Disability advice

[Live4travel]

I have a family member on peritoneal dialysis and we are still able to travel a lot and take cruises. It does require a bit of advance planning, organization and problem solving but it is certainly doable! The key is pacing yourself. Do not expect to be able to do a marathon day and every single ride but you can still manage quite a bit. We always plan to do attractions where we can rest (like Hall of Presidents or Carousel of Progress) in-between rides that entail waiting on line. Definitely make reservations at a sit-down table service restaurant for lunch and dinner so you can take air-conditioned breaks. Elevate your legs on a chair there if they are getting swollen. Stay hydrated. You can ask for free cups of ice water at any stand that sells fountain beverages. Realize is still a long walk from the handicapped lots to the park entrances and if you go to the Magic Kingdom you will need to go to the transportation and ticket center first. Bring a spare clamp with you just in case. Use extra tape on the port as you will sweat. If the tape comes loose you can get some at first aid. As an FYI, we find Universal to be more handicap friendly as there are lots more shaded places to rest and they have a people-mover sidewalk to get to the entrance from the parking lot. The biggest issue with traveling is working around your PD schedule. You need to be mindful of when you must begin your treatment in the evening in terms of what you have planned to do the following morning. Are you staying overnight somewhere? I have a bunch of tips for staying at hotels with peritoneal dialysis.

 

[Live4travel]

Also, be aware of rides that have automatic lap bars or seat belts that can put pressure on your port which would not be good. A lot of the family-friendly rides like Little Mermaid have bars that come down gently which you can "block" a little as they get close. My family member with PD avoids large roller coasters, very jerky rides and rides that can get the port wet like splash mountain. Be sure to check with your doctor and PD nurse about your particular restrictions. That being said, my family member has been able to do test track (that has a seat belt), BTMR (was not a problem but not sure if that was wise though) , Pandora (don't lean all the way forward), and gentler rides like Peter Pan, Frozen, Soarin, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, etc.