. One important thing is an ECV will give your mother more freedom by not having to rely on others to assist.

If she has never used one, they often can be "tested" in a large grocery store. Note that the ones from off-site are much easier to drive and maneuver than those in grocery stores.

You can also arrange to "borrow" (at no charge) a wheelchair from your resort for length of stay. However, these wheelchairs are often not available and also often are not the best quality.

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome to disABILITIES and congratulations on your upcoming wedding.
You didn't say where you are staying, but if it is one of the WDW on-site hotels, they usually do have wheelchairs to lend out at no cost, but (as Cheshire Figment said) they may not be the best. People have posted that sometimes what was available was not at all right for the person who needed it (like an extra-wide one when they needed a narrow one or the opposite). I believe that people have posted the Swan and Dolphin (which are on WDW property, but not managed by Disney) don't have wheelchairs and most of the off-site resorts would not have them either.
So, your best bet would be to rent from one of the medical supply places in the area.

 

[JudithM]

Jason, welcome to the DIS bbs & congratulations to you on your upcoming wedding!

I, too, would recommend renting an ECV for your mom if she is able to use one. This way she could get around by herself without depending on anyone else to push her around. I have rented an ECV from Walker Mobility on my last few trips & have had very good experiences. The ECV has always arrived on time. The battery lasts a lot longer than the Disney ECVs guests can get at the parks.

Think about your options & feel free to ask us any other questions.

 

[jasonrachel]

I thank you very much. We are going to be staying at the
Coronado Springs Resort. I 'll talk to my mother and see what
see wants to do. Thanks.

Jason

 

[JudithM]

Jason, I really like Coronado Springs Resort ! However, for someone with mobility issues (your mom needs/wants a wheelchair), I would recommend, if mom can handle it, that she get the ECV. She can use the ECV to go to the building with the food court, gift shop, etc. If some of the party is going to the pool, she can wheel herself to the pool. Guests can take the ECV onto WDW busses with ease. Or if mom just wants to go back to her room for a little R&R she can! Enjoy the planning!

 

[cupcake]

I second what everyone else has said. If you have any specific questions, please ask away -- I used WDW rental wcs (from resorts & parks) for about 10 years before finding this site & learning about off-site rentals and the total advantage of ECVs. But wcs do have their advantages too: they are inexpensive, super easy to transport, and depending on the prowess of the person who is doing the pushing and what your touring plans are, the lack of independence may not be that big a deal.

The park/resort wheelchairs are very variable in quality and size/type availability. I have never found one with an adjustable footrest and tend to try out what they have to see what fits best. I have found resort wcs to be better overall (others have found the opposite), but given that the cost is basically the same, in my opinion, there is NO reason no to rent from offsite. If you don't like what your resort has, they can borrow from other resorts, but this may take a day or so, leaving you with the subpar wc in the interim. The comfort differential in a guaranteed excellent condition, adjustable wc is well worth the effort of setting it up. Your mom's back will thank you! A good condition wc is also easier to push.

I recommend bringing a towel for the seat, it is more comfortable and will identify your wc easily when she gets up.

Note that the exception to my recommendation that you rent your wc offsite is during peak seasons-- then, you really really really should rent offsite or you could end up with a truly awful wc or a wait.

Have a super trip!!!!

Cupcake

 

[Tesabat]

I've been browsing this section of the boards...and I just wanted to say to follow the advice here. I didn't - I ignored it. Last week was my first trip to WDW since my surgery and I did NOT rent an ECV off site because I stubbornly thought I could "get around fine" and wouldn't need one, or, I could just get one if I did. I was wrong.

We did nab an ECV at Epcot twice (we were lucky I think), but at MK and MGM - I did a combination of rolling myself in a wheelchair and having my family push...both were tiring in the heat. And, at MK, there were only four wheelchairs left when we got there, and that was only an hour after park opening. Scary....and I'll never go unprepared like that again. (Also, the quality DOES vary - first one I could roll great and turn on a dime...second one was much harder to roll.)

Also, the walk in from the Epcot bus was long, long, long - a lot longer than I remembered from last year! And, even when we drove, the wait for the tram, and then the walk in, was a little taxing. And, the parking lots at the resorts...lets just say I did a lot of waiting to be picked up in the car because by the time I walked TO the car...I was done.

I had stubbornly insisted to my family that I didn't need handicap access, didn't need an ECV, etc., etc. I was wrong. The resort as well as the parks will be so much more enjoyable and relaxing with an ECV.

 

[hightown]

Was reading this thread with interest relative to my trip coming up w/Mom.

If you don't mind, what are the approx costs of a weekly ecv rental? How long in advance does this needs to be set up?

Thanks, Sharon

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Walker runs about $199.50 for a full week. For more than a week, the price drops. I think Care and Colonial are about the same. Randy's is less, but you must be there when they drop off and pick up.

I know that Walker, if you are arriving late afternoon ar early evening will not charge for the day. If you are arriving in the morning, they will drop it off the afternoon before. If leaving in the afternoon, and you can drop it by 2:00, they will normally only charge for 1/2 day the last day.

Normally I will order the rental several months out. They will charge the credit card for the full rental amount the day prior to arrival. The shortest notice I ever gave them was less than two week, however I have heard of people calling up for an immediate rental when they realized they needed it.

 

[hightown]

Thanks CF!

We'll see how she's doing. I told her that she's definately getting a GAC pass this year to use so they can stop the constantly moving rides to get on and off. Don't know if a scooter suggestion would upset her or not!

Printed out info on the rental companies in case!

Sharon

 

[JudithM]

Sharon, last year I called Walker on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving for a rental beginning the Saturday after Thanksgiving - no problem. I would suggest calling as soon as you think you will need one. As CF said, Walker does not charge the credit card until the day before your arrival.

Also, please let your mom know that she will probably appreciate the ECV in the long run. It is less stress on everyone - no pushing a wheelchair, no feeling guilty or bad because someone is pushing your wheelchair, easy coming & going, etc.

Early on I wondered if I should use a scooter for my knee condition. I read several posts on this bb that convinced me that I have as much "right" as the next person to get a handicapped parking permit from my state & to use an ECV at WDW! the comments on this bb gave me the courage to get both.