?? about 9 1/2 yr old in wheelchair

[meeshi]

Hello everyone! I've been reading some of these boards for about a week now. My 9 1/2 yr old DD was granted a wish through Make A Wish and we are leaving for Disney in 23 days!! We are all very excited. I am wondering if anyone can give me any suggestions as to which rides she may enjoy. She has CP, is non-verbal, is unable to walk or even sit up on her own, although she is very cognizant. I know there are rides that are wheelchair accessible, but are there rides where she could sit on my lap? I'm trying to get all the information I can and plan ahead. I know this is going to be a vacation of a lifetime and don't want to waste time wondering around aimlessly! Thank you all so much for all the information I have gotten from this site so far!

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome and glad to hear about your DD's wish being granted.

Your DD will have a great time. WDW is quite accessible for someone in a wheelchair. Click HERE for a link to the DIS site page about traveling in WDW with mobility disabilities. If you click all the way to the bottom, you will find a list of rides where she will be able to stay in her wheelchair for the whole ride.
My DD is now 16, can't stand or walk and is non-verbal, although she understands well and doesn't miss a thing. She can sit by herself, but doesn't have very good sitting balance. She has been going to WDW since she was a year old and has been on everything except Space Mountain, Big Thunder, Kali River Rapids and Rockin Roller Coaster. There are a few rides that are hard to lift someone on, but we have managed all of them until recently when she got to big and tall. For many rides, the seat is not really deep enough for you to hold a 9 yr old, but we have managed quite well with her sitting next to us, leaning against us, with an arm around her.
MK is the hardest park, IMHO, because most of the rides are not accessible with staying in the wheelchair. Since most of the rides are very short (2-3 minutes), you barely get settled and it is time to get out again. We like to take MK with a lot of rests and alternate things we have to take her out of wheelchair with things we don't. There is a Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities for each park that you can pick up at Guest Services. THey don't have alot of information about boarding rides, but they do list how long each ride is, which is helpful for planning.
Epcot is better, but it is an older park too, so not all the bathrooms are acceswsible for someone who can't get out of their wheelchair. The Studio and AK are both very good with accessibility, although people have complained about the fairly narrow and bumpy paths at AK.

If you have specific rides you know she is interested in, just post them and we will give you lots of info.

 

[teri]

Welcome to our board!

You can get some information about rides for people with mobility issues from one of the DIS information pages, just click on this link: Disability Info Main Page

Also, be sure to read the information in the FAQ, just click on the link in my signature. Most rides and attractions will be available to you if you can transfer her into the seat and assure that she will be safely supported. I am sure that others will give you some specific advice. Have a wonderful time! And feel free to ask questions!

 

[going2wdw]

Welcome meeshi!

No advice just an added wish for you to have a wonderful trip.

 

[meeshi]

Thank you for all your information. Those links were wonderful and VERY informative! We are
all so excited about this trip and I want to go armed with all the information I can get!
Thanks again for all your help!

 

[SueOKW]

My now 11 yo son sounds quite a bit like your daughter. We also went on a Wish trip last year, and had a wonderful time. There are more things to do than days to do them in. I think you may find Universal - what is it - Islands of Adventure? The one with Suessland to be a big hit with her. Wheelsie has all those facts - but Universal is much more handi-friendly in terms of staying in chairs.

Don't be afraid to ask to stay on a ride for more than one go if she enjoys it. We got to stay on quite a few rides for an extra time around. This is not because he is handicapped, but because he was a wish kid.

He loves Splash Mountain and Buzz Lightyear, and anything in Fantasyland. He enjoys Pirates of the Caribbean... any ride with plunges or twists and turns, but we are careful about his neck. His dad holds him close by his side and Kevin does just fine. We've avoided the same rides SueM has. MGM is much harder on him - it is so much more visually oriented, and his vision is terrible, but hearing is excellent - therefore he spends a lot of time startling at MGM!! He loves the Maelstrom at Epcot.

You may or may not find my trip reports from last March- I think the board has upgraded since then, so they may be lost. I'll check and if I find them, I'll post a link or two - not sure if they are helpful, but may be!

I hope you have a really really great time! Enjoy your wish trip, i think you will be pleasantly surprised at all the wonderful things that happen.


Sue

here's a link.. I wonder if it will work? The search includes all the trip reports i've responded to as well - i hope i don't muddy everything up too much. Anyway - enjoy.

http://www.disboards.com/forums/sea...d=173624&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

 

[meeshi]

SueOKW, thank you so much for the information and the links! It sounds like you had a wonderful trip! We will definately bring Kayla on as many of the rides as we think she would like! I never thought she would be able to do Splash Mountain though! That would be wonderful if she could because I'm sure she would absolutely love it! She loves to get splashed! Once again I thank all of you who replied to my post with your information!

 

[SueOKW]

Meesha - we really really did have a blast. The time just flies by. Someday soon we will not be able to lift Kevin in and out of his favorite rides, but in the meantime, we love every minute! Be sure to let us know about your trip!!!
Sue