9 year old chronic pain in Disneyland.

[TC7]

My 9 yr old daughter suffers from mesenteric Adenitis. It comes and goes but lasts for weeks. We leave for Disneyland in 11 days and she just got hit with it last night! I’m so worried she will still be in pain. I can cancel everything except the flights
My question is what are my options if we go and she’s in pain? She won’t be able to walk far or stand in lines. I don’t know if I can find a stroller that she would fit in and of course there’s no wagons allowed now.
thank you

 

[Going2DisneyAZ]

Ugh. That stinks. If you go what about a wheelchair rental?

 

[amyg1975]

If you get a DAS pass, the wagon would be allowed. A wheelchair rented is a good idea too.

 

[midnight star]

If you bring a wagon, you can get a tag to use as a wheel chair. The tag allows you to bring it in lines so she can sit

 

[amyg1975]

If you do bring a wagon, it must be a push wagon, not a kind you pull.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I would recommend renting a wheelchair. You can take the wheelchair through many of the lines so she will have a place to sit. If not, you will be directed to an alternate entrance. If you will be walking to the parks, you can rent a wheelchair from an outside agency. That way she can ride it in to and from the hotel. We used Deckert's once to get a scooter for my dad. They delivered it right to the hotel and picked it up as we were checking out. It worked out very well.

 

[Aurora0427]

No tips, I’m just so sorry your daughter suffers with this- I have an almost nine year old. Hugs to you and your sweet girl

 

[Christina-B-Na]

My 7 year old son has issues with his legs and feet and he still fits in a city mini gt stroller with the hood taken off when he needs to. If your daughter fits, you may be able to pick one up used.

 

[tsumgirl]

I'm so sorry your daughter is suffering right now. Definitely request a stroller as a wheelchair tag if you decide to go with a push wagon or larger stroller. These can be requested at City Hall (in DL), Chamber of Commerce (in DCA), or any GS umbrella. I'm not sure about the sensitivity factor of her pain, but you may want to look into the different ride restraints if these will be a concern for her (lap bar vs. seat belt, etc). That will help you decide what rides will be gentler for her and not cause additional discomfort.

I hope she feels better soon!

 

[Jperiod]

Not sure how big your DD is, but mine fit pretty well in a baby jogger city elite. Even at 80 pound and 4'9', it was fine to steer. I think you can find them to rent. There are plenty of big kids in strollers all the time, so she didn't feel self-conscience. Between that and the DAS, the combo worked well.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We saw several wagons with tags in the parks today -- they are definitely allowed with the special tags. Hope things work out so that you and your daughter can enjoy your trip.

 

[TC7]

Wow thank you everyone! If we used our city mini stroller and got a wheelchair tag can we bring it in line ups? Or would it just be better to get a wheelchair? I have no idea what a DAS is so I’ll google it hahaha.
I might look into a wagon rental, that’s what she said she’d be more comfortable (emotionally) in.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... I have no idea what a DAS is so I’ll google it hahaha...

From the DLR website: https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/media/wdpro-assets/dlr/help/guest-services/guests-with-disabilities/dlr-disability-access-service_2017-07-17.pdf
From the disABILITIES! board: DL & DCA -Disability Access Service Card- Post 1 update 12/7/14 DAS tied to ticket -- post 1 should cover the information you need

 

[AnnieOakley]

I would recommend renting a wheelchair. You can take the wheelchair through many of the lines so she will have a place to sit. If not, you will be directed to an alternate entrance. If you will be walking to the parks, you can rent a wheelchair from an outside agency. That way she can ride it in to and from the hotel. We used Deckert's once to get a scooter for my dad. They delivered it right to the hotel and picked it up as we were checking out. It worked out very well.

I totally agree here. If your stroller works for you-- yes you can get it tagged as her "wheelchair" and take it in line. If you decide to rent a wheelchair, you can automatically do this. Also, with rental from an outside agency, you can work with the rental company to get one that's an appropriate size-- not the ginormous ones they have at the park. It will be easier for you to maneuver and more comfortable for her.

Consider the DAS pass. If you don't rent a wheelchair, I think the DAS pass is critical. (Thank you to PP who posted the link to the right thread for info!) This will allow you to essentially "check in" like a virtual queue, and get a return time. That way your daughter can wait more comfortably somewhere out of line.

I'm so sorry- chronic pain is just horrible. I hope you are able to have a good experience together at Disney, even if modified to meet her needs. It's still magical.

 

[Nevada Jen]

Unless the rules have changed, you can't get a DAS pass for anything that a wheelchair would fix. You can use a stroller or a wagon (that meets disney requirements) as a wheelchair by getting the tag. With this tag you can take your stroller through the lines right up to where you board on many rides and on others they will give you a return time and you will use a different entrance (or they might direct you right that entrance depending on lines). We had to rent a pediatric wheelchair for my son once and it was actually a really good trip. Not sure what it was but just pushing him around and not having to wait for him or keep track of him or try to stay with him in crowds was very nice.

 

[Evita_W]

Unless the rules have changed, you can't get a DAS pass for anything that a wheelchair would fix. You can use a stroller or a wagon (that meets disney requirements) as a wheelchair by getting the tag. With this tag you can take your stroller through the lines right up to where you board on many rides and on others they will give you a return time and you will use a different entrance (or they might direct you right that entrance depending on lines). We had to rent a pediatric wheelchair for my son once and it was actually a really good trip. Not sure what it was but just pushing him around and not having to wait for him or keep track of him or try to stay with him in crowds was very nice.

Actually, they have mostly stopped this now for wagons as well, you might be able to convince them, but it is unlikely. When the new rules first went in place, they allowed some wagons as wheelchair, but not any more.

The best advice I could suggest is to rent either a child's wheelchair or medical stroller from a medical supply company. While I like Moving Mobility America for most things mobility related and would suggest you call them first, I am not positive if they will have the best device for her needs and if that is the case, I would suggest calling Deckerts. Either one can deliver to your hotel and bother are good, I prefer Moving Mobility America solely because they are one of the very few companies that will work with locals even for single day rentals and they have excellent customer service. So ce they don't really do much for single day rentals for locals, I cannot vouch for Deckerts other than to say that many on these boards like them and the couple of times I have talked with them, they seemed nice, just didn't have the ability to do what I needed.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Actually, they have mostly stopped this now for wagons as well, you might be able to convince them, but it is unlikely...

As I posted above, we were just in the parks on March 1st and saw several wagons with wheelchair tags. So this is still allowed. The wagons must be pushed, not pulled. But as with all things Disney, YMMV.

 

[midnight star]

As I posted above, we were just in the parks on March 1st and saw several wagons with wheelchair tags. So this is still allowed. The wagons must be pushed, not pulled. But as with all things Disney, YMMV.

I've also seen a few push wagons. Not a ton, but they all have the tags on them.

 

[spacemountain]

I'm so sorry your daughter has to deal with this at such a young age. I'm 30 and live with chronic pain. A few years ago when we were on a long trip to WDW was the first time I tried the DAS pass, and I'm really glad I had it as an option when I couldn't stand in the long lines, because standing still is what makes my pain the worst. I brought in a note from my doctor stating my diagnosis and limitations into guest services, and there were no issues with them giving it to me. What it does is that you still wait the same amount of time for a line, but you (and your party) can wait outside of the line, like sitting and resting on a bench, and then enter through the FP line when it gets close at the end. I didn't use it for everything, but it was nice to have that option when the lines were long and my pain was really bad.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I'm so sorry your daughter has to deal with this at such a young age. I'm 30 and live with chronic pain. A few years ago when we were on a long trip to WDW was the first time I tried the DAS pass, and I'm really glad I had it as an option when I couldn't stand in the long lines, because standing still is what makes my pain the worst. I brought in a note from my doctor stating my diagnosis and limitations into guest services, and there were no issues with them giving it to me. What it does is that you still wait the same amount of time for a line, but you (and your party) can wait outside of the line, like sitting and resting on a bench, and then enter through the FP line when it gets close at the end. I didn't use it for everything, but it was nice to have that option when the lines were long and my pain was really bad.

I'm glad that you found the DAS system helpful on your WDW trip. However, as stated in the links posted above (post #13), no doctor's note will be asked for or accepted when applying for a DAS at Disney. DAS is not based on medical diagnosis. And, as stated by a pp, DAS is not usually given for mobility issues that can be resolved with a mobility device, which is what it sounds like the OP is describing here. If there is more to the OP's situation, she can discuss this with CMs at City Hall or Chamber of Commerce, if needed.