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My 8 year old was diagnosed with a broken leg yesterday and we are leaving for a Christmas trip next week. I have rented a stroller for special needs kids and she is in a brace not a cast. I need advice for some new and different things to keep her happy while the rest of the family (a total of 14) are going on rides together. Thoughts? Ideas? She can't ride coasters for sure but I am not sure which other rides she will be able to do with her leg sticking out at a 10 degree angle.
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Let's see if I can channel my own inner 8-year-old for some ideas ...
Character Dining ... CMs and characters will probably be a bit extra-attentive of a child with an injury (especially if you have a quiet word wit your server, heh).
Rides ... any ride that can provide roll-on/roll-off for wheelchair bound guests can probably accommodate her. Depending on the stroller, of course. Small World, Great Movie Ride, those two I know should be doable.
Parades and Shows ... get a DAC, or FastPasses, to these if you can - try for really good seats. She can enjoy those just as easily sitting in the stroller, as she would sitting on the curb.
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Don't forget Mickey's PhilHarmagic and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor--I love those--and they should have special seating for wheelchairs. Turtle Talk with Crush is a great option, too.
Meet and greets, of course, will work fine, particularly if her favorite characters are available--be sure to get the app so you can check where and when they'll be set up.
Character dining is a great idea, Pax! Especially if it can be just the two of you, so she can have something special, just for her, to make up for missing many of the rides.
I think Ellen's Energy Adventure would be no problem at all, as the bench seats are very wide. How about doing the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom? It sounds like a fun thing to do: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/at...dom/sorcerers/
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I'm so sorry that she broke her leg just before vacation. I haven't dealt with this, so no advice, just pixies.
(BTW, my 8 year old niece had her tonsils out yesterday. What they didn't take into account when they scheduled it, was that she can't do any excise for two weeks. We are visiting them and going on a ski trip next week. She's very disappointed that she'll only be able to watch everyone else).
When I was younger we went on a trip with my sister still nursing a broken leg (she had an external fixator so it took a long time to heal.) She could walk very little and was in a wheel chair the whole time. What my family did was we did all the shows (they are SUPER accommodating) and the slow rides (if you go into the wheel chair access she will be able to ride). Then my parents would switch off who was riding the big rides and who was with my sister, who they would take to the Meet and Greets and shopping. We did lots of sit down dining, and had a marvelous time.
Make sure to get a DAS pass, it will make your life a lot easier since she is in a stroller, not a wheelchair.
She'll be able to ride almost anything but the roller coasters, but the question would be getting her on and off the rides. If you have the disabled access pass they can pause the belt on things like haunted mansion, but she would need help in / out of the ride vehicles. Plan B would be to have different family members break off with her for non-ride adventure. If you have a park hopper, you could make it a challenge to get to all the shows in all the parks in one day. Kidcot has a passport you can get in Epcot. There's a pirate adventure in Adventure and. You can do a photo safari in animal kingdom searching for certain types of animals. You can create your own scavenger hunt in any park, you could also hunt hidden Mickeys. You could even challenge the whole family to set a character meets/ autograph record.
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Make sure to get a DAS pass, it will make your life a lot easier since she is in a stroller, not a wheelchair.
Actually, I doubt that she'll be eligible for a DAS unless she has health issues which mean she is unable to cope with waiting in lines or is distressed by crowds.
For a broken leg, the stroller will likely be regarded as a mobility aid. People with mobility difficulties are not eligible for a DAS card since many attractions are accessible.
I'm not asking you to explain any other conditions that may affect her, not at all. If you mentioned renting a stroller suitable for a special needs child due to her age, size and broken leg alone, then she likely would not qualify for the DAS card. If, however, she is also a special needs child who would have difficulty waiting in lines or in crowds, then explaining that she has those particular needs may get you the DAS card.
Needing mobility aids does not make someone eligible for the DAS which is intended for "invisible" conditions that cannot be resolved by a stroller, wheelchair or the like.
All you will need to do if the broken leg is the major problem is to explain her limitations to a CM at the attraction if it appears to present difficulties for her getting into and out of a ride car, for instance. They will advise you exactly what is required so that you may determine how doable the ride will be and will assist as much as they're allowed, short of lifting her which they're not legally allowed to do.
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Last edited by Her Dotness; 12-17-2015 at 03:16 PM..
Poor kid, this stinks. My niece broke her foot one week before our disney trip and was 100% non weigh bearing. She was able to ride most everything but wasn't necessarily graceful getting into and out of ride vehicles. CM allowed us to help her in and out. Usually one of us got on and road with her and the other behind. As soon as the ride was over the one in the back hopped up and helped her out and the one who rode with her was there for stability and on occasional push up on the bum to help her up.
What a bummer! But all is not lost. She can probably still do most things at WDW.
Is she in a straight-leg brace, or does it bend at all? Unless she is a particularly tall 8-yr-old, I'm thinking she could sit slightly sideways and still fit (sticking her foot into the leg/feet area of the rider next to her). This may be more difficult if it's a completely straight brace and/or if she is tall. If she's small/light enough, an adult in your party may be able to lift her in-and-out of ride cars. Be aware that many special needs stroller recline a bit and it can be tough getting in/out of the stroller, she may need a hand especially if she is completely non-weight-bearing.
Does she have crutches or how does she get around right now? You may want to stop at Guest Relations and request a "stroller-as-wheelchair" tag which will allow you to bring the stroller into lines. I'm not sure if the stroller will be allowed ONTO rides like a wheelchair can, it may depend on the model of stroller as well as the design of the ride car. Most special needs strollers are not outfitted for transportation, so it will have to be folded on buses.
Her Dotness is correct about the DAS. Unless your child has other needs unrelated to the broken leg she won't qualify for DAS. However, you may still request that moving walkways be slowed or stopped if necessary; CMs may or may not be able to do this, depending on the ride and crowds.
If the leg gets sore or she needs to ice it -- bring some ziploc baggies with you and you can get ice at any CS location. Also, feel free to use the First Aid location if she needs a rest.
Lastly, and it probably should be first, be sure her doctor is aware of your trip. It might impact the type of brace/cast put on, plus he/she may have some suggestions.
Is she in a straight-leg brace, or does it bend at all? Unless she is a particularly tall 8-yr-old, I'm thinking she could sit slightly sideways and still fit (sticking her foot into the leg/feet area of the rider next to her).
That would probably work well for something like Kilimanjaro Safari; give the family one entire row, put an adult at either end of the bench, and her half-sideways between them. There's no seatbelts or restraints that have to be used, so, I don't see why that wouldn't be workable. The hard part would be getting her on and off the truck .... but if she's with adults, or even older teens, who're up to the task (and gentle enough not to bump her poor leg) ...
Another thing to consider, on the topic of getting her in and out of the stroller: bathroom use. She may need assistance from an adult, or a teen sibling/cousin, to transfer from stroller to toilet, and back.
It would be a good idea to check the park maps, and mark out the location of Family Bathrooms (if any). But at least, most bathrooms should have one or two Handicapped Stalls the stroller can be rolled right into.
EDIT TO ADD:
Quote:
Originally Posted by GingerJ
Don't forget Mickey's PhilHarmagic and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor--I love those--and they should have special seating for wheelchairs. Turtle Talk with Crush is a great option, too.
Ohh, yes, definitely those!
And "Turtle Talk with Crush", I think it's called, in EPCOT. That's another place I bet she gets a tiny bit of extra attention - since there's someone "running the show" from out of sight, with cameras. A little girl in a leg brace and stroller/wheelchair stands a good chance of getting a friendly comment from Crush. Nothing show-stealing, but the one time we stood and watched the show, the kids were all beside themselves with glee, especially the lucky few to get spoken to directly (and accurately described, so they KNEW it wasn't just "pick a spot in the crowd there MUST be a kid there" stuff).
Actually, some of the boat-type rides would accommodate her in a wheelchair/stroller. It's a Small World in MK, Gran Tour (Mexico) and The Land in Epcot are three that we have taken my husband on in a wheelchair. He also loves the riverboat at MK, which has wide-open decks, easy to get on/off.
Poor kid. Would she enjoy pin trading or doing a passport book in Epcot?
This would be a great thing. There are CMs who trade only with children...look for the green lanyards and pin holders. You can order pins from a variety of websites...we like mousepinsonline.com A friend of mine ordered from there and since it was a quick turn-around until her trip, they shipped to their resort...Easy peasy!!
Good luck and quick healing!!!!!!!!!
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