Parking Question

[magic kingdom park]

We are planning a trip in Oct. we are planning on taking my mother and father in law, she has lymphoma cancer and is going through chemo treatment this month and next month she will go through a bone marrow transplant, we hope to have her well enough to go to disney, I have already told her we will rent a wheel chair because she will not have enough energy to do all that walking, she also has fibermalagia (sp). My question is at the parks can she wait at the entrance and we drive up and let her out and pick her up?

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome to disABILITIES.
First, since you have some times, you might want to look into having her request a handicapped parking permit. That way you could park in the handicapped parking areas which are close to the park entrance (except at MK, where you still need to use the monorail or boat to get to the park entrance). Her doctors should have the forms to apply. In most states, you can also print the application forms from the state transportation webpage.

I don't know if you are planning on renting from the parks day to day or from one of the off-site medical equipment suppliers. Advantages of renting from off site are that you will have the wheelchair available whenever/where ever you are. You might also want to look into renting an ecvv (power scooter) which will give her more indepedence. There are lots of experienced ecv users on this board who can talk about the advantages and tell you anything you need to know.
Here's a list of off-site places that DIS posters report renting from:
Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
Phone (407) 856-2273 • Toll Free U.S and Canada (800) 741-2282

Walker Mobility:
1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

RANDY'S Mobility is in Kissimmee 407-892-4777
http://randysmobility.com/

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html
(800)747-0246

http://www.scootaround.com/ Not much feedback. Several people who reported they had no problems.

Randy's requires that someone be there for delivery and pick up. The rest will deliver to Bell Services and leave it for you.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There is no "drop-off" actaully close to the entrances. First of all, at MK (other than using the Disney buses) youhave to go through the TTC, and it is quite a hike from both the drop-off and medical parking. At AK it is definitely a hike from both the trams and medical parking. At EC the trams are in closer than medical parking, but it is still quite a ways. And at the Studio there is again a very long distnce from ttrams/buses/medical parking to the entrance.

At all three parks there are "borrowable" wheelchairs which can be taken from medical parking to the gate (and back), but these cannot be taken in to the parks and often they are all at the other end (such as in the morning they may not have yet ben returned to the parking lot.

I have two recommendations. The firs tis contaqct your state Motor Vehicle department to get a handicap placard for your MIL (unless she already has one). Even if she does not drive she can get one. Normally there is a form you can download at the DMV website which can be filled in by her doctor.

The other is rent either a wheelchair or ECV from an off-site comapny. This way you will have it with you. Below is a listing of some of the companies which do rentals, as well as some additional informaiton which might help.

Here are the urls and phone numbers:

Walker Mobility:
888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
407-856-2273, Toll Free U.S and Canada (800) 741-2282

Randy'S Mobility is in Kissimmee
http://randysmobility.com
407-892-4777

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html
800-747-0246

ScootAround
http://www.scootaround.com
Toll-free, US and Canada 888-441-7575

I have used Walker a few times. They will ask for a credit card and charge it the day before arrival. They will deliver the ECV to your hotel bell services before your arrival and pick it up there after your departure. Their rates, especially for longer than a week, are much better than Disney's. Also, their scooters are much better.

You don't say if you are using a car or what. If you are using a car for getting around, the ECVs break down into five pieces, the heaviest about 39 pounds. They take about a minute or so to take apart and about two minutes (once you are used to it) to put it together. You will need a full-size, four-door sedan or larger to have sufficient trunk space.

 

[magic kingdom park]

Thanks for the info, we will be driving our own car, and she does have a handicapp parking permit, are the handicapp parking pretty close to the entrance or can we ride the trams?

 

[Talking Hands]

THe handicapped parking is not near the entrance. It is a far walk. There are a few spots at the ends of the regular parking that are kept for the handicapped and then you can ride the tram. Trams are no wheelchair accessible unless you have a foldable wheelchair.

 

[SueM in MN]

There is not tram service from any of the handicapped (they call it "Medical") parking areas. If you have a foldable wheelchair that can be hoisted onto the tram and she is able to step onto the tram, you might actually be better off parking in the regular parking area in some parks. The trams usually leave you off closer to the entrance than you will be parking in the closest medical parking areas.
MK's medical parking area is a bit of a hike to the TTC, where you need to board a boat or the monorail (up a steep ramp to the monorail station). The regular parking lot trams let you off closer to the TTC. I don't know if there is a drop off at MK, but if there is, it would be at the TTC.
Epcot regular parking lot trams let you off about 100 yds from the entrance turnstiles. The closest medical parking is about twice that far awway. There are some drop off parking spots at the front of the medical parking area at Epcot.
AK - all the parking is a hike from the park entrance; at least 200 yds or more from the closest parking to the entrance. The medical parking is the closest parking are to the entrance. There is a drop off area in the front of the medical parking area.
The Studio medical parking is pretty much the same distance from the entrance as the buses and trams. People can be dropped off at the front of the medical parking.

 

[Schmeck]

If you have a handicapped placard or plate, do you pay for parking at WDW?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Yes, you do pay for parking at the parks.

The only free parking at the parks is for people staying at a Disney Resort or who have Annual Passes.

If you are going to one of the deluxe resorts if you have a handicap plate or placard they will not charge for Valet parking (but you should tip the valets anyway).