rheumatoid arthritis

[barbara ann]

Hoping for some insight. I have made many trips with family but an upcoming trip is with a friend who hasn't been in many years and has RA. She has her good days and bad days, doesn't use a scooter, does stairs but only when necessary. There are so many things she would like to do, including a tour if I can find one that balances walking and sitting. We will be there for 9 days during Flower and Garden. Any thoughts on how many hours to do a day? I know any day may be a stay at the resort day because it will all depend on how she feels. Is it easy to rent a scooter at a park for a day if she needs one? Thanks in advance for any help!!! This will be a challenge for ADRs and FP+ but we'll do what we can. She is so afraid she'll ruin my trip, but I keep telling her it's WDW... there is no bad trip!!!!

 

[gap2368]

I would try your best to talk her in to renting a scooter from off site
1 they are cheeper
2 you know you will have one they do run out of them on site
3 she will have a much better time and be able to do more.
4 she dose not have to use the schooner the whole time she can park it and walk around.

if she dose use a scooter then I think most tours are wheel chair ECV able

if she dose not want to use a scooter at all EPCOT has an one hour tour of the green house in the land pavilion that might be an interest to her.

but I think she will do better with an ECV just tell her to think of it like a tool like she need glasses to see some need hearing aids to hear.

 

[Mrsjvb]

as someone with RA( and has been living with it since I was 5) .. SHE NEEDS A MOBILITY DEVICE.

I only use WC as operating an ECV is not possible for me

without a chair: I might've managed 3-4 hours one day followed by a day of being unable to move at all and having to spend it in the hot tub at the resort.

with a chair: I can go rope drop to close. every day. ( I always take at least 2 days off and give my pusher( hubby) a massage)

 

[ttintagel]

Counting on being able to find a seat at the park when she needs one is a pretty big gamble.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Counting on being able to find a seat at the park when she needs one is a pretty big gamble.

oh gawd yes. especially AK.

 

[barbara ann]

Thank all of you for your thoughts. Any insights are greatly appreciated!!

 

[clanmcculloch]

I understand that she doesn't want to use a scooter, but if she's worried about ruining your trip then tell her that'll only happen if she DOESN'T rent on because guaranteed she'll be in a lot of pain fairly early in the trip. The average person walks anywhere from 6-10 miles PER DAY through the parks. Yes I do understand about not needing one in real life but needing one at WDW. My 15 year old for the past several years has used a wheelchair at WDW while in normal life she doesn't need one.

As for how long to plan in the parks per day, I'd like to suggest that less is more. Touring for maybe a few morning hours (when it's coolest and the parks are least crowded) then having a relaxing sit down lunch followed by maybe a show or two before heading back to the resort is likely a good pace to set. If she's feeling up to it you can always head back to the parks for a nighttime show but no pressure to do so. Tiring herself out won't only make that evening difficult; it could make the following few days rough as well. If after the first few days she's feeling energetic and as though she can do more then you can always extend your day by another half hour to an hour, but still keeping in mind that she really doesn't want to push herself. Once she's already in pain or exhausted is too late.

 

[mamabunny]

Please, please, please tell your friend that using an ECV is not a "cop out". It's not a "fail". It's simply using the best possible available TOOL to get the most possible enjoyment from your shared vacation.

If she needs glasses, does she refuse to wear them, going through life squinting at everyone and everything? Probably not.

If she needs to use a calculator to do math, does she refuse to touch it, and instead resort to pencil and paper - or counting on her toes and fingers? Probably not.

Both of those - glasses and calculators - are TOOLS that we use every day to make our lives more efficient. At WDW, many people use an ECV as a tool to improve both their stamina, and their enjoyment of the vacation. It can help with pain management as well. If she wants to walk from time to time, you can take a turn behind the wheel so that she can stretch her legs and move a bit.

You will not find a tour that balances walking and sitting. Similarly, you will not find many benches at all in any of the theme parks now - or the Disney Springs area. We were just there last week - on more than one occasion our daughter simply gave up and sat on the ground when there was no seating available and she needed to take a break.

Typically the WDW ECVs rent out fairly early in the day, and since you can "hop" the rental for the day from one park to the next, they are often in short supply. At $50/day (+ a $20/day deposit) it is typically cheaper to rent from a local vendor for any trip longer than 2 days.

Additionally, many people fail to factor in to their plans that it can be (at some WDW Resorts) quite a hike to the bus stops and to food services. Not to mention pools, laundry rooms, etc. And, if you intend to do Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney) it is significantly larger in size now - probably easily double the size from the last time your friend visited. With so much to see and do there alone, we now plan a dedicated "downtown day" for every trip.

There are many people who rent ECVs only at WDW - in their "regular" lives, they never need one or use one. If your friend is worried about other peoples perceptions of her, tell her not to. The likelihood that she will EVER see any other guest from WDW again is so incredibly tiny that she has a better chance of getting hit by lightning AND winning the lottery in the same day.

I hope you enjoy Flower & Garden; it is one of my favorite times of the year at WDW!

 

[sukhakuli]

If she won't consider an ECV, what about a rollator? Sometimes for people with inflammatory arthritis, sitting in an ECV would make the pain worse. I have psoriatic arthritis and akylosing spondylitis, and I can't do an ECV. But a rollator (walker with a folding seat) would be helpful on my bad days. Of course, my issues are mostly my hips, hands, lower back, and feet. It depends on what joints of hers are affected.

Also, be cognizant of the fact that she will need to be very very careful about getting sick. Help her to remember to sanitize her hands every every ride, after every bathroom, at every place you rest, before you eat, and every time you enter the hotel. We just got back from a 2 week trip, with 4 kids, and used this protocol and no one got sick!