OneLittleSpark
A Michaelmusophobia Sufferer (please don't hate me
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2006
Hello there! I'm afraid I've not read all the replies to this post yet, but wanted to chime in. I'm a fellow Fibromite, and have done Disney a lot of times, though the 2 most recent trips (one to WDW, one to DLR for a day) were the only ones with fully developed Fibro.
I would strongly recommend you use an ECV or wheelchair to get around. This will allow you to tour with less pain and fatigue, and mean you can enjoy the holiday, rather than just survive it. Though an ECV is a bit more expensive to rent, it will also allow you to get around by yourself; even if you're used to pushing a wheelchair yourself, it would be blooming tiring to push yourself around with Fibro-arms. Details of off-site rental places can be found in the disABILITIES FAQ.
Plan to take your time fairly gently. If you're better in the morning, aim to start early, then return to the hotel for the afternoon; if you're better in the afternoon, get a gentle start to the day at the hotel, then go exploring the parks in the afternoon. If the rest of your family want to spend more time in the parks, they can always do the rides you're not so keen on (if such things exist
) without you, then you can tour together when you're up to it.
You probably won't be able to see and do everything there is in Disney, but I doubt even a commando tourist could see everything. Plan in advance which attractions are most important to you, and whether there are any parades or night-time shows you want to see. I wouldn't recommend you plan too rigidly, as Fibro doesn't tend to behave itself, and keep to a nice schedule, in my experience. However, if you list out, before you go, which attractions are 'must dos', which parades / night-time shows are on when (not every show or parade is on every night), opening and closing times, and which parks have Extra Magic Hours or special events on during your stay. Doing this will hopefully allow you to do what you can, on a day to day basis, without missing anything you desperately want to do. You might not want to make too many ADRs, as these will tie you to being in a certain place, at a certain time.
I've actually found that the pain and fatigue are reduced at Disney, between the sunshine, the distractions and the happy vibes
! You may find that you can do more than normal while you're there, but still remember to pace yourself; this is a marathon, not a sprint! If you need to have a break whilst at the parks, it's rather nice to settle yourself in one of the cafes or on a bench, with an ice cream, and just watch the world go by. If you need a lie down, you can use the cots in the first aid rooms.
Swimming can really help to loosen me up for the day. If this also works for you, you might want to try and hit the hotel pool fairly regularly. Most of them will also have a hot-tub, which is glorious on Fibro pain. Just be careful not to over-do it, and sap all your strength for the rest of the day; even if you just float in the water and do a few gentle stretches, it should relieve some tension and pain.
I don't know what your budget is like, but there are a couple of spas on Disney property, that can do massages. I've never had the money to go for one of these, so I've no idea what they're like, but if you can afford it without sacrificing something else from the trip, it might be good to help you unwind half way through the trip. Otherwise, you could just ask your hubby for a back-rub
If your Fibro has any foods that it doesn't like, Disney is very good at helping you avoid them. For me, sugar is a big trigger, but WDW was wonderful for having sugar-free treats. Pretty much all of the ice-cream parlours (the shops, rather than the carts) have a sugar-free ice cream (the pecan flavoured ice-cream was delicious), and most of the restaurants will be able to provide sugar-free desserts. If dairy or gluten gives you problems, which I know it does some Fibromites, you can get special meals prepared, though you may have to phone ahead, I don't know.
Well, there's a whole information over-load for you! I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a brain-fog today (not too bad, as you can see from the fact that I can form sentances, but enough that I may have written some garbled sentences), so hopefully you can understand it all (if you're in a brain-fog too, we may have some problems
). I hope some of this helps!
Have a great trip!
I would strongly recommend you use an ECV or wheelchair to get around. This will allow you to tour with less pain and fatigue, and mean you can enjoy the holiday, rather than just survive it. Though an ECV is a bit more expensive to rent, it will also allow you to get around by yourself; even if you're used to pushing a wheelchair yourself, it would be blooming tiring to push yourself around with Fibro-arms. Details of off-site rental places can be found in the disABILITIES FAQ.
Plan to take your time fairly gently. If you're better in the morning, aim to start early, then return to the hotel for the afternoon; if you're better in the afternoon, get a gentle start to the day at the hotel, then go exploring the parks in the afternoon. If the rest of your family want to spend more time in the parks, they can always do the rides you're not so keen on (if such things exist
) without you, then you can tour together when you're up to it. You probably won't be able to see and do everything there is in Disney, but I doubt even a commando tourist could see everything. Plan in advance which attractions are most important to you, and whether there are any parades or night-time shows you want to see. I wouldn't recommend you plan too rigidly, as Fibro doesn't tend to behave itself, and keep to a nice schedule, in my experience. However, if you list out, before you go, which attractions are 'must dos', which parades / night-time shows are on when (not every show or parade is on every night), opening and closing times, and which parks have Extra Magic Hours or special events on during your stay. Doing this will hopefully allow you to do what you can, on a day to day basis, without missing anything you desperately want to do. You might not want to make too many ADRs, as these will tie you to being in a certain place, at a certain time.
I've actually found that the pain and fatigue are reduced at Disney, between the sunshine, the distractions and the happy vibes
! You may find that you can do more than normal while you're there, but still remember to pace yourself; this is a marathon, not a sprint! If you need to have a break whilst at the parks, it's rather nice to settle yourself in one of the cafes or on a bench, with an ice cream, and just watch the world go by. If you need a lie down, you can use the cots in the first aid rooms. Swimming can really help to loosen me up for the day. If this also works for you, you might want to try and hit the hotel pool fairly regularly. Most of them will also have a hot-tub, which is glorious on Fibro pain. Just be careful not to over-do it, and sap all your strength for the rest of the day; even if you just float in the water and do a few gentle stretches, it should relieve some tension and pain.
I don't know what your budget is like, but there are a couple of spas on Disney property, that can do massages. I've never had the money to go for one of these, so I've no idea what they're like, but if you can afford it without sacrificing something else from the trip, it might be good to help you unwind half way through the trip. Otherwise, you could just ask your hubby for a back-rub
If your Fibro has any foods that it doesn't like, Disney is very good at helping you avoid them. For me, sugar is a big trigger, but WDW was wonderful for having sugar-free treats. Pretty much all of the ice-cream parlours (the shops, rather than the carts) have a sugar-free ice cream (the pecan flavoured ice-cream was delicious), and most of the restaurants will be able to provide sugar-free desserts. If dairy or gluten gives you problems, which I know it does some Fibromites, you can get special meals prepared, though you may have to phone ahead, I don't know.
Well, there's a whole information over-load for you! I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a brain-fog today (not too bad, as you can see from the fact that I can form sentances, but enough that I may have written some garbled sentences), so hopefully you can understand it all (if you're in a brain-fog too, we may have some problems
). I hope some of this helps!Have a great trip!
