Bringing your own chair?

kimbac3

<img src="http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/image
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
When you bring your own wheelchair, how do you mark it? I mean do you attach a hang tag with name and number or do you just tie a brightly colored bandanna on it? We have decided to buy a lightweight wheelchair for me, more cost effective in the long run. Any tips on bringing your own wheels??

Thanks,
Kimba
 
I don't do anything to mark it because I don't get out of it.
 
Can you make colorful seat covers for it? That way, it won't look like a rental, etc, and hopefully no one will be tempted to take it. Just a rectangle of fabric, long enough to go all around the seat and another piece for all around the backrest, and you have a chair that will stand out. You could either sew or velcro the ends together.

How about some pretty decals? Our Walmart store had some nice flowery ones that matched the bedding stuff they sold - it was meant to go on walls, but might stick well enough to the back of the backrest.
 
kimbac3 said:
When you bring your own wheelchair, how do you mark it? I mean do you attach a hang tag with name and number or do you just tie a brightly colored bandanna on it? We have decided to buy a lightweight wheelchair for me, more cost effective in the long run. Any tips on bringing your own wheels??

Thanks,
Kimba
DCL luggage tag (rubber) has held up very well. Flame decals because it is candy apple red. 8-) Ebay sells the small wheels that light up! Won't fit my daughter chair but very cool. Christmas you can do garlands and battery operated Christmas lights. Always looking for decos.

Get a wheelchair bag with two bottle holders that holds all your day's gear. You can get those on Ebay too.

Drink holders (plastic) broke in luggage compartment of plane.

Linda :cat:
 
We do have a luggage tag on DD's wheelchair, mostly just to mark it for air travel. She is in it most of the time, so we don't have to really worry about someone else mixing it up.
Besides the things already mentioned, I'd suggest a few return address tags stuck in inconspicous spots. You can cover them with clear plastic tape to protect them. That way, if it is lost and the luggage tag comes off, it's still able to be identified as yours.
If you are planning on leaving it parked, you need to mark it more. If you are taking it into lines with you, it will be with you most of the time, so you have to mark it less.

If the seat is a sling seat, you might want to put a cushion in. You can buy decorative seat cushions made for chairs or lawn chairs at stores like Target or Walmart. Besides making it a little more identifiable, it would also be more comfortable.
 
I have one of those stick-on address labels with my name and address, on the back part of the frame, below the push handles. I also leave the "Gate Delivery Wheelchair" tag from the airlines, on, as they'll usually put my first and last name on the tag, along with the destination of which gate to leave the wheelchair at.

In the last 3/4 years since I've brought my own wheelchair (Quickie 2), the few times my family and I had to leave it in "Stroller Parking", or outside of the Mexican restaurant by the El Rio De Tempio ride (bad accessible entrance for a wheelchair, and hard to navigate through the aisles with it), we haven't had any worries about it being taken. It truly shows that it belongs to someone, because of the stroller handle extension that's attached to the push handles, and the fact that it has a seatbelt in it (along with the cushion, and tension-adjustable backrest), and I don't think anyone would want to mess with someone's personal wheelchair, rather than taking someone's Disney park rented wheelchair, mistaking it for theirs.

I too, had worries about wheelchair theft, when I first brought my manual wheelchair, as the insurance company would've probably had to give my mom a lot of grief about replacing it, when they consider my power chair to be my "primary use wheelchair", and consider my manual wheelchair as a "backup". But, I didn't have to worry, once I realized that it was safe to leave it at the places we had to leave it at. And sometimes, my fiance' Dan left his brightly colored sweatshirt/coat, hanging on the stroller handle extension, and still nobody bothered it.

Samantha
 
Thank Everyone!!

I'm planning on parking and walking on to rides, I can do this and I'd hate to take up a handicapped ride vehicle if I didn't need it. I guess I could go through the lines with it though, I'm so nervous about that...what about the rides where you get on and off in different locations?

Back to the topic at hand I think I'll do the cushion idea...maybe I can make some with Disney fabric. That should be cheerful! I also have a Dis Boards luggage tag, maybe I'll throw that on too..it sure stands out!!

Thanks for easing my worries. I'd gladly take any more tips or suggestions!

Kimba
 
kimbac3 said:
Thank Everyone!!

I'm planning on parking and walking on to rides, I can do this and I'd hate to take up a handicapped ride vehicle if I didn't need it. I guess I could go through the lines with it though, I'm so nervous about that...what about the rides where you get on and off in different locations?

Back to the topic at hand I think I'll do the cushion idea...maybe I can make some with Disney fabric. That should be cheerful! I also have a Dis Boards luggage tag, maybe I'll throw that on too..it sure stands out!!

Thanks for easing my worries. I'd gladly take any more tips or suggestions!

Kimba
There are only a few attractions where the person can stay seated in their wheelchair and when you get to one of those, they ask if you can transfer or not. You would just say "yes" and then you would not take up a wheelchair car. For shows, you can choose whether to park outside or not.

Check out the disABILITIES FAQs thread if you haven't already. There is one post in that with links to the official Disney Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. That post also has links to some past disABILITIES Board threads that should be helpful.
Basically, if you take the wheelchair into line with you, it will be with you/at the exit when you get off. For some attractions, that means that you will wait in line for a while and then, before reaching the boarding area, you will be directed toward the exit (where you will board and exit).
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!











facebook twitter
Top