Is this my only option with an Anxiety prone ASD Kiddo, big stroller *UPDATED*

[OpiesMom]

Long story short:

We have a "wike stroller" goggle that term to see what I'm referring to. It folds down but not inward.

We have an amazing kiddo who doesn't do well in loud small crowded places especially if she doesn't have enough personal space. (Main reason we got the Wike for Disney - it's like a tent on wheels)

We are flying down and renting a van after the first 4 days of our trip (first 4 days are low crowded days at the parks - only going to the parks those 4 days for no more than a few hours). We will be using Disney buses to get to and from the parks these first 4 days.

We are getting her headphones to reduce the loud noise part of the equation.

Here is my conundrum.

I know from reading these board extensively that the Wheelchair as Stroller tag isn't meant to be used for the buses.

I am pretty sure we will not be able to get the stroller through the front door of the bus, I don't believe it's wide enough.

I know from past experiences with kiddo that we will have no troubles on the bus if we can get on it while it's low or no occupancy and we can position mom and dad and folded up stroller around kiddo so as to give her a nice large person space to play her I pad while we're in transit.

I'm thinking my only option is to go into the wheelchair lane so:

1) I can get the stroller into the bus (Rolling it up the ramp)
2) We can get Kiddo willingly onto the bus
3) Surround kiddo with Mom, Dad (sitting either side of her) and stroller (in front of her) to give her the personal space she needs.

We would go to the back of the bus so to make sure we only took up 3 spots.

I know this isn't proper procedure, but I think it's the only way to get this to work.

I can't think of any other way to do this but I'm open to suggestions I haven't thought of.

Thank you for your assistance.

AFTER THE TRIP UPDATE:

This is long cause I wanted to add a bit of a trip review and advice.

So 4 days with a large stroller no car and Disney bus transportation.

This ended up being a non issue for the most part.

We were at the Pop Century. Our first time at the bus stop and there is (for lack of an official term) Bus Coordinator CM there, He has a clip board and a radio. We approach him with our stroller and kiddo, tell him we are going to AK and are looking at getting a stroller as wheelchair tag but don't have one yet to get on the bus with. We also told him why we had the stroller so he understood it wasn't a mobility issue. He sees that the stroller can fold and the next bus going to AK is a coach. He talks to the driver, we fold the stroller up and it's put in storage in the area accessed from the outside under the seats. We were the first to get on and kiddo sat by the window next to me. She did great.

We get to AK guest services with kiddo in the stroller. She's so happy to be there. She stims a lot when she's happy so the stroller is rocking a lot at this point. (invisible disability? ha!) So we tell the CM at guest service what we want - she sees kiddo in the stroller flapping away and goes and gets the tag and took her picture for the DAC - no questions asked. (I bet you all know how long we agonized over how exactly we were going to answer the questions they are suppose to ask us!)

From then on - everything was just as simple. The drivers are suppose to recognize the tag for handicap transportation reasons (we spoke to more than one "Bus Coordinator" about this and we're reassured that any bus driver that didn't, we were to take names of either the CM or the bus, the time they were at what bus stop etc and report them so they could be "retrained". We did have a few confused drivers that didn't even know what the tag was. Once they saw it said and that it had the Disney logo on it (all official like) they then gave us the use of the ramp and space for the stroller same as a scooter or wheelchair.

How we travelled with the stroller after the tag: Since the stroller we have starts out as a trailer a bike pulls, it's not make like your typical stroller with tiny metal pipes. These pipes are larger and it has a roll bar on it in case the cyclist and trailer take a spill. Because of this it was easy for the drivers to lock in the stroller unfolded and with kiddo in it (with her safely held in with her stroller seatbelt) We did try folding it up once and having kiddo sit with us. but no one could get passed the stroller in the laneway - so this was a no go. Also my plan about going to the back was stalled at the step up and more narrow aisle way at the back. (I should have studied the pictures better - it shows plain as day there are steps and a narrow path there.) Also kiddo decided about the 3rd bus trip that she rather be in the stroller then sitting on a seat. I'm guessing she's like me and preferred to sit face forward while in a moving vehicle. I get a bit queasy when siting sideways in a bus.

Other folks reactions to us: Nothing bad to report. We got a few double takes. Got a few "wow what is that, it's so cool!" and some little kids that wanted to try it out!. We went slow where ever we went with it and found it was actually smaller than most of the double strollers we saw others with.

On taking our ASD Kiddo to WDW for 13 days: we went 15 days 3 years ago - Hubby and I both felt it was way to long at about day 13. We went 13 days this time. Kiddo was asking to go home at day 10. She wasn't miserable, we went at her pace. We did have a few meltdowns (that's to be expected) she was cooed over by more than one CM either while waiting our turn to ride or by one of the characters or servers at the restaurants. For a kid with social and communication difficulties she's a real charmer and sweetheart - the stuff she does say and how she acts really endears her to folks. (proud mamma boast to be sure but it's true) Over all we all had fun but kiddo really didn't want to go on a whole lot of rides ( we only went to each park once - the 3d shows at MK and HS were a hit, toy story mania as well. She didn't like star tours, or the Buzz Lightyear ride, she was ok with Haunted mansion "cause they were silly scary ghosts and not mean ones" ) But she was much more happy when we did things like the petting farm in AK, decorating cookies at AK lodge, pony ride at fort wilderness, swimming at the resort pool, looking for wildlife on our way too and from the pool - Lizards and caterpillars are super fascinating to her and just spending time playing in the room. We also spent time at my Dad's place while there and she asked to go back so she could play with their dog. She didn't ask to go back to any of the parks to ride rides again and she's yet to ask to go back to Disney in general since we our return, something she does when she like something a lot.

Advise for parents of ASD kids going for the first time:
1) Crowd calendars are your best friend. Trust them for the most part. We went to the parks on a week most of the parks were at 4 or under crowd ratings. It was great. Waits in the fast pass lanes were minimal expect toy story ride. But she was occupied with her I pad so no meltdowns here. The next week of our vacation was Thanksgiving week and the resorts were a zoo so I can't imagine what the parks were like. Crowd calendar had 10's for some of these days.
2) Do not try and do parks 4 days in a row - you and your kid will burn out. We tried due to the crowd calendar ratings but by day 3 we all were miserable so we waited a day to do MK and were so happy we did as it was by far our best (least miserable day of walking, meltdowns etc.) Down time is so important don't under estimate it like we did.
3) Routine can be a godsend. While on the way home on the bus from the parks Kiddo would recite "first we take the bus to adventure room (hotel room) then we take a little bath, then we relax (nap!) then we go to the pool, then another little bath, then we have dinner at the restaurant, then we play bubbles (bubble guns are a blast especially in the dark and it's a great social interaction tool.) then we relax and watch Mickey Mouse (channel 17 at the resort has old micky mouse cartoons and a Duffy the bear bedtime story she watched every night) by this point she would be sound asleep. This was the routine we ended up in and it was very relaxing and comforting for her to follow. Mind you she was ok with us changing it up a bit when we were going to campfire to roast marshmallows or we had a reservation for a new restaurant ( new adventures are welcomed. (we use the term adventure with her to explain a new experience she hasn't had yet but we know will be fun for her.)
4) DAC is good as a backup but fast pass work great on it's own. We had fast pass for the rides we knew she would ride. We knew if she still loved toy story this vacation we would need to use DAC for the second ride. our DAC return time was an hour wait so we went and got lunch then got in line (fast pass line was huge but as I said we did ok). Didn't need DAC for repeats of Muppets or Micky's Philharmonic.
5) Sometimes you need to ask for accommodation. We needed to take our stroller into the restaurants due to the possibility of kiddo having a meltdown or just needing to have quiet time in there. (we didn't end up actually needing to do so but still we needed it just in case) Sometimes the hosts were hesitant to allow this or were unsure how to allow this since kiddo ate at a seat so it wasn't just like a wheelchair where you remove a chair from a table and glide right in. They needed to find a spot close to us to leave it. We were very polite but firm about needing it and every time they found a way to make it work. Again we were not refused or treated badly, but we needed to deal with hesitation sometimes.

Advice regarding changing fast pass and ADR's while on your vacation: Now remember our vacation was for 1 week at a low crowded time and one week when it's was crazy busy there. We had to reschedule one whole park day - this was on low crowded week - it was super easy to get BOG for 9:00, HM for 10:00 and Buzz for 11:00 and one more but I forget which it was. (we changed it the day before) We had many dinner ADR that were too late for us, going to the restaurant early and asking if we could eat earlier (sometimes a few hours earlier) was always met with a yes. (there were only 3 in our party) this happened on both weeks. What I'm trying to show is that while yes you should try and get your ADR's in advanced it is quite possible to change and get good ADR's and fast passes the day before.

ok I've written enough to write a book - typical for me. Hope in the end I've assured you that if your using stroller as wheelchair tag on your stroller you will or should have no problems. You are in the right to use the lane the wheelchairs use to entre the buses, and that the CM really want you to have a great time there so don't be afraid to ask for accommodation when you need it.


Overall take away from my experience is this:

Don't stress - honestly - I know you will, but in the end you will see - it's not necessary.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[Gracie09]

Okay this is the deal. All strollers on buses have to be folded unless they are meant to be tied down like a Convaid. You child will not be permitted to stay in the stroller on the bus. It is a danger to her and those around her. The size of the stroller may also cause an issue. Looking at the Wike website the stoller is 41/60" long and 28" wide (I am using the standard model not the special needs which is even larger). A stroller is limited to 36X52" in Disney https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/parks/restricted-personal-items/
If you get it tagged as stroller as a wheelchair, you may be able to bring a bigger item with you but you still have to take it in line with you. A stroller that size may not fit through the lines and you may not know until you a stuck somewhere.

I would suggest renting a stroller from an outside vendor. something like the Baby Jogger Summit or City Elite or City mini GT. These all have large canapys which you can then supplement with an additional light blanket for cover when your daughter needs it. It folds easily and fits in the lines. The other option is minimize your bus trips by staying at a resort where you can walk to some of the parks. This may not be a viable option because it entails staying at a deluxe resort. You could also rent the car for more days.

I have seen people be told they cannot not bring similar strollers onto buses because they don't fold. It is a DOT regulation, not simply a disney rule.

 

[bpadair32]

If you really cannot get her to deal in another scenario (and as a father with an autistic daughter I understand) then I would rent the van for the whole trip. I just don't think it is realistic to think that you are going to be able to pull this off on every bus ride.

 

[PatMcDuck]

The busses do not load WC up ramps, they use a lift. They do make you close up strollers, I think, on the bus, and board from the front.

I have a slightly similar situation, my adult son uses a large Convaid chair, and it is usually just me and him at the parks. He can walk. The chair does fold up, sort of, but is still very large and awkward, and very heavy. It's hard for me to struggle with the chair and make sure DS walks up bus steps safely at the same time. His chair might be allowed on the WC lift, it is rated as a transport chair, but he would be scared to stay in the chair on the lift, and would likely try and get out.

My only solution is to drive to most parks, because I can get the chair in the back of a vehicle ok (hard but do-able, I rent a mid SUV). We have a handicapped parking placard from home, so parking at most parks is a breeze. MK is the bugger, as I cannot get the chair on a tram, and the walk from parking lot is a pain. I try and stay at BLT, or WL sometimes. But other times I struggle and use the bus. It's hard, and other guests are so impatient, but I do my best.

 

[Gracie09]

The busses do not load WC up ramps, they use a lift. They do make you close up strollers, I think, on the bus, and board from the front.

I have a slightly similar situation, my adult son uses a large Convaid chair, and it is usually just me and him at the parks. He can walk. The chair does fold up, sort of, but is still very large and awkward, and very heavy. It's hard for me to struggle with the chair and make sure DS walks up bus steps safely at the same time. His chair might be allowed on the WC lift, it is rated as a transport chair, but he would be scared to stay in the chair on the lift, and would likely try and get out.

My only solution is to drive to most parks, because I can get the chair in the back of a vehicle ok (hard but do-able, I rent a mid SUV). We have a handicapped parking placard from home, so parking at most parks is a breeze. MK is the bugger, as I cannot get the chair on a tram, and the walk from parking lot is a pain. I try and stay at BLT, or WL sometimes. But other times I struggle and use the bus. It's hard, and other guests are so impatient, but I do my best.

I believe most buses now have ramps and not lifts.

 

[aaarcher86]

Waiting in the WC line when you aren't supposed to be there won't do you much good, IMO. The bus driver isn't going to break protocol because you're standing there, and then you'll just end up in the back of the line.

It sounds like you should look into renting the van the entire stay to accommodate your situation, or look into a different stroller with a canopy as suggested above.

You're only other option would be to email the disability team and ask for suggestions, but in all honesty, having an email isn't going to help your situation in the moment when you have to wait for a bus and the bus driver has no advanced warning of what's going on.

 

[gap2368]

I would rent a van as other have said the buses can be very crowded and the stroller as a wheel chair tag only works in the parks and not on the buses and they have to be folded and by the time you get on the bus it may be very full

 

[SueM in MN]

Just to clarify - almost 100% of the WDW buses that go between resorts-parks-Disney Springs have ramps.
There are a few old buses left with lifts, but the majority have ramps.

 

[jmartinez1895]

Before we got my sons wheelchair we used a stroller as a wheelchair. ( it has been a few years so things may have changed and I can only tell you our personal experiences). I would wait to the side ( sometimes in the wheelchair line) with my son in the stroller and the other kids while my husband would wait in the regular line. Often the drivers would see us in the line and we would wave to get their attention. They would stop the bus and ask if we needed help and we would tell them we where using it as a wheelchair and need to load in the back. If the driver did not see us or did not ask then once my husband got to the front of the line he would tell the driver we have a stroller being used as a wheelchair and need to use the ramp to load. We never had any problems with the drivers helping us and we did this any times over the years. Once we would load the drivers would always tell us that it had to be folded, but we where ready for that anyway. Again, this is only our experience and we may have just gotten lucky all those times.
We also had the stroller as a wheelchair tag, which even though it is not for transportation, we had one driver asked if we had it. I flashed it at him and he said "just checking".
Another thing that helped us a lot was to go and leave at odd times. We would wait about an hour after park opening to get a bus and we would often leave before fireworks. Most of the times doing this we had an empty bus or only had a few people on it.

 

[OpiesMom]

Thank you all for your input.

I should have added without spending any more money.

We were at WDW 3 years ago prior to Kiddo's diagnosis (our vacation was our first huge hint something was up with Kiddo) we had troubles to the point that we went to ask GS what we could do just to get her on a ride (the lines were a no go) this was back with GAC. We were given the card and the stroller as wheelchair tag (didn't even know these things existed) and we had the same experience as the PP who had no problems with transit when we showed them our tag (again we didn't know about these things so we didn't know it wasn't for the buses). This is why I ask now (since I know now) if there was another way to go about getting to and from the parks with Disney buses and our tent on wheels and her now obvious crowd anxiety.

If the bus drivers still respect the tag and we go at non crowded times I don't think we should have any problems. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing an obvious alternate solution that was cost free.

 

[wilkeliza]

Have your DH stand in the regular line and you and kiddo at the wheelchair line. Explain to the bus driver that you need to load Kiddo and stroller through the ramp but then you can fold it and sit with her in between DH and yourself. If you have to let people skip in front of you and wait for the next bus if they won't count DD as a wheelchair. I've seen more than enough people do this when they have the stroller as wheelchair tag and then they just fold up the stroller. I do know there are some medical strollers that can support a tie down so if that is possible they would allow it to be tied into place and the child to stay in the seat. I don't know if that is the case with your stroller.

 

[SueM in MN]

What are the actual dimensions?

 

[OpiesMom]

from their site:

Specifications

• Max. Height of Child - 52"
• Weight in lbs. - 23.5 lbs
• Body/Overall Length - 41"/60"
• Overall Width - 28"
• Inside Seat Width - 19.5"
• Inside Height - 30"
• Legroom (Length) - 30"
• Height (from ground) - 41"
• Folded Dimensions - 31"x29"x12"
• Capacity - 100 lbs.
• Frame - Alum/Stainless
• Floor - 1/16 Polyethylene
• Wheels - 20" spoked alloy push button
• Platform Base Size - 19.5" x 30

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if the overall length is

 

[OpiesMom]

that 60" you are probably referring to is when the bar used to attach to a bike is being used to hold the front wheel. We have the wheel that attaches right on the front of the trailer ( that side bar is removed entirely) so the 41" body measurement is accurate.

so length is 41" Width is 28" although how they get 31x29x12 for folded dimensions from that I'm not quite sure.

 

[ErinTwinmom]

You can do this. It will be fine. They will not let the child ride in the stroller on the bus but they will generally let you bring it up the ramp and then fold it as long as the bus has room. The one thing I can think of to make your life easier that should cost you nothing is request a room near the first bus stop. That way you have a better chance of an empty bus with lots of room. Make sure when you get settled that you say out of the seats that can be used for wheelchairs so you do not have to move till you get where your going. I have twins with autism and had a large twin stroller last trip and my hubby was in a chair so transfers were all me. You can do this. Only other thing I can think of was I kept a small bungee cord so if I was lucky enough to be near a pole I could loop the stroller to it. Then I only had to steady it an not hold up the weight.

 

[Baklava]

One possible mid-ground might be to attempt the buses and if it doesn't work, UberXL. It may well be cheaper than renting the van for the extra days and it leaves open the option of attempting the buses (free) before spending any extra money.

Can I ask how large/old your child is? My girl is a big 5 and is starting to edge to the top of the stroller range.

 

[SMD]

that 60" you are probably referring to is when the bar used to attach to a bike is being used to hold the front wheel. We have the wheel that attaches right on the front of the trailer ( that side bar is removed entirely) so the 41" body measurement is accurate.

so length is 41" Width is 28" although how they get 31x29x12 for folded dimensions from that I'm not quite sure.

Do you have to take the wheel off to fold it? That could be the difference. If you have set up, you could always try measuring it with the wheel on and folded. I know every few strollers I see in the parks meet the folded dimensions because people leave stuff in the baskets when they collapse them most of the way.

 

[lanejudy]

The dimensions you quote are for the standard Wike; the special needs version has larger specs.

I'll be honest, that thing looks unwieldy to be trying to bring it on a bus and then fold it. Even when folded it looks pretty large and is somewhat heavy. You mention using the folded stroller and yourselves to give her a "nice large personal space" but even at supposedly low-crowd times the buses can be standing-room-only full. I'd be afraid of someone bumping the stroller into her if it's positioned in front of her as a barrier. Often when I'm sitting I find someone's bags -- or worse their butt -- literally in my face or lap, and no fault of theirs but it's a crowded bus. Also I haven't found how high/low the seat is to the ground, but it looks like it's pretty low. That could be a difficult transfer to do on a bus with others trying to load as well.

As for whether the bus drivers will "honor" a wheelchair-as-stroller tag -- I'd say "maybe;" one driver might but the next could require it to be folded first. They do not officially need to recognize the tag for transportation. Some drivers may see it and give you some latitude, others may simply indicate the stroller must be folded because the tag has no value for the buses. Just my opinion, but I think you'll be taking a big chance expecting to be allowed to roll the stroller onto each and every bus for 4 days.

If I were you, I'd be looking into how I can tweak my plans to allow for a vehicle rental for the full time -- does it have to be a van or can you make do with something a little smaller? Can you chop a couple of days off your tickets and plan resort-only days? Can you budget for a deluxe resort that won't require use of buses? Can you find enough in your budget for a taxi on those days before you have the rental? Maybe plan bag lunches which can save quite a bit of money even if not every day. Just some ideas to consider.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[OpiesMom]

Hello all and again thank you for the responses.

Kiddo is going to be 7 in a few months. The wike we have is the regular one, not special needs and we got it off Kijiji. It had plenty of head and leg room for her 48" height and 50+lb body.

I searched high and low for a stroller that fit her needs, the special need ones lacked in various areas and "special" must be latin for expensive somewhere cause wow the prices are horrendous and neither our private or public insurance programs would cover it due to kiddo needing it for a reason other than mobility. This is roomy, has ventilation, sun and rain and bug protection. Places to put "buddies" and snacks, a blanket if needed, a portable fan if needed, lots of storage in and out side of it. The list goes on and on. Yes it's bigger than a regular stroller and it doesn't fold like an umbrella one would. But it will keep my princess happy while were touring the parks, waiting for buses, to get into restaurants, and help keep her "relaxed" so we can stay more than an hour where ever we're headed.

I think I'm content to just use the Wheelchair lane with the stroller as wheelchair tag. We scrimped and saved for this vacation for 3 years and had everything booked and paid for, then WestJet threw a monkey wrench in by changing our Direct Flights into connection ones. This would not fly (pun intended) with kiddo ( one airplane ride in a day is "Awesome" - 2 with a 2 to 8 hour wait not so much!) We ended up adding 3 more days to our vacation ( to get the direct flights we needed) which of course blew our budget and made us redo stuff ( like a car rental for the full time we are there)

We're at the Pop Century resort, the buses there were good for us last time and I haven't read of them making any changing to them recently.

Pretty sure at this point that there isn't another way to do this without spending money and a few PP have confirmed that they basically do the same thing with the stroller as wheelchair tag. Should we get a Driver that doesn't accept it, we can use a taxi in a pinch.

Thank you all so much for weighing in on this. It's very appreciated and puts my mind at rest. One less thing to worry about while on Vacation.