Wheelchair, scooter or DAS - advice

Familybell

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 26, 2017
I have a bad hip (since birth). Up until recently I have not had problems. However, I now get pain from long periods of walking or standing. Pain meds provide limited relief. I have done WDW before, but have never had to consider this issue. I don't want to put a damper on the enjoying of the parks by the rest my family. My family of 4 will all be over 17, so I would have several people who could push a chair. However, sitting for long periods also become uncomfortable. A DAS would help with the standing for long periods, but not with the walking. How hard is it to rent a chair at the parks? To rent a schooter? Any other suggestions? I am generally ambulatory, and don't use anything at home. But the long days of walking and waiting have me concerned.
 
Have you considered a rollator, which would allow you to alternate walking and sitting as needed? Or a manual wheelchair would allow the same -- push when you feel like walking, sit when you need to sit, plus allows someone else to push you if you need a break. Wheelchairs are usually easy to rent in-park. In-park ECV rentals tend to run out by mid- or late-morning; with an ECV you could ride to an area, park and walk, then ride to the next area, repeat. If you think you might want an ECV rather than a wheelchair, I'd suggest using an offsite vendor. There are vendors listed towards the end of post #2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread pinned near the top of this forum.

I'll be honest that a DAS is not likely to help because you would then need to do a lot more walking, to and from the attraction multiple times instead of once, plus where to wait. There are relatively few benches available throughout the parks.

Enjoy your vacation!
 
I am having hip replacement surgery a week after I get home. I'm renting a scooter. The standing is worse than the walking. My hip can give out at ant time. I have a fear of falling. With the scooter, I can park it and do a couple of rides, then get back on it. It's safer for me not to walk with big crowds.
 
Thank you for the welcome.

I assume you can't rent rollators, only wheelchairs. Although I like the idea of a rollator, I don't want to buy something just for this occasion. Additionally, we are flying, and I don't want to pay for checking this. I really hate being limited by my stupid hip. Hopefully, I will get a hip replacement next spring and will be back to moving and walking without pain.
 
You can try to rent a rollator from Orlando Medical Rentals, which appears to offer the widest range of options. They may or may not rent rollators.

But honestly, you can buy one on Amazon for $60 (and up, of course.) You could even have it shipped to your resort.

There is no charge for the airline to transport your medical equipment on your flight.
 
Thank you for the welcome.

I assume you can't rent rollators, only wheelchairs. Although I like the idea of a rollator, I don't want to buy something just for this occasion. Additionally, we are flying, and I don't want to pay for checking this. I really hate being limited by my stupid hip. Hopefully, I will get a hip replacement next spring and will be back to moving and walking without pain.

Most medical supply stores have rollators for rent for a very reasonable rate, so you could rent and take for your trip. You can take it to the gate, gate check it for the flight (no charge) and it can be waiting for you when you deplane in Orlando.
 


Thank you for the welcome.

I assume you can't rent rollators, only wheelchairs. Although I like the idea of a rollator, I don't want to buy something just for this occasion. Additionally, we are flying, and I don't want to pay for checking this. I really hate being limited by my stupid hip. Hopefully, I will get a hip replacement next spring and will be back to moving and walking without pain.


You can do the same thing with a wheelchair and push it when you can walk and sit when you need a break. not sure if this is your first time but Disney is huge and there is a lot of walking most people walk 10+ miles a day. As to how hard it is to rent a wheelchair at the parks you should be fine besides major holidays ( Christmas, new years). but the wheelchair at the park is big and heavy and hard to push all day ( but sounds like you have 3 other people help) but you really can not take them out of the park and there is a lot of walking to get back to your car/ the buss and some hotels there are a lot of walking. Since you know you will need something I would look at getting a wheelchair from an off-site vendor so that you can have it for your whole stay, It will be cheaper too.

A DAS would not do much for you as Disney has been taking away benches in the park so there are less and less places to sit, I have had a hard time finding a place to sit a number of times and the ground would have been just fine for me.

Enjoy your vacation.

Oh, if you d find a roller that you like I believe it flies free as a medical device.
 
We started renting a wheelchair for my 18 year old a couple of years ago (he has EDS so joint pain if he walks a lot). I found buying one from Amazon was cheaper than renting for 2 trips, so bought it (it's basically the same one we were renting from an offsite company).

We gate check it at the airport and there is no charge. The allow us to preboard, remove the footrests (I put them in my carry on bag), and get settled.

I would find a wheelchair (about $150) works well for us.
 
Thank you for the welcome.

I assume you can't rent rollators, only wheelchairs. Although I like the idea of a rollator, I don't want to buy something just for this occasion. Additionally, we are flying, and I don't want to pay for checking this. I really hate being limited by my stupid hip. Hopefully, I will get a hip replacement next spring and will be back to moving and walking without pain.


Rollators can be found stupidly cheap at many thrift stores. in fact a few of our local ones do not even charge for DMEs at all. there are also places that will rent them. ( not sure about any local ones in Orlando though, although I bet the ones listed in FAQs are a good place to start) furthermore DMEs are NEVER charged a baggage fee.

renting from off site or bringing your own is always the better option, since the lines/standing at the bus stops can be just as bad as the line for 7 Dwarves mine train.

I am 11 weeks post op. my quality of life is about a thousand percent better.
 
Thank you for the welcome.

I assume you can't rent rollators, only wheelchairs. Although I like the idea of a rollator, I don't want to buy something just for this occasion. Additionally, we are flying, and I don't want to pay for checking this. I really hate being limited by my stupid hip. Hopefully, I will get a hip replacement next spring and will be back to moving and walking without pain.
it might be cheaper to buy the rollator than rent chair or ECV. could always resell or donate when you get home
 
We started renting a wheelchair for my 18 year old a couple of years ago (he has EDS so joint pain if he walks a lot). I found buying one from Amazon was cheaper than renting for 2 trips, so bought it (it's basically the same one we were renting from an offsite company).

We gate check it at the airport and there is no charge. The allow us to preboard, remove the footrests (I put them in my carry on bag), and get settled.

I would find a wheelchair (about $150) works well for us.

We did the same for our dd (chronic Lyme). Cheaper to buy from Amazon than keep renting and nice to have for getting through the airport as well as larger resorts.
 
I just posted about my experience getting a wheelchair for my husband who is recovering from back surgery. It ended up giving us a lot of freedom and flexibility.
 
Just chiming in - if you're staying in a Disney resort, they have a few chairs they can lend you for a fully refundable deposit (i.e. if you return it to them at the end of the trip and you haven't set fire to it or driven it off Splash Mountain, you don't have to pay anything). Unless they've changed this in the last few years, this worked very well for me before the disability properly kicked in (now I have my own chair, so haven't had to rent for the last few trips).

Also, if you need to take the weight off during a day at the parks, you can have a short lie down in the first aid centres. Just explain to the CM at the front desk, and they'll show you to a bed.

Good luck and have a great trip!
 
if you're staying in a Disney resort, they have a few chairs they can lend you

This is no longer true. WDW no longer allows guests to borrow wheelchairs, and if you request one for emergency use it is very short-term -- as in, a CM will use it to push you to your room and then take the chair back.

If a mobility device may be needed, it's best to plan ahead and reserve a rental from an off-site vendor.

Enjoy your vacation!
 
We liked renting in the parks so we did not have to deal with taking it on transportation and Uber’s.
 
We liked renting in the parks so we did not have to deal with taking it on transportation and Uber’s.

I'm glad that worked well. Wheelchairs aren't usually a problem renting from the parks -- occasionally but not often. However, ECVs are commonly "sold out" by mid- to late-morning.
 
I would factor in the walk from the park gate to transportation and then to room in your deciding factor. My DH doesn't use anything at home, but does use a wheel chair at disney.

We had considered buying our own wheelchair and got lots of good advice from the folks here. But decided it's just too heavy and bulky for us to handle with going from house to car to airport shuttle to airport. If we had a van, everything would fit fine, but I didn't want to injure my back trying to get a wheel chair into car.

For shows and rides, we just push the chair right along. I'm sure there are a few rides, that won't work, but most will. And for the first time in years, we stop and watch the street shows. As you said, sitting too long can cause issues too, so DH does walk and push the chair about 30% of the time.

Hope you have a great trip.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top