Help planning a great trip with my Pooh sized mom with bad knees

[scrapbunny]

I am super excited to be going on family vacation with my kids ( twin 5 yr old boys and 10 yr old daughter) and my parents in March but would love any help/advice to make the trip wonderful for my mom. My mom is very pooh sized and has had knee surgery on both knees and is still recovering from a bad leg break last year. She has never been a huge ride person but I would like to have a list of possibilities for her, and rides to just avoid. We will be in Anaheim for 6 days and plan on renting an ECV but she is thinking she might only want to do 1 day at each park since she will mainly just be doing shows. Should I try to talk her into more days? We are staying right across the street at the Tropicana and the kids and I have AP so it is a bonus trip for us but probably the only time my mom will be there for at least a few years and first time she has been since taking my sister and I as kids.
Thanks for any help/ideas/tips

 

[TheChapman6]

I am super excited to be going on family vacation with my kids ( twin 5 yr old boys and 10 yr old daughter) and my parents in March but would love any help/advice to make the trip wonderful for my mom. My mom is very pooh sized and has had knee surgery on both knees and is still recovering from a bad leg break last year. She has never been a huge ride person but I would like to have a list of possibilities for her, and rides to just avoid. We will be in Anaheim for 6 days and plan on renting an ECV but she is thinking she might only want to do 1 day at each park since she will mainly just be doing shows. Should I try to talk her into more days? We are staying right across the street at the Tropicana and the kids and I have AP so it is a bonus trip for us but probably the only time my mom will be there for at least a few years and first time she has been since taking my sister and I as kids.
Thanks for any help/ideas/tips

Someone else can tell about the rides? I wouldn't try to talk her into more days if she plans to sit in the hotel. What else gets her excited about going? Can you plan some ADRs that she will enjoy or a tour? Are you coming a long way? You said you have aps do your parents have them Aldo or are they buying hoppers?

 

[jdb in AZ]

If your mom doesn't have an AP can she get a 2-day park hopper then add to it if/when she decides to add more time? On the other hand, the crowds may wear her out and she'd really rather have some down time at the hotel on the other days and just join you for meals at Downtown Disney. You mentioned "parents." How does your dad feel about several days at the parks?

 

[nannyz]

Maneuvering through the Disney crowds on an ECV can be daunting, and tiring. Have you considered renting a wheelchair (from an outside source) instead?

 

[Tasia]

My dad has to use an ECV and like others have said it can be very tiring using the ECV.
We just go with how he feels. Most days we only go to the parks for a few hours and then go back later generally with just the kids so he can stay back at the hotel and rest.
It's tough to say about trying to push for more days, on one hand it may be nice for her to have that option to go back to the hotel and not worry about trying to get it all done in a few days but she may also just be tired out after a couple days.

 

[michellelovesthemous]

My mum is the same way and we normally do WDW for 15 days yearly so I get a wheelchair and my DD16 and I take tuns pushing her so she can have all the enjoymnt of the park with none of the ecv stress! Also it is a goodexcuse for desert/snack as we are burning loads of calories in the process! Mum is Pooh sized too with bad knees and will stay with us that wayenjoying the parks open to close! Have a magical trip no matter what you choose!

 

[momjeeps]

Do a search on pooh sized in this forum. There is lots if info. I'd get a two day ticket and add to it if she changes her mind. My mom and dad are going for the first time in 25 years. Mom is renting an ECV to be delivered to our hotel (BWPPI). I don't know how much time they will spend in the parks. But I'm so excited that they are going!

 

[Tasscrapper]

Disneyland:
Fireworks
Fantasmic
Mickey and the Magical Map
The two shows in FL--Tangled and Beauty and the Beast
A ride on the railroad all the way around
The show in The Golden Horseshoe
Jedi training if your boys want to do it
Soundsational Parade
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
Tiki Room
Mark Twain or Sailing Ship Columbia
The barbershop people on Main St.
Flag ceremony
Piano playing by Coke Corner
Innovations

DCA
Pixar Play Parade
Aladdin
World of Color
Red Car News Boys
Five and Dime singers
Mariachi Divas
Disney Animation building including the Animation Academy but a fun place to explore.
Bakery Tour
It's a Bugs Life 3D show
Muppet Vision 3d Show


Those are the shows and a couple of very easily accessed rides I can think of off the top of my head. If she likes live entertainment there are tons of options. I am sure there are other rides that she could easily do like Little Mermaid, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.

Maybe the best thing you can do for her is to educate her of the possibilities and then respect what she wants to do. Let her know she is welcome but don't pressure her. Does she like to be part of everything and or watch the kids have fun? I know for my mom when she had cancer she loved coming with us to the local amusement park and watch us. Even if she couldn't participate on a lot of the rides she was happy to be there and know we were happy she was with us. She could only handle a couple hours and we would leave. If you have a nearby hotel your mom could go back to the hotel whenever she wanted or be at the parks when she wanted to.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I could EASILY fill at least a day in each park (probably more) without going on a single ride. There are sooooo many shows, aptmosphere entertainment, fun things to do that are not rides. Also, there are many rides that she can go on while staying in a wheelchair. If she has an ECV, they will have a wheelchair she can transfer into. Ex: its a small world.

Let me know if you want more details on this.

Your Mom can have an incredible time at DLR.

- Dreams

 

[silence]

OK. Here is my experience.

I am surprised people are saying no to ECV. I have used them at various times over the years. If the parks are extremely crowded (say Thanksgiving week) then yeah, it may be a problem. But most other trips we have not had any issues.

The ECV also allows me to do things on my own vs. a wheelchair when I would have had to rely on someone else to skip a ride to help me get around.

I am extremely pooh sized. This past year with that and my herniated disc, it made a lot of rides undoable just due to pain. However, on a normal day the only rides I tend to skip are: Goofy's Sky School, Tea Cups, Swings, whatever the little roller coaster is in Toon Town.

Space Mtn gets tricky only as it has a quick load/unload time, so it stresses me out trying to quickly get out sometimes. Star Tours, RSR, Soarin, (maybe ToT I can't remember the secure system) stress me out due to the seat belt. Not that it doesn't fit, but I have issues buckling it myself, I usually need one of my kids to help guide the belt in. Always embarrassing being the last one ready to ride. I don't ride the Matterhorn as that one has ALWAYS hurt me, so I can't speak to that.

The rides with rows and a bar, like most Fantasyland rides are fine.

So, again, I fit in most everything so hopefully that won't stop her from trying.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

I could EASILY fill at least a day in each park (probably more) without going on a single ride. There are sooooo many shows, aptmosphere entertainment, fun things to do that are not rides. Also, there are many rides that she can go on while staying in a wheelchair. If she has an ECV, they will have a wheelchair she can transfer into. Ex: its a small world.

Let me know if you want more details on this.

Your Mom can have an incredible time at DLR.

- Dreams

Dreams…..This is GREAT advice^^^^^ and I completely agree with you, about being able to fill a day without getting on one attraction!

There is so much to see, take in, enjoy, and savor!

 

[nana50]

My sister and brother-in-law loved their EVC's. If she can walk a little she can get close to the rides and they will help her get on. My sister who can only stand, did buzz light year, pirates, haunted house and a few others. Don't attempt the Matterhorn. I think Thunder mountain will be good to get on too. Although she may not want to do that one.

 

[scrapbunny]

You are all so awesome! My parents do not have APs and we are going because my dad has a convention at the convention center so the plan right now is to get twilight passes for 2 days for my dad and either a few twilight passes or 2 day pass for my mom. I feel like I could spend 3 days at least on just the shows so I think I just don't want her to miss out or feel like she is stuck at the hotel most of the trip. I want to be able to give her all the possible things to do and then she can decide. My dad and I are the fast ride people and my mom is more shows and atmosphere. We are hoping for not horrible crowds and my mom wants to have the freedom of the ECV but I hadn't thought about the wheelchair being easier when it came to rides, will have to think about that and maybe bring hers. Thanks so much for all the ideas for far, now I feel like I can make some possible loose schedules/plans for us
Any recommendations for ECV places for multiple days? There is a place right by Tropicana but it looks like all of them deliver to the hotels and there are way more than I thought! Any that you have used and recommend or should be avoided?

 

[NiceOneSimba]

My mom has rented from Deckerts twice. No website, but they are super helpful on the phone.

Much less expensive than renting in the park, and it an o back and forth to the hotel.

 

[silence]

My mom has rented from Deckerts twice. No website, but they are super helpful on the phone.

This is who we have used as well. They are AWESOME.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Another vote for Deckert's. DH and I both rent ECV's (we call them go carts for ol farts.) They're so convenient and give us independence. Not to mention that they're fun to drive. Unless DLR is super crowded, then we have to dial back the speed to turtle mode, but even then it saves ye olde back, feet, ankles, knees, and various and sundry other aging joints.