Wheelchair help

[tinkerbell_29]

My brother has recently broken the heel of his foot and done some otherdamage that will eventually require surgery. We have 2 WDW trips coming up one in April and one in August. While we are used to dealing with WDW and other health issues this is new to us. We rented a manual wheelchair today and plan on taking it with us. We though about renting a ECV from an offsite company but no their is no way mom and I can get it in and out of the van each day. Because of some of my health issues we can not use disney transportation. He will not be able to get from teh car to a park with out the wheelchair if we rent a ECV from disney will they store the manual one for us? Is there a place to elevate your foot some? If an ECV is not going to work for us how hard will it be to push him around the parks? In August we will be flying down can we gate check the wheelchair like you can a stroller? Any other tips or useful information would be appreciated. TIA!

Lissa

 

[zumbergc]

do you have a perm or temp disability sticker or plackard?

We just went last week. My mom has a disability sticker. We only drove to animal kingdom & sea world. At animal kingdom, They have courtasy wheel chair there that you can use. However, there may or may not be one there for you to use, to get from the van to the entrance of the park. I'm not sure what you would do, it they were all at the park entrance.

Maybe someone else can comment on their experience.

AK may be one of the hardest places to push, with all the hills. A lady made it pushing her husband back to the fast pass distribution for the safari ride. I heard her asking the attendant if there was a place besides the front of the park to switch the push chair for an ecv. Her husband was larger than she was. So, it may depend on the size of the person pushing, and the person riding, and how in shape the pusher is. disney is a lot of walking to begin with, pushing another person is alot harder.

Connie

 

[SueM in MN]

MHe will not be able to get from teh car to a park with out the wheelchair if we rent a ECV from disney will they store the manual one for us?

Yes, but there is no guarantee they will have an ECV for you when you get there. If you are arriving pretty early in the day, there should not be a problem.

Is there a place to elevate your foot some? If an ECV is not going to work for us how hard will it be to push him around the parks?

Here is a picture of the park ECVs. They are the same in all the parks.
As you can see, there really is not a place to elevate your foot, although he can put it up on the black part by the tiller.
If he needs to elevate it, I have seen people park by a bench and put their foot up there or do the same for a chair in a counter service restaurant.
A lot of the 'how hard' depends on how heavy he is and how fit you are. Wheelchairs are made for pushing, so they don't really take as much strength as people might think.

In August we will be flying down can we gate check the wheelchair like you can a stroller?

It would be just like a stroller. They can't charge you any extra for it or count it toward his baggage allowance.
For other information that might be helpful, I'd suggest you check out the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board.

 

[linda108]

Pushing a w/c is not a problem at all - just make sure you get a true w/c and not a transport chair. We pushed by Grandmom who is not big but not so little either- The w/c almost went along on it's own. We pushed her in all 4 parks with full days in ak, mk and mgm.

 

[tinkerbell_29]

Wehave an actually wheelchair not a transport chair and it does roll pretty well. My concern is the hills at Epcot. I am in pretty good shape and can push him ok on flat ground but I have back problems, a heart condition and diabetes and am afraid those few hills may be a big problem. Were going to hope they have an ECV each day and if not we will deal with it. Thanks for all the tips so far. Anything else about the rides or any other tips that might be useful would be appreciated. Thanks!

Lissa

 

[Chuck S]

Just wanted to comment, even with a chair that rolls smoothly, I can think of some areas that may be difficult to negotiate.

If you drive to MK, the underpass between the w/c parking lot and the TTC (under the road to the Poly) is quite steep. So are the ramps to the monorail platforms.

And at EPCOT the bridge between France nd the UK is steep.

 

[mechurchlady]

If you own the van you can have added to the rear a fold down platform to hold the ecv. There are ramps available, possibly for rent, that you could use and drive the ecv into the van.

I am the chair pusher and need an ECV but chair pushing comes first. MK is the worst place for disabled people because you have to go under the roadway and back up then take the ferry or climb straight up the side of the monorail, I was exhausted every day from that walk to the ferry and gave up on the monorail.

There are ramps and bridges as well as hills. I look back and even else where now see bridges as mountains. I am sure you will find a way and there are van rentals that have lifts on them.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

As long as your brother doesn't have any problems with his back, shoulders or arms, he should be able to help you with hills. I use a wheelchair whenever I'm outside the house, sometimes pushing myself, sometimes being pushed. When we get to something steep, I ask whoever's with me to push, and I push too, using the wheel rims. It may take a little practice to get the rhythm going, but it's a big help once you get the hang of it!

 

[tinkerbell_29]

He has been practicing pushing him self at the mall. We have several steep slopes in our local mall and has gotten pretty good at it we only have to help a little. I'm prepared if I have to push him we will be ok everywhere but AK. That place nearly does me in just walking we will get there early enough to get an ECV. Other than Pirates and Space Mountain are there any other rides he might have problems with or might not be able to do?

Lissa

 

[BroganMc]

I am in pretty good shape and can push him ok on flat ground but I have back problems, a heart condition and diabetes and am afraid those few hills may be a big problem.

This is what scares me the most couple with the timing of your trips. It will be downright miserable with the heat, humidity and sun in August. April is better unless you're talk towards the end of the month. Orlando has a habit of getting hot as soon as Mother Nature gets a whiff of summertime.

The last thing you want to do is try to push a wheelchair up a hill in hot weather. It'll exhaust you very quickly and could exascerbate your pre-existing problems.

Are you certain there isn't a way you can rent that ECV offsite and just split up to use transportation to/from the parks? I've found driving vs. taking the bus pretty much gets you to the park at the same time (assuming both vehicles leave at the same time).

Otherwise I'd be very cautious about over-stressing yourself.

As far as rides are concerned, anything that requires climbing in/out or stepping down would probably be an issue for someone with a foot injury. If Pirates is out then so is Maelstrom. Test Track is possible if he can do a slide transfer on the seat ledge (just ask for the special boarding and all he needs do is lift his legs over the edge).

It's a Small World, Mexico's ride and Living Land are possible if he is in a manual chair. (They keep some at those rides for ECV transfers.)

Big Thunder and Splash are also issues. As is Kali River Rapids.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Are you staying onsite? And is your brother an adult (i.e. over 18 + responsible)?

If yes to both, I have another suggestion: Rent an ECV from an off-site location, have him use Disney transportation, and meet him at (outside) the parks.

 

[tinkerbell_29]

He is over the age of 18. Responsible well I'm not so sure about that he did this to himself by jumping off of some stairs. I had not thought of haveing him use Disney transportation and meeting him there. We may do that at least in August if necessary. Because there is no way I'm pushing him in that heat. Unfortunatley I'm a teacher and summer and school breaks are the only time we can go. Thanks for everyones advise.
Lissa

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Disney transport is really easy to do with wheels. The FAQ has plenty of information on how to handle it and what to do. You might also want to encourage him to practice a bit at the hotel, so he knows how to drive forwards and backwards, how to turn and how to parallel park (you need this last one on the buses). With a bit of practice he should do just fine (just as long as he knocks the speed right down to maneuver!).