Need advice please

[hookedup]

Our family are WDW veterans - we are traveling with my 13 year old son (he has autism and serious sensory issues) and he has recently had achilles tendon surgery on both feet.

We are going to WDW and hopefully Universal (never have been to Universal before) for 2 weeks over Christmas/New Years. When we planned and booked this trip last year we had no idea that he would be in this situation. He has suffered a lot over the past month during his recovery and the last thing I want to do is tell him he can't go on this trip. I am very capable dealing with his special needs but this has changed things for us a lot in the past month.

He has to wear braces (splints) on his feet at night so we will have to travel with them. He wears boots during the day and hopefully we be in regular shoes by then.

It is good for him to stand & walk but also it will be painful to stand a lot. I have researched some about the wheelchair rentals. We are not staying on property and so I am not sure if I should try and rent a wheelchair from an outside source or do it at each park. We have never had to use one or rent one in the past. He does not want to have to use a chair but I am concerned that he is not going to do well for 2 weeks.

Also, I am wondering how the airlines handle equipment like his leg/foot braces that he won't be wearing when we travel - and I do not want to check them because they are custom made and expensive to replace. Will we be allowed to carry them on? They are about the size of very large ski boots.

As I mentioned this is not our first trip but certainly one that will have some different challenges than others have had (and believe me they have had plenty) Over the years this board has been such a wonderful resource and helped me so much in our Disney travels.

Any advice or words of wisdom?

 

[disney david]

Off site ecv/wheelchair rentals will deliver to non Disney hotels so it will be cheaper to do that. Are you renting a car will the place your staying have transportation.

 

[SueM in MN]

Because you are going over Christmas and New Years, I would recommend renting a wheelchair from off/site. The parks don't normally run out of wheelchairs, but may at that time of year.

There is a list of off-site companies in post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.
You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.
With a wheelchair, he would not need to be sitting in it all the time. He could ride some, push it some, have someone else push it or park it and walk around an area.

My DD has braces that she wears at night. We pack them in a separate suitcase containing ONLY medic equipment and check it. As long as there is only medical equipment in the suitcase, there will usually not be a charge for that suitcase.

If you choose to carry them on, they will need to fit in the overhead bin.

 

[anonymousegirl]

Also, the off site rental wheelchairs are available in smaller sizes. Depending on your child's size, a smaller WC may be more comfortable.

 

[lanejudy]

If you choose to carry-on the braces, have 1 bag that is ONLY the braces and any other medical items. As long as those are the ONLY items in that bag, it will not count toward your carry-on allowance.

I agree with others - rent offsite. A 13-yr-old might be more comfortable in a "pediatric" sized wheelchair than standard sized. The vendors can help you determine that.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[JennyDrake]

I just posted this same response to a different post--I was at WDW this April post-op from Achilles surgery. RENT THE WHEELCHAIR FROM AN OFFSITE VENDOR. I'm sure you know that you are going during THE busiest season of the year. I would consider the wc to be critical to your success. You can always park the chair and let him walk/stand as much as is tolerated. This is what I did and it worked GREAT!

I rented from Walker Mobility and cannot say enough good things about them.

 

[hookedup]

Thanks to all of you for your advice. I knew that people here would be helpful - as usual.

As this is new territory for us I hadn't thought about a few things that you brought up. We are renting a car - we are doing 5 nights at Embassy Suite LBV and 5 nights Dolphin.

My 13 year old is big - 5'9" and 160 pounds. Helping him move around is not easy either His night splints are heavy - and the size of casts that end below the knee - but because he is quite tall they are rather large and bulky.

Is it an issue to get a wheelchair to fit into a regular car's trunk? We are renting a Ford Focus sized car.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks to all of you for your advice. I knew that people here would be helpful - as usual.

As this is new territory for us I hadn't thought about a few things that you brought up. We are renting a car - we are doing 5 nights at Embassy Suite LBV and 5 nights Dolphin.

My 13 year old is big - 5'9" and 160 pounds. Helping him move around is not easy either His night splints are heavy - and the size of casts that end below the knee - but because he is quite tall they are rather large and bulky.

Is it an issue to get a wheelchair to fit into a regular car's trunk? We are renting a Ford Focus sized car.

I would contact the place you are renting the wheelchair from. You are very likely not the first people to ask the question of how big the trunk needs yo be.

For the splints, my DD is only 5 feet tall, but her lines go from ankle to thigh, so they are pretty long. They have a metal bar up the back and are about 20 inches long. We fit them into a 24 inch suitcase.