Trouble standing due to severe osteoarthritis of the knees

[glm777]

I have severe bone-on-bone arthritis of both knees. Walking is not an issue - I actually feel better when walking. I am worried about the standing in line however. Standing still becomes excruciating for me after about 10 minutes and then I have trouble getting moving again. I absolutely do not need a w/c as walking is the best therapy for my knees. Do they offer any options for those who have trouble standing in line? I'm not looking to bypass the line - just need to be able to sit and wait for my turn.

 

[tobikaye]

They do not offer an option for mobility assistance, other than the suggestion of a mobility aid. If you have trouble standing for more than 10 minutes, but have no problems walking, I would suggest checking out if a rollator might be of help to you, even in non-Disney situations. It allows you to walk, but gives you a place to sit when needed. This is good, because in Disney seating options are getting more sparse unless you go to an eatery or can get up and down off the ground.

My sister has been using a rollator for years, more due to stamina, but my mom started using one because she had trouble standing in one place for long. She was okay for walking and could stand for about 5-10 minutes at a time, but then needed to sit or lean to be able to keep going. She does not use one all the time, but takes it for places where seating might not be readily available, such as shopping, amusement parks, or outdoor festivals/walks.

 

[DisneyOma]

Luckily the queues are very rarely 'standing still' for 10 minutes at a time. You can pace in line as well. You can have other members of your party keep a space open for you to pace in. If you need to sit, WDW will suggest a mobility aid. But I've never stood in a line in one spot for 10 minutes, except to wait for a show - but you could pace in the holding area.

 

[aaarcher86]

I have severe bone-on-bone arthritis of both knees. Walking is not an issue - I actually feel better when walking. I am worried about the standing in line however. Standing still becomes excruciating for me after about 10 minutes and then I have trouble getting moving again. I absolutely do not need a w/c as walking is the best therapy for my knees. Do they offer any options for those who have trouble standing in line? I'm not looking to bypass the line - just need to be able to sit and wait for my turn.

A wheelchair is a mobile seat, which sounds like exactly what you need/are asking for. Or a rollator as a pp suggested.

You can push the wherlchair when walking and use it to sit when you need to.

 

[minnie mum]

Queues for rides rarely have you standing still for more than a minute or 2. But there are so many other times in your park day when standing is a part of the deal. Waiting in pre show areas. Waiting for parades or fireworks. And watching parades or fireworks. Waiting for buses ( pre and post park). The list goes on. Been there, done that. Started out 20 + years ago with a cane and a leg brace. Then a wheelchair (only ever used one at WDW). I never used a rollator because by mid afternoon I would need DH to push me from place to place. But if you're still at the point where walking isn't painful, the rollator may just be the answer to your problem.

 

[aaarcher86]

You could also bring a cane with a seat.

 

[gap2368]

I have severe bone-on-bone arthritis of both knees. Walking is not an issue - I actually feel better when walking. I am worried about the standing in line however. Standing still becomes excruciating for me after about 10 minutes and then I have trouble getting moving again. I absolutely do not need a w/c as walking is the best therapy for my knees. Do they offer any options for those who have trouble standing in line? I'm not looking to bypass the line - just need to be able to sit and wait for my turn.

this comes up a lot, You can go to GR and talk to a cast member there they will more then likely tell you to use a mobility device ( wheel chair ECV roller ) you do not need to use this mobility device to sit in you can chose to push it ( you might want to look at a wheel chair or roller) this way you can sit when you need to. I would try and set up FP for the busy times of the day most FP lines are about 10 -15 minutes ( some can be much longer I have had to leave some lines when waiting in the FP) also I would make sure you have something you can keep with you ( you can rent off site) as some times the wait for the Bus tran monorail can be quite long and no where to sit.

I hope this helps

 

[gap2368]

You could also bring a cane with a seat.

I have seen CM tell people they can not use them as a set and I have seen one guest fall out of one and break there arm so if the OP need to sit a cain set may not be the best bet as if they fell it could put an abrupt end to the vacation.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I have a similar problem with one of my hips - I can walk at a regular pace or even go jogging, but standing in one spot or moving very slowly (the way most lines do) is agonizing after a short while.

My rollator is a huge, huge help. I seriously love it. Before I had it, I just rented a wheelchair and pushed it around, sitting in it when I needed to. But the rollator is a less cumbersome solution.

 

[aaarcher86]

I have seen CM tell people they can not use them as a set and I have seen one guest fall out of one and break there arm so if the OP need to sit a cain set may not be the best bet as if they fell it could put an abrupt end to the vacation.

The canes with seats are allowed. The camping style seats are not.

Obviously, OP would have to decide if they're comfortable sitting in it.

 

[gap2368]

it was a cain set that the lady was sitting on I saw her using it and then pull it out into a chair and sit about a minute latter she fall. I was just giving the OP the heads up about what I have seen at disney and letting them have the chose I used to tell people about the option of a cain set until I saw someone fall out and a CM tell someone they could not use it for a set all in the same day.

 

[ttintagel]

I have bad arthritis in my lower body, too. I chose not to use a wheelchair last time I was at WDW;/I rarely had to stand a long time in line, and when I did, I did stretches instead of just standing.

That said, it's important to remember that Disney World is not like the real world. Not needing mobility aid in the real world doesn't mean you won't need one im Disney World. If what you need is a place to sit and wait, bringing a wheelchair or rollator into the line with you gives you just that. Bringing a wheelchair doesn't mean that you're forced to sit in it all the time.

 

[Selket]

I have severe arthritis of the knees and need both replaced as well. You say that walking is better for you but also that "just need to be able to sit and wait for my turn" so I'm not sure if you want to walk or sit - lol!

If you want to sit and wait your turn then a scooter would work fine in the lines. If there is someone with you on your trip who could also drive the scooter if you wanted to stand up and walk in the line that would work...otherwise with a scooter you'd have to sit in order to drive it. I think your concern is that you don't want to have to stand in one place for long periods of time without being able to walk around. The FP lines move quickly enough usually that you're not standing for long in one spot. Always the best option is a touring plan with the FP's and getting to the parks early so that many of the big name rides have quicker moving queue's. If that doesn't work you can always talk to guest services and describe your needs but often they will suggest a wheelchair or scooter...especially if you do need to sit.

Sitting is what I needed so I rented an ECV and that worked well - I parked it and walked often once I got to the area I wanted to be and I didn't typically take it in lines but I did a few times. I used the FP and just did attractions with fast moving, short waits and handled it that way.

 

[SueM in MN]

There are some attractions where standing for a period of time will always occur. They are mostly shows and attractions that load in 'batches of people'. Test track is one example - the line moves in fits and starts, but then you get to a room before the Design Studio room where you will be standing for several minutes before going into the Design Studio (also standing). There is a list of those types of attractions on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread (you can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

There are also unexpected stoppages - we were at Buzz Lightyear yesterday. The Fastpass line moved quickly to a point about 20 feet from entering the boarding room. There was a problem with the ride that caused a line stop. We stood in one place for almost 10 minutes before it started again and they started loading. That can happen on any attraction.

 

[DisneyWisher]

I like the OP have osteoarthritis in my knees. The lines are the roughest, you may not stand in exact same spot for more than 10 mins but you are standing over 10 mins without taking more than a few steps every minute. I cant walk as well as someone that doesnt have osteoarthritis but walking and bending my knees feels better than standing. Cortisone has helped but wears off after a few months. My first shots made me feel new. Even preparing dinner I have to sit after so long. My friend and I are going to DHS she is begging me to get a wheelchair. We did MK and Epcot in one day, Test Track finally did me in. Now with premium parking that we choose not to do, we parked in create row 60. We had to wait for the tram because at that point even walking was hurting. Disney is only running 1 tram at Epcot. If you are waiting for it, expect a loooonnnggg wait. It took my knees 5 days to recover.