Safety/stroller Issues for older child

[juleshope]

Question please: My daughter is 8 years old and big for her age, she has neurological impairment and does not always understand the need to stay with us and can dart off. Due to sensory issues the hand device( leash type) does not work for us, does anyone know if the strollers at Magic Kingdom can accomodate a larger child, if not any other suggestions? Does anyone know of a large umbrella type stroller? I am just afraid it will spoil all of our times if we are so worried abt losing her. Plus the walking/heat/crowds may be overwhelming to her? Anyone dealing with these issues? Many Thanks Mary

 

[Leah's Mom]

My DD has autism and we rented the double stroller (they look like the kind you pull behind a bike) she weighted about at least 90# and was 10 & 11 (we went two years in a row) - It worked like a charm!! Other then she looked a little like baby Huey!! I believe this year she will be just to big for the stroller and we haven't decided what we'll do (possible to rent a wheelchair).

 

[SueM in MN]

The is more than one size of strollers for rent at WDW. Some of the WDW CMs have posted that the largest size will fit up to a small 12 year old.
I don't have my resources available to me right now, but there is a baby supply rental place that also rents special needs strollers (they llok sort of like giant umbrella strollers and hold people up to 100 pounds). The full service medical rental placces (Care, Colonial and I think Walker) also rent these strollers and smaller size wheelchairs and transport chairs (like wheelchairs with small wheels that have to be pushed). A transport chair may be a good option because she won't be able to push it herself and escape on you, like she could with a regular wheelchair. I think you will have a happier trip if you are able to rent from off-site because you will have the stroller for use at the resort or DD too.
You can also go to Guest Services in any of the parks and request a Guest Assistance Card (GAC) that allows the stroller to be treated as a wheelchair. Strollers are not allowed to come into any lines or exhibit buildings (they can go into stores and most restaurants) . The GAC would allow you to bring the stroller anyplace that a wheelchair is allowed to go.

 

[MarieS]

You might want to see if you can rent a Maclaren stroller from the medical supplies dealer. My son is 11 and we still use the stroller for times when his wheelchair is too much to deal with. The Maclaren looks like an extra large umbrella stroller, it folds, and is lightweight. It's made for older kids. I think up to 100 pounds.

Marie

 

[SueM in MN]

The Maclaren is one brand of the special needs strollers i mentioned. Maclaren alos makes regular strollers, so make sure when you request one, you ask for the larger version (or special needs).
As far as i know, here are the places that rent them:
Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/

Walker Mobility:
1-888-726-6837
www.walkermobility.com

Colonial Medical
http://www.colonialmed.com/about_cms.html

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

Care, Walker and Colonial are full-service medical supply dealers. All About Kids rents infant and children's equipment, but someone posted once that they rented a special needs stroller from them.

 

[Poohnatic]

We use a stoller for my 7yo son with Asperger's. He's 60 pounds and 4 feet tall, if that gives you an idea of the size the strollers will fit. He's still got 'room to grow' a bit in WDW strollers.

One of the reasons why we like the WDW ones is that they offer cover on three sides, so if my son is getting overstimulated, he can block some of the visual input. The main reason is that when he's tired, the meltdowns are more frequent and severe. I really don't care if people look at me funny for having him in the stroller, I'm preserving my sanity!

Suzanne