WDW and Transport Chairs

[PumpkinEeyore]

In two weeks, we'll be visiting Walt Disney World and we're taking our mother with. Since the last time she visited WDW (2002), she's developed severe arthritis in her knees. She can walk fine for limited times, and does better at walking with something to lean on. Standing for extended periods of time is usually a no-go.

We just bought a transport chair for this trip, and we're excited to be able to take her with us. It folds up easily, so we know for a Resort bus, we won't need any special accommodations. Likewise, we've looked extensively into which rides have mainstream queues or alternative entrances.

What I've been able to find from random blogs often regards the need for transfer vehicles. Mom will be able to transfer for just about everything, and rides that we know she'll have issues with, she's not really interested in riding (so, no Space Mountain for her). We'd hate to be forced into waiting. If anybody has experiences with this, is it a case where cast members will ask regarding the need?

Likewise, I've seen that Spaceship Earth asks guests in wheelchairs to use the exit. Is this a necessity? I know many rides have the load/unload stations accessible to one another and can move chairs as needed. Is anybody familiar if this ride is this way, or if she wants to wait in the chair, will we have to use the exit? (We've already booked a FP+ for this - not expecting it from necessity, but because we had to book one; if the line isn't long, we may be able to leave the chair with strollers [but then the fear of theft arises...]).

I know that there are a lot of terrain changes, and that many lands have concrete reflective of the theming. Where wheelchairs tend to have larger wheels and can sometimes handle changes more effectively, is anybody aware of issues we may encounter due to terrain?

Any other thoughts, suggestions, or experienced-based stories would be greatly appreciated. In general, we're not worried. There are a few rides that I can see where there could be some hiccups beyond what is expected, so any input to help calm the few nerves we have will help a ton.

 

[Master Yoda]

If you mom can get up and walk for short distances and wait in line then you can just park it with the strollers and use the regular entrance with everyone else.

If she will need to stay in her chair until she transfers into a ride vehicle then there will be some attractions in Epcot and MK where she will need to take some sort of alternate entrance.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I know that there are a lot of terrain changes, and that many lands have concrete reflective of the theming. Where wheelchairs tend to have larger wheels and can sometimes handle changes more effectively, is anybody aware of issues we may encounter due to terrain?

Animal Kingdom in particular has rugged terrain that can be challenging and bumpy.

 

[JohnD]

In two weeks, we'll be visiting Walt Disney World and we're taking our mother with. Since the last time she visited WDW (2002), she's developed severe arthritis in her knees. She can walk fine for limited times, and does better at walking with something to lean on. Standing for extended periods of time is usually a no-go.

We just bought a transport chair for this trip, and we're excited to be able to take her with us. It folds up easily, so we know for a Resort bus, we won't need any special accommodations. Likewise, we've looked extensively into which rides have mainstream queues or alternative entrances.

What I've been able to find from random blogs often regards the need for transfer vehicles. Mom will be able to transfer for just about everything, and rides that we know she'll have issues with, she's not really interested in riding (so, no Space Mountain for her). We'd hate to be forced into waiting. If anybody has experiences with this, is it a case where cast members will ask regarding the need?

Likewise, I've seen that Spaceship Earth asks guests in wheelchairs to use the exit. Is this a necessity? I know many rides have the load/unload stations accessible to one another and can move chairs as needed. Is anybody familiar if this ride is this way, or if she wants to wait in the chair, will we have to use the exit? (We've already booked a FP+ for this - not expecting it from necessity, but because we had to book one; if the line isn't long, we may be able to leave the chair with strollers [but then the fear of theft arises...]).

I know that there are a lot of terrain changes, and that many lands have concrete reflective of the theming. Where wheelchairs tend to have larger wheels and can sometimes handle changes more effectively, is anybody aware of issues we may encounter due to terrain?

Any other thoughts, suggestions, or experienced-based stories would be greatly appreciated. In general, we're not worried. There are a few rides that I can see where there could be some hiccups beyond what is expected, so any input to help calm the few nerves we have will help a ton.

We took a wheelchair for my mother. Let me address some of your questions:

• Bus: Like you, they brought a foldable wheelchair with them. Depending on how mobile your mother is, she could climb on board the bus with a hand assist from someone else first. But depending on crowds, the bus driver could insist on her being wheeled directly in. My advise to my mother was just to "go with it". You'll be a lot happier with whatever the bus driver wants you to do. We always sat in the seating for handicapped and held on to the folded-up wheelchair in front of us. I think only for the monorail did we always have to wheel her directly straight on.
  
  
• Rides (except SSE): We dutifully kept FP+ for the rides we wanted. And just followed the instructions for access depending on the ride.
  
  On Living with the Land, we were able to wheel her straight up to the boat. She got out of the wheelchair and climbed in. The wheelchair was waiting upon exit.
  
  Same thing with Soarin. We just wheeled her all the way to the boarding entrance. She got out and stood just in front of the doors.
  
  For Maelstrom, we just folded up the chair and left it outside and walked the rest of the way through the queue.
  
  In Safaris, we entered the same line as everyone else for FP+ but eventually are directed to a boarding platform solely for handicapped. All wheelchairs are left there. Unlike "able-bodied" who board and disembark from different platforms, handicapped use the same platform.
  
  For Tough to Be A Bug, Circle of Life, and Impressions de France, we just wheeled my mother directly to an open spot reserved for wheelchairs and sat in chairs next to her. Similarly for Circlevision 360 movies (China, Canada), just leave her in her wheelchair. You'll be directed to a row reserved for parties with wheelchairs. You may need to turn it back and forth for her to see things. You remain standing.
  
  
• Spaceship Earth: Yes, there is a handicapped entrance which does put you at the exit to the ride. Because of this you DO NOT NEED a FP+ for this ride. Going through the handicapped entrance bypasses the FP+ scanners. This could be a benefit if you want to schedule another Tier 2 FP+. Leave your chair and take a provided seat. In short order, they'll direct you to the cars where people are exiting. You just board in the exiting area. You'll circle through the loading area already seated and be on your way. You exit back where you boarded along with everyone else.
  
  
• Terrain: This was probably the biggest issue in AK because the pavement by design is supposed to feel authentic and rough but there were still no access issues.

 

[PumpkinEeyore]

If you mom can get up and walk for short distances and wait in line then you can just park it with the strollers and use the regular entrance with everyone else.

If she will need to stay in her chair until she transfers into a ride vehicle then there will be some attractions in Epcot and MK where she will need to take some sort of alternate entrance.

Thanks for the input! That's what we were thinking. We were down there in March 2013 before FP+ was rolled out; they had started putting in the FP+ scanners, but I couldn't figure out how they were going to reroute the switchbacks because of it, since it appeared the standby queue originally went back and forth on both sides of the entrance, and the FP+ queue was in the dead center. So long as a queue is short or there's metal stanchions or benches along the way, she'd be fine walking on. Too long of a wait, and we will need the chair.

 

[PumpkinEeyore]

Animal Kingdom in particular has rugged terrain that can be challenging and bumpy.

That's one thing I'm afraid of! I really started to notice the minuscule details like walking paths at Animal Kingdom last year, and while the park gets a lot of grief, these sort of details make it that much more appealing to me.

I also read at Rolling with the Magic that Animal Kingdom is surprisingly hilly. We'll have to prepare for that!

 

[PumpkinEeyore]

We took a wheelchair for my mother. Let me address some of your questions:

• Bus: Like you, they brought a foldable wheelchair with them. Depending on how mobile your mother is, she could climb on board the bus with a hand assist from someone else first. But depending on crowds, the bus driver could insist on her being wheeled directly in. My advise to my mother was just to "go with it". You'll be a lot happier with whatever the bus driver wants you to do. We always sat in the seating for handicapped and held on to the folded-up wheelchair in front of us. I think only for the monorail did we always have to wheel her directly straight on.
  
  
• Rides (except SSE): We dutifully kept FP+ for the rides we wanted. And just followed the instructions for access depending on the ride.
  
  On Living with the Land, we were able to wheel her straight up to the boat. She got out of the wheelchair and climbed in. The wheelchair was waiting upon exit.
  
  Same thing with Soarin. We just wheeled her all the way to the boarding entrance. She got out and stood just in front of the doors.
  
  For Maelstrom, we just folded up the chair and left it outside and walked the rest of the way through the queue.
  
  In Safaris, we entered the same line as everyone else for FP+ but eventually are directed to a boarding platform solely for handicapped. All wheelchairs are left there. Unlike "able-bodied" who board and disembark from different platforms, handicapped use the same platform.
  
  For Tough to Be A Bug, Circle of Life, and Impressions de France, we just wheeled my mother directly to an open spot reserved for wheelchairs and sat in chairs next to her. Similarly for Circlevision 360 movies (China, Canada), just leave her in her wheelchair. You'll be directed to a row reserved for parties with wheelchairs. You may need to turn it back and forth for her to see things. You remain standing.
  
  
• Spaceship Earth: Yes, there is a handicapped entrance which does put you at the exit to the ride. Because of this you DO NOT NEED a FP+ for this ride. Going through the handicapped entrance bypasses the FP+ scanners. This could be a benefit if you want to schedule another Tier 2 FP+. Leave your chair and take a provided seat. In short order, they'll direct you to the cars where people are exiting. You just board in the exiting area. You'll circle through the loading area already seated and be on your way. You exit back where you boarded along with everyone else.
  
  
• Terrain: This was probably the biggest issue in AK because the pavement by design is supposed to feel authentic and rough but there were still no access issues.

This is all very helpful information! I know that one thing we're hoping for is that we won't have to leave her in the chair. Since she is still able, I know she'd hate to have a bus driver request she stay in the chair if there was somebody who was more wheelchair-bound than her waiting also.

Another thing I'm afraid of is that I'd hate for this all to be seen as bypassing waiting. I know this is something that I will, myself, have to cope with. Her disability is not very noticeable, and when she's having a good day, you'd never know she had the arthritis, but I do know there's no way she could walk around any of the parks for a full day.

 

[JohnD]

This is all very helpful information! I know that one thing we're hoping for is that we won't have to leave her in the chair. Since she is still able, I know she'd hate to have a bus driver request she stay in the chair if there was somebody who was more wheelchair-bound than her waiting also.

Another thing I'm afraid of is that I'd hate for this all to be seen as bypassing waiting. I know this is something that I will, myself, have to cope with. Her disability is not very noticeable, and when she's having a good day, you'd never know she had the arthritis, but I do know there's no way she could walk around any of the parks for a full day.

We've found that telling the bus driver is usually sufficient. In that case, just board the front entrance before she does and offer her a hand up into the bus. Also, because having the wheelchair in tow is obvious, I had no problem asking people to get up from the handicapped seating if they didn't immediately do so or offer. My mother was embarrassed but we had a legitimate need. The person in the seat didn't.

As for "bypassing waiting", at SSE I walked up to the FP+ entrance first and told them we had FP+ but my mother was in a wheelchair. They told me directly we didn't need FP+. Just enter through the handicapped entrance. If you're concerned about etiquette, just do what we did and approach the CMs at the FP+ entrance first. They'll tell you the same thing. Otherwise, anywhere else that we had FP+, we entered through the FP+ entrance along with anyone else then were directed to whereever they wanted handicapped guests to go.

 

[buseegal]

from what I have seen of bus drivers, they may want her to use the ramp and be wheeled on the bus. then fold up chair and sit as you plan esp if she appears to have trouble with the steps on the bus. never been forced to stay in chair, they just did not want me on the stairs

 

[DisneyJoe]

That's one thing I'm afraid of! I really started to notice the minuscule details like walking paths at Animal Kingdom last year, and while the park gets a lot of grief, these sort of details make it that much more appealing to me.

I also read at Rolling with the Magic that Animal Kingdom is surprisingly hilly. We'll have to prepare for that!

All of the parks have some nice hills. It helps with theming and sight lines.