Special needs stroller advice?

[DrMomof3]

I'm hoping someone from this wonderful forum will have a suggestion for me. My 3 1/2 year son has mild CP. He's making great progress with his therapy and walks, runs, jumps, etc. He still has global hypotonia (low tone) and gets muscle fatigue. We've had great experiences with GAC and stroller = wheelchair on previous trips (especially our most recent one when he had a fever for a few days in addition to his usual stuff).
Here's my problem. Zachary is very, very tall for his age. Not shocking since my DH is 6'4". My 3 1/2 year old is already 44" tall and weighs about 40 lbs. And therefore is quickly outgrowing our current fleet of strollers (we have 3 kids so there is a fleet).
Any advice on a lightweight stroller that will fit a child his size? Although we don't use a stroller often at home (just for trips to the Bronx Zoo), we are frequent Disney visitors. I really don't want to spend a fortune but I also think he will still need a stroller at Disney for a few more years.

Thank you all for everything I've already learned to help my child enjoy Disney!
Amanda

 

[SueM in MN]

For WDW, you may want to look into renting one. There are a couple of companies that rent special needs strollers for WDW trips. You can find them in post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread - located near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

Renting one at WDW would give you an easy way to try one out and see what you like/don’t like about it.
For checking what is out there, I usually suggest http://www.adaptivemall.com/

They have a good selection of special needs strollers and wheelchairs of various types. They also have lots of good information about the features, specifications and measurements. They also have an “Ask a Therapist” feature that is especially helpful for people who are not already working with a therapist.
If your child has a therapist, I would suggest working with him/her because they know your child’s needs. Even if you are already working with a therapist, I would still suggest looking at the adaptivemall website because it will help you to get an idea of what is out there and help you to figure out which features are important to you and narrow the choices down.

 

[HowdyHeidi]

A Maclaren stroller might work for him. Maybe you could put a plea out to your friends to borrow one for the trip or even just to try it out. If you still want recline, make sure to check for that, now all maclaren's recline...

 

[DrMomof3]

Thank you both! I didn't even think to ask his therapist. Duh! Thank you for the ideas. I will definitely look around.

Amanda

 

[cgncga]

A Maclaren stroller might work for him. Maybe you could put a plea out to your friends to borrow one for the trip or even just to try it out. If you still want recline, make sure to check for that, now all maclaren's recline...

We have the Maclaren Major stroller for my eight year old (about 45 inches tall and 50 pounds) with epilepsy, low muscle tone, and low vision. As a stroller to take to the mall or the local zoo it works well, but we've never tried it at Disney or on any plane trips. She insists on having the foot rest and the canopy on it at all times, but you can't fold the stroller up with either of those pieces attached. I really don't want to try dealing with a 3 piece stroller on the Disney buses or a plane. So far we've been able to use a smaller non special needs stroller when we've travelled but that will be ending shortly.

I'm not sure how we'll handle travelling with the Maclaren once she outgrows the smaller stroller we've used so far. If you're son isn't worried about the canopy or the foot rest it's a great stroller, but if those are things he needs to have, then it will be an akward stroller for Disney unless you drive to the parks. Niether piece is hard to attach. It's just dealing with the three different pieces that is a hassle for us.

Catherine

 

[1girln3boys]

A Maclaren stroller might work for him. Maybe you could put a plea out to your friends to borrow one for the trip or even just to try it out. If you still want recline, make sure to check for that, now all maclaren's recline...

I agree. My son is also tall for his age plus really too old for a stroller but we used a Maclaren stroller for him. We bought it used and was cheaper than renting one for an entire week. It worked great for us.

 

[Singledad]

two words: Maclaren Volo. holds up to 55 lbs, folds up easy (umbrella style)

if you look at this post of my trip report, you can see both my 5 year old and a 9 year old boy in this style in our trip reports. They worked great for us, and I still have mine!

Here I show off the new stroller... pre trip

Both my DD and Liam in their strollers... same style, just different colors. (same awesome price too!)


p.s. at the time of the trip she was *just* tall enough to ride space mt. and I found the same deal on the same type of model (different year). 60 bucks on ebay, free shipping in the usa.

 

[disney david]

Not that to asked or need it if you rent/bu one and what to use it in the bus just make sure it has tie down points built in. Or they won't be able to safely tie it down with out damaging the stroller. Sorry if someone or sue said it but I at Disney world and didn't get a chance to read it. Since I surer from a massive disboards addiction I have to go on it while at Disney I even brought my I pad down. If any one has any question so far I seen great drivers working hard to make sure guest are loaded on with their wheel chairs safely.

 

[disney david]

Not that to asked or need it if you rent/bu one and what to use it in the bus just make sure it has tie down points built in. Or they won't be able to safely tie it down with out damaging the stroller. Sorry if someone or sue said it but I at Disney world and didn't get a chance to read it. Since I surer from a massive disboards addiction I have to go on it while at Disney I even brought my I pad down. If any one has any question so far I seen great drivers working hard to make sure guest are loaded on with their wheel chairs safely.

 

[DrMomof3]

Thank you again for the great ideas and advice! I'm still waiting to hear back from Zachary's therapist. In the meantime my DH is going to change the flat tire on our existing stroller and hope it survives another trip to the world!

Amanda

 

[cogero]

I have a 4 year old and I swear by my City Elite by Baby Jogger. It is a larger stroller but I adore it. My son is 41 inches and 40lbs. He has PDD-NOS and has trouble walking long distances. I do not mind traveling with it.

I had a Maclaren in the beginning with him but I personally did not like it. It seemed like the quality had gone done from when I bought my first Mclaren in 2001. I know some people swear by them but I wasn't happy with the one I bought in 2008.

I do love the adjustable handle height on the BJ CE. I heard they are putting it in their smaller model that fits between a Citi Mini and City Elite. I

The City Elite has a weight limit of 75lbs.

I would suggest renting a stroller for Disney from one of the offsite companies.

 

[laughinplace199]

My DS5 is 43 inches and 36 lbs. He has low muscle tone and we knew he would not be able to walk all of the time during our Thanksgiving trip.

He had outgrown our old stroller (the umbrella stroller that Disney sells in the parks and resorts). I bought a First Years Ignite. It's so much better for him than the one we had purchased at Disney. The back rest on our old stroller was too short. DS couldn't lean back to fall asleep without having his head hanging off the back. The Ignite has a taller back so that he can rest his head comfortably when the stroller is reclined. He even took a few naps in the stroller.

 

[lanejudy]

We have a Maclaren Major for our 7-year-old DD. It is terrific. We purchased it used and saved a lot of money, but with a CP dx you may be able to get your insurance to buy it (durable medical equipment). To handle the detachable footrest, we hang a drawstring backpack-style bag on the bag - pop off the footrest and tuck it into the bag once the stroller is folded. Yes, a little more effort than a more traditional umbrella stroller for "babies" but really not inconvenient. If you have a car, removing the pieces to fold shouldn't be a problem anyway. The only drawback I've found is that it does not recline, but we can live with that (another poster mentioned all Maclaren's recline but that is not true of the Major Elite, maybe all "baby buggy" styles). I recommend looking into the Maclaren Major - it will last for a long time (up to 140 lbs) and is worth the investment if you believe your child will need something for several more years. Some of the other strollers mentioned will be outgrown at 50 or 55 lbs, leaving you in the same predicament as now. Whatever you decide, good luck! There are strollers for the older/bigger kids, it just takes some research to find which will be best for your family.

 

[DrMomof3]

Thank you all!
I found a really convenient solution for the next few years. Our next door neighbors were selling their Maclaren Volo (weight limit of 55lbs) on Craig's List. My family was having dinner at their house and she mentioned how their jogging stroller had gotten lots of interest but none for the Maclaren. I asked how much she wanted. She listed it for $15 and refused to take any $$$!!! The stroller is in near-perfect condition. We may end up with one of the more expensive strollers one day but I'm thrilled with this solution.
Since Zachary's prognosis is so good, I'm hoping this stroller will be the last one we need! If we find that he continues to struggle beyond the 55lb weight limit, I think I'll have enough ammunition to convince my DH to buy one of the strollers mentioned here.

Thank you again!
Amanda

 

[HappyontheLake]

Can I suggest that if you want to be able to hang anything from the handles, to be able to counterweight it when your child gets up without having to remember to take off the bags -- just buy some wrist weights and attach them to lower part of the front of the stroller. It really does help (I have owned a Volo -- used it twice in WDW with two different children then blessed another family with it, it is now on its third family. That thing is built to last!) Just make sure they don't mess with the wheel function.

 

[Singledad]

that is the type I bought and had mentioned! It really works very well for Disney, at least for my DD. Here is hoping it is the last one you need to buy! I'm hoping that my DD's stamina is better by the next time we go, along with her ability to keep her hands to herself. so awesome you got such a great stroller!