Recovering from Broken Ankle - Advice Needed

[Disneygal4life]

Hey everybody! I'm a veteran Disney vacationer but this will be the first time going under these circumstances. I broke my ankle seven weeks back and also did some soft tissue damage. I've been wearing a walking boot and that will be coming off tomorrow. After that I need to wear an air cast with a shoe. We leave for Disney in 10 days.

The doctor seems to think that my leg will be too weak to handle Disney walking and that I need to go back into the walking boot. It's very cumbersome though to deal with even though I can put weight on it. Do you all suggest I just go the route of trying to walk in the walking boot solo or do you think a scooter would be better? I don't want to do a wheelchair as I'm traveling with two young kids who need a stroller and my husband will be busy pushing that.

Any advice you can give would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[gap2368]

You do a lot of walking at Disney so I would do what your dr suggest and use the boot at Disney also get an ECV you do not need to use it all the time you can park it and walk some

 

[SMD]

I would rent a scooter and bring the walking boot just in case. Try for the air cast and scooter, but you never know if you could start to feel pain from overuse or get bumped, and then you might want to walking boot.

 

[gap2368]

I would rent a scooter and bring the walking boot just in case. Try for the air cast and scooter, but you never know if you could start to feel pain from overuse or get bumped, and then you might want to walking boot.

If you do this you can bring your walking boot to first aid and they will keep it for you so you do not have to lug it around with you

 

[Baklava]

This is not the time to get minimalist. You are much better off bringing a thing and not needing it than discovering you underestimated the pain.

 

[gap2368]

I am not saying do not bring things I think they should bring what ever they think they many need I am just saying they can leave things at first aid in the parks that what they have things with them but they are not caring it with them ll the time. First aid will hold medical things for you.

 

[Baklava]

No, sorry gap that wasn't directed at your post. I meant that a scooter was a good idea and that bare minimum, this was not the time to leave the boot home or at the hotel. (Which is not what you were suggesting, I know.) Mostly I was thinking of the sort of foolishness my mother or I would get up to. "Oh, the air cast will be fine..." And then chaos reigns.

 

[Disneygal4life]

If you do this you can bring your walking boot to first aid and they will keep it for you so you do not have to lug it around with you

That is good to know! I didn't realize they would hold things for me like that. It would make it easier to have the walking boot as a backup plan.

 

[Disneygal4life]

This is not the time to get minimalist. You are much better off bringing a thing and not needing it than discovering you underestimated the pain.

Baklava - thanks for the input. I agree. My parents tend to push the "tough it out" attitude but in this case I want to make sure I'm also able to enjoy myself and not do damage. I found out today that the bone has not yet fully healed but I can still wear an air cast. I think I'll air on the side caution with the walking boot and scooter just to ensure I can continue to heal correctly but be able to move.

 

[Disneygal4life]

I appreciate all the helpful responses. I'm looking at renting a scooter now. The only downside is that I'm staying at Wilderness Lodge and reading some FAQs have seen that the smaller boats can't take the scooters. We have an early morning breakfast at Crystal Palace one morning and the larger boats that do accommodate the scooters don't run until closer to park opening at the MK. Still trying to figure out the best way to navigate that.

 

[gap2368]

That is good to know! I didn't realize they would hold things for me like that. It would make it easier to have the walking boot as a backup plan.

first aid will hold any thing medical for you all you have to do is fill out a form it is just the basic infer name where you are staying what you are leaving takes about 3 minute to fill out you may want a bag it can fit in if you do not want the form taped to your boot

 

[ttintagel]

If it was me, I would rent an ECV AND go back into the walking boot. A WDW vacation is too much walking wither for the boot or tha air cast, and you;d be in way too much pain by the end of the day. I'd opt for the boot over the air cast to prevent being jostled in the crowds, and to give you more support getting in and out of boats.

 

[JennyDrake]

From the "been there, done that" file--RENT THE ECV!! I had an excellent expereince with Walker Mobility. And bring the boot--not (just) the air cast. Don't forget the pain meds AND, you can get a retail bag at any of the vendors, then take it anywhere that has ice and fill it up! Tie the top closed and voila! Special Disney magic ice pack!

 

[gap2368]

From the "been there, done that" file--RENT THE ECV!! I had an excellent expereince with Walker Mobility. And bring the boot--not (just) the air cast. Don't forget the pain meds AND, you can get a retail bag at any of the vendors, then take it anywhere that has ice and fill it up! Tie the top closed and voila! Special Disney magic ice pack!

or if you are close to first aid they have ice there, but it is good to know that you can do this too.

 

[Disneygal4life]

From the "been there, done that" file--RENT THE ECV!! I had an excellent expereince with Walker Mobility. And bring the boot--not (just) the air cast. Don't forget the pain meds AND, you can get a retail bag at any of the vendors, then take it anywhere that has ice and fill it up! Tie the top closed and voila! Special Disney magic ice pack!

Thanks JennyDrake - Great suggestion with the bag and ice! My doctor said to bring the air cast and I gave him the side eye on that one. Even in good health Disney walking is hard and my ankle is just mush right now. I am walking some in the air cast now but I have a limp and I'm very slow. The boot is coming along for sure.

 

[bopper]

Check out this thread on how to Disney big with an injury.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/my-po-rs-gf-and-bcv-vacation-with-a-disability….465756/

 

[JennyDrake]

I went to WDW 5 days after I was to start weaning myself out of the boot (casted after surgery for Achilles rupture with ZERO weight bearing for 12, long weeks, then in a boot for 4 weeks). My BFF offered to push me around in a wheelchair. I fought it tooth and nail. EVERYONE was telling me to rent the wc, including this list. But what did they know, right?!?!?! OMG, rented the chair and was SOOOOOO glad I did. My foot was "ok" and I use that term loosely-- when walking but standing in line proved a killer. I stuck to my ice regimen of 20 minutes of ice and elevation every 2 hours. Had to take pain meds a couple of times, but overall did very well BECAUSE I got the wc and I wasn't on the foot all day.

 

[mamabunny]

I appreciate all the helpful responses. I'm looking at renting a scooter now. The only downside is that I'm staying at Wilderness Lodge and reading some FAQs have seen that the smaller boats can't take the scooters. We have an early morning breakfast at Crystal Palace one morning and the larger boats that do accommodate the scooters don't run until closer to park opening at the MK. Still trying to figure out the best way to navigate that.

We were just at WL in Sept with my personal ECV. You are correct - every other boat (literally) between WL & MK is an "ECV friendly" boat. You could literally sit on the dock for more than 30 minutes before the "correct" boat arrives. (we did)

Just take the bus. Check with the front desk the night before, but it's literally less than a 10 minute bus ride to MK from WL, and the WL bus stop is super close to the entrance. All the resorts have early bus service to any park that has an early TS breakfast. Some resorts only get *1* bus though, so make sure you know what time to be at the bus stop!

Save your boatin' around for times when you aren't on a tight schedule.

And enjoy WL - it's just absolutely breathtaking!

 

[elmoandzoey]

JennyDrake, I love you for your suggestion about the ice! It never occured to me to do it that way but it is a brilliant idea! I think I'll bring a few larger zip lock bags with me on the next trip just for that! It even works in the hotel - I always only used a wet cloth I kept in the fridge for the day and wrapped it around my foot at the end of the day when returning but a bag of ice.... sometimes you just don't *think* about the easy things!

 

[gap2368]

first aid will also give you an ice back with one of those neat looking things to keep it on ( it is hard to describe what it is)