How old were your kids when you stopped using strollers?

[jtryan]

For our upcoming WDW trip in December, we are trying to decide whether or not our DDs age 7 1/2 and one month short of 6 will need strollers. We don't want to pay to rent everyday but also don't want to transport and push strollers around needlessly. How old were your kids when they stopped needing a stroller?

Thanks for any input!

roxanne

[infoseeker]

When our DD was 4 and DS was 9 we had a double stroller and both kids used it. Of course the 9 year old started off being embarrased, but when he was tired of walking he was thankful for the stroller. He also isn't very tall and fit quite nicely with his sister in the stroller.

[d96j97]

We just returned from WDW yesterday and my boys are 3 and 5...and believe it or not...we didn't use any strollers. I saw a whole lot of people using them but didn't feel like paying for one unless I really needed it. The boys held up pretty well...they were so excited to get onto the next thing that walking really wasn't that big of an issue. One day though, we did go back to the resort and let them nap because they were complaining of being tired.

[tci1212]

I stopped using the stroller when my children were 4 and 6. I actually found it was more enjoyable to just walk with them and not worry about stroller parking and rental. If they were tired we just sat on a bench and rested.

[siouxi31]

We rented one several years ago when my son was 5 and we used it very little. Last year my DD was 5 and she wouldn't use it. She did pretty well without it.

[CamColt]

I think it depends on the kid. My neice did fine at 4 1/2 without a stroller. We are goingin 2 weeks with my DS who will be 4 1/2 and there is no way Im not taking our sit/stand carriage for him and his younger brother. I wish I could just take a stroller for my youngest, but I know my 4 1/2 yo would complain us all to death after the first 5 minutes of walking. :rolleyes:

[jennybobenny]

My DD was 6 yo during out last trip and we ended up renting a stroller for her. It was 'sheer torture' ;) for her to watch her younger brother (2 yo) be pushed around in a stroller while she had to walk. We rented one just to get her to stop whining, but since we were already pushing one around, two didn't make that much of a difference, and we found the whole arrangement to be pretty convenient. Whenever she wasn't using it we had a great place for the backpack, water bottle etc.

She's 7 now and we'll probably stick with the same plan - bring our stroller for her younger brother and rent one only if she *really* feels she needs it. Since our commando-park-touring days are over I'm betting she won't need one at all. :)

[slp87]

We used one last summer when my daughter was 1 wk shy of turning 6. It was worth it for us! Neither my husband or myself wanted to get stuck carrying her around when she got tired. She fell asleep a couple of times and we were able to keep going. Next spring when we go she will be 7 and we're going to take one to definitely use at Epcot. My philosophy is that it costs nothing for me to take it and if we don't use it, that's okay.

[aprincessmom]

My DD just turned 5 during our last trip and we brought ours. I did not want to carry a tired 5 yo to the (then)Dixie Landings bus stop each night! It worked out well because even though she is filled with energy, she does get tired during the day and it gave her a break from walking.

I think it depends on your child or children. Mine is a perpetual motion machine but will have a low period of about a half hour or so each day where the stroller came in handy. It was truly handy at the end of the night trying to leave a park when it's so crowded and it's past normal bedtime. I know standing in line was also a bit of a drag on her system so being able to sit for a few minutes while moving onto the next place we wanted to see was nice for her.

We will be going on a last minute surprise trip in November (SHHHHH! she doesn't know about it yet) and I will take it again.

[Synonymous]

We first took DD to WDW at 2 1/2 yrs old. We took along a baggage cart- I mean stroller. She wouldn't ride in it. We ended up just filling it with stuff all the time. This year, at 3 1/2, we didn't bother. I had to carry her on my shoulders sometimes, but I figured it was good exercise to burn off some of those meals we'd been having.

[goofypat42]

Does anyone know if they still have the wide stroller at MK. I have two dd's that will be 3 and 7. One weight about 50 lb and the other one about 34 pounds. Could we put both DD's into one of the wide stroller at MK. I am bring a extra stroller for the 3 year old just in case we need to split up.

[skeezixspud]

She was sitting in it w/ a young child sprawled on her lap, with her husband pushing it.
The child was asleep, the mom looked like she was feeling a bit ill. Anyway, the two of
them fit in there just fine.

My 4 yo DS is a stroller-sleeper, so we would not dream of not taking a reclining stroller.
This Sunday, he begged to go to Epcot again after lunch, but fell asleep just as we parked
the car. Dad and I strolled over to the pastry shop in France, got some messy goodies, then
sat watching the British Invasion while we ate them in peace. DS woke up not long after we
carried him into "O, Canada" (He opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by Mounties;
the look on his face was priceless!)

When he's too big for the Maclaren, we are going to rent a jogging stroller from an offsite
vendor, so we will have it outside the parks. My guess is that we'll need a stroller at least
some of the time until he's about 7.

[addicted_to_WDW]

The last time I used a stroller anywhere was at Epcot when DS was 4. He felt like a baby (seeing all of the toddlers) and never wanted to ride in one again.

[goofypat42]

to skeezixspud:

That is funny. I guess my children will fix just fine. It's just the stop touching me problem between children is why I am bring the extra stroller and if we need to split up. I know my little one is limited because of her height and the older one will want to ride the big rides.
Thanks for the info.

[Wendy]

We have a "4 Year Old Rule" in our house. Once the kids turn 4 (they're 4 & 6 now), they're no longer allowed to ride in a stroller. I make sure both my kids get lots of exercise year round, so they're well prepared for walking throughout Disney World on our frequent trips. We let them know that strollers are for babies (not big kids) and if they're too tired to walk they must go back to the hotel for a rest. My little one still complains occassionally, but my 6 year old has never once complained about having to walk. It makes the trips so much easier for us if we don't have to worry about lugging a stroller aound and navigating it through the parks. It's like a new found freedom now that both are kids are out of the stroller! LOL!

If your kids are 6 & 7 1/2 and you want to avoid the hassle of a stroller, I suggest beginning a family exercise program. Several nights a week, have everyone walk around the neighborhood and add a little distance each week. By the time December rolls around, they'll be used to walking and should be just fine without a stroller.

[jtryan]

Thank for all of the input. DH and I have come to the conclusion that we will not be bringing the strollers and see how it goes. The more we talk to the girls about it, the more they think it would be a "baby" thing to be in a stroller. I know the 7 year old will be no problem it is the 5 almost 6 year old who is the lazier of the 2 and unfortunately the larger of the 2. If we need to, we will just rent.

roxanne

[Esmerelda]

my boys were both just shy of 5 when I stopped. We just returned from Disney on 10/2 and my 6 year old complained that he thought some of the stroller drivers were a tad reckless..as he had gotten ran over a couple of times (poor fella..lol).

Its SO much easier without having to deal with that on rides and the parks..etc. We just go until one of the boys says "I need a break"...we grab a drink and a bench and people watch for 10 minutes or so....works great and mom gets a break also! :)

I have no regrets about ditching my stroller :) less stress....

[jtryan]

Esmeralda,

Thanks for the input! The more I think about it, the more I know we will save time just in not having to track down our stroller when we get off of a ride or out from a show. We have talked to the girls and told them both if they feel the need for a break, we can just rest on a bench or go back to the room.

roxanne

[casmanuel]

Jtryan, about 3-4 weeks before your trip, check boths girls' shoes to make sure they fit well (you know how quickly they outgrow shoes at this age). Also make sure the shoes have plenty of "spring" left in the soles. Nothing can be worse than walking around on "flat tires" all day. If they do need new shoes, this is plenty of time to break them in. There is no better way to break them in than taking practice walks around the neighborhood. Whenever I am out walking with my DS and he begins to complain that he is tired I tell him (teasingly) that he's not ready for Disney yet. With this new perspective, the complaining stops right away!

[WDWfanatic288]

My brother stopped using his when he was 7.

[kinlaw6450]

I guess it really depends on the kid. My daughter has been out of the stroller since she was 4 but my son who is 5 still rides. not by choice though, he is a wanderer.

[issa]

My DD stopped using her stoller for all occasions @ 3 1/2 yrs
she likes to walk and is very well behaved..but I did not expect her to handle all the walking that disney involves. She was 5 during our last trip and we used it everyday! what a life saver..she was happy..we were happy..we got to stroll in epcot while she slept! it was great!

once back we have never once opened it..but we will be brining it to disney on our next trip ( she would have just turned 6). Maybe we'll leave it when she is 7..but for now we are pro-stroller :)

[Kallison]

My daughter was 4 1/2 last time we brought a stroller. This trip she was 7 and we kept teasing her when she was tired. Her brothers kept saying "Do you want a stroller, huh, huh" I ended up carrying her on my back a few times, but for the most part she kept up. We were commandos too, the last day we did three parks and spent 14 hours in the parks.

[dandave]

Both of my boys gave up their strollers by the time they turned 2 around home. I sold their's at a yard sale years ago. BUT, when we go to WDW they both *ask* for strollers. They just turned 5 and 7 in September. On our January trip, my older DS tried to give me that, "I'm not going to ride in a stroller, because I'm too old" routine. OK, so no stroller for him. Before we had even gotten started out well, he was trying to push his way into the stroller with my younger DS. So, we tried the doubles, but found that it was much easier for DH to push one and me to push another. Now they only argue about which one will get pushed by Mom and which one by Dad... :rolleyes:
I love the strollers. The kids get to conserve their energy, and so are better behaved. I guess they see it as a special Disney treat too, because they never get to stroll at home. I admit that I am a fast walker, however. Even when I'm not in any particular hurry, most everyone claims that I just walk too fast for them. It has nothing to do with WDW. With the strollers, I only have to slow down and wait for DH and his stroller buddy. ;)

[orderby]

When the youngest was about 5, we started getting a wheelchair instead of bringing a stroller. During the day, we put our coats and stuff on it. At night, the kids are tired, since we go from sunup to sundown. It's usually colder, so we wear our coats, and the wheelchair holds 2 small kids. It makes it a lot faster to get from one place to another, ESpecially at Epcot. BTW, we DO NOT use the wheelchair to gain advantages in lines or seating.

[SueM in MN]

Please don't rent a wheelchair unless one is needed for mobility problems.
Safari Steve (a MK CM who posts a lot here) has posted that WDW has strollers that will hold up to a small 12 year old. So there is no reason for anyone to rent a wheelchair for a child who doesn't need one. The park wheelchairs are adult sized, so a child who has a mobility problem would be better off renting a wheelchair from an off site company.
The number of wheelchairs to rent at the parks is limited. Some people who need one have posted that there were none left when they went to rent one. Please don't rent a wheelchair when you really need a stroller (and lockers are available in each park for coats).
Also, in most cases, wheelchair and ecv users wait in the same line (Mainstream lines) with everyone else, and the "special seating" in shows is usually in the very back row.

[Gabrielle]

Based on experiences with my own two kids, I would use strollers for kids up to 8yrs. old. The parks are tiring for the little ones and it's frustrating when they're ready to go back to the resort, 2 hours after getting to the park. :)

[SandraC]

dd was 7.5 years old for April 2001 trip and we rented her a stroller everyday. It's a bargain I think because we got HOURS AND HOURS more Disney fun at the parks with her riding around. She's a tall kid too and still fit fine in the stroller. Next trip she will be almost 8.5 years old and I just asked her if she wants a stroller again, she said YEPPERS! In April 2001 she was about 58 lbs. and 50 inches tall. Now she is 60 lbs and abotu 52 inches tall. ds will be 2.5 years old for next trip, we will bring his stroller.

[Spinning]

Wouldn't it be nice if Disney used wagons? My kids will be 6 and 4 at our next trip. DD should be able to go with out a stroller but still likes to climb in. DS not sure when he will get out he loves his stroller.
The wagons would be great. People wouldn't complain as much about the size of a kid being in a stroller. Sure we would still hear complaints about run overs.....
Many parks now offer wagons. Who knows maybe in the future

[ellyn2000]

Here's a funny story about a child too big for a stroller. When my middle child was about 6 or so she was too big for the stroller but was exhausted by the middle of the day. I got the bright idea to rent a wheelchair for the rest of the day so she would stop whining. As we would approach each ride the CM's would go out of their way to signal to us to come to the front and use the handicap access and the crowds would part for the little girl in the wheelchair. Then my dtr. would happily jump out and try to run to the front of the line. I would always explain that she was only using the wheelchair because she was so tired, but I didn't rent one again because it was so embarrassing when she would jump out of the chair and run to a ride ( much to the amazement of those watching). I gained a new understanding of those who must use a wheelchair to get around and how hard it is to get to some places. I just made them walk after that or offered to go to our room for the dreaded "NAP".

[SueM in MN]

Ellyn2000, I'm glad you learned from your day with a wheelchair that it isn't all roses on the other side. I just want to give a little better glimpse of the other side.
When we first started going to WDW with a child in a wheelchair in 1988, it was common to get the "royal treatment", whether you wanted it or not. When we got to the boarding area, we often had to wait longer because there are limits on how many people with disabilities could be on the ride at one time. Often we waited longer than people without wheelchairs. People didn't see that. They only saw that we were in line with them and then we weren't. We were just happy to have a place where our DD and her wheelchair were welcome. The "royal treatment" was not to benefit people with wheelchairs; it was because there were turnstiles or stairs along the regular path (as my DD likes to hear, wheelchairs don't do stairs). Often, the reason for a wheelchair access for a ride was that the boarding and exit were far apart, so wheelchair or ecv users had to board at the exit to have their mobility device waiting for them.

About 6 years ago (give or take), all of a sudden, WDW started switching to "Mainstream Access". Anyone with a wheelchair had to wait in the same lines with everyone else. Lines were modified to get rid of turnstiles or put the wheelchair entrance closer to the turnstile. We were told one of the big reasons for the change was the number of people who were trying to get special treatment when they had no need for a wheelchair. The CMs who talked to us said they realized that "special treatment" didn't usually translate into a shorter wait, but since people thought that it did, the solution was to not give special treatment to anyone with a wheelchair. They have modified that somewhat; a guest with special needs can go to Guest Services to plead their case, but special treatment still means using FastPass as much as possible and possibly waiting somewhere other than in line.
Waiting in line with a wheelchair isn't easy. An average wheelchair needs 5 feet to turn. When we get to a corner, we try to space ourselves so we don't hit anyone. Someone sees the "extra" space and they move their family into it. All of a sudden, we have another 10 people ahead of us. Sometimes thay are sorry, they didn't know we were planning on using that space. Some of them won't let us get back into line and (the not nice ones) let us know that they resent the "special treatment" that we receive. Some of the rides have ramps up or down on part of the queue. it's really hard to keep a wheelchair from rolling backward or forward on a ramp. We are experienced wheelchair drivers, so we don't usually hit anyone, but people walk into the wheelchair, trip over the footrests and I have had to stop quite a few kids who were grabbing onto the spokes of the wheelchair tires. Being in line with everyone else is a constant state of alertness for us. Besides the wheelchair hassles, DD also has other issues with attention and she will hit or pinch people who she feels are getting too close (impulse control issues).
When we get to the boarding area, if it's a ride where the wheelchair can go on, we always have to wait for the wheelchair car for at least one ride cycle; more if other people are waiting for that car. Our record for longest wait is the Safari at AK, where we waited for 40 minutes for a ride that had a 10 minute posted wait (but people were basically walking on as fast as they could go). At Buzz Lightyear, there are usually several people waiting and we usually see people who were just ahead of us in line exiting as we wait at the exit to board.
For rides where DD has to get out of her wheelchair, we have to lift a 5 foot tall, 85 pound person on and off the ride car. Sometimes the doorway is tight or there is a step up or down to get in. There are things we can't do any more because it is too hard to get her on, including most of the rides in Fantasyland (except Pooh and Small World, which have wheelchair cars).
For our DD's full price ticket (no discounts for people with disabilities), we don't get full use of the park, since there are things at each park that she can't physically go on. Each year, there is something else that is our last time, because it's getting too hard to get her on. As she gets bigger, it takes more out of us to get her on rides. Our last trip, we lost a one day because of seizures and had to take it slow a few days because she was too tired to sit up well in her wheelchair. We also have to put up with people who are rude to us just because they think we are getting some special benefit they aren't getting. The only things that make it worthwhile are seeing my DD enjoy herself, the CMs who go out of their way to be nice and the average people who try to be helpful.
Welcome to my world.

[jtryan]

Just thought I would update for those also trying to make the "stroller or no stroller" choice. On our recent 12/1 - 12/8 trip to WDW we chose not to bring the stroller(s) and would wait to see if the girls (5 and 7) would ask for one. They never once complained about walking too much, being tired, or wishing they had a stroller. I think the excitement of going from one attraction to the other kept them from realizing exactly how much they were walking. The only time we carried one of them is after 5 yr old tripped on uneven sidewalk in EPCOT parking lot and skinned her knee. She got a piggy-back ride to the car. I know everyones child is different but I just wanted to share our experience. Happy Holidays to all!!

roxanne

[singitalto]

I guess my kids are wimps. They are 7 & 9.
The 7yo really needed the stroller(rental). My 9yo jumped into it when her brother wasn't using it. I'll tell you right now, if it was big enought for me I'd use it.

A day at WDW is exausting!

[Planogirl]

My son quit using one when he was 5 and has never looked back. I have very rarely gotten him to the point where he admitted to being tired because his Mom craters long before he does. ;)

[Obsessed w/Disney in OH]

Our daughter was 5--almost 6, and miserable at Epcot in the summer heat. It is such a big place. A few days later, we returned to Epcot and rented a stroller--she was happy; we were happy!:D

It was worth every penny.

[padams]

Wendy- I was just thinking this morning that I need to begin a walking program to get DH, DSs 4 and 6, and me into shape for our Disney trip in a few months. How far do your kids walk? We walk around our neighborhood, but it is just a mile. Thanks!

[Wendy]

Actually, my 2 boys run and play sports. They're both in gymnastics twice a week and play year round soccer, so they're each running laps at their respective practices 4 times a week. My oldest son (6 years old) also jogs a mile or two twice a week. (He also runs laps with his brother's soccer team - just because he enjoys it! :confused: ) We haven't had to do the walking thing in a couple of years, because they stay so active in other sports. We just got back from WDW a couple of weeks ago, and both of them walked around for 10 days with no problems. The first 5 days, we went straight through from opening to closing. The last 5 days we took it a little easier, with a few naps and sleeping late a couple of mornings.

As long as you keep walking several times a week and make sure they stay in shape, they should be able to handle it, IMHO. Try increasing the distance to twice around your neighborhood, if you can. If you don't want to rent a stroller, just let your kids know up front that it is not an option. My 4 year old did get a little tired at the end of the night, but never once asked for a stroller or complained about it. At this point, I don't think it would even occur to him to ask for one. :D My 6 year old wouldn't be caught dead in one.