Broken Ankle 1 Week B4 Arrival: Help

[RESEARCH]

My son broke his ankle and will be in cast & crutches just 2 days ago and we are arriving in 1 week.
We have no idea what to expect ( getting around, ease of getting on & off rides, crowds).
We expect to rent a wheel chair ( any ideas about cost & convience??).
Also, what about getting character autographs, etc.

 

[AFMom]

Poor kid!!!! Make sure he milks it for all it's worth there! The cast members are great about accomodating people in wheel chairs, or on cruthches. You may want to take the crutches somehow as well in case there are things he doesn't want to deal with the wheelchair on. The 'handlers' of the characters will make sure your son is able to get autographs. The only ride that I'm aware of at DL that you can load without getting out of the wheelchair is the new Winnie the Pooh ride. But I believe the other rides have special entrances for wheelchairs and they will help him on the ride. It may take longer to load the ride - but you'll be waiting in line less - so I doubt it'll really slow you down much. I can't think of a ride he won't be able to do...... maybe not Splash Mountain or Grizzly River Run - simply because he may get the cast wet. You may be able to wrap his leg up really well with a garbage bag,,,,,,
Don't know about the cost of the wheelchair - but I think it's similar to the stroller cost. One nice thing - if you rent a wheelchair in DL and then want to get over to CA ADV, you have to return the wheel chair at DL, but keep your reciept and when you get to CA ADV you show the reciept and you'll be able to get one there at no additional charge.
Good luck - hope he's feeling ok!

 

[ktglads]

Find a drugstore or medical supply store and get the $20 cast cover. This allows you to take a shower without using garbage bags and duct tape. Also eliminates the possibility of getting the cast wet.

Not sure how old your son is, but Disney does not generally prevent you from riding rides. I haven't done disneyland, but I did disney world in a leg cast last summer. I didn't do any of the coasters since it would have been too hard to get in and out of. I had surgury with hardware a week before my trip so I had limited mobility in my knee as well. I did manage to do ToT and whatever other ride I wanted.

Not sure as to what he is doing right now, but it may be cheaper for you to rent a chair at home and bring it with you. this way you will have one in the hotel and if you want to go outside the parks. Mine cost me less than $50 for 2 weeks. Insurances sometimes even pay for these. You can check a medical supply store for this

 

[disneyobessed]

we went to disney last yr with my children. my son who was 4 at the time is handicapped. I cant tell you how accomidating everywhere in disney is. The best advice i can give you is when you get to the Magic Kingdom (every park has these but im not sure where the others are b/c we got our sons at magic kingdom) is go to the town hall on the left once you get through the main entrance. make sure your son is with you. explain to them you want a handicapped pass (there is another name. maby park assistance pass?) anyways you take that with you to every park all week (yes its free) and you dont have to wait in any lines because it allows you to go in the handicapped entrance. many rides will not let you through that entrance without the pass. I remember the attendant at Alladin wouldnt let us in despite the fact my son is in a handicapped stroller. there are a few rides that they dont use seperate entrances like the Pirates of the Carribean for one that i can think of. best of luck and get the pass!

 

[dletz]

Regular wheelchair $8 with $20 deposit. ECV $30 with $20 deposit.

I rented a ECV one time when I hurt my ankle the day before we were going. It takes a lot longer to get around the park with a wheelchair than without. It amazed me how much of a pain it was. I do think renting a wheelchair is good if he's on crutches though.

You can take the wheelchair between the parks so that is not a problem. Currently the rental location is located outside DL near the kennels and inside DCA. I'm not sure how long the rental location will be located outside DL (they're working on the current one and as of Friday it was still outside)

 

[SueM in MN]

we went to disney last yr with my children. my son who was 4 at the time is handicapped. I cant tell you how accomidating everywhere in disney is. The best advice i can give you is when you get to the Magic Kingdom (every park has these but im not sure where the others are b/c we got our sons at magic kingdom) is go to the town hall on the left once you get through the main entrance. make sure your son is with you. explain to them you want a handicapped pass (there is another name. maby park assistance pass?) anyways you take that with you to every park all week (yes its free) and you dont have to wait in any lines because it allows you to go in the handicapped entrance. many rides will not let you through that entrance without the pass. I remember the attendant at Alladin wouldnt let us in despite the fact my son is in a handicapped stroller. there are a few rides that they dont use seperate entrances like the Pirates of the Carribean for one that i can think of. best of luck and get the pass!

They are no longer doing the Guest Assistance Card (the "pass" you mentioned) in the same way as they did.

Mouseplanet has a good discussion about it.
They don't give Guest Assistance Cards for people with wheelchairs any more. For someone with a handicapped (special needs) stroller, a Guest Assistance Card may be needed because not all the CMs recognize them as anything other than a regular stroller (some of them look very much like regular strollers).

 

[disneyobessed]

They are no longer doing the Guest Assistance Card (the "pass" you mentioned) in the same way as they did.

Mouseplanet has a good discussion about it.
They don't give Guest Assistance Cards for people with wheelchairs any more. For someone with a handicapped (special needs) stroller, a Guest Assistance Card may be needed because not all the CMs recognize them as anything other than a regular stroller (some of them look very much like regular strollers).

is this just for disneyland or is it disneyworld as well. My son is unable to walk and has cerebral palsy so he is in a special stroller that like you said does not look handicapped. I would assume he will be able to get the card next year when we go. maby it was a card last yr? it was like a large ticket we tied to his stroller. at first i felt selfish using it but then i realized that he deserved it. he cant go on many rides space mountain thunder mountain tea cups just to name a few because of low muscle tone so I feel we are compensated by allowing him to not have to wait in lines. like i said before Disneyworld is one of them most handicapped friendly places i have ever been too. It was one of the few places i feel my son doesnt stick out.

 

[RESEARCH]

I am not sure I understand who qualifies and who does not. My son who fractured his ankle 5 days ago is in a cast and has crutches. I want to rent a wheel chair so he can sit the majority of the time and keep his foot elevated as the swelling is still not gone.
Will they consider him not "injured" enough to qualify for the card. His disability is temporary but I do not want to risk him standing on crutches for 1/2 hour - 60 minutes waiting in line for an attraction.

 

[SueM in MN]

is this just for disneyland or is it disneyworld as well. My son is unable to walk and has cerebral palsy so he is in a special stroller that like you said does not look handicapped. I would assume he will be able to get the card next year when we go. maby it was a card last yr? it was like a large ticket we tied to his stroller. at first i felt selfish using it but then i realized that he deserved it. he cant go on many rides space mountain thunder mountain tea cups just to name a few because of low muscle tone so I feel we are compensated by allowing him to not have to wait in lines. like i said before Disneyworld is one of them most handicapped friendly places i have ever been too. It was one of the few places i feel my son doesnt stick out.

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES Board and you can get more information.
The Guest Assistance Card (GAC)is meant to give the accomidation someone needs to get into/experience an attraction, not give immediate access. If you still have your card, you will se that it says right on the card that it is not meant to shorten or elimiate waits in line, just to provide appropriate access.
Disneyland had a program where everyone who got a card got the same treatment. WDW has had a card since at least 1999, where there are different messages stamped on the card based on the needs of the person it was issued to. Disneyland changed to that same system a year ago in January.
Someone using a wheelchair or ecv does not need a GAC unless they have additional needs that are not met by using the wheelchair/ecv.

 

[SueM in MN]

I am not sure I understand who qualifies and who does not. My son who fractured his ankle 5 days ago is in a cast and has crutches. I want to rent a wheel chair so he can sit the majority of the time and keep his foot elevated as the swelling is still not gone.
Will they consider him not "injured" enough to qualify for the card. His disability is temporary but I do not want to risk him standing on crutches for 1/2 hour - 60 minutes waiting in line for an attraction.

He can bring the wheelchair into most lines, so you won't have to worry about him being on crutches standing in lines. You don't need a Guest Assistance Card to use a wheelchair in line. The CMs can recognize that you need to use whatever type of wheelchair access is available for that attraction just because they see the wheeelchair.
Here's a
link to the Disneyland Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities page.

 

[LucyKate]

Yes - from my reading of that they are saying the passes are only so CMs can identify people who need assistance, but who, to look at, it may not be obvious.

People in wheelchairs and on crutches stand out, and will get the assistance anyway, and therefore don't need a pass.

It's not saying that without a pass you have to stand in line.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

man does this sound like deja vous....my daughter fractured her ankle bone "1" day before we went to DL and we rented a wheelchair...never had a card and we just had to go through handicap accessible line for the rides....didnt have a problem at all...the prices sound like they havent changed a bit for the rental....dont even worry...just have fun