Should we bring one?

[maxiesmom]

My first ever trip to WDW was with my sis, her hubby, and my then just 4 yr old nephew. Brother in law wouldn't hear of bringing a stroller! He ended up carrying my nephew on his shoulders A LOT!!! And one memorable night while leaving the park ended up smacking DN's head into a low-hanging sign.

Did I mention that my sister was constantly getting smacked in the face by DN and his feet while riding on his dad's shoulders? BRING THE STROLLER!!!

 

[weHEARTmickey]

I didn't read all the posts, but YES! Bring a stroller! (Unless you want to carry your child from about 10am on.) Strollers are convenient for kids of all ages, because they may get tired & need a nap. They hold your water bottles/drinks for you, backpacks & bags. Strollers are win-win IMO & it was a super sad day when my kiddos became too old for them!

 

[happydisneyfamily]

For a 3 year old I would.

 

[Mariep26]

I would definitely do a stroller for 3 year old. We are renting 2 singles for our 3 and 4 year old for our December trip and then next year we will get one single for our daughter and then the year after that no more stroller. We will just go at the kids pace at that point.

 

[squirrel]

I'd definately take one for a 3 yr old. I've taken one for my niece who was almost 6.

There is no way I'd want to carry a sleepy child to the bus stop. I'd give your husband the cost of renting a stroller for the days you will be at WDW and tell him he can carry the 3yr old or pay for a stroller. I'm sure he will change his mind quickly.

 

[EDaD]

Thanks SO MUCH for this topic being on the front page for me to see it LOL. We are leaving in 1 more day for our first trip to WDW with our children. My wife and I have both been there , my wife not since she was young my last time about 11 years.
We have 14 month old twin boys we are leaving home this time but Thanks for this thread we ARE taking a nice double " umbrella type" side by side stroller to have as my 3yr princess will be sure to need it and im sure my other boys will get their fair share of use in it as they are 9,6 & 5.
I cant wait!!!

 

[North of Mouse]

We are going to WDW for 7 days in April. My DH is dead set against bringing a stroller for our 3-year old DD. I get his point. However, she's a terrible walker....she whines when we have to walk across the soccer field for my DS's games and I can't even imagine what Epcot will be like for her without one. For all of you that took your 3-year olds, did you use a stroller? Was it more hassle than it was worth? If you didn't bring a stroller, do you wish you would have? Were your kids good walkers?

*I don't want to start a debate about the appropriateness of strollers. We do not use a stroller for our 3-year old at home. However, she's tiny for her age (still wears 18 mo. pants) and walking this much might be a physical stretch for her.

Thanks for your opinions.

Yes, no debate, absolutely bring a stroller for a 3 year old. She would be barely away from the toddler stage and would still tire very easily.

 

[shelbyf31]

On our last trip we rented a stroller from an outside company. We had to return it our last day and decided not to rent one through Disney. Our flight did not leave until seven at night so we went to the Magic Kingdom without a stroller. Big mistake. We knew we would have to carry our one year old but our four year old was worse. Before lunch she was complaining and this did not improve our moods. Definitely bring a stroller, YOU will have a happier time.

 

[Colleen27]

I think this is a no-brainer - for a 3yo who whines about walking any distance you absolutely need a stroller. Even the walk from the bus stop to your room is likely to be longer than that soccer field trek! I wouldn't recommend renting for that reason - we've found that the stroller is needed the most at the resort at the end of the day, and an in-park rental won't help with that.

My youngest is 4 now and doesn't use a stroller at home unless I'm going walking/running (3+ mile route), but at WDW she still needs one. Usually she's a pretty good walker; we walk the 1/2 mile to her school and back whenever the weather allows, and she does fine. But she's a tiny little thing too, wearing 2Ts right now, and her legs just can't handle Disney yet. And she likes having her "escape" - if she gets tired or just plain overwhelmed, she climbs into the stroller, pulls down the canopy, and shuts out the world for a little while.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I don't think there's even a question until age 5. Even on the DIS there's probably an agreement on this.

In my experience, most people use a stroller until about age 3 at home and until about age 5 someplace like WDW.

My experience as well. The stroller is handy to keep stuff in also. I liked bringing one.

There were days that I wished I could get into one.

 

[Caseheidi]

We just got back from DL with DD3.5, who is a good walker. She used her stroller, and preferred it when moving from one area to another. Another thing to think about is how your child deals with crowds. Mine, not so well. She is quickly overwhelmed, and having her stroller gave her a comfortable familiar place to hide. She would pull down the shade cover, give me her blanket to cover the top and hide from all the strangers. We only ever use her stroller at the zoo (which ours has lots of hills and long stretches) at home, but her stroller is a fond memory of good times for her. So all of this is my way of saying, for some kids it is better to have the familiar instead of rented.

 

[MommyBell08]

omgosh, you must bring your stroller. YOU MUST!

 

[my4girls10]

I would definitely bring one.

On our last trip in Jan '11, our girls were 9, 7, almost 5 and almost 4. We had a double stroller for the younger two, and on occasion the older two would rest their legs and the youngers would stretch. It worked out well and kept DH and I from losing anyone!

 

[Hoodie]

bring one or rent one. We actually don't have a stroller for our 3 year old so we rented one. At first he protested getting in it because strollers are "for babies" in his eyes. After his 10 year old aunt jumped in, he crawled in himself and was great with it. He loved being able to hide from the crowds too.

Disney is VERY different from home. Multiple days of lots of walking is hard on everyone, not just the kiddos. The stroller also helped my mom who has some knee issues. Just leaning on it to push helped her get around the park. Our 3 year old is a great walker and has no problem doing the zoo or any 1 day on his own but Disney was too much. Also, he is beyond napping at home but took a nap in his stroller at Disney every day.

 

[msmama]

Does he not want to bring one from home or not want one at all?

Tell him that when she gets tired it is his responsibility to carry her. Bet he changes his tune real fast!!

Also, IMO, a stroller is for more than just too much walking. Disney is INTENSE for me, I can't imagine being a small children (just think about where they are - they are at butt hight all day). I think not only is a stroller a must, but one with a shade they can pull down and relax a bit!

 

[Sheaboys]

I have 5 kids that have always been great walkers, out of strollers before age 2. They always walked every where.

We returned in September from a 9 day trip. We did not bring one, but not because we did not need one. I have brought single strollers and double strollers. But when kids are 5 and 3, we rent. Only because we can not stand dragging a stroller on and off the buses.

This year was no different are 2 youngest were 6 and 3, we rented a double. It just makes getting around the parks easier and faster. Both of these kids do Six Flags from 10am-6pm, without a stroller, without a Dad to carry them (because I take the 5 boys while dh is at work), I don't carry them, the older boys do not carry them, they will walk the entire park, only get a little whiney on the way back to the car. Other than that nothing. At Disney however, it is a walk around the resorts to the buses, from the bus drop off to the gates, from the gates to the rides, from the rides to the food places, not to mention the walks in lines etc. Not to mention try navigating a 5 and 3 yr old who at about butt level through crowds. Dh thought we could do without, but after literally dragging ds5 around (and he was not whining, just dragging), we rented a stroller for the length of stay. We also passed on our stroller to another family we saw coming into the parks when we were leaving. Pay it forward!

Bring or plan on renting a stroller, it will be the best thing you ever did!

Your 5yr old and your 3yr old will need a stroller, no doubt about it.

 

[hsmamato2]

for a 3 year old,yes they';re still tiny enough that a long day of walking is too much for them.common sense (which is usually missing in these threads) should dictate your needs. After 4-5 years old, not so much for the average kid. I find strollers a big pain,and was happy when my ds was done with it at Disney (he was 4)
if she can't walk 3-4 miles yet, then you need a ride for her.

 

[hsmamato2]

think of it this way,present your dh with options, tell him you think she needs it, and if he says no, let him know that when she's dragging, he has to figure out a way to keep her going (i.e. piggyback) if that proves to be too tiring after a full day(it will) then you can rent one after that. worst case scenario you're out some $$ because he didn't listen.... I know people here say'let's not discuss appropriate ages' but that's not helpful to newbies asking if you need one,the reality is, around 4 and younger are still pretty little,too little to walk for miles easily. Disney is miles of walking.
Older than 4, they'll probably be ok, but there comes all the 'discussion'- a cheap umbrella stroller is a great thing to have,just in case.

 

[ktlm]

I can't imagine trying to cover the vast size of WDW with a 3 year old without a stroller. DD was a great walker. From the time she took her first steps at 12 months, she never used a stroller...not at the zoo, not at the mall, etc....except for at WDW. About a minute after realizing how big WDW was, she happily jumped in the stroller. She is 6 now, and we had our first Disney trip without a stroller (DL) this summer, and let me tell you we moved a whole lot slower, she got tired and whiny, and compared to having the stroller it was a bit of a hassle. You describe your DD as not a good walker and whiny when she has to walk long distances. I think you will be absolutely miserable without a stroller. Just remind your DH that the distance from one end of world showcase in Epcot to the other is about 1.2 miles, and see how well he thinks your 3 year old will cover that without him having to carry her most of the way!

 

[WantToGoNow]

I would say yes you will need it with a 3 y/o. Unless your dh wants to carry her all the time I would definitely take one.