Disney not as wheelchair friendly as I hoped

[Meglen]

Man oh man do you take walking for granted in wdw. Before I get started I did attempt to use a scooter for my mom but it was a disaster. Thread 'Scooter Bug My experience' https://www.disboards.com/threads/scooter-bug-my-experience.3903950/

ok so we got a wheelchair rental for the first few days due to just going to Disney springs. Normally I travel with my husband and ds and we walk a lot. Usually 10-15 miles per park day easy. Using a wheelchair gave me a whole new outlook on travel within wdw.

Cobblestone... Oh how I hate you. The ground is so many different textures. Between cobblestone and jagged rock it was a nightmare to push. The nice flat stone was so easy to push on but due to theming it is very limited on where it is.

Hills!!! Man did I never realize how many inclines and hills wdw had. Giant hills tiny hills.. most into and out of rides/transportation.

Disney springs going around Gideon's huge hill with grates on the ground.. we got stuck in one (wheel just wouldn't/couldn't get over the lip on the incline). Boat launch incline man was that a journey from metal beams to wood with gates Infront of us. Thankfully nice folks usally got the gates for us.

Epcot.. just getting into the monorail was a legit nightmare. We stayed at GF so we had to transfer from resort monorail to the Epcot one. The ramps were just way to much for me to push (I did it.. but ouchy) why don't they have elevators here? At Epcot they have one. The ramp the get to the monorail at MK.. again why no elevator? Seems like a no brainer. We opted to walk the path instead of trying that hill more than once.

This was my 3rd trip this year and I had no clue all these inclines we're gonna be issues. Again I never had to think about wheelchair accessible entrances and such.


tldr: get a scooter... Hope it actually works, pushing a wheelchair chair all trip will destroy your arms/back/legs due to the many MANY inclines around property. Unless you are only doing world showcase (only really flat place we found) everything has a ramp/incline.

 

[RoseGold]

I pushed a kid for days in a manual chair and had no issues. A lot of this is your fitness level and the size of what you are pushing around. Everything you mentioned is accessible, so wheelchair friendly in a way that the real world is not always. WDW is one of the most wheelchair friendly places anywhere.

Maybe it's time to buy a more permanent mobility solution your mom can own?

 

[Narcoossee11]

PREACH IT !!!!!!!!
I have pushed my father in a wheelchair.. It is TERRIBLE. You don't notice the hills and the uneven payment till you get to that area.
I had to get him a scooter going forward.

 

[KPeterso]

I push my Mom in a wheelchair at Disneyland regularly for 1-3 day visits. But WDW, she rents a scooter as I cannot push her for 10-12 straight days. She is not super heavy, but one quickly learns how many hills/inclines really are in the parks. I never realized until I started pushing a wheelchair. And there are a few that I just make her walk for a few minutes because they are just too much (I am looking at you bridge the Paradise Pier at DCA or bridge into Critter Country at Disneyland) or take a longer, flatter way around.

 

[Groot]

I would never do a manual wheelchair in Disney. Not even in a nice custom ultralight chair. Now I know that that’s some people’s only option and I’ve gotta give em credit for it.

I wish that they did give some thought to wheelchair and scooter users when the pathways were being laid out so that they were less bumpy but still kept the themeing because if you’re in a transport chair or a very bare-bones “Grandma Special” manual (which most rental wheelchairs are) with no seat cushion, it can get uncomfortable pretty quick.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I was a kid in '99 pushing my dad in a wheelchair because he had a boot on one of his feet. It was hard so I have sympathy there. But that was also before ecv's were all that commonplace. I agree about getting a scooter if you're needing it for multi-days at Disney. I also read your thread about your scooter experience. I wonder if the exclusive deal with Disney is basically overloading Scooterbug's supply. When there are multiple companies around it can spread out the wear and tear and sheer demand. For convenience most would likely only choose Scooterbug.

As far as hills I do understand what you mean but I will say in terms of accessibility Disney is far better than other places. We went to Silver Dollar City over the summer, that is built into the Ozark mountains and some of the inclines were very steep.

 

[RoseGold]

I would never do a manual wheelchair in Disney. Not even in a nice custom ultralight chair. Now I know that that’s some people’s only option and I’ve gotta give em credit for it.

Seen a few people pushing themselves in chairs, and I'm always impressed by that, because the easy option would be for them to use the power chair, I'm sure.

 

[iuki]

Man oh man do you take walking for granted in wdw. Before I get started I did attempt to use a scooter for my mom but it was a disaster. Thread 'Scooter Bug My experience' https://www.disboards.com/threads/scooter-bug-my-experience.3903950/

ok so we got a wheelchair rental for the first few days due to just going to Disney springs. Normally I travel with my husband and ds and we walk a lot. Usually 10-15 miles per park day easy. Using a wheelchair gave me a whole new outlook on travel within wdw.

Cobblestone... Oh how I hate you. The ground is so many different textures. Between cobblestone and jagged rock it was a nightmare to push. The nice flat stone was so easy to push on but due to theming it is very limited on where it is.

Hills!!! Man did I never realize how many inclines and hills wdw had. Giant hills tiny hills.. most into and out of rides/transportation.

Disney springs going around Gideon's huge hill with grates on the ground.. we got stuck in one (wheel just wouldn't/couldn't get over the lip on the incline). Boat launch incline man was that a journey from metal beams to wood with gates Infront of us. Thankfully nice folks usally got the gates for us.

Epcot.. just getting into the monorail was a legit nightmare. We stayed at GF so we had to transfer from resort monorail to the Epcot one. The ramps were just way to much for me to push (I did it.. but ouchy) why don't they have elevators here? At Epcot they have one. The ramp the get to the monorail at MK.. again why no elevator? Seems like a no brainer. We opted to walk the path instead of trying that hill more than once.

This was my 3rd trip this year and I had no clue all these inclines we're gonna be issues. Again I never had to think about wheelchair accessible entrances and such.


tldr: get a scooter... Hope it actually works, pushing a wheelchair chair all trip will destroy your arms/back/legs due to the many MANY inclines around property. Unless you are only doing world showcase (only really flat place we found) everything has a ramp/incline.

I find the cobblestones at Universal Studios worse. However, crossing the streets in MK with the trolley tracks to be the worst of all. When using an ECV scooter, you almost have to cross it perpendicular strait ahead. Otherwise, if at an angle the wheels get caught in the tracks. we had to lift that heavy scooter to get it out. So, using a scooter you have to be careful, but still better than pushing a wheelchair. Haven’t been to Disney since getting my Hot wheels which I love.

 

[DisneyOma]

Epcot.. just getting into the monorail was a legit nightmare. We stayed at GF so we had to transfer from resort monorail to the Epcot one. The ramps were just way to much for me to push (I did it.. but ouchy) why don't they have elevators here? At Epcot they have one. The ramp the get to the monorail at MK.. again why no elevator? Seems like a no brainer. We opted to walk the path instead of trying that hill more than once.

This was my 3rd trip this year and I had no clue all these inclines we're gonna be issues. Again I never had to think about wheelchair accessible entrances and such.


tldr: get a scooter... Hope it actually works, pushing a wheelchair chair all trip will destroy your arms/back/legs due to the many MANY inclines around property. Unless you are only doing world showcase (only really flat place we found) everything has a ramp/incline.

Wasn't the monorail built before ADA of 1990? If so, there's your reason. My guess is it's not like they can just plunk down an elevator in there without stabilizing the ground below it, etc.

Ramps and inclines are going to be around attractions to keep the water flow away from the attraction - it rains so much, so hard down there that drainage is always an issue. If it were all perfectly flat, you'd have to push that wheelchair through inches of water every time it rained.

 

[Meglen]

Wasn't the monorail built before ADA of 1990? If so, there's your reason. My guess is it's not like they can just plunk down an elevator in there without stabilizing the ground below it, etc.

Ramps and inclines are going to be around attractions to keep the water flow away from the attraction - it rains so much, so hard down there that drainage is always an issue. If it were all perfectly flat, you'd have to push that wheelchair through inches of water every time it rained.

Not asking for change I just wasn't aware of this stuff before the trip. And if it can help someone else expectations of wheelchair use than I will be happy. Once we got to the parks the ecvs we're mostly gone so we would wait on the list but hardly got the call backs so it was just a rough trip on my back. Next time I will get our evc from somewhere else and be all set.

 

[RoseGold]

Not asking for change I just wasn't aware of this stuff before the trip. And if it can help someone else expectations of wheelchair use than I will be happy. Once we got to the parks the ecvs we're mostly gone so we would wait on the list but hardly got the call backs so it was just a rough trip on my back. Next time I will get our evc from somewhere else and be all set.

I understand what you are trying to say, but it's not accurate to say WDW isn't wheelchair friendly.

There are many places that are actually not accessible, which people in chairs struggle with all the time. What you meant is that you are not in the physical shape to push around this particular person in a manual chair in a completely accessible location. It's much harder, or even impossible, in a place that actually isn't wheelchair friendly.

 

[nyviolet]

I didn't have any difficulty with Disney World in my manual lightweight wheelchair, but I am used to pushing a chair in my daily life. The park I thought was most difficult (most hilly) was Animal Kingdom. I have never used a power chair so I don't think I'd try one just for Disney as I am not used to them, and I think scooters are more for ambulatory users. I found Disney to be a vacation with much better than average wheelchair access.

 

[SueM in MN]

Wasn't the monorail built before ADA of 1990? If so, there's your reason. My guess is it's not like they can just plunk down an elevator in there without stabilizing the ground below it, etc.

Ramps and inclines are going to be around attractions to keep the water flow away from the attraction - it rains so much, so hard down there that drainage is always an issue. If it were all perfectly flat, you'd have to push that wheelchair through inches of water every time it rained.

The monorails at MK and the MK resorts were actually part of the park and MK Resort area when it opened in 1971. The part that goes to EPCOT opened with that park in 1982.
So, both were operating before the ADA.
The monorails themselves are accessible; it’s just the ramps at Ticket & Transportation Center (TTC) and MK that are not. The station at EPCOT has a small elevator for getting on there. The EPCOT exit ramps, are not as steep as the MK area ones and do have switchbacks and level areas between ramped areas - as far as I can tell, they appear to be ADA compliant.
Adding elevators or longer/less steep ramps at MK or the TTC would be difficult because there is not much space to work with.

Rain and drainage are good points for why it’s not more flat.

I didn't have any difficulty with Disney World in my manual lightweight wheelchair, but I am used to pushing a chair in my daily life. The park I thought was most difficult (most hilly) was Animal Kingdom. I have never used a power chair so I don't think I'd try one just for Disney as I am not used to them, and I think scooters are more for ambulatory users. I found Disney to be a vacation with much better than average wheelchair access.

I agree that WDW is much more wheelchair accessible than what my family usually encounters in our daily life. Hills and inclines are present all over, along with stairs. At least at WDW, when we come to stairs, we know there will be a way around them close by. That’s not always the case outside of WDW.
My youngest DD is a full time wheelchair user. When out at home, she uses a custom power chair, but we don’t bring it to WDW. It’s way too fragile for us to feel comfortable putting it on a plane. Because of her size and needs for special features, we can’t rent a power chair for her at WDW.

She doesn’t have stamina and is too slow to do much propelling of her manual wheelchair, so we do most of the pushing. The chair does make a difference. Her previous manual wheelchair was a custom lightweight chair with the standard wheels that came with it. The frame (without wheels, seat or anything else) weighed about 20 pounds. Her current manual chair is an ultra lightweight with a frame that weighs only 12.5 lbs and upgraded wheels and takes quite a bit less effort to push (I can push it with the force of my little finger).

That‘s a lot different than the average off-site or park rental wheelchairs - those are heavy duty and weigh 40-50 pounds. That can be difficult for someone who is not used to pushing a wheelchair.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Pushing an adult in a manual chair is difficult indeed. My son is 170 pounds now, and not mentally able to use an ECV. I am getting older (64 now). Fortunately for me, I can still make him walk some of the time, so I do that on some of those inclines. Even ride queues in and out are hard. I am looking at YOU, Space Mt, Soarin', Flight of Passage, etc. Plus, Entering AK, the monorail ramps (except Epcot!).

I have begun looking at the power chairs with a control on the back so the "attendent" (ME) can control the power function. So far, they look complicated using a joystick contol. I would rather push most of the time and just press a "power assist" when needed, using hand grips like bicycle brakes or a bar like on a lawnmower. Plus they are heavy and look tricky to fly with, (the rechargeable batteries).

All in all, I defintely feel lucky my son only uses a chair at the parks, zoos, museums, parks, just places he needs to walk a lot. And I really groan when people in the ECVs fly by at a really fast speed, like they do when they see low crowds, sometimes it is couples flying by us, while I struggle lol. I say we will need a 2 seater ECV eventually, ha I guess if that happens, no more Disney.

 

[Meglen]

I understand what you are trying to say, but it's not accurate to say WDW isn't wheelchair friendly.

There are many places that are actually not accessible, which people in chairs struggle with all the time. What you meant is that you are not in the physical shape to push around this particular person in a manual chair in a completely accessible location. It's much harder, or even impossible, in a place that actually isn't wheelchair friendly.

I never said it's not wheely friendly.. just not as much as I assumed. I never noticed the incline and the ramps while just walking around. It's the perception and different view point that I'm talking about. While using a rented wheelchair to push a 300lbs old lady 10-14 miles a day for 8 days I can hardly say I'm not in good enough shape to do it.. I just didn't know it would be that hilly. It was plan B.. scooters were plan A and it just didn't work out. Again this is all my perception and views on how I thought things were vs reality.

Sure it's much easier to push a child.. or someone with a nice lightweight wheelchair but the reality was a overweight adult in a borrowed wheelchair on vacation.

So take my view if you want or just assume I'm outta shape and just complaining to complain.. but I'm really not.. so please just take it as my observations during my trip.

 

[tinkerbelllacey]

My daughter age 24 is a full time wheelchair user. She weighs 119 pounds but her chair weighs 60 pounds. I push her everywhere but it can be challenging at times at Disney world at the parks especially in the heat and up the hills. I am getting older so it is getting harder. On our last trip I was having trouble with her wheelchair ( the wheel was rubbing) so it was even harder to push. I recently bought a smart drive MX2t wheelchair power assist to put on her chair . This will make it much easier.

 

[mamabunny]

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[ttintagel]

Yeah, trying a manual wheelchair in EPCOT was a huge eye-opener. The ramp in the queue for Soarin' was (is?) so steep that the brakes on my chair were nearly worthless. I made the rest of the groups stand behind me so they could try to catch me if the brakes totally failed!

 

[SueM in MN]

Yeah, trying a manual wheelchair in EPCOT was a huge eye-opener. The ramp in the queue for Soarin' was (is?) so steep that the brakes on my chair were nearly worthless. I made the rest of the groups stand behind me so they could try to catch me if the brakes totally failed!

The ramp in the queue and exit at Soarin are steep, but it was opened in 2005 as a newly constructed attraction and does meet the ADA guidelines. The ramps to get into the Land building and to get from the entrance to the top floor are also very steep, but do have a more level ‘resting‘ area. (There is a marked and separated off ‘accessible’ ramped into the building to the middle left as you face the building. Even though it’s marked and separated out, many times it’s full of walkers).
Flights of Passage at AK also has steeply ramped, but ADA compliant ramps. Another The comes to mind - Small World also has a very steep dedicated access ramp for entry and uses the regular steep exit ramp.

For waiting on steep ramps, we have DD’s wheelchair stop facing sideways to the direction of the ramp. That way, we know her brakes will hold, if she even needs them, and she won’t go rolling down the ramp.

 

[KPeterso]

For waiting on steep ramps, we have DD’s wheelchair stop facing sideways to the direction of the ramp. That way, we know her brakes will hold, if she even needs them, and she won’t go rolling down the ramp.

I finally figured out that trick at Disneyland about 2-3 years ago after several years of struggling to hold on to it on some of the ramps. We face sideways so I don't have to be gripping as tightly. I have told other guests and they all look at me for a few seconds and then turn sideways and see what I mean that it makes things easier! I felt stupid that I did not figure it out right away, but it does work.