Hairline Fracture

[Pooh67_68]

My sister has a hairline fracture on her right foot. She will be getting a light cast/walking boot on Mon, and we leave for Disney on the 13th.
What rides won't she be able to do? Should we rent a wheelchair?

 

[InstImpres]

I would strongly recommend a motoried scooter. You can rent them from an offsite place and have it waiting at your resort. I went a few years ago with phenumonia (good thing my Doc is a big Disney fan) and was supposed to use a wheelchair. The wheelchair was a pain a few hours into the day. We than rented a scooter but that didn't help getting around the resort and to the park, also when we switched parks, they were usually all rented. It was cheaper and easier to have one delivered on day 3.

A moderator will probably switch you to the disabilities board for more tips on what to ride, I would avoid any thrill rides personally (TOT, etc.) too much motion.

I am sure you'll have a great time anyhow.

Enjoy
Sandy

 

[katerkat]

Ouch! Is she getting crutches? That's not really enough time to get used to crutches. I went on a cruise during the light cast/switching off crutches phase, and it was a pain. It's hard to walk far on crutches - I had to give up in Nassau and go back to the ship - but it's also difficult to walk on the fractured foot for any length of time!

I would get a wheelchair. And she can ride any of the rides, I would think.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Pooh67_68
My sister has a hairline fracture on her right foot. She will be getting a light cast/walking boot on Mon, and we leave for Disney on the 13th.
What rides won't she be able to do? Should we rent a wheelchair?

I would get a wheelchair and if you are staying onsite, you may be able to get one without charge at your resort.
As to what she can and cannot ride, I believe the best bet would be to ask her doctor.

 

[Pooh67_68]

Thank you all for your advice. I did post this on the disAbilities board, but didn't get any response by the time I posted here.

Thanks again Heidi

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's a link to the thread the OP posted on the disABILITIES Board with several answers.
If your sister is under 18, renting an ecv is not an option. Those are only rented for use by people over 18.

As Gail posted, your doctor might have some advice about rides not to go on. Disney won't prevent you from going on any, so it's up to you. The park maps do have a warning icon that indicates which rides are not recomended for people with neck or back injuries - I know that doesn't apply to you, but it is an indication of which rides are sort of "rough". Also, you can stop in Guest Se4rvices at any of the parks (or possibly at a WDW resort, although we've found they are often out of them) and get a Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. There is one for each park. They don't go into a lot of depth, but they do give an idea about whether a ride is a gentle boat ride or a turbulent thrill ride.

The rides I would be especially cautious with would be ones where you have to step down into a boat or over a large threshold to board.
Pirates has about a 6 to 8 inch step down to the seat of the boat and then you need to make another long step (about 12 inches to get your feet from the seat to the foot area). That is hard with only one good foot. The Maelstrom boat in Norway at Epcot is similar.
Small World and the rdie in Mexico have similar boats, but they also have a ramped wheelchair boat. People can stay in the wheelchair and be driven onto the boat or you can ask to use the ramp so that you can enter and exit easier if you are not staying in the wheelchair.
Splash Mountain is another boat with 2 steps to board, but the high seat backs make it kind of tight.
Peter Pan is does not have a difficult ride car to get into, but the moving walkway on Peter Pan can't be stopped for loading, so it is hard to get on and off unless you are quick. (I put a link in my response on the disABILTIES Board about ride loading).

 

[Jestocost]

Ouch! I would say it depends on how much pain she's in. I was surprised at the number of people I saw with walking casts not using wheelchairs or motorized scooters. If I wasn't in pain walking, a wheelchair or a scooter would be more of a hassle for me (although they will let you into some of the rides without waiting!) and I'd avoid it.

 

[ToddBreakey]

I just went through the whole hard boot thing and I can tell you that she will DEFINATEY want a wheel chair or an ECV. I couldn't go more than about 1 hour on my crutches after using them for a month. Before that I was able to go only about 30 minutes before I had to sit down and rest for a while. She would be miserable without a chair of some kind. As far as rides are concerned, I don't see where there would be a limitation. As long as she can transfer from the chair to the ride, she should have no problem. An added plus, you won't all have to wait in the queue I don't think.

 

[SueM in MN]

(although they will let you into some of the rides without waiting!)

An added plus, you won't all have to wait in the queue I don't think.

People commonly believe this, but in actual fact, most lines at WDW are what is called "Mainstream Access", which means that the lines are wheelchair/ecv accessible and people in wheelchairs and/or ecvs wait in the same queue with everyone else.
AK and the Studio were built with accessibility in mind and all the lines for attractions are Mainstream. Epcot and MK have been updated to Mainstream Access as much as possibly when new rides were added or old rides were updated. In some cases, wheelchair users board at the exit so that their wheelchair or ecv will be at the exit waiting for them when they get off. For most of those rides, you wait in the regular line until just before everyone else is boarding and at that point, wheelchair users are directed to the exit.

 

[CALaurieA]

I had a fracture of my fifth meta tarsal (Sp?) basically a bone in my foot I had a walking cast put on the day before I took 50 fourth grade kids on an overnight trip aboard a tall sailing ship. I was exhausted and I really didn't have to walk very far. Then two weeks later my family and I traveled to Alaska for a 10 day trip. Other than having to wrap it in a plastic trash bag for a river raft trip, I was okay.
She will appreciate a wheel chair more than just the break from walking. She will find that she will need to elevate her foot several times a day to prevent swelling.
If she is flying in, she will need to be careful about getting an aisle seat on the plane so she can move it or slightly elevate it at times. Better yet, if she gets lucky enough to have an empty seat next to her she can prop up her foot on the other seat. Also, if you have to make any quick connections, the airline can arrange to have a wheelchair at your gate to help you get to the next plane on time.