RA and Disney Trip

[rena726]

Hi everyone!

So we planned a Disney trip a year ago for this coming April. This past Summer I began having symptoms and in September I was diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis/ RA that they have not been able to control so far. As things are getting closer I am getting more worried about this trip. I have a 5 year old and 3 year old. I do not want to ruin this trip for everyone because of my illness. Any tips and tricks that those with RA or similar illnesses can suggest I would greatly appreciate it. I deal with chronic pain in my hands, wrists, feet, ankles, knees, hips and shoulders. I have trouble sitting and standing for long periods of time. I also develop an overwhelming exhaustion and when this happens my arms and at times legs become numb/weak. I plan to bring my tens unit for the park to help with some pain management. Due to the young age of our kids, we will be bringing 2 umbrella strollers since they will wear out easily. Anyone have any recent experience at the parks with RA?

 

[rena726]

Some extra info I thought about. We are going for 5 park days(back to back) 2 days at magic kingdom.

 

[lanejudy]

I suggest you consider using an ECV if that would help alleviate at some of your pain. Bring (or rent) a double stroller for the kids so only 1 pusher is needed.

You may want to take a mid-day break. Or if it's easier on you, push through naybe 6-hour days and alternate early/late in the park -- do rope drop 1 day until early afternoon, return to the resort to rest, next day go late morning or early afternoon to the park and stay until evening.

I do not suggest pushing yourself past your limits. It's likely to have a cumulative effect over the course of the week and you might not be able to make that last day at all.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[gap2368]

I second the double stroller and ECV

remember you do not have to sit in the ECV all the time you can park it and walk around some.
do you have any rest days where sleep in and you are just going to hang out at the hotel and swim maybe check out a near by hotel or DS if so this could be a good idea.

take things slow listen to your body if you need to rest do so all the park have a first aid where you can lie down for a bit, not as nice as a hotel bed but if you just need 30 or 45 minutes it can be just what you need

stay hydrated and remember to eat and if you have any medicine take it ( it is hot in FL so being dehydrated can be bad)

it is OK to take a break even back at your hotel I do not think your kids will be able to do all day either.

have you planed some ADR where you can really sit down and eat some and rest.

 

[rena726]

Thank you for your responses. We originally had a day for rest but ended up getting a free day of tickets so we planned some activities for that day. We are doing 2 days at MK so we can be more leisurely with it. We do have ADRs planned at each park which will help. Last year pre-illness we went and had planned to go back to the hotel for the 2 year old to rest but we never ended up making it back to the hotel to do that. I think prior to the trip I am going to try and go hiking to see how my body reacts that way. I guess I am having trouble wrapping my head around using an ECV since this is all so new. Our ADRs will luckily help with some rest. Do you know if the first aid area is very germy? I know that is probably a silly question since it is where people who get sick go... but I am on meds that suppress my immune system so if someone is sick around me I will get sick and stay sick for a while :/ Also next question...we are going in april, one of my reservations with leaving the park is that I am afraid we wont be allowed back in due to them being at capacity. How likely is that to happen?

 

[gap2368]

Thank you for your responses. We originally had a day for rest but ended up getting a free day of tickets so we planned some activities for that day. We are doing 2 days at MK so we can be more leisurely with it. We do have ADRs planned at each park which will help. Last year pre-illness we went and had planned to go back to the hotel for the 2 year old to rest but we never ended up making it back to the hotel to do that. I think prior to the trip I am going to try and go hiking to see how my body reacts that way. I guess I am having trouble wrapping my head around using an ECV since this is all so new. Our ADRs will luckily help with some rest. Do you know if the first aid area is very germy? I know that is probably a silly question since it is where people who get sick go... but I am on meds that suppress my immune system so if someone is sick around me I will get sick and stay sick for a while :/ Also next question...we are going in april, one of my reservations with leaving the park is that I am afraid we wont be allowed back in due to them being at capacity. How likely is that to happen?

they do a good job of cleaning the room at first aid ( I go there a lot) and I tend to get what ever is around me and I have never gotten sick form being in first aid. the only first aid I would stay out of is AK as this one there are a few beds in one room with really no devider around them the other ones like MK has 3 walls and a curtain at the door EPCOT it is in an bigger pend room with cubical devideders between them and HS is 3 beds in a row with cubical dividers between them. ( just to give you an idea) I would tell the nurse that you have a weak inmunsystom and ask them if it would be safe for you to be back there. I think most people that are back there have twisted there ankle have a chronic medical condition dyhidreated thing like this.

 

[rena726]

they do a good job of cleaning the room at first aid ( I go there a lot) and I tend to get what ever is around me and I have never gotten sick form being in first aid. the only first aid I would stay out of is AK as this one there are a few beds in one room with really no devider around them the other ones like MK has 3 walls and a curtain at the door EPCOT it is in an bigger pend room with cubical devideders between them and HS is 3 beds in a row with cubical dividers between them. ( just to give you an idea) I would tell the nurse that you have a weak inmunsystom and ask them if it would be safe for you to be back there. I think most people that are back there have twisted there ankle have a chronic medical condition dyhidreated thing like this.

Thank you so much for all of that info! I am not as worried about AK anyways because our ADR is smack in the middle of the day. Thank you so much! I am going to work on mapping out my days now to plan out some resting areas. I really appreciate your help!

 

[mukorasirish]

Hi!

My daughter (!6 now diagnosed at 14) and I both have RA and we go to Disney once a year. From my experience:
1. If you are flying, bring down wipes and wipe the arm rests and trays on the plane. Our meds tamper our immune system. Nothing worse than arriving on your vacation and getting sick. We don't worry about germs in the parks - other than to carry germ gel and use it frequently.
2. Use the early part of the day and plan with fast passes. Arrive at rope drop. Make fast passes for mid morning. Hit a few rides before the parks get crazy. Use your fast passes and then go back to your hotel for a rest.
3. Rent an ECV just in case and don't be afraid to use it. We have had trip where things have gone great and others where we needed it.
4. Ask your Rheumatologist to send a cycle of prednisone with you. While I hate taking the stuff - it does work miracles. Rather than ruin your vacation. do a pred cycle to get you through it then get off of it. A huge part of this disease is avoiding stress - a pain free vacation might do miracles for you in the long run.
5. Embrace pool time. When my kids were that age they LOVED the pools. Let them enjoy it and give yourself a rest.

Hope the trip goes well.

 

[rena726]

Hi!

My daughter (!6 now diagnosed at 14) and I both have RA and we go to Disney once a year. From my experience:
1. If you are flying, bring down wipes and wipe the arm rests and trays on the plane. Our meds tamper our immune system. Nothing worse than arriving on your vacation and getting sick. We don't worry about germs in the parks - other than to carry germ gel and use it frequently.
2. Use the early part of the day and plan with fast passes. Arrive at rope drop. Make fast passes for mid morning. Hit a few rides before the parks get crazy. Use your fast passes and then go back to your hotel for a rest.
3. Rent an ECV just in case and don't be afraid to use it. We have had trip where things have gone great and others where we needed it.
4. Ask your Rheumatologist to send a cycle of prednisone with you. While I hate taking the stuff - it does work miracles. Rather than ruin your vacation. do a pred cycle to get you through it then get off of it. A huge part of this disease is avoiding stress - a pain free vacation might do miracles for you in the long run.
5. Embrace pool time. When my kids were that age they LOVED the pools. Let them enjoy it and give yourself a rest.

Hope the trip goes well.

Thank you! We are driving luckily but i plan to bring lysol wipes to wipe down tables for meals and such. So far I have gone through several types of prednisone and it hasn't worked for me but there is hope! I was put on medrol a few weeks ago and it did wonders. I just got put back on it due to an allergic reaction to tylenol 3 and a bad flare. It takes a while for prednisone to actually start working for me (I was 4 days in on a 6 day pack before I saw any difference. Do you recommend starting before the trip? Thank you for sharing your experience! Do you know of any good scooter rental places? I am also fearful of the park being at capacity if we leave the park. We are going to spring break so it will be packed. Any experience with going around that time?

 

[gap2368]

Thank you! We are driving luckily but i plan to bring lysol wipes to wipe down tables for meals and such. So far I have gone through several types of prednisone and it hasn't worked for me but there is hope! I was put on medrol a few weeks ago and it did wonders. I just got put back on it due to an allergic reaction to tylenol 3 and a bad flare. It takes a while for prednisone to actually start working for me (I was 4 days in on a 6 day pack before I saw any difference. Do you recommend starting before the trip? Thank you for sharing your experience! Do you know of any good scooter rental places? I am also fearful of the park being at capacity if we leave the park. We are going to spring break so it will be packed. Any experience with going around that time?

every school has a different spring break so it is not like Christmas or New Years where every one has it off ( and most people have off with there jobs at lest a day or two) so these are the times you need to worry about park closing, not spring break/ easter week ( although easter can be buser)

this is a link that might help you with finding a scooter.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/di...disabled-1st-trip-next-trip-wish-trip.595713/



As of November 1, 2012, WDW Resorts began a new policy regarding ECV and wheelchair delivery to their resorts:

• 
  
  • Featured Vendors are welcome to check equipment with Bell Services for guest retrieval and return.
  • Non-featured vendors are welcome to do business on Disney property, but they must hand the equipment directly to the guest, and collect the equipment directly from the guest.
  • Here's some key facts:

• Disney is trying to limit their liability for leased property on their property.
• Disney used a 3rd party company to collect information about companies that do rental business on Disney property.
• Bid packets were sent to a number of primarily ECV rental companies.
• The approval process included business verification, insurance verification, and equipment inspection.
• I have also heard that Disney had 2 other goals - one was to limit the speed of the scooters and the other was to limit the size (to make sure they fit on buses and in queues).
  I have heard that the Featured Vendors also agreed that a certain percentage of their scooters would meet the speed and size guidelines.
  Some very well known and recommended companies were not able to replace their fleet of scooters at this time and did not meet the guidelines for Featured Vendor for that reason.
• Some chose not to apply (Randy's always delivered and picked up in person, for example, and was not interested in being able to drop off)
• Contrary to 'popular opinion', the Featured Providers don't pay a fee to Disney (from my contact with many of the companies and with Disney Disability Srvice).

++ power wheelchairs for experienced renters
This is a list of the Featured Vendors in alphabetical order:

• Apple Scooter
  321-726-6837
  http://www.applescooter.com/
  Apple rents scooters, manual wheelchairs, single and double strollers.
  They do rent smaller, 16 inch wide wheelchairs, suitable for smaller people (and children) between 80 and 135 pounds.
  Apple has many good reviews from DIS posters and is a long time favorite. There have been some recent (2015 and early 2016) negative reviews.
• Best Price Mobility
  321-402-5955
  Toll Free: 866-866-3434
  http://www.bpmobility.com
  Best Price rents scooters, manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs ++, single and double strollers. Little feedback from DIS posters
• Buena Vista
  (407)938-0349 or toll free (866)484-4797
  www.buenavistascooters.com
  Buena Vista rents scooters, manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs ++, transport chairs, single and double strollers, lift chairs, knee walkers and some respiratory equipment.
  They also service and repair personal equipment.
  Buena Vista has many good reviews from DIS posters and is a long time favorite.
• CARE Medical:
  Phone (407) 856-2273 " Toll Free U.S and Canada (800) 741-2282
  http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
  CARE is a full Service Medical Company, has many good reviews and has been a long time favorite of DIS posters.
  They rent ECVs, manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs++, walkers, companion chairs, strollers, special needs strollers, bath equipment (including pediatric bath chairs), commodes, reclining chairs, hospital beds, oxygen & respiratory equipment, among other things.
  CARE also repairs personal equipment.
• Scooterbug
  1-800-726-8284
  Scooterbugmobility.com
  little feedback from DIS posters.
  They rent ECVs, standing ECVs, manual wheelchairs, single and double strollers (weight limit to 60 pounds).
  From what I can tell, this company provides strollers, wheelchairs and ECVs for the WDW parks; and probably pool chairs. They also rent the large grey ECVs that can be rented in the parks, plus a form of Standing ECV that guests can drive from a standing position. Here is a link to a thread about them, with pictures.

Vendors not on the Featured Provider List:
The specific companies are listed because DIS posters have used and recommended them over the years. The companies with little feedback are listed along with that information.
We will NOT list a company on the FAQs thread without a significant number of recommendations from established posters. Also, some companies encourage/promote allowing children to ride as passengers on scooters. We will not knowingly post a link to any company that encourages behavior that is unsafe and companies that manufacture ECVs specifically warn against in their instruction manuals.

• Randy's Mobility
• According to information from Randy, they have a London, England phone # that connects directly to their US. Office.
  US. & CAN. (321-281-6603)
  UK. (02030062368)
  http://randysmobility.com/randysmobility/rentals/
• Randy's has been a long time favorite of DIS posters.
• Randys rents ECVs, manual wheelchairs and Joovey strollers, including Joovey Caboose where one child can stand behind. Randy's will sometimes rent ECVs to older teens on a case by case basis.
• Walker Mobility:
  1-888-726-6837
  www.walkermobility.com
  Walkers rents ECVs, manual wheelchairs, Power wheelchairs ++, single and double strollers.
  They do rent smaller, 16 inch wide wheelchairs, suitable for smaller people (and children) between 80 and 100 pounds.
  Walker is a longtime favorite of DIS Board posters and Walker Mobility is also a wdwinfo.com sponsor
• Scootarama
  877-736-8328k
  http://www.scootarama.com/
  Scootarama rents scooters and power wheelchairs (which they, confusingly, call another type of scooter).
  Not as much feedback as Randy's, Care and Walker, but people who did post about them reported they had no problems.
• Scooter Vacations
  866-778-4748
  UK 02079 932302
  http://www.scootorlando.com/index.html
  Scooter Vacations rents scooter of various types (which they confusingly call 'electric wheelchairs')
  Not as much feedback as Randys, Care and Walker, but people who did post about them reported no problems. Their website lists them as "Disney Premier Providers" and "Universal Premier Providers". Neither Disney nor Universal has any listing for "Premier Provider".
• Scootaround
  1-888-441-7575
• https://locations.scootaround.com/orlando
• Not as much feedback as Randy's, Care and Walker. Scootaround rents ECV, wheelchairs and walkers/rollators. They also rent power wheelchairs.
• They are a nationwide company.

a few areas that tend to be less crowded in the park if you need a break, also you can ask a CM and they can let you know, but just sitting and people watch some can help.

at the MK

Main Street, U.S.A.: First Aid; Side Street by Crystal Arts

Adventureland: Swiss Family Treehouse; Corridor to the left of Pirates

of the CaribbeanLiberty Square: Behind Ye Olde Christmas Shop

Frontierland: Tom Sawyer Island (NOTE: You must take a raft ride to/from the island and some waiting may be required); Splash Mountain garden area

Fantasyland: Pathway leading from Cinderella’s Castle to Fairytale Garden; Pete’s Silly Sideshow area; Pathway behind The Barnstormer

Tomorrowland: Near Walt Disney’s Carousel of ProgressTable service and quick service restaurant seating areas (during non-peak periods)


Holly wood studs

Hollywood Boulevard: First Aid Echo Lake: Walkway surrounding Echo Lake

Animation Courtyard: Near the restrooms to the left of The Magic of Disney Animation attraction

Sunset Boulevard: Courtyard outside The Twilight Zone Tower of TerrorTM Commissary Lane: Outside ABC CommissaryTable service and quick service restaurant seating areas (during non-peak periods)


EPCOT

Future World West: First Aid (part of Odyssey Center building next to Test Track); Courtyard and restroom area outside Imagination pavilion; Area between Seas entrance and Coral Reef Restaurant

Future World East: Near Ellen’s Energy Adventure

World Showcase: Mexico-Outside area to the right of the pavilion near
the backstage gate; Germany-Garden area next to Glaskunst; Japan-Garden area; Morocco-Village Corridors; France-To the right of the buildings along the water’s edge; International Gateway; United Kingdom-Garden area at back of pavilion (when shows not running at gazebo)

Table service and quick service restaurant seating areas (during non-peak periods)

AK


Discovery Island®: First Aid (next to Creature Comforts); Discovery Island Trails

Africa: Gorilla Falls Exploration TrailAsia: Maharajah Tiger TreklTable service and quick service restaurant seating areas (during non-peak periods)

 

[Pridemom]

My 17yo and I both have Juvenile RA. I was doing well during our July visit, but still paced myself. My daughter needed a wheelchair in order to not wear herself out after one day. It won't be really hot when you go, but the heat caused me to have vasculitis after walking around the parks for a few days. Even people without RA will get Disney Rash/Golpher's Rash (vasculitis), so watch for a rash on your lower legs. If it happens, take a day to put your feet up.

I agree to rent an ECV and have your partner push the kids in a double stroller.

Take a break mid-day and return to your resort to rest, let kids swim, etc. so you can pace yourself. Take your time and be flexible. I sent my hubby with the kids to Universal one day so I could rest.

 

[rena726]

every school has a different spring break so it is not like Christmas or New Years where every one has it off ( and most people have off with there jobs at lest a day or two) so these are the times you need to worry about park closing, not spring break/ easter week ( although easter can be buser)

this is a link that might help you with finding a scooter.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/di...disabled-1st-trip-next-trip-wish-trip.595713/



As of November 1, 2012, WDW Resorts began a new policy regarding ECV and wheelchair delivery to their resorts:

• 
  
  • Featured Vendors are welcome to check equipment with Bell Services for guest retrieval and return.
  • Non-featured vendors are welcome to do business on Disney property, but they must hand the equipment directly to the guest, and collect the equipment directly from the guest.
  • Here's some key facts:

• Disney is trying to limit their liability for leased property on their property.
• Disney used a 3rd party company to collect information about companies that do rental business on Disney property.
• Bid packets were sent to a number of primarily ECV rental companies.
• The approval process included business verification, insurance verification, and equipment inspection.
• I have also heard that Disney had 2 other goals - one was to limit the speed of the scooters and the other was to limit the size (to make sure they fit on buses and in queues).
  I have heard that the Featured Vendors also agreed that a certain percentage of their scooters would meet the speed and size guidelines.
  Some very well known and recommended companies were not able to replace their fleet of scooters at this time and did not meet the guidelines for Featured Vendor for that reason.
• Some chose not to apply (Randy's always delivered and picked up in person, for example, and was not interested in being able to drop off)
• Contrary to 'popular opinion', the Featured Providers don't pay a fee to Disney (from my contact with many of the companies and with Disney Disability Srvice).

++ power wheelchairs for experienced renters
This is a list of the Featured Vendors in alphabetical order:

• Apple Scooter
  321-726-6837
  http://www.applescooter.com/
  Apple rents scooters, manual wheelchairs, single and double strollers.
  They do rent smaller, 16 inch wide wheelchairs, suitable for smaller people (and children) between 80 and 135 pounds.
  Apple has many good reviews from DIS posters and is a long time favorite. There have been some recent (2015 and early 2016) negative reviews.
• Best Price Mobility
  321-402-5955
  Toll Free: 866-866-3434
  http://www.bpmobility.com
  Best Price rents scooters, manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs ++, single and double strollers. Little feedback from DIS posters
• Buena Vista
  (407)938-0349 or toll free (866)484-4797
  www.buenavistascooters.com
  Buena Vista rents scooters, manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs ++, transport chairs, single and double strollers, lift chairs, knee walkers and some respiratory equipment.
  They also service and repair personal equipment.
  Buena Vista has many good reviews from DIS posters and is a long time favorite.
• CARE Medical:
  Phone (407) 856-2273 " Toll Free U.S and Canada (800) 741-2282
  http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
  CARE is a full Service Medical Company, has many good reviews and has been a long time favorite of DIS posters.
  They rent ECVs, manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs++, walkers, companion chairs, strollers, special needs strollers, bath equipment (including pediatric bath chairs), commodes, reclining chairs, hospital beds, oxygen & respiratory equipment, among other things.
  CARE also repairs personal equipment.
• Scooterbug
  1-800-726-8284
  Scooterbugmobility.com
  little feedback from DIS posters.
  They rent ECVs, standing ECVs, manual wheelchairs, single and double strollers (weight limit to 60 pounds).
  From what I can tell, this company provides strollers, wheelchairs and ECVs for the WDW parks; and probably pool chairs. They also rent the large grey ECVs that can be rented in the parks, plus a form of Standing ECV that guests can drive from a standing position. Here is a link to a thread about them, with pictures.

Vendors not on the Featured Provider List:
The specific companies are listed because DIS posters have used and recommended them over the years. The companies with little feedback are listed along with that information.
We will NOT list a company on the FAQs thread without a significant number of recommendations from established posters. Also, some companies encourage/promote allowing children to ride as passengers on scooters. We will not knowingly post a link to any company that encourages behavior that is unsafe and companies that manufacture ECVs specifically warn against in their instruction manuals.

• Randy's Mobility
• According to information from Randy, they have a London, England phone # that connects directly to their US. Office.
  US. & CAN. (321-281-6603)
  UK. (02030062368)
  http://randysmobility.com/randysmobility/rentals/
• Randy's has been a long time favorite of DIS posters.
• Randys rents ECVs, manual wheelchairs and Joovey strollers, including Joovey Caboose where one child can stand behind. Randy's will sometimes rent ECVs to older teens on a case by case basis.
• Walker Mobility:
  1-888-726-6837
  www.walkermobility.com
  Walkers rents ECVs, manual wheelchairs, Power wheelchairs ++, single and double strollers.
  They do rent smaller, 16 inch wide wheelchairs, suitable for smaller people (and children) between 80 and 100 pounds.
  Walker is a longtime favorite of DIS Board posters and Walker Mobility is also a wdwinfo.com sponsor
• Scootarama
  877-736-8328k
  http://www.scootarama.com/
  Scootarama rents scooters and power wheelchairs (which they, confusingly, call another type of scooter).
  Not as much feedback as Randy's, Care and Walker, but people who did post about them reported they had no problems.
• Scooter Vacations
  866-778-4748
  UK 02079 932302
  http://www.scootorlando.com/index.html
  Scooter Vacations rents scooter of various types (which they confusingly call 'electric wheelchairs')
  Not as much feedback as Randys, Care and Walker, but people who did post about them reported no problems. Their website lists them as "Disney Premier Providers" and "Universal Premier Providers". Neither Disney nor Universal has any listing for "Premier Provider".
• Scootaround
  1-888-441-7575
• https://locations.scootaround.com/orlando
• Not as much feedback as Randy's, Care and Walker. Scootaround rents ECV, wheelchairs and walkers/rollators. They also rent power wheelchairs.
• They are a nationwide company.

a few areas that tend to be less crowded in the park if you need a break, also you can ask a CM and they can let you know, but just sitting and people watch some can help.

at the MK

Main Street, U.S.A.: First Aid; Side Street by Crystal Arts

Adventureland: Swiss Family Treehouse; Corridor to the left of Pirates

of the CaribbeanLiberty Square: Behind Ye Olde Christmas Shop

Frontierland: Tom Sawyer Island (NOTE: You must take a raft ride to/from the island and some waiting may be required); Splash Mountain garden area

Fantasyland: Pathway leading from Cinderella’s Castle to Fairytale Garden; Pete’s Silly Sideshow area; Pathway behind The Barnstormer

Tomorrowland: Near Walt Disney’s Carousel of ProgressTable service and quick service restaurant seating areas (during non-peak periods)


Holly wood studs

Hollywood Boulevard: First Aid Echo Lake: Walkway surrounding Echo Lake

Animation Courtyard: Near the restrooms to the left of The Magic of Disney Animation attraction

Sunset Boulevard: Courtyard outside The Twilight Zone Tower of TerrorTM Commissary Lane: Outside ABC CommissaryTable service and quick service restaurant seating areas (during non-peak periods)


EPCOT

Future World West: First Aid (part of Odyssey Center building next to Test Track); Courtyard and restroom area outside Imagination pavilion; Area between Seas entrance and Coral Reef Restaurant

Future World East: Near Ellen’s Energy Adventure

World Showcase: Mexico-Outside area to the right of the pavilion near
the backstage gate; Germany-Garden area next to Glaskunst; Japan-Garden area; Morocco-Village Corridors; France-To the right of the buildings along the water’s edge; International Gateway; United Kingdom-Garden area at back of pavilion (when shows not running at gazebo)

Table service and quick service restaurant seating areas (during non-peak periods)

AK


Discovery Island®: First Aid (next to Creature Comforts); Discovery Island Trails

Africa: Gorilla Falls Exploration TrailAsia: Maharajah Tiger TreklTable service and quick service restaurant seating areas (during non-peak periods)

Wow! Thank you so much for all this great information! I am going to map out the break areas on the map we are bringing with us to the park Thank you again for all of these resources!

 

[lanejudy]

are going in april, one of my reservations with leaving the park is that I am afraid we wont be allowed back in due to them being at capacity. How likely is that to happen?

Highly unlikely and I would not worry about it. I believe there was one year that a park reached one of the early stages of closing in April around Easter. Early-stage closings tend to resolve within a short time, and assuming you are an on-site guest who had previously been at the same park that day and have proof of an ADR, I believe that automatically allows you admittance/re-admittance until a much later stage. And those later stages have historically only been reached around Christmas/New Year's time frame.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Bete]

Pace yourself with rides and shows. Shows provide a good rest. Eating and parades provide rest to a degree, too.

Go early and if you are onsite go for the Disney extra magic morning hour. Definitely do fastpass plus. If you are apprehensive about getting a scooter remember there are park scooters available, but they will cost more per day. Park scooters can get sold out; so, don't wait too long to get one if you need one. The average walking at a park is 6 miles, but it's not constant walking. A scooter will pay for itself; because, you will last longer in the parks. Park tickets aren't free; so, enjoy your park time and get a scooter.

 

[lanejudy]

if you are onsite go for the Disney extra magic morning hour

So just to clarify here... I believe Bete is referring to the Extra Magic Hours (EMH) offered to on-site WDW resort guests. One of the parks will open an extra hour early just for on-site resort guests. This is free. Extra Magic Hours are also offered in the evening, after park close.

Early Morning Magic (EMM) requires an extra paid ticket and is open to anyone, on-site or off-site. Those with a ticket are allowed into the park earlier for access to a limited set of rides and I believe it also includes a breakfast.

It's confusing, especially to someone not familiar with WDW and all the options. But since one involves an extra paid ticket I wanted to provide clarification of those 2 morning options.

 

[Bete]

Answered my own question.

 

[lanejudy]

Would you please explain EMM further. I wasn't even aware of this option. Like is it offered everyday, what the cost is, and so forth. Or provide a link. Thanks

My apologies, I got the words mixed up. EMM = Early Morning Magic.
I don't have any first-hand experience, but here is a link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic/

It is considered a dining experience because it includes breakfast, allows entry to the MK at 7:45am with access to a few select rides in Fantasyland. It's offered maybe twice a week (appears to be mainly Sundays and Tuesdays but possibly not every week); appears to be primarily at the MK right now but I have read reference to other parks so maybe that is more seasonal. Cost is $69 per adult and $59 per child, plus regular park admission required.

There are often threads on the TPAS forum, which is how I learned about it. The acronyms start getting confusing (EMH vs EMM)!

 

[mukorasirish]

Thank you! We are driving luckily but i plan to bring lysol wipes to wipe down tables for meals and such. So far I have gone through several types of prednisone and it hasn't worked for me but there is hope! I was put on medrol a few weeks ago and it did wonders. I just got put back on it due to an allergic reaction to tylenol 3 and a bad flare. It takes a while for prednisone to actually start working for me (I was 4 days in on a 6 day pack before I saw any difference. Do you recommend starting before the trip? Thank you for sharing your experience! Do you know of any good scooter rental places? I am also fearful of the park being at capacity if we leave the park. We are going to spring break so it will be packed. Any experience with going around that time?

If it were me - and pred is delayed to react - I would start prior. This is not an every day thing. It is a very special trip for you and your faily. Do what you can up front to keep the pain at bay. Another thing to ask your rheumy about is a steroid pulse. My daughter is a soccer player and Children's Hospital in Boston strongly believes in doing all they can to let kids live normal lives. With this in mind, during soccer season they do weekly steroid "pulses" on her. Basically it is steroids via IV. The benefits last about a week and their is no taper like you do with pred. Those work wonders for her. The IV takes about 45 minutes and she feels the difference the next day.

Pushing yourself because you fear the crowds will back fire. If you need the rest take it - remember you only have so many "spoons". (Look up "spoon Theory" if you are wondering what I am talking about.) This trip will be amazing for your kids whether you spend 12 hours every day in the park or 6. It will not be amazing if you push too hard and get sick or wind up not able to move. As a mom with this disease, I know it's hard but honestly the kids will have a great time and will enjoy it more if you are not in pain.

 

[rena726]

If it were me - and pred is delayed to react - I would start prior. This is not an every day thing. It is a very special trip for you and your faily. Do what you can up front to keep the pain at bay. Another thing to ask your rheumy about is a steroid pulse. My daughter is a soccer player and Children's Hospital in Boston strongly believes in doing all they can to let kids live normal lives. With this in mind, during soccer season they do weekly steroid "pulses" on her. Basically it is steroids via IV. The benefits last about a week and their is no taper like you do with pred. Those work wonders for her. The IV takes about 45 minutes and she feels the difference the next day.

Pushing yourself because you fear the crowds will back fire. If you need the rest take it - remember you only have so many "spoons". (Look up "spoon Theory" if you are wondering what I am talking about.) This trip will be amazing for your kids whether you spend 12 hours every day in the park or 6. It will not be amazing if you push too hard and get sick or wind up not able to move. As a mom with this disease, I know it's hard but honestly the kids will have a great time and will enjoy it more if you are not in pain.

Ah yes, I have been trying to figure out my number of spoons...It has been such an exhausting process that is for sure. My Rheumy has actually referred me out to John Hopkins because I have not been responding to anything she has given me. Hopefully they will come up with something to help better and I will ask them about the steroid pulse! Thanks!

 

[Disneygal27]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation OP! but like everyone has said, it's still possible to have a fantastic magical trip. my mom has somewhat poorly controlled RA (due to numerous allergies and poor tolerance for prednisone, and she's just stubborn to boot), but as PPs have said, pace yourself and intersperse shows or breaks to rest. If you are uncomfortable with an ECV, another option to consider would be a rolling walker with a built in seat. It depends on your situation, but my mom sometimes is fine just having something to hold on while walking and that helps her hips a lot, and then if she needs a seat she always has her own. Plus it helps if she starts to feel off balance from pain/weakness. Though an ECV may be easier, it really depends on your endurance and what you are comfortable with. It could be a little more trial and error for your first time, but even in the crowds (we always have to go over summer breaks) it's not difficult to find a seat in a show or a quiet snack spot!

Another thing that helps her with her hands, is a good pair of RA gloves. not as helpful for park endurance per se, but if you have problems with your hands then it can make a world of difference! she also uses an ankle wrap for when that flares up after walking a few days. But one big thing is making time for breaks, both in park and midday. I think it will be even more important for you now so you can keep your strength up and pain managed so all of you have a fun time.

(and as an aside, I have heard wonderful things about the rheumatologists at hopkins, a family member of mine was sent there for further evaluation and they were so knowledgeable! best of luck, and have a great trip!!)