Wheelchair Hire & Disabled Access Room?

[poppyberry]

Don't post much but lurk often to read everyones great tips and advice and now I find I need some of my own!

We booked two rooms at POFQ through Disney UK for our Disney wedding trip bride in April one for my mom and one for future MIL and FIL. We are staying at Wilderness Lodge.

Unfortunately at the end of November my Mom suffered a serious head injury which has left her with some mild weaknesses. Whilst she can walk etc (and thankfully will still be able to fly to the wedding), she cannot walk long distances.

My questions are: (if anyone has the answers? )

Will Disney allow us to change to a disabled room or ensure she has a room close to bus stops etc? Will they charge?

Will they be able to ensure my future MIL and FIL are nearby if not next door?

How easy is to rent wheelchairs from Disney?

We have visited Disney over 10 times but never under such circumstances and I would appreciate anyones advice

Thanks in advance

 

[jtlover]

Sorry to hear that about your Mum.

I would ring and put in the request so that they get you a disabled room. They are very good at sorting those kind of requests.

Regarding wheelchairs they do rent them at the parks but have no idea what the costs are. Can you not take one with you on the flight to save the expense?

 

[scojos]

hi, disney are amazing with disabilities and will bend over backwards to help you.
wheel chairs are available at each resort for use in the resort, you can rent and ecv at each park, but your best bet is to rent a ecv from an external supplier, there is loads of info on the disabilities board.
you may be elligible for a GAC (guest assistance card) again, info on disabilities board.
you can request rooms togther, and whilst nothing is guaranteed, under the circumstances i would ask.
if you are making adrs for disney restaurants and she will need to stay in her chair then make sure they know, as some restaurants have vert tight tables (lecellier comes to mind but there are several.
ds has asd he uses his pushchair as a wheelchair, and is allowed in queues in it, there are also specific places for watching fireworks for people in chairs, ask at guest services....
i really would say that you need to plan this more than a normal holiday as knowledge is power, and you dont want her to be distressed or in pain over there.
hope this helps
tracy

 

[JohnnySharp2]

If you can I would take your own wheelchair, just for the convenience of having it at the airport.
Our sion is autistic but fully mobile, however he cannot walk long distances either so we take our own which whilst we rarely use in the UK is essential around the parks.

 

[nobodies36]

Don't post much but lurk often to read everyones great tips and advice and now I find I need some of my own!

We booked two rooms at POFQ through Disney UK for our Disney wedding trip bride in April one for my mom and one for future MIL and FIL. We are staying at Wilderness Lodge.

Unfortunately at the end of November my Mom suffered a serious head injury which has left her with some mild weaknesses. Whilst she can walk etc (and thankfully will still be able to fly to the wedding), she cannot walk long distances.

My questions are: (if anyone has the answers? )

Will Disney allow us to change to a disabled room or ensure she has a room close to bus stops etc? Will they charge?

Will they be able to ensure my future MIL and FIL are nearby if not next door?

How easy is to rent wheelchairs from Disney?

We have visited Disney over 10 times but never under such circumstances and I would appreciate anyones advice

Thanks in advance

There are two types of disabled rooms at Disney. The first is the roll-in shower room and at POFQ all roll-in shower rooms are located in Building 3 (you can look this up on a map and see if this is close enough if needed). The second is a disabled access room with grab-bars in the bathroom (this one has a tub) and these are located all over the resort (including building 4 which is closest to the bus stop).

Call Disney UK and they will do this free of charge. If you need a roll in shower, make sure it is blocked by special reservations in the US. If you just need a room near the bus stop, then just request this on medical grounds if possible you will be allocated this. Also, due to your mother being on her own with special needs Disney UK will be able to give connecting rooms as it would be on medical grounds (they can also block more than one room for roll-in).

As for wheelchairs, I would agree with what has been posted- either bring one from home (if you have one) or rent from an off-site company (see disABILITES) for length of stay. That way you can use it at the resort and travelling etc. rather than just in each park. Airports involve lots of walking and if not bringing own wheelchair then just make sure to utilize all help at the airport. Finally, as mentioned, I would suggest not getting a wheelchair but an ECV/mobility scooter instead (they can be driven with one hand if needed). The scooter would especially be helpful as your mother can have freedom and independance from the group. I usually travel with my personal ECV (or two when mum had heart op) and it makes such a difference to the quality of my holiday.

Hope this helps. Sorry it is so long.
Have a great trip and congrats on your upcoming nuptials.

 

[poppyberry]

Thanks everyone for your help. Looks like I have some extra planning to do!

 

[SueM in MN]

Click on the link in my signature for the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

Post # 2 of that thread is about wheelchairs and ECVs, including places to rent. Although you may be able to get a wheelchair free of charge from the resort, I recommend not doing that because posters have very frequently reported problems with them. Many times with size, but also poor condition.
Since she had a head injury, I would be cautious about evaluating whether or not she would be safe to use an ECV. If she has any perceptual problems, judgment problems, attention or vision problems, it may not be safe for her to use an ECV. You need to consider it like a car- if she is safe to drive a car, she probably would be safe to use an ECV.
Also, consider that driving an ECV can be quite tiring. You have to constantly be watching for people who step out in front of you and be ready to stop. If she is capable of doing that in the morning, it may become mire difficult in the afternoon when she is more tired.

Post #6 of that thread is about Guest Assistance Cards. It appears most of her needs will be taken care of by using an ECV or wheelchair in queues. A GAC would not shorten the distance she walks, so would not help that much iliqueurs to help with her problems with standing/walking. You don't need a GAC to use an ECV in queues.

There is also a section of the disABILITIES FAQs thread about the different types of room accommodations. As was mentioned, unless she needs a roll in shower, you probably don't need to contact the special needs department. Many people assume that they need a wheelchair accessible room if they have a wheelchair or ECV. The doors to enter all rooms are the same, so she would be able to bring a wheelchair or ECV into whatever room she has. The handicaPOWs accessible rooms are the same size as the non - wheelchair accessible rooms, the room is just divided differently. The bathroom in the rooms with roll in showers are bigger, but the bedroom is smaller because they take space from the bedroom and put it into the bathroom