Disabled daughter and non-disabled toddler - double stroller?

[baileeemmom]

I may post this in the "families" section as well. My daughter is 10 but is very light weight (50lbs maybe) and tall. She has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and although in day to day activities she manages very well, there is NO WAY she can walk the park for a multiple-day trip. (We have never been btw!)

I want this trip to make wonderful memories for all of us and not have hers marred by remembering being unable to do what she wanted or being in pain from walking.

So.....my question is do you think the strollers would accommodate her or should I consider some type of wheelchair, scooter? I am wondering the logistics of a stroller for my almost three-year-old along with something for my daughter.

I thought perhaps someone might share having a need of this type and be able to offer suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Escape2Disney]

The double stroller sounds like a good plan to me. I think there's a way to get a GAC to have the stroller used as a wheelchair so you can use it in lines as well.

The scooter might be an issue since the parks won't rent her one since she's under 18. I'm not sure about offsite companies though.

I hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[krisnme]

When DS was that age (and size) we rented and later bought a convaid wheelchair. It folds like an umbrella stroller, is very light weight and he said was comfortable. It has mesh fabric which helps keep the child cool. I think you can rent this type wheelchair from one of the local vendors. He found the WDW strollers and regular stroller were not comfortable becouse he was too tall. have a great trip!

 

[baileeemmom]

Thanks so much for your responses! I will do some research. Not sure what GAC means but I will look at the acronym stickie. I'd love any recommendations of what companies rent the convaid wheelchair...

I'd love to be able to not have to have two things to push, but will do whatever is necessary. I am nervous about weight limits on double strollers. I had my daughter weigh and she is 66 lbs with my toddler being 35.

 

[jmartinez1895]

First off let me say that Disney is great about helping in any way they can. If you have a double stroller that you use, bring it with you. If not then you will want to either buy on before you leave or rent from an off site company. They will bring it to your resort. She is not old enough for a scooter rental, the wheel chairs at Disney are adult sized and she would not fit well. Also you do not want to rent a stroller at the parks. they are hard plastic and low on the ground. With her condition I think they would be very uncomfortable for her. With all that said. Just go to guest services at your first park and take your daughter with you. Explain to them why you need the stroller and they will help you out.

 

[disney david]

I don't know if your planing on using the buses but the stroller would hav to be folded up. So it up to you what you think will be best again don't know if you are planing on using buses but if you are just know they would have to come out and the stroller will have to befolded up as to dot laws.

Sorry If it sounds mean just thought you want to know about the buses the double stroller sounds good have a great time let us know how it went.

 

[baileeemmom]

Thanks so much. Very helpful!

 

[baileeemmom]

Thank you, David. It doesn't sound mean at all. That's good to know. I am just beginning to plan, so I haven't even thought about buses. I think we are driving, so hopefully no buses?

 

[disney david]

Thank you, David. It doesn't sound mean at all. That's good to know. I am just beginning to plan, so I haven't even thought about buses. I think we are driving, so hopefully no buses?

Okay. That good to drive but if you need the buses they are their the monorails won't be a problem they can stay in the stroller.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks so much for your responses! I will do some research. Not sure what GAC means but I will look at the acronym stickie. I'd love any recommendations of what companies rent the convaid wheelchair...

I'd love to be able to not have to have two things to push, but will do whatever is necessary. I am nervous about weight limits on double strollers. I had my daughter weigh and she is 66 lbs with my toddler being 35.

If you follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread, you will find information about GACs (Guest Assistance Cards) in post #6.

For the stroller question, many double strollers will only hold up to 100 pounds and no more than 50 pounds on each side.
If she is a tall 10 year old, she may find the strollers to be uncomfortable because she will be too tall for them. You may need to rent a pediatric wheelchair or a special needs stroller for her. You can find more information in post #2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. And,I can confirm that she is too young to rent a scooter for.
You may want to work with her physical therapist or doctor - it's possible that they might know of an equipment lending closet in your area that you could borrow from or they could steer you toward a place to rent from your home area. Wheelchairs and assistive devices can be brought on the airplane with no cost.

 

[clanmcculloch]

If you go the wheelchair route, you want to look for a 16" chair, not a pediatric chair. The pediatric chairs are for young children. My 10yo had a broken ankle on our last trip and the 16" chair was perfect (she's heavier than your daughter but she's average height so I'm figuring likely not too far off from your daughter). No way did my 10yo want to sit in a stroller. According to her, she's much too old for that. Of course we didn't need to worry about a younger sibling so the wheelchair worked well for us.

Will there be 2 adults for pushing? If yes then I'd suggest going the route of 2 different mobility devices for the kids. A double stroller (if you can find one that handles more than 50lb on one side) will be frustrating to push because of the differences in weight on the two sides.

Here's a few pictures of DD10 in the chair to give you an idea of the size of a 16" chair. At the time she was around 85lb and 4'9" tall.

I would suggest a bag more like a backpack (2 separate straps) intead of one like this with a single strap because with this style, the strap kept getting in her way whenever she leaned her head back. And no, we didn't make her push herself around the parks (that would have been impossible for her to do all day). The second picture was when she was getting impatient waiting on us one day so she was heading off on her own to go look at something. I just wanted to show you another angle.

 

[baileeemmom]

So helpful! The only hesitation I have about a wheelchair is that she will want to walk a lot of the time and not need it unless she gets fatigued. I guess that is why I was hoping for something that we'd push with both for a while and one mostly. I suppose such a thing doesn't really exist.

I do use a soft sided carrier for my toddler, so maybe I could make do with one push thing (yet to be determined - maybe just a single stroller that will accommodate my daughter's weight alone) and hope that they don't need it at the same time. And worst case, push her and carry him.

Thanks again for all of your input. It seems a bit overwhelming at this point.

 

[peemagg]

I have personally carried a 13 month old through Disney who was small for her size and it took a toll on me. I don't think I would want to carry a 3 year old through the park.

A wheelchair and stroller would probably be the best option for both kids. Even if your daughter wants to walk, she could use the wheelchair to lean on and push if she needed. When she is not in it, it would give you a place to keep things.

Some people use a wheelchair more like a walker to take some of the weight and then they have a seat when needed. This might work for your daughter too.

 

[clanmcculloch]

IF (big IF) your 10yo would be willing to ride in a stroller then you may be fine with a single Special Needs stroller like the Libery Special Needs Pushchair. It holds up to 100lb so for the rare times that they both need to sit, your 3yo could maybe sit in the lap of your 10yo (assuming that wouldn't cause pain; I don't know what she can and can't handle). If you'd carry him when she's in the chair then something with a 75lb capacity would even be sufficient.

Something you'll want to keep on top of is her fatigue. Don't wait until she's already feeling tired before making her rest. If she's already worn out then she may be down for even a few days. I'm a huge fan of a good touring plan service for helping to make sure I keep us on shorter days and allow for plenty of rest (different reasons than you; my autistic 12yo will have meltdowns if we do too much). I'll never go back to WDW again without TourGuide Mike. With the $3 discount by going to the site through the banner on the Theme Parks board (TGM is that's board's sponsor), it's only $18.95. SOOOOO worth that price. When you have a good touring plan, you not only accomplish more in a shorter amount of time and avoid crowds, but you also really start thinking about your family's own particular needs. In your family's case, it can help you set firm points in time to leave the parks or even just stop to rest and fit in sit-down shows and meals and snacks to keep your pace in check. Can you tell I'm a huge fan? LOL No, I don't work for them.

 

[MSSANDRA]

If she can walk a big part of the time and neither child will sleep in the stroller, I would consider renting a double at each park. You could take your carrier to get from the bus to the parks or even take a cheap umbrella stroller for the buses, getting to room etc, and park it near the stroller rental place during the day.

If you rent a small wheel chair, would your 3 year old be willing to ride on her lap when they both need to ride??? Not ideal but when I traveled alone with my mom and DGS when he was younger that was our only option and it worked out fine. Of course she was an adult so......

DGS now 4 and 43lb, 42 inches is really too big for our stroller from home. DS was slightly smaller than your DD on one trip to WDW and fit fine in a rental stroller.

 

[krisnme]

I forgot to mention that one year when DS was about 9 and nephew was 3 we made the mistake of not taking a w/c with us. Ended up renting an adult size w/c at the park and they both sat comfortably side-by-side. only issue with that was when park hopping, had to walk to monorail. If your DS can do a little walking this may be a soultion for you. Just make sure to get a GAC so they don't think you are just using it as a stroller.

 

[baileeemmom]

I don't think my ds would sit next to my dd in a chair un-restrained. We rarely use a stroller with him. I have used woven wraps and lately soft sided carriers for him and find it works really well for us. I would not choose to carry him all day by any means, but could easily carry him for smaller lengths of time as I have always done so and have pretty good endurance from it.

I think my next step is to contact our rheumatologist for some guidance. He travels to see children in our area, so I am doubtful there is any type of lending closet but I have to think he has been asked this or a similar question before.

Thanks for all of the replies. What a great group you are!

 

[SueM in MN]

Also, pediatric wheelchairs are not just for little children - they come in different sizes to fit toddlers on up to teens. My DD is over 20 years old and her wheelchair is actually a pediatric width at 14 inches wide.
The important point if you are renting a wheelchair is for the rental place to know both the height and weight of your child so they can advise you on a best size. Some kids may be the size for a small adult wheelchair and others may find it uncomfortable if the seat is too wide, armrests and footrests too low.

If your daughter wants to walk for a while, she can park the wheelchair in the stroller parking area. Many people park the wheelchair in a central location in an area and then walk around to see the attractions in the area before moving the wheelchair to the next area.

Many people have mentioned Tour Guide Mike as a great way to save time and avoid crowds. So I second that recommendation.

 

[clanmcculloch]

None of the Orlando rental companies I called had pediatric wheelchairs for rent that would fit anybody over maybe 6 or 7 years old. I guess there's a much better selection for buying (I would hope there is anyway). I guess there's not a large rental market for smaller chairs? I suppose most parents just use strollers when their kids are smaller and they only need temporary mobility aids. Most companies that list pediatric chairs would just give me a flat "we don't have a chair for that size of a child" when I called. It was a very frustrating experience trying to find a smaller rental chair for our trip.

 

[SueM in MN]

None of the Orlando rental companies I called had pediatric wheelchairs for rent that would fit anybody over maybe 6 or 7 years old. I guess there's a much better selection for buying (I would hope there is anyway). I guess there's not a large rental market for smaller chairs? I suppose most parents just use strollers when their kids are smaller and they only need temporary mobility aids. Most companies that list pediatric chairs would just give me a flat "we don't have a chair for that size of a child" when I called. It was a very frustrating experience trying to find a smaller rental chair for our trip.

Sorry - I was thinking more of if she rented from a local rental place and brought it with her. Those places do tend to have a better selection of sizes because they would be renting for illnesses, accidents, etc.

Manual wheelchairs to purchase do come in many sizes. Custom chairs are ordered in inch measurements for both width and depth of the seat.

A 16 inch wide wheelchair used to be a standard adult size, but with American adults getting larger, 18 inch wide chairs are now considered standard adult.