Wheelchair logistics at WDW

[kamik86]

My mom is coming to WDW with me in October along with 7 other members of our family. She is 60 and has bad knees which makes walking too much both slow and painful at times. I wanted some information about wheelchair rentals in the park in case she feels she needs one.

I would definitely want to go with a push wheelchair since enough of us would be around to push her instead of an ecv because Mom has never used either before and she would probably run into people in a crowded park before she got the hang of driving the thing.

When you have a ride where you have to transfer to the ride can you still wait in line in the chair? Transferring wouldn't be a problem since she can walk but waiting for too long in the line might be. How are rides like the one in the middle of the ball in Epcot (forgot the name sorry ) done for someone using a wheelchair? Actually even if she is just walking her balance isn't good so I'm still a bit worried about the moving floor. Would they let me or one of my sisters take her hand lead her into a car and make sure she is set then get in ours? Then we would just do the same thing on the way out.

Sorry to be asking so many questions, I didn't have to worry about any of this stuff when I have gone before.

 

[KPeveler]

Wheelchairs wait in almost every mainstream line, so she will wait with you in the normal line. If there is a different line for wheelchairs, then she plus 5 people will be allowed to wait with her (that is the general rule - sometimes it is different).

You can get the CMs to slow down or stop moving walkways. The only walkways that cannot be stopped are at Peter Pan and the TTA. She HAS to be with you when you get the GAC (if you decide you need one).

 

[SueM in MN]

My mom is coming to WDW with me in October along with 7 other members of our family. She is 60 and has bad knees which makes walking too much both slow and painful at times. I wanted some information about wheelchair rentals in the park in case she feels she needs one.

I would definitely want to go with a push wheelchair since enough of us would be around to push her instead of an ecv because Mom has never used either before and she would probably run into people in a crowded park before she got the hang of driving the thing.

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread (or you can find it near the top of this board). Post #2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread has information about renting wheelchairs and ECVs.
Some people feel confident using an ECV and some would rather give up a little of independence to not have to worry about watching where they are going.

That disABILITIES FAQs thread also has some other information that might be helpful to you - post #1 of that thread is an index that will help you know where to find other information.

When you have a ride where you have to transfer to the ride can you still wait in line in the chair? Transferring wouldn't be a problem since she can walk but waiting for too long in the line might be.

Shows and movies have spaces where wheelchair/ECVs can be parked so there is no need to transfer to a theater seat.
This is helpful for someone with bad knees because she won’t need to get up from the theaters seats (like theater seats in your local theater, some of the seats are close to the ground).
For rides, she will be able to stay in the wheelchair until she boards the ride.
My daughter can’t walk, so we actually pull her wheelchair right up to (sometimes touching) the ride car seat to transfer her over.

How are rides like the one in the middle of the ball in Epcot (forgot the name sorry ) done for someone using a wheelchair? Actually even if she is just walking her balance isn't good so I'm still a bit worried about the moving floor. Would they let me or one of my sisters take her hand lead her into a car and make sure she is set then get in ours? Then we would just do the same thing on the way out.

That attraction is called Spaceship Earth.
Follow this link to the EPCOT FAQs thread. It is not finished, but does have some completed parts that will help answer your questions about the Epcot attractions. Post #10 of that thread is about Spaceship Earth.

Many attractions have “Mainstream Access” for the line, which means that the line is wheelchair accessible. Because Spaceship Earth was one of the original attractions, built before they really thought about accessibility, it was not able to be renovated to make Mainstream Access.
For Spaceship Earth, there is a handicapped waiting area and entrance at the ride exit. You will check in with the CM there and he/she will tell you the approximate wait and where you will wait.
For attractions with moving walkways, the CMs will often slow the moving walkway for guests who are using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. If you need it slower (or even stopped), you need to let the CM know.
The moving walkway on Spaceship Earth (SE) can be slowed or stopped. Since 2 people ride in every SE ride car, one of your party will be able to ride with your mom and help her to get into the ride car. That person can get in after helping your mom get seated. When exiting SE, that person would be first off and could help your mom.

At SE, they often board a number of guests with disabilities in a ‘batch’. That allows them to be ready when that ‘batch’ gets off. The CMs do keep track of which ride cars contain people with special needs for exiting and evacuation reasons.

There are a few attractions with moving walkways that can’t be stopped:
Peter Pan (although they may be able to stop it for the first and last ride of the day, on request. Under normal circumstances, it can only be stopped in emergency).

Tomorrowland Transit Authority has a steep moving walkway/ramp to get up and down from the boarding area.

Pirates of the Caribbean has a steep moving ramp that goes from the unload area back up to ground level. That is straight ahead as you get off the ride. There is a small elevator off a hallway to the left of that moving walkway.

Sorry to be asking so many questions, I didn't have to worry about any of this stuff when I have gone before.

Don’t worry - that’s what this board is for.
And - you have not even asked half as many questions as some people do.
Feel free to ask as many as you need to.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Hi there! I strongly suggest you talk to your mother about renting a wheelchair for the whole trip. I have Fibromyalgia, but had many years of on-and-off joint pain before that, and I know from experience that it is much better to use a chair from the start, rather than push yourself until you're in too much pain to walk. Being in pain can make the whole trip a miserable, rather than a magical, experience .

You might want to look into getting a wheelchair that is 'yours' for the whole trip, rather than renting at the parks each day. This would mean she had somewhere to sit waiting in line for the buses; she could use it around the resort (some of them involve a LOT of walking); take it to DTD; and you wouldn't need to line up every morning to claim your rental. If she wants to walk for a while, you can park the chair in the stroller parking area, and she can come back to it when she's ready.

The Disney resorts do have some chairs that can be borrowed for a fully refundable deposit (somewhere around $100, but as I said, you get it all back when you return it), but these are on a first-come first-served basis.

Another option would be to rent from an off-site company. This often works out cheaper than renting day-by-day in the parks, and the chairs are usually well cared for and easier to drive. There are details of some recommended ones in the FAQ thread, which you might want to have a look at. If you decide to try for one of the resort chairs, keep a few phone numbers in your back pocket, in case they run out.

The third option, would be to rent from a company local to your home. It may well work out cheaper to do this, as they won't be charging 'tourist rates'. It will also mean she can use it at the airport, if you're flying. She will be able to use it right up to the door of the plane, and it won't count against any baggage allowances, as it's a mobility device.

As for rides, as others have said, they're mostly mainstreamed now (everyone goes through the same line). On rides with a separate line, or where wheelchair users are pulled aside to load elsewhere, you will probably have to split your party up, as the standard rules say no more than 5 people to accompany the wheelchair user. Make sure you arrange a meeting point for later, or have domeone with a cell phone in each group. If you're not sure where to line up for a ride, just ask the CM at the entrance to the attraction, and they'll point you in the right direction.

Hope this helps!

 

[danalee]

We rent one from home it is wayyyy cheaper and like stated earlier she can use it at the airport or the resort.

on my moms first trip with a wheelchair she just knew she would'nt need it all the time, well with all the walking, standing, up & down plus the heat she needed almost 100% of the time~

Good Luck & have a wonderful vacation!