Wheelchairs

[disjointed]

Hi everyone! My mom had surgery on her foot in Sept and there have been many complications, so my mom is unable to walk for long periods of time, however we want her to go through the parks and such with us. I have no problem pushing her around in the wheelchair, however I was wondering about the access to rides and whatnot, I mean she isn't physically disabled to the point of being unable to stand (however she has been disabled from the surgery -- surgeon took out the wrong bone, etc etc... it's a messy situation), but she can't walk for very long periods of time. We just don't want people to think we're taking advantage of the whole situation... I was also wondering about the prices, and if you rent one for a whole week, if the price is less or anything else?

TIA!

 

[SueM in MN]

If you follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread, you will find everything you are looking for.
Post #2 of that thread includes information about wheelchairs - renting from the parks and from off site rental places. You might want to consider renting an ECV, which is more expensive, but would give her more independence.
Post #3 of that thread has some links to past threads that will be helpful.

In general, people using wheelchairs and ECVs are waiting in line with everyone else, so what you get by using one is accessibility, not any 'advantage'. in most cases, you will be able to have the wheelchair right in line until the boarding area. She would not have to stand in lines unless she chooses.

 

[Sleepy]

Sorry to hear about your mom. My suggestion is to rent a wheelchair from an outside place like Randy's for a cheaper deal. If you look on the DISabilities board, they can give you great advice. Check out the FAQ sticky at the top too. You know your mom best. Knowing you can't take the WDW wheelchairs outside the parks, if something happened (maybe someone steps on her foot by accident) could she make it from the gate to transportation? This is where I think fulltime wheelchair rental is ideal.

Don't worry about what others think. Enjoy your vacation and if anyone has a problem with it, tell them to be thankful they can get around unassisted rather than being stuck in a wheelchair or have a family member in need of one, causing you to push one all day .

 

[dawnbu40]

We took my DM with us in December and she needed a wheelchair due to an ankle injury suffered years ago that left her with a steel rod in her ankle. At check-in at CSR I asked for a room near El Centro (the main bldg) and explained my mom had mobility issues. Not only did thy give us a great room they told us she could "borrow" a wheelchair for the length of our stay. We were able to take it to all the parks too. At the parks it costs 10$ a day for rental so if your hotel can loan you one its a nice savings. As for lines at the rides most have special wheelchair access lines but they don't necessarily give you a shorter wait etc. Be warned it is very difficult pushing someone around WDW in a wheelchair! DD18 and I took turns and it was still exhausting. I would suggest renting your mom a scooter as it will be easier on the rest of you.

 

[Sleepy]

I see Sue beat me to it

 

[fla4fun]

I would also suggest getting a scooter over pushing a wheelchair. Aside from the fact that you will get very tired very quickly pushing the chair (especially at Epcot and AK), you also have to take into account that it's more difficult to carry on a conversation when one person is behind the other. I've rented both the wheelchairs and scooters at various times for my mom in the parks, and it's much more social, and well as easier on us both physically, when she uses the scooter. Plus, she feels more independent - she hates to feel like she's putting someone out or taking away from their fun. I would also recommend renting from an off property company, so she can have the scooter all the time, and these scooters are usually smaller and easier to move through the parks with. Make sure she practices a little before heading out in the crowds though. For our first rental, we rented one at Epcot, and went off to the side for 15 minutes or so, so she could get familiar with it before we took off through the park. It takes a few minutes to get used to how to stop, and reverse, and how much turning room you need.

 

[SueM in MN]

At check-in at CSR I asked for a room near El Centro (the main bldg) and explained my mom had mobility issues. Not only did thy give us a great room they told us she could "borrow" a wheelchair for the length of our stay. We were able to take it to all the parks too. At the parks it costs 10$ a day for rental so if your hotel can loan you one its a nice savings.

Just so you are aware - the loaned ones from the resorts are first come, first serve, so there may not be any for loan when you get there.
Also, people have posted variable experiences with the resort wheelchairs. In some cases, it worked out well like it did for you. In other cases, the available wheelchair was not in good condition or was not the correct size.

In WDW's Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities, they recently added a phrase that if you need a wheelchair for long term use, you should plan to rent one from a local rental company. That kind of makes it sound like they may not be providing wheelchairs quite so freely in the future.