Our trip is in 2 weeks and DD is quite ill

[clanmcculloch]

Be aware that to use the boat from Poly to MK you have to have her get out of the chair and you'll have to fold the chair and carry it on. Also, to get to Epcot, definitely walk over to TTC to catch the Epcot monorail or else you'll have to not only do the entire loop but also when you get off the monorail at TTC you have to go down a steep ramp and then up another one. There are elevators at Epcot which helps a lot but the less on and off you have to do, the easier it'll be on whomever is pushing.

Yes, they deliver the wheelchairs to the same place at the resort that strollers are delivered.

For decorating, one thing we had considered was balloons but then I realized that they'd be in the way at parades and would be a pain on busses and the monorail.

Those flowers you see in the bottom picture took I think 4 leis each side to get the puff that big. Oh, here's something you can do. They do lei making in the lobby I think every day. She can even customize some flower decorations for the chair.

When you check in, make sure that if you're not in a ground floor room that you're not in the building that doesn't have an elevator. It should be easy to switch you to another building or a ground floor room if you happen to be on the second floor of that one building (I think Rapa Nui) which is the only floor of the only building that would be an issue.

 

[jandkmom]

We just upgraded to CL so we will be in Hawaii. We figured it would be easier for us to grab something to eat at the lounge anytime she's hungry and have a place to hang if she's not up for the parks. A great view of the fireworks without all of the crowds too!

 

[livndisney]

Those are great suggestions for the wheelchair...thank you again! Decorating it is a cool idea, and we are staying at the Poly, so we'll have plenty of leis to go around. I will look into renting one of those smaller wheelchairs for her. I'm assuming they deliver and pick-up at bell services like a stroller would? I'm going to get a GAC too just in case she needs it. I don't want her to stress about waiting in line if she's having a bad day and needs trips to the bathroom. That would be difficult and embarrassing for her. She's very unassuming and doesn't like a lot of attention, especially for this kind of stuff. I just want to make it as easy and fun as possible.

With a wheelchair a GAC is not necessary. A GAC is not intented to shorten wait time (may increase it). A good touring plan and FP may work better for you. If she needs to leave any line, just speak to the CM and they will do what they can to get you back to your family in line.

 

[Piper]

With a wheelchair a GAC is not necessary. A GAC is not intented to shorten wait time (may increase it). A good touring plan and FP may work better for you. If she needs to leave any line, just speak to the CM and they will do what they can to get you back to your family in line.

Livndisney is correct--a GAC isn't necessary with a wheelchair. Also there is no way to shorten time in line...the GAC states right on it that it cannot shorten or eliminate wait times. Actually, there are some lines where someone in a wheelchair actually may wait longer than a person without one.

A good touring plan is your best bet!!

 

[jandkmom]

Ok, I didn't mean I would use GAC as a crutch or anything. We used one with my mom last year (she has ALS) and we used it only when we thought it would be easier for her (only a few times). It was a slow time anyway so we didn't need it much, but it allowed to get right on the Jungle Cruise with no wait.

 

[gamomof2]

I have Crohn's and there are meds that can help bandaid the symptoms until she is feeling better. Lomotil for helping with the big D, Zofran for nausea. Stay away from soda's (carbonation and sugar are a guts worst nightmare). Also Levsin can help with colon spasms. I hope she is negative for Crohn's though.

 

[jandkmom]

I have Crohn's and there are meds that can help bandaid the symptoms until she is feeling better. Lomotil for helping with the big D, Zofran for nausea. Stay away from soda's (carbonation and sugar are a guts worst nightmare). Also Levsin can help with colon spasms. I hope she is negative for Crohn's though.

Thank you. She is on Levsin right now but we are using it sparingly because it's causing a lot of gas build up. We did Zofran at a particularly bad time for her nausea but she was constipated for days after it Thank goodness she doesn't like soda. She is doing the colon clean out this weekend in prep for the scope on Mon. But we are still planning to leave on our trip on Friday! We rented the 16 inch wheelchair, thanks to pp's advice. I think that will help a great deal.

 

[jandkmom]

I have Crohn's and there are meds that can help bandaid the symptoms until she is feeling better. Lomotil for helping with the big D, Zofran for nausea. Stay away from soda's (carbonation and sugar are a guts worst nightmare). Also Levsin can help with colon spasms. I hope she is negative for Crohn's though.

Thank you. She is on Levsin right now but we are using it sparingly because it's causing a lot of gas build up. We did Zofran at a particularly bad time for her nausea but she was constipated for days after it Thank goodness she doesn't like soda. She is doing the colon clean out this weekend in prep for the scope on Mon. But we are still planning to leave on our trip on Friday! We rented the 16 inch wheelchair, thanks to pp's advice. I think that will help a great deal.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

One thing you might want to consider bringing is a seat cushion. Even the sort that you buy for a regular dining room chair would be good enoough for what she needs (the ones that tie on would probably be best, in fact). Most rental chairs have vinyl seats so having the cushion gives a little padding and means you're not sticking to your seat!

 

[jandkmom]

One thing you might want to consider bringing is a seat cushion. Even the sort that you buy for a regular dining room chair would be good enoough for what she needs (the ones that tie on would probably be best, in fact). Most rental chairs have vinyl seats so having the cushion gives a little padding and means you're not sticking to your seat!

Oh thanks! I didn't even think of that.

 

[dclfun]

I hope her testing shows that she does not have Crohns and that you can find a dietary solution , or easy med solution, for her symptoms. I stayed CL at the Poly last December and could not get to the CL lounge viewing window for the fireworks in my wheelchair due to the amount of tables/chairs in there. Hopefully she can walk up to a close table and bring her cushion with her if she's uncomfortable sitting in a regular chair. You will at least have quick access to the beach and the weather's been gorgeous lately ( I live 10 min from the parks). I hope you have a fantastic vacation. I'm sure knowing she's going to Disney has given her something to look forward to as she goes through such a tough time.---Kathy

 

[scdak]

Oh thanks! I didn't even think of that.

Having taken my mother in a w/c for our last 3 trips, I would recommend a memory foam bed pillow, standard size worked great even with the small transport chair (similar to 16 in w/c), it was softer, "fluffed back up " easily and was more comfortable than a regular pillow, dining chair pillow etc, we have used all those in the past. We brought extra pillowcases with us to change when needed. When we folded up the chair we just set it upright in the folds of the chair or carried it, usually we just left the chair unfolded, the pillow made it easy to spot her chair on the rare occasions that she was out of it for attractions. Have a great trip.

 

[mom23kids]

My son was diagnosed with Crohn's 6 years ago at the age of 7! It is a horrible disease, but is treatable. Might take some time to figure out what works for her since everyone is so different. Hoping its not the case with her, but if she does have Crohn's, do know it will get better.