Stroller for a 6 year old???

[Nebraska_Disney]

We left the strollers at home when the kids turned 3. My daughter was 3 the first time w/ went w/out and toured hard for 8 days. She did not need the stroller and we did not need the clutter. It also forced us to travel "lighter" and not take as much stuff with us to the parks we did not need. Can you imagine how much easier the parks would be to tour if you did not have an excessive amount of "un-needed" strollers all over the place.

To each their own, but give it a try w/out and see how nice it actually is.

 

[TwoCortWort]

I was reading another thread and people are bringing strollers for their 6 year olds. I find this absolutely ridiculous I mean toveach their own but it got me nervous I'm taking my 6 year old DD this Jan and honestly a stroller never crossed my mind. What are others experiences with this?

We only rented a stroller when we took my niece when she was 3 and she never used it honestly and didn't get sleepy until close to midnight when the park closed.

I saw on my recent trip older kids with the leash. I do not get the point of having those, on older children at least. By a certain age they should be able to follow directions of hold my hand. I understand very young children with those...but I saw maybe a 5 or 6 year old with one.

 

[Boski]

My boys were 4 and 5 on our first trip and they were fine with no stroller. That being said you know your family better than anyone else so do what you think is best.

 

[Keegansmommy]

We have always brought our double stroller and will again on this trip (boys are 3 and 5). Our five year old doesn't ride in it much, but it's nice to have when his legs get tired. Sure beats CARRYING his 45 pounds! It was also nice if he got tired and fell asleep (which happened a few times). This year we have a new sit and stand stroller instead of a tandem double stroller so it's more of a "big kid" resting spot. I think it will work out MUCH better.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

The kids on "leashes" make me shake my head. Save the leashes for pets, not people.

 

[tcherjen]

Not for sure if we will bring a stroller. DD will be 6 1/2 when we go. She is small for her age and her little legs get tired. We have teens in the family who like to go go go. Seems easier to bring a stroller so she can rest if she wants.

 

[siskaren]

The kids on "leashes" make me shake my head. Save the leashes for pets, not people.

Ruh roh...

 

[mattsdragon]

The kids on "leashes" make me shake my head. Save the leashes for pets, not people.

Have to disagree. . .the leash is a wonderful thing.

I mean, we don't put the choker chain on it when we're at Disney, but she knows we have it, just in case.

 

[brightvalleyjrts]

We have always brought a double stroller. We have a younger child (he is now 3) but I can promise you my older boys fight for the other spot in the double stroller. LOL. It is a lot of walking for little legs. And especially if it is hot outside, they get tired quick. We were there in Sept of last year. My older boys were 6 and 8. They both took turns riding in the stroller a lot. LOL

This will be our first year going with a single stroller and I am honestly nervous about it. My boys are now 3, 7 and almost 10, but I know they will be bummed they have to walk the whole time. LOL

(for the record, my almost 10 year old is teeny tiny, so he doesn't look too ridiculous in a stroller. He only weighs 50 lbs and wears a size 7 clothes)

 

[Suellen]

My five year old would be terribly embarrassed to be seen in a stroller. She hasn't had one at WdW since she turned three.

 

[jenjordan]

Did the World with two 5 year olds (my DD and the DD of our friends) and we didn't even think about using a stroller. We toured the parks at a moderate pace and followed a touring plan so we didn't have them waiting around for very long and when they were tired, we rested.

At that point, my DD hadn't used a stroller in years because she hated being confined.

 

[vcgirl925]

I guess everyone knows their child and knows what they can and can't handle. But my kids were able to handle walking the parks for an entire week since they were five.

 

[AllieBoo]

My dd was almost 6 on our last trip and we brought our stroller with us. She doesn't ride it in at home, but with the amount of walking you do at Disney World, it just works out better for us to have it.

 

[budafam]

I took my 4 year old daughter on an 8 day trip this past October and she did fine with no stroller. We did FULL days with no breaks and we had no issues whatsoever. I couldn't imagine my 6 year old son sitting in a stroller.

 

[huhwhat]

to me it is just a safety thing...the crowds exiting the park are crazy and a 5 year old can easliy get seperated from the family...so yes..I am bringing one !

 

[pixarmom]

Our boys are ages 5, 12 and 13. Generally, our boys didn't use a stroller past age 3. But after a long stroller-free period, we ended up renting a stroller for our 5-year-old at MNSSHP this year.

Before our youngest was born, it was easy to ditch the stroller early because our older boys are close in age and have similar needs. So it was easy to stop and take a break when they were tired, and just move at their pace. But the pace and needs of a teen/tween and a 5-year-old are far different and require a great deal of negotiation. Thus, the MNSSHP compromise of renting a stroller for our 5-year-old at MNSSHP.

So while we haven't brought a stroller for a long time and don't intend to bring one along in the future, I think it's a good idea to keep your mind open to the possibility of a brief rental - especially when there is a significant age gap between kids and your family would like the option to stay together.

 

[melliej]

We brought a stroller for my 6 year old daughter for our last trip. While she is a very athletic and fit girl, my husband and I are fast walkers and didn't want to feel like we were pulling her along. We stayed at the Swan and would walk to the Studios and Epcot too. We were there over Spring Breaks when the crowds were heavy, so we felt safer exiting the parks after fireworks with each child in their respective stroller. With that said, she is now 7 and we are not planning on bringing a stroller for her on the next trip. If she wants to sit in her brother's though for a rest, we have no problem with it.

 

[chipndales]

Best thing I did and honestly, I never considered it until I read a thread on these boards. My own personal situation was that we couldn't get back to the hotel for mid-afternoon breaks due to a disabled person in our party. It was just too much of a hassle so we planned on leaving the hotel and staying out at the park all day. I played each day by ear and some days she needed it (when we were out late the night before or it was overly hot) and some days she didn't. Disney was very good about refunding me what I didn't use. Of course this was a while ago. Anyway, it gave her a shady place to relax while I strolled along and shopped. I didn't have a cranky kid with sore feet or an overheated child, I lost 7 lbs pushing her while being able to indulge in yummy Disney treats, and everyone stayed in a happy, positive mood. I didn't read all the comments but most of them seemed to feel the way I do .. do what's best for your family and child without worrying about it. It's so much nicer to have a relaxed time than stress about what is considered proper etiquette. We're all disney-heads here and all have one goal... to have a great time at the world.

 

[AuroraRosesMom]

The first time we took my daughter to WDW she was 6 and using a stroller was never a thought. She's small for her age but a very active, and energetic individual. If anything, we'd necessitate a stroller before she would probably. lol. My son is 2 and I plan on keeping his umbrella stroller for only another year really.

 

[AllieBoo]

to me it is just a safety thing...the crowds exiting the park are crazy and a 5 year old can easliy get seperated from the family...so yes..I am bringing one !

That's a good point!

Also, we have an older son, so with the age difference, we often end up staying late for EMH and the stroller lets her sleep if needed.