Broken Ankle and a knee scooter: How does that work at WDW?

[pal6860]

Hello all,

We're all excited about our week long trip to WDW, but unfortunately I broke my ankle and am in a walking boot with a knee scooter. I have so many questions I was hoping you could help me with.

1. I assume I can use my knee scooter in the park?
2. We have all of our FP's set and ready to go, but how do I (and my family) manage the queues? Do I/we wait in the regular FP lines? For rides without a FP, can I just wait in the standby line with my scooter?
3. Are there any rides I can't do with my walking boot on?

Any help or advice would be wonderful for this depressed WDW fan! Thanks!

 

[AJKMOM]

You might want to check out the disAbilities forum here. They have all kinds of information.

 

[HopperFan]

Sorry, I posted in wrong forum.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Hello all,

We're all excited about our week long trip to WDW, but unfortunately I broke my ankle and am in a walking boot with a knee scooter. I have so many questions I was hoping you could help me with.

1. I assume I can use my knee scooter in the park?
2. We have all of our FP's set and ready to go, but how do I (and my family) manage the queues? Do I/we wait in the regular FP lines? For rides without a FP, can I just wait in the standby line with my scooter?
3. Are there any rides I can't do with my walking boot on?

Any help or advice would be wonderful for this depressed WDW fan! Thanks!

1 - as long as the knee scooter stands on its own
2 - yes, you get into the normal line, fp line if you have a fast pass.
3 - sorry, no idea.

 

[lanejudy]

Sorry you are injured! The knee-scooter is allowed, but honestly I would consider an ECV. I can’t imagine getting around the parks all day for multiple days in a row with one. I’d be exhausted.

Mobility devices are allowed in most of the queues, if not a CM will direct you accordingly. Standby as well as FP+ queues.

You’ll only be limited if you can’t comfortably fit in a vehicle. I haven’t read any reports from people who had any problem riding with a boot.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[gap2368]

You will be much more comfortable without the knee scooter at Disney. I would rent an ECV and just use this

 

[pal6860]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm glad to see there is a disABILITIES forum! You all are so helpful!

I'm thinking of using my knee walker to get around the resorts, get to and from the parks from the buses, etc, then use my knee walker in the park. I've used one before for 2 months a few years ago (yes, I'm prone to injuries!), so I feel pretty comfortable using it all day long. That said, I must admit, the thought of uneven pavement or rough surfaces really concerns me, so I plan on renting an ECV on day 2 if necessary.
Do you think they will hold onto my knee scooter if I rent an ECV at the park?

I prefer to use my knee walker to get to the park, then rent an ECV in the park, as we will also be driving a lot in a relatively small car, and the thought of transporting an ECV seems a bit daunting to me (and not sure it would fit easily in the trunk?)

Thanks!

 

[mamabunny]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm glad to see there is a disABILITIES forum! You all are so helpful!

I'm thinking of using my knee walker to get around the resorts, get to and from the parks from the buses, etc, then use my knee walker in the park. I've used one before for 2 months a few years ago (yes, I'm prone to injuries!), so I feel pretty comfortable using it all day long. That said, I must admit, the thought of uneven pavement or rough surfaces really concerns me, so I plan on renting an ECV on day 2 if necessary.
Do you think they will hold onto my knee scooter if I rent an ECV at the park?

I prefer to use my knee walker to get to the park, then rent an ECV in the park, as we will also be driving a lot in a relatively small car, and the thought of transporting an ECV seems a bit daunting to me (and not sure it would fit easily in the trunk?)

Thanks!

It has been the experience of many folks here that the in-Park (Disney) rental will hold your equipment for you if you rent a chair or ECV from them. Having said that, let's talk for a minute about a couple of things.

First, depending on when you travel, most days the ECVs are all rented out fairly early in the day - you can ask to be put on the waiting list, but there is no guarantee that there will be one if/when you need one. Additionally, you can't "hop" the ECV itself from Park to Park, but you can "hop" the rental - provided there is an ECV at the next Park you go to that is available. You won't know until you arrive at that park.

Next, let's talk about distance. The average Guest at WDW walks between 3 and 10 miles per day. That's a LOT of time on a knee walker; when you add in the "hidden" slopes, hills, ramps, curb cuts and patterned pavements (at the Main Street Trolley tracks at MK) I fear you won't make the first day, let alone make it to Day 2. These are things you don't really notice until you have to use a mobility device, and then you REALLY notice them... In addition to the mileage you rack up at the Parks, remember that some of the Resorts are HUGE, and you can begin to see why many folks rent from an outside vendor for the length of their stay.

And, we need to talk about cost. It will be cheaper (on average) to rent from an outside vendor, than to rent every day from WDW in the Parks. Since it appears you will be staying on property, it's no big deal to have a unit delivered to your Resort; then you will have it for use not only at the Resort, and the Parks, but at Disney Springs as well. (I don't know when the last time was you were down there, but Disney Springs has nearly doubled in size over the last 5 years or so; you have to walk more than halfway around from where the buses drop you off, just to get to where the buses pick up now!) Yes, you can rent an ECV at Disney Springs as well... but do you really want to spend your time and energy renting an ECV everywhere you go?

You don't have to use the ECV "full time" - many people here will park the ECV (say near Peter Pan) and then walk around that area, and do a few things, then ride the ECV to the next area they want to explore. So if you need to stretch your legs, it's not a problem. It is not outside the realm of possibility that you could even figure out a way to use bungee cords, and strap your knee walker to the back of the scooter. People carry crutches and walkers on ECVs on a regular basis at WDW.

Last, but not least, remember that at night... when the fireworks are over, and you are tired and waiting for the bus, the ECV will give you a place to sit. I'm currently recovering from a couple of broken bones myself (OK, I basically broke the right side of my body in a stupid accident) and I know that by the end of the day, I'm usually seeking a bit more comfort. Your non-broken foot has to do SO much extra work; imagine how tired you will be at the end of a day trying to self propel on the knee walker...

You certainly have the option to rent a wheelchair, and have someone push you - that's another (cheaper) option - but I advocate for the ECV because it gives you a level of freedom you don't have with a wheelchair. Most of us adults can't self propel a wheelchair very far before our arms turn into limp noodles, but an ECV lets you go all day and all night easily. It also (for example) lets you zip down to the Quick Service at the Resort and fill your mug, or take a load of laundry over to the laundry room, or just run down to the Resort shop for a bit of retail therapy. You don't have to worry about being dependent on someone else.

That's just my opinion, based on being (currently) broken in multiple places. You are going to WDW to have a good time, and enjoy yourself. Using the knee walker is going to be a lot of work - and will cause you to be exhausted sooner than you need to be. Consider the ECV; it's just a tool to use to increase your enjoyment of your vacation.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm glad to see there is a disABILITIES forum! You all are so helpful!

I'm thinking of using my knee walker to get around the resorts, get to and from the parks from the buses, etc, then use my knee walker in the park. I've used one before for 2 months a few years ago (yes, I'm prone to injuries!), so I feel pretty comfortable using it all day long. That said, I must admit, the thought of uneven pavement or rough surfaces really concerns me, so I plan on renting an ECV on day 2 if necessary.
Do you think they will hold onto my knee scooter if I rent an ECV at the park?

I prefer to use my knee walker to get to the park, then rent an ECV in the park, as we will also be driving a lot in a relatively small car, and the thought of transporting an ECV seems a bit daunting to me (and not sure it would fit easily in the trunk?)

Thanks!

As long as you have a plan.

I probably saw a dozen knee walkers on our last trip, in January. As long as you are comfortable with it, and you have a plan in case you run out of steam, you should be fine.

 

[gillep]

My husband broke his foot in WDW a couple years ago during one of the half marathons and we rented a knee scooter. He had no issue using it at the resort, or getting to/from the parks, but he had a difficult time using it in the parks, he could hardly use it at all in AK because of the textured ground. We ended up just renting an ECV in the parks each day, while they held the knee scooter for us, and it worked out really well. If we were staying longer, or were going at a busier time, we would have rented an off-site ECV after seeing how difficult the knee scooter was in the parks, but by the time he broke his foot we only had a couple days left, and were moving to the YC, and mostly focused on Epcot, so our plan of renting in the parks worked well for us. Good luck!

 

[pal6860]

Thanks for all your help! Mamabunny, thank you so much for the time and your wonderful advice! Gillep, I was kinda concerned about the textured asphalt. Very difficult to use the knee scooter in those situations. I’ll prob end up bringing my scooter (at the least to get around the airports and such), then go ahead and rent the ECV for the week.
I appreciate all your advice!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thanks for all your help! Mamabunny, thank you so much for the time and your wonderful advice! Gillep, I was kinda concerned about the textured asphalt. Very difficult to use the knee scooter in those situations. I’ll prob end up bringing my scooter (at the least to get around the airports and such), then go ahead and rent the ECV for the week.
I appreciate all your advice!

I know you mentioned getting ECV to the parks and if you plan to park hop be prepared for the second park to not have an ECV when you get there. also there are sloping sidewalks at resorts and as pp said watch for curb cutouts on any sidewalk even at resorts

 

[SueM in MN]

As long as you have a plan.

I probably saw a dozen knee walkers on our last trip, in January. As long as you are comfortable with it, and you have a plan in case you run out of steam, you should be fine.

In the last few years, we’ve a couple dozen in use each trip.
We’ve seldom seen them at AK - probably due to the rough pavement.
As long as you are OK using a wheelchair at the parks if there are no ECVs, you are probably OK renting there.

 

[Selket]

I can't speak to the knee walker but I have rented a portable scooter and it was relatively easy to take apart and put back together. (I did have my husband and sons to help so if you have to do it by yourself that's a consideration. I think I could have done it....lol) I rented one from Buena Vista Scooters but I'd think most companies will rent one. You can always give them a call and tell them the make/model of the car you'd be using to get their opinion on how well it would fit in your trunk.

 

[JennyDrake]

My husband broke his foot in WDW a couple years ago during one of the half marathons and we rented a knee scooter. He had no issue using it at the resort, or getting to/from the parks, but he had a difficult time using it in the parks, he could hardly use it at all in AK because of the textured ground. We ended up just renting an ECV in the parks each day, while they held the knee scooter for us, and it worked out really well. If we were staying longer, or were going at a busier time, we would have rented an off-site ECV after seeing how difficult the knee scooter was in the parks, but by the time he broke his foot we only had a couple days left, and were moving to the YC, and mostly focused on Epcot, so our plan of renting in the parks worked well for us. Good luck!

THIS!! I went with a boot and knee scooter; I was in my mid 40's and not overweight. I was EXHAUSTED by the time I simply got INTO a park! AK would have been impossible. I quickly threw in the scooter so to speak and rented from Walker Mobility.

 

[cmwade77]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm glad to see there is a disABILITIES forum! You all are so helpful!

I'm thinking of using my knee walker to get around the resorts, get to and from the parks from the buses, etc, then use my knee walker in the park. I've used one before for 2 months a few years ago (yes, I'm prone to injuries!), so I feel pretty comfortable using it all day long. That said, I must admit, the thought of uneven pavement or rough surfaces really concerns me, so I plan on renting an ECV on day 2 if necessary.
Do you think they will hold onto my knee scooter if I rent an ECV at the park?

I prefer to use my knee walker to get to the park, then rent an ECV in the park, as we will also be driving a lot in a relatively small car, and the thought of transporting an ECV seems a bit daunting to me (and not sure it would fit easily in the trunk?)

Thanks!

Honestly, using one all day at home is a lot different than all day in the parks. I would rent an ECV from an off site company so that you can use it at the parks and resort.

As someone who hates renting an ECV, even I know that I need one at WDW these days no matter how good of shape I am in. My knee just wont make it through the entire day anymore and definitely won't make it through two full weeks.

Depending on what size scooter you need, you may be able to get one that breaks apart and can easily fit inside a small trunk. Really they are not hard to transport and they do make a world of difference.

If you do end up renting st the parks, I do believe they would hold onto your knee scooter, but it will be more expensive and not as convenient ultimately. Do remember that not only are you covering large distances in the parks (some days 5+ miles), but this is on very textured ground and up and down hills. It makes a very big difference.

Not saying you couldn't do a knee scooter, but I do think an ECV would be much more comfortable.

 

[4kids4karen]

Hello all,

We're all excited about our week long trip to WDW, but unfortunately I broke my ankle and am in a walking boot with a knee scooter. I have so many questions I was hoping you could help me with.

1. I assume I can use my knee scooter in the park?
2. We have all of our FP's set and ready to go, but how do I (and my family) manage the queues? Do I/we wait in the regular FP lines? For rides without a FP, can I just wait in the standby line with my scooter?
3. Are there any rides I can't do with my walking boot on?

Any help or advice would be wonderful for this depressed WDW fan! Thanks!

Have you returned from the parks? I was just curious if you used the knee scooter and how it went. I just PURCHASED a knee scooter as this will be a long term off/on need for someone in my family.

 

[pal6860]

Have you returned from the parks? I was just curious if you used the knee scooter and how it went. I just PURCHASED a knee scooter as this will be a long term off/on need for someone in my family.

Hi there 4kids4karen,

I did come back, and I’m telling you, I used my knee walker all week and it was an amazing life saver. BUT......
There are 2 kinda of knee scooters. The common one with the 8-9inch hard rubber wheels you see most places, and a newer, “all-terrain” one with 12inch pneumatic wheels and a shock absorber on the seatpost.

There is no way I would’ve survived a week of gung ho Disney with the smaller, hard rubber wheels. There are way too many faux cobbles, cracks, brickwork, and uneven rough pavement in Disney that I just didn’t know existed until I experienced it with my knee walker. I did see a few brave souls do it with the cheaper knee walker, but I just bad for them. That said, they did it. Don’t know how they felt at the end of the week, but it’s been done.

I personally used the KneeRover PRO bought from amazon. (I wrote a review on there “KneeRover pro in Disney world for a
Week”) is expensive. $400. Worth every penny for me, as I will need to use it again, and I don’t plan on changing the way we do Disney. Renting a motorized scooter would’ve worked well also, but in the long run, I just found the KneeWalker PRO to be so much more convenient for me, maneuverable, easy to use, and really didn’t limit the way my family does Disney in any noticeable way.

The cheaper common ones are much easier to use indoors (your house), though. The all terrain is larger, has a larger turning radius, and simply is not great for inside a home. (I use crutches inside the house). But for Disney (and Italy, where I plan to go next with the KneeWalker pro), it really is a life saver. Truly.
That said, I feel the all terrain knee rover will work better if you are relatively adept, and at least in fair shape. If not, truly, a motorized scooter is definitely a wonderful way to go as well.

Please PM me or reply if I can help in any other way. Good luck!

 

[4kids4karen]

Hi there 4kids4karen,

I did come back, and I’m telling you, I used my knee walker all week and it was an amazing life saver. BUT......
There are 2 kinda of knee scooters. The common one with the 8-9inch hard rubber wheels you see most places, and a newer, “all-terrain” one with 12inch pneumatic wheels and a shock absorber on the seatpost.

There is no way I would’ve survived a week of gung ho Disney with the smaller, hard rubber wheels. There are way too many faux cobbles, cracks, brickwork, and uneven rough pavement in Disney that I just didn’t know existed until I experienced it with my knee walker. I did see a few brave souls do it with the cheaper knee walker, but I just bad for them. That said, they did it. Don’t know how they felt at the end of the week, but it’s been done.

I personally used the KneeRover PRO bought from amazon. (I wrote a review on there “KneeRover pro in Disney world for a
Week”) is expensive. $400. Worth every penny for me, as I will need to use it again, and I don’t plan on changing the way we do Disney. Renting a motorized scooter would’ve worked well also, but in the long run, I just found the KneeWalker PRO to be so much more convenient for me, maneuverable, easy to use, and really didn’t limit the way my family does Disney in any noticeable way.

The cheaper common ones are much easier to use indoors (your house), though. The all terrain is larger, has a larger turning radius, and simply is not great for inside a home. (I use crutches inside the house). But for Disney (and Italy, where I plan to go next with the KneeWalker pro), it really is a life saver. Truly.
That said, I feel the all terrain knee rover will work better if you are relatively adept, and at least in fair shape. If not, truly, a motorized scooter is definitely a wonderful way to go as well.

Please PM me or reply if I can help in any other way. Good luck!

That's is great to hear. I ordered the KneeRover Quad. It’s also $400. I saw the Pro, but my DH is a bit unbalanced and I think his coworkers would have made fun of him (even more) if I added the training wheel. So the only thing the Quad doesn’t have is the shock absorber underneath the seat. The wheels are the same but two rear wheels instead of the one. It should arrive any day now. DH parking lot is gravel and it’s a walk to his building and his issue sneaks up on him so there isn’t time to go through the process of an assigned handicap spot on his work compound each and every time.

I ordered from the KneeRover website and got 5% off for signing up for their emails and free shipping. I was hoping it would arrive today but looks like tomorrow will be the day.

I was hoping to avoid him using crutches but I might have to invest in crutches just for inside the house. Some days he can’t put any weight on his ankle/foot. He has about three different issues going on between the ankle and foot and a few nights ago he couldn’t walk from the family room sofa to the bedroom. He use to walk slowly during flair ups but it was painful, the pain was too severe for him to attempt putting weight in it so it is getting worse.

 

[4kids4karen]

Hi there 4kids4karen,

I did come back, and I’m telling you, I used my knee walker all week and it was an amazing life saver. BUT......
There are 2 kinda of knee scooters. The common one with the 8-9inch hard rubber wheels you see most places, and a newer, “all-terrain” one with 12inch pneumatic wheels and a shock absorber on the seatpost.

There is no way I would’ve survived a week of gung ho Disney with the smaller, hard rubber wheels. There are way too many faux cobbles, cracks, brickwork, and uneven rough pavement in Disney that I just didn’t know existed until I experienced it with my knee walker. I did see a few brave souls do it with the cheaper knee walker, but I just bad for them. That said, they did it. Don’t know how they felt at the end of the week, but it’s been done.

I personally used the KneeRover PRO bought from amazon. (I wrote a review on there “KneeRover pro in Disney world for a
Week”) is expensive. $400. Worth every penny for me, as I will need to use it again, and I don’t plan on changing the way we do Disney. Renting a motorized scooter would’ve worked well also, but in the long run, I just found the KneeWalker PRO to be so much more convenient for me, maneuverable, easy to use, and really didn’t limit the way my family does Disney in any noticeable way.

The cheaper common ones are much easier to use indoors (your house), though. The all terrain is larger, has a larger turning radius, and simply is not great for inside a home. (I use crutches inside the house). But for Disney (and Italy, where I plan to go next with the KneeWalker pro), it really is a life saver. Truly.
That said, I feel the all terrain knee rover will work better if you are relatively adept, and at least in fair shape. If not, truly, a motorized scooter is definitely a wonderful way to go as well.

Please PM me or reply if I can help in any other way. Good luck!

We got the scooter put together last night. My adult son Was amazed how high tech it was with “swing bars” etc. LoL. We can maneuver it in the House fine (me and the kids) but DH does some backing and having to make a couple attempts around furniture. I think I will keep an eye out for crutches or the smaller knee scooter on our local yard sale board for inside the house.

I told DH it is Murphy’s law, now that we have this, he won’t have any flare ups.

Overall I am very happy with it since if he needs it to get from his truck in his designated parking lot and walk over to his work compound to his office he will need the all terrain. The parking lots are outside the compound. Only a few of the VIP parking spaces and limited handicap spaces issued by the compound facility manager can park inside the coumpound.