Disney with a cane?

[astraltravel]

Hi there,
I am planning a trip to Disney in the spring and it will probably be solo, which is actually something that I look forward to doing as 1) no one else is interested in going/ can go with me and 2) It will be a chance for me to do exactly what I want to do in my own time.
My concern is. In the past year I have developed an issue with my hip which may be a pressed nerve and/or arthritis. I am 71 and otherwise healthy and have good energy. I am using a cane to walk distances longer than a block and am concerned with the long distances spent in the parks. I'm a WDW veteran and realize how much walking there is but I want to go anyway. I will just take it very slow, spending lots of time at my resort, just laying by the pool reading. I will have a car to get around in, which will help too. I know I won't be able to cover a lot of ground while at the parks I like (Epcot and MK), but I'm not concerned with doing/seeing much, just basking in the Disney atmosphere.
Do you think that this is a bad idea? Am I nuts, especially to go alone?
Maybe I just need some feedback and encouragement from you fellow Disney lovers.
Any thoughts or ideas for me?
Thanks.
astraltravel

 

[Toffeewoffy]

I see no problem in you going on your own. However, due to the fact that walking causes you actual pain, I wonder whether you'd be better off hiring an ECV for your trip.

You'd still be able to get up and walk onto rides if you wanted and in and out of shops, but you'd have the relief of not being on your feet the whole time. You'd also have a permanent seat to stop you being tired.

While you wouldn't be able to heft it in and out of your car, you'd certainly have full access to all parks via the Disney buses.

 

[catra121]

I would say go...you know your limits and what you will be able to accomplish. The great thing about a solo trip is that there is no pressure to do more for someone else's enjoyment.

I know it's not the solution for everyone...but I would recommend buying or renting a rollator (4 wheeled walker with a seat) for your trip. It could make things a little easier for you than the cane with the bonus of always having somewhere to sit with you so that you can rest no matter where you are when you need it. Sometimes even having a seat while waiting in line can be a life saver.

But if you just want to use the cane that's up to you of course. Do what you are comfortable with. I loved my solo trip and my partial solo trips/solo days these past couple years. It's wonderful going at my own pace, skipping things if I don't feel up to them, just sitting and soaking up the atmosphere without someone else getting antsy because they are bored, etc. I particularly enjoyed the animal trails at AK...especially the bird areas. I think I sat in each of those for a good 30 minutes watching the birds, taking pictures, etc...no one would ever do that with me.

Have a great time!

 

[olwyngdh]

I think the rollator is a brilliant idea. My biggest worry with the cane would be getting it kicked out from under you with the crowds--but I have balance issues and have gone down when my daughter has accidently caught it.

 

[smitch425]

Hi there,
I am planning a trip to Disney in the spring and it will probably be solo, which is actually something that I look forward to doing as 1) no one else is interested in going/ can go with me and 2) It will be a chance for me to do exactly what I want to do in my own time.
My concern is. In the past year I have developed an issue with my hip which may be a pressed nerve and/or arthritis. I am 71 and otherwise healthy and have good energy. I am using a cane to walk distances longer than a block and am concerned with the long distances spent in the parks. I'm a WDW veteran and realize how much walking there is but I want to go anyway. I will just take it very slow, spending lots of time at my resort, just laying by the pool reading. I will have a car to get around in, which will help too. I know I won't be able to cover a lot of ground while at the parks I like (Epcot and MK), but I'm not concerned with doing/seeing much, just basking in the Disney atmosphere.
Do you think that this is a bad idea? Am I nuts, especially to go alone?
Maybe I just need some feedback and encouragement from you fellow Disney lovers.
Any thoughts or ideas for me?
Thanks.
astraltravel

I just returned home on Sunday from 9 straight days of touring with a cane. I say go and enjoy every moment! I have a torn labrum in my hip, and having surgery after Christmas. I was slower than usual, but had a fabulous trip! Most rides let me take my cane on with me, but at a few (like 7DMT, Kali), the CM would take my cane at boarding and return it to me while getting off the ride. I had no trouble using it in heavy crowds, but a rollator would have been difficult to maneuver (at least for me). Good luck!

 

[ttintagel]

Just to keep my bases covered, I would keep the phone numbers of wheelchair/ECV/rollator rental agencies handy. If it should work out that the can isn't enough to get you through a day of touring, they can get rental equipment to you pretty quickly.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Hi there,
I am planning a trip to Disney in the spring and it will probably be solo, which is actually something that I look forward to doing as 1) no one else is interested in going/ can go with me and 2) It will be a chance for me to do exactly what I want to do in my own time.
My concern is. In the past year I have developed an issue with my hip which may be a pressed nerve and/or arthritis. I am 71 and otherwise healthy and have good energy. I am using a cane to walk distances longer than a block and am concerned with the long distances spent in the parks. I'm a WDW veteran and realize how much walking there is but I want to go anyway. I will just take it very slow, spending lots of time at my resort, just laying by the pool reading. I will have a car to get around in, which will help too. I know I won't be able to cover a lot of ground while at the parks I like (Epcot and MK), but I'm not concerned with doing/seeing much, just basking in the Disney atmosphere.
Do you think that this is a bad idea? Am I nuts, especially to go alone?
Maybe I just need some feedback and encouragement from you fellow Disney lovers.
Any thoughts or ideas for me?
Thanks.
astraltravel

Your thread is so very similar to my situation. I've gone to WDW solo lots of times and needed a cane pretty regularly the last few years. The only thing I'd suggest is consider a folding cane if possible. It's just easier if you're sitting in a restaurant or anywhere people may walk around your area. I've found that when I had a cane, people would often trip over it. A folding cane could be folded up and put in my purse, out of the way, while I ate.

 

[bumbershoot]

DH has used a cane at WDW. It was really miserable for him. It started with an achilles problem, and the cane turned it into a knee thing then a hip thing. He was in SO much pain. I begged him to get an ECV but he refused out of pride and feeling embarrassed. Sigh.

My aunt was using a cane for quite awhile. She liked her fold-up one that you snap out to make a full-sized cane. the kids thought it was awesome and called it her ninja cane. She did a great job looking around and getting all the way over to the side of a path to snap it out...but one day an AK CM was running somewhere and went off the path to pass us, just as my aunt snapped it out in that direction (not knowing the CM was behind her). The CM wasn't hit, but she could easily have been. So if oyu use one of those, be VERY careful where you make it full sized!

That said, I really would think long and hard about an ECV. Canes *can* be pretty exhausting and can cause ripple effects of problems.

 

[astraltravel]

Thanks for the imput.
I hadn't even thought about a rollator and didn't even know that they were called that. The folding cane is a good idea too. Hopefully, with consistent yoga, to strengthen my legs, a good diet and good attitude, I will feel that I can make the trip as the time nears. My primary care dr. appears clueless as to what is 'wrong'. I self-diagnosed via the net and I probably have something called meralgia paresthetica, which is a basically, a compressed nerve, and which is aggravated by some osteoarthritis in my hip, which was diagnosed with an x-ray.
astraltravel

 

[emldrl]

Hi! I too have a hip issue, although mine they have said is bursitis, where the sack around the joint is inflamed, which causes major pain, and for which I have to use a cane at times. It sounds like you will have a great trip, and you already have a good plan. For myself, I just took my kids trick or treating for 2 hours on Thurs, with the cane, and I can still barely walk. But it sounds like you are in a LOT better shape than I am!
I think having the info on rental companies with you is a great idea, so you will be prepared in case you need it. Good luck and have a wonderful trip!

 

[astraltravel]

With your collective experience and advice I am getting the confidance that will enable me to make this trip. What I will do is just start out with my cane. I will take a cab to the airport, whereas in past times I took the train (El, here in Chicago) and just moving around the airport will give me a good idea of my stamina and give me a bit of a preview of what Disney will be like. Or I might drive down. Don't know yet as it is too far in the future. I will have the numbers of several rental agencies and probably just rent a rollator to have at hand in the room in case I need it. Thanks again. You guys are awesome.
astraltravel

 

[emldrl]

Good luck, and I hope you have a wonderful trip! And just in case you decide you want company, just swing on over here on your way down, I'll go!! (just kidding, kinda!)

 

[astraltravel]

emldrl,
pm me if you want me to swing by and pick you up. LOL!!!

 

[emldrl]

Sweet! Hahaha, just kidding, have a wonderful trip!!