Just a quick note about people pushing empty wheelchairs -- as mentioned in some of the earlier posts, not everyone who can walk *some*, can walk as much as you need to at a theme park -- especially with hills and etc (like the ramp bridge near PotC in DL, or between Critter Country and New Orleans, for example).
Before my wife found a suitable Rollator walker (she has a motion disorder as well as intermittent leg failure), she used a hospital-style manual chair *as* her walker! preferably well-weighted down, so that if she jerked while pushing it it would let her hang onto it instead of going flying.
She also has *less* pain when walking (it helps with spasticity), while her energy holds out, but *standing still* (such as in long lines) can cause her terrible hip pain. So being able to sit helps that, too.
But if you didn't see her have a jerking spell, you might think she was a faker -- she was pushing an empty chair while walking normally (we like to joke that her legs "work until they don't" - she can walk normally, but at random her legs lose all muscle control and just collapse from under her, making her look drunk...).
Or even better, pushing the chair with our (seizure alert/wheelchair asst) service dog in it, to help hold it down/weight it...and we got a lot of "oh, poor dog must not be able to walk" comments.
We are in CA, not FL, but this thread was in the FL forum.
As for the new card process in DL - we love it! We never minded waiting our fair turn, it was just that standing *still* hurt her (and heat/direct sunlight are bad for her too), so - being able to go wait in a shop, or restaurant (where unlike the AP stereotype, we *do* buy things! though we often share a meal), solves both issues. And let's us walk the dog.
(BTW -- thank you for the service dog relief areas!!! Though guests often look at us like we are nuts when we open a fence...until we show them the li'l gate sign.)
Though I will say - "the chair is enough" is no longer true in DL, or else there are addt'l training issues, because on rides where I can't use the normal queue (like Space Mountain), but *she* isn't riding (so not using her GAC, I've had CMs look at me blankly for NOT having a card. Even when I explain that I'm perfectly happy to wait my turn,however long that may be, "h/c but doesn't have a card" doesn't translate...it was strange. Not angry-making, just *odd*. Likewise Peter Pan. Again, perfectly content to wait however long, but didn't have a card...and CMs didn't know what to do with me.
Our most recent trips were 12/13 and 2/14, so this may have resolved now?
Thanks and sorry for soapbox, just that I've seen "pushing an empty chair" and "in a chair but shoes well-worn" often here as signs of 'faking'.
Just wanted to give perspective.
Again, we are *grateful* for all the help! and CMs have always treated us amazingly.
We often only ride one ride a day, if that -sometimes just wander the park and meet people, shop and eat...
Apologize for any intrusion.
