First cruise, so many questions

[jencor]

We will be doing our first cruise end of October, 4 day with 2 stops to Castaway Cay. We are so excited and have read and been trying to do our homework on it. We will be going with my sister and her family of 5, who have been on several cruises, so that helps. Our questions are more geared to the handicap. My wife has MS and uses a wheel chair for getting around. She does not need one for short things, like around the room and all, but just wondering how to best do this. We have our own wheel chair, she is not comfortable with an ECV, so I push her everywhere (I do not mind, kind of fun to be able to push your wife around all day ). Some questions is getting around the ship and all and off to Castaway Cay. Like I would push her to the restaurant or theater, but she could get out at the door if needed. Know the theaters are set up for wheelchairs and all, but does it separate us from the rest of the group. Also same for dinner and I know she wants to take the aqua duck. Does anyone have experience with using a wheelchair and how can we best prepare for it? If she uses too much energy, it could wreck the rest of the trip, and she likes to try on her own frequently, but we usually know her limits. Also doing the parks after the cruise, but we have that down pretty much, except not sure how the new system that was put in last year works for us. We think no big changes for us except we will be 7 there instead of the 2 of us.

 

[Phonedave]

The theater is like using the wheelchair spots in the theater shows in WDW. They are in the top / back and there are seats next to them. If she can walk, you might want to consider getting there early (so she does not have to fight crowds) and get a closer seat - however that will involve stairs.

Dinner should not be a problem. After the first night your servers will know exactly what to expect and I suspect they will have the table set up with a chair removed before you even get there.

The entrance to the Aqua Duck is up what amounts to about three flights of stairs. I believe that is the only way to get there. Also, at the end you end up on your back in a shallow pool with moving water and have to climb out over a low wall. I have seen people struggle with it. It may not be the best for somone with mobility issues. She would most likely need assistance to get out. I don't know how comfortable your wife is with having other people help her. I know some people do not like to have people assist them, others do.


-dave

 

[jencor]

thanks, for dinner I think she does not want to sit in her wheel chair, she wants to not feel stuck to a chair always. She can walk stairs usually, if it is not too many and if she is feeling ok at the time. She has ups and downs. She just needs to go her pace and have a rail to help. She is not permanently in a wheelchair, in fact most friends do not realize she uses a wheelchair cause going in and out of house, she just uses a cane. It is just when we go places with walking, like mall and all, we have to use the chair.

 

[jencor]

also I know we read that Castaway Cay has special wheel chairs available, to use them we need to get to it with her wheel chair, can we just leave it at a spot or what. Kind of confused on how that works.

 

[fltink]

We will be doing our first cruise end of October, 4 day with 2 stops to Castaway Cay. We are so excited and have read and been trying to do our homework on it. We will be going with my sister and her family of 5, who have been on several cruises, so that helps. Our questions are more geared to the handicap. My wife has MS and uses a wheel chair for getting around. She does not need one for short things, like around the room and all, but just wondering how to best do this. We have our own wheel chair, she is not comfortable with an ECV, so I push her everywhere (I do not mind, kind of fun to be able to push your wife around all day ). Some questions is getting around the ship and all and off to Castaway Cay. Like I would push her to the restaurant or theater, but she could get out at the door if needed. Know the theaters are set up for wheelchairs and all, but does it separate us from the rest of the group. Also same for dinner and I know she wants to take the aqua duck. Does anyone have experience with using a wheelchair and how can we best prepare for it? If she uses too much energy, it could wreck the rest of the trip, and she likes to try on her own frequently, but we usually know her limits. Also doing the parks after the cruise, but we have that down pretty much, except not sure how the new system that was put in last year works for us. We think no big changes for us except we will be 7 there instead of the 2 of us.

Dave pretty much hit it on the head. If I were you, I would absolutely bring your own chair for her, so that she is as comfortable as possible. The ships are all very nicely equipped to accommodate guests traveling in wheelchairs and ECVs, both guests who CAN transfer, and guests who cannot. The Aqua Duck's stairs would likely be the biggest problem that you would face. I can't think of any times that you would have to be separated from your group at all. The one exception may be with theater seating, but that's only if your wife decides not to transfer out of her wheelchair for shows.

As always, Disney will take fantastic care of you! Enjoy!

 

[Phonedave]

thanks, for dinner I think she does not want to sit in her wheel chair, she wants to not feel stuck to a chair always. She can walk stairs usually, if it is not too many and if she is feeling ok at the time. She has ups and downs. She just needs to go her pace and have a rail to help. She is not permanently in a wheelchair, in fact most friends do not realize she uses a wheelchair cause going in and out of house, she just uses a cane. It is just when we go places with walking, like mall and all, we have to use the chair.

Of course you will have to see yourself (or more to the point, your wife will have to see for herself) when you get there, but she may be able to do the Aquaduck. There are stairs, but there are railings and the line move at not to fast a pace, so she could have some time to rest. Again, your wife would have to make that call. My father in law has MS, and while he would be able to get to the Auqaduck, it would pretty much wipe him out for the rest of the day. He would also most likely need a hand to get out of the exit pool, and I don't think he would want to do that (he flat out refuses to use any sort of cane, wheelchair, ECV, etc)

-dave

 

[Phonedave]

also I know we read that Castaway Cay has special wheel chairs available, to use them we need to get to it with her wheel chair, can we just leave it at a spot or what. Kind of confused on how that works.

I have never used it, but from what I have seen, people just seem to leave their wheelchairs on the path. I don't think anyone would steal it, what would they do with it on an island where the only way off is the ship?

The CMs on the island will bring a beach wheelchair to you. You take your regular wheelhchair near to where you are going to be on the beach, and leave it on the paved path, and then trasnfer to the beach chair. That way if you want to get something to eat or look around, you dont need to go back to a location to get your chair. You just push it up to the path, and change chairs.

-dave

 

[jencor]

thanks for the info Phonedave. I can see you understand a bit cause of your father in law. My wife has no problem using a wheelchair. I know at first she hesitated, but as the years have gone by, no hesitation now. She realizes it reserves her energy. She use to get looks at first cause she could get out of the chair and walk normal, but if she had not used the chair, after 15 minutes she was done for the day. The looks do not bother her anymore, but now when she gets out she is not so stable any more either. Not complaining, lucky that it is not worse after 26 years with it.

 

[jencor]

I have never used it, but from what I have seen, people just seem to leave their wheelchairs on the path. I don't think anyone would steal it, what would they do with it on an island where the only way off is the ship?

The CMs on the island will bring a beach wheelchair to you. You take your regular wheelhchair near to where you are going to be on the beach, and leave it on the paved path, and then trasnfer to the beach chair. That way if you want to get something to eat or look around, you dont need to go back to a location to get your chair. You just push it up to the path, and change chairs.

-dave

That is the nice thing about the ship, not sure where you would run off with a wheelchair and hide. We use to feel safe at the parks to, until it was taken while we were on a ride. We spent an hour getting through the report and they said they would check the gates going out and felt that it would be just ditched in the park when whoever took it was done, but never found it and had to rent the rest of the week. We carry a picture now of what it looks like and have it marked with name and phone number on it.

 

[Bolna]

I can't believe that someone stole a wheelchair!!!

But as to your question: On my recent cruise someone at a table nearby was in a ECV. They would drive to their table every evening, switch over to the chair and then their server would drive the ECV towards the back of the restaurant and also bring it back at the end of the meal. I am pretty sure your wife's wheelchair could be stored in a similar way!

It was actually so cute to watch the server carefully backing out through the tables and then when he brought it back, he always sat on the ECV with a big grin on his face. I got the feeling that he was having a lot of fun!!