DW with a broken arm

[luvtovisitthemouse]

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So.......We are heading to DW in just over 3 weeks. Today our 8yr old broke his arm For now he is in a full arm cast (up to his shoulder) it is possible for it to be reduced to a short arm (below the elbow) by the time we go. Obviously we are hoping for that to happen!!

I called DW to find out about possible ride restrictions. They told me that DW would not limit his activities, that it would be up to our discretion on what he is capable of doing.

We visited a non-Disney theme park a couple yrs ago when another family member had a cast and they would not allow him to ride any rides.

I am afraid that there will be surprise restrictions once we get there! I certainly don't want to have a broken hearted little boy. Has anyone dealt with a situation like this that can give me some peace of mind and maybe some tips on they handled the situation?

 

[Debi]

Although I have no firsthand experience visiting WDW with an injury, I can tell you that there are no restrictions for people with broken arms. Use your best judgement in regards to what your DS can/can't do. For example, the Tomorrowland Speedway (race cars) might be difficult, but he should have no problems on Spaceship Earth, etc. Know ahead of time whether he has the strength/ability to hold on to safety bars (for example, on Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad).

Most of all, enjoy your vacation!!

 

[SueM in MN]

The person you talked with is correct.
They put the warnings out and it is up to you to decide whether or not the warning applies to you. The CMs would only stop you from riding if they thought it would be a serious safety problem. I'd suggest bringing a sling, even if he has the shorter cast by the time you go. That will help support the arm (casts can get heavy) and also help keep the arm contained a little more while he is riding. Of course, also talk to the doctor about any restrictions/suggestions.

You can look at the park maps for the attractions with warnings - they are marked with a red triangle on the map and also on a sign at the entrance to the queue. For these attractions, you can warn your child ahead of time that these ones might not be good to ride. Then talk with the CM at the entrance before getting into the queue. I'm going to give a little description of the different attractions and what about causes the warning.

For Epcot here are the attractions with warnings:

• Mission Space - both the Green (more tame version) and the Orange version do jerk you around some. Most of the motion is front to back. The Orange version has a centrifuge in addition that spins you around, simulating G forces.
• Test Track - has some sudden stops and some swerving to avoid obstacles, along with fast driving on steeply banked 'road'. Not a whole lot different that driving on the highway at highway speeds

For Magic Kingdom:

• Splash Mountain - several drops, including one big one. The drops are straight and there are no sudden changes in direction
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - runaway mine train roller coaster; nothing much more to say except it is going fast on some curvy tracks. There are some fairly fast changes in direction, but since it's on a track, the changes are not that sharp.
• Tomorrowland Indy Speedway - the main concern is being hit from behind by other drivers, which causes a pretty big forward jolt
• Space Mountain - roller coaster, fairly smooth

For Disney Studio

• Star Tours - bumpy simulated trip in outer space. Does jostle you back and forth and side to side.
• Rock N Roller Coaster - fairly smooth, but does go upside down. This is one the CMs might recommend he not ride.
• Tower of Terror - goes straight up and straight down. The number of times it goes is variable (and is a surprise on each ride). During the 'up' portion, you can feel like you are floating and the 'down' portion may jolt his cast as you get to the bottom.

For Animal Kingdom:

• Kilimanjaro Safari - bumpy, similar to travel on rough, gravel roads. Some portions are fast.
• Kali River Rapids - this is a water ride in a raft with seats. It turns as it floats in the water. There is nothing really jarring about the ride, but you could get anything from just a little wet to soaked to the bone.
• Expedition Everest - a fast roller coaster, but fairly smooth
• Primeval Whirl - This is like combining a roller coaster with the teacups. It goes up and down, but also twirls around unexpectedly. It can be very rough and hard to keep yourself in postition, even with 2 hands to hold on with.
• Dinosaur - this is quite rough with sudden changes in direction, forward and backwards, side to side.

You could also try seeing if you can get a better idea about some of these attractions by looking at videos on youtube.com
one 'problem' is that some of them are kind of dark, so you may not be able to see much in the videos. If there are some you are not sure of after you get there, you can send one member of you party on the ride to get an idea of just how rough it is. The CMs may allow you to do sort of a 'child swap' with the rides you are testing so that you don't have to wait in line again if it will be oK.

Also, you didn't mention how tall your 8yr old is, but some attractions also have height requirements. Here's a link to the DIS Site's height calculator.

 

[debster812]

I have no advice for you with regards to rides, etc at WDW, but I do have some advice with regards to an 8 year old boy with an arm cast. Two words for you:

WATERPROOF CAST. I imagine the full cast will be coming off so they can re-Xray it, and then they will either put the short cast on, or re-cast it as is.

DS broke his arm 3 years ago when he jumped off a very high swing, and did NOT stick the landing

He got this super cool waterproof cast. They pre-wrapped it with this stuff that is like the Tyvek house wrap moisture barrier, and then got the colored, waterproof fiberglass cast. (he got bright Blue).

We had to pay an extre $25 out of pocket, and I would have paid $100. He could shower, bathe, swim, etc with no worries whatsoever. It was worth every penny. Definitely check with your ortho to see if this is an option. That way if there are some favorite rides he can't go on, he can at least hit the pool.

 

[Praise2Him]

We went 2 weeks after DD broke her arm (full cast) a few years ago and there was nothing that she couldn't ride at WDW.

The only thing she couldn't ride was Dueling Dragons at Universal Islands of Adventure.

If you don't get the waterproof cast, just use a poncho on Splash Mtn. & Kali River Rapids to cover it up.

One good thing - the characters will sign his cast!

 

[snyderla]

Sounds like you've gotten some good advice. You're question took me back 33 years to June of 1975 when we took our first trip to WDW. My sister had broken her arm a few weeks before our trip. I don't recall her missing out on any of the rides. After WDW we took a side trip to Cocoa Beach and since it was nearly time for the cast to come off anyway, my mom used pliers and a screw driver and removed the cast herself so my sister could swim in the ocean with us. She didn't have a waterproof cast!

 

[K9pal]

Last June our little 5yo grandson broke his arm when he fell off a trampoline THE NIGHT BEFORE we left for Disney!! He was in a cast just below his elbow, and a removable sling. Thankfully, it didn't stop the little guy from doing anything he wanted, we just used our good judgment. The CM's never said anything to us or to him, other than "what did you do to your arm?"
Keep in mind that if you're flying, he'll get pulled out to be scanned at security. No big deal, just be prepared for that.

Have fun - our trip was pretty near perfect despite a really rough start!

 

[sndfan]

Last year, my DS broke his arm 3 days before we left. I also LOVE THE WORDS:

WATERPROOF CAST!!!!!

We had his arm casted on Monday afternoon, and Wednesday afternoon he was going down the slide at POFQ pool. I just told him to tuck his arm under his other armpit so it wouldn't fly up and hit him in the face.

We were sharing a room with my parents, so DS and I shared a bed. I can't tell you the number of times I was bonked on the head with that thing in the middle of the night, but it was worth it.

It cost me $25 out of pocket, but I would have happily paid 10 times that.

Please keep in mind that you want to bring a sling...my DS was ok without it for long portions of the day, but at times, especially in the evening, he needed the sling.

There were no restrictions at all put on him regarding rides. Just remember, you may want him to be able hold onto a support bar.

Have fun!

 

[Samantha/NC]

my dd just got out of her long arm cast and she had to wear it the entire time-we thought she would get a short arm cast mid-way, but she did not.
She wore it from May 8th to June 9th--and yeah it was kinda nasty!!
They even x-rayed her arm through the cast, and felt that she should stay in the long arm cast for another week--I just thought for sure she was going to get out of it!
I have never heard of the water-proof cast--that sounds so coooool

 

[abcboys]

I'm going to second and third the WATERPROOF CAST. My 2 year old broke his leg last summer and got a waterproof cast and it was WONDERFUL!! He could play outside and get dirty and I could throw him in the tub like normal. Even when they cut it off it was not dirty or grody inside at all.