ANOTHER stroller question...

[cinda-wella]

WWYD? I have an 8 year old son with autism, as well as a 2 year old dd, and they both need to be in a stroller for our upcoming WDW trip. I have the umbrella stroller for dd, and we figured we would rent a stroller for bigger/disabled kids down in Florida. Dh thinks it will be very cumbersome to have to take 2 strollers around with us- and asked if we can't just get a double stroller for while we're there- I am afraid that any stroller big enough to accomadate my son would be way too large for dd to share..She is about 25 pounds, and he is about 60 lbs.

Now, I have also read the parks strollers may be big enough for my son, but I am nervous that there may not be any available for him, what if they are gone by the time we get there, etc- then I would have a REAL problem- b/c he could never be with out one at the park....also , we will be using our car down in Florida, so even navigating the parking lots, we would need a stroller.
(my son is a major bolter- no regard to safety, cars, etc)

Any advice, or anyone in this position??
TIA!!

me dh ds 10 ds 8 dd 2

 

[Selket]

I think if your son needs a stroller for the parking lots then the only way to accomplish that is to bring your own as you can't take the park strollers out of the park and to the car. So maybe that settles the question there?

I think both children would fit in a double park stroller but I am not sure if either would be comfortable. They are fairly large but the older child might still be a bit cramped depending on his height. But your son would have to walk outside of the park to and from the car.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

This weekend I had some relatives visiting, and they have two boys, one 7.5 with ADHD and the other just turned 5 with HFA and possibly ADHD. There was no problem fitting both of them in a double stroller at either MK or Epcot.

However, the stollers can only be rented in the parks and you are not permitted to take them out of a park.

 

[Karalynn]

If I read correctly, your dh was thinking of like a regular double stroller, like a graco or something similar? I know there are some strollers (not disney rentals) that have a reguar seat up front and a bench to sit or stand for the second child behind. Have you seen this before? I would recommend you bring your own if you have any doubts about ds's safety. Weather its two seperate or a double.

Here is the site for the stroller I mentioned above
http://www.onestepahead.com/product/117/414755/117.html


Have fun!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

I think you need to look at the advantages and disadvantages of doing both. Some I can think of (besides the not being able to take the rental one out of the parks that was already posted):
- Your younger child would probably be more comfortable in her own stroller. She is probably used to it and you know she would be comfortable in it.
- 2 strollers give you a lot more flexibility in terms of being able to separate if you need to. If the 2 yr old needs a nap, but the older child wants to go somewhere, you still have a stroller for both kids.
- An 8 yr old and a 2 yr old are probably very different in size. That can make a stroller hard to push.
- An 8 yr old is too large for the sit and stand type strollers (maximum height is 40 inches and I'm not sure about the weight, but think the total weight for those strollers is about 65 pounds).
- The double strollers available for rent at WDW have the 2 kids seated next to each other and actually sharing the space. That can be difficult for children without special needs. If I had a child with autism, I would be concerned about how well that would work out; many kids with autism have definite ideas about personal space and don't like their space 'invaded'.

Here's a link to the stroller page on allearsnet.com, so you can see the park strollers. But, if you are concerned about your DS 'bolting', you need a stroller before you get to the park. There is a link in the dis ABILITIES FAQs thread for renting special needs strollers.