catra121
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2011
- Messages
- 975
So...after many many months of planning I have successfully completed my first trip to Disney World since needing a walker. I have a condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) and in addition to needing the walker for balance issues and to help with the pain in my left ankle, I am also very sensitive to vibrations, being touched, certain noises, cool temperatures, and air movements. Because of one of my medications, I also need to avoid being in the heat for extended periods of time. I use a 4-wheeled walker (rollator) everyday in my normal life and brought it with me to Disney. This was my first trip on an airplane, to Disney, and to Universal with the walker. I did a lot of research and asked some questions here on the DIS while planning this trip and thought I would share my experience in case it is of value to anyone else planning a trip. This will be long...sorry...I am terrible at being short and concise...lol! Overall...a VERY good trip with less issues than I expected...though admittedly I expected a lot.
Flying
This was probably the most frustrating part of my whole trip...particularly since I was flying alone. I got yelled at both times I went through security in Chicago and Orlando for not walking fast enough. In Chicago, it was the woman who just had me put my walker on the xray belt and made me walk back to ensure it went through the machine fine. After getting yelled at multiple times I told her that I was moving as fast as I could...that WAS a walker I just put on the belt. I think she just didn't make the connection...she quieted down after that. The man in Chicago apologized immediately after I told him I couldn't walk any faster and that that was my walker over there...said he didn't realize which is possible because there was a difficult woman in a wheelchair right before I went through me (just didn't understand what they were asking her and led to everyone being frustrated).
The airline staff were fine...though in Chicago "pre-boarding" apparently meant letting me on WITH the first class passengers and no one helped me with my bags. In Orlando they actually let me on first along with a woman in a wheelchair and helped with the bags. It was my first time doing any of this and I did as much research as I could ahead of time...but really until you go through the experience it's hard to really understand everything and know what to expect. Seems like it's generally hit or miss in terms of how they handle things...but all in all it worked out. Travelling WITH someone would help a lot but my parents and brother all flew out from Nashville (where they live) so I was on my own. At least i know I CAN do it if I have to.
Disney
Now for the important stuff...my experiences at Disney. I have to say that overall they were very wonderful. I was able to do everything that I wanted to and almost all of the lines were fully accessible. Here are just a few observations and thoughts from my time at Disney:
1. We stayed offsite (Wyndham Bonnet Creek) and I didn't care for it. I missed the convenience of being able to hop a bus to the parks, knowing they are all handicap accessible, and knowing I could return at any time if I needed to. The bus schedule for the resort had large gaps and could leave you stranded and waiting at a bus stop for hours if you needed to leave the park for any reason. Driving frustrates me and stresses me out so on my own I could not have handled driving to/from the parks. I was with my family though and we drove everyday (more on that below) but I greatly missed the convenience of Disney transportation and being dropped off right in front of the parks.
2. We drove every day (though some members of the family took the bus from the resort to meet up with us on some days). I got an annual pass so we didn't have to pay for parking...that would have really added up. From reading on here...I knew to follow the blue lines. Getting there early is the key for getting a good spot without having to drive around a lot. Even parking at the TTC...which we did 3 times during this trip...was fine for me. I can walk...i just need the walker...but I can see where it could be a trial for someone who has trouble walking. Definitely have someone push you in one of the courtesy wheelchairs if you need it...even at other parks beside the TTC parking lot you can have a hike...especially if you don't get there early. I also felt like once we arrived at the parks and parked...that was it. There was no leaving to take a break in the middle of the day only to drive back and have to go through the whole process again of parking and walking back to the park from the lot.
3. Rides were for the most part fine. Everything was accessible and only ran into a couple of minor issues which I will list (but these were definitely the exceptions as opposed to the rule).
Splash Mountain: This was confusing because I think the cast member didn't know what to do. We went to the regular line and they said to go to the fast pass line. Fine. We go there and he asks if we have fast passes. I say no but we need to know where to go for the accessible entrance. He sort of looks around then waves us through. Okay...seemed odd but I assumed it must have a ramp or something. So we're walking along and they we come to some stairs...and we don't know what to do. My dad sees some cast members across the way and waves to them...they come and let us through across the regular queue to an alternate waiting area near the end of the attraction where they hold us for a little while until it's our turn to go through the exit and to get onto the ride from there (there are ramps instead of stairs on the exit). That was all fine...but I really wished the cast member who let us into the line had told us what to expect when we got to the stairs instead of us having to wave someone down. Extremely minor inconvenience. But I also don't know why we were told to use the fast pass lane...I felt like I was cutting infront of people when they let us through to the handicap accessible area...though we did wait a while until it was our turn so I doubt we actually go on any faster than someone who got into the stand by queue at the same time we entered...maybe that's the reason. Anyway...just lack of communication there.
Pirates of the Carribean: This was more of an issue...though still not huge. Direction when we entered the queue was clear on which side to use and you go through the regular queue with everyone else. Getting onto the ride was fine...but when we got off...my walker was no where to be found. I just hobbled over to the wall and leaned on it while my dad asked the cast member there where the walker was. He picked up the phone and called to (I assume) the loading area. He looked rather annoyed (not at us...at whoever he was talking to) and then told us it would be there soon. So we wait...and wait...and wait. He calls again...sounds like he is speaking more forcefully with whoever is on the other end...and apologizes and says they are on their way. Meanwhile...a family get off with a daughter who has some disability and her wheelchair is also no where to be found. We waited about 10 minutes total (which is not a long time...just not quick) before two woman came in the elevator (one with my walker and one with the wheelchair). They were both sort of rude...or at the very least not friendly and one actually pushed my walker while I was holding onto it to direct me to the elevator. That was painful. It was not a hard push but since I am sensitive to vibrations and jerky motions it did hurt. Whatever...we went up the elevator and I just hope they were nicer to the family whose daughter needed the wheelchair. I love that ride but did not ride it a second time because of this experience. I'm sure it is a rare exception and not normal.
Peter Pan: I couldnt remember when I got there if Peter Pan had an alternate queue or not but since I passed by a cast member at the entrance to the queue and they said nothing I just assumed it was mainstreamed. Well that worked just fine until we got to near the end and there was no way for my walker to fit through. Whoops! The cast member at that area looked at my walker looked towards the cast members at the entrance and shook his head. He said they should have directed me to an alternate entrance and he walked me and my mom over there. He was very nice but much like the cast member at Pirates seemed annoyed at the failure of his fellow cast members to do their job. Again very minor inconvenience that didnt really affect us negatively beyond walking to another area. I went back on later that day with my dad and used the alternate entrance. That went perfectly but I knew where to go that time without being directed by a cast member. Live and learn, right?
Haunted Mansion: Wasnt sure what to expect here since Ive heard many negatives. It went fine but my dad DID have to run interference in the stretching room because the lighting was so dim and no one could SEE my walker. I dont know that I would want to do this if I were on my own because people would not only bump into my walker, but me as well, and I dont think I would handle that well. After the stretching room they directed up to an alternate area down a hallway. There they made me go all the way to the outside, park my walker, then all the way to the unload area to get on the ride. This was a LONG walk without the walker and I had to hold onto the wall the whole time. Im not sure why you cant park at the unload area itself though I assume there is some reason. We asked but they were insistent that the walker needed to be parked all the way outside. Oh well otherwise it was fine. Doubt I could do it more than once a trip because of how far I had to walk without the walker (and not at all if I were by myself) but just once was alright as I love this ride.
Muppets Show: This is really minor almost not worth even mentioning but when you enter the pre-show area I asked the cast member who was directing people where we should go. She said either to the front right of the room (where she was directing everyone else) or to the back whatever we wanted. Umm okay. We went to the back as that seemed to make the most sense. It wasnt just us either everyone who came in with a wheelchair or scooter after us (we were the first to use the back) was equally confused because of the lack of direction.
Space Mountain: No issues here just thought I would mention how it was handled. They directed us to the fast pass lane. From there we were given a pass with a time on it to return so that we werent cutting in front of anyone. This was great. When we got in line we had to wait a little while once we got to the front for the cast member who was handling the accessible line but it was fine. He was really wonderful and friendly and assured me that my walker would be waiting for me when we got off (which it was).
Little Mermaid: We got to ride this while we were there. The ride is fine but just a heads up. With a 40 minute wait a good 20 minutes of the wait was outside where there is no shade. If you have issues with being in the heat or sun for extended periods then just be prepared for this.
Fantasmic: We did the dining package for this and I am glad we did. We got there early and were seated in the center (back row of course). The reason I am really glad about it is that we didnt have to worry about large crowds walking around us the whole time, bumping into my walker, etc. Things were much more orderly in the dining section and less people milling around than I saw in the general seating area. Sure lunch was expensive but worth it in my opinion. We just grabbed some stuff to eat while we waited for the show to start.
I think a lot of people were new and/or being trained while we were there. Some were very clearly going through training and I can only hope that some of the issues were from people being new as opposed to them really not being helpful or knowledgeable. Seriously if those were the only issues that I ran into in a week at Disney I think we did really really well. I never felt like we got away with anything or got on faster than anyone else or waited obscenely long to get on a ride. We did make use of fast passes where we could and I feel like this is the best way to go.
4. Having the walker helped with several things. First having a padded seat with me at all times was often a godsend especially in lines. Do not underestimate how important this can be if you have any issues whatsoever with mobility. Even just having it to lean on was important. Second, it helped greatly in crowds. Yes people will cut you off and you have to be careful not to run into people but generally speaking people tended to give me space and this helped a lot especially given my sensitivity to touch and being bumped. Even if I didnt have the balance issues and the pain in my ankle that I use the walker for this aspect of using a walker alone would be worth it. It made my invisible disability visible in a way. It can be difficult to maneuver in some crowds and in stores but mostly it was fine. And finally the basket under the seat was wonderful. I was able to keep drinks with me as well as a jacket (to wear in air conditioned places where the cold was painful). Not having to carry a bag with me was great. My family also made use of it to carry the backpack on when I didnt need the seat to sit in gave them all a break from the heavy lifting.
I saw 4 other people in the parks with rollators first time Ive ever noticed this. They all seemed to be doing well with theirs as well. I would say its a very good option for people who can walk but need to sit often or have difficulty carrying things or being in large crowds. A much better option for me than a scooter or wheelchair. My mom rented a scooter two days while we were there for DHS and Epcot. She had zero issues with it and needed it because after one full day she was limping very badly from her rheumatoid arthritis. She usually parked it outside the rides and didnt take it into the queues with her. I have to say that I was very impressed with her driving skills but she was frustrated by the end of the first day with people darting in front of her in crowds. Expected but still frustrating.
Universal
I have to say that I was impressed by Universal. My expectations were pretty low since I didnt think I would be doing many rides (too many would obviously aggravate my medical condition). I had told myself that I would only ride a handful that I either REALLY wanted to try for the first time or that I really LOVED and even those only once each.
All the rides I did were accessible. Many required me to break from the line and take an elevator. Harry Potters Forbidden Journey required taking the elevator four times getting on and off but went fine. They have a separate loading/unloading area for those with disabilities. We had two different crew members there (shift change) and both were incredibly friendly and nice. The only issue I had with any crew members was at Rip Ride Rock It and it was minor. We were first ignored by the crew member when we got to the accessible gate, then he just kept waving us to the stairs while his back was to us. Then he looked back and saw the walker so he motioned that he would be with us in a minute. Then he opens the gate to let us through so we can go to the elevator but stops us and asks if I can use the stairs. No offense but at that moment I had some unkind thoughts about his level of intelligence given the fact that we had waited and had NOT walked up the stairs when he motioned that way. Whatever I said no I couldnt and then he said I could use the elevator and told us how to get there. Again seriously minor thing but still.
Anyway overall very good. There is something I want to mention but hesitate to be too specific because it would be very easy to abuse. Let me just say that if you have difficulties standing or waiting in long lines (for whatever reason) that you should go to guest relations when you get to the parks at Universal. We didnt find out about this until very late in the second of our 2 days at the Universal parks when a very kind cast member told me to go there. They clearly do not advertise it but they can make things much much easier on people with mobility issues or issues with waiting in lines with large crowds at no cost.
Parking also was very nice. Its a very long trek from the parking garage to the parks but we found the handicap parking very well handled when we went to Universal. The garages were easy to get through and you do not need to pay additional for better parking if you have a handicap parking placard (or plates I assume). Just make sure to point them out when you pay for parking and they will direct you to the right place.
Halloween Horror Nights I was concerned about how much of this I could do. Turns out all the houses are accessible and there are plenty of crew members around to help if you need it. Couple of tips this was better when I was NOT the first person in our group. Seemed like the actors were afraid to jump out at me with the walker. One guy accidentally kicked the wheels of my walker but I have to say that I was impressed that he was the only one. No one touched me which was my biggest concern. One guy DID walk into my brother but it wasnt me so it was fine lol! I mentioned that you should go to guest relations if you have issues with walking or waiting in crowds/long lines this applies to this event as well. Highly recommend doing it early in the evening if you have physical issues it was not too crowded and we got a lot done in the first two hours. By the third hour lines were ridiculous and it was getting hard to move in the park. We left three hours in (technically 2 hours after it started but since we were at the park all day they let us loose an hour before the official start of the event that night). People were still POURING into the park while we were leaving with very few leaving with us. Sure its probably cooler at night once its all dark but well worth the trade off given my physical problems to be there with smaller crowds and shorter lines.
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Sorry this was so long but overall it was a really wonderful trip with only one bad pain flare. I can say that I was overly prepared to deal with flares and stuff and I would highly recommend doing so. You just dont know what you might run into. It was very important that I knew my limits ahead of time and was willing to make the sacrifices I had to (such as avoiding rides that were sure to elevate my pain to very high levels or limiting some of my favorites to one ride). Its important to know when you need to rest, take a break, or sit something out. I planned out our days for the days with the lowest crowd levels, planned sit down meals, and made sure to speak up when I needed to rest for a bit. Dont stress out over the small stuff we ran into lots of small things that I mentioned above but nothing serious. Just dont overreact to the small things it will all turn out okay. I learned a lot on this trip and am very much looking forward to my next trip which will hopefully be in April 2013.
If anyone has any questions about specific rides and how things were handled, let me know and I will try to answer as best I can.
Flying
This was probably the most frustrating part of my whole trip...particularly since I was flying alone. I got yelled at both times I went through security in Chicago and Orlando for not walking fast enough. In Chicago, it was the woman who just had me put my walker on the xray belt and made me walk back to ensure it went through the machine fine. After getting yelled at multiple times I told her that I was moving as fast as I could...that WAS a walker I just put on the belt. I think she just didn't make the connection...she quieted down after that. The man in Chicago apologized immediately after I told him I couldn't walk any faster and that that was my walker over there...said he didn't realize which is possible because there was a difficult woman in a wheelchair right before I went through me (just didn't understand what they were asking her and led to everyone being frustrated).
The airline staff were fine...though in Chicago "pre-boarding" apparently meant letting me on WITH the first class passengers and no one helped me with my bags. In Orlando they actually let me on first along with a woman in a wheelchair and helped with the bags. It was my first time doing any of this and I did as much research as I could ahead of time...but really until you go through the experience it's hard to really understand everything and know what to expect. Seems like it's generally hit or miss in terms of how they handle things...but all in all it worked out. Travelling WITH someone would help a lot but my parents and brother all flew out from Nashville (where they live) so I was on my own. At least i know I CAN do it if I have to.
Disney
Now for the important stuff...my experiences at Disney. I have to say that overall they were very wonderful. I was able to do everything that I wanted to and almost all of the lines were fully accessible. Here are just a few observations and thoughts from my time at Disney:
1. We stayed offsite (Wyndham Bonnet Creek) and I didn't care for it. I missed the convenience of being able to hop a bus to the parks, knowing they are all handicap accessible, and knowing I could return at any time if I needed to. The bus schedule for the resort had large gaps and could leave you stranded and waiting at a bus stop for hours if you needed to leave the park for any reason. Driving frustrates me and stresses me out so on my own I could not have handled driving to/from the parks. I was with my family though and we drove everyday (more on that below) but I greatly missed the convenience of Disney transportation and being dropped off right in front of the parks.
2. We drove every day (though some members of the family took the bus from the resort to meet up with us on some days). I got an annual pass so we didn't have to pay for parking...that would have really added up. From reading on here...I knew to follow the blue lines. Getting there early is the key for getting a good spot without having to drive around a lot. Even parking at the TTC...which we did 3 times during this trip...was fine for me. I can walk...i just need the walker...but I can see where it could be a trial for someone who has trouble walking. Definitely have someone push you in one of the courtesy wheelchairs if you need it...even at other parks beside the TTC parking lot you can have a hike...especially if you don't get there early. I also felt like once we arrived at the parks and parked...that was it. There was no leaving to take a break in the middle of the day only to drive back and have to go through the whole process again of parking and walking back to the park from the lot.
3. Rides were for the most part fine. Everything was accessible and only ran into a couple of minor issues which I will list (but these were definitely the exceptions as opposed to the rule).
Splash Mountain: This was confusing because I think the cast member didn't know what to do. We went to the regular line and they said to go to the fast pass line. Fine. We go there and he asks if we have fast passes. I say no but we need to know where to go for the accessible entrance. He sort of looks around then waves us through. Okay...seemed odd but I assumed it must have a ramp or something. So we're walking along and they we come to some stairs...and we don't know what to do. My dad sees some cast members across the way and waves to them...they come and let us through across the regular queue to an alternate waiting area near the end of the attraction where they hold us for a little while until it's our turn to go through the exit and to get onto the ride from there (there are ramps instead of stairs on the exit). That was all fine...but I really wished the cast member who let us into the line had told us what to expect when we got to the stairs instead of us having to wave someone down. Extremely minor inconvenience. But I also don't know why we were told to use the fast pass lane...I felt like I was cutting infront of people when they let us through to the handicap accessible area...though we did wait a while until it was our turn so I doubt we actually go on any faster than someone who got into the stand by queue at the same time we entered...maybe that's the reason. Anyway...just lack of communication there.
Pirates of the Carribean: This was more of an issue...though still not huge. Direction when we entered the queue was clear on which side to use and you go through the regular queue with everyone else. Getting onto the ride was fine...but when we got off...my walker was no where to be found. I just hobbled over to the wall and leaned on it while my dad asked the cast member there where the walker was. He picked up the phone and called to (I assume) the loading area. He looked rather annoyed (not at us...at whoever he was talking to) and then told us it would be there soon. So we wait...and wait...and wait. He calls again...sounds like he is speaking more forcefully with whoever is on the other end...and apologizes and says they are on their way. Meanwhile...a family get off with a daughter who has some disability and her wheelchair is also no where to be found. We waited about 10 minutes total (which is not a long time...just not quick) before two woman came in the elevator (one with my walker and one with the wheelchair). They were both sort of rude...or at the very least not friendly and one actually pushed my walker while I was holding onto it to direct me to the elevator. That was painful. It was not a hard push but since I am sensitive to vibrations and jerky motions it did hurt. Whatever...we went up the elevator and I just hope they were nicer to the family whose daughter needed the wheelchair. I love that ride but did not ride it a second time because of this experience. I'm sure it is a rare exception and not normal.
Peter Pan: I couldnt remember when I got there if Peter Pan had an alternate queue or not but since I passed by a cast member at the entrance to the queue and they said nothing I just assumed it was mainstreamed. Well that worked just fine until we got to near the end and there was no way for my walker to fit through. Whoops! The cast member at that area looked at my walker looked towards the cast members at the entrance and shook his head. He said they should have directed me to an alternate entrance and he walked me and my mom over there. He was very nice but much like the cast member at Pirates seemed annoyed at the failure of his fellow cast members to do their job. Again very minor inconvenience that didnt really affect us negatively beyond walking to another area. I went back on later that day with my dad and used the alternate entrance. That went perfectly but I knew where to go that time without being directed by a cast member. Live and learn, right?
Haunted Mansion: Wasnt sure what to expect here since Ive heard many negatives. It went fine but my dad DID have to run interference in the stretching room because the lighting was so dim and no one could SEE my walker. I dont know that I would want to do this if I were on my own because people would not only bump into my walker, but me as well, and I dont think I would handle that well. After the stretching room they directed up to an alternate area down a hallway. There they made me go all the way to the outside, park my walker, then all the way to the unload area to get on the ride. This was a LONG walk without the walker and I had to hold onto the wall the whole time. Im not sure why you cant park at the unload area itself though I assume there is some reason. We asked but they were insistent that the walker needed to be parked all the way outside. Oh well otherwise it was fine. Doubt I could do it more than once a trip because of how far I had to walk without the walker (and not at all if I were by myself) but just once was alright as I love this ride.
Muppets Show: This is really minor almost not worth even mentioning but when you enter the pre-show area I asked the cast member who was directing people where we should go. She said either to the front right of the room (where she was directing everyone else) or to the back whatever we wanted. Umm okay. We went to the back as that seemed to make the most sense. It wasnt just us either everyone who came in with a wheelchair or scooter after us (we were the first to use the back) was equally confused because of the lack of direction.
Space Mountain: No issues here just thought I would mention how it was handled. They directed us to the fast pass lane. From there we were given a pass with a time on it to return so that we werent cutting in front of anyone. This was great. When we got in line we had to wait a little while once we got to the front for the cast member who was handling the accessible line but it was fine. He was really wonderful and friendly and assured me that my walker would be waiting for me when we got off (which it was).
Little Mermaid: We got to ride this while we were there. The ride is fine but just a heads up. With a 40 minute wait a good 20 minutes of the wait was outside where there is no shade. If you have issues with being in the heat or sun for extended periods then just be prepared for this.
Fantasmic: We did the dining package for this and I am glad we did. We got there early and were seated in the center (back row of course). The reason I am really glad about it is that we didnt have to worry about large crowds walking around us the whole time, bumping into my walker, etc. Things were much more orderly in the dining section and less people milling around than I saw in the general seating area. Sure lunch was expensive but worth it in my opinion. We just grabbed some stuff to eat while we waited for the show to start.
I think a lot of people were new and/or being trained while we were there. Some were very clearly going through training and I can only hope that some of the issues were from people being new as opposed to them really not being helpful or knowledgeable. Seriously if those were the only issues that I ran into in a week at Disney I think we did really really well. I never felt like we got away with anything or got on faster than anyone else or waited obscenely long to get on a ride. We did make use of fast passes where we could and I feel like this is the best way to go.
4. Having the walker helped with several things. First having a padded seat with me at all times was often a godsend especially in lines. Do not underestimate how important this can be if you have any issues whatsoever with mobility. Even just having it to lean on was important. Second, it helped greatly in crowds. Yes people will cut you off and you have to be careful not to run into people but generally speaking people tended to give me space and this helped a lot especially given my sensitivity to touch and being bumped. Even if I didnt have the balance issues and the pain in my ankle that I use the walker for this aspect of using a walker alone would be worth it. It made my invisible disability visible in a way. It can be difficult to maneuver in some crowds and in stores but mostly it was fine. And finally the basket under the seat was wonderful. I was able to keep drinks with me as well as a jacket (to wear in air conditioned places where the cold was painful). Not having to carry a bag with me was great. My family also made use of it to carry the backpack on when I didnt need the seat to sit in gave them all a break from the heavy lifting.
I saw 4 other people in the parks with rollators first time Ive ever noticed this. They all seemed to be doing well with theirs as well. I would say its a very good option for people who can walk but need to sit often or have difficulty carrying things or being in large crowds. A much better option for me than a scooter or wheelchair. My mom rented a scooter two days while we were there for DHS and Epcot. She had zero issues with it and needed it because after one full day she was limping very badly from her rheumatoid arthritis. She usually parked it outside the rides and didnt take it into the queues with her. I have to say that I was very impressed with her driving skills but she was frustrated by the end of the first day with people darting in front of her in crowds. Expected but still frustrating.
Universal
I have to say that I was impressed by Universal. My expectations were pretty low since I didnt think I would be doing many rides (too many would obviously aggravate my medical condition). I had told myself that I would only ride a handful that I either REALLY wanted to try for the first time or that I really LOVED and even those only once each.
All the rides I did were accessible. Many required me to break from the line and take an elevator. Harry Potters Forbidden Journey required taking the elevator four times getting on and off but went fine. They have a separate loading/unloading area for those with disabilities. We had two different crew members there (shift change) and both were incredibly friendly and nice. The only issue I had with any crew members was at Rip Ride Rock It and it was minor. We were first ignored by the crew member when we got to the accessible gate, then he just kept waving us to the stairs while his back was to us. Then he looked back and saw the walker so he motioned that he would be with us in a minute. Then he opens the gate to let us through so we can go to the elevator but stops us and asks if I can use the stairs. No offense but at that moment I had some unkind thoughts about his level of intelligence given the fact that we had waited and had NOT walked up the stairs when he motioned that way. Whatever I said no I couldnt and then he said I could use the elevator and told us how to get there. Again seriously minor thing but still.
Anyway overall very good. There is something I want to mention but hesitate to be too specific because it would be very easy to abuse. Let me just say that if you have difficulties standing or waiting in long lines (for whatever reason) that you should go to guest relations when you get to the parks at Universal. We didnt find out about this until very late in the second of our 2 days at the Universal parks when a very kind cast member told me to go there. They clearly do not advertise it but they can make things much much easier on people with mobility issues or issues with waiting in lines with large crowds at no cost.
Parking also was very nice. Its a very long trek from the parking garage to the parks but we found the handicap parking very well handled when we went to Universal. The garages were easy to get through and you do not need to pay additional for better parking if you have a handicap parking placard (or plates I assume). Just make sure to point them out when you pay for parking and they will direct you to the right place.
Halloween Horror Nights I was concerned about how much of this I could do. Turns out all the houses are accessible and there are plenty of crew members around to help if you need it. Couple of tips this was better when I was NOT the first person in our group. Seemed like the actors were afraid to jump out at me with the walker. One guy accidentally kicked the wheels of my walker but I have to say that I was impressed that he was the only one. No one touched me which was my biggest concern. One guy DID walk into my brother but it wasnt me so it was fine lol! I mentioned that you should go to guest relations if you have issues with walking or waiting in crowds/long lines this applies to this event as well. Highly recommend doing it early in the evening if you have physical issues it was not too crowded and we got a lot done in the first two hours. By the third hour lines were ridiculous and it was getting hard to move in the park. We left three hours in (technically 2 hours after it started but since we were at the park all day they let us loose an hour before the official start of the event that night). People were still POURING into the park while we were leaving with very few leaving with us. Sure its probably cooler at night once its all dark but well worth the trade off given my physical problems to be there with smaller crowds and shorter lines.
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Sorry this was so long but overall it was a really wonderful trip with only one bad pain flare. I can say that I was overly prepared to deal with flares and stuff and I would highly recommend doing so. You just dont know what you might run into. It was very important that I knew my limits ahead of time and was willing to make the sacrifices I had to (such as avoiding rides that were sure to elevate my pain to very high levels or limiting some of my favorites to one ride). Its important to know when you need to rest, take a break, or sit something out. I planned out our days for the days with the lowest crowd levels, planned sit down meals, and made sure to speak up when I needed to rest for a bit. Dont stress out over the small stuff we ran into lots of small things that I mentioned above but nothing serious. Just dont overreact to the small things it will all turn out okay. I learned a lot on this trip and am very much looking forward to my next trip which will hopefully be in April 2013.
If anyone has any questions about specific rides and how things were handled, let me know and I will try to answer as best I can.
