Disneyland

[HaleyB]

So in classic fashion my DH has injured his foot right before a Disney trip. This time it is bad enough to impare his ability to walk/stand for more than a few minutes at a time. The poditrist told him "stay off of it."

In typical man fashion he swears he will be fine in a week... sure.

So in the event he is not, what do we do? I *think* I might be able to get him to use a wheel chair (yep, it is that bad. He only gave me a look when I mentioned it, he did not refuse).

Will a wheelchair+Christmas crowds=a nightmare? He has zero experience with one. Is an ECV easier or harder to manage?

We are pretty good at using the fastpass system, but I am worried that some fastpass lines might even be an issue. Is there any assistance for non-fastpass rides like a place he can wait/sit while we wait in line and then join up with us?

Should I post this on the Disneyland board?

Disney has been so great with life threatening food allergies, I am hopeful they are just as good on this front.

 

[KPeveler]

First of all - He will not be able to push a wheelchair himself, so unless you plan on pushing him all day (very hard!) you will definitely want to think about an ECV.

With XMas crowds, it may well be too crowded to be able to easily rent one at the parks, but you can rent them from off site. All ART transport is accessible if you are not staying in a disney hotel.

Yes, maneuvering with crowds is difficult, but if he has a lot of patience he will do fine.

You may want to look at the list of FP rides for DL and then see how many of those are mainstreamed. For example, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and BTMRR, and Space are ALL Fastpass rides, but NONE Of those lines are mainstreamed. This means that you will be waiting with other wheelchairs and scooters (and people with a GAC who have trouble walking) whether or not you have a fastpass. Most rides can only have 1 wheelchair on at a time, some of the bigger ones can have up to 3 wheelchairs (or people with mobility needs) at a time. This means it does not matter if you have a FP or what the standby time is - you wait with the other wheelchairs until it is your turn.

(DCA is different since it is newer - most everything there is mainstreamed)

There really is no good way for a person to wait elsewhere and then join you - DL is even more crowded in the loading areas than WDW!

I don't know if you have done DL or WDW in the past, but they really are pretty different when it comes to accessibility.

My suggestion is to first decide what kind of mobility device is needed (assume that he will not be able to sit separately from you - you will be waiting in lines), and THEN I can give good advice on how to tour the parks!

 

[uncle duck]

I agree with KPeveler
did wdw and dlr with foot injuries. used ecv both times.
rent one from local rental shop. have it delivered to your motel. usually cheaper and you will be much happier not pushing him around the park.
www.scootaround.com is one place. there are more.
if you plan on park hopping in the same day you can not take a disney vehical to cal. adv and vice verse. so having an outside rental takes care of that problem too.
Good luck and have lots of fun.

 

[KPeveler]

I agree with KPeveler
did wdw and dlr with foot injuries. used ecv both times.
rent one from local rental shop. have it delivered to your motel. usually cheaper and you will be much happier not pushing him around the park.
www.scootaround.com is one place. there are more.
if you plan on park hopping in the same day you can not take a disney vehical to cal. adv and vice verse. so having an outside rental takes care of that problem too.
Good luck and have lots of fun.

Actually now you CAN take a disney scooter between the parks - there is now one rental place outside the turnstiles for the parks where the Kennel used to be.

 

[uncle duck]

thank you. this is good to know. I may have to use one part time in april.
Merry christmas. Don

 

[don.mickey]

disney land is nothing compared to disney world! I'm so happy I live on the east coast!

 

[KPeveler]

disney land is nothing compared to disney world! I'm so happy I live on the east coast!

Ok, not entirely certain where this is coming from... the two are so different they are barely comparable, but I don't get what this has to do with the topic at hand?

 

[toocherie]

Having been to Disneyland on busy days in an ECV more than I can count (it's my "home" park and I love it), I would just tell the OP to slow down and take it easy. I would make a list of your "must do's" in order of priority. Make efficient use of fastpass and remember that many rides are mainstreamed and the ECV can go all the way in the ride (especially in DCA--not so prevalent in Disneyland proper). It will be hard maneuvering in the crowds. Take a deep breath and keep the ECV on "turtle speed"==especially if DH has never driven one before.

Where are you staying? There is a Scooter Village right across from the park on Harbor that I usually rent from. (they also go under the name OC Medical) They have been great and it is much less expensive to rent off-site than at the parks--plus you can use it if you are walking back and forth from the parks. They can deliver to your hotel too. (all scooter companies do, I believe).

Can DH walk short distances? In some cases he may want to park the ECV outside the ride and walk the queue--it will be easier than maneuvering in tight areas.

If you have any other questions let me know!

 

[HaleyB]

Having been to Disneyland on busy days in an ECV more than I can count (it's my "home" park and I love it), I would just tell the OP to slow down and take it easy. I would make a list of your "must do's" in order of priority. Make efficient use of fastpass and remember that many rides are mainstreamed and the ECV can go all the way in the ride (especially in DCA--not so prevalent in Disneyland proper). It will be hard maneuvering in the crowds. Take a deep breath and keep the ECV on "turtle speed"==especially if DH has never driven one before.

Where are you staying? There is a Scooter Village right across from the park on Harbor that I usually rent from. (they also go under the name OC Medical) They have been great and it is much less expensive to rent off-site than at the parks--plus you can use it if you are walking back and forth from the parks. They can deliver to your hotel too. (all scooter companies do, I believe).

Can DH walk short distances? In some cases he may want to park the ECV outside the ride and walk the queue--it will be easier than maneuvering in tight areas.

If you have any other questions let me know!

Thank you so much, this is so helpful!
He can walk with a cane, so we can park for Disneyland queues. I am feeling like we will be able to manage pretty well.