Wheelchair newbie needs your advice

[joshua4]

I have been lurking around for weeks and I think it is time for me to post on this board. My mom has an inoperable brain tumor - her prognosis is not good and the dr. anticipates she only have a couple of months left. She told us yesterday that she really wants to go to DW one last time with her grandkids so last night I booked us two rooms at the poly for June 4 -8. (yes the wheel chair accessible rooms). She is very weak and I think we have a wheel chair lined up for the trip. I know that everyone seems to recommend an ecv, but she has vision problems and we are all concerned that she will be driving into things with an ecv. So here are my questions:

1. I have never paid much attention before to how accessible things are -- to get around from the poly, is our best bet the monorail or the boat to the MK?

2. What do you do with a wheel chair when you get on a bus? Do you fold it up? Do you have to use that lift thing and get strapped in the back? I know that her preference will be to have the driver make as little "fuss" as possible?

Thanks for the advice

 

[Michigan]

We like the boats better then the monorail because the monorail has a killer of a ramp to get up.

The chair has to go up the ramp or the lift on the bus and be locked down she can sit in a regular seat if she want. You will be the first people loaded on the bus so if there is a long line and you just walk up when the bus arrives you still will be the first on the bus.

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome, joshua.
There are peoplw who will not do well with an ecv and your mom sounds like one of the people that a wheelchair makes more sense for. For someone who has vision problems or is maybe going to get tired steering the ecv, the wheelchair is better.

I agree with Michigan on that monorail ramp. It's deceptive because where you get on at the Poly is fine (you board at second floor level, but you are onthe second floor when you board. At MK, you also board (and get off) at second floor level, but there is a long, steep ramp to go from ground level to the monorail station.

The wheelchair loading isn't really all that much "fuss". It really would not be safe for the folded wheelchair to be carried up the steps (those things are heavy) and once it's on the bus, they can't have it moving around, so that's why they strap it down even if the user is not riding in it. Maybe you can explain it that way to her and she will feel it's for everyone's benefit, not just "fussing" over her.
Any more questions before you go, please ask away.

 

[Megan's Mom]

In October we took DD that is in a wheelchair and we did both. The boat was easier but you need to ride the monorail at least once. Seems like that had to put a special ramp down on one leg of teh trip. Have fun and make a very memorable trip with your mother. It will be great memories that your children will have of Grandma.

 

[joshua4]

I didn't realize that wheelchairs get on the bus first. This might be a bit weird for us because we are travelling as a party of 8 (my sisters and I plus 4 little kids plus mom). I can just see people rolling their eyes as we "cut" the line to get mom on. Should most of us get in the line and one or two of us stay with mom? What is the polite thing to do?

Here is another question for you. I am thinking it would be handy to have a bag to hang off the back of her wheel chair to put our misc. kid stuff in. Do they sell bags for that purpose? Any recommendations?

With regard to parades, are there special wheel chair viewing areas? Will that work for us with 8 people or are we better just pulling up curbside and all sitting around the wheel chair?

Another question, I am hoping that Mom is strong enough so that when we get to a ride, we "park" the wheel chair and our strollers and she will stand in line with the rest of us. If she is really tired though, I guess we will have to have her stay in the chair until right before she boards the ride. I understand that they have made the line areas wider now for wheel chairs -- but what happens to her chair once we get on the ride? Does it magically appear at the place where you exit the ride?

Finally, any other words of advice for us? Obviously we are going to go at a slow pace and take long breaks during the day. Is there anything else I should know about the ins and outs of pushing a wheel chair through the parks.

Thanks for all of your help!

Lauren (aka Joshua4)

 

[SueM in MN]

The boat was easier but you need to ride the monorail
at least once. Seems like that had to put a special ramp
down on one leg of teh trip.

I agree that riding the monorail once is really great. If you travel to Epcot from a monorail resort, you will be riding the monorail too.
There is a gap between the floor of the monorail station and the monorail car. They have portable ramps at each station they can put down to bridge the gap. You may not always need the ramp (the gap may be small enough to just drive over it with the wheelchair).

Should most of us get in the line and one or two of us stay with mom? What is the polite thing to do?

You should all stay together. Bus drivers often will tell your whole party to board at the rear of the bus after the wheelchair is on. You want to all board together so you don't risk leaving part of your party at the bus stop if there are too many people. If there are limited seats, our family feels that it is polite to have the members of our party who can stand do that.

I am thinking it would be handy to have a bag to hang off the back of her wheel chair to put our misc. kid stuff in. Do they sell bags for that
purpose? Any recommendations?

A regular backpack works very well for that purpose (plus it's inexpensive, easy to find in stores and easy to carry around if you want it off the wheelchair for a while).

With regard to parades, are there special wheel chair viewing areas? Will that work for us with 8 people or are we better just pulling up curbside and all sitting around the wheel chair?

The wheelchair viewing areas are marked on the park maps. For the afternoon parades, they may be right in the sun, so watch out for that. They are often quite busy and fill up fast, so they may limit you to the person in the wheelchair plus one other. At MK, our favorite spot is on the porch in front of the Town Square Exibition Hall (the same buidling as Tony's Restaurant). It's a raised porch, so you can see over the heads of the people who are standing on the curb and there are a few rocking chairs if you get there ear;y. There is a ramp to get up to the porch at the end of the building closest to the railroad station.

Another question, I am hoping that Mom is strong enough so that when we get to a ride, we "park" the wheel chair and our strollers and she will stand in line with the rest of us.

Since she is weak, I'd suggest she conserve her strength for enjoying the park as much as possible and not use it waiting in line. She is also likely to all of a sudden feel tired or just push herself past the point where she should rest so she doesn't keep anyone else from having fun.

I understand that they have made the line areas wider now for wheel chairs

Those are called Mainstream lines and this link to the DIS page about touring WDW with mobility disabilities will tell you which lines are Mainstream.

-- but what happens to her chair once we get on the ride? Does it magically appear at the place where you exit the ride?

For rides where wheelchair users board at the regular entrance, the CMs will move the wheelchair to the exit and it should be waiting for you when you get off. For some rides, the best place for wheelchair users to board is the exit. For those, you will wait in line, but before boarding, you will be routed to the exit. The wheelchair will be waiting right where you left it.Here's a link to a thread about ride boarding.

Finally, any other words of advice for us?

The biggest advie is to go and enjoy yourselves. If she gets tired and needs to rest a little while (but doesn't want to leave the park), First Aid is great. The CMs there are wonderful and there are private cot areas where she could lie down for a while in a coll, dim place. This website has a lot of helpful information. It also has links to download the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities for each park. They don't tell a lot, but do have general information about whether a ride is a rough thrill ride or a gentle boat ride. Another piece of information that would be useful for you is the length of each ride/attraction. That might help with planning. There is also good information about Guest Assistance Cards (GAC) which is a way to let CMs know if you need more assitance that what they would normally give a person in a wheelchair. For example, you don't need a GAC to access the wheelchair entances if you have a wheelchair, but your mom may have some issues with waiting in the sun or heat.
Finally, here's some pixie dust for a great trip.

 

[SueM in MN]

3 other things I forgot (even though I posted almost a book):

The time you are going might not be busy. Many schools are not out yet and most people don't take vacation a few weeks before they will be out. So, you may be very lucky and miss the crowds.

For Illuminations, you can get as good a view anywhere around WS, so if the wheelchair viewing areas are looking busy, you can just find a spot to park.

2 way radios (walkie talkies) are a good idea since you have a rather large group. That way, if some of the kids (or grandma) are needing a rest, you can communicate with each other.

4th thing (I guess I'm on a roll): Restrooms are mostly listed as being wheelchair accessible. This means they have doors that open out, raised seat toilets and grab bars. The ones in AK and MGM are very accessible, but many in MK and Epcot are not big enough to get the wheelchair in the stall with you. If she needs the wheelchair in the stall, or needs an extra hand/steadying in the restroom, there are Companion Restrooms in each park. These are one stall restrooms with a sink and are big enough to move around well in. The locations are listed in the front of the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities.

 

[joshua4]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your advice. Mom and I have done DW together at least 5 times and consider ourselves somewhat of experts -- but when it comes to navigating the park with a wheelchair, we are rookies. I will go the sites you suggested and try to read up before the trip.

Thanks again.

Lauren

 

[Megan's Mom]

I was going to suggest a backpack as well. That is what is on Megan's wheelchair all the time and it is great to put stuff in because of teh different parts.

We also watched the parade outside of Tony's. We had lunch there and saw Pooh and then walked out for then parade. What you might waht to do is have the wheelchair and one person stand behind the line and the the rest of the party can be just on the other side of teh line or even across the street.

Some of the rides will let you stay in the wheelchair on the ride so keep that in mind. I think it was the Small world there was an area that all the chairs were left in so that they were right there when you came back.
I would get a Guess Service Pass or whatever they are called when you get there in the morning. I think only 5 people can go on one but that lets you cut line sometimesor go in the Fastpass line. Check on that.

have fun.

 

[SueM in MN]

I would get a Guess Service Pass or whatever they are called when you get there in the morning. I think only 5 people can go on one but that lets you cut line sometimesor go in the Fastpass line. Check on that.

That's the Guest Assistance Card that I mentioned. You are right, it's usually given for up to 6 people (the person with the disability, plus 5 others), but the CMs can make exceptions and probably would in this case since it's a few adults and 4 small children.

This link to the DIS page about touring with mobility disabilities lists all the rides where you can stay in a wheelchair (or ecv) for the wait in line and the ride/attraction too.