Touring WDW With MS

[nbp]

My DD 27 was diagnosed with MS in May and has had many complications since. We are going for a week during Thanksgiving holidays and staying at AKL. She cannot walk for long periods, legs give out, cannot take heat, terrible fatigue, etc. She really wants to go to WDW but says she does not want to use a wheelchair. I spoke to her about the GAC, she sounds interested in getting one. I really want to see a smile on her face, it has been such a rough year, I just want to see her happy. Any suggestions?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

I have bad news for your DD. The GAC is intended for people with "invisible" disabioities that are not related to mobility or stamina. When you go to Guest Relations the normal and official recommendation for a person with mobility and/or stamina concerns is to rent a wheelchair or ECV.

Some of the lines are extremely long, both from a time and distance standpoint. For example, at Soarin' it is over 1/4 mile from the entry into the line to the boarding area, without a FastPass the wait can easily be over an hour, and there are no benches anywhere along the way in either the standby or fastpass lines. And Toy Story Midway Mania the lina is almost always over an hour, aagin with no place to sit and no way to bypass the line.

You might ask your daughter 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!

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. I think you will find Posts #2 and #6 there most useful.

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

 

[Mary976]

It will be cooler in Nov than in the summer, but it can still be very warm. The first aid stations can be good places to rest, but if you need somewhere cool in a hurry, the shops are nicely climate controlled. As far as the lines/rides, the GAC does not actually shorten the line, which can be very long. Plus the parks are HUGE! The good news is that there are lots of nice places to sit and rest if you're tired, but maybe your DD would want to reconsider the wheelchair or ECV? I know a lot of posters here talk about practicing with an ECV at places like WalMart, so they know what's it's like in advance.

WDW really is a magical place, so even if you can't get to every ride or see every part of all the parks, you will still have a fabulous time!

Good luck!
Mary

 

[SueM in MN]

My DD 27 was diagnosed with MS in May and has had many complications since. We are going for a week during Thanksgiving holidays and staying at AKL. She cannot walk for long periods, legs give out, cannot take heat, terrible fatigue, etc. She really wants to go to WDW but says she does not want to use a wheelchair. I spoke to her about the GAC, she sounds interested in getting one. I really want to see a smile on her face, it has been such a rough year, I just want to see her happy. Any suggestions?

This may not be what you want to hear, but it is a realistic suggestion given what you have written about her needs.
I would suggest an ECV. It would give her the assistance she needs to avoid fatigue and she would have a lot more independence than she would have with a wheelchair.

Using a GAC is not usually going to shorten the distance walked in lines and it won't help at all with the distances walked between attractions or at your resort. Here's a picture of the queue for Soarin' that illustrates that:

There are many lines like that; even if your wait is short, the distance walked from the queue entrance to the boarding/show area may not be. Also, for the movie or show type attractions, there is a preshow or waiting area where people are grouped before going into the theater for the next show. You will generally be standing in the preshow area for at least the duration of one show (you will stand there waiting while they show is going on and when it is over, your group will be ushered into the theater while another group takes your place in the preshow room). Many of the preshow rooms don't have any place to sit unless you bring it with you.

Also, many attractions have queues with ramps, which may be more difficult or tiring for her. Some attractions have lines that are continously moving forward at a slow pace; others load a group at a time, so you stand in one place for a while, then move rapidly forward for a few minutes. A ramp can make the slow pace or standing still harder than if it was happening on level ground. Using a GAC would not avoid those ramps, since they are the accessible path.

Most people don't really understand the distances involved in a trip to WDW until they are there. The average person walks over 6 miles per day on a WDW trip (I've read everything from 3-13 miles per day by people who were measuring the distances with pedometers). Just the distance around the lake at Epcot's World Showcase is 1.2 miles!

WDW resorts are very large and depending on where your room is, it may be a sort of long walk or a quite long walk from the room to the bus stop. Neither the parks nor the resorts are flat. Most have hills and some of the hills are fairly steep.
Some things that have helped people see that they really need the help of an ECV:

• Pick a place about 3 miles away from home that is well known to the person. Ask if they would be able to walk there. What about walking home? That total distance (6 miles) is a pretty middle of the range estimate for distance walked in a day at WDW. If the person thinks they could walk that, how about doing it every day for as many days as you plan to go to the parks.
• Think of energy as a checking account. Everything you do during the day can take energy out of the account, not affect it or add to the energy. Walking around all day takes a certain amount of energy; if too much is used just getting around, there won't be any left for having fun. And, if too much is used during the day, the energy 'added' to the 'account' from sleeping won't be enough to start the next day.
• Using a wheelchair or an ECV is looked at by a lot of people as 'giving up', but in reality, it is a tool to help make the most of what you have. Many people try to avoid using a wheelchair or ECV because they don't want to get 'dependent' on it. People don't think of glasses that way, but in a way, ECVs/wheelchairs are like glasses for the feet.

Good luck with your trip.

 

[mrsksomeday]

I was in WDW for 10 days and my pedometer clocked in over 45 miles. She needs to get either an ECV or a wheelchair. The walk from the parking lot/bus area is always a long one to get to the entrance of the park.

To have a good trip please explain to her that an ECV/wheelchair is essential. Guest services will suggest a wheelchair for mobility issues. The walking is not the only thing that can wear you out. The standing in lines for attractions, food, bathrooms, etc can be exhausting too.

Why does she not want to use one?

 

[edcrbnsoul]

I second the ECV, my wife has MS and tried one trip toughing it out and walking, heat and exhaustion are not a good combo with MS. We now rent an ECV from an off site company because they are smaller and easier to get around in then the Disney ones and she enjoys the our trips so much more as do we.

 

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

My mother has MS and has difficultly walking. When we go to Disneyland she travels by scooter (she owns a scooter). She only walks to restrooms and to transfer from the scooter to rides. I would say an electric scooter would be a better choice and maybe more convenient for everyone. Your daughter would not feel guilty or awkward about having someone push her in a wheelchair, and an ECV would provide more freedom & give her a sense of control. The ones you rent at the park are huge! I would compare your total cost if you rented from Disney vs. what an off-site rental place would cost for the duration of your trip, because at a rental place you can get a smaller and more stylish scooter .

 

[nbp]

Thank you all so much for your advice. I hoping to persuade her to get a ECV or at least a wheelchair. I truly appreciate the input.

 

[KPeveler]

i dont have MS, but i have a condition very like it, and I NEED my wheelchair for the parks. I have little hand strength and very poor hand control, so I don't use an ECV (not safe) but i DO use a manual wheelchair that is custom and is mine.

I bought a $2600 Quickie off eBay for $100, then painted it a color i liked, put LEDs on the wheels, and made it generally Mickey-fied.

If she does not have the hand control or vision (since i know MS can affect both) to safely drive an ECV (she can try at a local walmart, etc), perhaps a manual chair she can maneuver some herself would work. she would not be able to move a rental very far, and even a custom manual would be hard, but at least she could get around stores and such by herself. (this is what i do)

if she CAN use an ECV, i would definitely suggest it, but if she cannot, know that there are other options.

also, her insurance may pay for a rental ECV for the trip, if her dr feels it is necessary.

 

[magicalmommy]

I was recently diagnosed with MS and have a 21 month old little boy, and the fatigue was unreal. I would easily sleep 4 hours a day and 10 hours at night, so I do know how she feels. I talked to my neurologist last week about it and he put me on Provigil for the fatigue. It has made such a difference!! I can see a huge difference in 2 days. Two weeks ago I was too tired to eat solid food. Today, I have cleaned out closets, gone shopping and rearranged the basement playroom. Please have her talk to her dr. And, there is nothing wrong with napping in the afternoon! Good Luck!

MagicalMommy

 

[nbp]

Magicalmommy: She is also on provigil and many other meds, but by the afternoon she crashes. The provigil does help a lot. We are driving and already have reservation half way to brake up the driving. We are staying on the grounds and plan on going to the parks in the morning taking a break around noon and hopefully going back in the evening.
She has had difficulty with the injections and caused her to have a hospital stay in August. She did another MRI last week and see neuro this week. I know she will be happy just being there, it is a Magical Place, and ready to see her beautiful smile!
My sister also has had MS for almost 20 years but their symtoms are each different.

 

[beachwench]

My wife has MS... we go to Disney every year... we take it slow and stop and rest as often as she needs to. We rarely leave the park, cause she doesn't need to nap, but has to get off her feet. One year we did use a scooter (she had knee surgery) and it was awesome (got to the front of lines and had the best seating at shows)... I highly recommend the scooters. She will probably try to never need one, but its nice to know Disney is totally ADA compliant. Hope you are have fun on your trip. We go next week

 

[KPeveler]

My wife has MS... we go to Disney every year... we take it slow and stop and rest as often as she needs to. We rarely leave the park, cause she doesn't need to nap, but has to get off her feet. One year we did use a scooter (she had knee surgery) and it was awesome (got to the front of lines and had the best seating at shows)... I highly recommend the scooters. She will probably try to never need one, but its nice to know Disney is totally ADA compliant. Hope you are have fun on your trip. We go next week

just to let you know, now Disney has mainstreamed most of their lines so you no longer get to the front of the line with a wheelchair or scooter. just a heads up!

 

[mrsksomeday]

just to let you know, now Disney has mainstreamed most of their lines so you no longer get to the front of the line with a wheelchair or scooter. just a heads up!

I was just about to type the same thing, getting an ECV doesn't get you into the front of the line. If your daughter has fatigue problems a wheelchair or ECV would be a life saver.

 

[SueM in MN]

just to let you know, now Disney has mainstreamed most of their lines so you no longer get to the front of the line with a wheelchair or scooter. just a heads up!

And, in many shows, the wheelchair/ECV seating is in the very back of the theater, so you don't exactly get the best seats in the house either.

 

[mechurchlady]

And, in many shows, the wheelchair/ECV seating is in the very back of the theater, so you don't exactly get the best seats in the house either.

For shows like Bug's Life you also do not get the special effects except maybe misting. I was shocked at DLR when I got stabbed in the back at Bug's Life and that was because at WDW I had used an ECV.

There is nothing wrong with using a chair or ECV to get around but I still like the regular seating for shows with special effects like Muppets and Bug's Life.