Broken Arm Right Before Our Trip

[disneygoofy]

My 8 year-old daughter just broke her arm yesterday and has a cast from figers to shoulder. We're leaving for Disney in 2 weeks! Has anyone ever had a child go to Disney with a broken arm? She has a sling but the cast is really heavy and I'm worried that she'll get too tired to enjoy it. Has anyone used a wheelchair in such a case, and if so, how did it work? Also, can she go on the roller coasters? She loves the thrill rides.

 

[MichaelH]

I have not had any experience at disney with childeren with broken limbs. However, I would think that she should be able to ride the rides. I have seen people ridding the roller coasters with broken legs and arms.

I would say try the wheelchair one day and see how it goes. I would think that it would be easier on her.

 

[SueM in MN]

WDW doesn't put any restrictions on people riding with a cast, but you might want to think about the thrill rides. For example, would she need her arm to hold on or will her arm be swinging around during the ride? Also, for some things, like TOT, her arms will be dead weight going up and coming down. Whether or not she can do thrill rides is probably a question for her doctor.

As for a wheelchair, they do have small, limited numbers of child size wheelchairs (first come, first served), but most of the ones for rent in the parks are adult size. For an average 8 year old, that means the arm rests come anywhere between mid-chest and shoulder height. Also, the seat depth being adult sized means the seat edge hits a child below the knee, so they either have to sit forward in the seat so their knees can bend or they have to sit back in the seat and have their legs sticking straight out. You can rent pediatric wheelchairs and special needs strollers (basically large umbrella strollers that will hold someone up to 100 pounds) from these places:
Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
Phone (407) 856-2273 • Toll Free U.S and Canada (800) 741-2282

http://www.all-about-kids.com/main.htm

A better option might be just to rent a WDW stroller. They come in different sizes and (at least per some WDW CMs who post on the boards) the largest size will fit up to a small 12 year old.
Most of the lines at WDW are wheelchair accessible, so wheelchair users wait in the same line as everyone else (you don't need anything to be able to bring a wheelchair in line). I probably would just park the stroller or wheelchair and have her walk in most lines because it will be easier. If you use fastpass as much as possible and get to the parks early, your waits in line will be decreased.
If she needs to lie down and take a rest, there is a First Aid station in each park. They have cots in individual cubicles and it's dim, cool and quiet. The CMs are super-nice. Be sure to bring her sling along each day and also pain medication, in case she needs it.

 

[Lisa AF]

Two years ago our daughter (then 11 years old) broke her foot while at Disney during our last trip. She was a trooper. She couldn't change it so we readjusted and had a fab vacation. (Our whole family decided that we had no desire to do the things she couldn't .

It didn't cause her any problems and there were no restrictions about riding. There was a small fee (around $8) for a wheel chair. Anyone can get one and it might make her load a bit easier. You get your wheel chairs inside the gates at the parks. (Do not wait in line for 30 minutes outside the gates at the customer service window!!!!!)

The up side is it got her lots of attention from sympathetic CMs and Characters! Maybe she could get Mickeys autograph on her cast. Go, make some lemonade, and have a great vacation!!!!!

 

[disneygoofy]

Thanks for the helpful information and advice! I've been pretty worried about the trip but this makes me feel better. I'll look for either a large stroller or a small wheelchair for her and probably skip the thrill rides. There will still be plenty of magic. Thanks again!

 

[laceemouse]

Just be happy that it is not really hot yet!!! She would be miserable if it was 95plus and super humid when you were there!!!

 

[LKS]

Our youngest broke his arm a few weeks before a labor day weekend quickie trip last year. We had been on a big trip the year before and the plan was just to use the two leftover pluses for a waterpark weekend, so we called the grandparents, left the kids at home and had an adult's weekend. I know it sounds mean, but really, there was no way to reconfigure that trip to accomodate a broken arm, and we didn't want to take the older two and leave the youngest out. Everyone was pretty happy and we plan to take that waterpark trip this Memorial Day.

That is, if he is out of his new cast from breaking the same arm again last week!!!! This time is worse and he isn't scheduled to be out of casts until sometime in May. I may be too nervous to let him slide that soon. This child is clearly accident prone.

 

[Joyfulsnuff]

Exactly 3 weeks before our November (2003) trip our 8 year old daughter broke her leg roller skating. She had a cast from her thigh to her foot with only her toes sticking out. My husband was determined to get her on every ride she could safely go on, even test track but no coasters or tower of terror. He lifted her onto everything that the wheelchair could not be pushed right on to. I will say it made for a lot of work sometimes but we still had a great time and she received a lot of attention from the CM's. If I were you I would just do whatever will make her more comfortable even getting a wheelchair. I got to a point where I decided that even if it was more work for me my daughter was going to have the best time possible. Have fun on your trip and try not to worry, things really will go smoothly.

 

[melk]

I know you didn't ask about this, but swimming is not out of the question for your daughter. Our dd broke her wrist before we went last year and we got a waterproof cover at a medical/surgical supply store. I think it was called Xerosox. It's a heavyweight rubbery material with a pump on it. You place it over the cast (they do have them that go to the shoulder) and pump out the air. It makes a vacuum seal and it really works.
I even think they have a website.

I don't know about your daughter, but mine would have been miserable if she couldn't go in the pool!

Also, bring a sharpie marker so the characters can sign it. They all made a huge deal of her cast, she loved it!