How old is your oldest kid that you put in a stroller?

[DisneyBamaFan]

I aplogize. I deleted it. Sorry.

No worries - I deleted my responses.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I guess I should tell my 2 and 3 year olds to suck it up and walk the several miles each day of our 7 day vacation this summer. I would hate to "coddle" them and come home with obese children.

Like I said, it is none of my business. I would never have offered any input if the OP had not asked for as much. My boys rode in strollers through age 3, but were both out of strollers by their 4th B'Day - but that was our decision. I would not presume to make parenting decisions for others, but I obviously feel that our way was the right way or I wouldn't have done it. JMO...

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

Surely you realize that a wheelchair is not a substitute for a stroller.

Of course I do. Never suggested otherwise.

Since you seemed to have missed my question the first time around, I'll ask it again: if a parent has a child that is too big for a stroller, and feels the child is incapable of walking all day, what other option would you suggest?

Disney has a limited number of wheelchairs, and they are designed for people with disabilities, whether permanent or temporary (i.e., broken foot, etc.) to be able to access the parks. I am stunned and appalled that anyone would think a wheelchair a suitable alternate for appropriate rest when needed. (please note that I would strongly advocate the use of w/c's for people who do need them.)

I'm stunned and appalled that you think wheelchairs shouldn't be made available "for appropriate rest when needed."

Long Story Short: Disney policy is that, when available, wheelchairs are made available to rent for those who feel that they need them. Not those who DEPEND on them (who likely already own their own wheelchairs or ECVs already), but those who feel that they need them. It's fine for you to feel otherwise (everyone has an opinion), but that's Disney Policy.

 

[monkeybug]

If I was being 100% honest the reason we are going to be bringing our sit and stand and not our single stroller, and allowing our 6 year old to ride sometimes...is because it will be easier for me!! There you go! I am not the patron saint of owie kissers and Hiney wipers! I do whats best for my kids 95% of the time, but sometimes even us super moms need to do whats best for us. I have a healthy, active child that is as skinny as a rail! She would choose sushi over chicken nuggets, and carrot sticks over teddy grahams. I have no doubt that as long as we took regular breaks through out the day she would be fine, but guess what? It's my vacation too! I don't want to schlep all their stuff around on my back, and if I am trying to think and there are swarms of people, it's easier to concentrate if she is safely tucked into a stroller instead of pulling my arm out of it's socket while she whirls and twirls impatiently! I don't want to sit on a bench for 20 minutes to give her legs a break, I want to stash her in a stroller with a Mickey Bar and keep on truckin'! I guess in some peoples views that makes me a selfish and awful mommy, but I like to think that I am showing my kids that while it admirable to put others before yourself, putting yourself first every once in a while is a good thing too! Trying to be perfect every minute of the day is exhausting...and honestly I don't know how people manage it! I'm OK with falling short every once in a while! (I mean it's just down right awful how much TV I let my kids watch when the Twilight books came out...I'm sure their brains are permanently damaged!)

 

[ftballfan7]

Adults are overweight because they sit on the computer all day and argue about stuff that doesn't really matter.

Now that right there is funny. I don't care who you are.

 

[MaumeeMom]

I haven't read this entire thread but did want to chime in with our recent experience. We were at WDW the first week of April (when they closed for capacity multiple times) and it was crowded.

My DS is 4 (just barely 40 inches and 33lbs) and never needed a stroller. We don't use one at home so we didn't take one. If we had needed it we would have rented one but we never needed it. When it was busy we held DS's hand as we walked which I really liked, I felt we had a better shared experience than if I was just pushing him from one spot to another. Sometimes his older brother would hold his hand as they walked which made my heart melt to watch them. We took my older DS when he was 4 also and again, never needed a stroller.

It all depends on the family. Some kids just don't have the same stamina or some get anxious in crowds, it just depends on the kids.

It does drive me crazy when the older kids are allowed to run wild with the strollers. I was run over last week by what looked to be an 8yo or so pushing his older sister (about 10 or so). They were fooling around and ran right into me - I got a cut on my calf and had a nice bruise and no apology from the kids nor the parents. Kids that age should know better. It is the parents' choice to have a stroller for an older child or not but, I beg you, if you are going to have one for the big kids, teach them stroller etiquette.

OP - it is your choice, you must do what is right for you.

 

[bellaphia]

I was 25 and pregnant when my body just decided to give out on me while at Epcot. I sat on the ground and declared I couldn't move anymore. A very nice family offered to let me have their rented double stroller, as they were heading out of the park anyway. I clambered into the stroller and DH pushed me around until I felt up to walking again. Got mostly weird looks, but several mommies grinned and one smacked her husband and complained that he never did anything like that for her when she was pregnant...

So, in answer to your question, 25...

aawww

 

[AprilJ26]

We were there for our first time in March and my 5 year old son never had any trouble walking. He would have been mortified if I had offered him a stroller! Although, I saw many older kids in strollers. We took afternoon breaks some days and other days we stayed all day long. One day at Epcot, we were there from 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM and he had absolutely no trouble with it! I guess it just depends on the kid. If they are used to being active and not sitting all day, they should be fine. A PP mentioned it being easier to put them in a stroller, and I can definitely see that as being a good reason. We only have 1 child, but if we had more I can see how keeping up with them running around would be a hassle. But pushing a stroller all day with a 5 year old in it would be more of a hassle for me.

 

[bwilcox]

Like I said, it is none of my business. I would never have offered any input if the OP had not asked for as much. My boys rode in strollers through age 3, but were both out of strollers by their 4th B'Day - but that was our decision. I would not presume to make parenting decisions for others, but I obviously feel that our way was the right way or I wouldn't have done it. JMO...

I respect your opinion. I just like a good debate every once in a while.

 

[jdb1232]

Just thought I would give the OP my opinion without debating the pros & cons of kids in strollers. The first time we went to WDW with both of our kids(late Nov 2007), I brought my Sit & Stand. It was a giant pain in the you-know-what! And if we needed to go in two separate directions, only one child got the stroller. Fast forward to Oct 2008, when my DD was 18 months old & my DS was just about to turn 5. I brought my normal light-weight stroller for my daughter and bought a very cheap umbrella to bring for my son. It stayed in our room the whole trip. Are we glad we brought it? Yep, because I put him in it in the airport on the way home. You see, he was just getting over the horrible bug that was going around when we were there. He was feeling better, but was still weak. So that's my 2 cents. Two light-weight strollers were better than 1 big & bulky stroller! Have a great trip!

 

[1hero2princesses]

We will bring our double this fall for kids 2, 4, 6 (turning 6 that week). Last fall they were 1, 3, 5. We had the 1 year old mostly ride and expected the 3 year old to do a lot of riding. I walked all summer a few times a week with the 5 year old. Got him up to a couple miles. Well he still asked to sit quite a bit. In fact the 3 year old was more willing to walk, but she was so slow that we ended up having her ride. So even with a lot of walking, and conditioning he was still a little more on the lazier side. Also, he does not like the heat so that may be part of it. Just really depends on each kid. If we were only bringing my oldest I would not bring one as it really is a big pain. I am bringing it mainly for the 2 year old and since I have a mac the double is pretty much as easy as the single so I will bring the double. I think the 4 year old will ride part of the time (and the 6 year old will try to ride if he can). It just so much is personality. I find it funny when people are horrified an older child would want a stroller. My DS5 currently plays soccer, does gymnastics, takes swimming, is learning to ice skate, plays outside. He is not obese, out of shape or inactive, but he will still want to ride at disney!

 

[hapandpam]

Do what you want and don't worry about what others think.

 

[Emagine]

Just thought I would toss this out there too. We always rent from orlandostrollers.com they drop it off at your hotel and pick it up when you leave. They have a few to choose from, we pick the orange double side by side and its cheaper. Folds easy, not too bulky and heavy so busses are never an issue. Fits on the train and rails!

 

[ReneeA]

Last year was our first year without a stroller for either of them. They were just turned 5 and 6 years old. They both did fine and didn't slow us down at all - and I was totally expecting to have to slow our normal pace a bit for them.

 

[Mel6197]

If you can pay the 32 dollars per day..
And YOUR pushing the stroller,

I wouldnt care if you were pushing a 10 year old

Really..

Who cares what others think.. Your not hurting anyone else..

When my niece who was 4 at the Magic Kingdom had a Paci in her mouth, we got like 3 comments about how old she is to be using one.

Um.. It kept her quiet, so I dont understand why other people feel the need to comment on others..
Just BOGGLES my mind..

If you need a stroller, I say go for it!
the way I think of it is,.... It keeps your child happy, Keeps you happy. Isnt vacation supposed to be a happy time?
So do what you need to do to make you and your kids happy...

Cant we all just get along?

 

[monkeybug]

If you can pay the 32 dollars per day..
And YOUR pushing the stroller,

I wouldnt care if you were pushing a 10 year old

Really..

Who cares what others think.. Your not hurting anyone else..

When my niece who was 4 at the Magic Kingdom had a Paci in her mouth, we got like 3 comments about how old she is to be using one.

Um.. It kept her quiet, so I dont understand why other people feel the need to comment on others..
Just BOGGLES my mind..

If you need a stroller, I say go for it!
the way I think of it is,.... It keeps your child happy, Keeps you happy. Isnt vacation supposed to be a happy time?
So do what you need to do to make you and your kids happy...

Cant we all just get along?

I remember after my first baby I was in the grocery store and after picking her little newborn socks up from the floor for like the 10th time (because they kept popping off) I gave up and shoved them in the diaper bag. So her I am with my barefoot newborn when some well meaning lady rounds the corner and ever so nicely points out that I have my baby out in the middle of winter (in Ca...so we aren't talking snow or wind chill or anything) with bare feet!!! Thats just sooo dang neglectful and shame on me! Seriously??? Being a mom is hard enough with out someone going out of their way to point out that they think you kinda' suck at it!
Who doesn't???

 

[bbyee]

But if a parent has a child that is too big for a stroller, and feels the child is incapable of walking all day, what other option would you suggest?

The strollers I've seen are pretty large and seem to be accommodating. If a parent feels that their kid might need a stroller, there are plenty of places where they can be rented if they don't want to travel with one.

Either that, or go to the park at the kid's pace, not the parent's.

 

[ireland_nicole]

The strollers I've seen are pretty large and seem to be accommodating. If a parent feels that their kid might need a stroller, there are plenty of places where they can be rented if they don't want to travel with one.

Either that, or go to the park at the kid's pace, not the parent's.

 

[teacher100]

My kids were out of strollers by 3, but at Disney, especially Epcot everyone gets tired! I have 3 kids. The oldest one has used a stroller was 8. I used a double for the 4 year old most of the time and the 8 year old at the end of the day and in crowds. Other times I used the extra seat for stuff that we carried. After evening parades and fireworks it was less stressful to put the younger 2 in a stroller for one parent to push and the other parent could keep up with the 12 year old. A lot of people may have opinions that my kids are lazy etc., but to be honest I really don't care. I'll never see those people again in my life!! Amazingly enough that have not suffered ill effects from using a stroller at Disney. They aren't overweight either.

 

[Cree629]

To those people who are just putting their child in a stroller because they want to know where their child is, have you considered one of those cute leashes? It allows and encourages the child to walk, yet you always know where your child is. The leash is not that long, so they can't go that far. My friend had to use one on her 8 year old son because he wouldn't stay with her and kept darting away. He was kinda bratty for doing that, but the leash was necessary in that case, and he would have NEVER sat in a stroller, too much energy.

Just some friendly suggestions from me. I feel sad when I see 10 year olds in strollers because I think it teaches a child to be lazy.

Honestly?? "Cute" leahes for children??

Call me crazy, but watching a parent who has put an out-of-control (or "bratty", as you put it) child on a leash because he/she doesn't know how to behave (or, more likely, because of ineffective parenting) is FAR more bothersome, to me, than seeing a happy child resting in a stroller in 90 degree weather as the whole family enjoys their vacation.