Glennbo’s City, Sand, and Savanna PTR - TR Link (pg 73)

[eandesmom]

My mom did a motorized scooter when we went back in 2004. It was an absolute godsend and because it was motorized, no one had to worry about pushing. I know that at least one of the services (Buena Vista I think?) will drop it off and pick it up from your resort. I'd looked into it recently for my BG who's son broke his leg 2 weeks before their President's Week trip.

I really wish my Step FIL would have used one on our 2010 trip but he absolutely refused and it did curtail what they could do.

I've thought about buying the photopass for our Oct Trip but it is SO far away and will likely be a large share that it just doesn't seem to make sense.

 

[tinacaplan]

Yay for more planning! Mobility issues are tough, for sure. My dad won't consider an ECV, nor can he handle crowds anymore, so Disney is, sadly, out for him. I can't believe how much the price of the Photopass CD went up! Yikes. But, then again, how else do you get those great group shots? I also found, back in July, that the PP were often great with little kids and a couple of them calmed Max down at various points. Of course, your kids probably won't be needing that so much.

 

[Poolrat]

0 Judys- You Go Molly!!!!



Great idea on bringing up the mobility issues when it came up. I have also heard of Big Apple scooters.

Sounds like progress is being made.

 

[englishrose47]

It's good that they're ok with the wheel chair option. I know pride can be hard to over come as far as asking for a little help. Plus, the kids can drag race with them.

Are you talking from experience

 

[KatMark]

Glenn, good to hear you got some things settled with Gram and Poppy. I am glad that they are letting you look into wheelchairs for them; I think in the long run it will make a more pleaseant time for them.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I agree that the wheelchairs are a good way to go for Gram and Poppy. Have they used something similar to an ECV before? If so, they could possibly use that, and no one would worry about having to push them. However, they are considerably more expensive, and seem pretty tricky to master.

If they do go with the basic wheelchair route, Disney does have a length-of-stay ticket strip that you can get. Basically, you buy "tickets" for as many days you'd want to use the chair. Every day, they stamp a ticket (they are dated, you can use them in multiple parks, multiple times for each.) This saves a few dollars rather than renting them on a day-by-day basis.

From experience, I can tell you that Animal Kingdom is the ABSOLUTE WORST park for using a wheelchair. Most of the park is hilly (you'd think downhill would be easier, but it's actually hard as well, because you don't want to roll at higher speeds into crowds), and most of the pavement is rugged. It really starts to take a toll on both the pusher and the rider. Plus, since AK is based a lot on the strolling meander walk, it's very hard to get up the inertia to keep rolling along. The other parks are much much much easier, flat ground, wide walkways.

(Sorry, that was a bit long-winded!)

About the Photopass, I thought if you didn't use it as much as you anticipated, you could get a refund within a very short window after (or during) your trip? I could be wrong on this one!

 

[MEK]

Glad that your parents are open to the wheelchair idea. I guess you could bring up the scooter possibility next and see where that goes. Maybe you could even rent one of each!

Logistically I think it works out well that your parents don't want to go to IOA. I'm sure you'd like them to go, but at least you know you can stratgically plot out the quickest route to the forbidden journey!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Wheelchairs sound like a good idea.
Hanging out at the resort will give your parents a nice much needed break, and you'll be able to bang out WWoHP with no problem. You'll be done by early afternoon I'm sure.

 

[glennbo123]

Hello I just came across your PTR and am staring to read it.

Hi and earthfaries! I’m glad that you came across my little slice of the internet and are reading.

It looks fun and I can't wait to read about all your plans!

Well I think it’s fun, but then again I’m biased.

One thing I miss since moving here to the Disney area is the pre-trip planning. It was so much fun to have a WDW vacation on the horizon and plan and dream of the fun.

Of course it's super fun being able to go all the time, but I miss that planning part. Reading PTR's bring back good memories

I definitely enjoy the planning…it gives me something to think about when I should be thinking about other things, but don’t really want to…I’m sure you know what I mean. But it sure would be nice to jut pick up and go on the spur of the moment like it seems you can do.

Now that you live close-by, do you still occasionally stay at a resort or do you just “commute” to the parks?

 

[glennbo123]

Zero Judys!

Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!!!

(Please excuse my speech impediment.)

Time for some updated scores:
Dan - 4 Judy-sighting wins, 3 survey game points
Pat - 4 Judy-sighting wins, 2 survey game points, 1 Bonus Point!
Molly - 3 Judy-sighting wins, 2 survey game points, 1 Bonus Point!
Magdalene - 1 Judy-sighting win, 2 survey game points
Rosie - 2 bonus question win
Cynthia - 1 bonus question win, 2 survey game points, 1 match game point, 2 Bonus Points!
Rob - 2 survey game point
Kelly - 2 survey game points
Mark - 3 survey game points, 3 match game points
Katharina - 2 survey game points
MissLiz - 3 survey game points
Marv - 3 survey game points, 1 match game point, 1 Bonus Point!
Tammie – 2 Bonus Points!
Nory – 2 match game points

 

[glennbo123]

Smart move on the wheelchairs. You want everyone to enjoy themselves and if your parents get worn out too quickly, that would stink! When we went with my 79 year old fil, he was having some health issues and I really, really wanted to rent him something to help. He flat out refused and then nearly passed out in AK! I was so upset because I thought he was going to pass out but we caught him before he hit the ground.

Oh my gosh! Who knows, we might still have an incident like that.

Good call on the Photopass CD. We've only used it once I think since I enjoy using my own camera way too much! I even have a new lens and can't wait to try it out next trip.

Yeah, I’ll still take my camera of course, but it’s nice to have those group shots. I saw a rumor that there might be some improvements coming to Photopass…we’ll see.

So your parentals are staying behind? Perfect for you guys then! Oh, that sounded harsh but it's not what I meant. I recall you saying that you all wanted to tour commando and that would be hard with your parents.

Sounds like plans are shaping up nicely Glenn.

That’s kinda what I wanted to say, but didn’t want to sound too harsh either! We don’t mind hanging back with them for most of it, but for that one day to a park that we’ve never been, we wanted to be able to go as quickly as we could. So it’s working out.

My mom did a motorized scooter when we went back in 2004. It was an absolute godsend and because it was motorized, no one had to worry about pushing. I know that at least one of the services (Buena Vista I think?) will drop it off and pick it up from your resort. I'd looked into it recently for my BG who's son broke his leg 2 weeks before their President's Week trip.

I looked at Apple Scooter and they also do resort drop off and pickup. They do both motorized scooters and wheelchairs. I’m not sure which would allow my parents to feel more “independent” -- the scooter or the chair. I’m thinking that we can get them from place to place and if they feel like walking through a queue, they can. Of course they could do that with either a scooter or a chair. The scooters are so clunky to load on buses though. With a chair we can zip ‘em around and park the chair next to all of the strollers.

I really wish my Step FIL would have used one on our 2010 trip but he absolutely refused and it did curtail what they could do.

I could still see that happening in my scenario, so keep your fingers crossed for us. My Dad’s actually a little more mobile than my Mom at this point, even though, or perhaps thanks to, two knee replacements.

I've thought about buying the photopass for our Oct Trip but it is SO far away and will likely be a large share that it just doesn't seem to make sense.

I know exactly what you mean…I was debating it.

Yay for more planning! Mobility issues are tough, for sure. My dad won't consider an ECV, nor can he handle crowds anymore, so Disney is, sadly, out for him.

Aw, that’s so disappointing.

I can't believe how much the price of the Photopass CD went up! Yikes. But, then again, how else do you get those great group shots? I also found, back in July, that the PP were often great with little kids and a couple of them calmed Max down at various points. Of course, your kids probably won't be needing that so much.

Ha! I’ll keep that in mind if they’re whining or something…call-in a photopass guy.

Yes, the prices are going up significantly…I guess they have to pay for the “John Carter” losses?

0 Judys- You Go Molly!!!!

She was all over it, wasn’t she?

Great idea on bringing up the mobility issues when it came up. I have also heard of Big Apple scooters.

Sounds like progress is being made.

I wasn’t sure how to bring it up, so when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it.

That scooter place is probably the Apple Scooters I was looking at.

Are you talking from experience

I’ll bet she is!

Glenn, good to hear you got some things settled with Gram and Poppy. I am glad that they are letting you look into wheelchairs for them; I think in the long run it will make a more pleaseant time for them.

Thanks. I agree, it’ll make for a much better time. They’ll get to see more things, and hopefully have less aches when the day is done. We’ll still have to see if it happens. Actually, I think it’s inevitable, but the question might be whether they resign to it on the first day or later in the trip.

 

[glennbo123]

I agree that the wheelchairs are a good way to go for Gram and Poppy. Have they used something similar to an ECV before? If so, they could possibly use that, and no one would worry about having to push them. However, they are considerably more expensive, and seem pretty tricky to master.

Thanks for chiming-in Sara! You and Wingnut have some experience in this area.

No, they’ve never used an ECF before. I’m afraid they’d get frustrated with the crowds, trying to drive those around. It might still happen with a wheelchair, but maybe it’ll be me getting frustrated!

If they do go with the basic wheelchair route, Disney does have a length-of-stay ticket strip that you can get. Basically, you buy "tickets" for as many days you'd want to use the chair. Every day, they stamp a ticket (they are dated, you can use them in multiple parks, multiple times for each.) This saves a few dollars rather than renting them on a day-by-day basis.

Thanks for the info.! Is this for the wheelchairs you can get at the parks? So, you would just have it for use at the parks, correct? That may be all right, but I may want to have one for other places too.

From experience, I can tell you that Animal Kingdom is the ABSOLUTE WORST park for using a wheelchair. Most of the park is hilly (you'd think downhill would be easier, but it's actually hard as well, because you don't want to roll at higher speeds into crowds), and most of the pavement is rugged. It really starts to take a toll on both the pusher and the rider. Plus, since AK is based a lot on the strolling meander walk, it's very hard to get up the inertia to keep rolling along. The other parks are much much much easier, flat ground, wide walkways.

Oh yeah, I can believe that. I hadn’t thought about it, but yeah, it has to be. I hadn’t thought about downhill issues either. Guess I’m going to be working up a sweat.

(Sorry, that was a bit long-winded!)

No, that’s good stuff! Thank you!

About the Photopass, I thought if you didn't use it as much as you anticipated, you could get a refund within a very short window after (or during) your trip? I could be wrong on this one!

I haven’t seen that, but it’s possible.

Glad that your parents are open to the wheelchair idea. I guess you could bring up the scooter possibility next and see where that goes. Maybe you could even rent one of each!

Well, the window’s open a crack, but we won’t know for sure how it’s all going to work out until we’re on the trip.

Logistically I think it works out well that your parents don't want to go to IOA. I'm sure you'd like them to go, but at least you know you can stratgically plot out the quickest route to the forbidden journey!

Yep, that’s the benefit. We’ll be able to knock-out what we want to do there, and then head back for our Luau with them in the evening. I think it would have made for a very long day for them.

Wheelchairs sound like a good idea.
Hanging out at the resort will give your parents a nice much needed break, and you'll be able to bang out WWoHP with no problem. You'll be done by early afternoon I'm sure.

I agree, I think it’s for the better. In a way, I’ll envy their time at the resort since our week is so jam-packed with activities.

 

[winkers]

Are you talking from experience

Yes...it's always exhilertating to be hopped up on pain meds while being pushed by a running teenager....right into a little curb and nearly onto my face.

 

[My_Pal_Pluto]

Howdy Glenn ... good to read about the planning that got done with your Mom and Dad there. It's our own family joke that we NEVER get together without the topic somehow ... some way ... veering to Disney discussions. I've even been singled out as "the one to blame" for this phenomenon

I also wanted to offer a quick word on the "wheelchair" issue. One thing experienced with my parents on this topic is "burden" syndrome. Not knowing your parents, I can't speak to their reaction - but my own ended up feeling that they were altering our trip to a degree that made their presence a "burden". In the end, the solution ended up being the rental of an ECV/Scooter. Dad was able to roam about comfortably on his own ... and yet when we did want to be with them, it was easy for him to maneuver. Now, this trip, my mom's decided she's going to do the same.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Thanks for the info.! Is this for the wheelchairs you can get at the parks? So, you would just have it for use at the parks, correct? That may be all right, but I may want to have one for other places too.

Yes, that's only for the parks. In DTD, they are (I believe) $15 or so to rent, plus a refundable $100 deposit. (The deposit thing made me super-uncomfortable leaving it outside of stores and stuff, but everything was fine!)

I'm not sure how the resorts work. If you're needing them for everywhere, you may want to look into an outside company.

 

[glennbo123]

Yes...it's always exhilertating to be hopped up on pain meds while being pushed by a running teenager....right into a little curb and nearly onto my face.

Get it on video and it could be worth some money!

Howdy Glenn ... good to read about the planning that got done with your Mom and Dad there. It's our own family joke that we NEVER get together without the topic somehow ... some way ... veering to Disney discussions. I've even been singled out as "the one to blame" for this phenomenon

You? Really? Well, after your next trip maybe Just Jamie will take the lead in that department.

I also wanted to offer a quick word on the "wheelchair" issue. One thing experienced with my parents on this topic is "burden" syndrome. Not knowing your parents, I can't speak to their reaction - but my own ended up feeling that they were altering our trip to a degree that made their presence a "burden". In the end, the solution ended up being the rental of an ECV/Scooter. Dad was able to roam about comfortably on his own ... and yet when we did want to be with them, it was easy for him to maneuver. Now, this trip, my mom's decided she's going to do the same.

That's a good point. Gee, it's so hard to figure out which would be less...I'm having trouble finding the word....distasteful? Demeaning? Oh joy.

Yes, that's only for the parks. In DTD, they are (I believe) $15 or so to rent, plus a refundable $100 deposit. (The deposit thing made me super-uncomfortable leaving it outside of stores and stuff, but everything was fine!)

I'm not sure how the resorts work. If you're needing them for everywhere, you may want to look into an outside company.

Maybe I'll rack-up the Disney park rental option and the full-week delivered-by-another-company option and run them both by them.

 

[englishrose47]

Yes...it's always exhilertating to be hopped up on pain meds while being pushed by a running teenager....right into a little curb and nearly onto my face.[/QUOTE
I well remmeber the pix !!!!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Yes...it's always exhilertating to be hopped up on pain meds while being pushed by a running teenager....right into a little curb and nearly onto my face.

Ouch! I am visualizing that right now - Maybe with the pain meds, it didn't seem so scarey!

 

[winkers]

Ouch! I am visualizing that right now - Maybe with the pain meds, it didn't seem so scarey!

no...it was still a little scary!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hope the further discussions regarding ECV/scooters go well. We're starting to have the "assisted living" discussions with my FIL, which have the same kind of discomfort.