fla4fun
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2006
- Messages
- 18,567
When I was a child, we took my Grandmother on several Disney trips (coming by car from Ohio) and we had a great time. We've never been big thrill ride fans anyway, so we didn't really miss out on anything by having her with us. She was in her 70's and got around very well, but would have a little trouble stepping on and off of the moving load belts. She just about did the splits once when we were trying to go up to the Peoplemover (as it was then).
Now, I take my Mom, also in her 70's, for long weekends. She has some trouble walking long distances, so we rent an ECV at Epcot, and usually a manual chair at the other parks. Epcot is much easier for someone who doesn't use an ECV full time to navigate. The other parks are more compact in layout, in which a manual chair just works better for us. I haven't taken her to AK yet, because I've heard that it's difficult for manual chairs, and whenever I've been there, it's been so crowded I can't picture her driving an ECV there. She was a little stubborn about trying an ECV the first time, but when it got to the point that she could only be in the parks for a couple of hours without one, she decided it was a pretty good idea to rent one.
I would recommend making TS ADR's for lunch, as a way to work a nice break into the day without making him feel like he's holding you back. I often do that when I'm traveling solo just to give myself a break. I also find that if I see Mom is getting tired, I'll say something like "I'm tired. Do you mind if we sit for a few minutes?" and just stop at a bench, and she gets the rest she needs. Make sure both of you stay hydrated - drinking plenty of water. That will get you in trouble faster than anything else.
Now, I take my Mom, also in her 70's, for long weekends. She has some trouble walking long distances, so we rent an ECV at Epcot, and usually a manual chair at the other parks. Epcot is much easier for someone who doesn't use an ECV full time to navigate. The other parks are more compact in layout, in which a manual chair just works better for us. I haven't taken her to AK yet, because I've heard that it's difficult for manual chairs, and whenever I've been there, it's been so crowded I can't picture her driving an ECV there. She was a little stubborn about trying an ECV the first time, but when it got to the point that she could only be in the parks for a couple of hours without one, she decided it was a pretty good idea to rent one.
I would recommend making TS ADR's for lunch, as a way to work a nice break into the day without making him feel like he's holding you back. I often do that when I'm traveling solo just to give myself a break. I also find that if I see Mom is getting tired, I'll say something like "I'm tired. Do you mind if we sit for a few minutes?" and just stop at a bench, and she gets the rest she needs. Make sure both of you stay hydrated - drinking plenty of water. That will get you in trouble faster than anything else.
