Disabled People

[paul357]

My Mother and Father in Law are going to Florida with my Brother in Law later this year. They are both in their 70's and both walk with sticks. Do the parks charge for the use of the electric scooters in the parks, if so how much?

Also do disabled people have to queue with other riders or can they queue jump? Not being disabled my self I've never noticed.

Obviously they will not be going on the Hulk or anything like that!, but it would be nice if they could go on some of the gentle disney rides.

[nicklangdon]

If you go onto Disneys website and click on "guest services" it says that you can hire standard wheelchairs ($7) or electric ($30)with a $10 deposit.If you click on "wheelchairs" it lists where you hire them from in the park and suggests picking up a guide when you get there.Have a look at the websites of the other places you want to visit they probably do the same sort of thing.You're right though when you've been before you don't really notice until it's something you need to plan into your own trip! [msnsmile]

[daxon]

Hi Paul
Disney & Universal are very good with people with disabilities. First thing is to visit guest services (normally right at the front of each park). Explain the disability there are they will give your parents all the info they need in a booklet. It depends on the ride as to whether they have to queue or not - on some they will be waved straight though to the 'fast pass' entry to avoid the long wait. Some of the rides they can stay in the scooters right to the last minute and then transfer to the ride at the end of the queue. I have always found all the staff very helpful.
One tip though depending on when they are going - if they are not used to using electric scooters, the parks can be busy & it can be quite frustrating to manoevre a scooter if you're not used to one. We find its easier & quicker to have someone push a manual wheelchair sometimes.
I'm sure they will have a great time!!![msnsmile2][msnsmile2]

[SunLover]

Also, don't arrive at the parks too late in the day if you are planning to hire a wheelchair (especially the electric ones), as there is only a limited number per park.

[ctgirlscout]

We just went to Animal Kingdom with my in-laws, and my MIL rented one of the scooters. She had a lot of difficulty maneuvering around as the park was crowded, but she never would have been able to walk the whole park. It can be an advantage to the whole group, as you can get seating up close for some of the shows, and they do let you into the front of the line for some of the rides. On the other hand, it can slow you down moving throughout the whole park, especially when it is so crowded.

[orlandobabe]

Well I'm a permanent wheelchair user and today the wheel has just sheared off it.

We are hiring one from the medical supply shop in Orange avenue-$15 a day or $45 a week while they repair mine.

Maybe something you wish to consider as it would work out cheaper.

I don't know how much a scooter would be.

[suegooding]

I am a permanent wheelchair user and the system for people in wheelchairs has change over the years. We used to be put to the front of the queue but it got abused by people hiring wheelchairs so they could get to the front, so now we wait like everyone else.

[florida4sun]

To be fair that is not the reason why they have changed the access. They are required by law to make all rides with equall acces and the ADA came down hard on the parks and insisted on equal access where possible. Thus 90% of the ride queues are accessible.
You can get a pass to bypass the regular lines if you have a valid reason. Usually these are issued to 'make a wish' kids. We had one valid for 12 months as we had too many kids messing with Alex's ventilator in the queues. Mind you we never really used it anyway.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by suegooding
I am a permanent wheelchair user and the system for people in wheelchairs has change over the years. We used to be put to the front of the queue but it got abused by people hiring wheelchairs so they could get to the front, so now we wait like everyone else.


[/quote]

[phaedra]

"today the wheel has just sheared off it"

Hope you're OK Ali [msneek]

One other point, if you're staying On-Site with Disney the hotels will provide a manual wheelchair if required free of charge, you can then use this for the parks etc. as well.

[paul357]

They are not actually wheelchair users at the moment but are both registered disabled. They both have difficulty walking long distances, but can get about as long as the pace is not too fast.

I'm a little concerned that the heat and the distance will take it out of them so I suggested that they use they hire electric scooters. Thats why I asked about the queueing as well, I don't know how they will cope with the sun. It might actually perk them up a bit!

As they are going in the busy period I might tell them to try walking on the first day, then see how it goes from there.

suegooding
Its terrible people would abuse dissabled access like that[msnmad]. Abuse of disabled parking is a real problem in the UK and it really makes my blood boil when I see it. I've often though of setting up a clamping company just to target these people, ideally employing disabled people to do enforcement!