Can I go on rides without bending my leg?

[MrsGrumpy]

Since my last visit to WDW a disability in my knee has worsened, and I now have to wear a leg brace which completely prevents me from bending my leg. Will I be able to fit on any of the rides?!! I presume they won't allow me to sit sideways because of the safety issue. Seem to remember very limited leg room in the cars. Has anyone else overcome this problem? Emailed Disney but they weren't very helpful. Any ideas welcome! (Leaving five weeks today and can't wait!)

 

[BobbiKK]

Unfortunately, I would say you will most likely have problems if you can't bend your knee. The leg space is extremely limited on most rides. I even have problems with leg room, and I DON'T have a knee problem. A lot of the rides though, like the pirates of the caribbean, small world, jungle cruise, kilimanjaro safari, Ellen's Univ. of Energy, Living with the land have special cars for those in wheelchairs, and there is lots of extra room that probably will allow you to keep your leg extended. I even think that Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh may each have a car specially made for wheelchairs, but you will have to wait for those cars to free up. I am sure the CM's will do everything they can to accomodate you. Ask the CM at each ride if they have the special car that will allow you to ride. Good luck and have a great time!

 

[Kermit]

How tall are you? I'm a hair over 5'2", and I'm pretty sure I can extend my leg on some of the rides. I can't recall which ones exactly, but I know that sometimes I stretch my legs by extending them straight out, and it works in some of the rides. Space Mountain will probably be the easiest thrill ride for you to ride. I can't picture the cars well enough on all of the others, but some of them are pretty crunched.

 

[SueM in MN]

HI and welcome to the disABILTIES Board.
If you are short, like KErmit, you may find that most of the rides are not a problem.
Otherwise, here's a link that should help you out. It's the FAQ page from the official Disney website. One of the questions is about riding on attractions with a full leg cast. It gives a long list of the rides that have extra leg room so you'd be able to ride without bending your leg.

A lot of the rides though, like the pirates of the caribbean, small world, jungle cruise, kilimanjaro safari, Ellen's Univ. of Energy, Living with the land have special cars for those in wheelchairs, and there is lots of extra room that probably will allow you to keep your leg extended. I even think that Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh may
each have a car specially made for wheelchairs

Wheelchair cars would be a good suggestion, except for one thing; they have nowhere for you to sit because they are made to fit a wheelchair in the space where a seat would normally be. In some rides, there is more leg room in a particular row. Ask the CM who greets you at the ride if there is more leg room depending on where you sit and then ask again when you get closer to boarding.
There are no special wheelchair cars for Pirates of Caribbean, Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan.

You haven't mentioned whether or not you have a wheelchair or ecv. If you don't have one of your own, you may want to rent one for your trip. They can be rented from the parks on a daily basis, but they are first come, first served, so they may be out of ecvs or not have a wheelchair that suits you when you ge to the parks.
Here's a list of off site places that DIS posters have reported renting ecvs and wheelchairs from:
Care Medical: http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/

Walker Mobility: 1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

RANDY'S Mobility in Kissimmee: 407-892-4777
http://randysmobility.com/

Colonial Medical:
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html

 

[MrsGrumpy]

Many thanks for all your help and suggestions. I had thought I would need a wheelchair as I can't walk very far now with this thing on my leg, so the wheelchair car option would seem to be the way to go.

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm not sure if the wheelchairs you can rent at WDW have elevating footrests, if they don't, you will just have a regular footrest with nothing to rest your leg on. The off site places can rent wheelchairs that are a little more adaptable.
Some of the wheelchair cars are a tight fit, so you may not fit in them with your leg extended. My Dd has a small adult size wheelchair and has been on every wheelchair accessible ride in her wheelchair. She has just stnadard footrests, without extentions of any kind and her wheelchair doesn't recline or do anything else that takes up extra room. I know that Small World, the boat rides in Mexico, and the Land, the train at MK and the theater shows won't be a problem. You might not want to go on the Safari ride if you don't have anything to support your leg. It's pretty bumpy. Buzz Lightyear was tight; my DD's wheelchair touched in the front and the back. The Great Movie Ride and Ellen's Energy Adventure are both fairly tight spaces, so I'm not sure you would fit there in a wheelchair with your leg extended.
Anyone else?