Calling All Experts!!

[mechurchlady]

A lot of advice there so what can I add? Mom uses Depends and it is very helpful for her because of leakage when she sneezes or gets the giggles.

I posted on the SeaWorld thread and find that SeaWorld is very disabled friendly. The only thing she would have a problem with is the SkyTower which only allows normal sized wheelchairs.

The nurses station at each Disney park has places to lay down. She may want to lie down for a bit there.

As for what she can and cannot do the best thing to do is to wait and see like on AK. If she is having a good day then she might enjoy something that you thought was off limits. There will alway be the stupid guest who runs in crowds, cuts in lines, pushes, and make it difficult for a person to use a stroller, ECV or wheelchair.

With so many people with her you can have someone walk ahead of her in crowds to make a path. Definitely Wal-Mart because if she can survive driving there she can drive anywhere.

 

[SueM in MN]

Definitely Wal-Mart because if she can survive driving there she can drive anywhere.

If she has a Target near her , I'd suggest practicing there first. Targets have wide aisles with no displays in the center. Walmarts have much narrower aisles and usually have center of the aisle displays. I' suggest Walmart as a 2nd place to go.

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Hey!

You visited my trip report! ALS is a type of Muscular Dystrophy. mda.org is a good resource. Me, my mom, and sister all have muscular dystrophy.

A warning on the tiki room-there are only 4 or 5 wheelchair spots-so it can be filled up even when there are lots of normal seats left. The popular shows with less seating (Little Mermaid is one of these) can fill up fast and you may be given a return ticket.

The bathroom, yea, I had lots of rants about those. Locally, where there aren't companion restrooms we use a trick. A healthy person goes and grabs the handicapped stall until the person in the wheelchair can maneuver to it. Companion bathrooms have the problem of families absconding them, people changing, and they are spread out. Also if the person using it is in a wheelchair it might take them 10-20 minutes. I made a bathroom guide.

All the bathrooms outside the park entrance are rarely busy.
You can get a list of companion restrooms at first aid.

In AK the following restaurants have restrooms inside pizzafari, tusker house, restaurantosaurus

In AK I highly recommend the Safari & Festival of the Lion King

In MK I would add Winnie the Pooh and Mickey's Philharmagic

In MGM I would add Muppet Vision and Beauty and the Beast

In Epcot I would add Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I don't know whether anyone has posted this yet, or not, but here's a link to list of companion restrooms in WDW (it's from allears.net if that link doesn't work for any reason).

Make sure you warn her that the safari ride is very bumpy, and you need to hold on tight. The wait for those with disabilities is usually longer than for other people, as you go most of the way through the queue before being filtered off to the disabled loading area, where you wait again. It's quite a big step up for the transfer, as well. It's a good one though, and I always feel it's worth the extra effort, especially as she's travelling with kids.

 

[dclfun]

I just saw this new thread and am so glad the trip is going to happen! I agree with Christamae about the Safari ride and can no longer enjoy this attraction due to poor trunk and neck control even though I'm strapped in my chair with a neck support and collar. It's pretty scary actually to feel as though you're going to be falling/bounced out of your chair and perhaps land with the cheetahs! Another suggestion for restrooms. If you happen to be near first aid, they also have larger restrooms for transfers and assistance. Hope everything is magical for your friend and I'll be thinking of her.----Kathy

 

[Mr._The_King]

My Two SuperStars!!! Thanks for all your advice and education

Hey!

You visited my trip report! ALS is a type of Muscular Dystrophy. mda.org is a good resource. Me, my mom, and sister all have muscular dystrophy.

A warning on the tiki room-there are only 4 or 5 wheelchair spots-so it can be filled up even when there are lots of normal seats left. The popular shows with less seating (Little Mermaid is one of these) can fill up fast and you may be given a return ticket.

The bathroom, yea, I had lots of rants about those. Locally, where there aren't companion restrooms we use a trick. A healthy person goes and grabs the handicapped stall until the person in the wheelchair can maneuver to it. Companion bathrooms have the problem of families absconding them, people changing, and they are spread out. Also if the person using it is in a wheelchair it might take them 10-20 minutes. I made a bathroom guide.

All the bathrooms outside the park entrance are rarely busy.
You can get a list of companion restrooms at first aid.

In AK the following restaurants have restrooms inside pizzafari, tusker house, restaurantosaurus

In AK I highly recommend the Safari & Festival of the Lion King

In MK I would add Winnie the Pooh and Mickey's Philharmagic

In MGM I would add Muppet Vision and Beauty and the Beast

In Epcot I would add Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment

Her bathroom issues just started, but I remember the issues you had in your trip report (Still my favorite!) Thank you I will add you suggesstions to the guide.

I just saw this new thread and am so glad the trip is going to happen! I agree with Christamae about the Safari ride and can no longer enjoy this attraction due to poor trunk and neck control even though I'm strapped in my chair with a neck support and collar. It's pretty scary actually to feel as though you're going to be falling/bounced out of your chair and perhaps land with the cheetahs! Another suggestion for restrooms. If you happen to be near first aid, they also have larger restrooms for transfers and assistance. Hope everything is magical for your friend and I'll be thinking of her.----Kathy

I think the Safari would be a little much, thanks for pointing that out. I was just speaking to her about the trip. She seems very excited and a little nervous too. Picturing her on Soarin' makes me cry. She wants to run again, and I told her she could fly in this one. Such a beautiful ride. I love picturing her on Main Street fullfilling this dream with her kids.

I am goint to help her start preparing to pack next week. Zip lock bags for clothes, ordering from the local grocery to bring some breakfast foods for them. If I could just win the lotto for her between now and then While she is gone, a group of teachers from the kids' school are coming with Christmas Decorations and we will have it beautiful and in the spirit when she gets back.

Does she have to bring anything to the parks to recharge the ECV?

 

[mechurchlady]

The last time I did the Safari at Animal Kindom was very rough. I loved the trails which often gave me more animals to see than on the Safari. I lovwed the Pangiani trail which was cool and shaded as the following videos shows. I spent half an hour watching gorillas.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...l=5&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=3

You tube has lots of videos that you can watcn to see what is right for you.

 

[SueM in MN]

Does she have to bring anything to the parks to recharge the ECV?

She should have enough power to go all day without recharging.
Some ECVs have the charger built right in and all you have to do is find a place to plug it in. Others have a transformer that you have to plug into the ECV and then plug the other end into an outlet.
Here's a link to a past thread about where to find outlets. Places to plug in are not that hard to find.
Another thing to think about is using First Aid to lie down and rest. If she did that, she could plug the ECV in while she is resting. If she is tired, she needs to think about the 'cost' of going back to the resort to rest. We decided that for our DD, the 'cost' of going back to the resort to rest is higher than the 'cost' of resting in the park. I stay with her and have a cell phone so I can call DH when we are ready to join them again.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

OK, so I know this isn't Disney related, as such, and is a bit of a random side-track, but Sue's post just kicked my brain. Has your friend heard of the Spoon Theory? It's a concept from the website But You Don't Look Sick, and has helped me tremendously with handling my disability day by day. She may not be interested, but just in case, here's the link:

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/navigation/BYDLS-TheSpoonTheory.pdf

The main webpage also has lots of useful stuff, including a discussion board.

Sorry to go OT, but I thought that could be useful.

Anyway, back to your scheduled programming!

 

[Mr._The_King]

OK, so I know this isn't Disney related, as such, and is a bit of a random side-track, but Sue's post just kicked my brain. Has your friend heard of the Spoon Theory? It's a concept from the website But You Don't Look Sick, and has helped me tremendously with handling my disability day by day. She may not be interested, but just in case, here's the link:

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/navigation/BYDLS-TheSpoonTheory.pdf

The main webpage also has lots of useful stuff, including a discussion board.

Sorry to go OT, but I thought that could be useful.

Anyway, back to your scheduled programming!

I have my reading for the night now! Thank you much.

 

[Earstou]

There will alway be the stupid guest who runs in crowds, cuts in lines, pushes, and make it difficult for a person to use a stroller, ECV or wheelchair.

With so many people with her you can have someone walk ahead of her in crowds to make a path.

The hint I was given was to have two people (your guards!) walk in front and slightly to the sides. If you have a basket on the ecv, the person on the left side holds onto the basket with their right hand. The person on the right side, holds on with their left hand. This stops people from directly stepping in front of the ecv. They WILL step in front of your guards, but this method gives time to stop before hitting them. (Having your guards directly in front of the ecv puts them in danger of being hit, so make sure they are slightly to the side!) We only used this method in very crowded areas, like Main Street. Worked like a charm, and took a lot of stress off me.

 

[mechurchlady]

OK, so I know this isn't Disney related, as such, and is a bit of a random side-track, but Sue's post just kicked my brain. Has your friend heard of the Spoon Theory? It's a concept from the website But You Don't Look Sick, and has helped me tremendously with handling my disability day by day. She may not be interested, but just in case, here's the link:

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/navigation/BYDLS-TheSpoonTheory.pdf

The main webpage also has lots of useful stuff, including a discussion board.

Sorry to go OT, but I thought that could be useful.

Anyway, back to your scheduled programming!

Great article and I wish my mother could grasp how tiring simple things can be for me. Thank you.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Great article and I wish my mother could grasp how tiring simple things can be for me. Thank you.

I'm sorry your mother is finding it hard to get her head around your illness. Maybe if you show her the spoon theory, it might help to explain it? Good luck getting through to her, and I hope to see you on the BYDLS forums!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Another suggestion for restrooms. If you happen to be near first aid, they also have larger restrooms for transfers and assistance.

Except be careful in Animal Kingdom. I was treated (I felt) oh, not rudely - maybe attitudinally? I know there are bathrooms on the way to the Safari, but I missed one (in Pizzafari) and when I saw First Aid, I headed there. I had to go, i.e. no time to backtrack or search ahead. When I came out of the bathroom, the woman at the registration counter made me sign in(!) and then handed me a list of the companion restrooms throughout the park.

 

[Figaro]

Hi, kaytieeldr!

They always have everyone sign in at First Aid and they usually try to give me a list of the companion restrooms. I explain to them that I generally use the First Aid companion restrooms because the ones in the parks are often filled with parents and children and they have always, always told me that this isn't a problem at the First Aid stations and encourage me to come back anytime I need to use a companion restroom.

I have had wonderful conversations with the nurses there and have never had any problems. They are truly a treasure that Disney World provides and I hope that they always have them available.

 

[dclfun]

Yes, First Aid has everyone sign in. I'm sure it's to see what kinds of issues are bringing guests to First Aid to start with and so the nurses there are accountable for their time, supplies, etc. during the day. Providing you a list of companion restrooms is just a courtesy. Not everyone knows where they are located or that they even exist. I'm sure it wasn't meant to give a message not to go back to First Aid if necessary but First Aid, esp. at AK, can be a long hike when you "gotta go". ---Kathy

 

[Mr._The_King]

Another quick question!! What is it like to navigate the Baby centers in an ECV?

 

[SueM in MN]

Hi, kaytieeldr!

They always have everyone sign in at First Aid and they usually try to give me a list of the companion restrooms. I explain to them that I generally use the First Aid companion restrooms because the ones in the parks are often filled with parents and children and they have always, always told me that this isn't a problem at the First Aid stations and encourage me to come back anytime I need to use a companion restroom.

I have had wonderful conversations with the nurses there and have never had any problems. They are truly a treasure that Disney World provides and I hope that they always have them available.

We have had the same experience. One BIG reason they hand out lists of Companion Restrooms is that a lot of people don´t know about them and assume the one in First Aid is the only one that will be usable.
I usually just explain the same way that Figaro does and they have always said they hear that complaint a lot and to come back any time.

Yes, First Aid has everyone sign in. I'm sure it's to see what kinds of issues are bringing guests to First Aid to start with and so the nurses there are accountable for their time, supplies, etc. during the day. Providing you a list of companion restrooms is just a courtesy. Not everyone knows where they are located or that they even exist. I'm sure it wasn't meant to give a message not to go back to First Aid if necessary but First Aid, esp. at AK, can be a long hike when you "gotta go". ---Kathy

they may have to keep a list for statistical or legal reasons too.
When we have been in a hurry, they have told us to sign on the way out, so that is an option too.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Another quick question!! What is it like to navigate the Baby centers in an ECV?

Having no small children attached, I can't answer from experience, but here are some websites with photos, to give you an idea of size and space (the first one looks the best, but it may help to have a range of pictures):

http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/wdwguide/7_Children/general/baby_care.htm

http://www.explorethemagic.com/disney-world-baby-care-center.asp

http://www.mouseplanet.com/akrock/hello.htm

Hope this helps to start you off!

 

[Mr._The_King]

Just an update. The trip for my friend is over and they had an amazing time! They were even picked to be the grand marshalls in the Thanksgiving parade!! The memories they made were priceless. So much of there good time came from the information given to her from this board. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You guys are true proof that we can take magic from Disney World and store it in our hearts