stroller dilemma

[Erikarate]

Our kids are 5 and 7, DS & DD, respectively. Both of their birthdays are in Sept., so when we're there in July, they'll be closer to 6 & 8.

My dilemma is this: should we bring the stroller? Our DD legs, last year were barely fitting, and I'm sure she'll have to hang them out, or my husband can rigg the thing, like extending the front foot plate so her feet don't drag (it's a double tandum stroller BTW). I should also mention that we do NOT use a stroller except at Disney. I didn't want anyone to think we infantize our big kids, lol.

I wonder if they can handle walking for long periods like my husband and I do? We also obviously walk faster, and although we try not to rush when we're at the parks, sometimes it's necessary (like making it ontime for a Fast Pass or a show, or the bus!). I wish I could say that our kids were troopers, but they tend to complain when they have to walk a lot.

Anyone else have any experience with kids who are at that borderline stroller age, at least for Disney?

[llp479]

Our DD's were 7,7 and 4 when we were there in Feb. Took our stroller for the youngest, and rented double strollers at the parks for the twins. In addition to helping with the "my knees are breaking" we didn't have to worry about them getting separated in the crowds.

[tjmw2727]

My girls were 5 & 7 on our December 01 trip and we only rented a stroller for one (long) night at Epcot. I wouldn't worry about bringin one - you can just rent as needed. It was really great doing the parks without a stroller I must say, give it a try. We took things a bit slower as dd's were doing lots of looking around and checking out things we hadn't even noticed, it was nice. We all had our own fanny packs and I got the girls the water bottle straps - they loved those. To tell the truth we may have saved time not having the stroller as you don't have to go and get it after each ride. We always hit a park early in the morning and leave by 1 is for a pool/rest break, relaxing little legs makes a big difference. Then we hit another park for the evening and usually take it slower anyway.

Have a great trip.
TJ

[MinnieGi]

Rent the stroller if needed. The ones they have at the parks accomadate bigger kids. I can't really find the exact words to describe them, but they are perfect for a bigger kid to hop in real quick. However I would wait and see if you really need them.

[Erikarate]

I'm afraid I might be overruled here. My husband is practically insisting that we bring our stroller. LOL. BTW, DH calls our stroller "the jalopy"- it's seen better days. I liken it more to a VW bus, with Disney stickers all over it. Well, we don't have to worry about anyone stealing it!!!

He doesn't want to pay the $12/day for the double stroller that we can't take out of the park. I guess I can't blame him. Also, we use the stroller to carry an endless amount of supplies like water bottles, extra clothes, autograph books, snacks, etc.

Thanks for your advice though, I will have the DH read your posts anyway. I suppose I can't complain...he's the one that usually pushes it...and it's HEAVY!!!

[RHarnish]

FWIW, we will be bringing our stroller for DD who is 6 1/2. Of course, she's a bit smaller than your average 6 yo, at 45" tall and 43 lbs., so that's a factor! She's good about keeping her feet up, and it will give her a chance to relax a bit in the relative shade. She does a lot of walking when possible, but with heavy crowds, we prefer the security of knowing exactly where she is! I'd rather have my own than rent one in the parks due to the design. JMHO.

Have a great time!
Berta

[Jillofalltrades]

I am having the same problem. My daughter just turned 6 and my son is 4.5 we are leaving May 17th. My daughter will be able to stick it out but my son is lazy and moves slow. But this is his first time to Disney. I definetly don't want to rent. We don't use one at home but I have a small one I could take with us. I am the type that is always on the go rush rush. I guess I could just TRY to go with we are on vacation take it easy!

[RHarnish]

Hi Jill,

We don't use the stroller at home either, but it has been a life saver at such a large place like WDW. If bringing your own stroller isn't too much of a hassle, based on our experience when DD was 4 1/2, I'd tell you to bring it! We took her on her 1st trip at 4 1/2, and she needed the stroller...those little legs still get tuckered out, even tho the kids aren't babies by a long stretch! You can always leave it in the room if the kids want to try a day in the parks without it. (Our plan as of today...may change tomorrow!!:D ) On our trip last Christmas, she developed a sinus infection...having the stroller saved us from carrying her thru the MK from Fantasyland all the way back to the Contemporary! She was able to sleep all the way--priceless with a sick child!

Have a great trip!
Berta

[rjordan]

I was there in January with my 6-soon-to-turn-7 year old daughter. A plus for us is that she is very slim so she doesn't weigh as much as your average 7 year old. She needed a stroller big time. At home, she's very active and has endless energy, but it's not the same as walking miles and miles and miles and miles....like at Disney. She's pretty tall too, but I had no problem having her sit in an umbrella stroller we took from home. It was a Godsend! I feel like we needed the stroller outside the parks just as much, if not more so, than inside the parks, so renting was not an option. I say do what will make both your child and you happy. Who cares if someone looks at you funny because such a "big" kid is in a stroller. It made our vacation much more enjoyable.

We're heading down again in November (she'll be 7 1/2 years old) and yes, I'm taking my old, "jalopy" umbrella stroller as long it still holds her weight.

Have a great time!

[RHarnish]

We're heading down again in November (she'll be 7 1/2 years old) and yes, I'm taking my old, "jalopy" umbrella stroller as long it still holds her weight.

Have a great time! [/B][/QUOTE]


Maybe we should collaborate in the design of a stroller for kids age 6-8!!!! ;)
I have visions of "Mickey Mouse" type material, a canopy, etc.... Anyone else want to join the design team????


Counting the days...(41 to be exact!!!)
Berta

[NHBelle]

We went last year with son 1 and daugther 6 and bought a double stroller just for the trip. It may sound crazy, but It cost less than the cost of renting for 12 days and we could use it outside the parks (which we really needed), and don't forget the water parks too. It was well worth it, and when we got home I sold it and since it was only used for 12 days I made more than half my money back. Anyway, my 6 dd could have never done it without the stroller. This year she is 7 and son is 2. I am only going to take 1 stroller this time and hope she can make it. We'll take breaks and I'll rent if it gets that bad. I think she can do it this time and it will be nice not having to deal with a big doule stroller. Oh yeah, another advantage to taking strollers is that you don't have to carry anything. I always get a stroller with a huge storage basket and in it I put the video camera, camera, bottled water, snacks, extra clothes etc. Can you imagine having to carry all that around with you all day. I say bring the stroller if that's what's works for you. Good Luck!

[Erikarate]

Thanks for everyones input. As I said DH definitely wants the stroller, and I am in on it too now.

LOL-RHarnish - I love the idea of designing a stroller for older kids....but we'd use it only 1xper year!!! Maybe Disney could come up with something???? just kidding.

[themeparkcomando]

I have a 5 year old DD, and still can't make up my mind on the stroller question. We stopped taking a stroller last year to theme parks (we go to Silver Dollar City, Branson a lot). She didn't need it hiking in the Smokies and WDW is flat? Any one else have input?

[skeezixspud]

... and also more humid than most folks from further north are used to. Kids not used to that kind of heat will have a hard time with it. Your body does adjust eventually, but kids don't do it as easily as adults.

I've often thought that if I ever moved to the Orlando area, I'd open a shop to rent large strollers for WDW guests. There are some out there, they are designed for disabled kids, mostly.

[Spinning]

I highly recommend a sit and stand stroller. We got a used one last year and it is wonderful! Look in thrift shops or ask around. It held my just turned 4 YO great and the back seat was perfect for my DD. She could sit or stand back there. She even fit in the actual stroller seat but looked a little cramped! I would tell anyone who is having another baby and needs a two seater to look into a sit and stand! the back seat is great for a kid 3 and over, who doesn't nap in a stroller anymore.

[Disneycrazymom]

themeparkcomando, If she can do the hills at SDC in the heat of summer, Disney should be no problem! Disney is very flat compared to the Ozarks. The parks are bigger but just pace yourself and sit for the shows. We love the Table Rock Lake area too!:D Our boat gets to stay all year but we only get to visit on weekends!:D

[themeparkcomando]

Disneycrazymom -
We've already been down once (SDC), Made it to opening day!!

[CarsonsMom]

My son is 5 1/2 and we are definately taking the stroller. We tested it the other day. He barely fits but the advantage to taking our own is that we can put a cooler in the basket below it for drinks and it reclines so he can fall asleep. I have seen so many kids heads bobbing around in the rentals because they can't recline...BUT....after this year when my son no longer fits in ours, we will rent. Nothing is worse than a child wanting to be carried when the parents are already tired. Take the stroller if the kids fit in it..otherwise rent. Well worth it.

[RHarnish]

Originally posted by Erikarate
Thanks for everyones input. As I said DH definitely wants the stroller, and I am in on it too now.

LOL-RHarnish - I love the idea of designing a stroller for older kids....but we'd use it only 1xper year!!! Maybe Disney could come up with something???? just kidding.


:D But, Erikarate, we want to get paid for our product, we don't want to pay Disney for it!!!
My goal is to make enough money so I can retire and live at our vacation condo in wdw 24/7/365. (as if....) Oh yeah, it wouldn't rain on us at WDW ever either! The canopy is just for providing shade for the little ones!

36 days and counting!!!!
Berta

[SueM in MN]

I've often thought that if I ever moved to the Orlando area, I'd open a shop to rent large strollers for WDW guests. There are some out there, they are designed for disabled kids, mostly.

There is a place that I've been told rents large strollers made for special needs kids. It's called All about Kids. (http://www.all-about-kids.com/main.htm)

Those strollers are nice, sort of like giant umbrella strollers or giant jogging strollers, but they hold someone up to 100 to 125 pounds. You better have a ton of money to start up your business though; those big strollers start at about $600. (Anything used mostly by people with disabilities is VERY expensive.)

In case you want to rent at the parks, Safari Steve (a MK CM) has posted that the WDW strollers come in several different sizes; the biggest will fit up to a small 12 year old.

[pwoodham]

I want to be on the design team for that big stroller, too. How about this - we'll just make one or two and pass them around for each of us to use the week we're in WDW?

My 7yob is SOOOOOOO SLOWWWWWWW we'd be waiting for him everywhere (my 4yob is much faster) and losing him alot, so I'm planning to rent a stroller for him and a double for my 4yob and his 5yo cousin.

I looked (hard!) for a double stroller that was affordable, would hold over 40 lbs in each seat, remained easy to push with a somewhat uneven load (cousin is about 15 lbs lighter than my 4yob), and that we could get on and off buses, boats, airplanes, etc. without taking completely apart. No luck. If someone has such a thing, please let me know.

An expensive (>$300) jogging stroller looked like the best fit, but how do you get those things into a bus? And where do you get enough $$$ to afford one for a week's worth of use?? Even if I could sell it and get 1/2 my money back, it's still cheaper to rent (we're only there 7 days).

[Disneycrazymom]

Hay Themeparkcommando, we were there for the Praise weekend and are going for Mother's day weekend too. Too bad Disney isn't as close as SDC is. I love a good theme park!:D

[skeezixspud]

... and I was really just being whimsical, I wasn't really thinking about setting up shop with a fleet of Major Buggies! (Though I didn't know AAK had them available; that's interesting news.)

As to a large double stroller that will hold over 40 lbs. each seat and still fit on a bus, yes, there is one. It is the Kelty Deuce Coupe, and it doesn't come cheap. REI sells it for $400. (To my knowledge, this and Kelty's single model, the Joyrider, are the only big jogging strollers on the market with umbrella-fold handles. Here is a link if you are curious: http://www.kelty.com/index.cfm?section=Kids ) I've tested the fold, it's amazingly compact. Also, Kelty's webpage doesn't mention it, but they do recline.

I think if I really were going to set up a service like that, it would have to be in a place like Orlando, where there was significant demand for such an unusual product. Let's see, I could probably get a quantity discount on Kelty if I bought enough of them. :D

[RHarnish]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pwoodham
[B]I want to be on the design team for that big stroller, too. How about this - we'll just make one or two and pass them around for each of us to use the week we're in WDW?

:) Hey I love this idea...now, how do we get them to each other...leaving it under the train depot with a sign saying next use : June 9-18 , The Harnish Family, might cause a few problems....

Berta

[skeezixspud]

"Disney Vacation Stroller Club" of course!

We pro-rate the cost of a collection of strollers, then sell usage points. There will also have to be an annual maintainance fee, of course, to cover repairs and storage.

Now, we just need someone in Orlando to be our onsite manager!

[Erikarate]

That is hysterical!!! You guys make me laugh.

[RHarnish]

You're not going to believe this...but I actually also thought of having the Vacation Club add this perk...Deluxe Stroller Rental!!!! We could trade points...and make reservations when arranging our stays...

I'm thinking its not that far from the realm of reality...maybe we really should propose it!

Berta

[Ratpack]

We are staying at CBR in July and taking stroller for DD4, any problems getting stroller on bus to parks? It is not an umbrella, but a regular that folds in half.

[RHarnish]

Originally posted by Ratpack
We are staying at CBR in July and taking stroller for DD4, any problems getting stroller on bus to parks? It is not an umbrella, but a regular that folds in half.


Our stroller also collapes in half also. You shouldn't have any problem. I have found it useful to collapse it before the bus arrives, rather than wait until its pulling into the bus stop.

Have a great time!
Berta

[FFerret]

Ok, this may be silly, but--

We're probably going to stay off site and have this huge double stroller that can be folded in half--barely--

When we park at Disney don't you have to take a tram or something into the parks? Anybody had any trouble getting their stroller on the tram?

[tjmw2727]

Originally posted by FFerret
Ok, this may be silly, but--

We're probably going to stay off site and have this huge double stroller that can be folded in half--barely--

When we park at Disney don't you have to take a tram or something into the parks? Anybody had any trouble getting their stroller on the tram?

Yes - you have to fold the stroller very small to fit on the tram. IMHO its more difficult to get the stroller on/off the tram than it was the bus or monorail - and we have a small single stroller!

The other option is to walk rather than take the tram but depending on how busy the park is and which park you visit that could be a VERY long walk.

TJ

[FFerret]

I see--thanks, TJ! We're going in December so hopefully it won't be that bad to just walk. So just how bad is it from the lots to MK, MGM, and AK? Considering how much we'll be hiking in the parks anyways I probably shouldn't even be fretting over this! I just can't pay 12 for 5 days when we already have a stroller...

[sunnymommy2]

I wouldn't bring a stroller. If needed, you can always rent one.

Just my vote.

[skeezixspud]

We've done it in the middle of the day when it seemed the trams were not running at good intervals. We've also walked over from the Contemporary, and walking from there seemed shorter to me than walking from the second section of the MK lot.

The MK lot is HUGE, and most of the closer-in section is reserved for off-site hotel busses. There is a drop-off site near the Poly, and I suppose if the stroller is really THAT big, you could drop off one adult to walk up with the stroller while the other parked the car and rode the tram up with the kids.

[tjmw2727]

Quite far actually, we have usualy found decent parking at Epcot but never at MK. The AK parking lot is HUGE and they park it in such a way that we always have a far hike or tram ride. I don't know if there are "drop off lanes" perhaps one adult can drop of the other with kiddos and stroller and then park and hop on the tram? I don't remember how old your children are but perhaps you can consider a single to share or the park rentals. FWIW we did well with the park rentals and I found them easy to push. The good thing about the park strollers were when my dd was about three she could hop in & out easily at each attraction etc. wdiwg.com has a great section on the rentals and the pros/cons on bringing vs renting.
Have fun
TJ

[barbnbrian]

Well my girls are almost 6 and 8 years old and I'm taking a double umbrella stroller I picked up at a tag sale for $5 bucks!! I'd rather spend the $14 a day for a double at Disney on extra treats for the kids. This stroller has a canopy and a big basket and is in great shape. I couldn't pass it up. I don't care if it gets trashed or even if I decide not to even bother to bring it back home, I might just leave it there for only costing me $5.00!!!! The only place I use a stroller for my girls is at Disney. I don't want to have to deal with the whining and in the July heat, they'll be happy to be pushed around the park. Plus I get even more exercise!

[BounceyOne]

I guess I am the minority here, my children are 1 1and 3. The 11 you hasn't had a stroller since he was 2 and my 3 you hasn't either. Even at WDW. The exceptopn being if we are going to epcot at night. If we are doing the world showcase in the Pm I will rent one for her, if not she has done WDW the past 3 trips with no stroller :)
In the MK I find a stroller more of a hinderance than a help. Just my opinion.