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By: thefamousjacob.com on December 1st, 2025
My Background with Gout
Back in the year 2000 when I was just 14 years old, I was diagnosed with gout. In just two years my gout went from controllable to uncontrollable. I have tophi all over my body and I go through 1-2 gout attacks each month. There was this amazing medical trial I was a part of back in 2019 with Krystexxa and Methotrexate. Through the trial it reduced my tophi and never elevated my uric acid count from above 0. Then in 2021 my gout came back two folds and here I am today. What makes me unique is that I am a Disney adult with gout!
My Connection to Disney in Correlation to my Gout
When you are laying on your bed with a gout attack, the best medicine is a good movie. I grew up on Beauty and the Beast and Hercules! It also doesn’t hurt that my family lived less than six hours away from the Disney Parks in Anaheim California. I was primed to be a Disney adult. Between 2023-2024 my sister and I had an annual pass for Walt Disney World. In one year, we registered 8 trips, going to the parks around 25-30 times within those trips.
Shoes, Disney and Gout
You are going to be walking A LOT! Let’s talk about the shoes that you should wear. My pair of shoes that I wear are Timberland sneakers. They have a large rubber sole that absorbs a lot of impact. The biggest tip I have about shoes is they have to be loose enough to allow your foot to breathe. Just in case of swelling. Oh, and their soles have to be rubber and shock absorbent. I am a huge fan of Hoka and On Clouds, but good contenders are Brooks Ghost Max or the Glycerins. The Go Walk by Sketchers look to be a good contender as well.
The worst thing you can do is to bring sandals. Most sandals do not provide good cushioning or support for your feet. You can opt into bringing Crocs, but they do not provide the best cushioning for miles and miles of walking. I would only use Crocs if you were going on the few water rides in WDW. Crocs are recommended for the few water rides in DCA back in California as well.
Beware about the dangers of not prepping your shoes
One thing that I hear a lot while I am on vacation is when the adults complain about their shoes. They complain about the shoes hurting them by the end of the day. Crazy thing is the adults spent almost two hundred dollars on fancy shoes, but they don’t break those shoes in! Do yourself a favor and go on morning walks and do laps in the new shoes.
Don’t be afraid to bring your favorite slippers for the night. You can wear them in the hotel room. You can also walk around the resort with your cushioned slippers on. I highly recommend getting the slippers from Sketchers with the insanely soft padding.
One thing to consider is to invest in some slip-on shoes. Try them out and if you feel like they are a good fit, then make the purchase. Remember, your foot might swell up due to your gout at the end of the day. You might not be able to slip off those shoes as easily as when you put them on. Slip on shoes might be nice but laces also might be a strong option.
Second Thing to Pack to help with your trip to Disney and your Gout
Without any question the second thing to pack is your medication. Bring your Allopurinol (or Uloric) and also bring your Indomethacin (or Colchicine). You can safely take Tylenol and Ibuprofen together, just remember to eat something for the Ibuprofen.
I take my Allopurinol daily. If my feet are a tiny bit swollen but not overly painful, I will take 3 Tylenols and 2 Ibuprofens. If my gout attack is taking me down for the count, then I will take my Indomethacin. After 4 hours I will take another Indomethacin, just make sure you have some food in your belly.
What About Packing the Little Things in your Luggage for Disney and your Gout?
The small stuff matters. Without fail I always have a checklist of things that I stuff into my luggage when I go to Disney. On top of that list (other than shoes and medications) is my heating pad. I bring my ultra big one that I can wrap around my ankles, knees or shoulders. Pretty simple.
Another thing that I will pack is Icy Hot patches (or the Target brand equivalent). These patches will trick your brain. The patches will make you think of your swollen ankles are cold rather than in actual pain.
My last thing I will pack specifically for my gout and Disney is my crutches. I have uncontrollable gout. My attacks are unpredictable and can destroy my vacation. I would rather have my crutches in the hotel room rather than in my actual room hundreds of miles away. This is coming from a guy who lives six hours from the parks and drives to Florida from South Carolina. If you fly this might not be the best option.
Quick Resource for Wheelchairs and ECVs at Disney for your Gout
Whether you are flying or you are driving to Disney (Orlando), here are some services.
Wheelchair rentals at the park are $12 per day or $10 daily. You have to get to the park early to rent them out. The kicker is that you cannot leave the parks with the same wheelchair. You can check out more information through this link. Wheelchair Rentals | Walt Disney World Resort The max weight for the wheelchairs is 350.
For ECVs (electric conveyance vehicles) the fee is $65 daily. You must also have a $100 deposit that is refunded to you by the end of the day. Same thing applies to wheelchairs as they do for ECVs that you cannot bring them away from the theme parks. Unlike wheelchairs, there is no daily discount for renting an ECV past one day. The max weight for the ECV is 450. You can find more information about renting out an ECV through Disney here. ECV Rentals | Walt Disney World Resort
You do have options for wheelchairs and ECVs outside of the parks. Here are a few resources.
Rent Orlando Scooters The amount is usually around $35-$40 daily for like 3-4 days. The website gives you a wheelchair option, but it’s the same cost as it is for an ECV. Go for the ECV.
Orlando Scooter, Stroller & Wheelchair Rentals | Buena Vista Scooter Rentals This company offers military discounts. Something interesting is that they also offer snack packs and water delivery (for money) which is unique.
Rentals | Scootz Mobility Scooter Rentals This company has options that are more lightweight and compactable and easier to transport. Plus, they have awesome rental cart add Ons which include a free double crutches holder.
For crutches, they are available through a few medical rental suppliers in and around Orlando, but they were expensive. You might as well just rent an ECV or wheelchair from the sites above.
The Final Thing to Pack for your Disney Trip
Be sure to bring a handy dandy metal water bottle. Your goal is to drink as much as you can during the day. This might sound funny, but another goal is to pee as much as you can as well. When you pee, the uric acid leaves your body, and it feels so good.
Of course, bring your backpack and stuff it with nice goodies to eat throughout the day. Just by being frugal, you avoid the temptation of buying something fried. If you can avoid alcohol, fried foods and over walking at the parks you have won the Disney competition game. Take your breaks. Do not over push your limits just because you feel like you want to get your monies worth. If you have a handicap placard, BRING IT!
Be sure to check out my last article talking about my worst gout attack I have ever experienced. My Worst Gout Attack Was in Cambridge Massachusetts – thefamousjacob.com
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