Stroller for 5yo?

[jweb20]

We are planning our first trip to Disney this summer. My son will be almost 6 and my daughter 20 months. I will be using the stroller for the baby, but does anyone think a 5 year old would need a stroller?

He's good walking but I'm just afraid of the heat he might get tired and need a place to rest.

Is it hard to maneuver around the park with a double city mini?

 

[chris31997]

We took our DS in August and he was 5. No stoller had to walk. Mean parents would not carry him at the end of the day , but he slept real good at night. We did slow down and did not try to do everything. We also made sure that everyone was well hydrated.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

If it were me, I would rather have the double stroller since you'll be pushing a stroller for the little one anyway. It's a lot of walking, stimulation, etc, and avoiding meltdowns is key. Oh and I have the city mini double.
Have fun!

 

[msmama]

I only have one child, and mine has some sensory issues which makes a difference, but we couldn't do WDW without a stroller (he will be turning 5 on our upcoming trip).

It's NOT like the mall or the zoo or any other kind of walking.

At Disney you will see other "older" kids in strollers.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Most 5 year olds do need a stroller at WDW at least part of the time. Our head strong 5 year old REFUSED a stroller, but most of our friends children of that age did need one. The only time we carried him at all was from the bus back to the room one night when we fell asleep on the bus. We were prepared to rent as needed.

One thought, will you 22 mo old walk very much? If yes, maybe that would be enough to give your 5 year old a little break without having a double. Maybe even carry the 22 mo old a little to give the older a stroller break?

 

[ktlm]

I'd do the stroller, especially in the heat of the summer. When our DD was 5, she still needed the stroller at WDW (hadn't used it anywhere, but WDW since she was 12 months old). Our cut-off point was 6. We went to DL when she wasn't too far past turning 6, and the kid got totally worn out walking the parks. It wasn't the most pleasant trip without the stroller. We went to WDW when she was two months short of 7, and she made it at Epcot from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and then turned around the next day and did MK from 8:45 am to 11:00 p.m. with no complaints. There was a huge difference in what she could do just being about 6 months older.

 

[disneyparentsof2]

You will hear from people saying absolutely no way to people saying sure, go for it! Only you will know how your child may react. If you think it may help him go longer or avoid meltdowns then bring one! If you think he'll be okay, then don't. Since your asking the question, it sounds like you think he might so if I were you I would bring your double. To me, it's better to have it than to not have it!!! But like I said, everyone is different, so just do what's best for you and your family! Have fun!!!!

 

[dlove28]

I have a double city mini. Haven't brought it to the parks, but IN the parks it will be fine. I plan on not bringing mine though because it is rather heavy and down' stay folded well. Not a problem at home since we fold it and throw it in the back of the car. But at WDW I can't see trying to deal with it on a bus. We'll opt for something more lightweight for our 2yrold twins.

We also have a 5yr old. Not sure what to do about it, by the end of the day she will be tired, so we will probably take turns having the 2yrolds walk or carry them. Of course, what will happen in the evening is the twins fall asleep in the stroller and I have to carry the 5 yr old!

 

[Kellykins1218]

My 7 yr old will be in a stroller

 

[blessedby3]

Mine have strollers for sure up to age 5, then on a case by case basis after that...LOL
Our dd just turned 5 on our trip this past October. She didnt ride in it all day by any means, but it is nice to have available for her to jump in and out of is she wanted...or if we needed to get across the park in a hurry for a FP return, etc.
It also comes in handy at the end of the day when her little legs are tired.
WDW is a TON of walking...and none of us are used to those kind of miles on our legs
We took a lightweight Mac Volo for our middle DD when she was 6, and will probably do the same for our youngest dd on our next trip. She will be 6 as well. She is and has always been a tiny peanut so she fits in the Mac easily.
I would say that since you have a smaller child, go ahead and take a double or two singles and play it by ear for the older child.

Just re-read your post and noticed you have a BJCM double. Awesome stroller. We were still using our single BJCM for youngest dd on this past trip. Will probably move to the Mac for our next trip...but the BJCM is great and there are tons of them in WDW. Just be sure to mark yours as there will be so many just like yours.
I always have DH make signs at work and laminate them, then punch holes in it and attatch it to the stroller handle with zip ties. This ensures your stroller will not get taken by mistake, and detours anyone wanting to take your stroller as you would have to have scissors to get the zip ties off.

 

[eyor44]

I would go with the stroller, especially at Epcot. We got a stroller for DD through age 8. The last two years, just at Epcot and then we got a double so she would be comfortable and could hold the backpack with her.

 

[Eureka]

Yes! Our first trip was when our boys were 5 1/2 and 7 1/2. Younger DS had a major meltdown about 7pm our first full day there. I am sure some of it was hunger but also all the walking. Next morning, we got a stroller and he was fine the rest of the week. Older DS was a trouper and walked most of the week but once in a while would hitch a ride too, I think on the Epcot day. There were times when I wish I could have too!

 

[Timandalicia]

We are planning our first trip to Disney this summer. My son will be almost 6 and my daughter 20 months. I will be using the stroller for the baby, but does anyone think a 5 year old would need a stroller?

He's good walking but I'm just afraid of the heat he might get tired and need a place to rest.

Is it hard to maneuver around the park with a double city mini?

You will not regret a stroller for the 5 year old. We use a double for our 5 and 7 year olds. We park it most of the time, but it is the difference of about 3 extra hours in the park.

 

[kam1011]

I am NOT a stroller fan in general, but in Disney we use them. (I literally have strollers in the attic that come out once a year.) My oldest used a stroller up to and including 5yo and she walked at 6. No complaints whatsoever at 6. Could she have walked at 5? Maybe. I'd second the recommendation for the double stroller. It is easier to walk through the parks when they're contained

 

[stink]

I don't have kiddos. But I have nephews whom I take to WDW. I would recommend a stroller.

What we found works best was the single strollers that have a connector pieces that you hook on and it turns it into a double stroller. So at times one person could push both strollers. But it gave you the option of unhooking them to go their separate ways.

I really liked using my nephews stroller to hold my insulated water bottle in the cup holder attachment and some snacks in the basket.

 

[AshleeH]

My son hadn't used a stroller in years, but we brought one to Disney. He took a nap in it every day at 5 years old (we stop all naps when the kids turn 2, so this is not the normal pattern for him). It made for a stress-free, whine-free, fun vacation because he was well rested and we weren't frustrated with him for complaining about being tired.

I say do whatever works for your family. The stroller was a big part of us having a drama-free vacation - I have good kids, but we tend to do a lot at Disney and if I'm sore at the end of the day, I can't imagine how those little muscles must feel after miles of walking.

 

[Disneyaddictz]

My dd9 yr old begs us to bring one!! Frankly I sometimes wish I could jump in too! I say whatever works for your family! Apple strollers has a free promotion right now for a free rental up to 7 days!!

 

[theAfamily]

I would bring the double stroller. You'll be able to stay in the parks later at night and have longer days because they wont be as tired. The double city mini works great in the parks and we bring it every time we go. The 6 year old technically would be able to walk but you'll have to deal with lots of complaining and shorter days. Its up to you but id say bring the double!

 

[pooh4evr]

DH and I were just talking about this last night. Our youngest will be 6 when we go again, I don't plan on her being in the stroller that much, if at all other than late at night maybe, but I would like it just to hold all our junk we seem to bring with us..it is so nice to go on rides without bags of stuff. Except my purse and the camera anyway.

 

[Anya22]

We went last May with our 2.5 and 5.5 year olds and used a double stroller. The 5 year old used it quite a bit and he would not have been a pleasant kid to be around if we hadn't used it. It was especially nice when we had to move fast to get to an ADR or through World Showcase at Epcot in the evening when we just wanted to stroll through the countries and the kids were tired.