When you’re planning a trip, a family vacation, or a getaway, it can be the most exciting prospect ever! You plan all the things you want to do, places you want to eat, attractions you want to see, and if you’re going to Disney, you plan fast passes, character meet and greets, dining reservations and probably watch the planning DVD at least 5 times.
But, if a member of your party has an injury or a disability, planning can add a new feeling of discomfort. How do you ensure that everyone will get to have a great time? How do you get around on crutches, or what happens, if someone just can’t walk all day?
The GREAT news is that Walt Disney World Resort truly has options for the ENTIRE family.
Before traveling last year with my mom, I was a little timid. My mom has arthritis of her spine, and she had a knee replacement a few years ago, so walking can be difficult for her sometimes. Thankfully WDW Resort had MANY options for us.
If you’re in a situation where a member of your party is in a wheelchair, the FANTASTIC news is that Disney World has put in place some amazing features. Most, if not all, of the Disney buses that run throughout the parks and the on property hotels are equipped to transport wheelchairs, or Electronic Conveyance Vehicles (ECV’s). The boats that travel between the Transportation and Ticket Center and the Magic Kingdom, the Friendship Boats that connect EPCOT to the Beach and Yacht Club Resorts, and the Monorail are all wheel chair and ECV friendly, making transportation easy.
There are numerous rides that accommodate wheel chairs too! The Jungle Cruise for example, has a boat that has a ramp so that you can ride the ride without getting out of your wheel chair. At Christmas time the Jungle Cruise becomes the Jingle Cruise and the “Wassail Wanda” (Or the Wamba Wanda in the regular season) is the Handicap Accessible boat!
A full list of options and accessibility information can be found on the Walt Disney World website, or by speaking with your travel agent.
If you should need an ECV while you are enjoying your stay at Disney World, it can be rented from Guest Services at any of the parks. With the rental fee is a refundable deposit. You can use the ECV’s within the park you rented them from and the deposit can be transferred to another park if you decide to park hop. You can pick up the ECV at the next park you visit by showing your receipt at guest services. It is important to remember the ECV’s at the parks are on a first come first served basis; however, the cast members will be happy to notify you via cell phone, when one is available, if there is a wait.
If you should need an ECV for your entire stay, there is good news for you! There are numerous rental companies that will deliver an ECV (or stroller or other medical equipment) right to your hotel. As we were staying at Pop Century, there was a line of ECV rentals waiting by the main building, ready to be driven around in search of some magical memories!
Some of the rental companies in the Orlando area are:
Apple Scooter: 800-701-1971 http://applescooter.com
Best Price Scooters and Strollers: 866-866-3434 http://www.bpmobility.com
Buena Vista Scooter Rentals: 866-484-4797 http://www.buenavistascooters.com
CARE Scooter Rentals: 800-741-2282 http://www.caremedicalequipment.com
ScooterBug: 800-726-8284 http://scooterbugmobilityrentals.com
You can also rent wheelchairs throughout the Walt Disney World property, just visit their website for more info.
Hopefully this information can help make your dream vacation come true!
Thanks for reading!
Maureen
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Maureen
Hey There! My name is Maureen. I am super excited to be a part of the Main Street Wishes Crew! I am a behind the scenes radio girl by day, college student by night, and Disney girl for life! You can usually find me looking up Disney stuff on the Internet, planning my next dream Walt Disney World vacation, watching Disney movies, or singing a Disney tune. Looking forward to sharing pixie dust moments with all of you!
What about wheel chairs. I’m going to WDW in mid October with my family and I may need one.
Hi Susan!
Disney World also has wheelchair rentals. Here is the link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/wheelchair-rentals/
Hope you have a magical vacation!
Awesome. Thank you very much! Although I hope I don’t need one.
You’re welcome! I hope you don’t need one either!
We need more benches!! As a sixth timer in three years, we’ve recruited a full family of twelve for October! Grandmas and grandpas ( as well as little ones ) are hard pressed to find a quick seat before another jaunt around magic kingdom! Disney ploy or lack of planning! Love the blog!
Thanks Rob! Maureen did a great job with this post.
I agree, you can never have too many benches!
What about te magical express? My husband has a hard time getting on the bus because of the height of the step. He usually uses a wheelchair at the airport and we rent an EVC vehicle for our stay at the park.
I checked on Disney’s website and it looks like you should be okay with the Magical Express. I would make sure to note that you will have a person in a wheelchair traveling in your party when booking the Magical Express. Hope that helps!