Stroller as wheelchair in restaurants?

[stitch34]

Can you use this for restaurants?
We do a lot of dining and would work out well if we could bring the stroller in for my autistic son.
He's outgrown highchairs and often needs the restraint they provide - he's too quick to attempt to take off for characters or try to steal from other people's table, just is less stressful to know he's restrained.
We eat out ALL the time, but around here always get a booth which works great, and I know not many places in Disney have booths, so that's where it becomes tough sometimes.
We have a Maclaren Major now and seems to sit pretty high up that would be good for the table height.

Was thinking if we could bring him in in the stroller - and if in the restaurant and he's behaved and will sit, then simply fold it up and stick it under the table, but would be nice to have it in case he acts up. Sure could have used it on a couple meals our last trip if we had this bigger stroller for him.

My second concern is leaving the stroller parked outside for all these meals for an hour to an hour and a half each time and fear it getting stolen. It's not only an expensive stroller, but if something happened to it I have no clue what we'd do for him, it's crucial to have it for him - no way we could make it through an airport on our return trip home without it for him or the rest of the trip, and isn't like for his weight and size that we could simply take a cab to a local store and find something else to accommodate him. I did think about using a bike lock between the rear wheels - but this stoller the wheels are solid, no where to loop something in between. Not sure if could fold it down and wrap a lock around it?

And we have a lot of dining planned, as usual - 16 table service meals for this trip - counter service we dont' enjoy, and pushing a stroller and carrying a tray of food at the same time just doesn't work well for us!

To have the stroller in the restaurant for us would serve two purposes - provide the restraint for him if needed, and also would like to have it with us folded up if not needed. Usually he is okay in the restaurants - but did have a few rough meals last trip where we so wished he would have fit in a highchair, and would be great to be able to have the stroller folded under the table and be able to pull it out if the need for restraint arose.

Have had the sticker for stroller as wheelchair before, but never thought to try it for restaurants, didn't know if you could or not. And am out of ideas for what to do for him for restaurants - he's already gotten stuck in a highchair at WCC - had to lay it on the floor with him in it to get him out of it, the poor child.... and have tried harnesses to keep him in the chair, which he wants no part of.

So will this work? Or any other suggestions for what to do for him for restaurants, or what to do to secure his special needs stroller? thanks, I know this was long!

 

[cccdisney]

Can you use this for restaurants?
We do a lot of dining and would work out well if we could bring the stroller in for my autistic son.
He's outgrown highchairs and often needs the restraint they provide - he's too quick to attempt to take off for characters or try to steal from other people's table, just is less stressful to know he's restrained.
We eat out ALL the time, but around here always get a booth which works great, and I know not many places in Disney have booths, so that's where it becomes tough sometimes.
We have a Maclaren Major now and seems to sit pretty high up that would be good for the table height.

Was thinking if we could bring him in in the stroller - and if in the restaurant and he's behaved and will sit, then simply fold it up and stick it under the table, but would be nice to have it in case he acts up. Sure could have used it on a couple meals our last trip if we had this bigger stroller for him.

My second concern is leaving the stroller parked outside for all these meals for an hour to an hour and a half each time and fear it getting stolen. It's not only an expensive stroller, but if something happened to it I have no clue what we'd do for him, it's crucial to have it for him - no way we could make it through an airport on our return trip home without it for him or the rest of the trip, and isn't like for his weight and size that we could simply take a cab to a local store and find something else to accommodate him. I did think about using a bike lock between the rear wheels - but this stoller the wheels are solid, no where to loop something in between. Not sure if could fold it down and wrap a lock around it?

And we have a lot of dining planned, as usual - 16 table service meals for this trip - counter service we dont' enjoy, and pushing a stroller and carrying a tray of food at the same time just doesn't work well for us!

To have the stroller in the restaurant for us would serve two purposes - provide the restraint for him if needed, and also would like to have it with us folded up if not needed. Usually he is okay in the restaurants - but did have a few rough meals last trip where we so wished he would have fit in a highchair, and would be great to be able to have the stroller folded under the table and be able to pull it out if the need for restraint arose.

Have had the sticker for stroller as wheelchair before, but never thought to try it for restaurants, didn't know if you could or not. And am out of ideas for what to do for him for restaurants - he's already gotten stuck in a highchair at WCC - had to lay it on the floor with him in it to get him out of it, the poor child.... and have tried harnesses to keep him in the chair, which he wants no part of.

So will this work? Or any other suggestions for what to do for him for restaurants, or what to do to secure his special needs stroller? thanks, I know this was long!

I am curious on the answer to this also. We are taking my son to DLR in about 10 days. He is a pro at grabbing other people's food. He has been known to swipe lollipops out of kids mouths, drinks out of adults hands, etc. Very frustrating, as you know.
He does have a SD now so that will help. We will keep them tethered together while in restaurants to prevent the bolting.

 

[SueM in MN]

The 'stroller as a wheelchair' is more meant for attractions than anything else, but if you have a tag on the wheelchair (which they are putting on more and more) rather than just a GAC, no one should question it.

In counter service restaurants, many people are bringing their strollers in anyway. In full service, sit down restaurants, just mention when you are checking in that you have a wheelchair. That is what it is for him. If a certain type of table or location works better for you, mention thst also when you check in. You might have to wait a little longer to get that. If it's OK with IOU, tell them that. If your child ID nit in a mood to wait, tell them you would appreciate that if available, but it would be better not to have to wait, so you would accept xxxxxx type of table if that means you will be seated faster.

 

[jmartinez1895]

We use a stoller as a wheel chair and every time we go eat they always ask if our son can transfer to a chair or if he will be dinning in his stroller. We always trasfer, but they must be used to people keeping a child in the stroller because they asked.

 

[SueM in MN]

We use a stoller as a wheel chair and every time we go eat they always ask if our son can transfer to a chair or if he will be dinning in his stroller. We always trasfer, but they must be used to people keeping a child in the stroller because they asked.

For table service restaurants, that is following what they do with regular wheelchairs. Pretty much every time we eat in one, they ask if DD will be staying in her wheelchair or transferring to a chair. DD has a very 'traditional' looking wheelchair with a headrest and her feet strapped in, but we get asked anyway. Often when we are shown to a table, they have already removed a chair to make a wheelchair spot.

With a stroller as wheelchair if you were told you could not bring it in, explain that it is your child's wheelchair and that you do need it. But don't be concerned they don't want it in if they ask. As I mentioned, that's a common question they ask even of people with a recognizable wheelchair.