Hi helpful mamas! My hubby, 5-year-old daughter and I are taking a trip to Disney World in Orlando in a couple of weeks. We'll be staying there at the Art of Animation resort for one week. A few weeks ago I tore a ligament in my foot. I have to wear a "boot" and I have physical therapy several times a week. I also have terrible pain when I walk or stand much (with the boot. I am not supposed to walk without it.) I work in daycare and have to be on my feet, though I sit as much as possible now. If I hurt even half as much as I do now I don't think I'll be completely healed by the time of my trip, and I can't change or cancel. Do you have any advice for me for the airplane trip with the boot (I imagine I just wear it, and remove it at security then put it back on) and at Disney. I will feel foolish using a wheelchair but I might have to for part of the time because otherwise I will be on my feet all day and I can barely stand on my foot for an hour. Do they rent wheelchairs there? Will it be hard to take my daughter on rides with my boot? (she's only 41 inches tall so she'll just be on "little" rides, and ones that kids can ride with their parents). Have any of you had a similar experience, and how did you manage? Many thanks for your ideas and advice. *peace*!
Hi y'all! Thanks so much for your helpful advice! We had a most wonderful vacation at Disney World. I used a wheelchair at the airports both coming and going, which was a great help. At Disney, since we arrived in the evening, we went to Hollywood Studios without a wheelchair. Big mistake, there was a lot of walking and when we got back to our room I had to ice my foot. The next morning we got a wheelchair at the Art of Animation resort and they didn't charge us anything! My hubby pushed me around in the chair for the rest of our stay. All the Disney employees we met were very helpful. For rides and shows we had a different line to wait in, and most of the time it was shorter. Sometimes for shows we'd be seated in front, sometimes in back. Sometimes other guests could be a little rude, standing in front of me during outdoor shows so I couldn't see much. But for the most part, people were awesome to us, and my daughter got to ride in my lap and even nap on my lap. So I'm happy to say, being in a wheelchair didn't ruin the vacation, everything was so wonderful. If you want to feel totally pampered and have the most fun, visit Disney World! *Peace*!
Mamakitty, I sent you a personal message, hope you don't mind. It's titled Disney questions/answers.
N.
You may need special permission from your doc to ride with the boot on, make sure what their policy is on casts and braces. My sister was not allowed to ride at one park (not disney) because of an arm cast.
Most places rent a wheel chair. When I went on my honeymoon, I sprained my ankle bad. So When we went to Dollywood we rented a wheel chair for me. It worked out nice, front of the lines for the rides and handicap entrance for the shows. It could work out in your favor.
Rent a wheelchair.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/wheelcha...
I don't know all of your answers, but I will tell you that my daughter traveled to Disney World several years ago with a church group... one of the girls in the group was in a wheelchair full-time, and my daughter went around the park with her. (The family brought her own wheelchair..) They were able to bypass the lines ALL the time and go right to the front, if I remember correctly...... at that point, her mother (also traveling with the group) lifted her from the wheelchair and put her in the ride..... I don't know which rides they rode, though....
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/wheelcha...
Disney is fantastic at taking care of it's guests with special needs.
They do have wheel chairs that you can rent for the day. But I have heard that it is cheaper to rent from a medical supply company and have it sent directly to your hotel instead of renting one long term on a trip.
We have had to do Disneyland a couple times in a wheelchair when my son broke his ankle and was in a cast. The attractions have protocols in place for those in wheelchairs. For instance, The Haunted Mansion, we went in the separate line that had the ramp, my son stayed in the chair going down the elevator, they put you near the CM. We went down the side of the line, they can slow down or completely stop the moving cars to let you get in safely and then start it back up, instead of getting off at the end you loop around back to the loading area where you get back to your chair and you get to ride the elevator back up. It was so cool seeing all the paintings "shrink" and going through the bit of backstage to go back to the loading area! Especially for this Disney obsessed family!
You may not be able to go on any wet rides but there was nothing else they didn't let us go on. I know I'm talking about Disneyland but I don't see Disney World being drastically different.
If you have a smart phone, Android or iPhone, I highly recommend the free app "Mousewait". It is the most fantastic and useful app ever for Disney. They have a forums area where you can ask questions and get extremely helpful "inside" information.
You'll be fine and I know you'll have a ton of fun!! Wish I was going :)
Go to guest services when you first get there and ask about a Guest Assistance Card. Tell them what your issue is and what will be hard for your and they'll give you a card that gives access to try and help you. You'll be able to rent or borrow a wheelchair... perhaps use alternate entrances to rides... wait in an alternate area with a seat rather than standing in lines. etc.
Disney is great for things like this.
Have fun.
T.
Re the plane trip. When I was traveling with my mother, I asked for a wheel chair when I made the reservations and they met us with one, pushed her thru the security line and to the boarding gate. Was very speedy. Even tho you can walk, I'd recommend getting a wheel chair so that you can save your energy for the fun things.
Hey, I understand your feeling about wheelchairs, but 3 times in my life they have been a "lifesaver" for me. The first time was when I tore ligaments and tendons in my foot. The second was for a week after knee surgery. The 3rd (and I hope the last) was at DISNEY. Ten days before my paid for trip to Disney, I had surgery - although the stitches were supposed to dissolve, there was no way I could walk around Disney before they dissolved, as well as the uncomfortable pain I had. My kids pushed me around Disney. I was grateful.
Yes, they have wheelchairs there. (I took my mom's.) So call them up and find out how to reserve one (I don't know if they charge or not...) If I were you, I'd buy a plastic blow-up donut to put in the wheelchair. I needed it because of my surgery, but it's good because the seat of the wheelchair isn't that comfortable.
I don't personally know the answer regarding the boot and the rides, but I don't think you'll have a problem.
Dawn
I agree with Megan about Buena Vista Scooters.
They will deliver it to your resort . It was about $200
For the week and totally worth it . There is so much walking even from
your room to the bus . My mom wouldn't have
made it if we rented it at the park. They will ask you if you can walk to
on the rides. You can take the scooter all the way up to
the ride and then they will park it for you on the side .
Have a magical trip !
I would suggest using a wheelchair at the airport and in the parks (or renting a scooter in the parks). These parks are huge and most people under estimate how much walking (and standing in line) you will be doing. There are only a few rides that are for older kids and adults everything else you should be able to ride with your child (no matter what size).
The scooters in the park are first come first serve, but there are many companies outside the parks that rent them and deliver right to your hotel.
ADDED**
You will need a doctor’s note or something to that effect to get a guest assistance card. People have taken advantage of that so much they have made stricter rules to get them.
You can rent a power scooter and have it delivered to your hotel for when you check in.
http://www.buenavistascooters.com/
You can also call the Orlando airport and arrange for a wheelchair to meet your plane. The airport is 2 terminals that are not connected. You have to take a shuttle (super easy to use and very roomy!) to get to the main terminal/bus area. If you are staying on Disney property, you can arrange to take one of their buses from the airport to your hotel. The meeting location is on the first floor of the terminal, near some elevators.
For security check, I don't think you have to remove it, but they will probably give you a hand wand once over. You probably will not be allowed on some / most rides with the boot on.
I do know that the It's a Small World ride has special boats for guests in wheelchairs or just need more leg room.
I'm not sure where you can rent them, but those "scooters/rascals" are EVERYWHERE at Disney.
I'd look into that.
Rent a wheelchair!
I broke my ankle and had a cast up to my knee just days before a planned trip to Sea World in California. My husband suggested cancelling it, but I didn't want to disappoint my daughter. Hey, I think I'm pretty tough and thought I could make it on my crutches. I could barely make it from the parking lot to the entrance. He rented me a wheel chair and it was the best thing he could have done. Also, we didn't have to wait in lines like the others did. We were allowed in first to events and we were allowed to leave first.
It worked out very well.
The truth is, I would have been dead in the first hour trying to crutch around.
Our trip would have been ruined.
Call ahead and make arrangements for a wheel chair. If your daughter gets tired, she can ride with you or sit with you. That's what my daughter did.
It worked out really well.
Best wishes!!
Oh my gosh! I am leaving for Disneyland on Sunday and tore a ligament in my foot playing soccer last week. I'm in a boot also and faced with the exact same situation! Could do the wheelchair too, but am not sure what to do. No advice, but just had to write. ( : Have fun!!
