Hello there, Cheryl, and welcome to planDisney.
I am so happy you’ve found us! And I love to see that you have a visit to the magic in a few short weeks. Are you ready? It’s going to be filled with
holiday magic, I’m sure of it!
You do have a few options that can help make your trip a little easier. The first is bringing any walking device you use at home with you. My dad brought his walking stick with him during our March visit this past year. He said it was a huge help! On the other end, my sisters and I joked that his walking stick looked like Rafiki’s. So months later, we still send him pictures of Rafiki.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort has the perfect life-sized Rafiki standing tall near the Lion King section, and we snapped a photo of him to send to our dad. Since then, Rafiki has become a huge part of our family visits. He’s also one of my favorite Characters, so it was fitting in more than one way.
If you would rather rent a mobility device, you have that option too! In the parks, you can rent a
wheelchair or
ECV. The park rentals can be used in the theme parks, and your day rental can park hop with you, if you have a park hopper ticket. If you are concerned about traveling to and from your resort to the theme parks, I recommend using Disney Featured Provider, Scooterbug.
Scooterbug is a third-party company that will deliver your rental to your
Disney Resort Hotel. And on the day of your departure, they will also come to your resort to pick it up for you. This is my family's preference. We recently used them for an ECV rental, and the process was so easy! Plus, it was a huge sense of relief knowing my husband would have his device the entire length of stay and the whole time.
We had initially planned on having him walk into the parks, but agreed that starting the day and ending the day with a mobility device might be the best option. That way, he can preserve some energy in the morning and relax a little on the way back to our room, especially since we are an open-to-close type of family. We had agreed, though, that plenty of breaks would be taken throughout the day. Which I am fine with as long as I have a Mickey-shaped treat in hand.
Cheryl, I hope this has helped answer your questions. If there’s anything else we can help with, please be sure to
let us know! Until then, happy planning and see ya real soon!
Shantel