Rides for a bad back

[blairbear]

Hi all

We are taking my parents to Disney World for the first time. My dad has two slipped disks in his back and while he can walk, he can't stand or walk for long periods of time. I have convinced him to rent an ECV to make it easier on him. He is concerned that he will not be able to ride any rides. It has been a couple of years since my husband and I have been and my memory is foggy as to what rides are bumpy and jerky.

Can you all give me your thoughts on the below rides and if you think they would be okay for someone with his condition? (He won't be doing many thrill rides)

Buzz Lightyear - I was concerned with the spinning
Pirates - The small drop at the beginning.
Splash Mountain- I am concerned with this one a lot but he really wants to ride it.
Soarin' - When the ride seats rise in the beginning and the movement during the ride.
Toy Story Mainia - Doesn't it jerk you around the curves pretty fast?
Kilimanjaro's Safari - The bumpy road

Any help or tips you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I want to make this trip as special as possible for my mom and dad. Thank you all in advance

 

[peemagg]

Buzz Lightyear should be fine as long as no one does any of the spinning. That last hill on Splash could be an issue. Soarin should be fine. Toy Story and Kilimanjaro, I wouldn't recommend.

Some that he could easily ride would be Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, Peter Pan if he doesn't need the belt stopped. It's a Small World in and of itself would be ok, but at the end the boats do tend to bump each other and sometimes kind of hard.

He could do Carousel of Progress, Tomorrowland Transportation Authority. He could even possibly do Haunted Mansion.

There is also all of the shows that he can easily do. I don't think that he will be too bored or upset with missing anything. There is always so much to see without riding the thrill rides.

 

[Piper]

I have degenerative disc disease as well as NF1, so all the discs in my lumbar spine have deteriorated and I have spinal stenosis at a couple of levels. I also have a plate and 8 screws in my cervical spine as well as RA. I do not ride any of the mountains, any of the coaster type rides or teacups.

Soarin is fine -- it is really a gentle ride. I don't spin in Buzz Lightyear and I don't have a problem with the small drops on Pirates or Maelstrom. I know the drops are there and am ready for them.

 

[jdb in AZ]

There is also all of the shows that he can easily do. I don't think that he will be too bored or upset with missing anything. There is always so much to see without riding the thrill rides.

Very true. DH has had to give up most of the thrill rides because of his back, but he does enjoy riding around WDW on an ECV, and enjoys the different restaurants, people watching, and the Disney atmosphere. We did a Keys to the Kingdom tour on ECV's -- fascinating look behind the scenes without any jolts on the back.

 

[peemagg]

Some tours might be fun for them, like Keys to the Kingdom or other ones that if you have kids under 16 with you, that you all could go on. Something a little out of the ordinary besides rides and shows might just be the thing.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

We didn't know it at the time, but the last time I was at WDW, I was quite literally a "human bobble head" and within a year had several of my cervical vertebrae fused (among other things) because I was in danger of serious injury from even a minor car accident. I also have general back problems due to a genetic condition. I was with a friend who knew she had a slipped disc in her lower back (she had surgery just a bit over a year after we were there). I use a manual wheelchair and my friend walked either independently or pushing my wheelchair (I can't push very long and it worked a bit like a walker for her).

Quite a bit of what may or may not work for him will depend on where his slipped disks are. Also, with an ECV some ride queues will require him to switch to a manual wheelchair or walk the queue (those rides will have a manual wheelchairs by the entrance for him to switch to). It also means there are very few rides where he can stay in his ECV, compared to manual wheelchair users.

The only one of the rides you list that we didn't do was Toy Story Mania and that had nothing to do with health, we just didn't have time.

Here are my comments on your specific ride concerns:

Buzz Lightyear - was no problem for either of us (I didn't transfer to a regular car, but stayed in my wheelchair for this one)
Pirates - I don't remember having any problems with the ride itself. The step in and out is hard (I pretty much crawled in and out), but no problems for my friend.
Splash Mountain- I braced myself slightly for that last drop, but really didn't have problems. My friend had no problems.
Soarin' - Absolutely no problems. All the movements were smooth enough that it was probably one of the most comfortable rides in the park.
Kilimanjaro's Safari - My friend had no problems on it and I wore a soft neck brace while on it which meant I was mostly okay. Next time I wouldn't transfer to a regular seat and would stay in my wheelchair (I transferred because there was already a wheelchair user in the jeep and we were there at a time when it wasn't busy so if I'd waited to stay in my own chair it would have been a very long wait). I'm not sure I'd do it again if I had to transfer, though.

Other rides that could potentially be issues that aren't thrill rides:
Haunted Mansion - you do spent a little time going backward on this and depending on how sensitive he is to motion, you can feel the ride kinda clicking along (I get jarred by the clicks, but it's not uncomfortable enough for me to not ride - I know others who can't ride it because they're too jarring)
Spaceship Earth - This was a surprise problem ride for me, but some of it was situational. I was okay until we flipped around to go backwards and then almost immediately, the ride stopped for 5 minutes. Because the back was low enough to not support my upper back or neck, just hanging there was quite rough on me. I also felt a bit jarred by the ride mechanism on this one (this was in 2010).

 

[geek+nerd]

I would recommend NOT doing TSM. My dad has a bad back from a car accident when he was 16 and walks with a brace. There are no warnings on TSM and he even asked CMs if there was anything on the ride that would bother someone with a bad back and was repeatedly reassured that "everyone can ride this."

Definitely NOT true. The car does whip you around quite a bit and he experienced a fair amount of pain on the ride.

If he really wants to ride it, I would suggest having someone else in your party who is familiar with his injury ride it first so that he has a better idea of if he can handle it or not.

 

[SueM in MN]

Besides what was already written, post 23 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread has the official list of warnings from WDW. You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I have significant back issues and do fine on most Disney rides. From those you listed -

I am actually okay on Buzz and TSM.

On the safari I am okay if I sit towards the front, the back can be bumpy.

Pirates and IASW can be an issue getting up and out of the boat but so far I have been managing. On a bad day I would not ride it because I don't think I could get myself up and out.

Soarin is not a problem for me.

Splash, on a day I am feeling good I may give it a shot, sometimes I don't want to chance it.

 

[blairbear]

Buzz Lightyear should be fine as long as no one does any of the spinning. That last hill on Splash could be an issue. Soarin should be fine. Toy Story and Kilimanjaro, I wouldn't recommend.

Some that he could easily ride would be Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, Peter Pan if he doesn't need the belt stopped. It's a Small World in and of itself would be ok, but at the end the boats do tend to bump each other and sometimes kind of hard.

He could do Carousel of Progress, Tomorrowland Transportation Authority. He could even possibly do Haunted Mansion.

There is also all of the shows that he can easily do. I don't think that he will be too bored or upset with missing anything. There is always so much to see without riding the thrill rides.

Thank you your thoughts! I agree, Disney has so much more to offer than just thrill rides.

I have degenerative disc disease as well as NF1, so all the discs in my lumbar spine have deteriorated and I have spinal stenosis at a couple of levels. I also have a plate and 8 screws in my cervical spine as well as RA. I do not ride any of the mountains, any of the coaster type rides or teacups.

Soarin is fine -- it is really a gentle ride. I don't spin in Buzz Lightyear and I don't have a problem with the small drops on Pirates or Maelstrom. I know the drops are there and am ready for them.

Thank you so much for your input and for sharing your story with me to give me a point of reference. I wouldn't have thought about the teacups.

Very true. DH has had to give up most of the thrill rides because of his back, but he does enjoy riding around WDW on an ECV, and enjoys the different restaurants, people watching, and the Disney atmosphere. We did a Keys to the Kingdom tour on ECV's -- fascinating look behind the scenes without any jolts on the back.

My dad used to be the one that loved the thrill rides with me when I was younger, until he hurt his back. Now he loves to people watch, I keep telling him there is no better place to people watch than Disney World. A behind the scenes tour is something that I thought of as he and hubby love learning how things work.

Some tours might be fun for them, like Keys to the Kingdom or other ones that if you have kids under 16 with you, that you all could go on. Something a little out of the ordinary besides rides and shows might just be the thing.

He loves animals, so I thought of one of the tours at AK. We don't have children right now so that wouldn't be an issue. Thank you for your input!

 

[blairbear]

We didn't know it at the time, but the last time I was at WDW, I was quite literally a "human bobble head" and within a year had several of my cervical vertebrae fused (among other things) because I was in danger of serious injury from even a minor car accident. I also have general back problems due to a genetic condition. I was with a friend who knew she had a slipped disc in her lower back (she had surgery just a bit over a year after we were there). I use a manual wheelchair and my friend walked either independently or pushing my wheelchair (I can't push very long and it worked a bit like a walker for her).

Quite a bit of what may or may not work for him will depend on where his slipped disks are. Also, with an ECV some ride queues will require him to switch to a manual wheelchair or walk the queue (those rides will have a manual wheelchairs by the entrance for him to switch to). It also means there are very few rides where he can stay in his ECV, compared to manual wheelchair users.

The only one of the rides you list that we didn't do was Toy Story Mania and that had nothing to do with health, we just didn't have time.

Here are my comments on your specific ride concerns:

Buzz Lightyear - was no problem for either of us (I didn't transfer to a regular car, but stayed in my wheelchair for this one)
Pirates - I don't remember having any problems with the ride itself. The step in and out is hard (I pretty much crawled in and out), but no problems for my friend.
Splash Mountain- I braced myself slightly for that last drop, but really didn't have problems. My friend had no problems.
Soarin' - Absolutely no problems. All the movements were smooth enough that it was probably one of the most comfortable rides in the park.
Kilimanjaro's Safari - My friend had no problems on it and I wore a soft neck brace while on it which meant I was mostly okay. Next time I wouldn't transfer to a regular seat and would stay in my wheelchair (I transferred because there was already a wheelchair user in the jeep and we were there at a time when it wasn't busy so if I'd waited to stay in my own chair it would have been a very long wait). I'm not sure I'd do it again if I had to transfer, though.

Other rides that could potentially be issues that aren't thrill rides:
Haunted Mansion - you do spent a little time going backward on this and depending on how sensitive he is to motion, you can feel the ride kinda clicking along (I get jarred by the clicks, but it's not uncomfortable enough for me to not ride - I know others who can't ride it because they're too jarring)
Spaceship Earth - This was a surprise problem ride for me, but some of it was situational. I was okay until we flipped around to go backwards and then almost immediately, the ride stopped for 5 minutes. Because the back was low enough to not support my upper back or neck, just hanging there was quite rough on me. I also felt a bit jarred by the ride mechanism on this one (this was in 2010).

Thank you so much for sharing your and your friends experiences! He should be able to transfer to the rides off of the ECV with no problems. He just has a rough time when he has to be on his feet for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. I am hoping where we are going down in September that the wait times will be pretty short.

My hubby wondered about the Haunted Mansion where it went backwards. That is something that he and I will defiantly ride first again to see if we believe that it will be a problem for him. I never thought anything about Spaceship Earth! I will defiantly ride that first to check it for him as well.

I would recommend NOT doing TSM. My dad has a bad back from a car accident when he was 16 and walks with a brace. There are no warnings on TSM and he even asked CMs if there was anything on the ride that would bother someone with a bad back and was repeatedly reassured that "everyone can ride this."

Definitely NOT true. The car does whip you around quite a bit and he experienced a fair amount of pain on the ride.

If he really wants to ride it, I would suggest having someone else in your party who is familiar with his injury ride it first so that he has a better idea of if he can handle it or not.

I thought that it whipped you around pretty quickly. It is a great idea to have us ride first to make sure that he can. Thank you for sharing your father's experience with this!

Besides what was already written, post 23 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread has the official list of warnings from WDW. You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

Thank you I will defiantly check out that thread!

I have significant back issues and do fine on most Disney rides. From those you listed -

I am actually okay on Buzz and TSM.

On the safari I am okay if I sit towards the front, the back can be bumpy.

Pirates and IASW can be an issue getting up and out of the boat but so far I have been managing. On a bad day I would not ride it because I don't think I could get myself up and out.

Soarin is not a problem for me.

Splash, on a day I am feeling good I may give it a shot, sometimes I don't want to chance it.

Thank you so much for the tip to sit near the front in the safari, this is something that I would not have thought of. It is a good idea to wait until he is having a really good day to try Splash.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you so much for sharing your and your friends experiences! He should be able to transfer to the rides off of the ECV with no problems. He just has a rough time when he has to be on his feet for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. I am hoping where we are going down in September that the wait times will be pretty short.

My hubby wondered about the Haunted Mansion where it went backwards. That is something that he and I will defiantly ride first again to see if we believe that it will be a problem for him. I never thought anything about Spaceship Earth! I will defiantly ride that first to check it for him as well.

Yes, those are both attracts that cause some people problems.
The main issue is that both are going backwards and down at the same time and the right car is a hard plastic .
Depending on where on the back the person's problem is, that may cause pressure on the parts that hurt. It seems especially hard on the upper back.
Some people find that they can lean forward slightly and that takes the pressure off their back. Other people have put something behind them like a spread out or rolled up sweatshirt to cushion their back from the hard seat.

I thought that it whipped you around pretty quickly. It is a great idea to have us ride first to make sure that he can. Thank you for sharing your father's experience with this!

There is also a video link to the TSM queue and ride in post 3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread if you want to check that out. The turning is to get from one game to the next, so as long as you know that it will happen between games, you will have some warning it doesn't just happen randomly

Thank you I will defiantly check out that thread!

Post one of that thread is an index to the information that thread contains. So you may want to check out the rest of the thread to see what else might be useful.
[quoteThank you so much for the tip to sit near the front in the safari, this is something that I would not have thought of. It is a good idea to wait until he is having a really good day to try Splash.[/QUOTE]
When we ride the Safari with our DD who stays in her wheelchair, we are in the very first row. I have also ridden in various spots without her. I agree that the back 1/3 to 1/2 can be quite bumpy, but the very front row is not significantly different than any row in the first 1/3 of the tram.
It's important to keep in mind that the tram is traveling on simulated rutted dirt roads, so there can still be significant bumpiness, depending on which ruts the driver hits.
He will be able to use the ECV in the entire Safari line, up to the boarding area. There is a special boarding area for guests with mobility devices since the regular line loads and unloads at different points.

 

[scottmel]

Watch out for the Jungle Cruise. Seems like the lamest tamest ride and it is but getting In and out of it is tricky. I think b/c it is so old it wasn't designed for anyone with a knee or hip or back issue....Deep bends getting in and out and just overall akward body movement. I did it this past summer and was kicking myself for having done it. Again SEEMS so lame and tame. I can handle any other ride you listed fine but Jungle Cruise gave me grief!

 

[justtobeme2]

My SO likes to joke because I hurt on I think it was Winnie Pooh(?) because it has starts and stops and bumps and the seat is really shallow. I have no problems on splash mountain because as I remember it's a rather smooth ride, even at the bottom...lol

 

[deegack]

Dh actually said rnr was the best ride for his back (herniated disk). He said it felt like his spine was stretched a bit and things got put back in place. I would NOT recommend this and it even caused us to have out only Disney fight.

 

[scottmel]

Dh actually said rnr was the best ride for his back (herniated disk). He said it felt like his spine was stretched a bit and things got put back in place. I would NOT recommend this and it even caused us to have out only Disney fight.

Tower of Terror does this for me. I can actually hear my spine cracking. I love it. I ride it several times a trip. like a chiropractic adjustment.