Wheel chair question???

[Canadian Tom]

Hello: We're thinking of taking my MIL who is 82 to BCV next October. She has problems walking and standing. Are there wheel chairs available at the hotel? Are there wheel chairs available at the parks? If so, what is the procedure for getting one? Thanks.

 

[BillPA]

Tom, I think you would do better posting this question on the DISabilities board. Maybe a moderator will move this for you.

http://disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=20

 

[dianeschlicht]

I know each of the DVC resorts has a wheelchair available. There are also chairs for rent at the parks. When we were there in August, I needed "transportation" because of a medical problem. OKW put me in touch with CARE, and I was able to rent an ECV (scooter) for the week. It was very reasonable at $150 for the week. They delivered it to OKW and picked it up as well. Going to the parks was a breeze, because the bus loads and unloads the scooter.

 

[inky dinky doo]

Tom,

My son-in-law injured his leg on the job a couple of weeks ago -- just one week before we checked in at the BCV. They ended up renting an ECV from Walker Medical, who delivered it the day before we arrived and picked it up the day after we checked out. I didn't ask what it cost, but knowing my son-in-law, it probably wasn't too much.

If you'd like me to get some info from them, I will. I know they were very pleased with Walker.

Pat

306 days and counting . . . again!

 

[Figaro]

Hi, Tom!

WDW resorts have a limited number of wheelchairs available on a first come first serve basis. There isn't any way to reserve a chair from the resort and during busy times people have reported that there are no chairs available.

You can also rent wheelchairs at the theme parks, but this means that your mother-in-law would be walking from either the parking lot of bus stops, since those chairs aren't allowed out of the theme park. When you rent a wheelchair at the theme park, you hang onto the receipt so if you go to another theme park the same day, you don't have to pay again for a wheelchair.

If you decide to rent a wheelchair or an ecv from an off-site provider, check for threads on this board that have "ECV" in the title and take a look at them, as someone will have listed the different providers in the Orlando area along with the phone numbers and/or websites.

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[wdwstar]

We were at the bwv in aug. and dsis was talking to the bellman and asking about a wheelchair, the bellman came out with a wheelchair and said when your finished with the wheelchair bring it back, but keep it as long as you needed it. it was great no renting, no standing in line at the parks to rent. we visited all 4 parks that day and tour the boardwalk with out worrying about turning it in and renting another one, we also had a conversion van to cart the wheelchair around, that was a plus.
again we were there in aug. a popular month

 

[chamonix]

An 82 yo who has trouble walking or standing will need to rent an ECV. You can rent them from an offsite company (there are several recommended here). They will deliver it to you when you arrive at your hotel and pick it up when you leave. It seems going price is about $150 per week, since that is what we paid as well. It is best to have one for your entire stay, so no walking from car to gate, on or off monorail, etc. and you won't have to push her at all. Many rides and shows she can roll right in/on. They fit on elevators in hotels, and in hotel rooms. The best part is, they always have a place to sit and rest--you don't need to find a bench to sit on for parades, etc. Our latest vacation with my elderly mother would have been a complete disaster without the ECV. The parks are huge for someone who has trouble walking, and *you* will be happy that you rented her one, I promise you! It would take you forever to walk across the parks without one. My mother loved it so much that she wrote about it in her Christmas newsletter, LOL. Turns out she was dreading the trip but had a blast using the ECV. She's looking into buying one to use at home now!
We used Randy's Mobility--they were great--!

 

[SueM in MN]

Here is a list of the places that DIS posters report renting wheelchairs and ecvs from:
Walker Mobility:
1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
Phone (407) 856-2273, Toll Free U.S and Canada (800) 741-2282

RANDY'S Mobility is in Kissimmee
(407)-892-4777
http://randysmobility.com/

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html
(800)747-0246

Some people have had good luck getting a wheelchair for free from their WDW resort, but, as Figaro mentioned, they are first come, first served and can't be reserved ahead of time. Because of that, some people have posted that what was available didn't meet their needs (either not good condition or too large or small size). People have posted that getting a suitable replacement could be quick (hours) or slow(days). So, if you do choose to get one from the resort, it's a good idea to still take these phone numbers a long.

Now, as for wheelchair or ecv, there are advantages and disadvantages to each. A wheelchair needs to be pushed by someone, which can get to be tiring. An ecv doesn't need pushing and gives more independence to the user. Most people do fine with the ecv, but if your MIL is the timid type and doesn't drive a car, she may find the ecv is too intimidating for her. If she has vision problems, she may not see well enough to drive safely.

A good way to test out if she would like to drive one is to try one out at a local store or mall. Most Targets and Walmarts have one she could use for shopping. Those are much larger and more difficult to drive than any you will rent in Orlando. So, if she does well with that, the rental ones will be a piece of cake. When you get the rental one, have her take a few minutes to just practice things like making turns (sharp and gradual) and backing up. She will be more comfortable in the parks if she has practiced before. And Epcot is a good park to go to first with a new driver. There is lots of space and the walkways are wide.

 

[cupcake]

before I came here and (1) found out about off site rentals; and (2) the pros of using an EVC.

I can unequivocally say that off site wcs are going to be far more comfortable for your MIL in the back and seat. Also, I have never been able to adjust the foot rests for the WDW wcs. Rental wcs fold & pop in the trunk and then you don't hve the hassle of getting the loaner wcs & finding your MIL a place to sit while you wait in line to get/return the WDW wc. Resort chairs, in my experience, are better quality than the park ones but like Sue said, you don't know what they will have at either the resorts or the parks. They can borrow from other resorts but it can take a day or so to come up w/ another wc. The Swan & Dolphin do not have on-site wcs. Pushing may be no big deal depending on your MIL's size and her touring needs (she may well not want to spend the entire day at the parks or may be more drawn to show style attractions which require less pushing/transferring).

Renting off site costs the same, it's easy to transport a folding wc, and give you the wc for shopping, resorts, etc.

It's not that an EVC isn't manageable or a great choice for some people, but a wc can be a better choice for others.

Btw, do not rent a WDW ECV for a day to try an EVC out! They are 4 wheelers and are a total pain to drive & maneuver, IMHO, unlike the 3 wheel offsite rental EVCs.

Have a fun trip!

Cupcake