Just great...uggh!....UPDATE Post #21

[Flyerfan]

I just MAY have to postpone my trip in two weeks! Two days ago, somehow, someway I injured my foot. I have a doc appt and am getting an xray but I fear it's broke. It's weird...it's bruised on the bottom/side below my pinky toe but it doesn't hurt to touch...only when I walk a long time on it, it gets a little sore. I'm crossing my fingers it's not broke because I really don't want to cancel this trip. Waaah!

 

[Chuck S]

Even if broken, you could rent a wheelchair or ECV for the trip. You don't have to cancel.

 

[toniosmom]

Don't cancel! Rent an ECV! When you get to the park, go to Guest Services and get a pass where you and your family will not have to wait in line. We did that for my mother last year and it worked very well.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Even if it's not broken, consider a ECV if it still does hurt. Take care of yourself!

Bobbi

 

[Chuck S]

Generally, Guest Assistance Cards (GACs) are not issued for minor mobility issues, and rarely include any reduction in wait times. Wheelchair/ECV users wait in the regular queues, except for older rides at MK where the queues have not been retrofitted to allow a wheelchair into the queue. Also, Spaceship Earth at EPCOT requires you to board through the exit, but we've often had to wait longer than the normal queue, as many rides have restriction to the number of mobility impaired guests riding at any time, in case an evacuation is needed.

 

[mlacreta]

I had to laugh when I saw your post.....my feet have had really bad karhma lately. A vacume cleaner attachment leaped off of a shelf in my closet and nailed my middle toe...months ago...and it still hurts and is still bruised!!! Everyone i know says docs can't do anything for a broken toe so i never went to get it checked out...we have a 16 day disney trip starting in less than 2 weeks and am now finally trying to decide if i should get it checked out considering all the walking we'll be doing!!! I also around the same time dropped a baby bottle on the same foot..that is still a little sore too...i just don't want to be told i need a cast or something while i'm away but i also don't want to think about the possibility i could injure it more with all the extra walking!!! I don't know what to do!!! hope your xrays turn out ok!!!!! no matter what i wouldn't cancle though!!!!

 

[Flyerfan]

I had to laugh when I saw your post.....my feet have had really bad karhma lately. A vacume cleaner attachment leaped off of a shelf in my closet and nailed my middle toe...months ago...and it still hurts and is still bruised!!! Everyone i know says docs can't do anything for a broken toe so i never went to get it checked out...we have a 16 day disney trip starting in less than 2 weeks and am now finally trying to decide if i should get it checked out considering all the walking we'll be doing!!! I also around the same time dropped a baby bottle on the same foot..that is still a little sore too...i just don't want to be told i need a cast or something while i'm away but i also don't want to think about the possibility i could injure it more with all the extra walking!!! I don't know what to do!!! hope your xrays turn out ok!!!!! no matter what i wouldn't cancle though!!!!

I'm sorry, but your post gave me a chuckle, too. Looks like we will be there at the same time hobbling around. I broke my toe several years ago and all I could do is wrap it.

I just don't know about an ECV. I'm crossing my fingers for "not broken". I'm just going to stay off it for two weeks as much as I can and hope for the best.

 

[toniosmom]

Generally, Guest Assistance Cards (GACs) are not issued for minor mobility issues, and rarely include any reduction in wait times. Wheelchair/ECV users wait in the regular queues, except for older rides at MK where the queues have not been retrofitted to allow a wheelchair into the queue. Also, Spaceship Earth at EPCOT requires you to board through the exit, but we've often had to wait longer than the normal queue, as many rides have restriction to the number of mobility impaired guests riding at any time, in case an evacuation is needed.

While I don't know whether or not a GAC card will be issued for a "minor mobility issue", how would GS determine if your "issue" is temporary or permanent if you are in a wheelchair or ECV? And why would that matter? They don't ask for a doctor's note. If someone is disabled enough to need a wheelchair, no matter for how long that may be, in my view they are handicapped at that time and should be afforded the appropriate consideration. JMO, of course.

My mom is handicapped (can barely walk 10 feet), and for her it is permanent, so it was a no-brainer for us to get the ECV. My dad went to the Guest Services window and asked them for the GAC card. It was good for our entire week-long stay. The CMs at each attraction were very accomodating and made sure that my mom didn't wait too long in the heat. It was nice that the priviledge was extended to my mom's family so that we could enjoy the attactions together, as a family.

This is what we experienced in 2008. I can understand Chuck's point that there may be limited mobility impaired slots in case of an emergency evacuation. Perhaps others have a different point of view.

 

[Muhlenberg]

Never fear! An ECV is DEFINITELY the answer. My hubby broke his ankle a week before a WDW trip in '00. I rented one from offsite...and it saved a vacation. HE thought he was going to stay home. We had a GREAT time...just a little slower.

And we may "run" into you there...we get there on the 17th! BTW...my FIL was from Tamaqua.

 

[tiggspring]

I do not "look" disabled but was able to get a GAC in May. I have fibromyalgia which effects my ability to stand for long periods especially in heat.It was very reassuring to know CM would recognize that if I had a request I was not acting intitled but really needed their assistance and they had a protocal they would follow to help me.GAC's are for physical or mental challenges visable or not..wether its permenant or not. Some think its only for people in wheel chairs and that is incorrect.
If you chose not to get an ECV you should get a card in case you need a place to sit while waiting in line etc. I luckily didn't need to use my GAC because I used ridmax and never was in line for more than 5 min with their plan. I hear tour guide mike is good too. A good plan is a must when dealing with any kind of physical challege in WDW. Good luck with your foot!

 

[simba20]

I just MAY have to postpone my trip in two weeks! Two days ago, somehow, someway I injured my foot. I have a doc appt and am getting an xray but I fear it's broke. It's weird...it's bruised on the bottom/side below my pinky toe but it doesn't hurt to touch...only when I walk a long time on it, it gets a little sore. I'm crossing my fingers it's not broke because I really don't want to cancel this trip. Waaah!

Oh man. I am crossing my fingers for ya.

A few years ago my MIL and FIL went out to Vegas. While walking around Hoover Dam, my FIL fell and broke his foot. He had a few months of difficult
recovery.

Fast forward to the end of this June. He woke up one morning and got out of bed. He rolled his foot and thought he just bruised it. It was sore, but not painful so he didn't do anything about it. A few days later he noticed it was still sore so he went to the podiatrist. BROKEN yet again in THREE places. He had surgery on it back in July to attach plates and pins.

He is finally getting a good attitude back about it. He had an infection after surgery so it wasn't until three weeks ago that he finally got a hard cast put on it.

 

[SueM in MN]

Generally, Guest Assistance Cards (GACs) are not issued for minor mobility issues, and rarely include any reduction in wait times. Wheelchair/ECV users wait in the regular queues, except for older rides at MK where the queues have not been retrofitted to allow a wheelchair into the queue. Also, Spaceship Earth at EPCOT requires you to board through the exit, but we've often had to wait longer than the normal queue, as many rides have restriction to the number of mobility impaired guests riding at any time, in case an evacuation is needed.

We have a lot of experience both using a wheelchair and using a GAC. If you look on the card, you will see it says that it is not meant to provide immediate access.

This is a reply someone got recently when they wrote WDW requesting information about GACs:
Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.

We are pleased that you and your family will be vacationing with us and we appreciate your desire to make your visit as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

The Guest Assistance Card is a tool provided at all four WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort Theme Parks to enhance the service we provide to our Guests with disabilities. It was designed to alert our Cast about those Guests who may need additional assistance. The intent of these cards is to keep Guests from having to explain their service needs each time they visit an attraction.

The Guest Assistance Card is available to our Guests with non-apparent, special assistance needs. However, the intention of this card has never been to bypass attraction wait times, or to be used by Guests with a noticeable service need.

Guests with an apparent mobility concern, such as Guests using wheelchairs, canes, crutches, etc., or Guests with service animals, do NOT need a Guest Assistance Card. These Guests should be directed to follow the attraction entrance procedures for guests using wheelchairs, as outlined in the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities.

A Guest with a specific need for assistance can request a Guest Assistance Card at any Theme Park Guest Relations location. To accommodate the individual needs of our Guests, we ask that all Guests discuss their assistance requests with a Guest Relations cast member prior to the card being issued. The Guest Relations Cast Member will discuss the available service options with the Guest and provide written instructions for our cast on the Guest Assistance Card. The Guest will be directed to present the Guest Assistance Card to the Greeter or first available Cast Member at the attraction and await further directions for their experience.

 

[Cee]

It may be a stress fracture. They hurt like heck but are manageable. Pace yourself and take regular breaks to R.I.C.E.

REST
ICE
COMPRESSION
ELEVATION

Don't miss your trip!

 

[mlacreta]

I just MAY have to postpone my trip in two weeks! Two days ago, somehow, someway I injured my foot. I have a doc appt and am getting an xray but I fear it's broke. It's weird...it's bruised on the bottom/side below my pinky toe but it doesn't hurt to touch...only when I walk a long time on it, it gets a little sore. I'm crossing my fingers it's not broke because I really don't want to cancel this trip. Waaah!

did you get your xray yet?

 

[Chuck S]

It may be a stress fracture. They hurt like heck but are manageable. Pace yourself and take regular breaks to R.I.C.E.

REST
ICE
COMPRESSION
ELEVATION

Don't miss your trip!

The First Aid stations at the parks should be able to provide a location for that, if needed, so you don't need to waste too much time going to/from your resort.

 

[DenLo]

I just MAY have to postpone my trip in two weeks! Two days ago, somehow, someway I injured my foot. I have a doc appt and am getting an xray but I fear it's broke. It's weird...it's bruised on the bottom/side below my pinky toe but it doesn't hurt to touch...only when I walk a long time on it, it gets a little sore. I'm crossing my fingers it's not broke because I really don't want to cancel this trip. Waaah!

If you doctor says it's okay, go ahead and have your vacation. You may need to change from a commando type trip to a more layed back one, but hey isn't that the advantage of a DVC vacation?

I had to laugh when I saw your post.....my feet have had really bad karhma lately. A vacume cleaner attachment leaped off of a shelf in my closet and nailed my middle toe...months ago...and it still hurts and is still bruised!!! Everyone i know says docs can't do anything for a broken toe so i never went to get it checked out...we have a 16 day disney trip starting in less than 2 weeks and am now finally trying to decide if i should get it checked out considering all the walking we'll be doing!!! I also around the same time dropped a baby bottle on the same foot..that is still a little sore too...i just don't want to be told i need a cast or something while i'm away but i also don't want to think about the possibility i could injure it more with all the extra walking!!! I don't know what to do!!! hope your xrays turn out ok!!!!! no matter what i wouldn't cancle though!!!!

RICE -- See below. I too recently dropped something on my R. foot, it took two weeks, but elevation and rice really helped (more than compression--that hurt, per WEB MD if taping the toe to the adjacent toe hurts, then remove the tape.)

It may be a stress fracture. They hurt like heck but are manageable. Pace yourself and take regular breaks to R.I.C.E.

REST
ICE
COMPRESSION
ELEVATION

Don't miss your trip!

I know it's hard to rest, ice and elevate but please do. It works.

How were the xrays? Please let us know your status. Bummer if you have to cancel. Hope you're not within the 4 month rule.

 

[Flyerfan]

did you get your xray yet?

If you doctor says it's okay, go ahead and have your vacation. You may need to change from a commando type trip to a more layed back one, but hey isn't that the advantage of a DVC vacation?

RICE -- See below. I too recently dropped something on my R. foot, it took two weeks, but elevation and rice really helped (more than compression--that hurt, per WEB MD if taping the toe to the adjacent toe hurts, then remove the tape.)



I know it's hard to rest, ice and elevate but please do. It works.

How were the xrays? Please let us know your status. Bummer if you have to cancel. Hope you're not within the 4 month rule.

Just had the x-rays this morning. Probably won't hear until early next week. I can walk on it fine...no pain at all. No tenderness when I touch. I can move toes and even twist my foot fine...nothing. Weird. The other side of that foot is bothering me along with my other foot and leg because I'm favoring the other side and trying not to put pressure on the bruised part. So now I'll be all screwed up. DH thinks I just bruised it. I wasn't doing anything at the time, just sitting on the couch. Got up and when I walked on a hard surface it felt weird, then the next morning it was bruised. I walk like 15-20 miles per week on the treadmill and the past month or so I added a little jogging. I wonder if I over did it.

I'll keep you posted!

 

[simba20]

DH thinks I just bruised it. I wasn't doing anything at the time, just sitting on the couch. Got up and when I walked on a hard surface it felt weird, then the next morning it was bruised. I walk like 15-20 miles per week on the treadmill and the past month or so I added a little jogging. I wonder if I over did it.

I'll keep you posted!

You know, something like this happened to me on our last trip to Disney World in July.

We arrive and our first night have dinner at O'hana. We then take the monorail over to MK for a little bit to let our DD(2) have her "...Small World" fix. I swear we were only in the park for two hours and spend a mahority of our time in Fantasy land, with the exception of the hubster and I taking a turn on BTMRR. We get back to the resort, and I notice that my feet hurt, but think that wearing my comfy flip-flops to the park was the issue (I took my tennis shoes but forgot to change into them) and being overweight was a factor.

The next morning we wake up to go to Epcot and I notice my ankle is tender. I think no biggie, as it probably stiffened during the night and it will work itself out while walking at Epcot. Later we arrive at Epcot and head to do our thing at Test Track. After riding it over and over (gotta love the single rider line first thing in the morning) DD is getting unruly, so we head over to the other side of FW to let Cuddlebug ride Nemo. I don;t know what happened, but by the time we got over to Nemo, I could barely walk and the area underneath my ankle bone was killing me. Everyday after that, I could only walk by having it wrapped (thank goodness the hotel store had self stick ACE wrap) and doing sessions of warm water soaks and ice in the room. The day after we came home, it was fine.

I was used to walkign around Disney, we had gone in April so I was used to all of the walking, but I still have no clue what happened.

 

[dopeygirl76]

simba20 - I had the same issue on our trip in Dec 06 I was 7 months pregnant so I just thought the baby weight caused problems but I have had the same issue a few other times here at home and not pregnant!!! It typically comes on a day or two after I have increased walking time. I use an eliptical at home daily and on some rare days I can end my workout fine and the next morning I can't put weight on it!!

OP - I did use the ECV in Dec 06 I REALLY tried to avoid it I was a healthy - although pregnant - 30 year old woman with no reason to use one - except it hurt like heck to walk- so I did it and it wasn't bad. I do wish I had given in earlier as I walked on it for the first three days after the pain started and I'm sure I made it last longer!!!

 

[Flyerfan]

Simba20, isn't is weird how these things can happen.

Still no xray results (hopefully tomorrow), but the swelling has been gone for days and no bruise anymore. Now the rest of my foot hurts....my heel, arch, side of foot. I'm thinking all this other stuff may be planter fasciitis so I'm rolling my foot on a frozen water bottle (as I type this) and wearing insoles to support my heel and arch. Have an appt with the foot doctor 2 days before we leave 'cause that's the earliest I could get in. I think I'll make it around WDW slowly but surely.