Walkin' Yes Indeed I'm Walking...All Over The Parks????

[StormyCA]

I've used an ECV during our last 2 trips and it's made a huge difference! I worried about running people over too, but I just keep it on the slowest speed and try to stay off the middle of the sidewalk so people can pass me easily. The hard part is getting over that 'urge' to hurry hurry hurry to the next ride. Take your time, be aware of your surroundings and you'll be fine.

We've also learned to book every 3rd day as a 'down' day. So it's 'park park relax', 'park park relax'. That helps immensely when it comes to recovering from the heat. So does a wide brimmed sunhat, one with a drawstring so you can dangle in down your back or secure it to your head when you need to. And hydrate!

It can be hard to make the adjustments we need to make as seniors. Admitting to ourselves that we can't do it all anymore can be emotional. Getting old definitely isn't for sissies, is it?

 

[Judique]

When we last went to WDW in 2022, my sister and I walked our usual amount, which was a *lot.* We weren't young then, and we're no spring chickens now but we did it. This year, I've developed a twinge in my left hip and arthritis in my ankle. It doesn't tend to bother me too much when I'm doing a normal amount of walking-shopping or whatever, going from place to place. I'm starting to have this fear of not being able to do the walking it takes to see everything we want to see in WDW. What do you guys do? (I'm not a good candidate for a scooter. I would *definitely* run people over.)

At almost 72, I can still walk a lot with one exception. I can't tolerate much heat! Was in MK earlier this year, end of March and it quickly did me in.

I'm heading south next week and I'm hoping the weather will be nice and cool!

I've got some back issues but for the most part I can keep on going. Caveat is if it gets into a certain 'position' pain will shoot through me. But this isn't the norm. I'm considering buying a rollator as a start to help me rest a bit in the parks. The lack of benches available to just sit a bit is most noticeable to me in MK. Usually I solve that by a visit to Hall of Presidents for a cool little nap.

There are no days where I feel a need to do parks from open to close. I always have tickets but sometimes I'll just do something else. I do have a few favorites I like to do but very little is a must do after all these years. If I miss something this trip I'll be back in February.

 

[OKW Lover]

Just did a bit of walking in the parks today. Went to DHS this morning. Walked all around the park, with a brief respite to see Muppetvision 3D. Then I walked to the Dolphin for lunch at the Fountain. They have a really good chocolate shake there and their burgers are at least as good at B&C. From there I walked back to DHS. Total of 4 miles.

 

[georgina]

Just did a bit of walking in the parks today. Went to DHS this morning. Walked all around the park, with a brief respite to see Muppetvision 3D. Then I walked to the Dolphin for lunch at the Fountain. They have a really good chocolate shake there and their burgers are at least as good at B&C. From there I walked back to DHS. Total of 4 miles.

Love the Fountain! And they have an AAA discount for old people like me.

 

[OKW Lover]

Love the Fountain! And they have an AAA discount for old people like me.

Or DVC members

 

[disneyseniors]

I used scooter for last half dozen trips. A godsend. I could not do a park without one.

Right! And you can just park it for a while if you can walk around a little bit.
It's nice to have one to give you a break and keep the hips, back, and knees from hurting so much. You do have to have eyes in the back of your head at times. But it is doable and worth it.

 

[goofyernmost]

For years and years I walked around the parks, stood in lines for what seemed like hours on end. Then in 2017 I started to have problems with spinal stenosis in 3 of my lower back vertebrae. I can still walk and stand for about 10 to 15 minutes at a time before I have to stop and sit. In 2019 my sister came down from VT to NC to visit and we decided to take a few days and go to both WDW and Universal. I rented a scooter for the duration and what a godsend that was. I was able to spend all day in the parks go to everything I wanted to see and do everything I wanted to do and would have done if I didn't have this disability.

Due to a lapse in communication I had to rent one from Disney in MK. I swear that I could have gotten off the damn thing and rolled on the ground from place to place faster than that thing traveled. I understand... lawsuits and deep Disney pockets. That day was frustrating and a lot less than fun. When the communication problem cleared up the one I rented from a business in Kissimmee was able to be used, what a fun difference that made. I didn't feel like I was holding my sister back or anyone else for that matter, was able to stay in lines because I wasn't having to stand, they were very good in the manner that they handled the situation. I'd get off it and walk to the ride vehicles close by and when I got to the unload area there it was shiny and red, waiting for me to head for my next attraction. If limited mobility is a problem, a scooter is the answer and it's like the problem never existed. Mechanical help exists. All anyone has to do is use it and quality of life jumps up quickly. In my case I walked, stood and ran for 68 years. I earned a few days of riding where I once trod gracefully.

 

[OKW Lover]

Just checking back on this thread. Although I've got an AP, I'm blocked out for the parks until the new year. So for my walking pleasure I guess I could go to Disney Springs. But that might be a threat to my wallet with all those stores.

 

[weewuvvdisney]

Just checking back on this thread. Although I've got an AP, I'm blocked out for the parks until the new year. So for my walking pleasure I guess I could go to Disney Springs. But that might be a threat to my wallet with all those stores.

Probably a good thing you didn't go. If the picture I saw was actually from today, it was packed. I would have taken one look and turn the other way.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm 67, both knees are bad, both hips are bad and have osteopenia and I always walk in the parks. Heck, I walk between Epcot and HS most of the time or take the boat halfway. I find lots of opportunities to sit down and rest, go back to the resort mid-day to take a break. At night if there is a bath tub in my room I take a good long hot soak, if there isn't I try to get in the hot tub at the pool mid-day. I always travel with a good old fashioned heating pad that goes on my back for a while at night and advil/aleve are my friends. I take two Aleve in the morning before I leave the resort and usually, two Aleve and an Advil before I go to bed and carry a small pill box into the parks in case I need a boaster. Good shoes help and I do always have knee braces with me although I've yet to have to wear them into the parks. Also a huge fan of some sort of pain relieving cream. It's completely doable if you listen to your body and rest when needed. Oh, I've never bought any kind of skip the line pass, I just stand in lines if I want to ride something. If I think it might be too painful at that time to do so, I just skip that ride and carry on.

Funny story - Hubby and I were at WDW early this December. I'm 13 years older than him. He is not a fan of WDW and this is only his second time going as an adult, I usually either go solo or with my son. While he is younger than me, hubby isn't in great shape, way over weight. So we are walking around Epcot and have walked from the Living Seas over to Mexico and he starts complaining his hips are hurting and he doesn't know why, it's never happened before. We went to AK the day before and we walked from the front of the park back to safari and back to the front of the park (stopping at Nomad Lounge for lunch) and that is the only walking he did that day. We grab lunch at Mexico and start to walk around WS and he has to stop about every 2 min. to rest his hips. He decided it was his style of walking so adjusted that. It didn't help. We got as far as Morocco and he just couldn't any more. I had him sit on a bench while I fast walked to France to get an ice cream and we took the boat across the lake back to the front of the park and back to the Fort (we were in our RV) and that was it for him. I know the issue was #1 he gets no exercise at home, works from home, has a riding lawn mower so basically moves from his recliner to the basement every now and again to use the computer there. #2 he is at least 60 pounds over weight so walking was putting too much pressure on his hips. So my old, worn down, arthritic body was doing better than his. I do walk every day, or at least every other day while at home for at least a mile or two, try to get up and move around the house about every hour and if anything is needed upstairs or downstairs, I'm your gal. I'm really think it's because I do try to move around a lot and lub up those joints every day that I was able to get around a lot better than him. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I'm sitting on the couch with a heating pad on my lower back/hips and that is all I'm doing that day because it hurts but most days, I've found if you move around at home, it's going to help you when you go to WDW.

Know your limits and rest, rest, rest a lot when at WDW.

 

[jo-jo]

Don't know if you took your trip already, but first time DH used a scooter he also was concerned of hitting people. Before even going into a park, he practiced outside resort on sidewalk. Aiming for trash can, stopping, turning , backing up to trash can. All trashcans were fine.

 

[FastPasser.]

Don't know if you took your trip already, but first time DH used a scooter he also was concerned of hitting people. Before even going into a park, he practiced outside resort on sidewalk. Aiming for trash can, stopping, turning , backing up to trash can. All trashcans were fine.

As a former long time WDW bus driver, I wished anyone using a scooter for the first time did this. Oh, the stories I could tell.