Can DC be fun in a wheelchair without swimming?

[Disneyqueendenmark]

Hi

My mom and I are planning our first trip to Flordia! We'll be in driving around Orlando area/Central Flordia from 12/20-12/29 and then stay at WDW 12/30-01/06

My grandmother might be joining us, she is 80-years old and due to a lounge disease she can only walk a few steps on her own, so she is in a wheelcair whenever she leaves her home.
My mom and I had planned to go to Discovery Cove, but I'm not so sure if it will be any fun at all for my grandma? She won't be able to do any swimming.

I know it can be VERY difficult to push her around - eventhough I rent the beach-friendly wheelchair, but will she be able to sit at the beach, watching my mom and I swim and be with the dolphins? Will it be too chilly? She is a smoker (yaeh, and she has a severe lounge disease ) will she be able to sit some places in the shadow eating and smoking?? She likes birds REALLY much, so I'm sure she will just LOVE the hand-feeding

Any advices?

($149 is ALOT of money for just sitting around the beach - but she likes to just sit and watch, so maybe she'll be fine?? - or else we'll just skip it! But we're going to SW, so it won't be that much more money for her...)

Any help or advice is appriciated!!

 

[cinderellamom123]

The strollers/wheel chairs they have their that are sand friendly looked awesome. I would see if they were able to go in the water. It would be great if your Mom could go into the water while you were there, especially to see the dolphins. As I recall pretty much everything were zero entry like the ocean (no ladders) Can she walk a little? Or is she unable to walk? If she could walk just a little she may be able to do more than you think. Seeing that you are lighter in water could she wade in freshwater oasis? Grand reef was also zero entry so maybe you could wheel her up to the water there. I would call and ask all these questions. In any case, if she is happy watching I would say go for it. Would try to get there early to stake out a spot. There are many umbrellas.

 

[Disneyqueendenmark]

The strollers/wheel chairs they have their that are sand friendly looked awesome. I would see if they were able to go in the water. It would be great if your Mom could go into the water while you were there, especially to see the dolphins. As I recall pretty much everything were zero entry like the ocean (no ladders) Can she walk a little? Or is she unable to walk? If she could walk just a little she may be able to do more than you think. Seeing that you are lighter in water could she wade in freshwater oasis? Grand reef was also zero entry so maybe you could wheel her up to the water there. I would call and ask all these questions. In any case, if she is happy watching I would say go for it. Would try to get there early to stake out a spot. There are many umbrellas.

Thank you for your great and fast answer
She can walk a little, but I'm not sure if she will be able to actually be in water.... She hasn't been in the ocean for many years!! But if she decide to come along I will diffenetly ask her and if the water is warm some of the places she might be able to be in the water...

Do you know anything about the smoking policy at DC? As I understand there is some designated areas, but I would really like to know where the areas are! Is there some places at the beach?

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[cinderellamom123]

I really can't remember where the smoking areas were. Thank you for smoking there tough. My kids are pretty sensitive so I appreciate when smokers stick to the areas. The lazy river and freshwater oasis are both warm and I believe are kept over 80 degrees. Freshwater oasis is very calm and level. THey have vests, and noodles to help people float. That would be the easiest. The lazy river is long and the depth of it varies, I would go around and check it out first. It takes about 20 minutes to get around and that is if you are kicking etc. There are a lot of drop offs where the water level changes, they have signs but sometime you miss them. I would go slightly ahead of her. There are several exits and entrances so maybe you if she tried it out you could move her chair to the first exit in case she didn't like it. Grand reef is colder but is zero entry. If the chair could go in the water she could see the fish and rays, they do come into the very shallow water. Try to get there are the ray feeding, That is cool.