Disney World With Limited Knee ROM

ams54

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Hi there,

I am just back from 8 days in the parks and wanted to share my experience taking on Disney World with limited knee range of motion. I am recovering from an injury and currently only have 90 degrees of flexibility in my right knee, which impacts my walking stride and speed, how I sit (need extra legroom) and stand (need to use my arms to push off).

Walking: I did not bring a cane and did not rent an evc or wheel chair. I just walked at my own speed and and had no trouble walking an average of about 17k steps per day. Stretching out in the pool pre- and post-park days really helped.

Parking: I have a temporary handicap parking permit, which came in handy as riding the trams was a challenge (had to sit on the end and stick my right foot in the stairwell area to fit!).

Both Animal Kingdom and Epcot had great accessible parking located right near the entrance. Magic Kingdom was a tiny bit of a slog to the boat/monorail, but Hollywood Studios was the worst. With the construction, the walk to the entrance is very long. In fact, I ended up walking 1.1 miles from my *accessible* parking spot to Toy Story Land, making it very exhausting to get to.

Rides: Besides the tram, the rides I had problems with were:

1. Mine train: Got in the car, attempted to sit and couldn’t. The seats are “scooped out” and just a bit too low for me — especially because the ride lacks room to extend your leg (and you cannot really stick it out at an angle given the restraints). I tried to make myself fit, but ultimately had to get out so the ride could start.

2. Flight of Passage: I tried the test seat but found the actual seat/way they require you to sit much more uncomfortable. I could fit sitting straight and a bit back, but the cast member said everyone needed to be up against the chest bar, which was just a tiny bit too much for me. As a compromise, they had me lean forward, which put strain on my knee. I rode the ride (and considered it my physical therapy replacement for the week) but really did not enjoy it given my discomfort. I also learned what “feeling the banshee breathing” meant, which put added pressure the worst area (scar tissue over torn ligament). And to add insult to injury, my back restraint did not release when the ride ended so I was stuck longer! Luckily, my family helped me out and up. That was the only day I needed to ice my knee at night.

3. Small World/Spaceship Earth/Haunted Mansion: I had to sit sideways a bit, so rode Small World taking up two places/seats and Haunted Mansion alone.

I also skipped Astro Orbiter and Splash having read the seating was tight (and having it confirmed by my niece).

Other rides - like Big Thunder, Pirates, Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Figment, Nemo, Frozen, Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucers and even the Tea Cups and Jungle Cruise were fine.

For rides I was less familiar with, like Star Tours, I told the cast member I had knee problems and needed extra leg room and they told me where to sit. It also helped to have two kids in the party I could sit next to if legroom was limited (e.g., People Mover, Winnie the Pooh).

All in all, I was worried pre-trip, but had a great time and don’t feel I missed out on a lot (except Slinky Dog, which was down all afternoon during my Fast Pass day).

Your experience may vary, but I hope this is helpful intel.
 

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