Which stroller should I take for 1 year old?

[frannn]

This is what I have:

Graco full size stroller with recline, canopy, cup holder & snack tray- at least 20 lbs
BabyTrend Trendsport with all above features-17.5 lbs
Graco Citisport with canopy & very little recline-13 lbs

DH would like to take advantage of the WDW bus service as much as possible, so one of us will carry the baby, and one will carry the stroller. I'm not sure who will get to carry the baby's bag. I am a little nervous about having to stand on the bus with the baby if there are no seats, so I'll probably handle the stroller then We are going in Oct. Which stroller sounds the best?

 

[Hillbeans]

I would bring the one to recline. 1 is young and your child will probably like having a comfortable rest in the stroller. We brought our full size graco stroller and even though it was bulky, we'd bring it again in a heartbeat.

 

[beattyfamily]

I brought my DD when she was one and she did fine in a lightweight umbrella stroller.

I'd go for the lightweight stroller you mentioned as it will be easier to handle on buses and trains etc...

 

[swilphil]

We used a full-size stroller and didn't have to stand once on the bus. We were there right before the fourth. I think people will give up their seats.

We were staying at the Dolphin, which is one of the first bus strops, and we were able to stroll right onto the boat launches to MGM and Epcot. You also can stroll right onto the monorail without folding.

I liked having a full-size stroller for the comfort, durability and storage space!

 

[Princess Dot]

No matter which one you bring, my advice is to have both you and your husband practice folding the stroller. This may sound silly but I can't tell you how often we were rushing to the bus and scrambling to fold up the stroller quickly. I know you have probably opened and closed the stroller millions of times, but I bet dh does not have as much "experience". It usually worked out that I would hold the baby while he folded the stroller and lugged it onto the bus. If he had more practice, I know we would have had less "#$#$**&*&**!!" mutterings from him (not very disney!LOL!)

 

[mmiller711]

Wow, never thought about learning to fold. We are taking 19 month old grandson in Aug. And I nor DH has ever folded his stroller...!

 

[MOMKKK]

WE took the full size stroller with reclining seat. Took a 2 hour nap in it while we were sitting on the balcony of the train station eating popcorn/po waiting for the afternoon pararde.

Bus - if it looks like you will have to stand.. Patiently wait for the next one and you will be first in line. - PATIENTS is the key to our vacation with our 13 month old son in January,2003.

We had all our packages shipped to our hotel - free charge of Disney if you are at a disney resort. * make sure you get all your shopping down 2 days before you leave*

We didn't take out our son of the stroller until the bus came.
then DAD took stroller and backpack and I took our precious cargo.

Also try to plan your day where you can also take the monorail to maybe another park or resturant or boat service for example form Epcot to MGM then no folding down the stroller.

Have a Magical time - Don't worry about the small stuff.....ENJOY!!

 

[Princess Dot]

mmiller, just had to reply. One time my mom took my 1st child to the library amd the could not figure out how to fold up the stroller to get in back in her car after they were done! Well, even after a couple of strangers tried to help (to no avail) she ended up putting the stroller completely open into the back of her car! Luckily it was small enough and she had a station wagon!

I'm sure at WDW you would find many people that would help you with the folding, but better to practice several times before hand.

Come to think of it, her other grandmother has also had some trouble folding her stroller! Maybe you should practice alot! Actually my mom ended up writing down the steps! I know that most of todays strollers are "one hand close" types, but if you have not had practice, they can be tricky!

I know you'll have fun with your grandchild!

 

[BevS97]

she ended up putting the stroller completely open into the back of her car!

My mum has also done this! Must be a grandma thing....


I would vote for the comfy one, the short time on the buses when it may seem inconvenient are outweighted by the convenience around the parks when your baby will be more comfortable

Bev

 

[becka]

I am glad to see others are recommending the full-size strollers. I was planning on bringing our big Graco stroller for DS's comfort and familiarity but I kept seeing posts that focused on the lightweight type strollers so I was worried about how big of a problem this would be.

We are going in early February so hopefully the busses will not be too busy.

 

[mmiller711]

I also am rethinking the umbrella stroller. I always took full size strollers for my girls but now I will have my mom (in a scooter) and hubby will have to drive it on the bus for her. So someone has to watch her and carry stroller and child. My sister has now decided to go so that gives me an extra set of hands. Now, I think full size and nap time will be soooo much nicer.

 

[robinb]

I guess my advise is to pick the stroller that you will be most comfortable pushing for the whole day. Handling is the most important factor at WDW. You don't want to be fighting with a stroller that handles poorly or hunched over a stroller with too short handles. Depending on the age of your 1 year old (closer to 12 months or 24 months) you may also want a stroller that contains him/her well . By the time my DD was 2 she was hopping in and out of the stroller at will .

Earlier this month I saw a lot of people struggle on and off the busses and trams with huge pramzilla strollers while our Maclaren folded easily and compactly . But, that's only a small part of your trip so it shouldn't be a "deal-breaker", IMO. That being said, I bought 5 strollers in less than 4 years and my favorite is my lightweight Maclaren because it's ease of folding and superb handling.

 

[Lesley]

I love my Maclaren too, robinb! Thinking of trading in for a Peg Perego Pliko P3 Classico....baby #3 on the way. (or heck, why not keep the Maclaren too!) Tried it out at Babies R Us today and wow...its got a carry handle and stands by itself when folded!

I tend to think of the worst thing at WDW being lugging the stroller around when you can't roll it....so I'd go with the smallest, lightest option. But also consider whether or not your baby will sleep in that. When my ds was 4 he slept right in our non-canopied, non-reclining Kolcraft umbrella stroller (which has since gone to the dump....)...my dd doesn't sleep so easily and that would not work for us now! When it was just the 3 of us, dh and I had the greatest time running around WDW with ds asleep in the stroller!

Oh, and as a note...when we don't have the back seat in our van I often just toss the stroller in unfolded. Probably less of a risk to passengers that way (too bulky to make it up front in an accident) and, well, why not? LOL. I think the first time I did it we were in the pouring rain or something....and I realized that it worked out well! Also, if you don't fold it, you don't have to empty the basket!

 

[Samandmom]

Originally posted by frannn

I am a little nervous about having to stand on the bus with the baby if there are no seats, so I'll probably handle the stroller then

A few times while waiting in line we have noticed that we will be standing, so we just let the people behind us go first. I refuse to have me or DH stand while holding one of the children. It so worth it to just wait for the next bus and alot safer.

 

[BevS97]

reading between the lines, I am taking it that you will have a car with you?

I would really consider using the car for most trips, except maybe to MK. We found it was much more convenient, and quicker to hop in the car, we didn't bother with the trams, we just walked from the car to the gate with everything in the stroller. I loved the convenience of being able to carry whatever I needed in the car/stroller and not having to worry about dealing with buses.

The only place where I would really recommend the bus, is MK, because the carpark is far away even from the TTC, so you really need to use the tram, and then once you are at the TTC you need to take the monorail or ferry, so for that one park I would take the bus.

Bev

 

[athena's mommy]

I recommend whatever the baby feels most comfortable in. We plan on taking our Graco Full size stroller with canopy and recline. Athena loves to be in that stroller and has no problems taking naps in it. I am thinking she will still need some naps during the day when we go (at 13 months) and I don't want to run back to the resort every 3 hours. October is not a busy time, so you should be fine on the buses. Also, I am sure alot of people will be willing to give up their seats for you too.

 

[Gillian]

When we went, the person holding the baby also held the backpack. The other (usually me) folded the stroller and carried it on the bus. But DS was 2 and could walk up the stairs by himself.

We have a maclaren and love it, but decided on a smaller graco with basket, recline, canopy & cupholders. It was a lot better for holding stuff, and the seat is more comfortable for napping than the mac. It's the graco kite literider. There's a kolcraft that is very similar that our friends loved. They have a bigger graco but went with the kolcraft just for DIsney.

Are you going in September? I can't do the math! If so, that's a quiet time of year and you should have to worry about fitting on the busses or standing much.

 

[deb305]

We also took our full size Graco stroller this Jan for our 12 month DS. We stayed on a Monorail resort, that helped alot when going to Epcot and MK. For AK and MGM we took the car. We got there early. DH and DD took the tram, and I took the much needed walk pushing DS to the entrance. BTW, we beat the tram every time.
DS was still taking two long naps a day, and we needed a full reclining stroller. Also he felt very secure in his own stroller, not sure he'd do as well in a new light one. Since I knew I wouldn't have to fold it until we got to the car, we loaded the stroller up most of the time. We brought snacks, bottles/sippy cups, clothes in ziplock bag, etc. It was great to have the walking storage. Frankly it also offered DS some extra protection against other guests who didn't always watch where they were going. He was up high enough to see everything, yet he could escape the sun under the overhang when needed.
Go with the strolelr he'll be most comfortable in. A cranky,scared, hot, tired baby is the last thing you need.
Have a great trip

 

[pstepka]

Last time we went we took two full sized strollers (boys were 3-1/2 and 1-1/2) and had no problems whatsoever. We would have them folded before the train/tram (whatever) came and had it down to a science re: getting the kids in and getting the strollers in. My preference is to NOT use an umbrella stroller for a few reasons. One is that I find them harder to push and manuever, and I don't like that you can't hang anything on them without them tippig over. Also, I couldn't live without my cup and snack holder on the top for me and the one on the stroller for the kids. Also, I would think kids would be much more comfortable laying down (at least reclining) while sleeping. I wouldn't want to be sitting all scrunched up when it's hot and sticky. In the full sized stroller, kids have more room to move around a bit without being constantly touching the sides/back.

I also like the storage of the full sized strollers. Our backpack fit just perfect underneath, plus we hung one of those mesh bags on the back and put diapers, wipes, etc. (things we needed easy access to (and weren't concerned about them being stolen) in it.


Pam

 

[fan_of_wdw]

OK, an opinion you won't want to hear... leave a 1 year at home with a relative... the child will not even remember the trip. That's why we waited for our DD to turn 6 before our first trip to WDW... no stroller, AND she remembers the trip.

Okay, so slam me. Take a 3 lb umbrella stroller.