soft leg cast

[missymj]

My DH has just torn out his knee and is in a full soft leg cast from his thigh to ankle. He refuses to be pushed in a wheelchair. Is GAC an option so he doesn't have to stand in the regular lines?

 

[JudithM]

I can understand that your husband does not want to be oushed in a wheelchair, but I would suggest he consider renting an ECV. Is he using crutches? If so, I cannot begin to imagine using crutches throughout WDW - the palms of my hands & my underarms are sore just thinkg about it. If you read a few threads on the disABILITIES section, you will find info on using & renting ECVs.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Judith is absolutely right. If your husband tries to be "macho" about it, tell him that the ECV rental is to keep from driving YOU crazy, and that YOU will have a more enjoyable trip if he uses an ECV. I remember the first time I had to rent an ECV, my wife said that it made her vacation much more enjoyable.

Some information for off-site rentals are:

Walker Mobility:
1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/

RANDY'S Mobility is in Kissimmee 407-892-4777
http://randysmobility.com/

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html

I have used Walker a few times. They will ask for a credit card and charge it the day before arrival. They will deliver the ECV to your hotel bell services before your arrival and pick it up there after your departure. Their rates, especially for longer than a week, are much better than Disney's. Also, their scooters are much better.

You don't say if you are renting a car or what. If you are using a car for getting around, the ECVs break down into five pieces, the heaviest about 39 pounds. They take about a minute or so to take apart and about two minutes (once you are used to it) to put it together.

Another suggestion is find out your state's requirements for a temporary disabled hang tag and get the paper work and have your doctor sign off on it. The tag will allow you to use any of the handicap parking areas (which will be a necessity). Also, with the policy of charging for valet parking, with a handicap hang tag the fees will be waived. Also the valets will usually volunteer to assist in loading/unloading an ECV. In Virginia I printed the required form from the DMV website. When I took the completed form to the DMV Office it took less than 15 minutes from the time I walked in until I had my tag.

As he is in a cast, you might want to have the person who put it on him draw a line with a marker where it will be sawn off. Then bring a "Sharpie" type marker pen with you and have the Characters sign the cast. Warn them when signing to not cross the line. After the cast is removed you will have an interesting souvenier.

You can use a bungee cord to help keep crutches or a folded up walker on the EVC or wheelchair. Usually it would be a short walk with the crutches from the wheelchair or EVC. If your dh will also have crutches, let teh supplier know and they will be able to provide a clamp on the ECV to hold them.

Good luck and let us know what finally happens.

 

[JudithM]

Originally posted by Cheshire Figment
Judith is absolutely right. If your husband tries to be "macho" about it, tell him that the ECV rental is to keep from driving YOU crazy, and that YOU will have a more enjoyable trip if he uses an ECV. I remember the first time I had to rent an ECV, my wife said that it made her vacation much more enjoyable.

I can also tell you from personal experience that using an ECV at WDW (even if you don't use one at home) makes EVERYone's vacation more enjoyable !

 

[vhoffman]

Take it from a person who's had many knee problems--use an EVC or postpone your trip until your knee has fully recovered. If you push it, you might delay healing time or cause permanent damage. I was too stubborn to ask for assistance registering at school my senior year (Michigan State), so I went through registration on crutches with an injured knee. Well, I had to drop out of school the second week to have surgery to repair a torn cartilage. I lost a significant amount of time and money because I was too proud to let someone push me around in a wheelchair. BTW, I have trouble with that knee to this day--20 years later!

 

[SueM in MN]

Also, keep in mind that the time in line is a very short portion of the walking that he will do during the day.
The Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities says:

Some Guests may be concerned that they do not have the stamina to wait in our queues. We strongly suggest that these Guests consider using a wheelchair or ECV as the distance between our attractions is much greater than the length of our queues.

Most of the lines/waiting areas don't have any place to sit and many of the lines have only one way in, where you have to walk a long distance whether or not you have a GAC (but you could ride a wheelchair or ecv right into the ride). Examples include Pirates, ITTBAB, Safari at AK.