Questions

[Oregon mouse lover]

My 17 year old daughter was just diagnosed with a blood clotting disorder. The doctor has instructed us that she needs to take breaks and not be on her feet all the time. We know that the easiest solution for us is to get her a wheelchair but knowing how she is she would never allow us to do that. She is very sensitive and hates people looking at her. Is this something that Disney would possible give us a guest assistance pass for?

 

[Isabelle729]

You can get the disability access pass at guest relations so she can take breaks before she goes on the rides.

 

[lanejudy]

Here is a link to the WDW - Disability Access Service thread pinned near the top of this forum. The first post explains all about DAS; you can ignore the rest of the (LONG) discussion about the program from when it was first announced.

What are you looking for the DAS to accommodate for your daughter? It will not provide her with a place to sit and rest. A wheelchair is the only way to guarantee that; there are relatively few benches throughout the parks anymore. To request a DAS, you or she will have to explain her needs as related to waiting in a standard queue environment. It typically is not provided for needs that can be met by utilizing a wheelchair or other mobility device.

I recommend a good touring plan, with a slower pace and allowing for breaks. Schedule your FP+ and make good use of the 4th/5th/6th/etc. throughout the day. Have a back-up plan in case the DAS is denied.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[mcall12]

My 17 year old daughter was just diagnosed with a blood clotting disorder. The doctor has instructed us that she needs to take breaks and not be on her feet all the time. We know that the easiest solution for us is to get her a wheelchair but knowing how she is she would never allow us to do that. She is very sensitive and hates people looking at her. Is this something that Disney would possible give us a guest assistance pass for?

They are under no obligation to give you your preferred method of accommodation. While no one here can say for sure whether they would issue a DAS, the best thing you can do is be prepared to not have one and have a plan. I have a condition that causes my body to produce excessive numbers of platelets and can lead to clots. I take extra precautions while at the parks including taking breaks, scheduling my fast passes ahead, making sure to stay hydrated and eat as well as possible, taking my medication on schedule, having compression gear as needed, etc. I personally don’t believe a DAS would benefit me in any way. To look at me it would not be obvious I have such a condition. I’m a physically fit 35 year old woman. I don’t feel I need a wheelchair to manage my condition but I know eventually I may need consider it.

 

[gap2368]

My 17 year old daughter was just diagnosed with a blood clotting disorder. The doctor has instructed us that she needs to take breaks and not be on her feet all the time. We know that the easiest solution for us is to get her a wheelchair but knowing how she is she would never allow us to do that. She is very sensitive and hates people looking at her. Is this something that Disney would possible give us a guest assistance pass for?

I am so sarry to hear about your DD new DX

There is no GAP any more it is now the DAS and the DAS does nothing for mobility problem ( like can not stand for too long or walk for too long)

here is what I would tell your DD ( and @mamabunny say this so well in another post that I am quoting and you can take out ECV with wheelchair)

"And think about it like this: Using an ECV is simply using the best possible available TOOL to get the most possible enjoyment from your vacation.

If you need glasses, do you refuse to wear them, going through life squinting at everyone and everything? Probably not.

If you need to use a calculator to do math, do you refuse to touch it, and instead resort to pencil and paper - or counting on toes and fingers? Probably not.

Both of those - glasses and calculators - are TOOLS that we use every day to make our lives more efficient. At WDW, many people use an ECV as a tool to improve both their stamina, and their enjoyment of the vacation, and to manage pain.

If you are worried about other peoples perceptions of you, please don't be. A lot of the people you will see using personal mobility devices and aids at WDW have a "hidden disability". Anyone who judges them does so from a place of fear and ignorance. Using an ECV to maximize your vacation at WDW is no different than using a pair of glasses to see, or a calculator to do math. It is a tool to accomplish a goal or task. Nothing more. "


so many people are afraid of using the best tool for there vacation but if you had a broken foot you would not put the cast on your arm and hop your foot would get better if you could not see you would not get a hearing aid and hope you can see better ( sound silly)

ask your DD what she thinks the best way for her to enjoy the vacation ask here what she needs does she need a place to sit well the only way to make sure is if she brings her own set ( a wheelchair) ( a few places will rent an ECV to older teen and since she is 17 there is a change should could do an ECV. just because she has a wheelchair does not mean she has to sit in it all the time you can park it and walk around the lands or you can just push it or someone else in your group could take turns riding it is. she can decorate it with a theme for the day to make it more her own get some glow stick and put them on the wheels ( or batter lights) make a few posters to hang on the back of the chair with a theme for the day ( I have seen some fun ones on the back of wheelchair) make it fun

and if she is worried about what people might think well not many people will care there are so many people of all age using a mobility device at Disney it really is not a big deal ( she will more than likely see someone her age or younger within the first hour using something) most people are too into there own vacation to even care she is in a wheelchair, there are trying to modify or get another FP take a selfie in front of whatever new wall is the hit of the day, or taking that perfect foot photo to post on whatever social media they have you see people are just too into what they are doing to care and chance are she will soon people to into what she is doing to care she is in/ pushing or there is a wheelchair in the group that she can use

so tell her to go enjoy Disney and wave to people like the princess she is

 

[Hoodie]

As others have said, no one can say whether you will get a DAS or not. A DAS will allow your daughter to wait outside of a line, but will not eliminate a line, provide front of line access, or provide a place for you to wait. There is no guaranty you will be able to find a spot to sit as benches have been removed and CMs have been cracking down on non-patrons sitting at counter service areas. If she needs to be off her feet, the best options are either a wheelchair or a really good touring plan. She will be walking 5+ miles a day, even with a DAS. You can try to break it up by scheduling seated attractions in between standing ones. A lot will depend on her need to take breaks and be off her feet. If she can be on her feet for at least 40 minutes or longer at a stretch, the touring plan may work. If not, a wheelchair may be her only option.

 

[OurBigTrip]

You can certainly ask, but this sounds like a mobility issue, and a wheelchair does sound like the best solution. She can push it when she wants to walk and sit when she needs to. As a PP said, Disney is under no obligation to provide a preferred accommodation.

She’s 17. - if the wheelchair is the best and easiest, then just tell her that she’s going to have a wheelchair.

 

[mamabunny]

My 17 year old daughter was just diagnosed with a blood clotting disorder. The doctor has instructed us that she needs to take breaks and not be on her feet all the time. We know that the easiest solution for us is to get her a wheelchair but knowing how she is she would never allow us to do that. She is very sensitive and hates people looking at her. Is this something that Disney would possible give us a guest assistance pass for?

I agree with my friends @gap2368, @Hoodie and @OurBigTrip above - talk with her openly, and explain that a wheelchair may be the only solution for her - at least until she is 18, and can rent an ECV to drive. She won't have to sit in it all the time - it could be folded and pushed along if she was ready to walk or stand for a while. And it can be parked in a central location as you explore an area, so that it's ready if she needs it; someone in the family group can make a short walk back to get it for her if need be. Ask any Cast Member where the best place is to park. (And BTW, the reason we aren't telling you to count on a DAS is because in her case, it probably won't be helpful, and Guest Relations may consider her issue to be mobility related - in which case their answer is always "Rent a wheelchair", so we all just want you to be prepared.)

Remember that unless she uses a chair regularly in her everyday life, it will be better for a family member to push her. Her arms will give out fairly quickly, and could be *very* sore and painful the next day.

Another important tip is this: Don't be tempted to use the chair as a "pack mule", and hang all kinds of bags off the back of it; it can - and will! - tip over when she stands up, and could possibly injure her in the process. Also, never leave any bags, backpacks, purses or parcels on the chair when you park it and walk away.

Let her decorate the chair (you can use things like Velcro OneWrap, and blue painters tape that won't damage a rental chair) with everything from battery powered lights to a Disney beach towel to cover the seat! There are bike lights, and spoke decorations galore on Amazon - just remember the littlest nuggets at Disney World, and try to shine any lights very low so that it doesn't blind them in the strollers!

She can also use/decorate a Rollator - which is just a fancy walker with a built in seat. You aren't supposed to "ride" on the Rollator, even though it has wheels, but she could push it around so that she has a seat whenever she needs one, if that's a better option.

*No one* wants to be in a wheelchair at Disney World. And it's especially hard when you are a young adult! But if that's the best option she has, then encourage her to use it. I promise you - a 17 year old in a wheelchair at WDW is a non-event; no one is going to notice. And if they do? So what. Y'all will never see them again, right? Her motto for this trip will have to be "Wheels here? Don't care!" (And if she is worried about "what if I meet someone cute?", you will have to remind her that anyone who doesn't accept her exactly as she is isn't worth her time and trouble and doesn't deserve a place in her heart)

...And if she refuses to use the chair before you leave on the trip, you can always go ahead and bring a chair, because she may be glad that it's there as the day progresses. Yes, you can rent a chair in the Parks from Disney in a pinch, but remember that they may be out of rentals - and you can't take that rental any further outside the Park than the rental counter - so she won't have it if she needs to sit while she waits for the bus, for example, or at the Resort if it is a long trek back to the hotel room. She may be so stubborn that she just totally refuses. At that point, your options are to cancel the trip, or tell her that she will have to stop and sit on ground (which is *hot* dirty and sticky!) and ruins the trip for everyone else who is still ready and able to keep going. And trust me - her sitting on the hot asphalt while her family stands around her is going to draw a LOT more unwanted attention at WDW (there *will* be Cast Members at the very least) than if she just sat down in the chair, and went on.

Last but not least - know also that the First Aid Center in every one of the Parks has places where she can lay down, prop up her legs/feet, get an ice pack, or even some generic Tylenol if needed, at no charge.