Options for Older Child

[MomAbout]

We haven't been to Disney since our daughter with clubfoot was three years old and was able to sit in a stroller. She is nine (will be ten), and we're not sure how to make this work. She has significant foot pain which is aggravated by walking, so we are thinking that maybe doing half days at the park, with plenty of rests, would be best.

We spoke to her about a wheelchair and she does not like that idea a bit, and I'm thinking she's too young to ride one of those fancy scooters. Are there other options out there? Or any hints that will make her days more comfortable?

I should add that we will be doing our Disney trip Dec 16-30 of this year, with the last four days being spent at a beach.

 

[ttintagel]

Might she be comfortable with a stroller instead of a wheelchair? She would be far from the only older kid in a stroller.

 

[lanejudy]

There are special needs strollers for older kids - if she would accept that better than a wheelchair. We used a Maclaren Major Elite with DD for several years. It's like an oversized umbrella stroller and fairly lightweight compared to many other brands/models.

 

[Groot]

Would she still be open to a manual wheelchair if it was customized to her likings/needs instead of the “Grandma Special“ wheelchairs that you can get at Walmart?

 

[SueM in MN]

If she had her own ECV/scooter, she would be able to use it in the parks. But, the rental companies won’t rent for use by children (some will for teens) and may not even have any that could be adjusted down for a preteen size child to use.

Orlando Medical Rentals rent a variety of smaller size pediatric wheelchairs and also special needs strollers. They gave the largest variety of any of the equipment rental places - you might be able to get one there that she would agree to use.

Also, a lot of people decorate their own or even rental wheelchairs. Maybe she’d be more willing to use one if she could decorate it?

 

[Evita_W]

If she had her own ECV/scooter, she would be able to use it in the parks. But, the rental companies won’t rent for use by children (some will for teens) and may not even have any that could be adjusted down for a preteen size child to use.

Orlando Medical Rentals rent a variety of smaller size pediatric wheelchairs and also special needs strollers. They gave the largest variety of any of the equipment rental places - you might be able to get one there that she would agree to use.

Also, a lot of people decorate their own or even rental wheelchairs. Maybe she’d be more willing to use one if she could decorate it?

There are a couple that will rent to younger children if they can show they can operate them safely. But you need it in the written rental agreement that the younger child is allowed to use them, as security has been known to ask if the rental company knows such a young child is using it and even go so far as to call the company. At least they have out at Dis England with the two companies I know out here will rent to any child that can show they can operate it safely. I know of at least two companies that will at Disney World as well, PM me if interested in such information, as I don't know if that is allowed here or not.

 

[sparky68]

We haven't been to Disney since our daughter with clubfoot was three years old and was able to sit in a stroller. She is nine (will be ten), and we're not sure how to make this work. She has significant foot pain which is aggravated by walking, so we are thinking that maybe doing half days at the park, with plenty of rests, would be best.

We spoke to her about a wheelchair and she does not like that idea a bit, and I'm thinking she's too young to ride one of those fancy scooters. Are there other options out there? Or any hints that will make her days more comfortable?

I should add that we will be doing our Disney trip Dec 16-30 of this year, with the last four days being spent at a beach.

You might have to play the mom card here. If she tries to walk the whole time she will be in pain, and that will make everyone miserable. At 10, she is just worried about looking different. Such a rough age for insecurities to kick in.
If you get a child sized wheelchair from a rental place, she might be more agreeable.

 

[ChanaC]

If you happen to go with a stroller or even a larger stroller, remember you can go to Guest Services and get a "stroller as a wheelchair" tag. It will inform the cast members that it's not just a stroller but a medical device and you will be able to take it into any place you can take a wheelchair. It's important because some attractions wouldn't allow strollers through the queue lines.

During the day if you don't want to go back to hotel or pool maybe plan to attend some longer, sit down attractions or shows. For example, things like the American Adventure, the Carousal of Progress, the Hall of Presidents, Muppet Vision, and It's Tough To Be A Bug rarely have long lines and let you sit down for quite a while and are just a good break, especially midday when people start to get tired and lines seem to be the longest. I'm not sure what live shows will be like in December but generally it's pretty easy to get into shows like Beauty and the Beast and the bird show in Animal Kingdom. You may also want to plan some table service reservations so you know you will have a place to sit and eat comfortably.

 

[mamabunny]

We haven't been to Disney since our daughter with clubfoot was three years old and was able to sit in a stroller. She is nine (will be ten), and we're not sure how to make this work. She has significant foot pain which is aggravated by walking, so we are thinking that maybe doing half days at the park, with plenty of rests, would be best.

We spoke to her about a wheelchair and she does not like that idea a bit, and I'm thinking she's too young to ride one of those fancy scooters. Are there other options out there? Or any hints that will make her days more comfortable?

I should add that we will be doing our Disney trip Dec 16-30 of this year, with the last four days being spent at a beach.

Just FYI, TravelScoot makes a "junior" or pediatric-size scooter. This does *not* look like a "granny scooter" at all. They have a "grow up" plan that will allow her to swap up sizing as she grows. If you call the US offices, anyone there (Hi Tony! Hi Bonnie!) will be super helpful. It *is* spendy, but it's also basically replacing her feet, and returning her to full mobility and independence.

Generally speaking it will not be covered by insurance. Tony might know of a good used unit for sale; sometimes they hear from families who sell units no longer needed.

Our daughter was born with bilateral club feet, and was a patient at Shriner's until her 18th birthday. She can walk today (because of her care at Shriner's) but she still her own personal mobility device, because even with the best treatment, her feet will never be "normal".

 

[Hoodie]

If she can fit into a stroller or special needs stroller, that may work. We had a stroller for our older son - not for physical disability but sensory disorder. He folded himself in half (he's also very skinny) and would bring the hood down to "escape" for a bit. There are a lot of older kids in strollers - many of whom just have stolen their siblings' rides for a while.

 

[sparky68]

If you happen to go with a stroller or even a larger stroller, remember you can go to Guest Services and get a "stroller as a wheelchair" tag. It will inform the cast members that it's not just a stroller but a medical device and you will be able to take it into any place you can take a wheelchair. It's important because some attractions wouldn't allow strollers through the queue lines.

During the day if you don't want to go back to hotel or pool maybe plan to attend some longer, sit down attractions or shows. For example, things like the American Adventure, the Carousal of Progress, the Hall of Presidents, Muppet Vision, and It's Tough To Be A Bug rarely have long lines and let you sit down for quite a while and are just a good break, especially midday when people start to get tired and lines seem to be the longest. I'm not sure what live shows will be like in December but generally it's pretty easy to get into shows like Beauty and the Beast and the bird show in Animal Kingdom. You may also want to plan some table service reservations so you know you will have a place to sit and eat comfortably.

I'm not sure a 10 yo girl is gonna want to ride in a stroller. A child sized wheelchair would probably be more acceptable to her.

 

[ttintagel]

Each kid is different, but I’ve known a number of parents who bring a stroller for kids that age - some with disabilities and some without. It’s not an uncommon sight in the parks. But yes, it does boil down to the individuals’ needs and preferences.

 

[mamabunny]

Each kid is different, but I’ve known a number of parents who bring a stroller for kids that age - some with disabilities and some without. It’s not an uncommon sight in the parks. But yes, it does boil down to the individuals’ needs and preferences.

Yeah, and at age 10, our daughter was at that stage where she was beginning to be acutely aware of just how different she was to begin with - adding in the "humiliation" of a *stroller* for lil Miss "I'm a PRE-TWEEN MOM" was not going to happen LOL.

 

[sparky68]

Yeah, and at age 10, our daughter was at that stage where she was beginning to be acutely aware of just how different she was to begin with - adding in the "humiliation" of a *stroller* for lil Miss "I'm a PRE-TWEEN MOM" was not going to happen LOL.

That was what I was thinking. 10 is such a tricky age. Not a little kid, but not a teenager.

 

[alizesmom]

What if you made a deal with your daughter? You bring a wheelchair but she doesn’t have to use it unless she decides it’s necessary. Makes a great carryall for your stuff until then.

 

[clm10308]

I once knew a 5 yr old boy who used a child sized electric wheelchair to travel as independently as any kindergartner would. I don’t see why a 10yr old couldn’t use one other than the cost.

 

[mamabunny]

I once knew a 5 yr old boy who used a child sized electric wheelchair to travel as independently as any kindergartner would. I don’t see why a 10yr old couldn’t use one other than the cost.

They can, however most mobility devices - even wheelchairs - that are sized properly for a growing child are not over the counter; you have to either custom order them, or work directly with a vendor to insure that the child's current (and potential future) size will be accommodated properly. Those devices are *not* cheap; they can literally cost as much as a good used car, if not more. Our daughter's first custom chair cost more than her first used car did, and that was just the chair, not including the cost of the wheels, tires & chair pad.

Then there is also the issue that often insurance companies won't pay for certain types of devices, or they may have a limited vendor list that does not match up with what your child's medical team has recommended. That's a whole 'nother can of worms.

...And I don't want to speak for the OP, but in our case, our 10 year old little girl (who is now a 27 year old person, with thankfully, a lot more common sense) was fully capable of self-propelling at the time; she didn't want to because she wanted so badly to look like she could fit in with all of the other "big kids". She didn't want to be different, and she didn't want anyone to know that she couldn't walk very far without this horrible, tearing pain in her feet, and that it was literally a miracle that she walked at all... She didn't want even a *hint* of that to get out. Old history now, but she continued to push that narrative so hard for the next seven-and-a-half years that by the time her senior year of high school rolled around, and it was graduation time, it required a heroic effort on the part of her medical team to get her up on her feet for one last night, and across the stage at graduation for one last "normal" walk. Her father carried her out of the arena that night, because she collapsed and literally couldn't walk another step unassisted. But most of her classmates never knew until then...

TL;DR: kids can be very stubborn. And mobility equipment can cost the same as a car.

 

[tobikaye]

So, this is kind of an out of the box idea and it might not appeal to a 10 year old's logic, but it might be a way to get her to try the wheelchair at WDW. My guess is that she does not want people to think she has anything long term and is "normal" (Stupidest word every!). So, maybe you can convince her to at least use a wheelchair part time by making it appear she has a common injury that has many people of all ages using a wheelchair while at a place such as WDW.

Ankle injuries are very common and I know we see at least 2 or 3 threads a month on the disboards regarding wheelchairs for these injuries. Have her put a wrap or tape on her ankle. Then, although most people will not even pay attention, if someone does, they will just think she has a sore ankle. Most people with this type of injury are able to still get up and move around for bits of time, but are not up for the long distance of WDW.

 

[mamabunny]

... My guess is that she does not want people to think she has anything long term and is "normal" (Stupidest word every!)...

Oh yeah. At our house, "normal" is a setting on the washing machine. Nothing more.

It's taken a long time for some of our family to get there, but we have learned to embrace our differences, and find our "Superpowers". I was talking today with our daughter about this very thing; what she perceives as anxiety is what I think of as being Super Sensitive Girl, Defender of Emotions! She feels things stronger and more acutely than other folks. Her cape is made of the softest microfiber fleece, and it's warm and cuddly.

Pfffftttt... "normal" is boring. Proud to be weird, different, atypical - whatever someone wants to call it!

 

[Caseheidi]

I have a friend who has resisted for years (in her 30's) getting her own wheelchair. After a horrible experience at an airport, her husband convienced her that they should get a light weight folding electric wheelchair. She can now take her daughter to the zoo, where before she did not have the stamina to do so. If you are willing to invest in such a thing, it could help your daughter in more then just a disney trip, but open up more experiences in her daily life.