Wheelchair questions for Upcoming Disney Trip

[AllThingsDisney12]

Two friends and I are going to Disneyworld soon, and I have lots of questions about wheelchairs at Disneyworld. This is the first time having to use a wheelchair and have no idea about anything lol . But first here’s the situation: one of my friends is going to be wearing a boot because of a really bad sprain. We are considering getting a wheelchair for her to be able to get around easier. She wouldn’t need the wheelchair accessible ride vehicles, just think she couldn’t move in the lines or around the parks very well. So here are my questions:

1. do you think she’ll need a wheelchair? (She’s convinced she doesn’t)
2. Where is the cheapest rental place?
2A. If the only place is at the parks how do you travel from one park to the other(s)?
Do you have to pay at each park? How much is it?
3. Do you just wait in the regular lines with the wheelchair? Or do you have to park it?
4. If she can get in the ride by herself without needing the wheelchair accessible ride vehicle will they hold the wheelchair at the front (while she goes on the ride)?

Let me know your thoughts, answers, or experiences! Would love to hear it all! Thanks!

 

[anonymousegirl]

Yes, she'll need some kind of transport. Walking in a boot is very tiring and most WDW days are 5+ miles a day. Off site rentals are cheaper than in park, but then she'll need to take the chair to the parks on the buses (unless you have a rental car). She can park the chair in a "land" or area and hobble around a bit if she wants.
If you do the park rental, save your receipt from the first park, and then get a new chair at the next park-but be aware the next park could be sold out and you'd have to wait for a return.
Most lines are wheelchair accessible (IIRC, Pirates requires a transfer to a narrow chair, and PeopleMover is a no chairs allowed due to steep incline ramp and constantly moving platform-same for Peter Pan).
Cast members will move her chair to the exit area--be sure to remind them "no stairs"--example: Dinosaur at AK, has lots of stairs at exit and the non-stair cars exit at a different area--one time they forgot and we got a second immediate ride since we couldn't unload and exit safely.
Also, bring a set of bike gloves for the pushers--the chairs can cause blisters after pushing them all day, multiple days in a row.

 

[SueM in MN]

Two friends and I are going to Disneyworld soon, and I have lots of questions about wheelchairs at Disneyworld. This is the first time having to use a wheelchair and have no idea about anything lol . But first here’s the situation: one of my friends is going to be wearing a boot because of a really bad sprain. We are considering getting a wheelchair for her to be able to get around easier. She wouldn’t need the wheelchair accessible ride vehicles, just think she couldn’t move in the lines or around the parks very well. So here are my questions:

1. do you think she’ll need a wheelchair? (She’s convinced she doesn’t)
2. Where is the cheapest rental place?
2A. If the only place is at the parks how do you travel from one park to the other(s)?
Do you have to pay at each park? How much is it?
3. Do you just wait in the regular lines with the wheelchair? Or do you have to park it?
4. If she can get in the ride by herself without needing the wheelchair accessible ride vehicle will they hold the wheelchair at the front (while she goes on the ride)?

Let me know your thoughts, answers, or experiences! Would love to hear it all! Thanks!

1) the average guest walks between 5 and 9 miles per day at Disney World. That’s more than most people walk per day who don’t have an injury. If she’s a big walker in her everyday life, she might be able to do it without a wheelchair or ECV (electric mobility scooter), but it would be hard.

2) there are companies that rent EXVs and wheelchairs to guests. They will bring the device to your resort and pick it up when you are leaving. Scooterbug is the only company authorized to leave & pick up equipment at the resorts without the guest being present. For all the other companies, you will need to arrange to meet them for delivery and pick up.
Guests can rent both wheelchairs and ECVs at the parks, but they are more expensive and they can’t be taken out of the park. If you park hop or leave the park and return later, show your receipt and you won’t need to pay again.

3) all lines are wheelchair accessible to the point of boarding except People Mover at Magic Kingdom, Tom Sawyer’s Island and Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. Most are accessible thru the regular line; if not, a Cast Member will show you where to go.
If you rent an ECV, some ride lines are not ECV accessible; for those, the CM will tell you where to park it. Those attractions have wheelchairs guests can borrow to use in line.

4) for rides with a transfer to a ride car, the wheelchair can be brought close up to the ride car. If the load and unload areas are close together, the wheelchairs and other mobility devices will be in the same area you left it.
If the load and unload areas are in different places, CMs will bring it to the unload area where it will be waiting for you.

 

[AnnaS]

I just stopped wearing my boot - broken foot, ankle and torn ligaments. I did not go to Disney with it but I can tell you it will not be comfortable walking with a boot all day, every day. Towards the end of my boot days, I went to the bank and food shopping (skipping some aisles). Can't see walking all day with it. Unless she has the lift for her other shoe/sneaker - she will not be walking evenly. So either a chair or try the lift at home and practice with it. A cane will help too.

I have a trip coming up and wondering if I will need a chair myself. Not walking normal yet, foot still extremely swollen - still cannot wear a sneaker - I have been wearing a good sandals with the velcro straps so I can adjust to fit my swollen foot. I walk very slow, use a cane for going anywhere besides my car and into another house. Not sure how long I can stand on it.

I hope I won't need a chair. I never stare at people with chairs who look like they have no "issues" - unless you stare at my swollen foot right now, one would not know what I just went through. If I need one and people stare, so be it.

 

[Groot]

1. do you think she’ll need a wheelchair? (She’s convinced she doesn’t)

She will if she’s recovering from an injury/surgery. You will be walking at LEAST 10 miles/day. And that WITHOUT taking STANDING into account which can make her tired even faster.

2. Where is the cheapest rental place?

I’d check Gold Mobility.

3. Do you just wait in the regular lines with the wheelchair? Or do you have to park it?

You can take the chair throughout the entire line. Some rides (Spaceship Earth, Big Thunder Mountain, etc.) will have you enter through the exit since those lines ain’t accessible (narrow lines, stairs at some point in the regular line, etc.)

4. If she can get in the ride by herself without needing the wheelchair accessible ride vehicle will they hold the wheelchair at the front (while she goes on the ride)?

Yeah, but some of the newer rides (Guardians, FoP, Rise of the Resistance, etc.) have a different exit point from the entrance, so the CM’s will bring your mobility device to where you exit either by secret passageway, elevator, etc.

 

[jo-jo]

Just to add, if you get a wheelchair off site, for buses, boats, and monorails, you can just fold up the wheelchair and roll it on like a stroller.

Also just because you have a wheelchair, doesn't mean you have to sit in a wheelchair. When my DH first needed help at WDW, he rode most of the time but not all the time. He would say sitting all day made his knees stiff, so he would walk now and again pushing the wheelchair. No one will say "oh look, they have a wheelchair and don't need it". Every time my DH went to the restroom, for sure I sat in his chair for those few mins. No one blinked when I jumped out.

 

[RoseGold]

I find these comments about spectator reactions weird. I have a permanently disabled family member, so I am used to reactions to wheelchairs. But Disney is not it. It is just covered in people in rental scooters and wheelchairs. They're everywhere all the time, and many of them have no idea how to drive.

I doubt anyone even notices another manual chair. And if they do, who cares?

 

[mamabunny]

Two friends and I are going to Disneyworld soon, and I have lots of questions about wheelchairs at Disneyworld. This is the first time having to use a wheelchair and have no idea about anything lol . But first here’s the situation: one of my friends is going to be wearing a boot because of a really bad sprain. We are considering getting a wheelchair for her to be able to get around easier. She wouldn’t need the wheelchair accessible ride vehicles, just think she couldn’t move in the lines or around the parks very well. So here are my questions:

1. do you think she’ll need a wheelchair? (She’s convinced she doesn’t)
2. Where is the cheapest rental place?
2A. If the only place is at the parks how do you travel from one park to the other(s)?
Do you have to pay at each park? How much is it?
3. Do you just wait in the regular lines with the wheelchair? Or do you have to park it?
4. If she can get in the ride by herself without needing the wheelchair accessible ride vehicle will they hold the wheelchair at the front (while she goes on the ride)?

Let me know your thoughts, answers, or experiences! Would love to hear it all! Thanks!

In addition to the advice you have gotten (all of it great, btw) don't forget y'all are probably going to want a device for her to use at Disney Springs as well.

DS is *huge* and there is a LOT of walking, regardless of how you arrive (by car, boat or bus) and stuff is just so spread out.

Do let your friend know that if y'all are flying in to WDW, and there are air bladders in the boot, they will need to be ready to adjust those during take off and landing. The increased cabin pressure during flight can cause those air bladders to swell painfully, so it's better to have the boot loosened a bit, and where the release valve(s) can be easily reached.

They should also double check with their physician or medical team, and make sure that the doctor(s) don't have any specific recommendations for them. That's super important to do.

Oh - and one last thing. If your friend just will not use a wheelchair, talk with them about a Rollator. A Rollator is a device that will help support them and steady their gait, and will give them a built-in seat when needed (like a long, slow ride queue)

Probably the time they will most want a wheelchair/Rollator/ECV (in general, a personal mobility device) will be at the end of every day. Standing at the bus stop, or waiting for a parking lot tram... doesn't really matter; even able-bodied folks would be glad for any kind of support, or seating!