here are a few thoughts i'd like to share:
you could call walker, randy's, etc. now and ask them how difficult it would be to get an
ecv delivered next day for the time of year you're going. their 800 numbers are posted on other threads.
but...
what if your first day w/o an ecv leaves you very sore? you said it was just you and your DD8. can you afford to risk your health? would you be ok for the remaining days?
i went to wdw in january with just my DD7 (almost 8). i was in an ecv and i was very concerned beforehand as you are. before we went i did the following:
1) talked with her about the "hug a tree" philosophy. basically, if we got separated SHE should be the one to stand still and wait for me to find her.
2) talked to her about CM's and what they looked like/wore (badge, uniforms, etc.). told her she should talk to a cm if we got separated (w/o leaving the area she was in--there are tons of cm's everywhere).
3) bought her ($25) a tracfone to put in her fanny pack. this is a cell phone that has no monthly fees. it came for "free" with the $25 purchase of a 60-minutes card. came with 2 months active air time. we never needed to use it, but we both knew that if we got separated for whatever reason, we could talk to each other instantly by phone. (i programmed my cell phone number into hers.) it was well worth the $25 one-time expense. if you're interested in this route, let me know and i'll "refer" your e-mail address to tracfone, so we both will get extra free minutes.
4) we did get separated briefly at the sword in the stone ceremony at MK. she was jockeying for a better viewing position and i couldn't move through a thick crowd as easliy. i had no qualms about yelling her name out loud and we hooked up again in about 60-90 seconds. scarey. i reminded her about not leaving my side and we really didn't have too much trouble after that.
5) i don't know how people feel about this one, because disney is basically a very safe place. I wouldn't want to alarm a kid if they weren't ready to handle this, but i have always discussed with my kids the need never to go anywhere with a stranger. i also tell them that if someone pulls on them they should yell "i don't know you" or "you're not my dad," etc. Let's face it, how many times have we seen screaming kids being pulled out of malls, etc. by their parents. if a stranger took my kid and my kid just screamed, it's not as effective as if she yelled "i don't know you!" i don't think this is really something to worry about, but it came to mind so i thought i'd mention it.
6) just a reminder that it's unsafe to have your DD ride on the ecv with you.
my DD and i had a great time together on our special trip. i know you both will, too. let me know if i can answer any other questions.
dj
p.s. - if she's into princesses, i highly recommend the CRT breakfast. there's a great table for 2 right at the center window which you might get if you book the first time slot. there's an elevator to get upstairs, and a few steps to step down into the restaurant--might not be a problem for you.
