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Old 26 Jan 19, 03:39 PM  
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Fawkes
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Join Date: May 18
Location: Yorkshire
Lots of Questions - Travelling with a Wheelchair

So we go to Florida in April. My Aunt is travelling with us, unfortunately in the first week in January she was walking down her hallway and her femur broke.
She has had it pinned and is currently undergoing intense physio but she will ultimately still be pretty much wheelchair bound when we travel.
Doctors have okayed the travel and insurance and everything is sorted.
But I have quite a list of queries that i'm hoping someone might be able to answer.


Firstly - the airport - we fly from Manchester, indirect via Atlanta. I know we can take the wheelchair to the gate but will she need to get out of it to go through security? What about on the plane, she is worried about being able to use the toilets? When we land at the other end how do we get the wheelchair, will we have to get her down to baggage claim to get it?


Next - Disabled Parking - She has a blue badge for existing issues, can this be used in the USA?


In the parks - Do we need a Disability Access Card or will she be able to queue in the wheelchair (obviously she won't be going on the more energetic rides! )? What about Universal and Sea World do they have a similar system?


Viewing Parades - will she be able to? Knowing what it has been like previously i'm guessing people will just stand in front of her, is there any good spots to view from a wheelchair?


Sorry for all the questions, we just want to be prepared when we get there?
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Old 26 Jan 19, 04:01 PM  
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Lodgey82
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I can help with some of these but not all. At MAN, she doesn’t have to get out of the chair if she can’t, but if she can’t she will be had searched and they will use a wand to scan for metal and swab for explosives. In ATL you will probably be best getting in an airport chair until you are through immigration. You can request your own but they normally only bring them to the aircraft side if they are very personalised chairs or if passenger insist on their own. In US you will need to get a temporary US disabled badge. Osceola County Tax office will still post them to the UK or you can go and pick it up from them there. You have to pay for this I think around $14. You still have to pay for parking in the parks with disabled badge but you can follow the blue lines on the floor to the disabled parking section. You can use Valet parking in Disney resorts free with the US disabled badge. I have heard various reports of people using Uk disabled badge in Disney but this would definitely not be valid on disabled parking outside Disney and you would probably be fined if you use UK badge on normal roads. If you want the email for Osceola Tax office (they will post the badge to UK for you) then fee free to DM me. Not sure about using the chair in parks etc and we’ve not done that. My dad had disabled permit but doesn’t use a chair. I only know about wheelchairs as I worked at Manchester Airport for many years. I sure someone will be along soon with more answers.
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Old 26 Jan 19, 05:05 PM  
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amberdane
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I can answer a few of these questions as I travelled in a wheelchair last summer MAN-MCO after breaking my leg. My wheelchair was taken off me at the aircraft door and then after special assistance took me through immigration in their wheelchair, i was reunited with my wheelchair at the luggage carousel. On the plane I managed the toilet myself by using crutches but was told the staff could take me using the transfer chair if i needed them.

With regards to rides in Disney I took my wheelchair right up to the ride seat and transferred myself or with help. Some rides there is a disabled entrance ( remember one being Epcot Spaceship Earth which we found would have been a waste of a fast pass as all disabled users used this entrance and ended up being a fastpass). The indoor shows have wheelchair user areas for the user and family. The outdoor shows have cordoned off areas for wheelchair users. At MK best to go to the area early if you want a front view which is unobstructed but it is central to the castle. At HS (Star Wars fireworks) one family member is allowed to be with the wheelchair user. At Epcot for illuminations the family were allowed to stand behind but wheelchair users only were allowed to the front row. I found my Disney experience to be excellent as a wheelchair user.

At Seaworld they give you a 2 week Disabilty Access Pass which you obtain from guest services as you enter the park. This pass enables you to join the quick queue line if the general wait time is under 20 minutes and if it is over 20 minutes a staff member will write a return time for you when you can then go in the quick queue line -really a virtual queue. The shows had wheelchair areas. The Shamu ones enabled family to sit with you. in Pets Ahoy my family were placed behind me in the normal seating. At Atlantis they take you to one side to get in the vehicle before it moves forward for regular riders to get in the ride vehicle. I was in the regular queue for the penguin ride and Wild Arctic. Coasters were manageable as I had no cast at this point.

We had no disabled badge but each time when we got to a park we just told the staff member at the gate we had a wheel chair user and were directed to the medical overflow parking.

Honestly the parks are so geared up for wheelchair users do not worry about it. Just be aware whoever is pushing gets a hard time at Animal Kingdom to start with due to it being uphill at the beginning!

Edited at 05:10 PM.
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Old 26 Jan 19, 06:05 PM  
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Twiggy1953
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Just to clarify- wheelchair users in Disney do not need a DAS if mobility is their only issue.
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Old 27 Jan 19, 10:10 AM  
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Fawkes
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Thanks for your replies. So in Disney we should be OK to access the normal queues. Is this the case in SeaWorld and Universal?
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Old 27 Jan 19, 02:18 PM  
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fatboytez
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Hello would your mum be willing to use an electric wheelchair once in Orlando has it would be a lot easier for whoever is pushing I needed one when I was there in OCT last year so easy to use and all rides let you ride up to loading area I hired one from K and M hire and cost me $280 for 3 weeks so would be cheaper for you and like all hire companys they bring and pick up from where you staying hope this helps a little.
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