Would I qualify for DAS?

[SueM in MN]

Just FYI - mobility devices like wheelchairs or rollators fly for free. They also do not count toward your baggage allowance. You can bring them to the gate and gate check them. The staff dill take them, have them stowed under the plane and they will be brought to the gate when you land.

Most people who post on this board are disabled or have family members who are. Many have been in the same situation you are now.

 

[gap2368]

Thanks for trying to help me everyone. I don't know who on here is disabled or not, but the FIRST time you have to give up your independence and feel like you are a burden to others is hard. So many things going through my mind like "Oh great, I get to wear out my daughter and have her push me everywhere." or "If I were to buy a rollator what do I need to do to get it on the plane (will it cost me extra?) or "I'm already on an extreme budget, now I get to have the extra expense of renting a wc or rollator." I'm sure to some, it seems like I'm being a pain and not being open to any suggestions, but please be patient as I deal with this FIRST time I might have to let go of my pride and use a wc. It's not the easiest thing to do! I want to have control and take responsibility for my own health issues and not have to affect others so much. Plus, because my options take away my control, it's a little maddening too. But, I am appreciative of the information and suggestions. I would not have known that portable chairs were not allowed if I hadn't have had this conversation and it would have been a disappointing surprise to find that out in the parks.

We are spending two days at Universal and two days at Disney so by the time we get to Disney, I might very well need that wc. I just need to wrap my brain around it that I'm only 52 and having to use these things!

most people here have a disability or they have a family member that dose so a lot of people are or have been where you are.

try not to look at it as running the vacation but letting your self and other have a more enjoyable vacation you will be able to be in the park longer and be able to do more it sounds like ( and you said ) you do not need the wheel chair the whole time if it is just you and your daughter maybe when you do not need it to sit she could sit in it ( after walking all day we all get a little tired this could be a little fun for her, just a thought)

just so you know there are a few rides at disney that will give you a return time so you can get a return time and do something else and come back to that ride and you go in the FP line at MK space mountion and BTMRR are the 2 I can think of just so you know you may not need FP if you were thinking about doing those 2 rides

and if you feel like you are having a really good day and you are in an area that the lines are not that long you can always leave your wheel chair in the stroller parking areas and just walk the lines

as fair as the portable chair I am glade you came on here first and found out that they were not allowed I was there when guest try to bring one in and he was angry to say the lest

I hope you really enjoy your trip and that it goes better then you think and you have the time of your life

 

[Minniesgal]

As a daughter who no longer has a mother I would have gladly pushed her around the parks rather than go without her or have less time in the parks with her.

I appreciate giving up your independence is hard but I suspect it will come to us all in one form or other one day or other and I'm sure you being a burden is the last thing family will think.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

to Scooterbritches as a PP said she would love to push her mother in the park but can not because her mother is not here to go on the trip. after this trip it will be easier for future trips and yes I do know as had to think about walking and standing in my 40s. I am now planning trip with grandkids at 65 and will be 66 when happens. plan on walking, sitting and riding as needed. look forward to the memories you are going to make. have a great trip

 

[minnie mum]

Many of the PPs have been in your shoes, or have a family member who has. It can be a bit of a blow to the ego to know that you can no longer do what you used to do without help. But look at it this way - wouldn't your family be happier to be able to spend a whole day in the park and know that you aren't in pain? If a mobility device can allow you to enjoy the parks more, isn't that worth it? If you needed eye glasses or a hearing aid, would your ego get in the way?

I've been using a wheelchair in the parks for 20 years. I manage without one at home quite well. Without it, I would only last a couple of hours.

 

[Mrsjvb]

but please be patient as I deal with this FIRST time I might have to let go of my pride and use a wc. It's not the easiest thing to do! I want to have control and take responsibility for my own health issues and not have to affect others so much. YOU ARE by being willing to use whatever mobility aid works best for you. and once you do you will kick yourself for not doing it sooner! Plus, because my options take away my control, it's a little maddening too. au contraire. you GAIN IT BACK But, I am appreciative of the information and suggestions. I would not have known that portable chairs were not allowed if I hadn't have had this conversation and it would have been a disappointing surprise to find that out in the parks.

We are spending two days at Universal and two days at Disney so by the time we get to Disney, I might very well need that wc. I just need to wrap my brain around it that I'm only 52 I was diagnosed at 5 and have been in and out of WC since then, over 40 years. and having to use these things!

rent off site. here's why: cheaper for one, and two you will have it with you EVERYWHERE ( and trust me the lines to the busses get pretty dang long at the end of the day)

third or fourth trip ago, I was stubborn like you. I made it to noon at AK( like Gap said benches are MIA everywhere now) and was in so much pain I literally could not move, let alone get all the way out of the park and back to the hotel. My husband had to leave me at a large rock I could lean against while he went back to the front and rented a WC for the 15 minutes it took to get me to the gate and outside(where he wasted another 45 minutes trying to find one of the rickety old 'commuter' chairs that I could sit in while waiting for the bus. and then he had to mostly carry me to the hotel. and it was not a park hotel, it was Shades of Green. it was so bad that I was unable to get out of bed the next day, which pretty much totally derailed our plans. we rented in park chairs the rest of the week and it helped, but not as much as if I would've just admitted up front I needed it. now I have my own, or I just rent from off site to have ready when we arrive.

you will ultimately affect others LESS by admitting you need a mobility aid.

 

[Scooterbritches]

most people here have a disability or they have a family member that dose so a lot of people are or have been where you are.

try not to look at it as running the vacation but letting your self and other have a more enjoyable vacation you will be able to be in the park longer and be able to do more it sounds like ( and you said ) you do not need the wheel chair the whole time if it is just you and your daughter maybe when you do not need it to sit she could sit in it ( after walking all day we all get a little tired this could be a little fun for her, just a thought)

just so you know there are a few rides at disney that will give you a return time so you can get a return time and do something else and come back to that ride and you go in the FP line at MK space mountion and BTMRR are the 2 I can think of just so you know you may not need FP if you were thinking about doing those 2 rides

and if you feel like you are having a really good day and you are in an area that the lines are not that long you can always leave your wheel chair in the stroller parking areas and just walk the lines

as fair as the portable chair I am glade you came on here first and found out that they were not allowed I was there when guest try to bring one in and he was angry to say the lest

I hope you really enjoy your trip and that it goes better then you think and you have the time of your life

Could you tell me where I could find a list of those rides that have return times for wc's? I want to be as efficient as possible in my plan and if a ride has a return time, I want to avoid scheduling a Fastpass+ for it. I've googled auxiliary lines and all I get is that there are some rides that have it but they don't say which ones. It's like a whole new textbook out there about things I need to know for disabilities and it's taking some time to familiarize myself with it all.

 

[Scooterbritches]

rent off site. here's why: cheaper for one, and two you will have it with you EVERYWHERE ( and trust me the lines to the busses get pretty dang long at the end of the day)

third or fourth trip ago, I was stubborn like you. I made it to noon at AK( like Gap said benches are MIA everywhere now) and was in so much pain I literally could not move, let alone get all the way out of the park and back to the hotel. My husband had to leave me at a large rock I could lean against while he went back to the front and rented a WC for the 15 minutes it took to get me to the gate and outside(where he wasted another 45 minutes trying to find one of the rickety old 'commuter' chairs that I could sit in while waiting for the bus. and then he had to mostly carry me to the hotel. and it was not a park hotel, it was Shades of Green. it was so bad that I was unable to get out of bed the next day, which pretty much totally derailed our plans. we rented in park chairs the rest of the week and it helped, but not as much as if I would've just admitted up front I needed it. now I have my own, or I just rent from off site to have ready when we arrive.

you will ultimately affect others LESS by admitting you need a mobility aid.

The problem I'm having is that I'm not that bad off yet. I went to Washington DC this past summer for 9 days (which requires a ton of walking and standing) and the only person that knew I was in pain was me. I've dealt with this long enough that I've grown accustomed to dealing with the pain without bothering anybody. I'm struggling because at this point the pain is bad enough to want to limit my time in lines but not necessarily to want to deal with hauling around a wc, keeping track of it, and having others push me around. Its like this big 20 pound lug that's in everyone's way including mine. Not to mention, the stares I'll get when someone sees me hop out of said wc with ease (because I'm not that bad off) and have it look like I don't need it. I'm wrapping my head around it though and I am now in the process of trying to get myself up to speed with all the information out there that I should know.

 

[gap2368]

ok I am in my 30 and look much younger about a year ago I was pulled over ( they were looking for someone and were pulling ever one over the officer thought I was too young to drive they are sure I had a really good fake licences after 30 minutes they let me go. ( I have been told one day I would like the fact that I look younger then I am

any ways I was having a lot of medical problems and just needed a wheel chair to hold on to and while I waited to sit some so me as a very young looking ( and with my hear up I look younger) was walking around with a wheel chair and sitting some just like what you would do ( but I do not think you look like you are 14 ) and no one thought any thing of it in fact in one line the people behind me ask if they could push me in fact I got that a lot people were so nice to me it was unreal

I would get one off site for the region listed and the fact that disney WC are big I am small 5 foot 1 on a good day and I could barely push the WC I am sure someone can help you find the size you need

I do hope that you use a WC I know you do not want one but there really is not many places to sit at disney unless you want to sit on the ground even if you do get a DAS ( and i really hope you do not get one not trying to be mean to you but you can use a WC and your needs are meet other people the only way there need are meet is with a DAS ) then you will have to go get a return time and them find some place to go and that is hard some times and there are some times the FP line can be long I can not tell you how many times I have had to leave a line because the FP line is over 30 minutes happens just about 1 time a day.


as fair as what lines have WC return times
I do not use a wheel chair that often just 1 day when I had a friend with me I hurt my foot some how and could not walk then one evening during MVMCP I was having some medical problems and had the paramedics called for me so someone else could add to this list or let me know if one of the rides is not one of them

MK

big thunder mountain
space mountain
small world
jungle curse

EPCOT
space ship earth

HS and AK not sure if there are any here

 

[gap2368]

also if you decide to try it with out it I would look up a few numbers of off site vendor and have them with you in case/ when you need it and as a PP said so you are going to be a the back of the park because that is where things happen and have pain so bad you can not walk have no place to site and then what have your daughter try and find a wheel chair while you are in pain or you can do what people on here are suggesting and get one

but if you do find your self without one and need one just find any CM and let them know they will find you a WC all thought it most likely will be a very bad one that is hard to push then I would call for a vender to drop one off for you a wheel chair that fits you will be a lot easer to self push

and I do not mean anything I said as mean so please do not take it that way it is hard to give up your independence I think just about every one on this board has had lost some independence so most have been where you are and most of us they to hold on to the independence way to long try to do this like we used to and find we hauled have done where every we were dreading a long time a go that in fact it gave us our independence back that we wish we could have the time we lost again but all we can do is go forward and enjoy the new freedom that what ever we needed has now given us

one lest thing if you find you need a place to lay down go to first aid a great place to lie down for a bit

 

[Scooterbritches]

ok I am in my 30 and look much younger about a year ago I was pulled over ( they were looking for someone and were pulling ever one over the officer thought I was too young to drive they are sure I had a really good fake licences after 30 minutes they let me go. ( I have been told one day I would like the fact that I look younger then I am

any ways I was having a lot of medical problems and just needed a wheel chair to hold on to and while I waited to sit some so me as a very young looking ( and with my hear up I look younger) was walking around with a wheel chair and sitting some just like what you would do ( but I do not think you look like you are 14 ) and no one thought any thing of it in fact in one line the people behind me ask if they could push me in fact I got that a lot people were so nice to me it was unreal

I would get one off site for the region listed and the fact that disney WC are big I am small 5 foot 1 on a good day and I could barely push the WC I am sure someone can help you find the size you need

I do hope that you use a WC I know you do not want one but there really is not many places to sit at disney unless you want to sit on the ground even if you do get a DAS ( and i really hope you do not get one not trying to be mean to you but you can use a WC and your needs are meet other people the only way there need are meet is with a DAS ) then you will have to go get a return time and them find some place to go and that is hard some times and there are some times the FP line can be long I can not tell you how many times I have had to leave a line because the FP line is over 30 minutes happens just about 1 time a day.


as fair as what lines have WC return times
I do not use a wheel chair that often just 1 day when I had a friend with me I hurt my foot some how and could not walk then one evening during MVMCP I was having some medical problems and had the paramedics called for me so someone else could add to this list or let me know if one of the rides is not one of them

MK

big thunder mountain
space mountain
small world
jungle curse

EPCOT
space ship earth

HS and AK not sure if there are any here

I'm not even going to try to get a DAS now. I'm not trying to take advantage of any systems. My definition of what would help me best will probably not coincide with Disney's definition of what would help me best and I'm not even going to try to do something that will just be a waste of my time. I'm now educating myself through research of what to do if I rent a wc or rollator. I'm one that likes to follow rules so I want to know what those rules are in regards to disabilities in the parks. At this point, I'm now worried about doing something wrong out of ignorance so I'm trying to familiarize myself with how it all works.

 

[gap2368]

I think you are doing the right thing here is the link from disney website on wheel chair users https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/mobility-disabilities/

at the attraction the CM will tell you if you need to do anything some like toy story at the end of the line you go in a another direction for the WC line at some Space Big thunder you will get a return time

 

[kaytieeldr]

You might want to look again at the combination cane/chairs on Amazon, especially the link I provided. While the one you saw looked shaky and had bad reviews, some on the first page of my search results have three or four legs, and some have five star reviews. These are allowed in the parks, where folding chairs and camp stools are not.

 

[Gracie09]

I'm not even going to try to get a DAS now. I'm not trying to take advantage of any systems. My definition of what would help me best will probably not coincide with Disney's definition of what would help me best and I'm not even going to try to do something that will just be a waste of my time. I'm now educating myself through research of what to do if I rent a wc or rollator. I'm one that likes to follow rules so I want to know what those rules are in regards to disabilities in the parks. At this point, I'm now worried about doing something wrong out of ignorance so I'm trying to familiarize myself with how it all works.

That's the thing, Disney (or any place of public accommodation) does not have to provide you with the best (or preferred) accommodation; simply a reasonable accommodation. That is what they have done by making lines mainstream and allowing mobility devices in them.

 

[gap2368]

That's the thing, Disney (or any place of public accommodation) does not have to provide you with the best (or preferred) accommodation; simply a reasonable accommodation. That is what they have done by making lines mainstream and allowing mobility devices in them.

I think the OP is going to go with a mobility device and try to figure out how to use one at disney for the first time ( and I know this was hard for the OP to do way to go on that you will have a much better time) and even if you were given what you think would be your best option it really is not I think you would have found that out by lunch time when you start to look for a bench or some where to sit and found nothing, or get in a line and something happens and the line is longer then you think there are so many other reason

but I know you are making the right chose

ask all the question that you have ( and no question is dump ) then get a good plane in and when you get to disney if you are unsure ask a CM they are great and very helpful
in fact I was there and could not remember if JC was main stream line or not and I was with a friend in a WC the line was at 90 minute ( this was in December) and the CM just look at us and ask if we wonted to go on now and just let us walk on. so you never know what pixie dust you can get by talking to the CMs

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Folding chairs are not allowed, but rollators are.

The only way you are going to get a DAS is if you can communicate to the CMs that you NEED to wait somewhere other than in the line. They won't take whether or not you WANT to use a mobility device into consideration; if a mobility device will assist you, they will tell you that you should use a mobility device. It's about accommodating needs and not preferences (or what would be best).

Rent a rollator offsite, the company will deliver it to you and I think they can fold when you don't need to use it. or buy a cane chair. And then you will always have a chair when you need one, and your daughter won't be pushing you.

 

[gap2368]

Folding chairs are not allowed, but rollators are.

The only way you are going to get a DAS is if you can communicate to the CMs that you NEED to wait somewhere other than in the line. They won't take whether or not you WANT to use a mobility device into consideration; if a mobility device will assist you, they will tell you that you should use a mobility device. It's about accommodating needs and not preferences (or what would be best).

Rent a rollator offsite, the company will deliver it to you and I think they can fold when you don't need to use it. or buy a cane chair. And then you will always have a chair when you need one, and your daughter won't be pushing you.

Just an FYI I have seen someone sitting in a cane chair waiting for the parade and a CM told then they can not use it for a chair but they could use it for a cane, I am not sure if this is policy or just one CM

 

[DisneyOma]

Just an FYI I have seen someone sitting in a cane chair waiting for the parade and a CM told then they can not use it for a chair but they could use it for a cane, I am not sure if this is policy or just one CM

My guess, and it's really only that, is it is policy. WDW cannot deny a cane, as it is an approved mobility device. If the cane has a seat on it, but can be used without the seat, they should let it in. Once the cane is unfolded and is being used as a seat, it is no longer being used as a cane. WDW does not allow portable seats, as those are a safety hazard. Imagine if everyone had a portable seat with them and there was an evacuation, and people had to get around all those obstacles.

So, a cane-seat being used as a cane is OK. A cane-seat being used as a seat is not.

 

[SueM in MN]

Just an FYI I have seen someone sitting in a cane chair waiting for the parade and a CM told then they can not use it for a chair but they could use it for a cane, I am not sure if this is policy or just one CM

They can become a hazard when waiting for things like parades.
Someone posted recently that they saw someone's get tipped over.
So my guess is that the majority of CMs would tell people they can't use one.

I do not use a wheel chair that often just 1 day when I had a friend with me I hurt my foot some how and could not walk then one evening during MVMCP I was having some medical problems and had the paramedics called for me so someone else could add to this list or let me know if one of the rides is not one of them

MK

big thunder mountain
space mountain
small world
jungle curse

EPCOT
space ship earth

I would not necessarily count on those attractions giving out return times for guests with mobility devices.

Small World was giving them out for a while, but the regular line is accessible to the point of the last turn along the front of the building.
Guests with Fastpass go directly into the accessible entrance. In most cases, guests who have mobility devices and don't have Fastpass will be sent to wait in the regular line. They will be pulled into the accessible area at the last turn.

Space Mountain has one accessible line (plus Fastpass is accessible). They may give out return times if there are already a number of guests with mobility devices/special needs in line.

BTM and Jungle Cruise are more likely to give out return times, but even that is not universal and if you have Fastpass, you will usually not be given a return time (unless there is a big backup).

Spaceship Earth does not usually give out return times. In most cases, you will go directly to the exit, where they have a handicapped waiting area.
if it's very busy, they may give out return times, but most of the time you will wait right there.
The wait may be as much as 30 minutes. That is one where Fastpass makes no difference.

If any attractions do give out return times, expect it to be approximately equal to the current regular wait time.

You can find out more about boarding in the disABILITIES FAQs thread, especially posts 18-21 on page 2. That thread is near the top of this board or you can follow the link in my signature.

 

[Scooterbritches]

Folding chairs are not allowed, but rollators are.

The only way you are going to get a DAS is if you can communicate to the CMs that you NEED to wait somewhere other than in the line. They won't take whether or not you WANT to use a mobility device into consideration; if a mobility device will assist you, they will tell you that you should use a mobility device. It's about accommodating needs and not preferences (or what would be best).

Rent a rollator offsite, the company will deliver it to you and I think they can fold when you don't need to use it. or buy a cane chair. And then you will always have a chair when you need one, and your daughter won't be pushing you.

I am in the process of checking on a rollator rental, but the problem I'm having (and haven't had a chance to research it yet) is that we are staying off Disney property and we have to leave the hotel at 4:00 a.m. for our flight home. I need to call the hotel and see if they are willing to hold the rollator until the company can come and pick it up in the morning. I need the rollator the night before because that is when we are planning on Wishes and the Parade so I can't have them pick it up the night before either.

Based on other posts I'm not going with the cane chair as I don't need it for a cane, I need it for a chair and that is against Disney's rules.

I've wrapped my brain around the wc and my DD and I will have a glorious time taking turns pushing each other in it.