DisneyWorld with a cane??

[Willow1213]

My boyfriend and I will be touring Disney for 6 days in May. he is using a cane right now because of problems with his knee. He is an otherwise healthy 22 year old and refuses to use a wheelchair while we are there.

My main question is, how "friendly" are the ride lines going to be for him? He needs to avoid stairs at any cost, are there many attractions that have them? Would a GAC be helpful in this situation?

We are planning to take the leisurly route and stopping frequently for rest and breaks. I know after a few days (or hours) he will be hurting, but toughing it out. I am trying to convince him ahead of time to get a wheelchair, but he is only 22 and doesn't want people to treat him differently like some people have said they are treated when in a wheelchair.

Any adivce would be great. Thanks!
~Abby

 

[Mrsjvb]

Please. I have been in and out of wheelchairs since I was 5. It's not a big deal. if he really needs it he shouldn't feel ashamed. ask him if he'd rather be miserable but ambulatory or be able to ENJOY the parks becuase he isn't in agony( I lasted half a day before admitting defeat). I get treated the same whether I am limping along at my own pace or being pushed around by my spousal unit.

several rides do have stairs at some point, and I am unsure if a GAC will allow him to bypass those sections(although it would seem to be something that shouldn't be an issue..he can just be diverted through the wheelchair entry point)

 

[ireland_nicole]

If I remember correctly, SueM addressed this issue(no stairs) in a past post, but of course I can't find it right now. I believe that there is a GAC stamp for being unable to use stairs. It would route you through the w/c line in the few lines that involve stairs (splash mountain is the one that comes to mind.) It won't save you time, but will work for not needing to go up/down stairs. However, know that some rides will require stepping down into the vehicle-Splash Mtn, IASW,POTC,The land, etc. And there's no way around that, so be sure he can do that before waiting in that queue, I'd hate to see you waste valuable time and effort.
Nicole
By the way, I'm only 35, but require a scooter b/c my husband is busy pushing the kids in a stroller-talk about uncool! But its totally worth it to get through the day without making myself and my family miserable, or missing something important.

 

[Storm632]

If he insists on the cane, there are folding ones. These will fold together to about 12 inches. I found one that came with a case that hooks onto a belt. If the cane needs to be out of the way for a ride, this might be a possibility.

 

[mrmagicmph]

Please feel free to share this with your boyfriend:

I'm 39, I've been certified as a paramedic now for about 13 yrs & have been involved in Emergency Medical Services for 20 years now. On my wife & my last 2 trips (October 2006 & October 2007), I was needing to use a cane. Not just a cane, but I was smart enough to realize that I really needed to rent an ECV. I did so, complete with the cane attachment on the back so that I could hook my cane up to it to make things easier.

Did I get any looks? Who knows?... more importantly, who cares! You're at Disney, you're doing what you have to do to have fun & be able to enjoy yourself, & you're not doing anything foolish that's going to make your condition worse.

Simply put, at WDW you'll do A LOT more walking that you'd normally do in your day to day life (keep in mind how HUGE it is just around Epcot's World Showcase, I believe 1.2 miles). You want to enjoy your 6 days there, not be killing your bad knee even worse so that you have to sit out enjoying yourself, right?

If you do decide to rent, I recommend renting from one of the offsite companies listed in the FAQs here on the disABILITIES! forum. They've all been used by several Dis'ers and are known to be good quality.

Most importantly, Enjoy the Magic!

 

[KPeveler]

i turned 23 IN the magic kingdom last year (2007) and i was using a wheelchair at the time (which is not a normal, day-to-day thing for me - most days i use a cane)... think about a scooter, so he will be independent. can he walk 6-8 miles a day? that is about how much you will walk in disney

 

[Willow1213]

I'm trying to convince him to use a wheelchair. At least I know that it's something we can get at the park if the situation arises and he needs it. He is on pain meds that help a lot, so thats good. He can handle a stair or two (like to get in and out of ride vehicles) but could not handle a whole flight of them! The rides that get my attention here are Splash Mtn and BTMRR. I specifically remember them having lots of stairs. Can anyone think of any other specific rides? I just want to be prepared. Thanks!
~Abby

 

[KPeveler]

with a scooter he wont be dependant on people pushing him (unless he is used to a wheelchair every day, he cant push himself around in the parks - those rental chairs are HEAVY)... i am a daily cane user, as young as he is, and i think i get less stares when i use my wheelchair as opposed to my cane.

 

[LauraVV]

My boyfriend and I will be touring Disney for 6 days in May. he is using a cane right now because of problems with his knee. He is an otherwise healthy 22 year old and refuses to use a wheelchair while we are there.

My main question is, how "friendly" are the ride lines going to be for him? He needs to avoid stairs at any cost, are there many attractions that have them? Would a GAC be helpful in this situation?

My 19 year old son refused to use an EVC when we went in January. Because of this he had to go back to the room every couple of hours to rest. There is a lot of walking. I purchased an EVC before our trip. Stairs are not a big deal but the walking is torture! And Disney in May is HOT!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Please ask him the following questions. Here are the suggested answers to go with them.

1. Are you disabled (even temporarily)? Yes.

2. Do the people you are traveling with, such as your family, know you are disabled? Yes.

3. Do you expect to meet anyone you know during this trip who may not know you are disabled. Probably No!

4. Do you expect to meet a bunch of people who you will probably never meet again in your life? Probably yes!

5. Is there any reason at all that you should care what these people think about you? Absolutely No!!

6. Will using a wheelchair or ECV make for a better vacation for you and your family? Absolutely YES!