MS, 1st trip in 20+ years, need wisdom

[pryncess527]

I need your wisdom & guidance. I’ve lurked and read a lot of posts, but I’m feeling a tad overwhelmed. I … may have bitten off more than I can chew … but what’s done is done. I’m committed to making this the best trip ever. I’m spending Dec 21-30th at WDW

Me: 43, multiple sclerosis, haven’t been to Disney since 1997…
I’m renting an ECV through Golds because I definitely have serious mobility issues (no use of my right side, but I can make it up stairs in a pinch). I am going to request a DAS because I also have urinary frequency and urgency as symptoms.

I’m staying on property. GF the first 5 nights with my mother and sister. We will be driving down and my mothers car is spacious, so I was thinking we’d use the car to get to parks further away from GF, like AK, but I’m not sure if parking (I have a handicapped pass) and transporting the ECV ourselves is too much of a hassle or not. Would very much appreciate input on this plan.

The second 4 nights, my best friend and her daughters come down and my family leaves. At that point we move to AKL. One of the children has diabetes, so we will also request a DAS for her, as my friend is worried about managing lows in excessively long lines. I’m a lot more doubtful my friends car can handle the ECV (it’d have to be cleaner than I’ve ever seen it ), so I’m assuming we will definitely rely on busses. Unfortunate since this hotel is so far from 3/4 parks, but the girls wanted it most, so that’s that

I have one day at each park with each group. I’ve secured most of the ADRs I wanted and I have alerts set for the rest. I figured at least 1 ADR per park gives me some guaranteed time to rest. There are 2 days I’m planning a mid-day hotel break — resting at GF between transferring from AK to MK for the holiday party (that’ll be a long day!) and then a midday break at the AKL hotel on AK day, because I figured we won’t lose too much time to travel. The other 6 park days I’m just kinda planning on powering through then I’ll sleep for a week when I get home . I figured it won’t be too bad with the ECV… (right?)

So as I gather it, the next step is figuring out our actual plans for the day and what DAS attractions I might select first for each day of the trip? And what B should request for hers for the part she’ll be on? Any recommendations for planning the best attractions? Most of our priorities are RIDES and parades. We have desert party tickets & dining packages for Fantasmic & Candlelight so I don’t have to worry about those. But like I said, I haven’t been since 97 . It’s a whole new park. Any resource suggestions? Any tips?

ETA: we do have Genie+ on all the tickets for every day (yay to buying them early!). I’m also prepared to spring for LL if necessary

 

[lanejudy]

Considering the time of year, I strongly suggest packing your patience and low expectations. Maybe have each party make a list of "must-do" attractions at each park. Go from there as to what DAS Return Times to obtain within the parks. All queues are likely to be quite long and tie up the DAS for chunks of time.

Your friend should plan to carry plenty of glucose tabs and appropriate snacks to treat lows, whether in attraction queues or outside. Lines to buy food may be long. Places to sit may already be in use or just non-existent.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Also be prepared for a plan that doesn't involve DAS if one or both of the applying parties gets denied. Whether that is buying Genie+ and ILL, cutting back on planned amounts of rides/touring, or just making adjustments that will mitigate your issues, you should be prepared to get a no, and still make it work,

 

[pryncess527]

Considering the time of year, I strongly suggest packing your patience and low expectations. Maybe have each party make a list of "must-do" attractions at each park. Go from there as to what DAS Return Times to obtain within the parks. All queues are likely to be quite long and tie up the DAS for chunks of time.

Your friend should plan to carry plenty of glucose tabs and appropriate snacks to treat lows, whether in attraction queues or outside. Lines to buy food may be long. Places to sit may already be in use or just non-existent.

Patience I have in abundance!! Low expectations… that’s something I’ll need to work on our tickets were purchased in Jan so luckily we also have Genie+ for the entire trip. And I’m prepared to ILL as well

The girls have only been to two parks in one day, so this will exceed their expectations no matter what, I’ll definitely keep reminding myself about that.

 

[mamabunny]

Also remember that a lot of things have changed since ‘97, and not just the color of the Castle!

Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island) is easily 3 times larger than it once was; I think you will be amazed. The good news? It’s still a free dining/shopping/entertainment zone, and Art Smith, Rick Bayless, Guy Fieri, Wolfgang Puck, Morimoto, and Jose‘ Andreas all have a dining presence there. Also highly recommended is Gideon’s Bakery (Oh… those cookies are SO good!) and the line usually moves faster than you think it will.

Be sure to bring a blanket, or jacket (and maybe light gloves) because at night, it will get cool when you are driving a mobility device, especially near the water, or when riding on a boat. My family is never cold, because they are walking, and expending energy, but I am always freeeezing LOL. My hands are always cold, and in December, January and February I will always bring along the “Hot Hands” hand warmer packs to keep me warm!

Remember that each of the 4 Parks has First Aid, and you may want to, or need to access it; if they are not too busy, you can even rest for a bit on a cot there.

Stay hydrated - even in the winter months, its easy to forget to drink water at WDW, and dehydration can make some issues feel a lot worse.

If you are sun sensitive, plan ahead; the top of your head, tops of your ears, shoulders, neck, backs of hands (and arms if exposed) as well as top of your feet/legs - all can be exposed and quickly and easily cause problems for sun sensitive people. Sunblock is an option, as is SPF protective clothing.

Even if you will be seated all day, this is not the time to try and break in new shoes; wear comfy clothes and shoes.

Personally, I would opt for Disney transport (bus, boat, Monorail or Skyliner are all free) or Minnie Vans wherever possible, since you are staying onsite. Just add some extra time to allow for travel; unless you are staying at one of the EPCOT area Resorts, you will have some travel time any place you stay at WDW, so don’t worry too much. When we stay at Wilderness Lodge, for example, we allow at least an hour to get to Animal Kingdom Park.

Oh! And when you are at GF, there is a new walking path that opened in the last couple of years from GF to MK - so if you have a lovely day, you all can take in the view, and watch the Monorails go by as you walk!

 

[pryncess527]

Also remember that a lot of things have changed since ‘97, and not just the color of the Castle!

Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island) is easily 3 times larger than it once was; I think you will be amazed. The good news? It’s still a free dining/shopping/entertainment zone, and Art Smith, Rick Bayless, Guy Fieri, Wolfgang Puck, Morimoto, and Jose‘ Andreas all have a dining presence there. Also highly recommended is Gideon’s Bakery (Oh… those cookies are SO good!) and the line usually moves faster than you think it will.

Be sure to bring a blanket, or jacket (and maybe light gloves) because at night, it will get cool when you are driving a mobility device, especially near the water, or when riding on a boat. My family is never cold, because they are walking, and expending energy, but I am always freeeezing LOL. My hands are always cold, and in December, January and February I will always bring along the “Hot Hands” hand warmer packs to keep me warm!

Remember that each of the 4 Parks has First Aid, and you may want to, or need to access it; if they are not too busy, you can even rest for a bit on a cot there.

Stay hydrated - even in the winter months, its easy to forget to drink water at WDW, and dehydration can make some issues feel a lot worse.

If you are sun sensitive, plan ahead; the top of your head, tops of your ears, shoulders, neck, backs of hands (and arms if exposed) as well as top of your feet/legs - all can be exposed and quickly and easily cause problems for sun sensitive people. Sunblock is an option, as is SPF protective clothing.

Even if you will be seated all day, this is not the time to try and break in new shoes; wear comfy clothes and shoes.

Personally, I would opt for Disney transport (bus, boat, Monorail or Skyliner are all free) or Minnie Vans wherever possible, since you are staying onsite. Just add some extra time to allow for travel; unless you are staying at one of the EPCOT area Resorts, you will have some travel time any place you stay at WDW, so don’t worry too much. When we stay at Wilderness Lodge, for example, we allow at least an hour to get to Animal Kingdom Park.

Oh! And when you are at GF, there is a new walking path that opened in the last couple of years from GF to MK - so if you have a lovely day, you all can take in the view, and watch the Monorails go by as you walk!

Thank you so, so much!!! I will definitely heed your advice. I’m about 5% scared and 95% busting out of my skin I’m so excited. Counting the days

 

[RoseGold]

Do you have an ECV at home? I'd take your home device over renting a massive, slow rental scooter.

Rental scooters are not easy to transport, and you can't casually put them in your mom's car. Tranportation is a major issue with a scooter. If you are staying on site, there's Disney transport, but even that can fail, especially in a peak time.

There are some small, middle ground ECV options that would fit in a car, which may be worth buying, if your condition is permanent. There are many posts about these devices on these forums.

I'd recommend going to a local mobility store and just seeing what is there. You might be surprised how many choices there are now.

 

[pryncess527]

Do you have an ECV at home? I'd take your home device over renting a massive, slow rental scooter.

Rental scooters are not easy to transport, and you can't casually put them in your mom's car. Tranportation is a major issue with a scooter. If you are staying on site, there's Disney transport, but even that can fail, especially in a peak time.

There are some small, middle ground ECV options that would fit in a car, which may be worth buying, if your condition is permanent. There are many posts about these devices on these forums.

I'd recommend going to a local mobility store and just seeing what is there. You might be surprised how many choices there are now.

I only use a cane at home. But rarely need to walk so far. I’ve just learned of the Minnie Van and Mears taxi options so I think I’m going to plan that as my backup if the wait for regular transportation is hard.

 

[RoseGold]

Since you are driving, you could rent locally and bring something down that's nicer than a slow, huge rental scooter.

I have a permanently disabled family member, and I have rented a Whill Ci at my local mobility store more than once, when they are in various states of disrepair. This is probably the limit of what would load in a normal car. A strong person could do it alone, it's a little too much for me alone, as an average able-bodied female.

There are smaller chairs than this, and there are a whole lot of options that aren't massive Orlando rental scooter.

EDIT: You can't bring a massive rental scooter in a lot of lines, it just doesn't fit and they make you park. You can bring a power chair through almost all of the lines. This is a game changer, IMO.

 

[pryncess527]

Since you are driving, you could rent locally and bring something down that's nicer than a slow, huge rental scooter.

I have a permanently disabled family member, and I have rented a Whill Ci at my local mobility store more than once, when they are in various states of disrepair. This is probably the limit of what would load in a normal car. A strong person could do it alone, it's a little too much for me alone, as an average able-bodied female.

There are smaller chairs than this, and there are a whole lot of options that aren't massive Orlando rental scooter.

EDIT: You can't bring a massive rental scooter in a lot of lines, it just doesn't fit and they make you park. You can bring a power chair through almost all of the lines. This is a game changer, IMO.

Hmmm, I’ll have to look into that. I thought the ECV scooters from Golds were considered very park friendly

 

[RoseGold]

Hmmm, I’ll have to look into that. I thought the ECV scooters from Golds were considered very park friendly

Sure, but you've got to get it to the park. And there are many lines with no scooters.

 

[pryncess527]

Sure, but you've got to get it to the park. And there are many lines with no scooters.

Yeah I’m really fascinated by these Whill products… thank you so much for your advice!

I’m flying from the west coast to GA then driving down with family and flying back home from MCO, so I’m reluctant to purchase. But it looks like at least one Orlando rental company delivers them to the hotels… they definitely look easier to manage!! The video from Golds shows my how to disassemble their 3wherler for transport was intimidating

 

[pryncess527]

I have a permanently disabled family member, and I have rented a Whill Ci at my local mobility store more than once,

Could it be operated by just the left hand? It’s hard to tell online but it looks like the controls are only on the right

 

[RoseGold]

Could it be operated by just the left hand? It’s hard to tell online but it looks like the controls are only on the right

There's a 90 second Youtube video on how to swap it to the other side.

I don't see why it wouldn't work on the rental. You could ask. Absolutely possible if you buy one. They are very, very nice if you call.

 

[pryncess527]

There's a 90 second Youtube video on how to swap it to the other side.

I don't see why it wouldn't work on the rental. You could ask. Absolutely possible if you buy one. They are very, very nice if you call.

Thank you!!! A place near me offers test drives. I may try that. Looks like bpmobility.com rents them in Orlando

 

[ttintagel]

As a type 1 diabetic who's been denied DAS every time, I would caution your friend to make sure she has a backup plan for managing her daughter's needs in the parks just in case.

 

[pryncess527]

As a type 1 diabetic who's been denied DAS every time, I would caution your friend to make sure she has a backup plan for managing her daughter's needs in the parks just in case.

2 in the same party seems redundant anyway? Assuming I get one, we can’t be on each others return time so having a 2nd almost seems like a hassle unless I’m missing something

 

[gap2368]

2 in the same party seems redundant anyway? Assuming I get one, we can’t be on each others return time so having a 2nd almost seems like a hassle unless I’m missing something

The only thing about having two is if she want to ride something you do not

 

[pryncess527]

The only thing about having two is if she want to ride something you do not

I don’t see that happening. And we will have Genie+ too. I may just tell her mom not to worry about the DAS, it’s one less thing she really needs to worry about