What would you suggest?

[ohMom]

I just want to run our situation past all you folks and get your opinion. We are going to WDW for 3 days in July and I have some concerns for myself and my DD 16

my DD has had JRA for 10 years and her and I are very attuned to her heatlh. Her fatigue worries me in that it can hit suddenly; and say we are in the middle of EPCOT and she literally is too tired to take another step; and we are staying at the dolphin. And, this Feb she had one of her ankles fused (sub-talar joint) and this is new to us. Anyone have experience with what this may bring? She'll be through her PT by then and walking normally, but again, it's new so i don't know how to prepare/what to expect.

for me --- i have recently had a BLA (bilateral adrenalectomy) and now have Addison's disease. Without my adrenal glands, my body has lost it's salt/electrolytle balancer. I replaced with medications, but I have to adjust for things like heat, humidity, exertion. This is all new to me too! So i'm concnerned that I may overdo it in the heat, and not realize it until i'm past the point of no return. Again, standing in the middle of the park and literally can't take another step.

We plan on mornings at park, afternoon break at the hotel/pool in heat of the day, and evenings at park. I have lost alot of my strength in the process of being ill for the past 2 years and i'm worried about standing in line, for both my DD and me. standing for extended time is difficult for both of us

thanks for listening

 

[I Love Pluto]

With the subtalar surgery - sit down for 10 or 15 minutes -- hopefully somewhere where she can put her foot UP! I use the "walls" for this that are outside some of the rides & attractions.

In about 10 or 15 minutes - the swelling will start to go down, and the ankle will start to feel a bit better. She'll be able to go again long enough to get back to the room. The pool really helps also.

Have you thought about a rollator walker for each of you? It makes life a lot less painful to hold onto it while walking, and - if you need it - you have an instant seat!

Have a great trip!

 

[anonymousegirl]

Well a wheelchair for your DD is out since you also may be stricken at any moment with fatigue and be unable to push it.
An ECV is also out since most companies will not rent to people under the age of 18.

I think the rollerator might be your best bet. Also, since the parks are open so late in July, I would try to make rope drop at a park and tour until 1030 or 11am
(3-4 hours before it gets too hot) then head back to the hotel for a swim, lunch and a nap in a cool dark room. Then fresh clothes and head out again around 5 or 6pm. Once the sun goes down the parks are much cooler and you may find you can get more done in one day with a long break.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Well a wheelchair for your DD is out since you also may be stricken at any moment with fatigue and be unable to push it.
An ECV is also out since most companies will not rent to people under the age of 18.

I think the rollerator might be your best bet. Also, since the parks are open so late in July, I would try to make rope drop at a park and tour until 1030 or 11am
(3-4 hours before it gets too hot) then head back to the hotel for a swim, lunch and a nap in a cool dark room. Then fresh clothes and head out again around 5 or 6pm. Once the sun goes down the parks are much cooler and you may find you can get more done in one day with a long break.

Bolding is mine...
Randy's Mobility rents (or at least it did) to/for 'some' minors. You must receive delivery directly from them and I believe the minor must demonstrate satisfactory driving skills to the delivery person.

I know this is a bit off topic, but it amazes me that it is such an issue to rent an ecv for a 16 or 17 yo. To me IF they can produce a valid state issued drivers license, they can handle an ECV. Cars are usually a minimum of a ton and a half. They can clearly KILL people behind the wheel of a car. It takes way more skill to drive a car on a busy roadway then an ECV in a busy amusement park...Sorry, JMHO!!

 

[SueM in MN]

Bolding is mine...
Randy's Mobility rents (or at least it did) to/for 'some' minors. You must receive delivery directly from them and I believe the minor must demonstrate satisfactory driving skills to the delivery person.

I know this is a bit off topic, but it amazes me that it is such an issue to rent an ecv for a 16 or 17 yo. To me IF they can produce a valid state issued drivers license, they can handle an ECV. Cars are usually a minimum of a ton and a half. They can clearly KILL people behind the wheel of a car. It takes way more skill to drive a car on a busy roadway then an ECV in a busy amusement park...Sorry, JMHO!!

Yes, at least one company - Randy's - does rent for use by some minors. They meet up with the person to deliver the ECV and can make at least a minimum assessment of whether the person is mature enough to handle the responsibility.

I agree with you about the driver's license. a 16 or 17 yr old who can drive a car, should hve no problem with an ECV.
I think the main issues with renting for minors are liability related.
And, in general, young drivers do have a higher car accident rate than adults.

The companies may just have decided they don't want to mess with it. Sort of the same reason some car rental companies won't rent to drivers under 21 or charge a higher rate for those under 25.

 

[SueM in MN]

Also, with the arthritis, she doesn't want to keep in one position for too long at a time.

For heat related concerns, you may want to look into cooling vests or cooling products.

One is called Frogtoggs and has cooling neck wraps and pads.
Most of the attraction queues are covered, some are inside and most of the outside ones have fans.

 

[aylarosie]

You definatly should not attempt without some kind of chair. We rented from apple scooters and it made all the differance.It will be hot in July and there is a lot of standing . I hope you can work this out ,we had no problem using busses and boats at Disney and with the scooter my husband was able to enjoy our trip. Good luck.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Yes, at least one company - Randy's - does rent for use by some minors. They meet up with the person to deliver the ECV and can make at least a minimum assessment of whether the person is mature enough to handle the responsibility.

I think the main issues with renting for minors are liability related.
If you have a car, in most states, you are also required to have a minimal amount of car insurance, including liability insurance. Nothing like that for ECVs.
And, in general, young drivers do have a higher car accident rate than adults.

The companies may just have decided they don't want to mess with it. Sort of the same reason some car rental companies won't rent to drivers under 21 or charge a higher rate for those under 25.

Agreed Sue, younger drivers do have a higher accident rate but that doesn't make ALL of them BAD drivers. I have seem "more than my fair share" of elderly drivers that should not be driving any longer because they are a danger to themselves and others on the roads. Just like I have seen elderly ECV users in the park who are 'dangerous' because they don't understand that there is 'no' brake and they don't understand the speed control (turtle vs rabbit). I've overheard these conversations in line between what I would assume are the adult children and their very elderly parents. The ecv users may be suffering alzheimer's or dementia, maybe not, but to hear the conversation is scary because it is apparent the 'user' is not getting it and/or retaining it. But because they are over 18, they can rent one and be a potential danger to other guests and ultimately themselves. Just sad....

 

[SueM in MN]

Agreed Sue, younger drivers do have a higher accident rate but that doesn't make ALL of them BAD drivers. I have seem "more than my fair share" of elderly drivers that should not be driving any longer because they are a danger to themselves and others on the roads. Just like I have seen elderly ECV users in the park who are 'dangerous' because they don't understand that there is 'no' brake and they don't understand the speed control (turtle vs rabbit). I've overheard these conversations in line between what I would assume are the adult children and their very elderly parents. The ecv users may be suffering alzheimer's or dementia, maybe not, but to hear the conversation is scary because it is apparent the 'user' is not getting it and/or retaining it. But because they are over 18, they can rent one and be a potential danger to other guests and ultimately themselves. Just sad....

I agree.

And, there are lots of adults who obviously did not read the rental agreement they signed. We just got ack from WDW less than 2 weeks ago and saw a variety of things.
Most memorable:
- a child about 7 or so standing on the platform in front of the adult who was sitting on the seat. The child was driving the ECV while the adult was not paying any attention at all.

- a woman who was sitting side-saddle on the lap of the man who was driving the ECV.

 

[ttintagel]

I agree.

And, there are lots of adults who obviously did not read the rental agreement they signed. We just got ack from WDW less than 2 weeks ago and saw a variety of things.
Most memorable:
- a child about 7 or so standing on the platform in front of the adult who was sitting on the seat. The child was driving the ECV while the adult was not paying any attention at all.

- a woman who was sitting side-saddle on the lap of the man who was driving the ECV.

When I went in December, I saw an entire family of 5 piled onto one ECV, speeding around the main pool at Pop Century. Dad on the seat with Mom in his lap, one kid in the basket, and two kids standing on the running boards.

 

[Bete]

Maybe, you should take a step back and reconsider your trip. It sounds like you haven't been on many trips lately; since, all of this has happened to the both of you recently. With Disney reservations you have up to 45 days to cancel package vacations without penalty. I'm not sure if it's the same for the Dolphin. I'm sure you have time to cancel at most places, right now. You could do another trip that might be better for you, right now. Disney has a tendency to address standing and walking issues with telling you to use a wheelchair or a scooter. You will not get front of the line access the way I understand it.

Give yourself a test at home. First, take a few walks and increase the mileage each time. Most people average 8 miles of walking at Disney, but it's not all at once. This will allow you to see how your endurance really is and what your child can handle. I would try going to the local zoo for a day and see what happens there. You can rent scooters at most zoos; so, this would be good practice for you. If you have a local amusement park try that for a day, too. You do need to remember that Disney World will still be harder than a local zoo for a day with bigger parks, more crowds, wait times, probably hotter, and more days there. You can try this out before your 45 day mark occurs.

If you are full speed ahead with Disney World I would definitely consider scooters and/or rollator walkers which have seats. With a scooter you would be allowed the same privileges as a wheelchair which helps with shows, parades, and some rides.

Wear a hat to keep the sun away. Sunglasses would help, too. The cooling products are very good. I love the bandanas that go around the neck. You may have to use cold water on them at the parks as they dry up. Keep very hydrated and drink and drink and drink again. Go into air conditioning if it gets too hot.

You should alternate your activities at the parks with doing some rides, then some shows where you can sit and rest, then more rides, and then a meal for a rest. Resting mid-day back at the resort is a must. If you are on site take advantage of the early extra magic hour privilege. Use fastpass as much as possible. Keep in mind the first aid centers can be your friend. There is one in every park. They will even allow you to rest on a cot if you need this to take a break. That way, you don't have to commute as much.

From your post, this sounds like you are taking too much on with a Disney trip. There are too many unknowns, right now. You don't really know how much you can handle and you don't know how much your child can handle, right now. I think you need to take some baby steps first before tackling a trip to Disney. If you're satisfied spending more time at the Disney resort without going to the parks too much then maybe you could make it work.

If you are really intent on doing this Disney trip you may have to consider other options. If you could bring a helper that could push a wheelchair for your child then that might be your best answer. In return, you pay their way for their help. You could use a scooter. You would have to sleep with your daughter in the same bed, if you want to get by with one room.

I would think about this Disney trip with worse scenario logic; so, you will be prepared for the worse. Hopefully, it doesn't get that bad, but I feel this is the logic you should use.

 

[ohMom]

everyone for your input!! i didn't know of the cooling gear..will definately look into that, the scooters, and jot down the other tips with my notes!

Bete, i appreciate your concern, i really do. the days at the parks were an add-on pre-curson to our 7 day Eastern cruise. I know the 3 days of activity will be followed by 7 days of chillaxin' I have just recently resumed my walking and am up to 2 miles. but you make a good point of the miles walked at the parks and that will keep me motivated to get my walks in every week!

 

[stitchlovestink]

I agree.

And, there are lots of adults who obviously did not read the rental agreement they signed. We just got ack from WDW less than 2 weeks ago and saw a variety of things.
Most memorable:
- a child about 7 or so standing on the platform in front of the adult who was sitting on the seat. The child was driving the ECV while the adult was not paying any attention at all.

- a woman who was sitting side-saddle on the lap of the man who was driving the ECV.

Agreed Sue...
But I put SOME of the Blame on Disney for this problem...at least in the parks!!

Last July, DD and I saw rampant abuse of 2 people on park rented scooters! Now I sorta kinda understand if CMs don't want to address the issue of a privately rented one and I don't know that they really can do anything about it if it is personally owned... BUT when it is a park rented scooter, CMs should clearly be addressing guests having passengers (but Esp children) riding on the ECV with them! I was absolutely Disgusted to see FIVE, yes five, members of Disney management walk by a lady riding on a park rented ECV who was riding with a Baby sleeping in her lap and it was in the pouring rain nonetheless!!! Not one of those members of mgt addressed that blatant violation of her rental agreement. I was so worried that baby was going to slide off of her lap and get hurt. She could barely hang onto the child and steer/drive with one hand. I saw another member of management and asked them was it not their policy to address this with guests. He told me that they were most certainly were supposed to address something like this...Safety first!! Well, I pointed the situation out and he went over and addressed it immediately. He did also thank me for bringing it to his attention.
Personally, I think when people violate the rental agreement they should take the ECV back immediately and then keep a "do not rent to" list and that list should also be sent to off site companies as well! They should be told not to rent to them either. It is a serious safety issue and hopefully the off site rental companies would agree about the safety side.

 

[SueM in MN]

Agreed Sue...
But I put SOME of the Blame on Disney for this problem...at least in the parks!!

Last July, DD and I saw rampant abuse of 2 people on park rented scooters! Now I sorta kinda understand if CMs don't want to address the issue of a privately rented one and I don't know that they really can do anything about it if it is personally owned... BUT when it is a park rented scooter, CMs should clearly be addressing guests having passengers (but Esp children) riding on the ECV with them!

I agree - if Disney doesn't do something, no one will.

I have personally seen CMs stop people in the park when they are doing dangerous things. Too often, the person stops it just long enough for the CM to be out of sight, then goes right back to what they were told not to do.
Sadly, the message the kids are getting from their parents is "do whatever you want, as long as you can get away with it".
I know from things I have seen on CM boards that things like this make many CMs feel like "what's the use" and some are also afraid of negative comment cards from people they corrected.

I've also heard CMs threatened when they stop guests from doing something that is not safe - maybe there needs to be an easy way for CMS to have a hotline for reporting things like that, along with a way for knowing who has already been warned.
One day at Epcot WS, we saw one guy be told by multiple staff members that the child sitting on his lap would have to get off and could not drive the ECV. Each time, he acted like it was new information, the child would get off, they would watch until that CM was out of sight, then laugh and get back on.
If there was a way to track, people would not get away with it ( we did tell one CM that they had been stopped multiple times and he said he would contact security).

 

[disney david]

I agree - if Disney doesn't do something, no one will.

I have personally seen CMs stop people in the park when they are doing dangerous things. Too often, the person stops it just long enough for the CM to be out of sight, then goes right back to what they were told not to do.
Sadly, the message the kids are getting from their parents is "do whatever you want, as long as you can get away with it".
I know from things I have seen on CM boards that things like this make many CMs feel like "what's the use" and some are also afraid of negative comment cards from people they corrected.

I've also heard CMs threatened when they stop guests from doing something that is not safe - maybe there needs to be an easy way for CMS to have a hotline for reporting things like that, along with a way for knowing who has already been warned.
One day at Epcot WS, we saw one guy be told by multiple staff members that the child sitting on his lap would have to get off and could not drive the ECV. Each time, he acted like it was new information, the child would get off, they would watch until that CM was out of sight, then laugh and get back on.
If there was a way to track, people would not get away with it ( we did tell one CM that they had been stopped multiple times and he said he would contact security).

I seen a cm stop someone with their kid on their shoulder on an ecv she worked in custodial. She had to explain why she stopped them the kid was sitting on he back of her seat if she stopped or went to fast the kid could of got Hurt. Sue your right even if the cm say something their no way they cm can stay and follow them to make sure they don't so it again.

 

[tinkerpea]

I have to ask what the policy would be for personally owned ECVs due to the above posts, what can Disney say to somebody who owns the ECV and who has got their child sat on the ECV with them, as many people do this at the end of the day when the kids are tired! I should imagine their are too many to stop at that time?

 

[stitchlovestink]

I have to ask what the policy would be for personally owned ECVs due to the above posts, what can Disney say to somebody who owns the ECV and who has got their child sat on the ECV with them, as many people do this at the end of the day when the kids are tired! I should imagine their are too many to stop at that time?

If it is a personally owned ECV, Disney will not say anything as the only written rules anyone I asked in disney mgt or GS seemed to know about where only in the rental agreements. So since the rental agreement rules would not apply to a personally owned one, they would probably 'ask' you to not have the child ride with you for safety reasons. But of course, if you were doing something stupid like having the kid ride on your shoulders, well, they could insist you stop that. But I guess they could insist on the other too, if they really wanted too, since they could deem it a liability hazard. But again, no one I asked knew of a written policy regarding this issue for privately owned ECV units.
So that answer was clear as mud...huh??

 

[tinkerpea]

If it is a personally owned ECV, Disney will not say anything as the only written rules anyone I asked in disney mgt or GS seemed to know about where only in the rental agreements. So since the rental agreement rules would not apply to a personally owned one, they would probably 'ask' you to not have the child ride with you for safety reasons. But of course, if you were doing something stupid like having the kid ride on your shoulders, well, they could insist you stop that. But I guess they could insist on the other too, if they really wanted too, since they could deem it a liability hazard. But again, no one I asked knew of a written policy regarding this issue for privately owned ECV units.
So that answer was clear as mud...huh??

This is what I figured, as it would be up to the person who owned the ECV to do what they wish with it, I suppose it really isn't anybody else's business what they do with their own child on their own ECV........
Iet's hope there are more smart sensible people compared to the no sensible!

 

[Gracie09]

This is what I figured, as it would be up to the person who owned the ECV to do what they wish with it, I suppose it really isn't anybody else's business what they do with their own child on their own ECV........
Iet's hope there are more smart sensible people compared to the no sensible!

It could be someone else's business if the child causes an accident an injures another guest. Its not just dangerous for the child but for people around them.

 

[stitchlovestink]

It could be someone else's business if the child causes an accident an injures another guest. Its not just dangerous for the child but for people around them.

And it is someone else's business when people use their strollers as battering rams and cause serious bodily injury to others but Disney doesn't really do anything about that either... People have been hurt bad enough being hit by strollers that they have been unable to walk the rest of their vacation or they have been left with open wounds. I call that a serious bodily injury. It impacts the rest of their vacation. but no action is taken regarding that matter. So I would suspect since it is a 'privately owned piece of property' just as a stroller is the 'liability will fall on the individual' just like with the stroller episodes. So in the end, more than likely, nothing will be done by Disney.

And there were times that I did have my kids (they were teens...young teens, but teens) move and or ride my scooter for me. Now they knew 'my rules' regarding driving it and I NEVER had a CM say anything to me or to them for that matter. Sometimes (with my condition) I need a break from sitting and riding and need to walk a bit and stretch. So the one of the girls would ride it from one land to the next. Or if I was hurting really bad, they would fetch it for me, like at PoTC where you have to park it at the entrance but you exit at the gift shop. Sometimes after sitting in that boat, I would hurt enough, one would go and fetch it so I didn't have to walk all the way back to it.
And If another guest said something loud enough and intended for my kids to hear their comment, I told them to mind their own business as it belonged to me, it was not a rental, so they were not breaking any rental rules. It's really not that hard to tell a personally owned ecv as the rentals are covered with the ads for the company that owns them. Personally owned ones aren't!
Oh and BTW, my girls started riding gas powered ATVs as young as 3 by themselves in groups on trails so they knew how to steer and dodge obstacles...Trust me I was way more concerned about them hitting a tree or obstacle along the trail or another ATV rider at 25mph than them moving a scooter thru an amusement park. That was nothing for them!!