Strollers, lockers, and backpacks

[rentayenta]

Were you distracted by ? We were. I think the SOB was in on it.

No we were just too trusting. I mean it's Disneyland after all.

 

[Isatricia]

When my kids were 6 & 8, we took stroller.....mostly for stuff and the occasional seat. They were too heavy to push. We never had a problem until we got home and I posted my trip report. I was ripped apart about how inconsiderate I was for taking a stroller because anyone that pushes a stroller is inconsiderate to others. If my kids were that age and I wanted to have a place for stuff, I would absolutely take the stroller again. I still have it and often use it when we go to the zoo to carry stuff.

 

[Malcon10t]

My granddaughter stopped using the stroller around 3.5. My daughter (aunt) told her she had to be a big girl and walk if she wanted to go with us, and she did. She is big for her age, but did great. When she was tired, we headed back to the room to nap. It was an easy transition. Everyone carries their own stuff, but we keep it minimal. And shopping gets sent back to the room or dropped at the Newsstand.

I will say she now loves walking/running and runs 5Ks. She can't wait to run a 10K, but she has a few years to go.

Here she is finishing her first 5K at 4yo (uncle was her run support behind her...)

 

[Keels]

My granddaughter stopped using the stroller around 3.5. My daughter (aunt) told her she had to be a big girl and walk if she wanted to go with us, and she did. She is big for her age, but did great. When she was tired, we headed back to the room to nap. It was an easy transition. Everyone carries their own stuff, but we keep it minimal. And shopping gets sent back to the room or dropped at the Newsstand.

I will say she now loves walking/running and runs 5Ks. She can't wait to run a 10K, but she has a few years to go.

Here she is finishing her first 5K at 4yo (uncle was her run support behind her...)

I love that photo so much, on so many different levels. She's a rock star!

 

[disneyxica20]

we used a stroller for my niece and nephew who were about the same age as your boys. my niece was having problems with her hip at the time and by the end of our 2nd day in the parks she was complaining about hip pain, so we go it to minimize the amount of walking/standing she had to do. and it came in handy for her brother too, (who had a bad habit of walking too far ahead of us) so we didn't have to watch him like a hawk. they took turns riding in it and worked out well.
we do use lockers fairly often to stash sweaters, extra water and snacks, shopping bags...it depends on how long we plan on being in the parks, what the weather is like, etc.

 

[mom2rtk]

My granddaughter stopped using the stroller around 3.5. My daughter (aunt) told her she had to be a big girl and walk if she wanted to go with us, and she did. She is big for her age, but did great. When she was tired, we headed back to the room to nap. It was an easy transition. Everyone carries their own stuff, but we keep it minimal. And shopping gets sent back to the room or dropped at the Newsstand.

I will say she now loves walking/running and runs 5Ks. She can't wait to run a 10K, but she has a few years to go.

Here she is finishing her first 5K at 4yo (uncle was her run support behind her...)

I think that's awesome! And I love the photo.

But not everyone wants to head back to the room when the smallest member of their group gets tired. Some people only have a few days and can't just come back in a few months to do what they missed this time. We used a stroller until a later age (I've been around here too long to make the mistake of admitting a specific age). My daughter is in high school now and starts her tennis season today playing #1 Varsity as a Sophomore.

OP, do what's best for your family.

When my kids were 6 & 8, we took stroller.....mostly for stuff and the occasional seat. They were too heavy to push. We never had a problem until we got home and I posted my trip report. I was ripped apart about how inconsiderate I was for taking a stroller because anyone that pushes a stroller is inconsiderate to others. If my kids were that age and I wanted to have a place for stuff, I would absolutely take the stroller again. I still have it and often use it when we go to the zoo to carry stuff.

That's ridiculous, but not surprising. I'm sorry people felt like they needed to attack you on your own trip report you were sharing.

 

[Meldev]

We've never been to DLR, I'm hopeful that there is stroller parking similar to WDW. We have never been to WDW without a stroller...started going when girls were 2, 4, 6 (took a single stroller and double for the 4 and 6) -- fast forward they are now 8,10, 12 --> they don't need a stroller obviously, but I will be taking a nicer umbrella type stroller for my DS4, he can walk pretty far and most often has chosen to walk with us, but he's still young, he may get tired and we have 3 days total in the parks, we won't be going back for afternoon breaks (we never did at WDW either, for any trip). My kids have napped in their strollers long enough to recharge and everyone else keeps going.

Kills me how judgmental some people can be, in 2014 my then DD8 rode in the double stroller with my DS2, she's small for her age, but was just starting to get out of a knee brace for an injured patellar tendon (she's a gymnast). So she was in the stroller more than DD6 who occasionally took a seat, but she couldn't walk the miles you put on at a WDW trip with a knee that had been immobilized for several weeks prior. No one would know that at the time, because the brace was very hot and she didn't wear it unless she started to ache. Bottom line is, you never really know someone else's situation.

AND to be totally honest here, I don't look forward to when we're out of the stroller completely because that underside of the stroller is an awesome place to keep our water bottles, purchases, etc!!

Like mom2rtk says - 'do what's best for your family' - your fun depends on it!


Also, something I always do is take a small change purse sized "wallet" if you will...it holds my license, my disney visa, the gift cards for my children's spending and room key. That's it. And I make a somewhat "unfashionable" choice and wear cargo shorts/cargo capris. I can zip or button that wallet safely into a pocket and we're set, all the most crucial items are stored safely with me (my phone is in another pocket, but I find most rides at least at WDW, have a pocket to hold the phone if I don't feel secure holding it myself). For DLR I'm considering the lanyard for the tickets (I am a magic band lover ;-) )

 

[maltdizzy]

We've never been to DLR, I'm hopeful that there is stroller parking similar to WDW.

Yes. But they try and concentrate it to a few areas. Space is much tighter at DL park and walkways narrower (you'll be surprised how crowded/packed a few of the walkways get...elbow to elbow).

They also constantly rearrange the strollers to consolidate and make space...they will move your stroller, sometimes more than once.

And if you are perceptive enough you'll see them walk a police dog or two past the stroller parking.

 

[Malcon10t]

OP, do what's best for your family.

I totally agree with this. Our touring is our own style. Due to my daughter's service dog, we do go back early afternoon, so a nap was easy for us. And add to it, we usually have several teens with us, and she tends to think she is a tween (even though she is only 5) it is what works for us. But I also say do what makes YOUR TRIP work best for you.

 

[Malcon10t]

I love that photo so much, on so many different levels. She's a rock star!

Thank you. She did the runDisney Star Wars 5K as her first runDisney run, 4 days after her 5th birthday. She is so excited to run the Disneyland Half 5K. It will be her 5th 5k.

 

[Keels]

Thank you. She did the runDisney Star Wars 5K as her first runDisney run, 4 days after her 5th birthday. She is so excited to run the Disneyland Half 5K. It will be her 5th 5k.

Yay!! I'm doing the 5K along with Dumbo this year - I hope I get to see her on the course and to cheer her along!!

Photos like that just make my heart smile - it's got to be so exciting to watch a little one grow like that, to crush the challenge before them and excitedly look forward to the next one.

Good luck to her!

 

[VandVsmama]

A few years ago when we took our kids to DL, ODD was 6 (YDD was 4). I agonized a lot about whether or not to use a stroller. We ended up renting one through Anaheim City Strollers. I do not regret doing so. Both kids took turns using it throughout the day. It gave our kids more stamina and they could rest on and off. I totally support you renting a stroller for your youngest. You need to decide what is best for your family and your situation. At the time when we were planning that trip, I got a lot of varied feedback on the whole "use a stroller?" question. It's definitely the sort of thing where "your mileage may vary." Some kids don't need a stroller at 3 yr old and they can go 12+ hr in DL all day long without needing a break. Other kids are different. There isn't any one single "right" answer to this.

If I were in your shoes and if I knew that 1 of my kids is like your description of your youngest, then yes, I would most definitely use a stroller. FWIW, when ODD was 6, she was the size of a 7 yr old and I was able to steer the rental stroller ONE HANDED. My other hand was holding the other kid's hand. The stroller turned on a dime. It was GREAT! When we rented it, I purchased the stroller insurance just in case it was stolen (for my peace of mind). They dropped it off at our hotel and picked it up at the hotel at the end of the trip. This meant that we could take the stroller out of DCA, DL, and the Esplanade area. At the end of the day, that was a LIFESAVER. If my kids were still that same age, I would definitely do it again.