Bringing guest that uses walker

My brother is going to meet me in Orlando for a few days in August. He uses a walker to get around and also has problems with side vision and has to have help by walking close by so he doesn’t get dizzy.

We are going to have one park day, probably animal kingdom, and he isn’t going to get his ticket ahead so won’t get fast passes ahead of time. If he isn’t in a wheelchair can he still go in the handicapped entrance to rides and shows so he doesn’t have to use steps and hopefully won’t stand quite as long.

He likes to walk because it keeps him in better shape and he feels better with a walker rather than a wheelchair.

Is Magical Express able to take guests that can’t get on the bus? I regular van would work for him but those busses probably won’t.


Any suggestions appreciated.

The buses kneel down pretty good. I've seen most people get on board, even w/ issues. So if he can do a van, the kneeling buses should work. Plus, these are cut lower than most city buses. Even so, you can ask them to roll the ramp down (they usually use for scooters).

Does he have one of those walkers w/ the built in seat?

He can get on the park buses fine. A little slower and will have to hold support. He can walk around at home without a walker so it isn’t that he can’t walk, he just uses the walker for balance. He uses a cane sometimes at home too. I am talking about to and from airport on the big buses.

And I don’t believe his walker has one of those seats.

Disney has a limited number of Magical Express coaches with wheelchair lifts. He should note that he needs one of these when he makes his ME reservation. (I know that he is not in a wheelchair but it sounds like getting up and down the steps isn't feasible.)

Sent a pm

I use the DAS and am no longer in a wheelchair. Rides that have stairs that I can't do take me through a different entrance such as on Splash Mountain I go through the exit which is just one long ramp.

I totally get not wanting to be in a wheelchair. It is such an accomplishment to get out of one that you don't want to feel like you are going backwards.

Let him know that he'll have lots of company using walkers. Last time I was at WDW (last month), I was amazed at how many more people were using walkers rather than ECVs. It suggests to me that using a walker doesn't present any challenges to his enjoyment.

So if we stop at guest services before going into AK I can get him some sort of pass that allows us to not have to wait in lines. We just go to whatever we want to ride and they give us a return time(2 hour wait- return in 2 hours to get in?). Will the entrance to the rides be shorter for him then? This might be workable - I wasn’t aware this service was available but I have never traveled with a disabled person at WDW. Has anyone used this service?? What would be our best way to navigate the park? He won’t have fast passes because he doesn’t want to get his ticket until he gets there. If Navi has a 2 hour wait and we go back for him to ride, will they have boats he can get into? I don’t think he would be able to get in and out of the normal boats. The safari and shows he will be fine. And rivers of light if theylet him sit up in the handicapped area he will be ok. Just can’t handle more than a few steps. If we go into the shows right before they start I would think they will let us in the handicapped section so he won’t have to do stairs. Hopefully it will a fun day. I am thinking of skipping Flametree. I have a hard enough time getting food to the table but having to worry about him too sounds like it might not be a good choice. The ramp going to seating is steep. Maybe the new dining in Pandora would be a good lunch choice. We have a seating for Yak and Yeti for dinnerbefore Rivers Of Light.

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Originally Posted by Katzateer

So if we stop at guest services before going into AK I can get him some sort of pass that allows us to not have to wait in lines. We just go to whatever we want to ride and they give us a return time(2 hour wait- return in 2 hours to get in?). Will the entrance to the rides be shorter for him then? This might be workable - I wasn’t aware this service was available but I have never traveled with a disabled person at WDW. Has anyone used this service?? What would be our best way to navigate the park? He won’t have fast passes because he doesn’t want to get his ticket until he gets there. If Navi has a 2 hour wait and we go back for him to ride, will they have boats he can get into? I don’t think he would be able to get in and out of the normal boats. The safari and shows he will be fine. And rivers of light if theylet him sit up in the handicapped area he will be ok. Just can’t handle more than a few steps. If we go into the shows right before they start I would think they will let us in the handicapped section so he won’t have to do stairs. Hopefully it will a fun day. I am thinking of skipping Flametree. I have a hard enough time getting food to the table but having to worry about him too sounds like it might not be a good choice. The ramp going to seating is steep. Maybe the new dining in Pandora would be a good lunch choice. We have a seating for Yak and Yeti for dinnerbefore Rivers Of Light.

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Yes, they allow you to return and use the fastpass lane on most rides. The rides that were built before ADA became a thing use the alternate entrance. You can still use the fastpasses you can obtain once he is there and gets his ticket.
He won't have to wait until right before the Rivers of Light show starts. You can arrive earlier if you want.
I am not sure about the boats. I have seen boats on other rides that you can wheel a wheelchair onto, so I am assuming they have made some to adapt to other situations. You may want to call Disney and ask them before you head out there or ask before you get your return time.
One thing to keep in mind (which you may already know), he may not have the stamina that most people have to do the parks, so plan out your day accordingly (such as don't plan to criss cross the whole park multiple times throughout the day), and another person can take his pass to go get a return time for him if he needs to rest. He will have to be there to ride the ride, but he doesn't have to be there to get a return time.
When you return to a ride, make sure he scans his pass before the rest of the party does. If he doesn't feel like he can make it through the fastpass line, tell a cast member. They are very nice about finding an alternate way in. I remember one time on Toy Story Midway Mania (I don't remember if it was California or Florida), the fastpass line had a few steps which I didn't know at first. I wasn't able to get up them, and a cast member kindly took us another way. Most of the time someone will ask you at the beginning of the line if you can do steps if needed. Sometimes though, they don't.
You can still have a great day. You just have to take it slow and adjust your expectations. One of the great things about doing that though is that you notice so much more of the atmosphere. Spend some time really looking at all of the animals carved into the Tree of Life. Admire each of the birds in the aviary. It is different than running from ride to ride, but it is still an amazing time.

Thanks for all the information! I have slowed down a lot so I don’t ever crisscross parks anymore. Getting around the parks as you get older makes you slow down and appreciate the little things. Last trip I used a cane because I have a bad knee. So navigating AK with him will be a challenge for me. But it makes me a lot happier to know he will not have to try to stand in line for long periods of time. We would have probably had to skip a lot of attractions. I can get my FP+ tomorrow! Planning to go to studios for Toy Story before he joins me to go to AK. He is just passing through going back to Belize where he lives now. Figured WDW was a good place to meet since I have an annual pass this year and can get one more trip out of it. He doesn’t really care about going to parks, just wanting to spend a couple days together. It is easier to stay in a hotel than have him come to PA to stay with me because my house is not set up for someone using a walker. Plus dogs and cats are hard to maneuver around here too. Especially my crazy goldendoodle.

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Originally Posted by Kairi_7378

Disney has a limited number of Magical Express coaches with wheelchair lifts. He should note that he needs one of these when he makes his ME reservation. (I know that he is not in a wheelchair but it sounds like getting up and down the steps isn't feasible.)

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My Mom cannot do the steep stairs on Magic Express any longer. When I booked our trip our agent called Magic Express and we were told that all buses are equipped w/ lifts and that she can ride it up. Were we given wrong information? Do I need to contact them w/ our arrival information so that there is bus available for us to ride?

IF you can't, try grabbing a wheelchair taxi, might be faster/easier.

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Originally Posted by ChipDale2708

My Mom cannot do the steep stairs on Magic Express any longer. When I booked our trip our agent called Magic Express and we were told that all buses are equipped w/ lifts and that she can ride it up. Were we given wrong information? Do I need to contact them w/ our arrival information so that there is bus available for us to ride?

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This is one time where things may get sticky. My Mom struggles horribly with the stairs on the Magical Express, but they won't let her stand on the lift, saying that it is only for those sitting in wheelchairs, etc. I've heard that they have wheelchairs available for this, but we've never been offered one, so we just kinda heave Mom up the stairs.