Handicapped consideration planning

[jen7233]

Hi, we have a set of three family members deciding to join us just now, within 3 weeks of our trip, so I'm trying my best trying to help them plan they aren't as familiar with parks, but I am not familiar with navigating the parks with a mobility issue. The family member has their own wheelchair, asked us to push (the other two in their party coming can't really push it well), but I'm not entirely sure either we can as they don't live with us, not sure our stamina over the length of time (I definitely hope we can), but I suggested we should look into an ECV maybe is an option. They really prefer the wheelchair option and not keen on the cost of the ECV. She also can't stand in the ride lines. Any opinions on renting at each park vs rent your own ECV (buenavista scooters rental), or bringing own wheelchair from home? Are there any rides to be aware of that don't accommodate the ECV or their wheelchair well?

 

[Groot]

I’d definitely wouldn’t recommend renting from the parks. For one thing, the distance from the buses,monorail, skyliner, and boats will be long and there ain’t as many benches in between. Also, if you arrive too late, the scooters might be gone and you’ll either have to wait for one or walk the entire day.

I’d recommend Gold Mobility for offsite rentals because their customer service is top notch and they ALWAYS use NEW SCOOTERS that they rotate every 4 months and sell the old ones to people who need them.

For bringing your own wheelchair, don’t forget that at least Orlando’s airport is YUGE and if she has distance/stamina issues, it’s a long walk from the gate to the bus and vice versa.

 

[Groot]

Also, her personal chair is a manual? (Assuming from the description in the OP).

If she could learn how to drive a powerchair, look into Fold and Go. They’re folding powerchairs, have good battery life for all day use, and most importantly, you can choose your own color.

A lot of people on the forums use these too in our everyday life and love them. (Beat you to the punch, @RaySharpton)

 

[DL1WDW2]

Would love to help... do you mind giving a little more info? Will you all be staying on property at same resort? Which resort ? Do you have same daily schedules Like to wake early ... what about dining reservations and park passes, since this is Spring Break and very crowded. Are they considered high risk?
The most surprising thing about Disney and wheelchairs for me pushing my mother ( average body size ) (and me also... )no shortcuts from Point A to B and surprising how elevated most of the flat looking walkways are... Pushing uphill and holding speed going downhill... and stressful avoiding crowds that walk too close or cut in front unexpectedly. It is not easy, so this will change your plans dramatically.

 

[jen7233]

I’d definitely wouldn’t recommend renting from the parks. For one thing, the distance from the buses,monorail, skyliner, and boats will be long and there ain’t as many benches in between. Also, if you arrive too late, the scooters might be gone and you’ll either have to wait for one or walk the entire day.

I’d recommend Gold Mobility for offsite rentals because their customer service is top notch and they ALWAYS use NEW SCOOTERS that they rotate every 4 months and sell the old ones to people who need them.

For bringing your own wheelchair, don’t forget that at least Orlando’s airport is YUGE and if she has distance/stamina issues, it’s a long walk from the gate to the bus and vice versa.

I was considering that, it didn't seem renting from the park would work well at all. I'm considering the Gold Mobility, maybe looking into them delivering to hotel, and we take it to the parks on the bus. The Fold and Go is something I'll look into. I'm trying to be helpful as I can for her, thinking we need to put mobility needs into our trip planning now so we don't discover when we are there we don't have a good way to get around or didn't consider something we should have.

 

[jen7233]

Would love to help... do you mind giving a little more info? Will you all be staying on property at same resort? Which resort ? Do you have same daily schedules Like to wake early ... what about dining reservations and park passes, since this is Spring Break and very crowded. Are they considered high risk?
The most surprising thing about Disney and wheelchairs for me pushing my mother ( average body size ) (and me also... )no shortcuts from Point A to B and surprising how elevated most of the flat looking walkways are... Pushing uphill and holding speed going downhill... and stressful avoiding crowds that walk too close or cut in front unexpectedly. It is not easy, so this will change your plans dramatically.

We are going to stay at the same resort but not a Disney one. I reworked some dining, altered a park plan day so we can have the same park, although one of our days doesn't match so we need to deal with that day. Working on dining. That one has been very tough, still reworking it while watching for availabilities. Expecting we should consider crowds or maneuverability, looking into the Touring Plan calendar.

 

[Bjkandma]

Consider renting a scooter (strongly recom!end Gold Mobility). You definitely don't want to.push a wheelchair (average guest walks 8-12 miles per day). I personally have severely damaged handswrists. My adult daughter controls the scooter, by waking on my right side and pushed the "handle". We have done this now at least five times. She says she prefers it, over pushing a wheelchair. It really does work well. I even sit in scooter and she drives the scooter up the ramps. Just something to think about!

 

[cobright]

The family member has their own wheelchair, asked us to push (the other two in their party coming can't really push it well), but I'm not entirely sure either we can ... but I suggested we should look into an ECV maybe is an option. They really prefer the wheelchair option and not keen on the cost of the ECV.

How nice of them to volunteer you for physical labor on your upcoming vacation.

I haven't played with the FoldandGo yet but I can heartily recommend a Whill Ci powerchair. It is easy to drive and has a very small footprint, meaning it's easier to get through the lines and maneuvre through shops and dining than an ECV. There is a recent review on a blog I read where the woman mentioned that she remained on her rented Whill even on some attractions that normally required transfer to a manual chair.

Renting a power chair would lessen the concern for being able to get in and out of tight places. Rental for a week should be under $300, if that is too much of a burden for them you might chip in a Franklin rather than be talked into ambulating another person across 8-10 miles of Florida sunshine every day.

I'm struggling with how to address this sort of assumptive request ... politely. There are plenty of people who can safely assume I would make such an effort on their behalf... no wait ... there's only one and she weighs 85 lbs.. This was an enormous 'ask' on your family members part and it's important to check that level of entitlement early or you will find that, in their mind anyway, the success of their vacation is in your hands.

 

[cobright]

My adult daughter controls the scooter, by waking on my right side and pushed the "handle".

I wish more mobility tech were developed with an 'attendant mode'. We make luggage now that will follow you around. Not that a person in a power chair should be regarded as luggage, but when my friend was receiving cancer therapy, and for some time after, she would get very tired for spells during the day. WDW is (or was, until recently) our place to spend the day to keep her out and about whenever I was in town. I added a follow-me mode for her power chair that holds station with me walking side by side. She'll nod off mid sentence and wake up at PotC, says it's like magic.

 

[herdtoDisney]

Also, her personal chair is a manual? (Assuming from the description in the OP).

If she could learn how to drive a powerchair, look into Fold and Go. They’re folding powerchairs, have good battery life for all day use, and most importantly, you can choose your own color.

A lot of people on the forums use these too in our everyday life and love them. (Beat you to the punch, @RaySharpton)

Thank your for this recommendation-I just sent this to my dad! He has Parkinsons and has been prescribed a mobility device but has been reluctant. This may be right up his alley, and it would easily fit in Mom's trunk.

 

[lanejudy]

OP - your trip is coming up soon, so looking into various (and expensive) powerchairs isn't a particularly likely option; most vendors don't rent them unless the person uses one at home. You mentioned this person isn't interested in an ECV due to cost -- I suggest you check some of the offsite rentals and see what you can find for a good deal on a portable scooter. Be sure to rent one that will be the right size for the user; you don't mention but give the impression that this may be an larger person who would be heavy to push. It will be much less expensive to rent offsite than in the parks each day, plus as others have said she would have it to get to/from the parking lot because there are no trams running right now. That's going to be a busy week at the parks.

 

[Groot]

I wish more mobility tech were developed with an 'attendant mode'. We make luggage now that will follow you around. Not that a person in a power chair should be regarded as luggage, but when my friend was receiving cancer therapy, and for some time after, she would get very tired for spells during the day. WDW is (or was, until recently) our place to spend the day to keep her out and about whenever I was in town. I added a follow-me mode for her power chair that holds station with me walking side by side. She'll nod off mid sentence and wake up at PotC, says it's like magic.

Most of the high-end powerchairs (Quantum, Permobil, etc.) do have the option for an attendant control, but then again, we’re talking about a $15,000+ for Quantum, $20,000+ for a Permie. (Believe me, I priced one of each out MULTIPLE TIMES over the years, couldn’t get the latter UNDER 20K.)

Fold and Go has an attendant mount for the joystick that attaches to the backrest that’s WAY CHEAPER (only $80).

 

[cobright]

Most of the high-end powerchairs (Quantum, Permobil, etc.) do have the option for an attendant control, but then again, we’re talking about a $15,000+ for Quantum...

Yeah, I mean ... okay this is the horse I end up beating every time... What the industry calls attendant control is what ... a way to swing the joystik over so someone else can shuffle awkwardly along trying not to run themselves over with their charge's wheelchair? Now go watch this Drone Race. These races are possible because a computer the size of a wristwatch is doing about 60% of the actual motor power adjustments, for 4 individual motors simultaneously. Some of these little toys are actually using as much power as a full size powerchair; I have speed controllers rated at 800Amp continuous use. And without a whole lot more work, these little drones can be made to fly this course completely autonomously.

My first wheelchair related patent was for a chair controller that kept a powerchair a fixed distance and position from it's attendant whether that attendant was behind the chair, in front, or wherever and was completely hands free. The prototype cost about $5. It's dead simple and worked disturbingly well for how janky it was. It just feels like the industry puts out tired design because they can. This $15k Quantum still uses lead acid batteries and brushed motors. Technology from the 60s.

oof, enough rant from me

 

[mamabunny]

Hi, we have a set of three family members deciding to join us just now, within 3 weeks of our trip, so I'm trying my best trying to help them plan they aren't as familiar with parks, but I am not familiar with navigating the parks with a mobility issue. The family member has their own wheelchair, asked us to push (the other two in their party coming can't really push it well), but I'm not entirely sure either we can as they don't live with us, not sure our stamina over the length of time (I definitely hope we can), but I suggested we should look into an ECV maybe is an option. They really prefer the wheelchair option and not keen on the cost of the ECV. She also can't stand in the ride lines. Any opinions on renting at each park vs rent your own ECV (buenavista scooters rental), or bringing own wheelchair from home? Are there any rides to be aware of that don't accommodate the ECV or their wheelchair well?

You family can also consider a Rollator for your family member.

A Rollator is a walker, with a built-in seat, so that while waiting in lines, the user can sit wherever they are. It does require them to be able to walk, and push the equivalent of a regular walker.

There are pros and cons, obviously.

CONS: the average Guest at WDW can walk between 3 & 10 miles per day, and so a Rollator or standard walker still requires a certain amount of stamina.

Additionally, you would probably want to purchase a Rollator to use, because (most likely) it will be cheaper than renting one daily.

PROS: Medical equipment flies for free on all US airlines, and any mobility device can be taken all the way to the aircraft door, and "gate checked" to a special hold under the aircraft. If you have a layover/change flights at an airport between your home city and MCO, any gate checked medical equipment will be brought back up to the aircraft door for use during the layover.

Rollators are relatively lightweight, and easily fold to fit into the trunk/rear cargo of almost every vehicle.

Bonus extra: Almost all of them have a basket or soft storage bag under the seat (which is *very* handy if medical supplies need to be carried with the user)

They can often be found for an average starting price of $65 (and range upwards from there). Some local service organizations may have them in their equipment loaner closets (think: Masons, Shriners, local Churches, etc.)

°o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

When it comes to ECVs, and their use at WDW, before we talk about tips for first-timers (there's TONS of those here on this forum) please consider the following:

- Does my family member have the ability to drive a car safely? Driving an ECV at WDW requires a lot of the same skills as driving a car in traffic - the ability to pay attention, to be able to avoid potential obstacles, brake in a timely fashion, etc.

- Does my family member have the ability to focus all day on the job of driving the ECV? It can be very mentally taxing to spend your day dodging folks who are face-down in their phones, more concerned with Facebook and Instagram than they are with watching where they are going.

Driving an ECV in an unfamiliar place that is so visually "rich" and potentially distracting can be exhausting. Add in the fact that you are sitting at butt-level all day in a place that is designed for those who are standing/walking (so your view is often obstructed, and in places can be "warped" by the visual tricks that Imagineers use to change perspective) and it can all add up to leave a new ECV driver mentally drained by the end of the day.

All of this is to say that not everyone is a candidate for ECV use - and only you and your family, and family member can make that decision. No one wants to go to WDW and have less than an amazing experience - so use the best possible mobility device as a tool that is available to help your loved one have the best trip!

 

[ttintagel]

I tried going to the parks in a manual wheelchair once. It turned out that there were a lot more hills, steep ramps, and stretches of rough or uneven paving than I had ever noticed before trying to manually propel over them. My friends helped me as much as they could, but it became so physically demanding we were all exhausted. And although I'm not petite at 5'10", neither was I overweight. I ended up calling the wheelchair rental company and having them swap out the manual chair for an ECV that night. If the wheelchair user is used to self-propelling over great distances and lots of inclines, or if there are enough strong people in the party to take tuns pushing, at the very least I would keep the number of a rental company handy.

(The brakes of the manual chair nearly gave out stopped halfway up the really steep ramp in the Soarin' queue. I thought I'd be rolling back down bum over teakettle and knocking other guests down like bowling pins!)

 

[Makmak]

I’m in decent shape and I had to push a child in a wheelchair once at WDW. I figured it would be no big deal because she was not big/heavy. I found out that it didn’t matter. My back hurt and wrists hurt because the handles are awkward if you aren’t used to pushing a chair and the angles/muscles you use are not ones I had used regularly I guess bc I felt physically uncomfortable after a few hours. I swapped her to a stroller it was so bad—she was way too big for a stroller but the handles on the jogging stroller allowed me to hold the handle with my wrists extended forward, instead of sideways as the manual wheelchair handle. (I know that’s not an option in OP case but the wrist thing and need for two hands on the handles at all times surprised me on the wheelchair). I only wanted to add this bc I think it’s not necessarily about weight but about the uneven pavement/inclines that one doesn’t notice coupled with a “new type” of physical activity that one’s body may not be accustomed to—-and this is potentially in extreme heat and wearing a mask depending on when OP is going

 

[Joerookery]

Hi, we have a set of three family members deciding to join us just now, within 3 weeks of our trip, so I'm trying my best trying to help them plan they aren't as familiar with parks, but I am not familiar with navigating the parks with a mobility issue. The family member has their own wheelchair, asked us to push (the other two in their party coming can't really push it well), but I'm not entirely sure either we can as they don't live with us, not sure our stamina over the length of time (I definitely hope we can), but I suggested we should look into an ECV maybe is an option. They really prefer the wheelchair option and not keen on the cost of the ECV. She also can't stand in the ride lines. Any opinions on renting at each park vs rent your own ECV (buenavista scooters rental), or bringing own wheelchair from home? Are there any rides to be aware of that don't accommodate the ECV or their wheelchair well?

Power chairs are the way to go. Rented from gold mobility. Has a much better turning radius then in the ECV, easier to operate.

 

[mamabunny]

Power chairs are the way to go. Rented from gold mobility. Has a much better turning radius then in the ECV, easier to operate.

Generally speaking, most rental vendors won't rent true powerchairs to folks who don't use one in their "regular" life. There tends to be a longer learning curve for those; additionally, they tend to rent at a higher cost than a standard ECV.

 

[bopper]

I think you may need to tell your Family Member: "We are delighted to have you all come with us to Disney but we absolutely cannot commit to pushing a manual wheelchair all day. I am not sure if you know that there can be 8-12 miles of walking in a day. I can give you the numbers/websites of excellent ECV rental places. This will allow you much more independence and us the ability to wrangle the kids. If it is too expensive then perhaps leaving a day or two early will make it affordable."

 

[Evita_W]

I think you may need to tell your Family Member: "We are delighted to have you all come with us to Disney but we absolutely cannot commit to pushing a manual wheelchair all day. I am not sure if you know that there can be 8-12 miles of walking in a day. I can give you the numbers/websites of excellent ECV rental places. This will allow you much more independence and us the ability to wrangle the kids. If it is too expensive then perhaps leaving a day or two early will make it affordable."

Or perhaps even offer to assist with the cost of an ECV, not.oay for it outright, but help a bit. It will save you a lot of headaches.