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pamlvt
04-20-2008, 04:44 PM
Hi everyone,
My daughter 21, is having her 2nd knee surgery 3 days after our week-long trip to WDW. It is painful for her to walk great distances and she will be wearing a brace. After reading as much as I can find on this great site, I still have a question: Are the wheelchairs a pain to push around? She wants to wait until she needs one to get one b/c she doesn't want to be a burden. We've told her that we'll all take turns pushing her and that it can't be that bad. We're all runners (hence the knee injury) so we're all in good shape and her fiance' is 6'5" and 275 pounds. Do they manuver well? Do they have pockets to put stuff in? How 'bout drink holders?......just a bonus if they do, lol

drhama
04-20-2008, 05:41 PM
If you think that you may need a wheelchair, just get one. Makes life so much easier. No big deal to push them. Up the monorail ramp is a little tough but, that is pretty much it. Bring some kind of bag with a sort of long handle to hook over the back of the wheelchair for your stuff. Really nice not to have to hold all that. If your daughter does not need to be pushed all the time, the chair would be there if she needed to rest or she could use it as a sort of walker.
We took my elderly MIL on our last trip. She was in the chair the whole time. Not an issue for anyone. We all took turns pushing. Worked out fine. She had reservations about using a chair before we got there but was more than happy to ride once she saw how big WDW is.
I had a broken foot on one of our trips and had to be the passenger. I would have slowed down the whole group and just could not have made it through a whole day without it.
I took a trip with a friend with some neurological problems. Just the two of us. I pushed her all by myself for a whole week. No burden at all. The only issue I came across was getting on the buses or getting the chair into a car. Kind of a pain but it sounds like you have some large guys that would not have any problems with that.
If you are staying on site, request a chair at your resort. Much easier to have it with you than getting one each day when you get to the parks. Also nice to have the chair available at the resort also as many rooms can be quite a distance from the food court.
There are also special entrances to some of the rides and exhibits. Sometimes it is easier to just leave the chair outside and walk in.
Assure your daughter that it will be harder on her to accept the help than it will be on anyone else.

MsMin
04-20-2008, 09:30 PM
I agree, it's not a pain but worse if your dd over does it and suffers b/c of it. We pushed my dad around and he weighs 275 and some of the inclines can be rough and now we get a scooter but it sounds like you have plenty of help and it should be great to keep things moving easily ;)

Sean Riley Taylor's Mom
04-21-2008, 11:29 PM
No advice on the wheelchair but, I just wanted to wish your daughter Good Luck!:pixie:
I just had my 4th knee surgery two weeks ago. No fun at all. I was at WDW in December, one week after getting off crutches. I was on them for 6 weeks . I was also in a brace the whole trip. I was able to get through my three days without a wheelchair, thankfully. I made sure I took lots of breaks.
But, I know how painful a knee can be right before surgery. I would tell her to get a wheelchair and not to push it. She does not want to be miserable her whole trip.

I hope she has much success with this surgery and a smooth, uneventful recovery!

ibelieveindisneymagic
04-22-2008, 12:30 PM
On our last trip to WDW, I did something to my back, and could barely sit, let alone stand and walk.

So, for our last couple of days, I rented a wheelchair in the afternoon, so I could somewhat manage to keep up with the family.

It was my first time in a wheelchair and I was very surprised at how easy they were to use. I was able to push myself along in a lot of cases, and DH and DD were able to take turns when it got to be too much, or I was just to sore and worn out.

I never would have thought of getting a wheelchair until a security guard in MGM suggested it, and I am so glad she did...make the rest of the trip possible!

So, all of this to say that you'll manage just fine with a wheelchair, and that it is better to get one than to push it too hard and make it worse!

Taja
04-22-2008, 02:18 PM
Rental wheelchairs--be it from WDW or medical supply company--are pretty basic. No pockets, trays, etc. At least the ones we've rented!

They aren't the easiest things to maneuver, but they aren't too bad. More difficult uphill or on carpeting, and some older homes don't accommodate them well (narrow doorways and hallways, sharp turns into rooms, etc.).

Disney Doll
04-22-2008, 02:21 PM
We rented a chair for my mom last year and it was not cumbersome at all. She is a petite woman about 130lbs. I was actually surprised by how easy they are to push around. We had 3 other adults along and the original plan was to take turns pushing. However, we didn't really need to take turns because it was so easy. Definitely get one. It will make the trip so much more enjoyable. I think it did have one very small pocket on the back, but it's not much. You know what would be great... I have a storage bag on my stroller that would probably be perfect for wheelchairs. It has a drink compartment, a pocket for a cell phone, and a few larger pockets. It was pretty inexpensive maybe around $10.00. It has velcro loops to attach around the handles or frame. Check the baby stroller accessories next time you are out shopping.

pamlvt
04-22-2008, 06:06 PM
Thank you everyone for the great advice and encouragment! I'm going to let her read all of your responses. We will definately get a wheelchair as soon as we get to the parks and maybe at OKW.
I'm glad I asked about the storage issue. I always hooked a backpack around the handle of our strollers, I'll bet that it will work for the wheelchair. Now we won't have to carry all of our stuff!!!! :thumbsup:
We're taking our 8 yr old foster son (1st time on a plane, to WDW, or on a vacation at all). He'll probably get some needed rest in it too!!
Thanks again for all of your wonderful advice! :rocks:

ltam16
04-27-2008, 04:28 PM
Just got back from wdw on wednesday and we had rented a wc for my fil and got a second one at the contemporary as a courtesy for my mil after 2 days. I pushed one my dh the other. The monrail ramps can be tough but otherwise it wsn't a big deal. You just have to watch yourself going downhill because the wc wants to go fast and escape from you! Also when it is crowded other people dont think and try to move quickly in front of you so you have to scan around and be careful you dont plow into someone especially a kid when they are not thinking! We slung a tote bag on the back for hats, waterbottles, etc... and it worked fine.