Leaving in two days - knee trouble HELP!

[krissyh]

I have a childhood knee injury that acts up every once and a while.
Of couse it is acting up now because we leave in two days.
I normally take Advil and manage through it but this will be a lot of walking.
DBF could push me in a wheelchair if necessary or I could do one of those scooters one or two days if it gets really bad and would be able to stand and walk through the lines. Pretty good with pain and don't want to do the wheelchair thing if I don't have to but too much pain would ruin the trip.

I am hoping that it is just the below zero wind chills or working out too much to make sure I'm in bathing suit form and will clear up by then. But if it does not -

HOW DO I GET A WHEELCHAIR OR SCOOTER THIS LATE IN THE GAME?

 

[SueM in MN]

I have a childhood knee injury that acts up every once and a while.
Of couse it is acting up now because we leave in two days.
I normally take Advil and manage through it but this will be a lot of walking.
DBF could push me in a wheelchair if necessary or I could do one of those scooters one or two days if it gets really bad and would be able to stand and walk through the lines. Pretty good with pain and don't want to do the wheelchair thing if I don't have to but too much pain would ruin the trip.

I am hoping that it is just the below zero wind chills or working out too much to make sure I'm in bathing suit form and will clear up by then. But if it does not -

HOW DO I GET A WHEELCHAIR OR SCOOTER THIS LATE IN THE GAME?

Come to the disABILITIES Board (there's a link in my signature) and check into the FAQs thread, which is located near the top of the board. It has information about the various ways to get wheelchairs and scooters, including links to the off-site places that DIS posters report renting from most often.
You can also rent from the parks; scooters are first come first serve and are sometimes gone if you go later in the day during busy times. Wheelchairs are usually not a problem since they have more of those.

 

[krissyh]

Thanks so much.

Really hoping to not need it but want to be prepared.

 

[Doting Grandma]

My knee "gave out" right before our trip a few weeks ago. My sister suggested that I get a patellar knee strap as she had success with it. You can get them at WalMart, CVS, places like that. I have no idea why they work, but for me it was truly amazing. They cost about $15. Just a thought.

 

[mkymouse4ever]

We have been worrying about this same thing. On our last trip my sister really had problems with her bad knee, and I keep telling her about these options but she is still young and doesn't want to do the "cart / wheelchair" thing yet. But I think we should have an alternative plan just in case.

Any suggestions how to talk her into it? We go down yearly & know alot of people use them, but she is also concern taking one and someone else not getting one. Or, how bad should it be before she uses it. My answer is "you will feel better, and be able to do what you want" "not cut things out because of walking" Or at least use it at Epcot, where you walk very long distances, etc... .

Thanks, Mky

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I second the suggestion of a knee "brace". I had knee surgery and I had to wear one afterwards. Mine was an actual medical device but the ones in the pharmacies and Target aren't much different. My knee cap didn't stay centered properly, and the friction from it rubbing sideways caused the pain. The brace kept the knee cap (patella) centered. Depending on the problem the brace might help.

Good luck!

 

[minnie61650]

We have been worrying about this same thing. On our last trip my sister really had problems with her bad knee, and I keep telling her about these options but she is still young and doesn't want to do the "cart / wheelchair" thing yet. But I think we should have an alternative plan just in case.

Any suggestions how to talk her into it? We go down yearly & know alot of people use them, but she is also concern taking one and someone else not getting one. Or, how bad should it be before she uses it. My answer is "you will feel better, and be able to do what you want" "not cut things out because of walking" Or at least use it at Epcot, where you walk very long distances, etc... .

Thanks, Mky

Please ask your sister the following questions. Here are the suggested answers to go with them.

1. Are you disabled (even temporarily)? Yes.

2. Do the people you are travelling with, such as your family, know you are disabled? Yes.

3. Do you expect to meet anyone you know during this trip who may not know you are disabled. Probably No!

4. Do you expect to meet a bunch of people who you will probably never meet again in your life? Probably yes!

5. Is there any reason at all that you should care what these people think about you? Absolutely No!!

6. Will using a wheelchair or ECV make for a better vacation for you and your family? Absolutely YES!

Have a wonderful vacation.

 

[SueM in MN]

Any suggestions how to talk her into it?

2 things people have used that worked:
1) Find a familar place that is about 3-4 miles from her house (like school, church, grocery store).
Ask if she'd be able to walk there and back. Then, if she could do that every day for as many days as you plan to be in the parks.
Chances are she would say "of course not". But, the estimated distance people walk at WDW each day is between 5 and 9 miles. Just the distance around the water at WS in Epcot is between 1.1 and 1.3 miles (I've seen both figures and thing it depends on if you walk close to the water or farther away - the close to the water part is the smaller circle).

2) Think of the energy required to go to WDW like a budget. Just like a money budget, if you use it all up on thing, you won't have any later for spending on other things. If she chooses to use her "energy budget" just getting around, she may not have enough to spend later for more fun things.

 

[mhingher]

I hurt my foot half-way through a WDW trip in 2004, I was 26 at the time. I wasn't too happy about it-- but had to be pushed in a wheelchair... The biggest perk-- we didn't have to wait in many lines! CMs usually pulled us from the line and either let us go on the FP line or gave us FP to come back. And thsi was for my whole party-- 10 adults and 3 kids!

 

[krissyh]

Glad to hear others feel my (emotional) pain over this.

I really am only asking about the EVC/Wheelchairs "just in case" I can't manage and possibly as a precaution - don't want to walk in pain and then have it get so bad that I am not even able to do the wheelchair because it is so bad.

I am old enough (though proud and stubborn ) to know when to say when.
I just don't want to miss out on anything and especially to not have DBF miss out on anything because of me as he has never been to MK.

And for the record, even though I know I shouldn't go there, I WOULD NEVER take up an offer to be pulled out of line. Even if I get a chair, I'd be able to walk the line, but if I couldn't would still wait patiently and tell the CM to give that special treat to some family that looked to need it.

 

[krissyh]

Sue M
Awesome and insightful recommendations!

 

[bairdbeth]

I hurt my back 2 years ago right before our trip. My doctor said the only way I could go is if I rented a scooter. I did not want to, but came to the disABILITIES board and got good advice. I rented from Walker mobility so I did not feel that I was taking a scooter in the park from someone who might need it more. I used it for long distance. I parked it and stood in line with everyone else. I did not use it at Downtown Disney and that was when I realized I would have never made it in the parks without the scooter. With the scooter I had a pain free, best trip ever. Without the scooter we would have only been able to stay for short periods of time and my DD would have really been bummed. It was very hard to admit that I needed the scooter, but it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made. Rent a scooter and that way you won't have to be in pain, slow down your group or have to leave the parks early.

 

[Karnak]

Because of a very sore heel I rented a ECV from a company near WDW but only used it in Epcot. We were staying at Boardwalk, and the walk from there to Future World in Epcot is very long if you have a problem with a foot, knee, etc.

The ECV was really nice, and made it possible for me to tour Epcot with no problem at all. Epcot has plenty of space between attractions, so the ECV was really useful there.

However, there's no way I would attempt to use an ECV in any of the other three parks. They are simply too crowded and congested in many places to use the ECV.

Enjoy.

 

[minnie61650]

Glad to hear others feel my (emotional) pain over this.

......
And for the record, even though I know I shouldn't go there, I WOULD NEVER take up an offer to be pulled out of line. Even if I get a chair, I'd be able to walk the line, but if I couldn't would still wait patiently and tell the CM to give that special treat to some family that looked to need it.

There is no front of the line access with the exception of the Make A Wish children no one gets front of the line.[/ Disney started mainsteaming most of their lines in the late 1990's.Those in WC/EVC usually wait just as long or longer than the guests in the stand by lines. WC/EVC may be pulled from the mainsteam line part way down so we can board the ride in an
accessable area.EVC's can't climb steps so sometimes we need to take an elevator. Or we may need to board a ride where the riders usually exit in case
we need an accessible vehical or we need the moving sidewalk slowed or stopped so we can board. Depending on how many WC/EVC guest are ahead of us our wait usually just as long if not longer than people who are waiting in the stand by lines.
AK and MGM are newer parks and almost all the lines are mainstreamed with the exception of LMA stunt show. MK was built in 1972 before the disabilities act so some of the rides especially those in Fantasyland don't have mainstream lines. For the Peter Pan ride we do wait at the exit where a CM will meet us and instruct us how to board a ride vehicle. Since the moving sidewalk on the Peter Pan can not be slowed and can only be stoped in an emergency the CM must make sure the guest understands how to board the and that the guest is physiclly able to board the ride.
With It's A Small World ride the mainstream guest enter the boats on one side of the water and exit on the other side of the water. Since there is no way for the CM's to get the WC/EVC's across the water they have us enter through the exit. If we need a WC accessible boat we have wait until it is available. Since they have many many regular boats and only one WC accessible boat it can be a much longer wait then the standby line.
There is almost always a line to board in the accessible area. Sometimes we need to wait for the HA vehicle. Other times we are waiting because the Disabled guests must be pretty evenly spaced out before boarding an attraction so there is as little interruptions for the "regular able bodied guests" as possible. The CM's don't want to slow down or stop the ride too often during anyone's ride. Have you ever been on Buzz Lightyear, IASW, Spaceship Earth or the Haunted Mansion, when the ride slowed down or stopped momentary then started up again? The most likely reason it stopped was to enable a Disabled guest to board or disembark from the ride. So next time the ride stops momentary, sit back and enjoy the scenery. After all you are at Disney!

 

[SueM in MN]

I hurt my foot half-way through a WDW trip in 2004, I was 26 at the time. I wasn't too happy about it-- but had to be pushed in a wheelchair... The biggest perk-- we didn't have to wait in many lines! CMs usually pulled us from the line and either let us go on the FP line or gave us FP to come back. And thsi was for my whole party-- 10 adults and 3 kids!

That is the exception rather than the rule (just so people don't expect it).
Most people traveling with wheelchairs or ECVs don't get that treatment.
Most of the lines are wheelchair accessible and, for those few that are not, Disney's policy is that the person using a wheelchair and up to 5 members of their party (a total of 6 people) are allowed to use the accessible entrance.
Sometimes using the accessible entrance actually takes longer, depending on how many other people with special needs are on the attraction or waitinng to board, how many ride cars are running and the number of CMs working at the time. Our longest "extra wait" was 40 minutes for the Safari when people without wheelchairs were walking right on (and they were even sending some ride trams out half full because there were no people in line to fill them).

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

My mom has suffered from severe foot problems for years. Multiple surgeries in multiple years failed to fix them. On our first trip to WDW in '94, she was in tears from the pain of walking from the parking lot to the MK on our first day there. If we hadn't rented a wheelchair, she would have spent the whole week in the hotel room. So, my dad went ahead, rented a wheelchair from MK and brought it back to my mom. She enjoyed the rest of a long awaited family vacation that she had put so much time and planning into. My mom can handle some walking activitites such as shopping, even at Christmastime, but she needs to rest her feet for a couple of days afterwards. My point is that my mom is physically unable to handle the days of walking that any Disney vacation requires now. So, we rented a wheelchair for years, and recently bought her one. Do not feel bad. You can even rent a wheelchair from your resort if you're staying on Disney property even this late in the game. Until we bought the wheelchair for mom, we always rented it on the morning we arrived at Disneyland. Disney is very understanding that disabilities come in different forms. You should be able to rent from someplace even at this stage of the game.

 

[cranbiz]

I have one bad knee and one that was repaired. Now the bad one is known to go out on me unexpectedly (but thankfully, not that often).

What I do is bring a cane / walking stick and use it when I know that I'm having trouble. It helps me a lot and then I don't need the wheelchair. I'm also stubbon and will do anything to stay independent.

If your knee will keep you from having a good time unaided, do whatever you feel is necessary for you to enjoy your vacation. No one here is going to think badly of you and if they do, who cares. It's your vacation, not theirs. Besides what you do at the parks is your business, not anyone elses and you will never see them again.

 

[hematite153]

My DW has a skin disease that can result in extreme blisters (think bubble wrap for feet) that makes walking next to impossible when it acts up. She determined that she would just be careful and pay attention while at Disney and did not want to use resources (i.e. wheelchairs) that should be reserved for those who needed them more.

After ONE day she was limping badly and walking more slowly than any toddler (even one who is distracted by everything they pass).

I picked up a (free) wheelchair for her at the resort and without it the rest of our vacation would have been wasted. However, she was so badly disabled by that point that even transfering for rides was a challenge. Thus, I got quite an extreme workout (pushing) that I hadn't planned on. She loves Space Mtn and would have liked to ride it twice, but there was no way I was pushing her up and down those ramps a second time.

We have a deal now--next time she uses the wheelchair from the beginning so that she will be able to walk through the stretches that are hard to push. Let's face it--by accepting your limitations up front EVERYONE has a better time.

You can try telling your sister this story and see if it helps.

 

[mkymouse4ever]

Thanks for all the suggestions, and encouragment!

mky