Another stroller as wheel chair question

[HollVoll]

We have 3 boys and the youngest is 4 and has Down syndrome and a few other medical issues. He is able to walk, but burns out quickly and gets stumbly. We are hoping to get permission to use his stroller as a wheel chair and use it on an as-needed basis.

If we have him in it while in line, I am assuming that when we get into the ride (ex. It's a Small World) we will get him out and the CM's will get it to the exit for us. Is that right? Would it need to be folded up? We have a fair amount of medical supplies we carry in the stroller and I'm just trying to get prepared for what is ahead of us to make it as smooth as possible.

Also, I have heard/read somewhere that some places in Epcot (like The Land) do not allow strollers and I am assuming that some of those larger buildings would be a place he would really need to be in his stroller and that would be a place we'd need it.

I'd love any advice you have. I have read several of the threads including the FAQ thread. Thanks so much for all of the great info I've already seen.

 

[anewvance]

Hi, you are correct, the stroller will be waiting for you when you get off the ride. Sometimes it is in a different place but it will always be at your access when you finish the ride, no folding needed at all.

And you can take your stroller (with the stroller as wheelchair) sticker on your stroller into most anywhere in Disney. This includes the Land, the Living Seas, ect.

 

[mechurchlady]

The stroller as a wheelchair tag and GAC allows the stroller to be used just like a wheelchair. You would be able to take the stroller into the Land and other pavillions that do not allow strollers but allow wheelchairs. You would be able to park the stroller and ride then be let off at the same place like Toy Story or have the stroller parked near the ride vehicle when it stops. Get the GAC incase he wants to walk or a CM asks for the GAC. The GAC can help with shows, parades and character meet and greets.

I would get a seat on the curb and camp out a spot for parades as you have more room for wiggly kids and your kids would see better. In shows you would get a few seconds head start to go to your seats. They often split parties at shows so that one person sits with the disabled person and the rest in the row below them or above them. If you want to sit together you could go down a few rows instead and carry or walk the kid.

And do not worry about what rude guest say or do. When they are not staring at you they stare at girls in mini skirts, religious garbed people, and people of other races for example. People sometimes used forget that they can get out of the stroller, wheelchair or ECV and walk around for a bit. I often am a Point A to Point B person who parks the ECV then sees stuff for a while then plops and takes off. Do not expect a 4 year old boy to just set all day in a stroller.

Chin up and hugs

 

[SueM in MN]

As the other posters said, using a stroller as a wheelchair means it will be allowed anywhere that a wheelchair is allowed, even if strollers are not usually allowed there.
For some attractions, people using wheelchairs, ECVs and strollers as wheelchairs board the ride car at a different place than people not using those. That may be because:

• the usual boarding area has something (like stairs) that make it not accessible
• the usual boarding area had a moving walkway
• the usual boarding area is not in the same place as the exit
• the usual boarding area is on one side of a track and the exit is on the other side

For those attractions, you will usually wait in the regular line with all the other guests until you are almost to the regular boarding area. At that point, you will be pulled off to board in the accessible area. You don't need a GAC (Guest Assistance Card) to do that with a wheelchair, ECV or if your stroller has a "Stroller as Wheelchair" sticker.

For shows, you will usually be directed to park in the back, with people using wheelchairs and ECVs. Because the stroller might be low, you might want to lift your child out and have him sit in a show seat or on your lap so he can see better.


JUST OUT OF CURIOUSITY:
You said that you read thru the FAQ thread, but you obviously still had questions.
Is there anything you can think of that I should add to the GAC information that would have answered your question better?
(I have re-written in the past to make things clearer and thought I would take the opportunity to ask you what I might add).
Thanks

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

As a former attractions CM in Fantasyland, aka stroller capital of the world, here are a few tips:

1.) Since you will have the GAC, do not park your stroller in regular stroller parking. We move them constantly to make space and it can take time to find it. Also, it is not unheard of for somebody to grab the wrong story if they have they have the same one or similar. With carrying medical supplies in it, you definitely do not want that headache.

2.) At most rides, the exit is where you board for the accessible entrance, so we won't need to move the stroller. If we do, it will be where you get off. Please do not fold the stroller. Whenever I was doing stroller parking or in a position to move strollers or wheelchairs, I hated it when people folded them. It makes it very difficult to maneuver them if we do need to move them. Most of the time we do not need to fold it, if we do, we can figure it out. Believe me, when I worked there I saw every stroller known to man. It is rare that we had to fold them, but we could do it if we needed to. Mostly we just folded the park wheelchairs if we needed room.

3.) Whenever you enter a line, always have your GAC ready. The very first thing we will do is try to tell you that the stroller is not allowed in the line. If we see that GAC out and ready, it will save you a headache. Try to keep it somewhere where it is easily accessed, but also where it will not be damaged by the rain (and it will rain). I have seen GACs too damaged to read, which makes everybody's life difficult.

Remember, process hundreds to thousands of people through every attraction every hour. Anything you can do to help us help you in a more efficient manner is greatly appreciated.

 

[HollVoll]

JUST OUT OF CURIOUSITY:
You said that you read thru the FAQ thread, but you obviously still had questions.
Is there anything you can think of that I should add to the GAC information that would have answered your question better?
(I have re-written in the past to make things clearer and thought I would take the opportunity to ask you what I might add).
Thanks

Sue, your thread is quite helpful and on target and took me 98% of the way. I'm a detail kind of gal. There are a few pieces of info given above that helped me know those details--like where the stroller would be when we get off the ride and whether or not I needed to be prepared to fold up the stroller and carry the contents on the ride. Just details I didn't want to figure out while trying to keep 3 excited boys waiting.

Thanks so much for all of the work you have done on this forum.

 

[ssawka]

I concur with what other posters have said. My DD(6) has DS and this was our experience in January. One comment is that there are also reserved areas along the parade route for guest in wheel chairs. We did not know this at first and just kind of stumbled into one. The areas are indicated on the parade route with the standard handicapped symbol, but they are quite small so make sure you view the map closely.

 

[mechurchlady]

I concur with what other posters have said. My DD(6) has DS and this was our experience in January. One comment is that there are also reserved areas along the parade route for guest in wheel chairs. We did not know this at first and just kind of stumbled into one. The areas are indicated on the parade route with the standard handicapped symbol, but they are quite small so make sure you view the map closely.

The problem with disable seating for the parade is that the disabled people are put in the front and sometimes elbow to elbow. It is better to get a nice spot where the little kids can set on the curb while the disable person either sets behind the kids or next to them. With an ECV I rather set a bit back and let kids and adults set in front of me than to be crammed elbow to elbow with everyone standing behind me. It is a nice way to have a family event together without the constraints of the disabled parade spots. It is also easier for a mom with a disabled kid to be able to be with her kid and interact while waiting for the parade.

I have seen complaints by people in ECVs that they could not see because of last minute guests in the disabled section. Great tip you have there and for disabled adults without kids a great place to see the parade.