Worried About Hubby

[caselaw3]

Hi all - my husband is disabled - he has severe back and knee injuries...he has had three back surgeries and 4 knee surgeries but none of them seem to be able to fix the problems...we are planning a trip in December and are wondering whether to bring a motorized wheelchair/scooter with us.

Currently he walks without any help but it is not easy for him and he is in severe pain - we can't even take a walk around town (which is maybe two miles) because he is in pain and complaining half-way through -

I know that there will be a lot of walking and standing and that it is going to bother his back and his knee and make him miserable but I know that he is not going to want to be in the scooter/chair all the time -

but what will we do with it when we are not using it?? and will people get mad at him if they see him using it part time ---

thanks for any advice

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Please ask 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!

 

[Bete]

I'll chime in by first saying the average day in a Disney park amounts to 6 to 8 miles of walking. One good thing is you are not walking constantly; you do get to sit for a show here and there and you have time to rest. There are times you are eating, too. With the description of your husband it certainly sounds like he will use it more than not.

As long as you park your scooter in a safe zone you should be okay to park it if you want to. Don't block walkways, entrances, exits, etc. Don't park in a parade route. Some folk park their scooter by the strollers.

I think your hubby will appreciate having the scooter especially when this is day in, day out.

 

[ttintagel]

I doubt anyone will say anything about him using it part of the time. Usually people only say those things when they're online and anonymous - shame on them, anyway.

If it isn't clear where to park, ask the nearest CM. It probably won't be the first time that day they've been asked!

 

[catne]

Bring a mobility scooter with you...if you don't own one, there are several
companies in Orlando that will rent for as little as 2-3 days. If you are staying at a Disney hotel, they have a list of "partner" vendors...those companies can actually drop the scooter off at your hotel (bell captain) and pick up from there...so for example, if you're arriving sometime around noon, you can have the company drop the scooter off at 11 AM...so it is there when you check in. And pick up is great too...say you're leaving at 3:00...you can drop the scooter off at the bell captain desk anytime before 3:00PM and the company picks up from there. Ultra convenient since you don't have to be there to sign for it. We have used Apple Scooters the last couple of trips...good service, good prices and they are on the Disney list. The longer you rent, the less expensive they are. Disney parks also rent them, but you can only use them in the park (and have to walk quite a distance from the parking lots or the bus unload zone to get to the area where they rent scooters & wheelchairs...not fun if you have mobility issues.)

Most rides he can actually ride the scooter all the way through the lines...very convenient (because the queue lines are sooooo long...what you see outside is nothing compared to the long lines insides in a lot of the attractions.) Shows & theater-type productions he can ride the scooter in...castmembers will show you which door to enter through, and they have areas of the theater where he can park the scooter next to regular theater seats for the rest of the party. In many cases, the scooter seat is way more comfortable than the theater seats...like at HOllywood Studios, theBeauty & the Beast show, and Indiana Jones are both in nice covered ampitheaters and Fantasmic is outdoor ampitheater..but the seats at all 3 places are metal bleacher seats with no back. If he rides his scooter in, he has a comfortable upholstered seat with arm rests. Even attractions that have stairs in the queue lines have alternate entrances for people in wheelchairs/scooters. Disney is very, very accessible!

And if he really wants to, yes, the scooters can be safely parked (take the key with you, or course) In some areas, scooter parking is just with the stroller parking...in other areas, there is separate designated mobility parking. One tip: bring a cheap poncho with you and cover the scooter when you go inside an attraction, especially if rain is predicted.

Bottom line...he will find that the mobility scooter is a real blessing...he will be able to go farther, with less stress & pain. And whenever he decides to skip an attraction (like the roller coasters) with the scooter he will have a comfortable place to sit and wait...find some shade & park it.

 

[caselaw3]

Please ask 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!

Thank you for that!

 

[caselaw3]

I'll chime in by first saying the average day in a Disney park amounts to 6 to 8 miles of walking. One good thing is you are not walking constantly; you do get to sit for a show here and there and you have time to rest. There are times you are eating, too. With the description of your husband it certainly sounds like he will use it more than not.

As long as you park your scooter in a safe zone you should be okay to park it if you want to. Don't block walkways, entrances, exits, etc. Don't park in a parade route. Some folk park their scooter by the strollers.

I think your hubby will appreciate having the scooter especially when this is day in, day out.

Thank you!! I think that we would be better off safe than sorry - I wouldn't want to ruin a trip because we didn't have the chair or whatever with us...

I can just imagine how sore he would be after just the first day (not to mention the long car ride to get there) and that is just going to make for a miserable trip for all of us...which will just make the trip go down hill and more down hill

 

[caselaw3]

I doubt anyone will say anything about him using it part of the time. Usually people only say those things when they're online and anonymous - shame on them, anyway.

If it isn't clear where to park, ask the nearest CM. It probably won't be the first time that day they've been asked!

Thanks - I know that he will want to walk once in awhile because it makes him sad to not be able to do the things he used to (like walking for hours) and he tries really hard to not let things slow him down but I know that he really isn't going to be able to do it - no matter how hard he might try

 

[caselaw3]

Bring a mobility scooter with you...if you don't own one, there are several
companies in Orlando that will rent for as little as 2-3 days. If you are staying at a Disney hotel, they have a list of "partner" vendors...those companies can actually drop the scooter off at your hotel (bell captain) and pick up from there...so for example, if you're arriving sometime around noon, you can have the company drop the scooter off at 11 AM...so it is there when you check in. And pick up is great too...say you're leaving at 3:00...you can drop the scooter off at the bell captain desk anytime before 3:00PM and the company picks up from there. Ultra convenient since you don't have to be there to sign for it. We have used Apple Scooters the last couple of trips...good service, good prices and they are on the Disney list. The longer you rent, the less expensive they are. Disney parks also rent them, but you can only use them in the park (and have to walk quite a distance from the parking lots or the bus unload zone to get to the area where they rent scooters & wheelchairs...not fun if you have mobility issues.)

Most rides he can actually ride the scooter all the way through the lines...very convenient (because the queue lines are sooooo long...what you see outside is nothing compared to the long lines insides in a lot of the attractions.) Shows & theater-type productions he can ride the scooter in...castmembers will show you which door to enter through, and they have areas of the theater where he can park the scooter next to regular theater seats for the rest of the party. In many cases, the scooter seat is way more comfortable than the theater seats...like at HOllywood Studios, theBeauty & the Beast show, and Indiana Jones are both in nice covered ampitheaters and Fantasmic is outdoor ampitheater..but the seats at all 3 places are metal bleacher seats with no back. If he rides his scooter in, he has a comfortable upholstered seat with arm rests. Even attractions that have stairs in the queue lines have alternate entrances for people in wheelchairs/scooters. Disney is very, very accessible!

And if he really wants to, yes, the scooters can be safely parked (take the key with you, or course) In some areas, scooter parking is just with the stroller parking...in other areas, there is separate designated mobility parking. One tip: bring a cheap poncho with you and cover the scooter when you go inside an attraction, especially if rain is predicted.

Bottom line...he will find that the mobility scooter is a real blessing...he will be able to go farther, with less stress & pain. And whenever he decides to skip an attraction (like the roller coasters) with the scooter he will have a comfortable place to sit and wait...find some shade & park it.

Thanks - that is great advice! I think his dad has a scooter that we can use - although I am not sure if it is a scooter or a motorized wheelchair - will have to check that out - I might even be able to use insurance to cover renting one...will have to check on that....

I think you are definitely right - a scooter will be a blessing for him because he will enjoy the trip more if he is not in pain and in return we will all enjoy the trip more because he will not be miserable

 

[JennyDrake]

I am going to echo what others have said--rent the ECV!!

I went in April post op from ankle surgery and I rented a wheel chair from Walker Mobility--GREAT experience. We would fold and park w.c. and I would walk as much as tolerated. Never a problem to find a parking space. CMs were very helpful.

 

[caselaw3]

I am going to echo what others have said--rent the ECV!!

I went in April post op from ankle surgery and I rented a wheel chair from Walker Mobility--GREAT experience. We would fold and park w.c. and I would walk as much as tolerated. Never a problem to find a parking space. CMs were very helpful.

AWESOME!!! Thanks so much! We will definitely be doing that then - thanks all for your help/advice!!!! Its so great to have this wonderful site to get help from people with experience!!!

 

[ChristineNic]

My DH uses an ECV for neck/back and knee issues (among others). If he sits all day, it is just as bad as walking all day. He usually parks the EVC outside of stores and uses his cane while walking around the store. It gives him a chance to stretch and use his muscles some.

 

[caselaw3]

My DH uses an ECV for neck/back and knee issues (among others). If he sits all day, it is just as bad as walking all day. He usually parks the EVC outside of stores and uses his cane while walking around the store. It gives him a chance to stretch and use his muscles some.

My DH is kinda the same way - its like he can't win - sit = hurt, stand = hurt
walk = hurt, laydown = hurt.....

i feel for anyone who has these issues - they are not fun and certainly take their toll on a person in more ways than one

 

[GadgetTheInventor]

One doesn't have to use the scooter or wheelchair all the time.

For example, in Tomorrowland, there is ECV parking by the entrance to the PM where you transfer to a manual wheelchair for the Toy Story ride that I can't think of the name for right now. We went early in the morning when the ride was basically a walk-on for bipods. We had to wait an extra 20 minutes or so for the accessible ride vehicle, but your family would most likely be able to just walk through the queue and be in a vehicle in under two minutes. Same thing with CoP. It takes a lot of mental energy to take a wheelchair or ECV onto the ride compared to waiting less than five minutes at the regular entrance for regular folks.

I would actually suggest considering leaving the ECV outside of several of the rides due to it being more of a hindrance than help when the lines are short. HM is one that comes to mind. Wheels stay in the regular line until after the stretch room and then have upwards of a 15 minute wait to use the accessible entrance. The regular queue is much quicker and relaxed.