Unable to bend knee..accessible rides?

[SaratogaShan]

I need a little help with planning please!

We are a party of 9 traveling to WDW on June 18th for a week long trip. We are visiting all 4 parks. One of our party recently broke his patella in half and had surgery to repair. This will be our first experience traveling to Disney with a scooter (I think he will do fine with that). What I am not sure about is what he will be able to ride with a full length leg brace (he will not be able to bend his knee at all). He is about 6' 2" so I am thinking there wont be much!! He will be able to weight bear and walk for short distances.

Any thoughts?

 

[lanejudy]

Oh, that sounds painful! I hope he's recovering well. You can check-out post #31 of the disABILITIES FAQs, it's about full-leg cast but probably the same situation.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/di...xt-trip-wish-trip.595713/page-2#post-45465150

I've also read suggestions of using a 4-wheel ECV rather than a 3-wheel, to allow space to put the leg out.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Mrsjvb]

pretty much zero rides with a locked brace shows maybe with the bench seating and can lay it across. Been there, done that. wasn't fun at all.

 

[SaratogaShan]

Oh, that sounds painful! I hope he's recovering well. You can check-out post #31 of the disABILITIES FAQs, it's about full-leg cast but probably the same situation.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/di...xt-trip-wish-trip.595713/page-2#post-45465150

I've also read suggestions of using a 4-wheel ECV rather than a 3-wheel, to allow space to put the leg out.

Enjoy your vacation!

Thank you so much!! That is exactly the info I was looking for

 

[SaratogaShan]

Mrsjvb, I hope you are fully recovered!!

 

[NeuroCindy]

I just spent 11 weeks in a brace locked in full extension after a car accident, I feel his pain. It's amazing how creative you get about moving around with one leg in full extension. So because I don't know about the accessible vehicles, here's how I would do it in the regular vehicles (though granted the more accessible vehicles would probably be better )

MK:
Jungle cruise
Haunted Mansion (if he rode alone and learns to finagle himself well)
Pirates of the caribbean (if he has his own row and puts his leg straight across the row instead of down)
Small World (same set-up as PotC)
Journey of the Little Mermaid (same set-up as HM)

EPCOT:
I got nothing, hopefully the other thread can help more.

AK:
I think Kilamanjaro Safari (if I recall, it's just a bench straight across)

DHS:
Tower of Terror (I think there would be enough room in the front row to keep the leg extended, someone else might have a better idea)

I hope you guys have a great trip! Enjoy the shows, they may be his best bet!

 

[wilkeliza]

Tower of Terror would be possible. Just make sure he is on the inside seat of any row or the middle seat in the top row. I'm not sure what side his knee is on but if he is on the inside seat next to the entry way he could get the leg extended.

For anything that is a bench I agree with pp that you can ask for the accommodation that he have his own bench as he needs to put his leg up.

Epcot would be Ellen's energy adventure for sure. Possibly Nemo as it is similar to the other clam shell attractions.

 

[NeuroCindy]

Tower of Terror would be possible. Just make sure he is on the inside seat of any row or the middle seat in the top row. I'm not sure what side his knee is on but if he is on the inside seat next to the entry way he could get the leg extended.

For anything that is a bench I agree with pp that you can ask for the accommodation that he have his own bench as he needs to put his leg up.

Epcot would be Ellen's energy adventure for sure. Possibly Nemo as it is similar to the other clam shell attractions.

I totally forgot about Nemo! I can't quite remember how large the boats are for the ride in Mexico, but assuming they're comparable to other boat rides, that should be do-able.

 

[wilkeliza]

I totally forgot about Nemo! I can't quite remember how large the boats are for the ride in Mexico, but assuming they're comparable to other boat rides, that should be do-able.

Boats in Mexico are about the same as Pirates. Usually 3-4 adults in one row.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I need a little help with planning please!

We are a party of 9 traveling to WDW on June 18th for a week long trip. We are visiting all 4 parks. One of our party recently broke his patella in half and had surgery to repair. This will be our first experience traveling to Disney with a scooter (I think he will do fine with that). What I am not sure about is what he will be able to ride with a full length leg brace (he will not be able to bend his knee at all). He is about 6' 2" so I am thinking there wont be much!! He will be able to weight bear and walk for short distances.

Any thoughts?

before you go have him try a scooter at Walmart or somewhere and see if he can fit as I am not sure if he will fit not being able to bend knee. would have a backup plan in case scooter doesn't work

 

[SaratogaShan]

Thank you all so much! It looks like there will be a fair amount he can do. Aside from the knee, he is very fit and should be able to maneuver quite well. I was concerned about the scooter too, but I think we will go with previous advice and rent a 4 wheel scooter so he will have a ledge to prop his foot on. You all have made me feel much better about this situation.

 

[SaratogaShan]

I just spent 11 weeks in a brace locked in full extension after a car accident, I feel his pain. It's amazing how creative you get about moving around with one leg in full extension. So because I don't know about the accessible vehicles, here's how I would do it in the regular vehicles (though granted the more accessible vehicles would probably be better )

MK:
Jungle cruise
Haunted Mansion (if he rode alone and learns to finagle himself well)
Pirates of the caribbean (if he has his own row and puts his leg straight across the row instead of down)
Small World (same set-up as PotC)
Journey of the Little Mermaid (same set-up as HM)

EPCOT:
I got nothing, hopefully the other thread can help more.

AK:
I think Kilamanjaro Safari (if I recall, it's just a bench straight across)

DHS:
Tower of Terror (I think there would be enough room in the front row to keep the leg extended, someone else might have a better idea)

I hope you guys have a great trip! Enjoy the shows, they may be his best bet!

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I was thinking Soarin may work (if we can keep someone from walking by and bumping his outstretched leg).

 

[Mrsjvb]

Mrsjvb, I hope you are fully recovered!!

oh it was years ago. these days it's my hip that hates me but i can sit in my wheelchair much easier

 

[Toffeewoffy]

Someone told me that if you need to prop your foot up (or if your knee can't bend enough), a 4-wheeler is better as you can rest your foot on the relevant wheel arch. You can't do that on a 3-wheeler. Needless to say, the 4-wheelers aren't as manoeuvrable, though.

 

[Enna]

Turtle Talk with Crush and possibly Figment and Spaceship Earth in Epcot. Soarin' may be workable, depending on restrictions with the leg dangling. For me, I can support the leg that needs it by tucking the stronger leg behind as a support, sort of resting the heel on the opposite top of foot.

For the safari at AK, the accessible safari vehicle can load a scooter or two. in a section that has two half-rows of seating. He could either stay in his scooter OR ask for a half-row and extend the leg into the open space (provided it is the right leg). Otherwise, taking up more of a bench is the reasonable choice.

Also, he may want to bring a little pillow or a towel to put under the leg to give some support, since having a straight leg stretched out on those seats can end up stressing out the muscles in the areas between the points of contact with the seats. (Was in a full-leg cast for 6 months as a teenager....)

Remember that he'll also have more time to take in the scenery, watch the parades and shows from the designated areas, and will see the World Showcase in a whole new way.

 

[SueM in MN]

Turtle Talk with Crush and possibly Figment and Spaceship Earth in Epcot. Soarin' may be workable, depending on restrictions with the leg dangling. For me, I can support the leg that needs it by tucking the stronger leg behind as a support, sort of resting the heel on the opposite top of foot.

For the safari at AK, the accessible safari vehicle can load a scooter or two. in a section that has two half-rows of seating. He could either stay in his scooter OR ask for a half-row and extend the leg into the open space (provided it is the right leg). Otherwise, taking up more of a bench is the reasonable choice.

Also, he may want to bring a little pillow or a towel to put under the leg to give some support, since having a straight leg stretched out on those seats can end up stressing out the muscles in the areas between the points of contact with the seats. (Was in a full-leg cast for 6 months as a teenager....)

Remember that he'll also have more time to take in the scenery, watch the parades and shows from the designated areas, and will see the World Showcase in a whole new way.

The accessible safari tram can load a single wheelchair; ECVs can't be loaded.
The very first area of the safari tram has 2 half rows and the rest of the area is a parking area for one wheelchair.
They do have an attraction wheelchair if someone using an ECV is able to transfer, but not able to step into the tram. The space is fairly tight, so there would not be much room for an extended leg.

 

[Enna]

The accessible safari tram can load a single wheelchair; ECVs can't be loaded.
The very first area of the safari tram has 2 half rows and the rest of the area is a parking area for one wheelchair.
They do have an attraction wheelchair if someone using an ECV is able to transfer, but not able to step into the tram. The space is fairly tight, so there would not be much room for an extended leg.

Not sure if there is a different vehicle, but when I was there on Saturday night, they offered to let me stay on the ECV. I opted to park and transfer, so I'm not sure how it would have worked. You are probably more knowledgeable on that topic than the CM in the loading zone.

 

[SueM in MN]

Not sure if there is a different vehicle, but when I was there on Saturday night, they offered to let me stay on the ECV. I opted to park and transfer, so I'm not sure how it would have worked. You are probably more knowledgeable on that topic than the CM in the loading zone.

We go on all the time with our daughter's wheelchair and have never seen an ECV on.
It is listed as being wheelchair accessible, but transfer to wheelchair for ECVs.
So, it could be a recent change that is not on the maps yet, it could be that the CM was in error or it could be that you had a small ECV and the CM thought you could make the turn.

To get into the wheelchair spot, you drive straight up a ramp, but then need to make a basically 90 degree turn to get into the tie down spot.
That is a vehicle with tiedoen straps, so the CM needs to have enough space to access the straps and attach them.
I think it would be very difficult to do with an ECV, but it's possible they got new tiedowns since we rode in April that might make it possible.

 

[chelynnah]

Buzz and TSM have cars that allow you to stay in your ECV I believe

 

[gap2368]

Buzz and TSM have cars that allow you to stay in your ECV I believe

no you can stay in your wheel chair an ECV will not fit on these rides