Hey all! Not sure if this exactly fits here, but wasn’t sure where else to post. I’ve traveled to WDW many many times, but this will be my first trip post breast cancer. After 12 rounds of chemo, surgery and six weeks of radiation, I’m comfortable saying that we’ve beaten back the beast.
However, I’ve now moved into the medical management phase of my journey, and this makes me tire very easily, makes my joints ache, and has pretty much aged me a good decade, at least.
I don’t think I’d qualify for a
DAS pass, but I’m looking for any tips from folks who have either been in the same boat, or something similar. We’ll be heading down the first week of January - high temps won’t be a problem, but the crowds might be. (This was the only time we could go for several reasons.) It will be me, my DH, my DS (19) and DD (17). In previous trips, I was always the one leading the charge, running FastPass (when that was still a thing), usually staying in the parks from rope drop until close (unless one of the kiddos needed a nap mid-day). I know this will be a very different trip - any and all advice would be appreciated. Thank you!!
First of all, happy "I beat cancer into submission, and put it in the rear window!" That’s so cool that you will be able to celebrate that at WDW! I know it makes the trip feel extra-special, which can then actually make it feel like there’s more pressure to have the “perfect trip”.
However, there’s a secret that no one around here *ever* talks about. But I’m going to address it openly here, because I think it’s important.
Ready? :::takes a deep breath:::
There is no such thing as a ”perfect” Disney trip.
(hopefully, they don’t take away my super-Disney fan card for that… LOL)
What I mean is this: We *all* - no matter how many times we have gone - tend to have this fantasy that we will arrive at WDW, and somehow every thing will be perfect, every day of our stay, and every interaction will be magical with every human (and every character) that we see. When it’s time to take the perfect picture, no other Guests will block the shot. The food will look *better* than the menu pictures, the rides will be better and longer - and with no lines! The sky will be bluer… The air will be brighter! Oh. Wait. That’s not reality.
That’s a Disney TV commercial.
We tend to forget between trips that last time we had that churro that was just all kinds of wrong, and that the Country Bears broke down halfway through, leaving you with a terrible ear worm for hours. We don’t remember that Starbucks ran out of nitro cold brew, *and* there were no cupcakes, either. And we forgot about all the Guests who were horrible, the buses that were late, and the CMs who were less than magical. Our memories betray us when we are planning for our next trip.
So, your very first strategy is to stop stressing out about the “perfect” trip - because it can’t ever happen. Yes, it might look like that family over there is having a “perfect” Disney moment, but you don’t know their reality - and it’s *your* reality we are focusing on.
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In addition to
@Lilsia's great advice, here are some other things for you to know:
- If staying onsite, all Disney Resort hotels will have rooms with accommodations built in. These typically fall into a few broad categories, and you might find one of them helpful - I'm thinking here specifically of either the wheelchair tub or a roll-in shower (which is a flat floor shower that typically has a zero entry, or small, soft silicone "lip" to help keep water in). Those Handicapped Accessible rooms may be very helpful to you. Additionally, they will have wheelchair height (20") toilets and grab bars around toilets, and tubs/showers. The beds will be a 20" height as well, if you can't easily climb in to the higher beds that seem to be the norm now.
- Speaking of hotel rooms, remember that most of the hotels at WDW now have "beverage coolers" that won't get colder than about 45 degrees - so if you are traveling with medications that need to be kept at a consistent, cold temperature, you may want to work with Bell Services on storing your medication in their fridges. *Some* of the hotels still have the older "mini-fridges" in the rooms that will get colder (thinking here of POR and POFQ weirdly enough. Can verify POFQ still had them in all rooms as of July 2022)
- If you are driving to WDW, and you have a valid handicap plate/hang tag from your home state, Disney will give you free parking at your Resort. Valet is also free at the Deluxe Resorts with a handicap plate/tag, although I always bring along plenty of cash to tip the Valet CMs.
- Rent that
ECV offsite, and have it delivered to your hotel for a couple of reasons: (1) It's so much cheaper than daily rentals from Disney and (2) you will have the ECV for not only use in the Park, but also at the Resorts - and since you are a seasoned Disney crew, you know that some of the Resorts can have a *lot* of walking, depending on where your room is. Bonus extra (3) if you want to go to Disney Springs, you will have the ECV for that as well - and you won't have to stop and rent yet another ECV at the DS rental.
- When you rent your ECV, be sure to get one with the longest battery life. In order to maximize your battery life, make sure that you charge it *fully* overnight, every night in your hotel room. Don't leave it outside on walkways, or in hallways at the Resort - if someone pulls the plug on that unit overnight while it is charging outside the room, you will be spend all of your next day searching around for outlets to try and charge up enough to creep around the parks.
- If you have not yet had the fun and exciting experience of using an ECV, well... brace yourself LOL. In all seriousness, it's not hard to drive one at all - the main thing will be to watch out for other Guests; so many of them are walking around with their nose in their phone, and they just don't pay good attention. We have had folks here who have been driving along, and an ambulatory Guest has walked right into them! Also, small kids don't understand the laws of physics - most modern
ECVs will stop pretty quickly, but may not stop fast enough for a little nugget who darts right in front of you. To help combat these issues, you may want to have family members help build a "bubble" around you, with someone in the front, someone behind you, and ideally someone on your left (or right) so that you can focus mostly on one side. If someone does break the bubble, a cheerful "Excuse me!" with a loud voice, and a big smile is all you need.
- First Aid Centers at every Park are your friend. You can rest there for a bit, if they have the room, and of course they have basic first aid supplies if needed.
Our exhaustion is often made worse by things like hunger, pain, anxiety or discomfort. So self-care is *super* important! Make sure you stay hydrated, and comfy, and then you don't have those issues to deal with on top of anything else. (it's amazing how many people go to WDW and wear uncomfortable clothing and terrible shoes). Remember that it's not a fashion show - so be comfortable! If you are going in the "winter" take a coat/gloves for the evening - there is a very real "wind chill" effect when riding a personal mobility device, especially when you are next to the water. Even in Florida. If the temperature gets below about 65 degrees, I get *cold* while driving!
- Nearly all Disney Transportation is ECV/wheelchair friendly. There are a few exceptions: The small boats from WL to FW to WL, and sometimes there are small launches on the MK to Poly to MK run. These smaller boats are the ones that have a step down into the boat, and there is no ramp, or wheelchair parking on the boat at all. Aside from those routes, everything else is accessible for your ECV, including the Monorail (a CM will place a metal ramp for you), the Skyliner (drive right on, sit on the ECV for the flight) all buses (a ramp flips out and... you have probably seen that in action before LOL) and of course all of the other "bigger" boats will have a ramp just like the Monorail that a CM will place for you. The only exception to that is the boat from WL to MK and back does not use a ramp (I think the doorway is just a tinky bit too narrow to place the ramp) and you just drive right on, kind of like the Skyliner.
- All queues at WDW are mainstreamed (so you can drive right through in the ECV) with a few notable exceptions... like Pirates, where you will have to park the ECV, and use an attraction-provided wheelchair. Also, the PeopleMover does not have any accessible access, so you will have to be able to stand/walk on the moving ramp and walkways. Buzz requires you to use an attraction-provided wheelchair as well.
OK. Last but not least, I want you to please not worry too much about using the ECV, or using a handicap accessible room if it helps, or using any other accommodations while at Disney. I'm going to tell you *my* famous "EPCOT Meltdown" story to help illustrate why.
This was *years* ago. I was sick, and getting sicker (long story - Reader's Digest version: didn't get properly diagnosed for 30+ years, finally have great doctors + correct meds on board now! Yay!) and were were at Disney World. Specifically, that day of our trip was dedicated to EPCOT, and my whole goal that day was Katsura Grill in the Japan Pavilion. I lovelovelove the food there, and sitting outside to eat, with the view from the patio, and... Sorry. I got sidetracked, and had to clean the drool off my keyboard LOL.
So, the reality of that day was that I was spending all my time limping from one bench, planter or seat to another. Every time, I said the same thing: "I just need to sit.... for a minute, and I will be fine". It got to be ridiculous, and I kept trying to send my family along without me, but we are like the Marines, and we never leave anyone behind.
Finally, I had to admit defeat. I wasn't going to make it; I was "stuck" roughly in the middle of EPCOT, couldn't walk anymore, and I didn't know what I was going to do. I started crying, right there.
My then-teenage daughter grabbed my phone, and quickly looked up "Orlando
scooter rental" and then called one of the vendors that said they delivered "anywhere in Orlando". She arranged for them to deliver us the scooter right where we sat - in EPCOT! - and they did. (This was back when every scooter company had the free run of all the Parks) I sat there and I *ugly cried* because I was going to have to use a scooter at my beloved Disney World, even as the delivery person showed me how to use the scooter. I was too young. It was not going to help. I'm not an old lady. Boo Hoo, I said. Woe is me, I said. My world is dark, and horrible, and my trip is ruined, I said.
And then this thing happened: Nothing.
No one made fun of me. No one called me an old lady. I didn't hurt any more from just trying to stand and walk; my pain nearly evaporated. The sun continued to shine, the birds chirped as always, and my trip was not ruined.
In fact, not only was my trip not ruined... but I got to the end of the day, and while my family was dragging butt back to the hotel, *I* was ready to go down to Disney Springs and have an Adult Beverage and listen to some music at House of Blues. I was ready to go shopping, or go see a movie. I was ready to head to the hotel bar, and kick back with a burger and a beer...
My family was amazed, and openly delighted.
The next day, I woke up, and I didn't hurt at Disney World, for the first time in years. No swelling, no pain, no constant search for benches, planters and seats of any kind; now my family was struggling to keep up with me!
Now, I know that just using a scooter won't fix all of everyone's problems. But for a lot of people, it makes a *huge* difference in how far - and how long - they can go at WDW.
Hop on that scooter, and have the very best trip you can!
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All the unexpected things you deal with after..nerve damage, joints painful from aftercare meds. On my best day before all that the parks were a struggle at times. I went all day and crawled into bed to recover. It took me a bit to recognize I cant do that this trip. My advice:
