Will stroller price increase mean wheelchair shortage?

[karliebug]

Now that they have drastically raised the daily price of strollers ($31 for a double stroller per day) do you think people will rent a wheelchair instead and plop their 2 kids in it rather than pay that steep price? I do. And then there will be less chairs available for those that really need them. What are they doing making strollers so expensive?

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

Now that they have drastically raised the daily price of strollers ($31 for a double stroller per day) do you think people will rent a wheelchair instead and plop their 2 kids in it rather than pay that steep price? I do. And then there will be less chairs available for those that really need them. What are they doing making strollers so expensive?

No what I think will happen is that the singles will be long gone...it is now cheaper to rent 2 singles than one double . Plus people will now put two kids in a single. The hassle of a wheelchair made for adults with little kids in it is not convienent enough no matter how cheap. I cannot believe the price increase. I hope they realize the busses are going to be flooded with strollers now. I hope they have taken that into consideration. UGH

 

[livndisney]

I can see people renting the wheelchairs for older kids (that would have fit in a double stroller). I am sure it has already been suggested on other threads.

Personally I think WDW is creating bigger problems with this increase.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Now that they have drastically raised the daily price of strollers ($31 for a double stroller per day) do you think people will rent a wheelchair instead and plop their 2 kids in it rather than pay that steep price? I do. And then there will be less chairs available for those that really need them. What are they doing making strollers so expensive?

If it were to happen, all Disney would need to do is increase wheelchair rental rates by a similar %.

Andrew

 

[Schmeck]

People will then find out that the wheelchairs are much harder to push (especially with two children in them...) than the strollers. I think they'll be discouraged very quickly, and return them to get a stroller.

 

[mom2zandjsquared]

I thought Disney had an age restriction on rentals of wheelchairs for children. I know ECV's have an age and was always under the impression wheelchairs did as well.

 

[Schmeck]

No, anyone can rent a wheelchair for someone, they are not motorized.

 

[disney-super-mom]

It is indeed a fear of mine now. Our 8 year old has hypotonia. He'll be 9 when we go to WDW in December, and he'll absolutely need a wheelchair to make it around the parks.

I guess if it turns out to be a problem, we'll have to rent a wheelchair from offsite. We need to rent an ECV too for my MIL, so maybe we'll just rent both from offsite and not worry about it.

 

[KPeveler]

you can rent a mclaren for your DS, which may be more comfortable than the disney strollers... they have "strollers" for big kids with certain needs... it will probly be MUCH easier to push than a disney wheelchair and MUCH more comfortable. i HATE the disney wheelchairs - i am 5'1" and they are always too big for me!

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

http://www.adaptivemall.com/mainbug.html

WE HAVE THIS AND LOVE IT. Our insurance covered it as a wheelchair for DS who has epilepsy. He is 7 and just over 50 lbs. He get postlictal after a seizure and is sometimes so knocked out he needs to sleep it off. This stroller is awesome for him and it goes to 140 lbs.

 

[Figaro]

I don't think the increase in the price of double strollers will have any effect on the number of wheelchairs that are rented. But the increase in the cost of renting ECV's might, since people may choose a manual wheelchair because it is cheaper.

I do think that those people who were renting the double strollers because of want, not need (sort of like using the companion restrooms for convenience, not necessity) might choose to not rent at all because of the cost. I don't think those parents are going to choose a wheelchair instead, mostly because of the stigma attached to being in a wheelchair that I don't think exists (or at least not to the same extent) as a child being in a stroller.

 

[Talking Hands]

Just back from WDW and the increased cost for ECVs is $45+$20 refundable deposit. Hopefully this will discourage those who do not need and ecv from renting them.

 

[BeckyScott]

That price increase really stinks.

Can someone tell me, do you think we can fit an "average" sized 8-year-old in a single? I was going to do a double so he'd have enough space, now I'm thinking if he can cram in a single we'll need to do that. And holding off on renting at all until we've been at the park a couple hours to see how he holds out.

We're doing mid-afternoon breaks every day, and I'm more concerned about Epcot than the others, although I've never been to AK so we might need one there, too.

The UG book mentions a hopping black market on stroller rentals, anyone have any experience with that? I was hoping (fingers crossed) that if we could get thru the morning with no stroller, take our break, and then try to buy a "used" stroller off of someone leaving in the afternoon, we might be able to grab one cheaper?

 

[mechurchlady]

It is better to bring your own stroller or rent off site. If you rent in park the you save the receipt and can park hop. I would not waste my time hunting for strangers to have them resell me their stroller. You are there to have fun so get a stroller. You can use it to carry things like jackets and water bottles. Just park and hop on a ride instead of lugging lots of stuff.

Also how do you know that that person actually rented that stroller. I have seen people leave receipts and all the need information with the stroller. I wont feed the black market and profiteers.