What to do with a walker?

[MarieLightning]

My wife and I are headed to Disney for 11 days in October. We're post super excited, as this is gonna be her post chemo celebration (she was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma last May).

Because the chemo has knocked down some of her energy, and she was also laid up in bed for 2-3 weeks in the hospital so that took away a lot of her strength too. She's been building her endurance back up, but it takes time.

We decided to take a walker with us (her grandma is letting her bring hers, and it's the type with a seat so she can sit down when she needs to), even though she's pretty good with walking for the most part and rarely needs it - we know Disney gets tiring and finding a sitting spot can sometimes be a bit tricky, or impossible in lines.

I'm not really familiar with the way this works in the parks - is she allowed to take the walker with her through the lines, so she can sit down when standing starts getting too hard? Do some rides allow it and others not? And if she can take it, what happens when she gets to the front of the line, especially on rides like Star Tours when you get in on one side and get off on another.

If it were just for walking, we could easily just leave it in a designated 'parking' spot, but in her case, it has more to do with standing, so she needs it more for the sitting capacity.

Help and advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[powellrj]

would she be able to use an ECV? I think it might be easier for her to get around with.

 

[MarieLightning]

would she be able to use an ECV? I think it might be easier for her to get around with.

The thing is she wants to do as much walking as possible. She's a stubborn one, and she's trying to get back to normal (she used to work at an amusement park herself as a sweeper, so she'd spend 8-10 hours a day walking around the park, 5 days a week), and though we know Disney will be tiring and I'll try to make sure she doesn't push herself too much, she won't want to be sitting all the time.

Thank you for the advice though

 

[IntoTheLight]

We bought these really neat folding stools at Five Below for $5. They fit into the water bottle holders on a back pack and are about 20 inches long. I'd think those would be sooo much easier to lug around a park than a walker just being used to sit on.

Good luck!

ETA: found them on amazon for a few bucks more. http://www.amazon.com/TravelChair-1...8&qid=1379559196&sr=8-1&keywords=travel+stool

 

[MarieLightning]

We bought these really neat folding stools at Five Below for $5. They fit into the water bottle holders on a back pack and are about 20 inches long. I'd think those would be sooo much easier to lug around a park than a walker just being used to sit on.

Good luck!

ETA: found them on amazon for a few bucks more. http://www.amazon.com/TravelChair-1...8&qid=1379559196&sr=8-1&keywords=travel+stool

Thanks so much for the info!

She does need something to lean back against for her back, but that's definitely something interesting to look into! I saw a few similar articles that are a bit more like a chair but still similar to the stool you were referring to, so maybe if we find something like that that can fit well enough in our packback without sticking out obnoxiously, that could be an option

 

[dawnball]

I'm not really familiar with the way this works in the parks - is she allowed to take the walker with her through the lines, so she can sit down when standing starts getting too hard?

Yup. Not a problem.

Do some rides allow it and others not?

They should all allow it, although she may be routed differently for some rides. They'll send her in a way that avoids stairs. Some lines have slopes, and it may not be possible for her to sit on the walker seat. I think (but am not positive) that they'll all have an elevator option that she can use.

And if she can take it, what happens when she gets to the front of the line, especially on rides like Star Tours when you get in on one side and get off on another.

The ride attendants will tell you. I used a manual wheelchair for similar reasons, and if I recall, on Star Tours they put me in the front row and took the chair all the way across before the safety check. Often a CM will move it to the exit for you - exactly what they do depends on staffing and her mobility and comfort levels.

A wheeled walker or wheelchair is going to be much easier in lines (where you move a few feet frequently) than a stool or cane chair.

 

[MarieLightning]

Yup. Not a problem.

They should all allow it, although she may be routed differently for some rides. They'll send her in a way that avoids stairs. Some lines have slopes, and it may not be possible for her to sit on the walker seat. I think (but am not positive) that they'll all have an elevator option that she can use.

The ride attendants will tell you. I used a manual wheelchair for similar reasons, and if I recall, on Star Tours they put me in the front row and took the chair all the way across before the safety check. Often a CM will move it to the exit for you - exactly what they do depends on staffing and her mobility and comfort levels.

A wheeled walker or wheelchair is going to be much easier in lines (where you move a few feet frequently) than a stool or cane chair.

Thank you so much for the info! I figured getting it through the line shouldn't be too much of an issue, but I was mainly concerned about what happens when you get to the front. It's good to know it shouldn't be a problem!

Thanks again

 

[WheeledTraveler]

Congrats to you wife on finishing chemo! (or being about to finish)

The only line I can think of where you might have a problem is Tomorrowland Transit Authority because it has the inclined moving walkway (that cannot be slowed stopped). Peter Pan also has a moving walkway that cannot be slowed or stopped, but it's not the entire line and it sounds like your wife should be stable enough to get in fast enough. For all other rides with moving walkways, the moving walkway can be slowed or stopped if she needs it for boarding.

Any lines that do have stairs, have either a way to get around them or an alternate entrance, but most lines are mainstreamed these days. If you're not sure, ask the CM by the ride entrance where you should go/what you should do. A walker counts as a 'visible sign' that she can't do stairs so if all her concerns are related to standing/walking, you won't need to worry about anything other than getting to the ride. I'd suggest reading through the FAQ at the top of the disAbilities board (it's one of the stickies) because it will likely have some other tips or raise questions you haven't even thought of yet.

You likely wouldn't be able to bring in the folding metal stools described, anyway. WDW policy is no folding chairs/stools and most lines move slowly, but consistently so by the time you had a stool or chair set-up, it would be time to move again.

I strongly suggest bringing the information with you about offsite rentals for ECVs. The low average distance walked at WDW is 6 miles a day. There are a couple rides where to get on/off the ride, it's 1/4 mile each way (so 1/2 mile total) and there's no way to shorten that distance. While she may be able to do the large distances the first day, I think you both may be underestimating how much fatigue (and then pain) that may cause her. Using an ECV would allow her to cut down quite a bit of that walking to conserve her energy for the fun things. She could always use it between areas and walk within the area. The benefits of renting offsite are that it's substantially cheaper than renting in the parks and she'll have it if it turns out she also needs help getting around the resort.

 

[lanejudy]

We bought these really neat folding stools at Five Below for $5. They fit into the water bottle holders on a back pack and are about 20 inches long. I'd think those would be sooo much easier to lug around a park than a walker just being used to sit on.

Good luck!

ETA: found them on amazon for a few bucks more. http://www.amazon.com/TravelChair-1...8&qid=1379559196&sr=8-1&keywords=travel+stool

FYI...sorry, but WDW does not allow folding seats of any kind, including these. Even if you manage to get them through security (sounds like they fold quite small), don't be surprised if you are told you can't use them.


OP, you'll be fine with the walker (sounds like what we call a "rollator"). It can be taken into any lines and CMs will tell her where to leave it while riding.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[MarieLightning]

Congrats to you wife on finishing chemo! (or being about to finish)

The only line I can think of where you might have a problem is Tomorrowland Transit Authority because it has the inclined moving walkway (that cannot be slowed stopped). Peter Pan also has a moving walkway that cannot be slowed or stopped, but it's not the entire line and it sounds like your wife should be stable enough to get in fast enough. For all other rides with moving walkways, the moving walkway can be slowed or stopped if she needs it for boarding.

Any lines that do have stairs, have either a way to get around them or an alternate entrance, but most lines are mainstreamed these days. If you're not sure, ask the CM by the ride entrance where you should go/what you should do. A walker counts as a 'visible sign' that she can't do stairs so if all her concerns are related to standing/walking, you won't need to worry about anything other than getting to the ride. I'd suggest reading through the FAQ at the top of the disAbilities board (it's one of the stickies) because it will likely have some other tips or raise questions you haven't even thought of yet.

You likely wouldn't be able to bring in the folding metal stools described, anyway. WDW policy is no folding chairs/stools and most lines move slowly, but consistently so by the time you had a stool or chair set-up, it would be time to move again.

I strongly suggest bringing the information with you about offsite rentals for ECVs. The low average distance walked at WDW is 6 miles a day. There are a couple rides where to get on/off the ride, it's 1/4 mile each way (so 1/2 mile total) and there's no way to shorten that distance. While she may be able to do the large distances the first day, I think you both may be underestimating how much fatigue (and then pain) that may cause her. Using an ECV would allow her to cut down quite a bit of that walking to conserve her energy for the fun things. She could always use it between areas and walk within the area. The benefits of renting offsite are that it's substantially cheaper than renting in the parks and she'll have it if it turns out she also needs help getting around the resort.

Thank you!

We might look a bit further into the ECVs, but another thing is that my wife is very budget conscious. We may, as you said, hit a wall by underestimating how tiring it will be, and I guess if that happens we'll have to take it as it comes. We do plan on taking many resting breaks, so hopefully we'll be able to bide our time well and spread our energy and strength accordingly Thank you so much for the advice though!

OP, you'll be fine with the walker (sounds like what we call a "rollator"). It can be taken into any lines and CMs will tell her where to leave it while riding.

Enjoy your vacation!

Thanks for the info! We were worried it might be a bit of trouble, but it sounds like it'll be fairly easy to deal with