Disney in a leg brace

[perkinsrose]

DH will be aprox 3/4 weeks out from knee Surg and in a thigh to ankle brace. He is not supposed to bend knee outside of therapy. Im trying to sort out in my mind what attractions will work.

Obviously will sit out space mountain and EE this trip but wondering about others. Like haunted mansion and tsmania---There may be room for extended leg esp.if he rode alone?

Any experience to share greatly appreciated. He will be using wheelchair (offsite rent) most of day, cannot put any weight on one leg right now (maybe some by disneytime) but can use crutches for short distance if necessary.

 

[SueM in MN]

I posted this also on your thread on the Theme Parks board.
Sorry about the unexpected need for a wheelchair and brace.

This is posted on page 3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread and should be helpful to you:

If it is a rigid cast, that is a little different and harder to get into things than full leg brace (braces have at least some flexibility.

Someone who is not able to bend the leg at all might have very few attractions they can ride and may have to settle for show. The wheelchair space In most of the wheelchair accessible ride cars is around 48 inches long.
So, if someone is using a wheelchair and has their leg extended out in front of them, they are likely to be longer than 48 inches.
My DD's personal wheelchair from the tips of her toes to the back of the push handles is almost 40 inches ( and she has little feet). Add a packed backpack, and her wheelchair is about 46 inches. Someone with longer feet or an extended leg might be longer than 48 inches in a wheelchair.
The attractions listed below might have room for someone out of a wheelchair in a regular seat.
Wheelchairs can be brought all the way to the boarding area of most attractions.

Peter Pan and Tomorrowland Transit Authority have moving walkways which can't be slowed or stopped, so would not be accessible to someone with a long leg cast.

Disney used to have a FAQs on their website where they did list the attractions that had more room for a leg cast.
Besides size, you would need to check with the doctor for some - like Tower of Terror. Don't want to risk damage by jostling the leg too much. I removed the things that no longer exist, added the replacement in its place, if the ride car is the same/similar and added some notes about ride cars.

The following attractions have additional space on aisle ways or next to the seating areas and should be able to accommodate a full leg cast. Please speak with a Cast Member at each of these locations for additional information.

Magic Kingdom

• Walt Disney World Railroad (has a wheelchair space in the front car and should fit)
• The Jungle Cruise (has a wheelchair boat and should fit)
• Liberty Belle Riverboat (permanent ramp to get in and open space for parking)
• "it's a small world" (has a wheelchair boat and should fit)
• Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
• Stitch's Great Escape (has wheelchair spots and should fit)
• Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor
• Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
• Tiki Room
• Country Bear Jamboree
• The Diamond Horseshoe Revue
• The Hall of Presidents
• Laugh Floor
• Mickey's Philharmagic
• Winnie the Pooh has a wheelchair car and a wheelchair should fit with a full leg cast.

Epcot

• Ellen's Energy Adventure (Universe of Energy - kind of tight and may not fit)
• 3 Cabelleros (Mexico - wheelchair boat should not be a problem.
• Wonders of China
• The American Adventure
• America Gardens Theater
• Impressions de France
• O Canada!
• Captain EO
• Turtle Talk (The Living Seas with Nemo and Friends - does have a wheelchair car, but it's kind of tight and someone with an extended leg may not fit)
• Attractions at Living Seas
• Living with the Land (The Land)
• Circle of Life movie (The Land)

Disney-MGM Studios

• Star Tours (check with doctor)
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (check with doctor)
• Muppet*Vision 4D
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Lights, Motors, Action
• Sounds Dangerous (probably closing for good)
• American Idol Experience
• Backlot Tour (has wheelchair car and may fit)
• Great Movie Ride (has wheelchair car and may fit. There is a tight turn to get into the wheelchair accessible ride car. There is one ride car the holds more than one wheelchair - someone with a long cast might fit better in that ride car)
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid
• Playhouse Disney, Live on Stage
• The Magic of Disney Animation
• Walt Disney, One Man's Dream

Animal Kingdom

• Kilimanjaro Safaris - wheelchair accessible ride car which is very similar to the Backstage Tour tram. Someone whose wheelchair fits in one should fit in the other)
• Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
• Wildlife Express to Conservation Station
• Conservation Station
• It's Tough to be a Bug
• Safari Village Trails
• Festival of the Lion King
• Maharajah Jungle Trek
• Flights of Wonder
• Nemo, the Musical

For MKSomeone with a long leg cast may not be able to get into Splash Mountain or possibly Pirates because the ride cars are pretty tight. Pirates, possibly is not an easy step in, but might be doable with a long leg cast or brace.
Splash has a high step over the side, so would probably not work.
Haunted Mansion would probably not work - possibly would work in his own ride car.

Buzz Lightyear and Aladdin have wheelchair cars, but both a tight and the regular car does not have much leg room, although someone with a long leg cast might fit in a row by himself, sitting partly sideways.
The Great Goofini just opened and does not look like it would have space.

For Epcot, Mission Space ride car is fairly tight, so he may not fit and would not have the option of a ride car for himself, but maybe it would work if there were less than 4 in the ride car and if OK with his doctor (even green version can move you around).
Spaceship Earth is also fairly tight, although the walk in is flat.
Maelstrom in Norway is about the same to get into as Splash Mountain - tight and high step over the side.

For the Studio, Toy Story Midway Mania has a wheelchair car, but someone may not fit with a long leg cast. My DD's wheelchair is a fairly tight fit.
They may or may not fit if transferring to the regular ride car, but would have to use the accessible boarding area anyway to avoid the stairs in the regular line.

For AK, if he gets the OK from his doctor and has a waterproof cast, a person with a long leg cast may be able to ride Kali River Rpids. It won't be easy in or out, but they have a special boarding area for guests with disabilities where they trap a boat so it stays still. I would not recommend it though - the water in the boat makes things slippery and the chance of getting totally soaked is great.

Expedition Everest is another one to ask the doctor about. The ride car is pretty tight, but there is a practice car guests can try to see if they would fit.
Dinosaur is very rough and fairly tight.

I would highly recommend skipping Primeval Whirl. It is rough and jostles riders around a lot. Without binging able to use the leg, the rider would not be able to brace very well and would be jostled more than usual.

 

[perkinsrose]

Thank you so much. This is very helpful. He was glad to have this info to guide us and we will look back on it while we're there from our phones.Thank u!

 

[littlewitch34]

I was in one of those braces in December/January/part of February after meniscal repair surgery. I was in the leg brace 8 weeks, and started to weight-bear after 3 weeks, still with crutches. I was supposed to switch to weight-bearing with one crutch, which is physically difficult , so I sort of went from weight-bearing with crutches to weight-bearing with no crutches.

It may not happen to him, but it happened to me that I needed to keep my leg propped up for a little while. If it hung off of a seat sometimes my leg and foot would fall asleep. I did not use a wheelchair, though, so I did not prop up my leg in a wheelchair. When I would sit in the backseat of my mother's car, I slid in backwards, using my arms to move me back, from the back-passenger door, with my braced leg on the inside, against the back of the backseat. I sat in restaurant booths like this, too, when booths were available. This position would work well for the Walt Disney Railroad, and other bench-style seating attractions, provided the CMs think it is safe. Note that I did not go to WDW with my leg brace, so these are just thoughts, not verified and attempted suggestions.

Where your DH can ride in a chair, depending on his mobility, he should do so. Transferring in and out of the chair is good for your butt, which falls asleep, sitting on it so long, but is tough, especially when trying to do something like get into/out of a ride, where time might be of the essence. If he can transfer out of the chair to sit in a booth, that might be nice. I liked being able to sit with my family at a restaurant instead of stuck on the end of a table with my leg propped on a chair (though this is an option for a restaurant without booths).

I'd also like to point out that depending on his pain level and discomfort (I had plenty!), Kilimanjaro Safari might be a little bumpy and jarring for your DH.

SueMinMN is a total champ and those suggestions sound pretty legit, so I'd totally go by a lot of that. Avoid Splash Mountain -- it would be too hard to get in/out. Pirates might be tough, too, but if he can weight-bear and you can help your DH, he might be able to.