Hi Lorna,
Welcome back to planDisney! I am always delighted to greet a fellow North Carolinian!
As you plan your visit, I would first suggest that you review all of the
Services for Guests with Disabilities. Of course, one of those services includes
Wheelchair Rentals. There are certainly spaces for you to park that wheelchair while you shop. On a prior trip, my husband had to use an
electric conveyance vehicle (ECV) and we were always able to find a spot to park it while we entered an attraction queue or meandered through stores.
I will also suggest that you use a balloon or some other decorative item to mark your wheelchair so that it is easier to see in a crowd of wheelchairs or ECVs. When you get to the parks, remember that wheelchair rentals are first come, first serve, so I suggest that you arrive early. If you are visiting a more expansive park like EPCOT or Animal Kingdom, consider an ECV. Animal Kingdom, especially, has hills that might be harder to navigate with a wheelchair.
Looking at your arrival date, I hope you have already booked a
vacation package. If so, it never hurts to keep checking the Special Offers to see if there is a better deal for the dates of your visit. Although a new
Special Offer may not be applicable to your existing reservation, I always double-check. Over the last few years, we have also started doing at least one special experience during our visits. If you have not already considered it, take a look at the
Enchanting Extras Collection. The
Caring for Giants experience was our first behind the scenes look at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It was informative and our girls loved spending more time learning about the elephants.
Lorna, in the meantime, start the countdown. We are all super excited about the opening of Tiana's Bayou Adventure. We are
almost there!
Magic and memories,
Donyell