Old DVC Members!

[sandieb]

OK - I am 62 and hubby is 68. We bought into DVC in 2002 and love going and taking our grandchildren. However, it has become so difficult to hoof around the parks! I had to take 2 maximum strength Tylenol before we would leave for the parks just to make it through it. Feet, hips, back etc hurt after a couple hours. I am worried that we won't be able to continue in the future. I am miserable at the thought of selling our DVC. Have any of you experienced this issue? How are you coping? Do you plan to sell?

Shoot - I thought 60 was the new 50, but tell that to my body!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Boy, I'm right there with ya! Although I'm a few months shy of 60, tell that to my arthritic body this morning. I have to bring a whole kit of supplies, it seems, to "survive" WDW-heating pad, icy-hot cream and patches, etc. Although selling is the furthest thing from our minds, I find that spending lots more time reading around the pool, staying around the resort is better. It helps that the DVC resorts are so beautifully themed. My fondest memory from our most recent trip wasn't in the parks, but the afternoon I spent reading on the couch in the Solarium, listening to the music and people watching. My back appreciated it too!

 

[culli]

I own the DVC but my Mom goes more than we do, she will be spending 3 weeks in January. She is 68 and we get her a scooter, it took her awhile to open up to the idea. However, she loves it now and it makes a world of difference with her enjoyment. She doesn't need to take it on rides or everywhere but it is required to go around the parks.

May not be the best option for your situation but my Mom absolutley loves it - provides her the freedom of getting around anywhere without having to "pay the Piper" at the end of the day.

 

[keishashadow]

OP i find motrin to work better. Family joke is the only thing that motivates me to step upon my treadmill is trips to disney.

suggestions:

*I take extra care of my feet (swapping out shoes every other day, supportive shoes and extra cushioned socks changed twice a day) makes a world of difference.

*try to keep moving, even when standing in line, don't lock in your legs

*slow down & take a break every couple of hours (extend those bathroom & snack breaks to allow you to get off your feet for 10 - 15 minutes)

*split the day, insist on that afternoon break back @ the resort.

 

[mouseaider]

I know how you feel. We've really tried to keep this from happening to us.

I'm 61 and my DW is just a little younger, but we try to keep in great shape. We eat right and walk two miles a day. And yes.... I'm a little overweight but working on that..... kind of.

I'm very active and I wouldn't think of letting anyone mow my lawn or clear my driveway of snow.

My best tip for you is keep very active and do as much as your Doctor..... and body..... allow you to do.

Then you will stay in "Disney" shape, as we like to call it.

Good luck and I hope you never decide to sell what gives you so much pleasure.

 

[sandieb]

I know how you feel. We've really tried to keep this from happening to us.

I'm 61 and my DW is just a little younger, but we try to keep in great shape. We eat right and walk two miles a day. And yes.... I'm a little overweight but working on that..... kind of.

I'm very active and I wouldn't think of letting anyone mow my lawn or clear my driveway of snow.

My best tip for you is keep very active and do as much as your Doctor..... and body..... allow you to do.

Then you will stay in "Disney" shape, as we like to call it.

Good luck and I hope you never decide to sell what gives you so much pleasure.

You are absolutely right! I have a good friend in South Carolina (we live in Maryland) who also loves Disney. Both of us are trying to maintain our health through exercise and healthy eating. I am sure it helps, but good grief, by the end of a park day I am wasted!

Sandie

 

[sandieb]

OP i find motrin to work better. Family joke is the only thing that motivates me to step upon my treadmill is trips to disney.

suggestions:

*I take extra care of my feet (swapping out shoes every other day, supportive shoes and extra cushioned socks changed twice a day) makes a world of difference.

*try to keep moving, even when standing in line, don't lock in your legs

*slow down & take a break every couple of hours (extend those bathroom & snack breaks to allow you to get off your feet for 10 - 15 minutes)

*split the day, insist on that afternoon break back @ the resort.

Great ideas! One of the other things we do is to alternate a park day with a fishing/pool day or Typhoon Lagoon day . Itt is usually 2 park days, then one off day.

Anyway, I don't mean to be a whiner, but it all changes as we have gotten older. Maybe down the road we will consider using a scooter (my husband more than me), but I really dread that! It sort of confirms I am OLD!)

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm 61 and Bill is 58. I just got my second knee replacement (osteoarthritis) and I'm looking forward to running around the parks on our next trip.

On our last trip, the Casey Anthony trial was on TV, so I watched that a lot.

We go for a short time in the morning (maybe two or three hours), head back to the resort for a nap and/or swim, then head back about again about five for dinner at a park. When our 18 year old son is along with us, he and Bill stay out for EMH, usually until park closing. We'll enjoy staying at the resort, taking walks, swimming, etc.

Have your one and only kid at 43 and you stay young.

Bill started running marathons about eight years ago (he had a stroke at 29 from a car accident that shattered his right tibia). That keeps him young.

 

[mkarizona]

OP i find motrin to work better. Family joke is the only thing that motivates me to step upon my treadmill is trips to disney.

Ibuprofen(ie motrin, etc) is the best for inflammation, but for the ache of arthritis I prefer the 8 hour arthritis tylenol (generic of course).

 

[Figment2]

60 years old, two knee replacements and both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis here. Bayer Back and Body Pain is my staple (although I do have heavy duty prescription drugs when it gets really bad).

We have a large older group that travels together (except for a couple of youngsters under 40, most of us are between 50 & 70). We will walk for awhile and then find someplace to sit and rest. Our favorite places to reconnoiter are Liberty Inn at the American Pavillion or the area behind the bakery in Norway.

We also enjoy going for an early lunch or breakfast at other resorts.

The one park I spend very little time at is Animal Kingdom. I find walking there very difficult. Some of our group really enjoy AK but will only go for a couple of hours and then go back to the resort to rest. I'd rather spend time at AK Lodge or Kidani. Nothing like sitting at one of the outlooks in Kidani and watching the animals with drink in hand.

As far as scooter use, I was in one ALOT prior to my knee replacements. It was so much easier for me to keep up with everyone. I finally talked one of my friends into a wheelchair this past October. I reminded her it wasn't for her but for the rest of us. She's on chemo pills and was miserable after walking short distances. The wheelchair conserved her strength and gave us peace of mind. Just something to think about...

Cyn

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Training...


My 70 plus year old mother can walk me into the ground.

She walks daily NOT just at Disney....,

 

[keishashadow]

Great ideas! One of the other things we do is to alternate a park day with a fishing/pool day or Typhoon Lagoon day . Itt is usually 2 park days, then one off day.

Anyway, I don't mean to be a whiner, but it all changes as we have gotten older. Maybe down the road we will consider using a scooter (my husband more than me), but I really dread that! It sort of confirms I am OLD!)

whoever coined the golden years phrase had quite the sense of humor. I'm with you though, it's not quite how I had expected but i'm happy enouch to keep plugging away.

that's a good idea with the 2 on, 1 off idea. We tend to do split trips in a week, sometimes moving twice. I'm pretty sure those days will pass soon, easier to pick a base camp and then go forth.

 

[LPnerd]

we enjoy vero beaach. It's so peaceful and the ocean is beautiful. also, don't forget you can go all over the world with those points. not just disney world!

 

[Shih-Tzu]

We are 50's & 60's and are part of the Rice Krispie club (we snap, crackle and pop) I notice our last trip that we got tired more easily and tended to do the parks in the morning and night and spent the afternoon at the pool/napping/reading.......
Along with my DH, I take my best friend - Alieve (naproxin) and Tylenol Extra Strength. I also find that the hot tub helps - especially last thing at night after the parks...
I'm a little worried right now about our upcoming trip, but once we get into the warmer climate, the joints may "un-seize" a little.
BTW - they call it the golden age because you need a lot of gold to pay for the patches/meds/shoe insoles, etc.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We're right there with you! DH has bad knees and hips, and he has had increasingly more difficulty every trip. I haven't gotten that bad yet, but I do have the back and foot issues when we have been here for awhile. I guess we'll just have to stay longer to see and do everything we want to do.

 

[Sammie]

I highly recommend regular Spa treatments while there.

 

[genmasjoy]

I find this thread interesting. DH and I bought at OKW in 1995 when our son was 12. Now he's 28 and we are 58 and 71. We do find we have slowed down, but we still enjoy Disney although no longer do we go commando style. On our last trip, we spent time at Downtown Disney and taking a nap before going to the Magic Kingdom Christmas party. It broke up the day. The next day, we went to Epcot for the food and wine festival - arrrived at 9 and left at 3. We still enjoy ourselves, but about six hours is our maximum time at the parks. We have also enjoyed HH, Vero Beach, DCL, and the Concierge Collection for a change of pace.

 

[a742246]

I use the hot tub first thing in the morning, followed by the steam room, and
cap it off with the sauna. Then my body is up to anything for the next 12 hours. At night I usually take 1 or 2 Advil. So far so good but each year we slow down just a bit.

 

[sandieb]

Training...


My 70 plus year old mother can walk me into the ground.

She walks daily NOT just at Disney....,

Yes! Daily walking is important (and enjoyable). Unforturnately, some of us older folks have developed health issues that limit the amount of exercise our bodies tolerate - often arthritis or foot problems.

In the day I bicycled centuries, hiked 10 mile + with lots of elevation change, etc. This lasted until about 50 years old. Since then it is pain, not the will to participate, that limits activities - not so much early on, but more over the last couple years.

Since this is a DVC thread, I guess when we bought it was with the idea we would use it through our retirement years. It is a wake up call when we started to struggle walking the Disney parks. Thanks for the great suggestions, and it is great to know there are others with similar issues.

 

[joksten2000]

We are 69 & 68 and can't spend hours in the parks. We decided to spend our winters in Florida and go to the parks three or four times a week for a couple of hours at a time. The grand kids come down and we try to stay in the parks for three hours with them. Our points are now used for cruising. We buy annual passes every year