GAC with CP, no wheelchair Question

[aVASTGrl]

I'm thinking about taking a solo trip to WDW this summer or fall and have a GAC question that I couldn't find an answer for, so I'm hoping somebody here might be able to help. I have mild cerebral palsy that affects my right arm & leg. I have trouble standing still in lines for extended amounts of time because my right leg gets severely fatigued. According to the GAC FAQ, the standard Disney response would be to suggest I use a wheelchair or ECV. I don't use either of those in my life, and I wouldn't be able to even if I wanted to. Since I can't use my right hand, I'd just be wheeling myself around in a circle! I suppose it depends on the CM I end up talking to, but do you think I would qualify for a GAC at all, or should I not even bother?

 

[livndisney]

I'm thinking about taking a solo trip to WDW this summer or fall and have a GAC question that I couldn't find an answer for, so I'm hoping somebody here might be able to help. I have mild cerebral palsy that affects my right arm & leg. I have trouble standing still in lines for extended amounts of time because my right leg gets severely fatigued. According to the GAC FAQ, the standard Disney response would be to suggest I use a wheelchair or ECV. I don't use either of those in my life, and I wouldn't be able to even if I wanted to. Since I can't use my right hand, I'd just be wheeling myself around in a circle! I suppose it depends on the CM I end up talking to, but do you think I would qualify for a GAC at all, or should I not even bother?

What do you want the Gac to do for you?

 

[A Mickeyfan]

it will not get you out of waiting on a line if that is what you thought they were for... If you cannot stand for long periods of time, you will have basically no choice but to rent a wheelchair for Disney. That is the only thing I can suggest. There is no seating on the line cues. If you rented an ECV, then you would not have to worry about going in circles. Are you going alone? If not, than maybe whom ever you are going with can help you, if not, then rent the ECV.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

If being able to sit when needing to stand and wait in a line is enough and that sitting does not need to be very supported; look into using a rollator. Simply put it's a walker on wheels with a seat on it. It's a mobility aid that is allowed into lines (and park) unlike stuff like fold up seats and what not.

As far as an ECV goes; they are very well safely usable with only one limb. For rentals it's more difficult to find one for those that one limb would happen to be a leg, but with you having full use of your left arm there is no technical inability to use a rental ECV. It is very doable to operate an ECV with using only one functional (enough) arm. Back in the day -here grandma speak at a mere 32 - when I still walked some I already dealt with never knowing from one minute to the next whether I've got 1, 2, 3 or 4 limbs I can functionally use at the moment. Never was any problem at all as long as both arms wouldn't fall out, especially with ECV's where the norm tends to be to have the tilt usable from both left and right. Same with my manual chair (however a technique that is not really usable for WDW park distances, esp. when not trained) and with my powerchair. Unlike driving a car with one arm and having a problem with shifting gears, with the ECV it is possible to both give power and steer with the same hand/arm.

If never done this before; go to a local walmart or alike and do some training. Bonus will be that those are bigger and for what I've seen 4-wheeled which means they are actually more difficult to smoothly move around on one arm. When renting a 3wheeler with proper speed and turning radius that turning will be a lot easier on that one.

Might or might not be your prefered option (I think personally I'ld go with the walker seeing how it's more flexible in mobility and apparently there is no walking limitation, even at the miles and miles you'll do at WDW?), but keep it in the back of your mind as it can be an option that is first preference in other situations.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Besides lines for rides, there can and will be other situations where you are faced with waiting and standing. Situations like the bus stop, lines in a QS, parades, standing still waiting around for a crowd to start moving on a busy Main Street, waiting in line for a caracter meet etc. etc.

Not only is a GAC a very poor option for "not being able to stand and wait" in ride lines due to the simple fact that most of the times there are no facilities like a bench to sit on and/or easily move to the front of the line when it's your turn after waiting, as you have been able to read it's also not policy to deal with this with a GAC. Rightfully so IMHO, seeing how there are all kinds of options to navigate this so one becomes able to wait in line. Yet, let's totally assume the other way round; there is a magical GAC that will take care of the lines at rides. Peachy, but that still leaves you with a big problem at all those other standing waits where a GAC has no influence what so ever.

Making sure you have tackled this yourself would make you much more independable and seriously reduces the risk of running into a situation that is overdoing it or close to it. Having for instance a rollator at hand would result in having a solution on hands where ever when ever it comes up as an issue. Always more reliable also then whenever you need "others" to help out. Others are never 100% predictable, including CM's, WDW and GAC-use. Whenever possible I'm a huge advocate for taking control yourself and keeping it there as it is the safest and most reliable in the end.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

rollator.. that is a good thought