Renting A Wheelchair At Walt Disney World
If you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World with someone who is either injured or encounters mobility issues, then you may have found yourself asking a very important question: should we be considering a wheelchair? It’s a good question and one that a lot of people have to ask themselves when visiting Walt Disney World for a long list of reasons. Today, we’re not going to focus on the reasons why you might want to consider renting a wheelchair, we’re going to stick to the how.
What Options Are Available?
As far as renting a wheelchair is concerned, there are 2 options available for guests visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. The first is renting a wheelchair from Disney and the second is to rent from an outside [third party] company. As is the case with everything in life, both of these options have their pros and cons; neither will be ideal for everyone.
Renting a wheelchair from Disney is an ideal option, in our experience, for those who will primarily need assistance during the long days at the theme parks [water parks or Disney Springs]. If you’re traveling with someone who is capable of walking from their room to their transportation option of choice, then renting a wheelchair from Disney may be a good option to consider. On the other hand, renting a wheelchair from Disney is not going to be ideal for those who need assistance once outside of the theme parks or at the Resorts. More about this in a bit. . . .
Renting a wheelchair from an outside [third party] company is an ideal option for those who need assistance getting around whether they’re in the theme parks or not. Unlike renting from Disney, renting from an outside company gives you continuous access to the wheelchair which you have in your possession from the time it’s dropped off with you until it’s picked up again.
Pros & Cons Of Renting From Disney
Like I said just a couple minutes ago, there are pros and cons with everything in life and renting a wheelchair from Disney [or anywhere else] is no different. As far as cons are concerned, the biggest downside to renting a wheelchair from Disney is the limited access; you only have the wheelchair while at the parks or Disney Springs. . . . not at your resort. Again, this will be perfectly fine for some, but not others. The other downside to renting from Disney is that wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You can not reserve a wheelchair nor are you guaranteed to get one. The suggestion, made over on the Walt Disney World website’s Wheelchair Rental page, is that you should arrive early to ensure you get what you need. Personally, I think that this is always a good idea when we talk about anything Disney related, however we’ve never experienced a shortage of wheelchairs at Disney ourselves. Even during our pre-pandemic Christmas vacation, we were able to get a wheelchair no matter what time of day we arrived at the parks.
[IMPORTANT NOTE: It’s the official position of 2 Foolish Mortals that you arrive early if you need a wheelchair though. . . . . . ‘cause you never know!]
On the other side of this coin, there are a lot of pros when it comes to renting a wheelchair from Disney. Right up there at the top of the list though is how convenient it is. . . . and I’m not talking about the rental process or location. [Though, it’s worth mentioning that both of those things are fairly convenient.] If the person who needs the wheelchair is capable of walking the distances between their room and the transportation options, it can be very convenient to eliminate the need to lug around and stow a wheelchair. This makes getting around on Walt Disney World transportation easier [particularly if you’re primarily taking the bus] and you won’t have to take up valuable space in your Resort hotel room with your wheelchair when it’s not in use. Renting from Disney also makes it much easier to rectify any problems that you might be having with your wheelchair. If there’s an issue, simply return to the rental location within the park and change the chair out for another one. Easy peasy!
Another pro of renting from Disney is that it’s a great last minute option. Look. . . . no one wants to think about it, but sometimes you end up needing a wheelchair for unforeseen reasons. This is exactly the position we found ourselves in during our last trip to Disney when Russ injured his ankle and was unable to walk on it for more than a few steps. A wheelchair was not ideal, but the knee scooter we rented would take a few days to arrive, so wheelchair it was! Of course, this is not the position any of us want to be in. . . . . it’s an available option though and one that is ideal when push comes to shove.
Pros & Cons Of Renting From An Outside Company
If you’re traveling with someone who is going to need a wheelchair for more than the time they’re at the theme parks, renting from an outside company is likely the most ideal option for you. There are many companies to choose from in the Orlando area, but they usually function in a similar way. Simply make a reservation, arrange a time to meet with the company at your hotel, use the chair and meet them again at the end of our stay to return it.
The pros of renting from an outside company is, without a doubt, unlimited access to the wheelchair whenever and wherever you need it. Because it’s in your possession for the duration of your vacation, you can take it anywhere including around the Resort hotel. You’ll also eliminate the possibility that you won’t have access to a wheelchair because Disney has run out for the day. This can eliminate a lot of stress.
Renting from an outside company does come with some cons too though. On the top of that list. . . the sad reality that you don’t really know what it is that you’re getting. We’ve encountered this in a couple different ways during our past experiences with renting wheelchairs and other mobility equipment from outside companies. In a few cases, we’ve received equipment that was either damaged or on its last leg. We’ve also had an experience where our order was canceled last minute because the piece of equipment we reserved was returned to the company damaged by the previous customer. Both of these scenarios resulted in us renting a wheelchair from Disney. . . . so there’s that. It’s also worth noting that in each of these scenarios, we found it very inconvenient and time consuming to rectify the problem. This was especially the case when it came to equipment that needed to be exchanged.
Another downside to renting a wheelchair from an outside company can be the cost. Depending on a number of factors [the company you’re going with, the deals they’re running, time of the year and length of your stay] renting from an outside company can be very expensive. For example, some companies charge as much as $60.00 per day before fees, taxes, insurance and possible discounts. That’s a lot of money! Of course, this makes it very important to shop around if renting from an outside company is something you’re considering.
Speaking of shopping around. . . . . have you considered the possibility of buying a wheelchair? I realize that this might not be an ideal scenario for everyone, but wheelchairs are more affordable than you might think and might be a good investment if you’re traveling a lot. I’m not going to get into the weeds here today, but it might be worth taking some time to research if you’re planning a trip to Disney and are going to be spending the money on a rental wheelchair anyway.
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Obviously, there are plenty of options available to you as far as renting a wheelchair is concerned. . . . hopefully I did an alright job at covering that so far. I did want to talk more about the how though. Of course, because every third party company is going to have their own way of doing things, I can’t get too into the weeds when it comes to that. What I can do is tell you what to expect if you’re renting from Disney. So that’s what we’re going to do next!
How To Rent A Wheelchair At Walt Disney World
Renting a wheelchair at Walt Disney World is incredibly simple. All you’ve got to do is make your way to the rental counter [located at the entrance to the park], pay and bring your ticket to an attendant who will give you a chair. That’s it! At the end of the day, or your time at that park, return the chair and you’re on your way.
How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Wheelchair At Disney
Renting a wheelchair at any of the Disney theme parks, water parks or Disney Springs is $12.00 per day or you can prepay for your “Length Of Stay (multi-day)” rental for $10.00 per day. [Length Of Stay rentals are not available at water parks or Disney Springs.] Walt Disney World also has ECV’s [aka electric scooters] to rent for $50.00 per day with a $20.00 deposit bringing your total to $70.00 per day.
For more information, including the fine print and other details, please visit the Walt Disney World website.
Who Can Rent A Wheelchair
Anyone over the age of 18 with photo ID can rent a wheelchair at Walt Disney World. Also, the person who needs the wheelchair does not need to be the person who stands in line to rent it. They can be seated somewhere waiting while someone else in the party goes to get the chair for them.
Well, that about does it! Those are the nuts and bolts of renting a wheelchair while at Walt Disney World. Of course, like I said, there are a lot of different options to choose from and I strongly encourage you to do your research beforehand. I’d also like to welcome those of you who have experience renting wheelchairs [ECVs or other mobility equipment] from Disney or outside companies to share your experiences below. Sharing your experience is a great way to help other happy haunts out there figure out what might be best for them and their family!