stroller or wheel chair

[pinkerbell]

My DD 6 was diagnosed last week with mono. In just over a month we go to disney. She will still be in the recouperation time when we go, and has to rest as needed. I would prefer to get her a stroller but due to her age I am not sure if they make something big enough. So we may need to use a wheel chair. NOthing motorized and as small as possible. we rent a car but liek to use the busses occasionally, I do not want to wheel it on, is there a place to store it if we fold it up?

Any helpful, hints suggestions etc would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[of2dbeach]

my DD9 has used a stroller in Disney. She had a hole in her heart at birth , it closed but she gets tired easy. We got her the double stroller and she sat sideways in it. You may want to bring a towel because they are hard as rocks and her heiney was hurting after a while of sitting. We liked it because we could keep a faster pace without her getting tired or having her heart race/ chest pains.

 

[Cruela2b]

I have used both options, the disney strollers and my own strollers - both have their advantages and disadvantages. There isn't much space on the disney buses for storage of a stroller so the umbrella style works best. I have the MacLaren Triumph. It folds easily, has a carrying strap, reclines, easy to push and is good for a larger child. We sat on the side facing seats and placed the stroller under the seats. If you have a long walk from the bus stop - take your own stroller to the park. I had a child with Mono and they do get tired quickly. The disney strollers can not be removed from the park so you will be walking to the buses. They are great for older kids as they are easy to get in an out of and eliminate the hasstle on the bus. However they are hard plastic and do not recline. If you do decide to go with the Disney version - go ahead and buy a memory foam bath mat at your local store for about $15-$20. The backing is not slip and they provide a plush dry surface for your child to sit or lay on....two is even better! They fold or roll up easliy for storage and they make a great diaper changing mat for smaller children too.

 

[disney david]

By law all strollers have to be folded on the bus you have to hold it while on the bus. They don't have storage in the bus and have to be folded before getting on the bus the drivers won't allow it on unfolded.

 

[peemagg]

I think I would rent a stroller from an outside company. They have ones out there that can hold a child close to 100 lbs. Some of them are special needs strollers, but look like a regular stroller.

One thing that you are going to want to do no matter what way you go, is to get a "stroller as a wheelchair" tag from guest services. This will allow you to use the stroller in the lines instead of parking them with the other strollers. It will help your daughter to conserve her energy.

 

[ttintagel]

They make some pretty huge strollers nowadays. I don't think a rental place will have any trouble finding something suitable for your daughter.

 

[kehlyrsmom]

I had mono as an adult if I remember correctly I was around 22, anyway it took me at least a month to get over and I was extremly weak I had to be helped out of bed and such. It took quite a while for my strength to come back. She would probably be more comfortable in some sort of a stroller with a top for shade. I would plan on taking breaks in the afternoon for her to nap. If you have not considered it I highly recommend renting a car it will make taking breaks in the afternoon or just coming and going a lot easier for you.

Both of our kids are on the Autism spectrum and we always have rented a car the only time we have not was the one time it was an adults only trip and I had wished the entire time we had gotten a car. Mattter of fact we just did a quick anniversary trip this May and this time we got a car and I was so thankful. We saved so much time by not waiting in line for the bus and actually had more park time and I have been able to get some killer deals on the rental cars.

You might also get a Dr's note and take it to guest services where they should be able to provide you with some sort of a pass to use the wheelchair access line and get you through the lines more quickly. I don't know if you would need the Drs note for sure but it would not hurt to have it just in case. Just go to guest sevices the first day of at any of the parks and they should be able to give you a special pass to use your stroller in the wheelchair entrace.

I hope she gets feeling better soon and you have a magical vactaion. We are off to the world for ours in just 9 short days.

 

[utterrandomness]

I had mono as an adult if I remember correctly I was around 22, anyway it took me at least a month to get over and I was extremly weak I had to be helped out of bed and such. It took quite a while for my strength to come back. She would probably be more comfortable in some sort of a stroller with a top for shade. I would plan on taking breaks in the afternoon for her to nap. If you have not considered it I highly recommend renting a car it will make taking breaks in the afternoon or just coming and going a lot easier for you.

Both of our kids are on the Autism spectrum and we always have rented a car the only time we have not was the one time it was an adults only trip and I had wished the entire time we had gotten a car. Mattter of fact we just did a quick anniversary trip this May and this time we got a car and I was so thankful. We saved so much time by not waiting in line for the bus and actually had more park time and I have been able to get some killer deals on the rental cars.

You might also get a Dr's note and take it to guest services where they should be able to provide you with some sort of a pass to use the wheelchair access line and get you through the lines more quickly. I don't know if you would need the Drs note for sure but it would not hurt to have it just in case. Just go to guest sevices the first day of at any of the parks and they should be able to give you a special pass to use your stroller in the wheelchair entrace.

I hope she gets feeling better soon and you have a magical vactaion. We are off to the world for ours in just 9 short days.

I just wanted to clear up two things in the bolded part: First, you do not need a doctors note to get the stroller as a wheelchair GAC (Guest Assistance Card) which allows you to use your stroller as though it was a wheelchair, rather than having to park it before you get in line. They are not allowed to ask for doctors' notes, nor are doctors' notes useful to them. What they need to know is what she needs, not that she has mono. Second, a lot of lines are mainstreamed, meaning that for most of or all of the line, people using wheelchairs and other mobility devices use the same line as everyone else. Even in the cases where there is a separate entrance, the line may not be faster, depending on the number of other people waiting and the number of accessible cars available.

 

[lanejudy]

A 6-year-old will be much more comfortable in a stroller than a wheelchair which is much too large for her. Depending on her size, she may however be too big for a standard baby stroller - most are good up to somewhere around 40lb - 55lbs. Look for an outside rental of a "special needs" stroller (which has a higher weight limit and is designed for school-age kids), in addition to being less expensive than the park rentals, it will probably be more comfortable - especially by the end of a vacation week she might be using it quite a bit and want something more comfortable than the hard plastic. There are some special needs strollers very similar to an umbrella stroller that fold quite compactly and are easy to use on the buses - my family has a Maclaren Major Elite, but it doesn't recline if you think that will be a necessity. Some of the special needs strollers are rather large and cumbersome, that's why I suggest looking for an umbrella-style - you might try the wheelchair rental companies or medical equipment companies in SueM's sticky at the top of the disAbilities board, rather than the typical baby stroller rental companies.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would encourage you to see how she is closer to the trip. Little children recover from mono MUCH quicker than teens and adults MOST of the time. If she is still having a lot of energy issues, I would rent from off site so that you will have a stroller for the resort and getting to and from the buses. Most typical strollers you can buy at babies r us, etc are not going to fit her well or be very expensive. If she is doing great by then, you may get by with using a WDW rental stroller as she needs one. If she is still very tired, getting a "stroller as wheelchair" tag will be invaluable! Be sure the Dr knows of the trip and see if there are any ride restrictions if her liver has not returned to normal by then.

 

[pinkerbell]

So many great suggestions are really helping me prepare. She will se the Dr again soon and is sleeping an average of 18 hrs a day! she was quite sick for some time and hope we get the ok to go.
I had no idea about the stroller as a wheelchair pass and never thought about ride restrictions which she may need as she still has a stomach ache. Fever gone (was 106) and throat and glands are good! Now for rest rest rest!
Whe she heard me talking about the stroller, she was not happy, she doenst want to be a baby But I think it is best for a few reasons mentioned, head cover etc. Can I get any thoughts on what others think is best in this situation. She will just have to live with whatever that is, and as she gets tired, she will sit wherever and whatever she can in! I used and old stroller today she didnt want me to bring, but when she got tired, she sat in it pretty darn fast!
thanks again for all the help!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

een with the stroller as wheelchair pass be ready to point it out all the time. just back when we used one. CMs were great about letting stroller thru when they finally saw pass but it was some times hard to get them tonsee it. was told a number of times stroller had to be parked, had to point out pass most times. all in all it was worth it.

 

[pinkerbell]

A 6-year-old will be much more comfortable in a stroller than a wheelchair which is much too large for her. Depending on her size, she may however be too big for a standard baby stroller - most are good up to somewhere around 40lb - 55lbs. Look for an outside rental of a "special needs" stroller (which has a higher weight limit and is designed for school-age kids), in addition to being less expensive than the park rentals, it will probably be more comfortable - especially by the end of a vacation week she might be using it quite a bit and want something more comfortable than the hard plastic. There are some special needs strollers very similar to an umbrella stroller that fold quite compactly and are easy to use on the buses - my family has a Maclaren Major Elite, but it doesn't recline if you think that will be a necessity. Some of the special needs strollers are rather large and cumbersome, that's why I suggest looking for an umbrella-style - you might try the wheelchair rental companies or medical equipment companies in SueM's sticky at the top of the disAbilities board, rather than the typical baby stroller rental companies.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

wow somehow I missed this! Thanks

 

[pinkerbell]

een with the stroller as wheelchair pass be ready to point it out all the time. just back when we used one. CMs were great about letting stroller thru when they finally saw pass but it was some times hard to get them tonsee it. was told a number of times stroller had to be parked, had to point out pass most times. all in all it was worth it.

Thanks for the info, I will bring a retracting cord so I can show it easily, if they dont permanently attach it

 

[canopynut66]

would get a stroller can also get off site and is cheaper but my cousin said her daughter who was 8 at the time would never stay in one but she did and even would fall a sleep in it as is hot and kids legs hard to keep up with adult legs so worked out fine...when she was not in it we all inloaded our 'stuff" in it and we took the break gladly

 

[lanejudy]

Thanks for the info, I will bring a retracting cord so I can show it easily, if they dont permanently attach it

The stroller-as-wheelchair "tag" is a sticker that wraps around the handle (or any other metal part of the stroller) - much like an airline luggage tag wraps around the handle of your suitcase. We have it on the handle where it's easy to just kind of start flapping it as we approach the attraction. Sometimes they still aren't watching closely and we have to specifically point it out, but no harm as it only takes a second.