Walking

[MinnieMouse84]

I'm going to Disneyland next years for the first time since I was very young. I'm really excited, but I'm a little concerned about all the walking. Although I'm not physically disabled, I have some other challenges that make walking more than very short distances unpleasant for me. I don't feel right using a wheelchair since I am able to walk, but is there a way to cut down on the walking at all? Thanks.

 

[Astylla]

Many people have the same challenges and use an ECV which assists in walking and there is nothing wrong with such. I had an injury that prevented walking for awhile and it was the difference between misery and enjoyment.

There is nothing wrong with knowing your own limitations and using accommodations to assist in such. I totally recommend Deckerts as they were wonderful and deliver to most hotels/motels too.

 

[cruisehopeful]

There is a lot of walking. One thing I do when my husband is along (he can't walk much) is stay in a certain area. So, we may just do Adventureland and Frontierland. When the train was operating, we used that to get around. There's a horse drawn carriage and a double decker bus that you can use to catch a ride down main street. Even if you manage to avoid walking around all day, you'll have lots of standing in place. An ECV would be really nice to avoid that as well, especially if you are trying to take a quick break to eat or drink something and there is nowhere open to sit.

 

[Happyjenz]

We stick to an area of the park at a time, as cruisehopeful said. I plan at least a reservation a day to "force" a rest. As nice as it is to go back to the room to rest, that's a lot of steps too, and time, so making myself take a lot of breaks IN the park really is what I enjoy. Also, find spots to people watch and take in the sights and sounds....its not all about rides. Take in the shows, wait for a parade (with a treat) and relax.

 

[JABRacingOne]

You should do whatever you need to do to minimize your physical pain and maximize your enjoyment of the DLR. The parks are too expensive and there is way too much to see and do to limit yourself to a small area of the park. There is no shame in using a ECV to maximize your enjoyment and experiences.

 

[chrisaman]

We do a longer trip and do less time in the parks to help out with this. But, being first timers, you are probably going to want to be in the parks the whole time you are there. Just remember, some of the best things at Disneyland are seen when sitting down and just observing.

 

[chickapin parterre]

...and it is not neccesarily the walking, but the constant stopping and moving in line, behind selfie groups and expedition strollers, a differnt set of muscles are being used for that movement. I spend 9 hours in the same spot at work and I find that long stretching walk is more relaxing then the constant movement of the toe, shin and thigh muscle, which makes me tired

Chrisaman is right on, amazing how much Disneyland you can see from a bench, I have seen Disneyland magic that I doubt that veterans on this site have seen, just by sitting on a bench, and empty benches are easy to find

And if you read on this site long enough, you will find magical tricks to even avoid long lines.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Our child has a disability that only allows us a couple of hours at a time
In the parks. Usually 5 hours max a day. We compensate by getting an ap and spending many days in the parks.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Get an ECV. DO NOT FEEL BAD ABOUT IT. You can park it and stand in lines or wander around the park walking if you want and then return and use the ECV when you're tired. The old system that gave people with wheelchairs access to shorter lines is long gone. There are special wheelchair return times for ques that can't accommodate wheelchairs/ECVs, this means you request a wheelchair return time from a CM outside the ride and they will give you a time to return to the attraction based off the current wait time. You don't need a disabled pass to use wheelchair return times. You wait as much time as other people so you aren't taking anything away from average visitors or taking anything away from someone more disabled than you. If you want to stand in the line and not use the return time pass you can! Just park the ECV outside the ride and walk right into line. Please don't feel guilty renting an ECV, there are lots of ECV rental options in the area that deliver to hotels and Disney rents out ECVs at the parks. (I wouldn't do a wheelchair as that can be exhausting to push around if you, or those in your party, are not used to it.)

I'm really trying to get you to reconsider the ECV as I had a family member with similar issues, they could walk but had serious standing issues. When they finally relented to an ECV it made our Disneyland trip SO MUCH better. The family member had a much less physically taxing trip and the rest of us had a much more relaxed trip. I don't know if you're travelling with others but we didn't realize how much time the rest of us spent worrying about our family member and their physical issues until he got the ECV. It was this huge weight of worry and stress off our shoulders that we didn't even know was there.

to the DISboards btw!

 

[MinnieMouse84]

Thank you all for your advice. I decided I'll spend two days there instead of one. I might get an ECV, but I'm hoping I won't need it if I go slowly and take breaks.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I would get the ECV just to be safe. Better to have it and not use it as much as you thought you would than to not have one and find that your trip is miserable without it. We had a friend who needed a wheelchair and decided to tough it out instead. Wrong decision. She was exhausted, miserable, and in pain so much of the time that her memories of her visit are not good at all. This could have been avoided, but she seriously underestimated how physically taxing a day in the parks can be.

 

[TikiJoes]

Get an ECV. DO NOT FEEL BAD ABOUT IT. You can park it and stand in lines or wander around the park walking if you want and then return and use the ECV when you're tired. The old system that gave people with wheelchairs access to shorter lines is long gone. There are special wheelchair return times for ques that can't accommodate wheelchairs/ECVs, this means you request a wheelchair return time from a CM outside the ride and they will give you a time to return to the attraction based off the current wait time. You don't need a disabled pass to use wheelchair return times. You wait as much time as other people so you aren't taking anything away from average visitors or taking anything away from someone more disabled than you. If you want to stand in the line and not use the return time pass you can! Just park the ECV outside the ride and walk right into line. Please don't feel guilty renting an ECV, there are lots of ECV rental options in the area that deliver to hotels and Disney rents out ECVs at the parks. (I wouldn't do a wheelchair as that can be exhausting to push around if you, or those in your party, are not used to it.)

I'm really trying to get you to reconsider the ECV as I had a family member with similar issues, they could walk but had serious standing issues. When they finally relented to an ECV it made our Disneyland trip SO MUCH better. The family member had a much less physically taxing trip and the rest of us had a much more relaxed trip. I don't know if you're travelling with others but we didn't realize how much time the rest of us spent worrying about our family member and their physical issues until he got the ECV. It was this huge weight of worry and stress off our shoulders that we didn't even know was there.

to the DISboards btw!

Thank you for your reply to this ... It was just the input I needed to help my Mom make the decision to rent an ECV and NOT feel guilty about it. She has scoliosis in her back and deteriorating knees ... but turning 71 and wanting to keep up with her 5 & 7 year old grandkids isn't that easy anymore! THANK YOU ... xoxo

 

[rentayenta]

I like the ideas of staying in the same land and fully exploring. It might make waiting in lines longer because you won't be able use use FP to it's fullest but being comfortable is more important. And I agree, if you decide you want an ECV, get one, and don't worry about it.