Stroller Question - Double or Two Singles

[Strikan]

My husband and I are going to WDW in May for the first time with the kids. We have twins who will be 5 years old. They do not use strollers anymore, but we are thinking that it might make sense to rent Disney strollers for park days as I am not sure their little legs (or our shoulders) will hold out for the whole day. If it did make sense we might rent them for the whole week which I understand saves a bit of money.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Have you found it makes sense to use the stroller in the Parks even if your kids do not use them at home anymore and does the benefit outweigh the hassle of getting the stroller and pushing it around all day?

2. With twins, have people found it easy to use a double stroller in the parks or two singles? Thinking about just getting around crowds and parking them etc.

Would be great to get some input from you folks who have had real experiences. Many thanks.

 

[AspenLL]

One of my friends rented a double recently from an outside vendor. Said it was absolutely worth it because her kiddos (5 and 3 at the time) were able to relax and even nap while at the parks. They were also significantly more comfortable than what the park has to offer.

 

[owill]

Last time we were in the parks we debated going with two singles or one double and I am so glad we went with the double. Having a single stroller to keep track of and keep all of our stuff in was very nice.

For this trip our kids will be 6 and 3 and we are thinking of renting a double from the parks as we do not use the stroller in our daily lives.

 

[Hezzy04]

We went with 2 singles, and for us, it was the right decision! Our girls used the strollers pretty much all day! I think they would have started bickering and annoying each other (and then us) if they were too close for that long!! They normally get along great, but...I just know how they can get!

With 2 separate strollers, we had a perfect trip! No fighting, no baiting one another.... There is a chance they would have been fine in a double, but when we go back, we plan to do singles again simply bc it worked so well!

On the other side...just one stroller for the busses would have been great!! However, my husband says it wasn't that bad! He had the strollers and I had the kids on the busses.

Another argument I see for a double is that only one person has to push. For us though, that wasn't a big deal. We rented through Kingdom Strollers and the strollers were a dream to push!

 

[DSLRuser]

skip the stroller. you would be surprised what your kids are capable of if you push them a little. Sorry, but you are already setting them up for failure with the ""I am not sure their little legs (or our shoulders) will hold out for the whole day"" comment.

 

[kwdw]

They are 5 - skip the stroller. Go at their pace. Took a 5 year old last May. She did fine. Tips for that - don't plan ridiculously long days. Make sure they get enough sleep at night. While touring - don't criss-cross the park. 5 year olds LIKE riding the train at MK and they think the boats are Epcot are fun. Take snack/water breaks. Mix in a "show" attraction between rides so there's more of a sitting break. Don't stand in lines for more than 20-30 minutes, if possible. If waiting for rope drop - stake out a spot and let them sit on the ground while you wait. Be an observant parent - you know them and can probably read their tiredness level. You dictate how long the day is - you can always call it early or take a long break.

 

[cview]

On our last trip our kids were out of strollers at home but we bought and brought an umbrella stroller with minimal storage - just in case. We didn't end up using it a lot but it was nice for 1. getting out of the park quick when the kids were spent, 2. having a spot, in stroller parking, to store all the extra stuff (snacks, jackets, water). We bought the stroller especially for the trip because doing so was cheaper than renting from Disney. We used a double stroller on our first trip and comparing - its way easier to navigate crowds and get on and off buses with a single stroller than a double stroller.

 

[Strikan]

Thanks for the replies. I think you convinced me to at least try not having the strollers at all. We are staying at Bay Lake Towers so we plan to go to the parks in the morning, come back to the resort to swim and chill and then go back to the parks a little later. Think we will give it a go and see what happens. Might end up renting for a day if we go to Epcot, just because that place is huge - if the kids don't need the stroller, I will sit in it and they can push me around World Showcase! ;-)

Thanks everyone.

 

[Pinkos]

I strongly vote to use a stroller. Mine will be 7&4 for our next trip and we are renting a dbl for our next trip. "Going at their pace" does not work for us. Disney world is BIG and CROWDED. No way they will be able to walk those distances without getting tired and cranky. If u are someone who visits the world often, maybe I could see no stroller. But we visit once a year, sometimes once every 2 years. With the new high crowd levels and FP+, etc, I want a easy breezy vacation where a) no stress of my child wandering b) no whiny child bc they are tired. It costs too much for them to be tired after an hour and for us to be frustrated bc they are complaining. There little legs just can't do that much walking.

I also rrccomendtying a dbl. one stroller on the bus, one stroller to find parking for and to retrieve. And if for some reason u want to split from your hubby - say he needs a bathroom break, or wants to ride space, or is getting a snack for everyone, u can stroll around with the one stroller. Having 2 singles means u r stuck where he left you until he returns. We learned this the hard way when we went with 2 singles one year and hubby rode EE while I waited with 2 napping toddlers.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Pinkos]

Also another vote for kingdom strollers. Cheaper and way more comfy then the Disney ones. Even my oldest will nap in the afternoons in those! Very clean and easy to push as well plus u don't have to waste valuable park time lining up to rent a stroller each day

 

[dancemonkey]

Thanks for the replies. I think you convinced me to at least try not having the strollers at all. We are staying at Bay Lake Towers so we plan to go to the parks in the morning, come back to the resort to swim and chill and then go back to the parks a little later. Think we will give it a go and see what happens. Might end up renting for a day if we go to Epcot, just because that place is huge - if the kids don't need the stroller, I will sit in it and they can push me around World Showcase! ;-)

Thanks everyone.

You'll be so happy Bay Lake Tower! Walking to the magic kingdom is the best!

 

[maxiesmom]

skip the stroller. you would be surprised what your kids are capable of if you push them a little. Sorry, but you are already setting them up for failure with the ""I am not sure their little legs (or our shoulders) will hold out for the whole day"" comment.

Stroller usage is not a failure. And why should parents have to push their kids during a trip to WDW? Shouldn't it be enjoyable, not a forced march?

OP--I would plan on using a stroller. If they don't need it all the time, fine. If they do need it, fine. I would stick with one double stroller, as you will have just one to keep track of. And if you are using the buses you will have just one to hold on to, along with your stuff and kiddos. Have the money set aside to rent one, and if you don't need it, bonus cash!

 

[hulagirl87]

I took DD last year when she was 5 and we used an umbrella stroller (Summer Infant 3D lite! amazing!) I wasn't sure if she would use it, but she actually liked having it to be able to sit when she wanted to. She also has type 1 diabetes and it was our first trip after her diagnosis and I didn't want to push her too much not knowing how her blood sugars would be. When we go this year, we will bring that stroller again for her and one for DS who will turn 3 while we are there. I would like to get another one like hers for him. They fold up so nicely for getting on the bus! Not sure what we will end up doing yet. Still have some time to decide!

 

[SnipsNSnails]

Bring the stroller(s). If you find they are walking then leave it behind in the room. We always took two. The doubles are hard to push in a crowd, just not as maneuverable. The are also harder to wrangle on the busses. I would recommend renting from an outside company or bringing your own. We find them to be the most valuable at night on the way back when they are tired or even asleep and you are tired as well and you can't do that with the WDW rentals. With two of them, you can't trade off if they need to be carried. I'm one who who would rather be a little over prepared than sorry later.

 

[JWigs]

I think it can be surprising to folks how tired kids can get even if they're older. Between sun, excitement and using all this energy; it is easy to be worn out.

I would recommend renting off site and they'll bring to your hotel and even pick up when you check out. You can get a city mini which can almost fully recline which makes napping a lot easier.

 

[pigletgirl]

I'm thinking two. For our long weekend trip coming up, we'll take our double, but for the big trip we'll bring two, DDs will be almost 1 and 3.5

 

[kuhltiffany]

I'd bring a single with a step on the back. That way you can pop one in, one on the back if they are tired or you need to go somewhere quickly, and only have one to carry on the bus...

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

skip the stroller. you would be surprised what your kids are capable of if you push them a little. Sorry, but you are already setting them up for failure with the ""I am not sure their little legs (or our shoulders) will hold out for the whole day"" comment.

I completely disagree. Even at 8 and 9 years old I was begging my parents to let me use my little brother's stroller at DW. Sometimes I was so tired I just needed a rest. He was 4 and 6 on these trips and rode in it a lot.

 

[Pinkos]

I'd bring a single with a step on the back. That way you can pop one in, one on the back if they are tired or you need to go somewhere quickly, and only have one to carry on the bus...

I disagree, if they are anything like my 2, this would result in an argument about who sits where. Get a dbl, they each get the same option. Or 2 singles, although I'd prefer only one stroller to be accountable for.

 

[bostran1]

We have been debating the same thing. Our kids will be 4 and about 21 months when we go in September. We have a nice umbrella stroller for the older one and a nicer main stroller for the baby. That stroller also has the buddy board on back. I think we will bring both and then if the older kiddo doesn't need one we can leave the umbrella stroller behind and he can use the board.

It seems moving around in the park will be easier with two singles. We are going to have four adults (me, my wife, and my parents) on the trip and only two kids so we should always have two people who will be with the kids. Since we will use at least one stroller for travel through the airport I'm not a huge fan of then renting a double stroller (either from Disney or a company offsite). I'm also not sure how much waiting to rent a double stroller for the day at the parks will make us wait at RD to get back to the rides.