Phasic cooling vest for heat

We're headed to Disney California Adventure this weekend (a last minute trip).

My 4 year old son has dwarfism, a tracheostomy, and a feeding tube. He gets around just fine, but we put him in a phasic cooling vest to keep. We're gonna do stroller as wheelchair (due to short legs and limited stamina) and get the DAC. Last time we did Disney was during the summer, and the kids lasted from 0800 to about 1600, with a break in the middle of the day to do the Disney Vacation Club presentation (to sit in the air conditioning). The

Huh? Whats that? It's this - http://www.coolvest.com/rpcm_cooling_vest/childrens-cool-vest/

It's basically a fancy freeze pack of weird greasy substance that goes on the front and back of the kid, to keep his core body temperature slightly lower, and thus let him stay out in the heat for longer. Oil rig workers and construction worker use them also. As do Disney mascots under the suits. We also have one for the healthy 5 year old, because without one she would whine.

The packs stay cool for 3-4 hours. The packs can recharge and re-coolify in a fridge for 20 minutes, freezer for 30 minutes, or in a bucket of ice water for 15 minutes.

Is there anywhere in DCA that might let us recharge the packs? My ideas so far are -

- Do the DVC presentation (yet again) because I know they have a fridge and freezer in that area.
- First Aid area? Will they let us use a fridge or freezer, or let us snag some ice packs?
- Pay for 10 cups of ice at a food stand and stand around in the shade somewhere to recharge the packs?
- any other ideas?
- also, we don't have backup freezer packs because this is our first warm season testing the vests. If they work, we'll buy backup packs to keep in an ice chest. But we do not have backups right now.

if you go to a restaurant for a sit down meal.. if you explain your situation to the wait staff they may be able to put them in the freezer while you are eating? I dont know their regs on non food stuff in their freezer's so I cant tell you that they WOULD do this ,, just that they May. if you have them in a zip lock bag that wont leak they may be ok ..

I know salt and ice freezes faster... so if you bring a gallon size bag with salt already in it and put the ice in there it may help recharge them faster...

can you start with a regular ice pack.. and keep yours on ice so to speak.. and then swap them out when needed.. that way you may get a longer time in the parks before having to worry about recharging...

Hope you all have a great trip..

Restaurants will NOT be able to put anything into a freezer for you -- food safety regulations. I don't know what the fridges/freezers are used for at the DVC presentation, they may have similar restrictions.

I don't know about First Aid. It's my understanding that First Aid at WDW will not freeze ice packs due to a lack of space and a need to reserve that space for medications; I don't know if the First Aid locations at DL/DCA have the same rules. I believe you can get you can get free cups of ice water at any QS location -- that might be a good option. Choose a shady spot for a 20-30 minute snack or meal break, or during lunch at an inside eating area.

Can you use just any icepacks, or do they need to be the specific ones that come with the vests? If you can use "regular" ice packs, I'm thinking maybe the single-use kind that you can buy at a drug store (and then squeeze to activate) could be an option. But they may not last as long.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

You can gets cups of ice water free and I bet if you have a container to place your packs in, most places would fill it with ice free.

lanejudy said:

Restaurants will NOT be able to put anything into a freezer for you -- food safety regulations. I don't know what the fridges/freezers are used for at the DVC presentation, they may have similar restrictions.

I don't know about First Aid. It's my understanding that First Aid at WDW will not freeze ice packs due to a lack of space and a need to reserve that space for medications; I don't know if the First Aid locations at DL/DCA have the same rules. I believe you can get you can get free cups of ice water at any QS location -- that might be a good option. Choose a shady spot for a 20-30 minute snack or meal break, or during lunch at an inside eating area.

Can you use just any icepacks, or do they need to be the specific ones that come with the vests? If you can use "regular" ice packs, I'm thinking maybe the single-use kind that you can buy at a drug store (and then squeeze to activate) could be an option. But they may not last as long.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

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Agree with lanejudy.

There are food safety rules that do not allow food and non-food items to be stored together.
Even with food, there are rules against bring food from outside sources into the kitchen/into food service refrigerators.

I know at WDW, my understanding is the sames as Lanejudy - they just don't have space for large items like that. I'm not sure about the California parks, but think it's probably the same.

At WDW, you can get ice at any food location that serves drinks except those that only serve bottles and cans (basically the food carts). I imagine it is the same at DL and DCA.