Severe arthritis w/knee surgery

[dorymom67]

I'm sure someone has had this issue. My Mom is coming on our trip to Disney in Apirl '09. She has severe arthritis and a hip/knee issue. How do I insure with Disney that we get a room close to monorail and/or bus pick-up. I can't get to check-in and have them say, "sorry, we can't accomadate your request." I know this happens at Disney. Doesn't seem fair.

Thanks for any info.

 

[powellrj]

I would rent an ECV from an outside company. It will make all the difference in her trip. I finally relented and rented one for my last trip before my knee replacements and I was sorry I had never rented one before.

We went to WDW about 9 months after my last knee replacement and to be honest I was sorry I didn't for this trip.

 

[dorymom67]

My sister and I were talking about that. We definately need to rent an ECV for her. I KNOW she will give us a hard time about it and say she's fine, though. I'm going to book a room close to busses/monorail. hopefully they accomodate us.

 

[Tonya2426]

Renting an ECV is the way to go. The resorts can be very spread out and your mother will probably be pooped out before she even gets to the Parks. My father has used an ECV for several of our Disney trips and it is the only way his poor knees and hip joints would have survived getting to the monorail or bus let alone getting through an hour in the Parks. He had to put his pride aside but in the end he was happy he did.

 

[7165red]

Make your reservation. When the time arrives call the hotel the day before to confirm your request and then again on the morning of your arrival. It never hurts to remind them of your request and how important it is to you. I usually call to double check my room request.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

I have three separate items for you.

First, If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information, including where people rent ECVs.

Or, if you want an easier route, click on the link in my signature.

Second, Basically a person has a certain amount of energy available to them daily. If they relax during the day the amount of energy available wil increase; when they sleep at night they recharge their system,

However, when in pain energy is used up much faster than in normal conditions. If you become exhausted, with by what you have done or, more importantly, what you have done while in pain your system will not recharge to the original energy level overnight and you are starting the next day with a lower amount of energy available.

You might pick a location at least a half mile from where she lives and ask her would she like to walk there. If she hesitates, then say "and back", and of she is still not sure then add "at least three times in a row".

Once around the World Showcase Lagoon Promenade is more than 1¼ miles; most people tend to average 8 - 12 miles per day at WDW.

And, third, Please ask the following questions. Here are the suggested answers to go with them.

1. Are you disabled (even temporarily)? Yes.

2. Do the people you are traveling with, such as your family, know you are disabled? Yes.

3. Do you expect to meet anyone you know during this trip who may not know you are disabled. Probably No!

4. Do you expect to meet a bunch of people who you will probably never meet again in your life? Probably yes!

5. Is there any reason at all that you should care what these people think about you? Absolutely No!!

6. Will using a wheelchair or ECV make for a better vacation for you and your family? Absolutely YES!