Hi and
Let's talk about hubby - I have one of those, and it sounds like ours might be cut from the same cloth!
First of all, as you have already noted, there is not a lot of (available) seating these days in the Parks. You'll see *some* - but if y'all are like us, there's never any *available* seating when you need it most! If he needs the ability to sit on demand, the best - and smartest - thing to do is bring it with you, and that means one of the following devices:
- Rollator
- Wheelchair
-
ECV
But let's say he's still resistant to the idea (because again, stubborn men...)
Here's what you tell him:
That dreaded Rollator is a TOOL to get a job done at Disney World. Just like he will likely wear sunglasses at WDW - those are a TOOL to help his vision in the bright Florida sun. Has he ever used a calculator to do math? That's a TOOL that we all commonly use to make math simpler, and easier. Does he have special shoe inserts for his feet? Those are a TOOL commonly employed by podiatrists to help folks with flat feet. You get the idea - there are examples of tools everywhere in our everyday lives that make our lives easier, or better, or simply a bit more comfortable or convenient.
Yes, it *sucks* that he has to even consider it. I promise you, the first time I had to use an ECV at WDW, I *cried*. Like ugly-cried right there at Epcot. I hated it, I thought it was the end of the world, I thought it was going to ruin our vacation.
And then a weird thing happened. First of all, it wasn't the end of the world... because... here we are!
But more importantly, it actually made our vacation *better*. You see, at the end of the day, I wasn't hurting, and limping from bench to planter to QS seating, stopping all the time to rest. I had more energy because I wasn't in pain, and not only did I enjoy myself so much more - because I wasn't in so much pain - but my family enjoyed everything more, because they didn't have to watch me in pain. They didn't have to stop all the time and wait for me to be able to continue. They didn't have to worry about what would happen if I couldn't make it back to the front of the Park. And in a really ironic twist, at the end of every day, I was still ready and eager to go to Disney Springs for a later dinner or a movie, or drinks... and for once, they were the ones who wanted to just go back and go to bed!
At the end of that vacation, I realized that for the first time in years, I was going to go home from vacation actually feeling good, and rested and in less pain than when I started the trip. All because of a tool that I used. An ECV.
Now, he can use anything he wants - a lot of folks in similar situations will skip the Rollator and just push a wheelchair, using the seat when they need it, and walking behind it the rest of the time. I promise - once you start looking for it, it's a lot more common than you realize at WDW.
And it's entirely possible that he might be best served by renting an ECV. The average Guest at WDW walks between 3 & 10 miles PER DAY. With his feet, I don't know a single person who would judge him for using an ECV. And lots of people who don't need one full-time anywhere else will use one at WDW; in fact, I personally believe that probably 80% of the
scooter users you will see there only need one when they are at WDW.
No one will ask him why he needs it; most of the other folks at WDW are *way* too busy and self-involved in their own vacations. And anyone who judges him from a distance? Well, they do so from a place of fear and ignorance.
And last but not least? He can park *any* device he decides to use (just ask any CM where a good place to park it is) and leave it while you all explore an area, and then come back and move it with you to the next area you are ready to explore.
Oh - and as to question #2? A *properly* adjusted Rollator should not hurt your back. Most of them should have adjustable height handlebars - make sure that it is the appropriate size for his height and weight, and it should be comfortable to use!
I hope all this helps!
