Invisible Mobility issues at DL/DCA?

[dawnball]

One of my knees isn't quite right and I'm putting off surgery on it. I've worked with my doctor and physical therapist and we have a plan. All the walking at Disneyland should be ok for the knee. I just need to avoid stairs and poorly lit inclines.

I know a DAS isn't the right answer, but what is? I think at DCA, you used to just tell the first CM you saw "I need to avoid stairs" and they'd tell you where to go. Is that the current procedure at both parks? Should I generally expect return times or just a different route?

 

[Lauren in NC]

If you tell the first CM at the ride, they should be able to either direct you to the right entrance or tell you which CM you'll need to inform. Everything at DCA should have a no-stairs option. Toy Story Midway Mania and Cars have separate loading docks (the TSMM ride entrance doesn't have stairs, but the exit does!) For instance, my son doesn't like stairs, but loves the Guardians of the Galaxy ride (go figure ) so we always ask for the preshow room without stairs. On that ride, we do sometimes have to wait for a few minutes if they're filling up the other preshow room. We don't tell the first CM, but the one inside that directs you to the preshow room.

I can't think of anything off the top of my head at DCA that has a poorly lit incline - Disneyland's another story!

 

[dawnball]

Yes, DCA was so easy, and when we went to DL I got a wheelchair stamp card, so went in all the accessible routes. They don't do that anymore though. If I had a cane, they'd know I need help, but a cane doesn't actually change anything in my case.

Last trip I said "it's not many stairs, I have stairs at home!" After 2 days I had to avoid all the long ramps completely because my knee was so inflamed it would lock all the time.

 

[cmwade77]

You can tell the CMs at the entrances to attractions with stairs, but just a caution, there are a few queues at DL that also have very small turnstiles that can do a number on your knee as well, especially in Fantasyland and for the train stations. Always tell the first CM that you can't do stairs or handle steep inclines.

Here are the attractions to watch for in my experience:

• Jungle Cruise - The queue often goes up stairs and there is a small turnstile that all but the smallest of kids have to turn sideways to get trough.
  • Go to the exit and a CM will either direct you into the wheelchair queue or give you a return time depending on the length of the queue.
• Indiana Jones - Dark, steep ramps
  • Ask CM for a return time and when you return explain your needs and ask to be sent the way wheelchairs go, it will cut out most of the ramps, but not all. Then when you reach just before the stairs, let the CM know you need the elevator.
• Pirates - There is a long, fairly steep ramp to enter, during the day this is well lit, at night not so much.
  • If and ONLY if this is an issue, ask the CM for a return time, otherwise use the regular queue, it is usually much faster.
• Splash Mountain - Lots of stairs and poorly lit steep ramps, ask CM for a return time, again explaining you can't do stairs.
• Sailing Ship Columbia - Unavoidable stairs
• Mark Twain - You can remain on the bottom level and not do any stairs
• Golden Horseshoe - Show up early for shows to avoid stairs.
• Big Thunder - Let the CM at the exit know and they will provide you with a return time or let you go on the ride depending on the length of the queue
• The following attractions all have some issues, but for all of these, simply go to the exit and let the CM know, they will direct you accordingly.
  • Casey Jr Circus Train - Small turnstile in the queue
  • Storybook Land Canal Boats - Extremely small turnstile in the queue
  • Pinocchio - Small Turnstile in queue
  • Snow White - Small Turnstile in queue
  • Carousel - Not Positive, but there may still be a small turnstile in the queue (Also, if you can't handle the step up, there is a wheelchair ramp and bench seating available)
  • Peter Pan - Step up in queue and very, very small turnstile in queue
  • Mr. Toads Wild Ride - Small Turnstile in queue
  • Alice in Wonderland - Small Turnstile in queue
  • Teacups - Small turnstile in queue and poorly lit, steep ramps
• Fantasyland Theater
  • Poorly lit (even during the day) steep ramps up to the entrance and down into the theater.
  • Take the train from Tomorrowland or New Orleans Square to Toontown Station and let the theater CM know your needs, you shouldn't have to go down the hill to find one.
• Mickey's Toontown - Very Steep hill in, but unavoidable to experience the area
• Gadget's Go Coaster - Steps and ramps - This one gets tricky, but go to the exit and let the CM know
• small world - If you needed to avoid the stairs at the exit, it used to be that you had to use the wheelchair queue. Wheelchairs and ECVs are now mainstreamed, if you want to avoid a long wait, get a FP for this attraction and then when the line splits into two inform the CM that you cannot do stairs.
  
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage - Ask for the alternate viewing experience to avoid the stairs
• Autopia - Inform the first CM that you can't do stairs, the entrance method varies at times here, so they will advise you on the correct procedure
• Space Mountain - Go to the exit and explain that you can't do stairs, they will give you a return time if you don't already have a FP
• Monorail - Extremely steep and long ramp in (they claim it is ok for wheelchairs, but I don't know how anyone could make it up that on their own power) - Ask to use the elevator, they will give you a hard time at first, but explain your needs and insist. The Downtown Disney station doesn't have this issue, you can go straight to the elevator with no problems.
• Launch Bay - Inform the first CM that you can't do long, steep ramps, they will advise appropriately. This has an extremely long, extremely steep ramp
• Star Tours - Inform the first CM that you can't do long, steep ramps, especially when poorly lit like they are in Star Tours and they will have you use the elevator when entering. If you also feel you need that when exiting, inform the CM when you board of this fact.
• Hyperion Theater - Let the first CM know you can't do stairs and what level you would like to sit on, they will direct you accordingly.
• Guardians - Where the line splits in two, let the CM know you can't do stairs so they will send you to the library on the right, as the one on the left goes upstairs.
• Racers - Let the CM know at the FP merge point that you can't do stairs, they will send you to the wheelchair loading area.
• Toy Story - Let the CM just before boarding know you can't do stairs, again, they will send you to the wheelchair loading area.
• Incredicoaster - Let the CM at the FP merge point know you can't do stairs, they will send you to the exit area and then up the elevator. Be sure to remind the CM at the load area that you can't do stairs so they get you sent back to the correct side, then you will exit to the front of the train (have at least one member of your party go the regular way if you want your picture, as it will be gone by the time you get back there)
• Jessie's Carousel - Again, if you can't handle the step up, there is a wheelchair ramp and bench seating available
• Mickey's Funwheel - Very steep ramp in and out no matter what
• Silly Symphony Swings - There are stairs, but there is also an elevator and it is rare that the queue extends to where you couldn't just use the elevator to get up there.
• Goofy's Sky School - Inform the first CM you see, if there are no CMs, use the lift, as I recall there are stairs that the lift is needed to get around. I don't do this ride though.
• Grizzly River Run - Use the regular queue, just before the turntable, you will see a wheelchair area, it is easiest to use this, but you can also let them know that you can't do stairs and board the normal way, this is more complicated and could be harder on your knee as when you get off you will need to step off the moving turntable to a stationary sidewalk.
• Soarin' - Steep ramps in, steeper ramps out
• Disneyland Railroad - All stations, except Main Street have small turnstiles and Main Street has stairs. For all but the Main Street station, use the exit where it says for wheelchairs to go and explain your needs
• World of Color - Let the CM taking your FP know you can't do stairs so they will send you down one of the ramps instead.
• Tarzan's Treehouse - This is a just don't do it attraction for me, there are tons of stairs, but there is a ramp and wheelchair access near Pirates that leads to the bottom level if you want to play a little.

• Haunted Mansion - Used to have turnstiles in the queue that have been removed.

Those are all of the attractions I can think of where they could be issues, which is admittedly more than I thought there would be until I typed this out, so I think you might be able to see why you had issues last time after looking at all of that. I mention the turnstiles because not everyone will think of them and many of them are very small and require twisting in very odd ways. I usually find the ones at the entrance and exit of the parks ok, but if you don't feel comfortable with those, you can ask politely to use the gate instead.

All of that being said, I would also consider an ECV (rented off site) just to avoid the issues, no need for pain while on vacation after all, but that is a decision that only you can make.

 

[dawnball]

Thanks so much, cmwade! And yes, that's exactly what happens, no one set of stairs is bad, and the sheer number sneaks up on you.

I'll ecv if I need it, but between swge crowds and having a toddler, I'm more likely to use the stroller as a walker. With 5 days and a toddler who takes 2-3 hour naps every day, I think I'll be ok.

 

[cmwade77]

Yes, also forgot Golden Zephyr, there is an elevator in the middle of the stair well......if the ride is running of course.

 

[seashoreCM]

How many of the aforementioned attractions cannot accommodate guests using wheelchairs?

Given the cumulative amount of walking you need to do all day, you should get a wheelchair (or ECV). This is the advice that Walt Disney World CMs who give out DAS privileges often give to guests who have mobility issues. Since you mentioned that your knee gets inflamed before the end of the day, use of a wheelchair should allow you go go longer before inflammation sets in. Somehow I think, that if you are getting inflammation with or without DAS, with or without stairs, that you are overdoing things and it is not good for you. But WDW has far fewer inaccessible attractions than DL, which was built much earlier, might still have.

CMs should point you to alternate routes without stairs.

 

[cmwade77]

You are correct, they would not get a DAS for this, but they also mentioned that an ECV may not work for them due to having a child in a stroller. Thinking about it, I would strongly suggest getting the stroller as a wheelchair tag since they have said they will use it as a walker, then it can be taken into queues and they won't have to do anything more than anyone else with a wheelchair would need to do.

 

[dawnball]

Somehow I think, that if you are getting inflammation with or without DAS, with or without stairs, that you are overdoing things and it is not good for you.

I thought I said that my knee was inflamed after two days of not avoiding any of the (sneakily many) stairs and poorly-lit inclines or using DAS. My apologies for being unclear.

I'll keep a wheelchair/ecv or the stroller as a wheelchair tag in mind. However, I anticipate that avoiding stairs will be sufficient. If not, I'll explore my options then. Four years after my first knee surgery for this issue, I'm pretty familiar with early symptoms that I'm doing something wrong and how to rehab them.

 

[cmwade77]

I thought I said that my knee was inflamed after two days of not avoiding any of the (sneakily many) stairs and poorly-lit inclines or using DAS. My apologies for being unclear.

I'll keep a wheelchair/ecv or the stroller as a wheelchair tag in mind. However, I anticipate that avoiding stairs will be sufficient. If not, I'll explore my options then. Four years after my first knee surgery for this issue, I'm pretty familiar with early symptoms that I'm doing something wrong and how to rehab them.

Fair enough, I more suggest the stroller as a wheelchair tag as it will save you a lot of time vs. having to explain your need to avoid stairs over and over again at each attraction as having a wheelchair (or stroller as a wheelchair) would automatically send you to the path that you avoid stairs on. In this case, it would be more for your sanity than your knee as explaining repeatedly can get old fast.

 

[seashoreCM]

Oops I misread your post. You're right, you said "after two days." But its getting inflamed then is still not good and you should make every effort to not let it happen.