Using a wheelchair at WDW
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Hi everyone! For the first time, it looks like we will have to use a wheelchair for my mom during our upcoming Thanksgiving trip to WDW. She had back surgery about 3 weeks ago and is doing well, but is still recovering and gets tired really easily. So, we’ve rented a wheelchair for the duration of the trip to have on hand when/if she needs it. I have a question (probably a dumb question
) for those of you who’ve had to use a wheelchair at the parks before. We’ll have a car, so we’ll drive to the parks most of the time. What do we do with the wheelchair when we park? Do we fold it up and carry it onto the tram like you would a stroller? Do we need to park somewhere else besides regular parking if we can’t take the wheelchair on the tram? Thanks for any help!! This is all new to me (thankfully), and I just want to be as prepared as possible when we get there! 
can she get a temporary handicap parking placard? then you can park in the handicap zones toward the front of parking lots or at the ends closest to the tram. even if you can’t I would ask the cast member directing traffic to see if you have the chair, can you please park in handicap.
we were able to fold up the chairs for my grandparents and load them into the tram just like strollers would (when we weren’t close enough to just walk to the gates). I actually enjoyed pushing them around, but like @dngnb8 says, the seats could be sweaty, so i suggest a little pad or pillow for her to maybe sit on, or even a towel. don’t run over anyone
@warrsm That’s a good idea about the placard! I don’t know if we’ll have time to get one since we leave on Thursday, but if we can’t I’ll definitely ask the CM when we park! And thank you for the tip about the towel!! I never would have thought of that, and it’s supposed to be pretty warm while we’re there!
@dngnb8 Oh trust me, I have tried and tried and tried to get her to rent a scooter or power chair for this trip, but she flat out refuses. The level of her stubbornness knows no bounds!
@dngnb8 I 100% agree with you!! Unfortunately it’s my mom who doesn’t
I’m hoping that after the first day she’ll see exactly what you’re saying and we might be able to swap out the wheelchair for a scooter or power chair. Here’s hoping!! 
My father does the scooter now and the first trip we were a little panicked but he did awesome and now that’s all he does when we go. Now my mom thinks she needs to as well. Your mom may be hesitant at first but I am sure she would get the hang of it quickly. either way just know you will be taking your time much more than you would have before. if anything, whether its motorized or manual, I have a new awareness of the people in them and try my best not to do that quick cut in front, or dodge across the road, or stop right in the middle of no where
you never notice that as much as when you are pushing someone or trying to make a path for their scooters Thanks, @warrsm!! I have a feeling this trip will be a real eye opener for all of us!
I really wish I could convince my mom to get a scooter. I think it might be sketchy at first, but I think she’d end up doing fine with it! Her biggest hangup about it is getting on and off the monorail, or on and off elevators with it. But I know it can be done, she just refuses to even try. I guess we’ll just have to see how it goes! This trip is very much a “play it by ear” trip already, so I guess it makes sense that this part of it is, too! Soooo, yeah. We rented the wheelchair and my mom didn’t use it once the entire trip. *Insert eye roll emoji here* She very much needed to, but flat out refused. So it was a very slow pace with lots and lots and lots of stops. We didn’t get to do a whole lot, but we were still in WDW, and that’s good enough for me. It was still a great trip!
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