Wheelchairs and odd places

[Wings3496]

Hello! My family will be heading to Disney this upcoming April. My daughter has cerebral palsy, and is somewhat limited with her mobility. She can walk short distances without much problem, but the large amount of walking at Disney would absolutely wipe her out, quickly. We plan on renting a wheelchair for her to use when we're doing distances (we'll probably just park it with the strollers and let her walk inside most queues/rides, if possible).

My question is - are there any places where having the wheelchair (even folded up) will be a challenge? We'd just like a heads up so we know and don't cause any problems. I'm thinking crowded buses, boats, shows, parades, etc. Any thoughts and experiences would be most welcome!

Thank you!

 

[lanejudy]

A manual wheelchair will need to be folded on buses if the guest prefers to transfer to a seat. It may also be tight (but do-able) in shops and restaurants -- so your choice as to leaving it outside or having her ride in. For shows and parades, I'd suggest she (or another member of your party) remain in the chair rather than dealing with folding it. Line queues also will allow the wheelchair, and if she may need/want to sit while waiting in line you should bring the chair with you; it can be parked near boarding or exit for easy access after the ride. If you really do plan to park it outside, I suggest tying a scarf or otherwise "decorating" the wheelchair to 1) make it easy to pick out from all the other similar-looking rentals and 2) hopefully make it less desirable for someone else to "borrow" while unattended.

In-park rentals from Disney will not be allowed outside the park, so if distance is an issue you may want to look at an off-site vendor. That way she'll have the chair to/from the buses as well as around your resort.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[SueM in MN]

A manual wheelchair will need to be folded on buses. It may also be tight (but do-able) in shops and restaurants -- so your choice as to leaving it outside or having her ride in. For shows and parades, I'd suggest she (or another member of your party) remain in the chair rather than dealing with folding it. Line queues also will allow the wheelchair, and if she may need/want to sit while waiting in line you should bring the chair with you; it can be parked near boarding or exit for easy access after the ride. If you really do plan to park it outside, I suggest tying a scarf or otherwise "decorating" the wheelchair to 1) make it easy to pick out from all the other similar-looking rentals and 2) hopefully make it less desirable for someone else to "borrow" while unattended.

In-park rentals from Disney will not be allowed outside the park, so if distance is an issue you may want to look at an off-site vendor. That way she'll have the chair to/from the buses as well as around your resort.

Enjoy your vacation!

A manual wheelchair will need to be folded on buses IF she is not staying in it. If she chooses to sit in it during the bus ride, it will be attached to the bus with tiedown straps ans she will have a seat belt.

We bring our DD's manual wheelchair all over because she can't walk.myou will always be able to bring it inside of attractions,munos ans restaurants if you wish. Some are tight, it you should get though OK

 

[lanejudy]

A manual wheelchair will need to be folded on buses IF she is not staying in it. If she chooses to sit in it during the bus ride, it will be attached to the bus with tiedown straps ans she will have a seat belt.

We bring our DD's manual wheelchair all over because she can't walk.myou will always be able to bring it inside of attractions,munos ans restaurants if you wish. Some are tight, it you should get though OK

Thanks for clarifying that! I should not have made the assumption she would transfer for the bus

 

[Mrsjvb]

A manual wheelchair will need to be folded on buses.

Enjoy your vacation!

umm not so. I stayed in mine each time and got locked down very securely.

the one time a WC had to be folded was because I was already locked in, and another chair came up to the bus and could not fit past me to the other space. she opted to just scootch from the chair to a seat and the chair was folded up and stashed in the tie down spot across.

otherwise, I would assume I would have been moved to the further slot and the second chair take mine. of course there may have been a riot by the rest of the people waiting to get on....

 

[disney david]

If your in a manual wheelchair it your choice either be tied down in and stay in the wheelchair. Or fold it and sit In a seat with it in front of you. but you can still stay in the chair to board the bus then transfer to a seat and then fold it. The point is don't think just because you have a manual wheelchair you would have to fold to use the bus you don't no matter how busy it is. It might mean that if you can't for safety reasons get on the bus that pulls up ie people before you or can't get to the back door before they start boarding. The driver will call for another bus so you don't have to wait as long but at the park stops be where the back door would be and your be fine. Remember 6 guest are allowed through the back door the rest must go through the front door when general boarding begins and the driver will load you and then you will choose what you like to do.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Here was my experience from 19-29 September:

one or two times a bus would pull up with several people on it. every time, the bus driver made the 3 people sitting in the section directly across from the back door get up and move after everyone who was getting off got off. he'd close the front door, make them move, lift up the seat and then open the back door. I'd get situated( they have it down to a science, it never took more then 3-4 minutes even when DH couldn't steer straight) and then they;d let the rest on. those double wide strollers even folded up took up MORE room than I did sitting in my chair ted down. THEY were the true reason not as many people could get on at a few places. I think I can count on one hand the number of people carrying one actually move as far back as they could. the rest of them just sat down almost immediately. one time we absolutely left people behind and the space in the back by the doors and up the steps had room for several people. and repeated requests by the bus driver were ignored, and those that TRIED to squeeze all the way back could not get past the strollers.

since DH usually stood in the small space at the foot of my chair between me and the next section, exactly ONE seat was lost due to my taking up room.

do not ever feel you are obligated to vacate a manual chair at all. and more than a few places there were CMs with tablets who would wander around asking where you were headed and at least once I knew they called ahead to the driver letting him know he had one or 2 chairs waiting for him.

 

[SueM in MN]

umm not so. I stayed in mine each time and got locked down very securely.

the one time a WC had to be folded was because I was already locked in, and another chair came up to the bus and could not fit past me to the other space. she opted to just scootch from the chair to a seat and the chair was folded up and stashed in the tie down spot across.

otherwise, I would assume I would have been moved to the further slot and the second chair take mine. of course there may have been a riot by the rest of the people waiting to get on....

lanejudy clarified that she thought the OP was planning on not sitting on the wheelchair on the bus.