Wheelchair accessible WDW transportation

[Summer2018]

The day we booked our 25th wedding anniversary vacation to WDW, I injured my left knee. I have arthritis, and unbeknownst to me, I had a Baker’s Cyst which ruptured. During the xray, it was also discovered that I have a torn meniscus. I need a knee replacement eventually. In the meantime, my walking is very limited.
I plan on renting a wheelchair from a third party vendor so that I can use it in and out of the parks. We are staying at the Polynesian. Does anyone know if the boat is wheelchair accessible? I tried looking in the faq’s and all it said was that some watercraft is and some isn’t.

 

[Debbie Jean]

The small resort launch is not wheelchair accessible. I frequently walk over to the TTC and take the large boat, since that one is. Depending on where you are at the Poly... I stay DVC... this can be an option.

Monorail is also wheelchair accessible.

 

[gap2368]

I would look into an ECV as wheel chair are very very hard to self push and having someone push you all day is hard to.

 

[SueM in MN]

This post from the disABILITIES FAQs thread has information about what transportation is and is not accessible.
disABILITIES FAQs - temporary & permanent disabled, 1st trip, next trip, Wish trip

The small boats that go between MK and the MK resorts - like Polynesian - are not accessible to roll a wheelchair on. If you can step down into the boat and a member of your party can fold the wheelchair and carry it onto the boat, you can do that.
Other than that, the small boats are not accessible.

 

[mamabunny]

@Summer2018 Will you have someone to help push you in the chair? Even folks in excellent condition can find it VERY difficult to hop in a wheelchair, and then push themselves for the (average) 5 - 10 miles you will walk at WDW every day. If you make it through the first day, expect your arms to feel like limp noodles connected to broken shoulders on day 2; I know from personal experience.

If you have someone who can push you, then I promise I will hush up and go away LOL - but you may want to consider keeping the name & phone number of a local ECV rental vendor in your phone's contacts just in case... most will deliver straight to the parks (again, from personal experience).

One last thing - since it is an anniversary trip, remember that if your sweetheart pushes your wheelchair from behind, you won't have the same experience as if your spouse is walking beside you as you ride on an ECV (scooter). Our family members are always willing to push me in a chair, but I miss seeing their faces, and fully interacting with them.

Congratulations on 25 years!

 

[Summer2018]

I’m traveling with three other people. My daughter, her friend, and my husband. I figured that they could take turns pushing me. I don’t plan on using it in the resort, and I will only be in the parks in the morning.
I hesitate using a scooter because on our previous trip, a woman drove over the edge of my sneaker missing my actual foot by a couple centimeters. By the grace of God, she didn’t crush my foot. I really don’t want to risk running someone over. I guess I need to discuss this with my family and see what they are willing and able to do if I use a wheelchair. Thanks everyone!

 

[mamabunny]

I can certainly understand being nervous about an ECV after such a scary experience!

But... consider this: Between now and when you leave, you have time to visit local stores (think grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) and practice with the store carts.

I know - they are horrible, slow, noisy and it's the last thing you want to do. But these are *excellent* practice for using an ECV at WDW - you have to really focus when you drive these, because they are so horribly crappy (and the controls are loose and horrible from overuse) that if you can master one of these giant, wheezing beasties, a rental at WDW will feel like a sleek sexy race car. Promise!

In all seriousness, consider having a rental delivered to your Disney Resort. Practice with it at the Resort - even taking a 15 minute window to learn hands-on how fast it will go, how quickly you can stop, how tight you can turn a circle, how to navigate through shops and food service (you can practice all that at your Resort prior to going to the Parks) and getting used to curb cuts, ramps and using reverse will all make a HUGE difference in your confidence level.

In the Parks (and at Disney Springs) you will find that quite often, pedestrians (especially children) will dart right in front of you; this is normal, and can be mitigated by having your family walking on either side of you. I tend to drive on the right side, and my family is on the left, so I only have to worry if there are shops on the right where people might step out in front of me.

There are so many folks here who have (like I did) resisted using a scooter or ECV in the Parks. I finally had to realize that using an ECV is simply using a tool - like a calculator to do math, glasses to see better, or hearing aids to hear better - to enjoy my time at WDW. It also gave me my personal freedom; I can get up in the morning, and go down to food service to get a cup of coffee while everyone else is waking up and getting ready. I can go off on my own at Disney Springs to go shopping for what I am interested in, while other family members go in another direction, and then I can meet up with them after they have bought all.the.Star.Wars.things. Ever. LOL

What happened to you is most likely because of an inattentive driver, and I am happy to know you weren't hurt! But don't let that bad experience cause you to discard the use of a tool that could make a positive impact on your trip.

Whatever you do, I hope you all have a lovely time!

 

[Summer2018]

I can certainly understand being nervous about an ECV after such a scary experience!

But... consider this: Between now and when you leave, you have time to visit local stores (think grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) and practice with the store carts.

I know - they are horrible, slow, noisy and it's the last thing you want to do. But these are *excellent* practice for using an ECV at WDW - you have to really focus when you drive these, because they are so horribly crappy (and the controls are loose and horrible from overuse) that if you can master one of these giant, wheezing beasties, a rental at WDW will feel like a sleek sexy race car. Promise!

In all seriousness, consider having a rental delivered to your Disney Resort. Practice with it at the Resort - even taking a 15 minute window to learn hands-on how fast it will go, how quickly you can stop, how tight you can turn a circle, how to navigate through shops and food service (you can practice all that at your Resort prior to going to the Parks) and getting used to curb cuts, ramps and using reverse will all make a HUGE difference in your confidence level.

In the Parks (and at Disney Springs) you will find that quite often, pedestrians (especially children) will dart right in front of you; this is normal, and can be mitigated by having your family walking on either side of you. I tend to drive on the right side, and my family is on the left, so I only have to worry if there are shops on the right where people might step out in front of me.

There are so many folks here who have (like I did) resisted using a scooter or ECV in the Parks. I finally had to realize that using an ECV is simply using a tool - like a calculator to do math, glasses to see better, or hearing aids to hear better - to enjoy my time at WDW. It also gave me my personal freedom; I can get up in the morning, and go down to food service to get a cup of coffee while everyone else is waking up and getting ready. I can go off on my own at Disney Springs to go shopping for what I am interested in, while other family members go in another direction, and then I can meet up with them after they have bought all.the.Star.Wars.things. Ever. LOL

What happened to you is most likely because of an inattentive driver, and I am happy to know you weren't hurt! But don't let that bad experience cause you to discard the use of a tool that could make a positive impact on your trip.

Whatever you do, I hope you all have a lovely time!

I really appreciate your feedback. Considering my current condition, newly injured, I walk about 4,000 steps a day in the school I teach in wearing my brace. I don’t do the stairs except at home. Depending on how I do in the next 5 months, I’m thinking that I might be able to alternate walking and riding in the wheelchair. We will only be going in the morning for about 4 hours. We go to MK 4 days, covering each section in one day. We always start with Frontierland on our first day so that DD can ride Splash Mountain first. Then another day is Fantasyland, etc. We don’t wander aimlessly through the parks. We have a plan. The day we are scheduled for AK, I might stay back at the Polynesian and relax by the pool. They can go wild in Pandora, and I can chill out in the Resort. AK is my least favorite park, so I won’t miss it. Anyway, if I approach the trip this way, part time in a wheelchair, I think I could handle it, and if the three of them take turns pushing me, it might be manageable.

 

[happymommy]

Since you're fairly ambulatory, maybe it's possible to fold the wheelchair and bring it on the boat that way? I'm not sure, since it's been over 20 years since I've been on one of the small boats. My youngest does that almost all the time when we take a bus; we fold it and he sits while I hold onto the chair (locked) out of the way.

 

[Summer2018]

Since you're fairly ambulatory, maybe it's possible to fold the wheelchair and bring it on the boat that way? I'm not sure, since it's been over 20 years since I've been on one of the small boats. My youngest does that almost all the time when we take a bus; we fold it and he sits while I hold onto the chair (locked) out of the way.

That sounds like a great idea. I’m thinking that we might need the boat sometimes since the monorail is no longer reliable.