How far is the monorail from the DLH?

[colbybug]

I have never stayed at the DLH and am considering this. I will have a person in our group who is in need of a hip replacement and minimal walking would be good (I know, I know, Disneyland is not the place for someone like her but I can't convince her of that ) So, I am wondering if it would be better for her to have the Candy Cane shuttle right on property, or how close the monorail would be to the hotel? Any help?

Kathy

 

[disneyluvbug]

I am not sure were the monorail goes rite now, but when my mom goes (she has very bad knee) she rents a motorscooter thing and it helps soooo much! They have them at the front gate. It makes it so she can enjoy the entire day and we can accomplish more..but she does go faster than us in that thing..maybe look into that..I think the monorail still goes to DLH..but not sure..HTH

 

[Amy&Dan]

The monorail is about a 5-7 minute walk from the DLH. There are three towers in that hotel complex, the one (Bonita) is slightly further than the other two. That would be at a slow pace. I agree, a scooter rental can be a good thing. We have rented one several times for my fil who has heart problems, he could not do the parks without one. The Candy Cane Shuttle would drop her off about the same distance from the front gates as the walk to the monorail from the DLH. Be aware that the monorail takes you right into Tomorrowland. If you do decide to rent her a scooter you have to get that at the main entrance. That could be accomplished by walking from monorail station to the train station stop also in Tomorrowland and then riding the train to the main street stop. From there its a very short maybe two minute walk to where you rent the scooters. Another option would be to rent a scooter from an outside agency and she could ride in that down DTD into the parks. You cannot take a scooter on the monorail at Disneyland or the on the railroad. If she wanted to ride those things, you can park the scooter nearby, take the key with you and come back later. My husband several times has been the one to get and take back the scooter and bring it to my fil near where the monorail station is in Tomorrowland. This all sounds complicated but its not! It just takes some teamwork and a bit of time but its worth it to maximize everyone's enjoyment of the parks.

I want to add that we have done Disneyland not only with my disabled father in law but my two elderly parents as well and my mom at the time was still pretty weak from chemo. When we went with them we stayed at the DLH. Taking the monorail into the parks, using the Disneyland Railroad and making use of all the nice benches they have around the park made it fine for her. The scooters are great and for some people like my fil they are a must have. For others who can walk some, they end up being more trouble than they are worth! We opted not to get one for her and she did fine, much better than I thought. Disneyland is a ton of walking and yet with lots of shows, restful areas, and the transporation they provide it can be done pretty painlessly.

 

[godalejunior]

We were there three weeks ago and the monorail is running to and from Tomorrowland (at least at that time it was). We stayed in the Sierra Tower which is closest to the monorail (you can request this given your situation and they may put you there for no additional charge). Once we rode the elevator down to the lobby of the tower, with a five year old in tow, the walk was no more than 5 minutes. We used the monorail everyday we were there and loved it.

 

[pixiedust_in_ak]

Be sure to check the refurbishment schedule. The monorail was not running when we were there in Dec '06.

 

[colbybug]

Thanks everyone - especially Amy&Dan - lots to think about but I knew if anyone had the answers it would be DISer's!!!

Kathy

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks everyone - especially Amy&Dan - lots to think about but I knew if anyone had the answers it would be DISer's!!!

Kathy

Your welcome! Our wonderful trips with my parents and dh's dad required some planning and extra time to get from Point A to Point B but it was worth it. You might also check out the disablities board for information on travelling with your friend with the hip issue. Also, if necessary you can get what is called a Guest Assistant Card (GAC) to help with your needs. Those GAC's are very well explained on the Disablities Board. I know a lot of that board is devoted to WDW but if you post a Disneyland question you will get plenty of help from the very nice and knowledgeable people over there. I also forgot to add you can rent a wheelchair at Disneyland for much cheaper than a scooter. Scooters are around $50, I think wheelchairs are something like $12.

 

[colbybug]

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. Just knowing some of our options and the things that are available should alleviate some stress. My sister doesn't like to think that her hip problem is that bad and therefore she kind of ignores it and thinks she'll be fine (thus no pre-planning on her part ) Since I am the planner of the family it kind of drives me crazy!

Kathy