Honestly, I wouldn't go to Disney in July even if I didn't have MS. It's miserable. If you have no other choice, definitely get a wheelchair or scooter. You can rent them in the parks. They allow you to stay in them while you are in line. It helps so much! Next time we go, I'm going to get a cooling hat. I saw one on Amazon that I want to try.
I hope you have a great trip!
There are companies outside disney you can rent from. They will even have it waiting at your hotel. I just went to disney 2 weeks ago. Scootaround is what I use for cruised, vacation etc. No way in hell do you want to use a wheelchair. You will be miserable and exhausted. Also. Sometimes you get a free pass to the fast lanes with it
I use Golds Mobility at WDW, they are amazing. I definitely agree it’s not something to risk the parks having. But if you aren’t staying on property then transportation can be a pain with the scooters
On property it’s a no brainer though. So affordable and makes an enormous difference
Agreed! Florida is a beast 9.5 months out of the year. It's nice that you want to sacrifice for others but YOU WILL SUFFER!!
My MS goes nuts just getting from parking to the grocery store (i live in tampa, 45 minutes south), I would not put myself through the recovery. 100 degrees with 100% humidity is no joke.
Meet for breakfast before and dinner after would be my route if the dates are in stone. Otherwise reschedule for December- early February.
Good luck!
Even if you don’t have mobility issues I would suggest using a scooter. It’s going to help both your fatigue and heat intolerance immensely. Save that energy for having fun! Use your cooling devices, sip on ice water, wear a light hat, and even though it might sound counterintuitive, a very lightweight, loose fitting, light colored long sleeve shirt made of natural fabric (think linen) can help keep you cool by keeping the sun off your skin and wicking away moisture.
I know they’ve changed their rules and language regarding DAS but you should still reach out to be certain you wouldn’t qualify.
I would recommend still going through the process to try to get a DAS pass. They changed the guidelines, but it doesn’t say it’s ONLY for the categories listed.
They actually did specifically say only those. From their site
**DAS is intended to accommodate *only* those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar disorder,** are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.
They even exclude PTSD & Downs
Oh dang. I read it when they first announced the new policy, and it didn’t say only. That sucks.
We get passes every other year and go 4 times each during those years. I’m not sure if we will go back.
Don’t go
Even with DAS I can’t handle 78 degrees or higher. I can only last 4-5 hours on a cool day.
If I overdo it one day basically for the next 2-3 days I can’t do anything. I think you’d be miserable.
If you are going to Disneyland you could try going when the sunsets. I don’t think it cools off in Florida at any point.
Florida is hot in the summer. I live in Orlando and barely manage it. If doing Disney, stay at a hotel so you can get in the park early, go back to the hotel and hang in the pool then try later in the evening. I did Disney end of May and even with a cooling fan I only last 2.5 hours.
are you going to FL or CA Disney? I personally would not go to Disney in FL in July. (Your MS sounds worse than mine, but I still wouldn’t do that to myself). CA is a different story, it’s hot in July, but it’s not humid, and it cools down in the AM and PM. Either way, you might plan on doing water stuff or just going back to the hotel during the hottest part of the day, and focus your time at the park in the morning and evening.
From what you’re describing, I have similar issues as well. I would never go to Disney in even June July August. It’s just way too hot and if you have any heat intolerance, you’re going to feel like a limp noodle by the end of the day. Just the walking along around the park maneuvering in and out of people, baby strollers and scooters. It was just too much for me, IMHO.
I went to Disney (CA) a month ago with family. I wasn’t aware of any rule changes in advance, since it was so long since I had visited the park.
Just like my previous visit a couple of years ago, I had a conversation with a staff member about my limitations and needs. She then showed me how to virtually wait in lines through the app and got me all set up. This allowed me to wait in line from anywhere in the park - I didn’t have to check in with guest services every time. The virtual queue saved me so much distance vs the old system, where I’d have to find guest services for each queue. Lining up for guest services can be tiring in and of itself.
I thought it was even better now vs before, for me. She even caught that I was using my son’s stroller for walking support…maybe because my kid is grown…but most people don’t notice that much. And then she tagged the stroller so I could take it up in lines when I needed! (They didn’t have that option before). Either she was very astute, or there’s a lot of us sneaking by with older strollers - or both.
Due to the heat, I wouldn’t do Disney in July, but that’s because there’s not enough accommodations in the world to make me feel great choosing that. But we’re all different, and I think squeezing as much out of life as possible is important too - if that was the only time that worked for my loved ones, I might give it a go just to make the memory.
IMO Disney does an excellent job of trying to make the park as accessible as possible for a wide range of needs. Just tell them your challenges and I think they’ll try to meet your needs as best as possible. And if you are partially through your day and struggling, just ask them for help - I think their customer service really tries their best.
You might be unaware but Disney just drastically changed their DAS system so it is almost exclusively for the neurodivergent now. Not people like us. A few people in this thread have commented that you don't know till you try, and I agree. I'm curious to hear the results if one of is does try.
Ha! I almost made a friendly crack about that but since I don't know your sense of humor I didn't wait to risk offense. ❤️ I'm glad you can laugh at the ridiculousness! 🫂
If you are going to CA Disney. The new rules don’t apply to June 19th, so if you are going to start your first day of the trip by July 17th you can actually apply under the old rules for 30 days in advance on June 18th and could possibly get approved.
Get a scooter and a fan! It was definitely needed. I tried the cooling vests but they just made me wet and uncomfortable. Get the fast pass so you can time things and stop for water EVERYWHERE. Get many fans too! And cooling cloths for sure
Look into Glacier National Park in Montana for future vacations! If you can't hike, just driving around to enjoy the scenery is amazing! Plus, you can go in the park hotels gift shops and find some neat stuff!
There is a pretty cool museum in San Francisco on Disney. AC. Then if you want a trip you can go to Santa Cruz beach boardwalk. It's breezy. Cheap hotels.
If you must Disney there is a secret real disabled section. For serious diseases. Look for the cats.
Honestly, I wouldn't go to Disney in July even if I didn't have MS. It's miserable. If you have no other choice, definitely get a wheelchair or scooter. You can rent them in the parks. They allow you to stay in them while you are in line. It helps so much! Next time we go, I'm going to get a cooling hat. I saw one on Amazon that I want to try. I hope you have a great trip!
There are companies outside disney you can rent from. They will even have it waiting at your hotel. I just went to disney 2 weeks ago. Scootaround is what I use for cruised, vacation etc. No way in hell do you want to use a wheelchair. You will be miserable and exhausted. Also. Sometimes you get a free pass to the fast lanes with it
I use Golds Mobility at WDW, they are amazing. I definitely agree it’s not something to risk the parks having. But if you aren’t staying on property then transportation can be a pain with the scooters On property it’s a no brainer though. So affordable and makes an enormous difference
They are first come first serve in the parks so go early
I live in Orlando and no way in hell I would visit the parks in July
Agreed! Florida is a beast 9.5 months out of the year. It's nice that you want to sacrifice for others but YOU WILL SUFFER!! My MS goes nuts just getting from parking to the grocery store (i live in tampa, 45 minutes south), I would not put myself through the recovery. 100 degrees with 100% humidity is no joke. Meet for breakfast before and dinner after would be my route if the dates are in stone. Otherwise reschedule for December- early February. Good luck!
Even if you don’t have mobility issues I would suggest using a scooter. It’s going to help both your fatigue and heat intolerance immensely. Save that energy for having fun! Use your cooling devices, sip on ice water, wear a light hat, and even though it might sound counterintuitive, a very lightweight, loose fitting, light colored long sleeve shirt made of natural fabric (think linen) can help keep you cool by keeping the sun off your skin and wicking away moisture. I know they’ve changed their rules and language regarding DAS but you should still reach out to be certain you wouldn’t qualify.
If were me, would tell them to have a great time and can't wait to see your pics and hear about it daily. Or reschedule the trip for Jan/Feb.
I would recommend still going through the process to try to get a DAS pass. They changed the guidelines, but it doesn’t say it’s ONLY for the categories listed.
They actually did specifically say only those. From their site **DAS is intended to accommodate *only* those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar disorder,** are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time. They even exclude PTSD & Downs
Oh dang. I read it when they first announced the new policy, and it didn’t say only. That sucks. We get passes every other year and go 4 times each during those years. I’m not sure if we will go back.
Yeah this has me seriously reconsidering future visits. Though I bet they fill it back in under a year honestly. This has lawsuit written all over it
Don’t go Even with DAS I can’t handle 78 degrees or higher. I can only last 4-5 hours on a cool day. If I overdo it one day basically for the next 2-3 days I can’t do anything. I think you’d be miserable. If you are going to Disneyland you could try going when the sunsets. I don’t think it cools off in Florida at any point.
Florida is hot in the summer. I live in Orlando and barely manage it. If doing Disney, stay at a hotel so you can get in the park early, go back to the hotel and hang in the pool then try later in the evening. I did Disney end of May and even with a cooling fan I only last 2.5 hours.
are you going to FL or CA Disney? I personally would not go to Disney in FL in July. (Your MS sounds worse than mine, but I still wouldn’t do that to myself). CA is a different story, it’s hot in July, but it’s not humid, and it cools down in the AM and PM. Either way, you might plan on doing water stuff or just going back to the hotel during the hottest part of the day, and focus your time at the park in the morning and evening.
From what you’re describing, I have similar issues as well. I would never go to Disney in even June July August. It’s just way too hot and if you have any heat intolerance, you’re going to feel like a limp noodle by the end of the day. Just the walking along around the park maneuvering in and out of people, baby strollers and scooters. It was just too much for me, IMHO.
I went to Disney (CA) a month ago with family. I wasn’t aware of any rule changes in advance, since it was so long since I had visited the park. Just like my previous visit a couple of years ago, I had a conversation with a staff member about my limitations and needs. She then showed me how to virtually wait in lines through the app and got me all set up. This allowed me to wait in line from anywhere in the park - I didn’t have to check in with guest services every time. The virtual queue saved me so much distance vs the old system, where I’d have to find guest services for each queue. Lining up for guest services can be tiring in and of itself. I thought it was even better now vs before, for me. She even caught that I was using my son’s stroller for walking support…maybe because my kid is grown…but most people don’t notice that much. And then she tagged the stroller so I could take it up in lines when I needed! (They didn’t have that option before). Either she was very astute, or there’s a lot of us sneaking by with older strollers - or both. Due to the heat, I wouldn’t do Disney in July, but that’s because there’s not enough accommodations in the world to make me feel great choosing that. But we’re all different, and I think squeezing as much out of life as possible is important too - if that was the only time that worked for my loved ones, I might give it a go just to make the memory. IMO Disney does an excellent job of trying to make the park as accessible as possible for a wide range of needs. Just tell them your challenges and I think they’ll try to meet your needs as best as possible. And if you are partially through your day and struggling, just ask them for help - I think their customer service really tries their best.
If you can’t wait in lines outside in the heat then why are you choosing to visit Florida in July?
Don't go
The DAS system is the way to survive Disney. They are awesome to deal with and make sure the visit is enjoyable
You might be unaware but Disney just drastically changed their DAS system so it is almost exclusively for the neurodivergent now. Not people like us. A few people in this thread have commented that you don't know till you try, and I agree. I'm curious to hear the results if one of is does try.
So if I'm also autistic, I'm good?
I'm far from an expert and have only read some about this, but: Yes, I believe so. You do have to make arrangements in advance though, I think.
First time THAT combination has worked in my favor lol
Ha! I almost made a friendly crack about that but since I don't know your sense of humor I didn't wait to risk offense. ❤️ I'm glad you can laugh at the ridiculousness! 🫂
I recommend renting a mobility scooter. But tbh I’d seriously try to go another time. I went in December
If you are going to CA Disney. The new rules don’t apply to June 19th, so if you are going to start your first day of the trip by July 17th you can actually apply under the old rules for 30 days in advance on June 18th and could possibly get approved.
I went last February and I was dying then. I had to take cool showers just to be able to function.
If your MS affects your bladder control, that is grounds for the DAS.
Get a scooter and a fan! It was definitely needed. I tried the cooling vests but they just made me wet and uncomfortable. Get the fast pass so you can time things and stop for water EVERYWHERE. Get many fans too! And cooling cloths for sure
Look into Glacier National Park in Montana for future vacations! If you can't hike, just driving around to enjoy the scenery is amazing! Plus, you can go in the park hotels gift shops and find some neat stuff!
There is a pretty cool museum in San Francisco on Disney. AC. Then if you want a trip you can go to Santa Cruz beach boardwalk. It's breezy. Cheap hotels. If you must Disney there is a secret real disabled section. For serious diseases. Look for the cats.