Ride Advice?

[julieryc]

My family is planning a Disney trip for April. It'll be our first trip to Disney in 18 years and our first vacation in 14 years and I have some questions, since it'll be the first time we've gone on vacation since I got sick.

I have an experimental implanted medical device that limits my ability to do some rides (roller coasters and the Tower of Terror are out, while Splash Mountain, most 3D dark rides, or rides that have one large drop should be fine. Was super-disappointed to see Soarin' closed since it looked like one of the big headliners that I could do, but there should still be enough other stuff to see and do - the last time we went, Animal Kingdom was still a week or two away from its official opening!)

The main concern is that I have peripheral leads in my head that are connected to a battery in my upper back, and that rough or jerky motion could unplug the leads from the battery, which would then need surgery to fix.

1. The medical device rep suggested that the best thing to do would be to have a family member ride any questionable rides first, since they have the best idea of my limitations. After the family member finishes the ride, they could then text me to let me know if it's OK, at which point I could either ride or leave the line. My question is, would Disney be able to accommodate that (and, if so, do I need to do anything prior to getting in line to let them know, or is it sufficient to explain the situation to a cast member while in line?)

Basically, if we all wait in line together, when we reach the front would they be able to let a family member ride while I remain in the queue, then either allow me to ride or leave the queue once they've texted a response? How would that work with FastPass, since those appear to be tied to a specific time? (Again, last time we went, I don't think FastPass even existed, although I was too little then to help with trip planning.) I'm hoping they might be able to accommodate it because it's kind of like a child swap but without the child, but has anyone ever done something similar?

2. Are there other non-coaster rides that should be a definite no? Test Track, Dinosaur, and Mission Space Orange were the three that stood out as probably-nots to me. Obviously, no one is going to be able to give a definite answer, but it would be super-helpful if anyone can let me know about things that don't sound so bad in the tour guides but are actually rough/whiplash-inducing/etc., or things that sound bad but aren't, since that would help with planning things to skip. (I'm using Disney's disability page and warnings as a starting point, but advice from people who've actually been on the rides would be appreciated.)

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions! I'm so excited about this trip, I'm hoping to be able to see and do as much as I can.

 

[aaarcher86]

With fast pass, it's an hour time frame so someone could go through at the beginning and you could go in after they ride and typically the hour would be plenty of time.

The DAS wouldn't help for this as you would have to go through the line to use the return time and it's meant to help with line waits. I don't think they'd let you hang out on the side waiting, but someone else may have a different experience.

I'd try and watch some videos of rides that might be questionable to help with judging their appropriateness.

 

[gap2368]

I would not go in line and think you can wait while your family member rides in most rides there would be no where for you to stand. I think with any ride you have a question about I would ask the CM at the ride what they think and go with them if there is a ride you know you can do like Pirates then maybe say I can do Pirates with the one drop but I can not do space mountain so they have an idea of what you can and can't do but I would play it on the safe side since it sounds like if something happens then you will be in trouble until you have surgery

 

[lanejudy]

to the DISboards!

If you haven't already found it, there is a thread disABILITIES FAQs pinned near the top of this forum. That thread includes some ride descriptions and information about rides with warnings. That might be helpful. I also agree with the suggestion to check out YouTube for ride videos; you can find pretty much any ride and get a decent idea of how jerky or smooth it might be. After that, if you still have questions, send a family member through the line to give it a trial run for you, or play it safe and skip that ride.

I also wouldn't count on being allowed to wait at the ride loading. They need to keep that area clear, not jammed up with people waiting. There often isn't much space, and the ride exit could be in a different location meaning you wouldn't see your family member get off. Send the first rider through FP+ near the beginning of your window and there should be plenty of time for him/her to return and you go through the line to ride.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[SueM in MN]

2. Are there other non-coaster rides that should be a definite no? Test Track, Dinosaur, and Mission Space Orange were the three that stood out as probably-nots to me. Obviously, no one is going to be able to give a definite answer, but it would be super-helpful if anyone can let me know about things that don't sound so bad in the tour guides but are actually rough/whiplash-inducing/etc., or things that sound bad but aren't, since that would help with planning things to skip. (I'm using Disney's disability page and warnings as a starting point, but advice from people who've actually been on the rides would be appreciated.)

I would say that Test Track is a maybe. It has some stops that are like emergency stops you might make in a car at moderate speed. It also has some swerves. It is somewhat jerky, so your companions would need to ride and let you know.

Dinosaur is one of the jerkier attractions. Your ride car goes fairly slowly for a while, there are sudden stops and sudden speed ups. It's simulating going over very rough terrain. My assessment would be no.

Mission Space includes some sudden stops/changes of direction and pitching you forward. Mission Space Orange is the more intense version of Mission Space. The Green version is less intense; it involves the same motions as the Orange version, but Orange also includes a centrifuge spinning during portions of the ride to create G forces. My assessment would be no.

There is a post in the disABILITIES FAQs thread that give a list of attractions with warnings plus some guesses or description of why they may have a warning.
YouTube can be helpful, but keep in mind that many of the more 'wild' attractions are fairly dark, so it might be difficult to tell just how jerky they are.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Splash Mountain is probably a no go as well. The boats back up quite often and bump in to each other - hard. It can be quite jolting to the neck.

 

[anonymousegirl]

Toy Story Midway Mania can be quite jerky as well

 

[SMD]

Any ride can e-stop. If suddenly stopping at a high speed would be an issue, skip test track. At DL the Splash logs are narrower, but in addition to being bumped repeatedly when logs back up, they also move side to side quite a bit after the turn at the end of the big drop and there is the first drop and the accelerated dip-drop section in the middle. I don't remember if the MK version has that middle section or if the turn is as severe, but the log is padded for a reason. Also, on POTC the boats at DL will become backed up and they can be pretty jerky when they make contact with each other. That ride also has a turn after the second drop that can be pretty jarring, but I know MK only has the 1 drop, and I kind of remember it being not as steep. And as PP mentioned, TSMM can be very jerky between segments. Sometimes you get placed at your next game with very little whip around and sometimes it's like a thrill ride, there's no way to guess in advance.

 

[tobikaye]

I will second Dinosaur as I remember being bounced around and jerked all over the place. Also, Safari's last row was crazy. My butt was off the seat most of the ride. If you ride, ask to be closer to the front. Star Tours is another attraction that can jerk you around while riding.

 

[book_junkie]

Hi!
Take a look at YouTube and scan the ride views- you should be able to get a good overview hopefully!

I'm not sure how much bumping is too much bumping, but here are some thoughts ( and they are probably over cautious, but they're based on what my dad couldn't do with his back when it was really bad)

The boat-based rides (Small World, Pirates, Grand Fiesta, etc.) can jerk at the end from the back up of unloading passengers- the boats will bump it each other and it can jar if you're not prepared.

Tomorrowland Speedway and the Safari in AK can be bone bumpy- the safari by design, the Speedyway as the "racers" bump each other.

Crowds can be quite jostling during what in our family we've termed rush hours- running to see the night fireworks or the night parade, and trying to exit the park or a fireworks show after. We just wait until everyone clears then go- Disney isn't going to lock me in the park, and I'd rather not add to my bruises. The corridor between Peter Pan and Small World can be a crowd nightmare as well, especially after a parade or during/after fireworks.

The DAS wouldn't work the first time for rides, but once you know what you CAN experience, it would help tremendously.