DIS with a Boot & Knee Walker

Utwenzel

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 20, 2016
My wife is in a boot and will have a knee walker when we're there next week. I've heard the parks may give you a placeholder in line for rides, but has anyone done this and how easy/difficult is this? I detest doing this, as I don't like the feel of cutting corners, but may need to if she can't stand for an hour. (and we've gotten as many FPs as we can, btw). TIA for any advice!
 
Do you mean a DAS pass? If so, she may not be eligible. If her issue can be solved with a wheelchair, they may not give it to her since most lines are wheelchair accessible. I would talk to guest services and see what they say.
 
This is from the Disney website talking about a DAS

"A Guest whose disability is based on the necessity to use a wheelchair or scooter does not need a DAS. Depending on the attraction, Guests utilizing a wheelchair or scooter will either wait in the standard queue or receive a return time at the attraction comparable to the current wait time." https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me.../wdw-disability-access-service_2015-04-30.pdf


I would think the fact that she has a knee walker would fall under this. I would look at getting a wheelchair or ECV as using a knee walker all day is very hard. I would look up some numbers of vender that rent out wheelchair or ECV in case you need it.


Like the PP said there are a few rides where a mobility device will not go through the standby and some FP lines in these case she will be directed to an alternative entrance.
 
I strongly recommend renting a wheelchair or ECV. We rented a knee walker for DH when he broke his foot at Disney, and the knee walker was exhausting for him (a marathon runner and triathlete) especially on uneven ground (we left him at a bar in AK, at his request, because he was having so much trouble there). After that, we rented either a wheelchair or ECV in the parks each day (the place where you rent the equipment will tag and store your knee walker for you) and just used the knee walker in the resort and going to/from the parks and had a much better experience.
 
I strongly recommend renting a wheelchair or ECV. We rented a knee walker for DH when he broke his foot at Disney, and the knee walker was exhausting for him (a marathon runner and triathlete) especially on uneven ground (we left him at a bar in AK, at his request, because he was having so much trouble there). After that, we rented either a wheelchair or ECV in the parks each day (the place where you rent the equipment will tag and store your knee walker for you) and just used the knee walker in the resort and going to/from the parks and had a much better experience.
OP it would be cheaper to rent off-site if you find you need too.
 
As other posters mentioned, DAS is not really meant for people whose issues with waiting in line are mobility related.
The reason is that a mobility device, like an ECV or wheelchair, will meet the needs much better than DAS (Disability Access Service) can.
All attractions are wheelchair accessible to the point of boarding/point of entering the theater (exceptions are those where guests must be ambulatory such as Swiss Family Robinson, Tom Sawyer Island and People Mover. Some atttractions are not ECV accessible, but have wheelchairs at the attraction that ECV users can borrow for use in line.

Most guests at WDW walk at least 5 miles a day - much of it out of lines. On our recent trip, 5.5 miles was the least we walked; it was usually more like 8 miles. And, we generally did half days in the park and were not pushing hard.
So, unless she can walk 5 miles or more per day, she will need a mobility device.
Even with using DAS, some of the lines are a long way to walk - the line for Soarin’ is well over 1/4 mile and when you leave, it’s the same distance out again. Even using the Fastpass line, the wait in line might be as much as 20 minutes.

Some attractions have a standing wait of as long as 10 minutes. Generally, that would include any shows and any attractions that load in batches of people. That would include attraction like Test Track, Flights of Passage, Mission Space, Star Tours. There is nowhere to sit in line and very limited places to sit and wait for shows, so unless you have a mobility device with you, you will be standing. DAS does nothing to assist with that.
So, mobility related needs are much better addressed with a mobility device than DAS.
 
@Utwenzel - as @SueM in MN said, the *average* Guest walks between 5 & 10 miles PER DAY at WDW.

As others above have said, most likely you will be told that this is a mobility-related issue that is resolved (in Disney's mind) with either the rental of a wheelchair or an ECV.

And as @gap2368 said - rent offsite if your trip is for any length of time beyond about 3 days; you will save money
If you rent a wheelchair, you need to be prepared to push her; even a highly conditioned athlete in top form cannot sit down in a wheelchair and self-propel around WDW without pre-training. She might make it one day, but will be in bad shape following that, with shoulder, arm, hand and possibly even back issues.

An ECV is most often recommended because most users can sit down and drive with little to no training or practice. ECV's can go almost everywhere at WDW; the few places they can't (the smaller launches to/from Poly, GF, WL & FW - the larger boats to/from WL & FW are still accessible - and a few ride queues) you can ask any Cast Member what to do, and they will assist you. All of the boats (with the exceptions noted above), the Monorail, and all buses are ECV accessible. Additionally, with the new Minnie Van service, there are ECV friendly Minnie Vans now as well ($20/ride anywhere on property, up to 6 people).

With a couple of notable exceptions, all of the Resorts at WDW are huge, and you can easily walk 15 minutes just to get coffee in the morning. With an ECV, she will have the freedom to come and go as she pleases at the Resort, as well as at Disney Springs, which has nearly doubled in size over the last couple of years.

There is ample room to park an ECV inside every Disney Resort room - just make sure to completely recharge it every night.

Knee walkers are notoriously difficult at WDW; if she is healing, and wants to walk about, she can always park the ECV anywhere in the Parks (if you are unsure, ask a CM, and they will show you a safe place to park out of the way) and then walk around an area, and come back to the ECV to ride for a bit when she gets tired.

The ECV is just a tool for her to use - like the knee walker - to accomplish an objective: have the best possible time at Disney World!
 


Thanks for the response! We even contemplated paying the change flight fees, but it's $1,000+. Anyone recommend we do that rather than go in an ECV?
 
Thanks for the response! We even contemplated paying the change flight fees, but it's $1,000+. Anyone recommend we do that rather than go in an ECV?

I wouldn't. My husband broke his foot at WDW (3 bones), so he was still in a lot of pain with even the smallest movements, making riding rides a no go for him, by the following week, he would have been able to do all the rides as normal, as the worst of the pain had subsided, and he was a bit more mobile with the boot. He did say that there was a learning curve for using the ECV, but to me, he seemed completely comfortable with it, and was even able to navigate the F&W booth lines by himself like a pro. It really didn't change how much we enjoyed the parks at all. The most disappointing thing for him was that we had booked The Yacht Club, specifically for him to enjoy SAB, but that was obviously completely out. Once we ditched the knee walker, and started using the ECV, we were back to having a fantastic time at WDW as usual.
 
Thanks for the response! We even contemplated paying the change flight fees, but it's $1,000+. Anyone recommend we do that rather than go in an ECV?

That's really a personal decision; a lot of it depends on her stamina and pain levels. For me, I would rather be at WDW in an ECV, than anywhere else in the world with the same pain/physical issues; YMMV.
 

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