Bringing Your Own Wheelchair, And Theft

[GroovyWheeler]

Hello, it's me, Samantha. Formerly known as "WheelinInDisney", but now known as "GroovyWheeler", which has been a username I've come to like, since I belong on 2 other message boards/online communities for people with disabilities (and I use the name on one of the boards). I was wondering for those that bring your own wheelchair to Disney World, if you have experienced somebody absent-mindedly walking away with it, while you were on the ride. Do people take "customized" manual wheelchairs, just because??

The reason why I'm asking, is that my Quckie 2 ultralightweight manual wheelchair is an adult-size chair, as it has a 18 wide, by 16 deep seat depth, and almost anyone can fit into it, if they were under 250lbs. This year, I will most-likely be using a clear wheelchair tray with it, and am worried that if somebody would want the tray, they'd want my wheelchair too, and I don't know if my mom's medical insurance (that I'm covered under), would want to pay for another manual wheelchair, when I already have my power chair and Kaye reverse walker, which are already covered under insurance.

When we went to Disney World this year (my boyfriend, me, and my mom), we almost lost my manual wheelchair coming off the Pirates Of The Carribean ride. My Quickie 2 can fold for airline/car transport, but you have to remove the footrests, cushion, and tall stroller handle extension (which I had bought for my boyfriend to aid in pushing me, since he only has use of one arm). It turned out that one of the Cast Members had moved it by a bunch of other wheelchairs, so it would be hard to spot. But, we were able to find it and breathe a sigh of relief, because I was worried about what I would have to tell my mom about my wheelchair being gone.

Anyway, I was just wondering if this could happen to anyone that brings their own manual wheelchair to Disney World. Mine has a padded four-point hip belt in it, which kind of makes it "customized" for my needs, as my hips/back can't touch the sling-seat back to my chair very well without it, or the use of my tray.

Samantha

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Bicycle lock & chain?

 

[Michigan]

Never had any problems with either of my kids wheelchairs. The oldest one is a teenager so her chair is adult size.

 

[Ambassador]

A simple combination lock may offer piece of mind, as Andrew suggests. I believe that reports of allegedly stolen strollers are really the common practice of CM's moving them and the owner's not being able to recognize theirs in a sea of identical units. Personalized markings make identification easier. One ingenious and diabolical Mother's solution was to hang a fake dirty diaper in a clear plastic bag.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would agree partially with Andrew. A bicycle lock and chain or cable would be a god idea. HOWEVER, use it only to make movement difficult, such as to keep one wheel from rotating. Do NOT attach it to anything stationary. This will not stop CMs from moving it when consolidating a parking area but will assist in keeping it from disappearing.

 

[SueM in MN]

We brought a lock once, but never used is and have not brought one since. If you ride the wheelchair to the boarding area, the chances of anyone doing anything to it while you are on the ride are very small.
If you want to use a lock, that does bring peace of mind.
If you or your mom have homeowners or renter's insurance, your wheelchair might be covered under the insurance. If it's not covered, you can add often add the wheelchair for a small extra amount. That way, if anything happend to it, your medical insurance doesn't have to pay for it.

 

[ktglads]

I had this problem when flying over the summer. Someone took my wheelchair thinking it was theirs from Delta. Somehow they missed the fact that Delta was not printed on it. What we did after this was put streamers on the back to set my chair apart from others. On my last trip, I saw chairs with garland on the spokes of the wheels. Not only festive, but also practical in setting it apart. Maybe something like this would be an option? Like a seat cover or a bandana or something tied securely to the chair to distinguish it from the normal Disney ones.

 

[SueM in MN]

Like a seat cover or a bandana or something tied securely to the chair to distinguish it from the normal Disney ones.

Good ideas.
My DD's wheelchair has a printed seat cover that I made (I took the cover off her Jayseat and used it for a pattern).
Last Spring before we went to WDW, we also got a package of glow in the dark, self stick stars from Target (in the party decorations/favors area) and I liberally applied stars to her wheels, the back of her seat and basically anywhere they would stick. It really made her wheelchair stick out from any others and a nice added benefit was that she glowed in the dark so she was more visible during the evening/night.

 

[pumpkinboy]

My son's Zippie has his name embroidered on the backrest of the seat, so nobody who is not named Caleb is gonna thing it is theirs, I'd hope.

I am curious that Groovy Wheeler was able to ride Pirates , as we have always wanted to go with DS but have thought that we would not be able to. Is there some sort of alternate entrance for those of us with wheelchairs in our parties?

 

[Figaro]

pumpkinboy, I can ride Pirates still, but I go through the line with everyone else and my wheelchair is folded up and put into the boat to go along with me through the ride. Since the end of the ride is nowhere near the loading point, that is what I have been told is necessary in order to ride it. There is an elevator at the end of the ride, so you don't have to try and manage the moving walk-way upwards.

 

[SueM in MN]

As Figaro said, there is not an alternate entrance, so you do need to go thru the regular line. I've heard from CMs that the exit and entrance for Pirates are actually in 2 different buildings. At the exit, the boats go thru an area that is just barely high enough for the boats to get thru. So there is no way to load wheelchair users at the exit and have their wheelchairs waiting for them.
If your manula wheelchair folds, you can bring it in line with you. When you get to the boarding area, a CM will fold it up and throw it on the boat with you in a vacant row.
If you have a power wheelchair, ecv or non-folding manual wheelchair, you can go on the ride by parking your wheelchair at the entrance to the line and trading it for a manual wheelchair. They keep some parked there for that purpose. The CM will put the wheelchair onto the boat with you and then you can use it to get back to your own wheelchair.
As Figaro mentioned, there is an elevator at the exit point (wheelchairs don't do well on the steep moving walkway).

My DD has a non-folding manual wheelchair (it will fold, but only if you take pieces off). She won't have anything to do with the "loaner" wheelchairs - she agrees to use one and then once we are in the middle of the queue, she decides she's done and the "melting child" appears (melting herself out of the wheelchair while she signs that she wants "her" wheelchair). Anyone, on one of our last trips, we went to Pirates when it was not busy and explained about our situation to the CM at the entrance. She looked at the wheelchair and then radioed to the CM at boarding. He agreed that he could lift DD's wheelchair onto the boat even though it didn't fold, so we went on. Her wheelchair is a very narrow adult size, lightweight Quickie 2. I don't think they would be able to do that with all non-folding wheelchairs, but the combination of being there when it wasn't busy, having a very narrow chair for an adult (14 in wide seat) and the lightweight chair (plus a strong CM) made it doable.

 

[GroovyWheeler]

I feel the same way as your daughter does, Sue; I have to have my wheelchairs (whether it's my manual one/power one) with me all of the time. My power one has the best seating system in it with what I've got now, to where it'll be comfortable for sitting in, all day. My manual wheelchair has just a cushion and sling-back, but if I use a wheelchair tray (which I'm in the process of getting), it's comfortable for me, even though it just sits around the house and I don't use it as much as my power chair. Having to sit in one of Disney World's manual wheelchairs for any length of time, would make me feel very uncomfortable, as I can't sit in any "standard-style" wheelchair without some kind of seating support, especially a padded four-point hip belt (which I have in both of my wheelchairs).

Samantha

 

[SueM in MN]

Having to sit in one of Disney World's manual wheelchairs for any length of time, would make me feel very uncomfortable, as I can't sit in any "standard-style" wheelchair without some kind of seating support, especially a padded four-point hip belt (which I have in both of my wheelchairs).

Samantha

My DD can sit comfortably for a short time in a director's chair, but I think the combination of that type of seat, plus being used to a very narrow wheelchair, plus the movement of the wheelchair is too much for her.
She also has a padded, 4 point hip belt and foot/ankle straps with double velcro. Without them, she gets into extension and feels very unstable.

 

[GroovyWheeler]

I've actually never had a problem with someone taking my manual wheelchair when we were on a ride (although it did give me quite a scare after I got off the Pirates of The Carribean ride, and discovered that someone or one of the Cast Members had moved my wheelchair to a different location than where we had previously left it) that wasn't wheelchair friendly. Most of the rides, even when my mom was with us, I was able to be pushed onto in my chair, and I can just sit comfortably, enjoying the ride. But, there were also times when I had to transfer out of my wheelchair, and hold onto Dan's arm (usually all of the time). A cast member would then wheel my chair to where all of the other wheelchairs/ECV's are parked, and it would be safe there, as it would definitely stand out from the rest.

I'm just a little bit nervous and excited about my upcoming trip. We're going the 7-12th of January, and that's a little eariler than when we went this year.
I highly doubt anyone would want to take a wheelchair like a Quickie 2, or that stands out from the more standard ones by it being specially-designed for the rider, with all of the features it has on it. With mine, you can easily pick it out from the rest of the crowd, because of the stroller extension handle that easily snaps in and out of the push handle extensions, headrest and adapter bracket, padded seat-belt and blue frame color.

I don't have a license plate on it, like I do with my power chair, but it does have an address label with my name and address on it (just in case the airlines decides to lose it for some reason).

Samantha

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Groovy,

I have been to DW many time since I became injured. I am now 26. I have never had a problem with my chair being lost or stolen.

Lindsay
T5-6 paraplegic since 1984

 

[cupcake]

I was worried about this too, but haven't had any problems. I only get out of the wc when it is parked in a secluded spot (for example, the boarding area at the Haunted Mansion) so I wasn't leaving it out with strollers where it would be more subject to being moved any sort of distance by a CM. My wc is purple, and we attached a large luggage tag to one of the handles which is very noticeable when the wc is unoccupied. So it definitely looks like a personal wc, which makes me feel more secure. Over the years, the few people I have heard about with problems seem to be WDW renters as the park wcs all look alike, or a child might think it is a toy and that it's OK to play with bc it is a WDW item.

I agree with the others that you should be fine but in an excess of caution, threading a small cord/lock thru the wheels (so it can be moved but not very easily) will allow CMs to move it if necessary but would ensure that no one would mistake it for theirs. I can't imagine that someone would take a wc accessory, but I understand your concern! Remember, though, you will not be leaving your wc out with the strollers. Also, you can't lock the wc to fences or whatnot as WDW considers it a fire hazard.

Cupcake

 

[Chuck S]

I haven't had any problems with Mom's wc at WDW, but when my Grandma was using a wc at Disneyland about 20 years ago, we got off the train just in time to see someone wheeling hers down main street. DL charges a whole lot more for wc rentals, so that may have been part of the problem.

 

[SueOKW]

Believe it or not, there is an alternate entrance to Pirates - it involves an elevator and we had to be taken there by a CM. What I have found is that since only one CM is manning the ride anymore they aren't willing to let on that there is a way to get your chair into POC.

We used to carry DS all the way down, but after 9 mos of tube feeding we won't be able to anymore, the pig!

 

[SueM in MN]

Believe it or not, there is an alternate entrance to Pirates - it involves an elevator and we had to be taken there by a CM. What I have found is that since only one CM is manning the ride anymore they aren't willing to let on that there is a way to get your chair into POC.

We used to carry DS all the way down, but after 9 mos of tube feeding we won't be able to anymore, the pig!

I know there is an alternate exit that involves an elevator, because we have used it, but I have not heard of an alternate entrance. You can't enter and exit at the same point like on some rides because after you exit the boats, they go thru an area that is just high enough to let the boats thru without any passengers. Even when they were well themed in the first years we went (late 1980s) we were told the only way to the entrance was to go thru the regular entrance.
Where did the elevator take you to ride the attraction (compared to the normal entrance) and did you have to go thru "backstage (non-themed)" parts to get there?

 

[JoyMouse]

We've never had a problem with my DD's chair. It is always where we left it, or close by. I think that strollers are a dime a dozen, but not wheelchairs. Folks usually leave them alone, thank goodness.
Go and have fun!