Mobility issues/walking?

Eeyores

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 13, 2016
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I am just starting to plan my first cruise, but my main concern is the amount of walking. I have chronic pain issues. I am really excited to go! Just want to enjoy it. The amount of walking I am afraid will make me miserable. I want to preserve my good times for having fun...not getting to the fun.

Where is the best/ cheapest room so we aren't far away from everything? Just my daughter and I. So near restaurants, kids club, main fun areas.

I'll probably have lots more questions, but this is my first!
 
I am just starting to plan my first cruise, but my main concern is the amount of walking. I have chronic pain issues. I am really excited to go! Just want to enjoy it. The amount of walking I am afraid will make me miserable. I want to preserve my good times for having fun...not getting to the fun.

Where is the best/ cheapest room so we aren't far away from everything? Just my daughter and I. So near restaurants, kids club, main fun areas.

I'll probably have lots more questions, but this is my first!
I would recommend a mid ship interior cabin on a lower deck. Most clubs, theaters, restaurants, etc are on decks 2-5. The pools are deck 9 (classic ships) and 11 (dream class), so you'd have to take an elevator but it's easier to catch those when you start at the bottom of the ship.
 
I would recommend a mid ship interior cabin on a lower deck. Most clubs, theaters, restaurants, etc are on decks 2-5. The pools are deck 9 (classic ships) and 11 (dream class), so you'd have to take an elevator but it's easier to catch those when you start at the bottom of the ship.
I agree. Getting an inside midship cabin is the most important thing (there aren't a lot of them and they can go fast, especially on the classic ships, so plan ahead. We prefer a higher deck, but that's just a matter of personal preference. You can't go wrong either way. We just took a Magic cruise recently and my mother, who has mobility issues, used a cane, and occasionally a wheelchair. She had little trouble getting around because of the midship location. Have a good time.
 
if you can walk minimally.... consider a "transport wheelchair". Made my mom's life so much easier when travelling.
  • Cruise embarkation and airline travel is expedited.
  • very affordable and lightweight compared to regular wheelchairs
  • save your energy for those final steps into the cabin or washrooms
  • some can be used as a walker when not used to sit in
  • don't need to look for an open seat when you have your own chair
  • a wheelchair makes it easier to get to the cabin in rough seas.
  • embarkation at some terminals can mean long periods of standing for security searches
  • lightweight aluminum models cost more... but worth it. http://www.airgomobility.com/Products-TC-Flip-More-E.asp
 

I broke my foot the night before a cruise last year, thank you crazy stroller driver at mk. Anyway, I was walking super slow all week on board. I just veered to the right & got there when I got there. The staff allowed me a staff short cut during the muster drill to get to my spot and they were constantly offering help and even offered a wheelchair if I needed it. Our stateroom host brought ice whenever I needed it. Btw, we were on the dream, midship, deck 10.
 
if you can walk minimally.... consider a "transport wheelchair". Made my mom's life so much easier when travelling.
  • Cruise embarkation and airline travel is expedited.
  • very affordable and lightweight compared to regular wheelchairs
  • save your energy for those final steps into the cabin or washrooms
  • some can be used as a walker when not used to sit in
  • don't need to look for an open seat when you have your own chair
  • a wheelchair makes it easier to get to the cabin in rough seas.
  • embarkation at some terminals can mean long periods of standing for security searches
  • lightweight aluminum models cost more... but worth it. http://www.airgomobility.com/Products-TC-Flip-More-E.asp
I don't have anyone to push me in a wheelchair. I do for airports as I go too slowly to run to gates. It would be nice to have a chair instead of searching for a seat! My problem at WDW...not enough seats for the crowd and I would end up sitting on the ground and having trouble getting up.
 
I don't have anyone to push me in a wheelchair. I do for airports as I go too slowly to run to gates. It would be nice to have a chair instead of searching for a seat! My problem at WDW...not enough seats for the crowd and I would end up sitting on the ground and having trouble getting up.

For WDW: consider an ECV. I have used one (rented from an outside vendor) for my last two WDW trips and found it so very very helpful. I could park it in an area and walk to nearby attractions if I felt like it, or for many attractions just use it through the line. It was also useful having a seat on my ECV for things like parades and fireworks (and waiting in a spot to view them...). Although I prize my independence, I found the ECV to actually be empowering and increase the things I could do -- I wasn't in nearly as much pain, could navigate from place to place, and had a seat when and where I needed it instead of having to seek one out.

For your cruise: here is DCL's webpage FAQ response about availability of wheelchairs: https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/guests-with-disabilities/wheelchair-rental/ QUOTE: "We have a limited supply of wheelchairs on board for assisting in embarkation and debarkation and for emergency use. However, we cannot provide Guests with a dedicated wheelchair for the entire cruise. Also note that Disney Cruise Line wheelchairs may not be brought ashore." I interpret this to mean that they will provide wheelchair assistance to get you on the ship at the start of the cruise and off at the end, similar to how an airline does in airports, HOWEVER, I would strongly suggest calling DCL at the numbers they list and talking with them about your needs and how they can assist. Never make assumptions ! They also have some additional info here: https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/guests-with-disabilities/

For choosing where to have your stateroom: there are some great websites, plus DCL's site itself, that have "maps" of the ship layout, arranged deck beside deck (not perfectly aligned, but it is easy enough to do mentally: note where the aft (back), midship, and foward elevators are -- they are the same set throughout the entire ship, so e.g. if you are looking at midship, mentally line up the midship elevators for each floor and you will see what is relative to it.

SW
 
I have no experience with cruises. I just know they are very large. I'm not sure I could tell much without actually seeing it.

Thank you so much for all of the info! I also am concerned after reading about noise levels. I don't sleep well anyway and my daughter has autism. If she is up, I'll be up even more. The lower mid rooms are under the bars/dance? The loud parts of the ship? We go to bed earlyish...between 9 and 10 pm.
 
Thoughts....
  • most think of walking/distance outside of the ship (ports, cruise terminal). But there is significant distance to the theatres, dining areas, and of course the cabin. That distance to someone with limited mobility is significant. Thus a wheelchair/rollator may be worth bringing. Just remember you will need to fold the device between your cabin door and bed. The washroom makes the entranceway narrow (17 inches???).
  • personally, I prefer the front of the ship. While it may have more motion.... I find engine vibrations would keep me up in the back. Don't remember the Wonder, but on the Princess ships..... I can feel the vibrations while dining on some days.
 
I thinking of it all! Especially if the activity is at the far end of the ship from my room!
 
I have mobility issues also and use a wheelchair most of the time which I bring onboard. I find a cabin near the elevators to be of most use. It's difficult to go up and down the corridors with the cleaning carts out!
 
Looking at booking...the rooms in the middle of the boat near the elevators. I need a map of the boat! Like which level are the kids' areas? Maybe I can find one online. That would be helpful. I do have a quote from the travel agent but she gave me for one of the most expensive concierge rooms! not exactly what I need.
 
Looking at booking...the rooms in the middle of the boat near the elevators. I need a map of the boat! Like which level are the kids' areas? Maybe I can find one online. That would be helpful. I do have a quote from the travel agent but she gave me for one of the most expensive concierge rooms! not exactly what I need.

Deck plans are available on several different websites. Here are a couple:
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships/deck-plans/
http://disneycruiselineblog.com/ships/deck-plans-disney-dream-disney-fantasy/
https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/Disney-Fantasy
and I'm sure there are others if you Google... PassPorters has a good reference book if you like to have a hard copy rather than flipping from tab to tab on a computer screen.

The Magic and Wonder will be smaller ships in general, so comparatively less walking to get from one end to another. The Dream and Fantasy are larger ships overall. The Oceaneer Club/Oceaneer Lab are on deck 5 of all ships, and I believe the nursery for littles ones is as well. The Edge and Vibe may be on different decks but you aren't likely to need to go there, just the tween/teen kids.

Enjoy your cruise!
 
We have taken my mother, who uses a rollator or cane, on several Disney cruises (including a few 14 nighters) with very few issues. We only do the classic ships as the Magic and Wonder are the perfect size for her---not too overwhelming in terms of getting around. We do try to stay in mid-ship staterooms and the lower-levels do make it easier to get an empty elevator. However, the key is just to take everything at your own pace. For the muster drill, my parents made their way to their station 15-20 minutes early so they could use the elevators (which I think shut down closer to the official drill time or at least would be crowded). For meals, they either get there a few minutes early or wait and arrive a few minutes late so they aren't standing in the line for very long. The buffets are pretty straightforward and there always seems to be a cast member who offers to carry my mom's tray if she has her cane with her. So, you might chose to carry a cane as it is just a visible cue that you might be moving at a slower pace. Honestly, it hasn't been much of an issue....they do like to get to the shows a bit early to claim a seat at the top of the theater (there is a handicapped section--with regular chairs instead of theater chairs) and my mom uses her rollator then as it means they just take one chair for my dad. If we want to sit with them, we often sit in the back row right in front of them so we are all sort of together. Other times, we just don't worry about it and they sit up in the back and my family finds seats where we want to and just find them at the end.

The only issues she's really ever encountered were when there was a really steep ramp at one embarkation port--this was just tricky with the rollator (and it wasn't Port Canaveral--it was one of the specialty cruises) but not impossible. Also, on excursions--they excursion desk is pretty good about explaining how much walking is necessary--but we've learned to press for details as we've discovered that some excursions (mainly bus tours) will allow her to stay on the bus at some tour sites where the group gets off and goes into a building---so she does miss some elements occasionally, but not much usually (like for example in Barcelona she skipped the walk to Gaudi's Sagrada Familia choosing to hang out in a park near the bus and people watch--but overall she's ok with it. She gets a sense of each port--so it works out. The one thing she as realized she can't do is get off at tender ports as some of the boats are small, very rocky and require several steep steps. She's had hip, knee, and back surgery that makes it hard to balance---so we either pick itineraries that don't tender or she just goes into it knowing she'll enjoy a quieter ship on those days.
 
The only excursion I have seen that sounds interesting without being too taxing is the Dolphins. Others seem to have lots of walking tours! Something I could not do. I would be miserable and struggling to keep up.

I learned my lesson when I was having a good day and I agreed to go on a mile hike. I had trouble keeping up and was losing the group and my daughter so hurried ...I came back with a bruised and bloody face from falling. The group slowed down for me then.
 
I am looking at the Magic mostly. It has the dates and place where we will be. Struggling to sync up dates though with my daughter's Space Camp. I am trying to schedule back to back.
 
So it looks like for the dates I need...Fantasy is the only one. I was wanting Magic the smaller ship. Now I am concerned. Larger boat, crowds, lots more waiting and standing.

Since I am still considering a wheelchair/ motorized cart thing i.e. (Not sure the name of it), are handicapped rooms hard to get? Fill up? Do I pay and then call to ask for it? Can I get one if I am unsure or do I need to wait until I decide that I will use a wheelchair? With the larger ship, I am definitely more inclined to do it!

Thank you for all of your help!
 

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