Wife had foot surgery and is worried

[Bobb_o]

I'm trying to get all the info I can to make her feel more comfortable and understand that it's not going to be a big deal.

Backstory is she had foot surgery and will be getting getting her cast off on the 19th and transitioning to a walking boot. We will be at DHS and EP starting on 2/28.

First concern she has is about being a bother. I told her that most of the rides have wheelchair accessible queues but any detailed info on that would be great (I'm still trying to find it) to ease her concerns. Second part is around if it would "separate" our group (We'll be 10 people) which I couldn't think of anything that would be a problem other than maybe a ride like Toy Story Mania where you use stairs to get to the ride vehicles and so it might be just us in a vehicle instead of a 4some of our group.

The other stuff is around logistics. We are worried about RD at DHS (our first park day) and if we can take the time to rent a wheelchair in the morning. We don't have any good FP so we have to be there early to ride Slinky. If we bring a wheelchair do we bring one from out of town (we are flying with a rental car) or do we rent one somewhere in Orlando?

I know I'm kind of all over the place but I'm also starting to feel a little stressed because usually I'm the guy with all the Disney answers and I just don't know about wheelchair use in the parks.

 

[gap2368]

FOr Toy story ride there is a third track that dose not have steps if she she go form her wheelchair or ECV to the ride vehical ( bout 1 or 2 steps) she will be fine. all the other rides are wheelcahir ECV accessable ( space ship earth you load from the exit)


are. you staying at disney if she get an ECV off site to use or if staying off site I would get one that you can take apaet and put in the back of an SUV

 

[JenLovesMM]

I broke my ankle 20 years ago and I've had 4 major surgeries and have worn the air cast boot many times. Even though we weren't going to Disney while I had the cast I have a hard time walking a lot in everyday life, I always tried to just make the best of it at Disney. Last time we went a couple of years ago, I finally rented an offsite ECV. Best decision ever! I stressed about it so much before I went but ends up that it really made our days so much better. We weren't limited anymore to how much I could do in a day, I could easily follow everyone. I could park it and walk around a land whenever I wanted. I could use it in the lines, and the cast members were really good about explaining what to do and helping (including the bus driving). In hindsight, I should have had one for previous trips. Renting from offiste means you have it at the resort and you don't need to walk from the buses to the park and try to rent one inside. The offsite ones were also smaller and easy to navigate with (I had one that could come apart and be stored in a vehicle trunk). Being in an ECV also let me be independent, I didn't need someone pushing my chair or wheeling it myself. We were a group of about 12 one day in MK and having the ECV meant I could keep up with everyone.

 

[SG131]

First off, I strongly recommend renting an ECV instead of a wheelchair, and renting it from an outside company so you have it to and from the resort as well. The hallways in Yacht club can be long, if you only rent something at the park, she will have to navigate that at the end of the night on her own. Also, a wheelchair can be tiring to push for the best of us. With an ECV she will feel like a little less of a bother because no one has to push her, and she will have some freedom to control where she goes.

We are just starting to navigate the parks with an ECV and my mother won't do any of the thrill rides so I don't know how all of them work, but for things like small world, there is a separate entrance. Your whole party may go in with you. RotR you could take a scooter in the regular queue, but they were taking peoples scooter at the internal queue halfway through the ride. A lot of the shows have places have special wheelchair seating. With your large group the rest of your group may end up in a row behind or in front of her depending on the theater. For spaceship earth we learned that if you don't have a FP, if the wait is more than 20 minutes they will ask you to get a return time similar to a DAS. Then when the return time hits your whole party can enter through the handicap entrance and they will slow the cars down to make loading easier.

 

[Mamabun]

Everyone is different in how they heal, but another option if she's doing well walking with the cast, just not '10 Disney miles a day' well, she can always leave the wheelchair/ecv parked outside a ride and go through the regular line/fast line with the group. We've done this many times, when traveling with kinda short stamina walkers. Sometimes it just seemed simpler this way. We've also been many times with wheelchairs right up to the ride vehicle and that works fine too.

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome to disABILITIES and the different view of the parks from the majority of guests.

Most attractions/lines are wheelchair accessible to the point of boarding. Most have what are called Mainstream Lines, which means guests using wheelchairs wait in regular lines with everyone else.
If she has a wheelchair, she would be able to use it in all attractions. If she has an ECV (also called scooter) there are some attractions/lines that are not ECV accessible. Those do have attraction wheelchairs you can borrow for use in lines.

Most people find it better to rent from one of the offsite equipment rental companies than renting in the parks. By doing that, she will have it to use it your resort and to get to & from transportation. It’s also less expensive.
Scooterbug is Disney’s exclusive provider allowed to deliver and pick up at WDW resorts without the guest present. If you choose another company, you will need to be present to meet the delivery person. If you are staying offsite, there may be different rules.
You are correct that there may be attractions with a wheelchair boarding area where no more than 6 of you can board together. That’s usually because of limited space or a ride vehicle that only holds a certain number. For a few - like Jungle Cruise, Small World and Spaceship Earth - there is a separate entrance and waiting area. For some, there is a separate boarding area, but you will wait in most of the line together, with the accessible boarding area pull off point close to the regular boarding area.
Toy Story Mania actually has one track that avoids the stairs entirely. Guests who are able to transfer from their mobility device and their party are usually routed to that track. Those who can’t transfer and will need to use the wheelchair accessible ride car are sent to the track that does have stairs, but they use a bypass to an accessible loading area on that same track. Since the accessible ride vehicle can only hold 6 passenGers, the rest of those parties are sent to use the stairs.

All shows have wheelchai accessible spots; those will always have one companion seat per wheelchair. The rest of your group will either be directed to sit in the next row or anywhere else in the theater.

 

[SueM in MN]

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread (you can also find it stuck near the top of this board). The first post in that thread is is an index that tells what Each post in the thread is about.
It has useful information about transportation with a mobility device, which rides have a wheelchair accessible ride car, where the accessible thester seats are and which attractions have a difficult step in or out.

 

[Evita_W]

I personally can't imagine anyone trying to push a wheelchair all day, so I would suggest an ECV if she thinks she can handle it. Secondly, no matter which option you go with, I would rent from an offsite company. I personally prefer Gold Mobility due to the fact they drop off on your schedule and have great customer service, but there are many companies. I would not try to rent at the parks each day.

 

[jo-jo]

Whatever you get, get it offsite. The time wasted in the morning renting one from disney and then if you hop to another park, you have to wait again. Also if you decide to get a ECV, the second park may not have one. I don't know how often it happens, but have heard of them running out during the day.

 

[mamabunny]

I'm trying to get all the info I can to make her feel more comfortable and understand that it's not going to be a big deal.

Backstory is she had foot surgery and will be getting getting her cast off on the 19th and transitioning to a walking boot. We will be at DHS and EP starting on 2/28.

First concern she has is about being a bother. I told her that most of the rides have wheelchair accessible queues but any detailed info on that would be great (I'm still trying to find it) to ease her concerns. Second part is around if it would "separate" our group (We'll be 10 people) which I couldn't think of anything that would be a problem other than maybe a ride like Toy Story Mania where you use stairs to get to the ride vehicles and so it might be just us in a vehicle instead of a 4some of our group.

The other stuff is around logistics. We are worried about RD at DHS (our first park day) and if we can take the time to rent a wheelchair in the morning. We don't have any good FP so we have to be there early to ride Slinky. If we bring a wheelchair do we bring one from out of town (we are flying with a rental car) or do we rent one somewhere in Orlando?

I know I'm kind of all over the place but I'm also starting to feel a little stressed because usually I'm the guy with all the Disney answers and I just don't know about wheelchair use in the parks.

Just remind her that using a wheelchair - or a scooter - is nothing more than using the best possible tool at her disposal to make the trip as pain-free and easy as possible. Does she ever use glasses to read or see better? Those are a tool to improve vision. Has she ever used a garage door opener from the comfort of her car? That's a tool to make dealing with a heavy door easier. Even using a calculator to do math is using a tool to make arithmetic easier and faster.

No one will pay any attention to her if she uses a personal mobility device. I promise - first of all, there are so many folks using devices of all kinds at WDW that she won't stand out at all, and secondly, the people who aren't driving personal mobility devices are all too self-absorbed in posting to Facebook and Instagram to notice.

As others have said, rent from an outside vendor; it can make a *huge* difference - and it gives her independence everywhere. She can go get coffee in the morning by herself if she has an ECV. She can go off shopping at Disney Springs if she wants if she has an ECV. She can run back to that shop at Epcot where she saw that thing, by herself, if she has an ECV.

Let us know if you have any other questions - and remember you can always search this little corner of The DISBoards for things like "first time ECV" and get all kinds of info!

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I will echo what others here are saying, rent an ECV from an outside vendor. I really resisted doing so, but it was the best decision I could have made. It allowed me to keep up with my family and do most of what I wanted.

 

[DVCjj]

Tell her to GO no matter her limitations. Few years ago, I badly broke an ankle with major surgery and cancelled a Disney trip because I didn't want to put anyone out with me in a boot at time of trip. (cast off day before 'trip')
That decision caused me to become extremely depressed (not me normally) during PT and sitting at home.

If I had to do it again, I would go even if it meant just people watching on the sidelines. Just BEING there helps with recuperation. Gives you strength to go through the experience.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Tell her to GO no matter her limitations. Few years ago, I badly broke an ankle with major surgery and cancelled a Disney trip because I didn't want to put anyone out with me in a boot at time of trip. (cast off day before 'trip')
That decision caused me to become extremely depressed (not me normally) during PT and sitting at home.

If I had to do it again, I would go even if it meant just people watching on the sidelines. Just BEING there helps with recuperation. Gives you strength to go through the experience.

ITA with this. I had a major injury 4 weeks before a trip. We considered cancelling, but I am so glad we went anyway.

 

[Bobb_o]

Thank you everyone for the replies. We will not be renting an ECV since they're so big and I can't possibly see how we would be able to fit it in our rental. We are staying offsite so using buses isn't an option. Beyond that my family already has a wheelchair so we don't see a need to pay for anything else. I know it will be tiring for me pushing her around but I can deal with that.

She is still talking like it's a maybe that she can go and I have been doing everything to tell her that it's not even an option of her not going. Her biggest worry now is being separated from the group in queues and making it inconvenient for everyone else. All I can do is reinforce that everyone is ok with the situation and Disney is not going to separate a party unless they absolutely have to.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thank you everyone for the replies. We will not be renting an ECV since they're so big and I can't possibly see how we would be able to fit it in our rental. We are staying offsite so using buses isn't an option. Beyond that my family already has a wheelchair so we don't see a need to pay for anything else. I know it will be tiring for me pushing her around but I can deal with that.

She is still talking like it's a maybe that she can go and I have been doing everything to tell her that it's not even an option of her not going. Her biggest worry now is being separated from the group in queues and making it inconvenient for everyone else. All I can do is reinforce that everyone is ok with the situation and Disney is not going to separate a party unless they absolutely have to.

she will in the same queues as the rest of group only few that I can think where this is not true are Space Ship Earth/the golf ball and the tree house where you have to climb. you can tell how long since I have been able to do this one. there are other queues that might have your group go a different way but whole group will be taken as a group Splash Mountain comes to mind. just ask the CM at beginning of queue. remind her that this my be new to her but it happens many times a day for the CMs at WDW. granted I have used an ECV not wheelchair but they are treated the same and I do not use in normal life. she can do this and everyone will have a great time plus remind her she is going to have to slow down so the rest of group can keep up with her. yes I have been told this more than once on trips

 

[tobikaye]

If it helps, there are links to mobility guides that the parks offer. If you look at this link, there are links for guide maps for each park. This gives you an idea of what to expect. Things do change a bit, but this will at least show that there are not too many issues that she should encounter with lines at the parks. Since she will be able to transfer it is even less of an issue for the parks you have listed.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/guests-with-disabilities/