Severe back/ nerve problems and Disney World About This Page:

[lovesflowers]

I will be visiting Disney World soon, and I was hoping you guys would be able to help answer some questions I have.

I was recently injured in a car accident. Right now I have no strength in my arms (have a very hard time opening doors, etc) and a lot of back and neck pain and spasms. At any rate, my friend is visiting and we are going to Disney World. I am determined to have as much fun as possible.

Here are some of my questions:
Is there a Guest Assistance Card notification that would allow me to sit down and wait instead of stand? Do you have any ideas of what else I can ask for?

I know I won't be able to ride many rides. Which parks would you reccomend for someone in their early 20s who isn't able to ride rides? Its ok if its not the Magic Kingdom.

Am I allowed to bring food into the park if I have to eat with my medication?

Any other suggestions/ ideas? I'm really nervous about this.

[Danielle Harmon]

I would contact Disney and inquire about a GAC card. You may even think about a scooter. It would take some of the pressure off your spine and perhaps make your day more comfortable.

Ask your Dr. to give you a letter describing your condition and his/her recommendations. Disney is very good about helping people with different needs enjoy the parks.

Yes, you can bring food into the parks. No glass containers and no alcohol. If you wish a cooler it must be small enough to fit in one of the lockers and not have wheels. (That is from a CM friend of mine.)

As for which parks would be good for someone who can't ride many, if any, rides? All of them in my opinion. There is so much to see and do at all of them that you will have the opportunity to experience things many people run past in their mad flight for the rides.

I hope you have a great trip and I wish you pixies for a recovery.

[omd]

Pixies for a quick recovery and a magical trip.

[mechurchlady]

CMs cannot ask for and do not want a letter from a doctor. Waste of tiem.

Go to any Guest Services window outside of one of the 4 parks or inside one of the 4 parks. Explain your limitations and they will give you a GAC for your needs. I would recommend no stairs since you do not have upper body strength enough for balancing and holding onto rails.

GET A SCOOTER
This would allow you to putter around the parks without making your friends push you. The levers can be grasped or pushed so that a person can steer with one hand and push the lever with the other. There is no place to sit in lines usually for the handicapped. Lines for the disabled can be an hour or more so get a scooter.

There are quadraplegics who cannot leave their chair who enjoy the parks. They have shows, street performers, and gentle rides for guests. There is the food, sites, sights, and details.

You are allowed to bring in meals and food if it is for medical reasons. Snacks are allowed also. There aer a ton of places to eat and you can bring a cooler and store it in a locker but if you have an ECV you can carry it with you.

[disander]

Hi. You have my sympathies. I've been to WDW in similar conditions and it is possible to have fun.

1) I do not think a scooter is your best choice. You have to hold your arms out and steer, as well as push or pull levers to make the scooter go. Since you'll be moving slow, just have your friend push you in a wheelchair. Yes, you really will need one.

2) Plan to use your resorts hot tubs. I found them very soothing to sore muscles.

3) Do not hesitate to ask any resort for multiple pillows. At one time I slept with six different pillows supporting me!

4) Look into renting a wheelchair from an offsite vendor. Ask for a tray that fits across the front. Use the tray as an arm rest ... this will help ease your neck and shoulders by taking the strain off. You may need a pillow as well.

5) Look into one of those small travel pillows that look like a 'c.' This may help your neck absorb some shock. Perhaps you could rent a wheelchair with upper body support? You could check, anyway.

6) If you are in PT, keep up your exercises. I was much worse when I skipped them because I was so tired.

7) Break your day up into smaller, manageable segments. Spend time around the pool.

I found Epcot to be very pleasant. It was large, primarily air-conditioned, with many cool things to do in Innoventions, Mission Space, the Land, and Test Track... NOT the rides for those, but the interactive 'playgrounds.'

I've struggled with back injuries and chronic pain for 15 years. I have finally had to quit working. The best piece of advice anyone ever gave me was to only do about 80% of what I COULD do. In other words, stop before you're completely exhausted. You need to be able to function tomorrow.

Read the posts of the caregivers here. They do NOT want their loved ones exhausted and in pain. Be kind to yourself. The excitement of Disney will be felt if you can only be in the parks a couple hours. Your friend wants to spend time with YOU... at Disney. YOU are more important!

Good luck.
Megan

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by disander

Hi. You have my sympathies. I've been to WDW in similar conditions and it is possible to have fun.

1) I do not think a scooter is your best choice. You have to hold your arms out and steer, as well as push or pull levers to make the scooter go. Since you'll be moving slow, just have your friend push you in a wheelchair. Yes, you really will need one.


Good luck.
Megan

Hi Megan, and welcome to the boards!

What great suggestions! I wanted to repeat #1 because I've never seen that posted and, if I were to use an ECV for the first time, I think your comment is important to know!

[TinkerBellK]

I agree - a scooter may not work for you - I have similar problems and I cannot hold my arms out nor use my fingers well enough to steer. A wheelchair pushed by others may work better!

[disander]

Originally Posted by Sandra Bostwick

Hi Megan, and welcome to the boards!

What great suggestions! I wanted to repeat #1 because I've never seen that posted and, if I were to use an ECV for the first time, I think your comment is important to know!

Thanks for the welcome! Having battled chronic pain for 15 years, I was happy to find this question, and sad that it needed to be answered.

I use a scooter, because most of my upper body issues have been resolved, but for those with upper back pain and neck pain a scooter can be difficult.

[lovesflowers]

Thanks so much for your suggestions guys. I'm glad you advised be about the levers and reaching forward on the ECVs. I didn't even think of that. It wouldn't have worked.

I am going to get a swimsuit today but its hard to find swimsuits that don't tie right where my bulging disk in my neck is. I'm going to try some other places today but my shopping stamina is pretty low right now.

I'm not allowed to do stretching or excercise in PT yet except for in the pool. I will be spending a lot of time there.

Megan thanks so much for your advice. I like the advice to only use 80% of the energy I have. If I use 100%, my trip would be miserable.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by lovesflowers

I like the advice to only use 80% of the energy I have. If I use 100%, my trip would be miserable.

That is really the best plan of all!

Good luck finding that swimsuit!

[CinderAbby]

Hi and Welcome to the boards.

I agree with Danielle that there's so much to see and do in the parks besides the rides. The one bit of advice I can give though is for Animal Kingdom. The way this park is set up (cracks in the sidewalks, little hills here and there, narrow walkways in areas), this will be the toughest one for someone to push you around in. It also gets very hot here and there doesn't ever seem to be enough areas to stop and get something cool to drink so unless there's something you absolutely have to do, this might be the one park to skip this vacation. My hubby uses a scooter so we did okay here until he and my daughter started getting overheated. Then we couldn't get out fast enough (we were like fish swimming upstream and that did not help at all).

Good luck and have a great vacation. Just go at your speed and if you don't get to something, it's gives you more reason to go back in the future.