Disney in August with RA--any tips?

[2littleprincesses]

We are going to our first trip to Disney in late August and I have rheumatoid arthritis. Looking for tips on shoes (would love to wear comfy sandals along with my tennis shoes), bags, anything else helpful. I am on Enbrel so will have to bring a cooler on the plane with the meds.

thanks for any tips!!!!

 

[Mrsjvb]

wheelchair. seriously. I couldn't even get through a half day of AK. you can rent on site for $8/day when you purchase a multi day pass..and you can choose how many days to buy..or you can rent off site. the on site chairs can ONLY be used inside that particular park. if you park hop you can get another chair at the second park if available using the same day's pass.

Or an ECV. those are more expensive and can run out faster, so most advocate going off site to rent. I cannot operate one because of my RA so get to be pushed around all day by my husband.

the walk from the bus drop off point to the park entrances are enough to put me out of commission for the day. its been said the average person walks 8 miles a day in each park.

I can only wear shoes from the Walking Company and a pair of Easy Spirit clogs(feet are deformed)

I'm on Humira.. so I need the same refrigeration and I am looking at scheduling my injection around the cruise and resort stay in September.. not sure if my Doctor will go for that.

we always bring a Camel back. it gets hung across the back of the WC big enough to hold a light sweater for me( cannot deal with the A/c indoors at ALL), an umbrella and extra anti inflammatory meds. and any pressies he buys me.

 

[toodycat]

The most comfortable shoes I know of are Mephistos, if price is no object. Otherwise, Teva and Merrell both make great, supportive sandals. I have all sorts of foot issues and have shopped around. Those are my three favorites.

 

[ireland_nicole]

I'm a crocs fan, they're the only shoes that I can actually walk in after a while without total agony in my ankles. I also use an ECV, but I try to walk a little when I can, and my husband rides to keep the ECV with me. I find that the heat actually helps me a bit; although I agree keeping hydrated is super important. We also find it helpful to have a TS meal for lunch, so I can rest and then we usually are in bed by 9. Not very interesting, but at least I can make it through the week with a smile on my face!

Where are you staying? If a moderate or deluxe, you'll have a fridge, although I would advise leaving the cabinet door open, it seems the fridges work better that way (not the fridge door, just the cabinet it sits in iykwim) If a value, be sure to let SR know you need a fridge for medical reasons.

 

[2littleprincesses]

I usually do pretty well. Right now I am having a little flare so I just live in my tennis shoes. Can't even have bare feet or stocking feet. I will check into the tevas and crocs. Thanks for the advice. We are just going to take it easy and see what my dds want to see as well. They are not go, go, go type kids and like (need) to be in bed at a reasonable hour. We plan on going back to ASMu for a break every day.

 

[sharadoc]

Wow, we could have an RA meet in August!

I wear nothing but Crocs. They have made me able to go grocery shopping or to the mall, when I couldn't do those things for years. Maybe you could try them now and see how you like them. Do you have an outlet mall near you? If so, they may have a Crocs outlet and you can get them for $5, or at least try a few different types on in the store. Disney Crocs are on clearance at the Crocs website now. I have red and black, and have ordered pink for my summer trip!

As far as walking vs. ECV, I found that Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios were doable, but Epcot was really difficult. Animal Kingdom would be tough too, but we only went twice for short visits, so we didn't cover the whole park.

I haven't decided what to do for the August trip - rent an offsite ECV or just get one at Epcot. In the walking parks, I do stop and rest often and I get cortison shots right before the trip.

Keep in touch. There's plenty of us with RA and we can help each with our planning!