DH back surgery

[hopesmommy]

My DH had back surgery about 6 weeks ago. We leave for WDW in 2 weeks. While the doc has said there is not a problem in going, he said to DEFINATELY take it easy, but the walking will be good for him.

My question is...DH has a problem standing for long periods of time. (This is not due to being coming tired. DH starts hurting and if that happens he will have to go back to the hotel. We are planning to take breaks for DD's naps.) I have read about the GAC. Will he be able to receive one of these to minimize his wait in line or provide him with a place to sit and wait while me and DD are in line then he can join us for the ride?

FYI - We had already booked this trip before we knew he needed surgery or we would have put it off.

Thank you for any suggestions!

 

[boosmom96]

I would bring a letter from your DH's doctor saying exactly what you just said. I would think you should not have a problem. Make sure the doctor states that the walking is good, it's the standing that is painful.
Have a great trip!!

 

[SueM in MN]

You don't need a letter to get a Guest Assistance Card, just be able explain what his needs are - the way you explained them in the post is good.
Some people do take a letter from their doctor, but be aware that you don't need one (so don't bother to make a special trip to the doctoror pay the doctor to get one) and if you do bring one, the CMs may not look at it at all.
One thing to be aware of - even if you have a GAC, many attractions don't have any place to sit while waiting or (like for preshows of theater type attractions), there are a few seats, but if people are already sitting in htem, you are out of luck. Some shows don't have a way for you to "join up" later with the rest of your party.
I would still suggest getting a GAC, but be aware that the CMs at some attractions may not have any accomidation they are able to give.

Going in 2 weeks, you may find the crowds are smaller than you expect. If you can get to the parks early, you can go on a lot of things with very minimal waits - this is even true during busy times like Easter/Spring break.
Fastpass is a good way to minimize waits. You pick up a fastpass from the attraction earlierr in the day. When you come back later in the day, at the time specified on the Fastpass, you get on with less than a 15 minute wait. Sometimes, for a GAC (depending on the attraction and what the GAC says), the CMs will give you a slip of paper with a time to come back equal to the standby wait time.

Also, some attractions that are busy in mid-morning might be "walk on" later in the day. An example is Spaceship Earth, which has lines around the side of the building by mid-morning, but has just "walk as fast as you can" waits usually by late afternoon. There are Information areas at each park (marked on the park maps). We have found the CMs in those areas are quite knowledgeable about what rides are usually busy when. They can also help you with information about what rides are like (in case you need more info about how the attraction will be for his back). There is a new book called Passporter for Your Special Needs that has explanations of rides that might be useful if you have not been to WDW before (or need a refresher) and need to know what to expect.