5 year old in a stroller???

[ccgirl]

I agree. It is so freeing not to have a stroller. We never took one for a 5 yr old and they did fine. Kids have a lot more energy than a middle age parent!

So no I wouldn't take one for a 5 yr old.

Agreed. We bring very little in the parks as well and have packages delivered to the resort if we're staying on site or waiting at the exit when we leave.

 

[pumba]

remember your stride....an adult takes bigger steps then a kid does....I say bring a stroller and if you dont use it ...it can hold your stuff..we are going in May and our granddaughter can use it when needed...disney is a lot of work for adults and these little legs are LITTLE..
and yes our grandkids are go go go kids...but walking on cement all day long is very hard on anyone..

 

[ChrisParker]

We will have a 6 year old in tow and I'm not going to take a stroller (we don't even have one anymore! ) but here is my question - how hard is it to rent a stroller for the day or afternoon if we realize that we need one?

Thanks

Beth

 

[tinkermama117]

We will be bringing a 5 year old and an 16 month old on our next trip. We will definitely be bringing or renting a double stroller. Disney days are long and even though DD will walk most of the time, she will want to sit at some point.

 

[stich1fan]

Our DD is 5 and we are of the stroller in the am. If she gets tired we put her on our shoulders and go. At night we do take a stroller since sometimes she will fall asleep toward the end. We are wondering what type of stroller to take though. In the past we have taken our full stroller. She is a rather small 5 year old and fit well, but not so much anymore....

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I would HIGHLY recommend getting the double. While my girls are petite and may tire more quickly than bigger kids of their respective ages, DD5 needed the stroller on our last trip. She certainly didn't need the stroller all day, but 8a-3p in MK was enough to make her crash and actually fall asleep in the stroller! It was also very helpful during evening EMH when the 2nd wind faded around 11pm.

 

[taylor3297]

Do what is best for your family.

Our last trip dd was 8 and ds was 4. We did not take a stroller and the kids did just fine. We get to the parks at rope drop and tend to stay the whole day.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Absolutley get one.

 

[annabanna]

It really depends on your needs. We have a 2 and a 5 year old. We had two strollers last year when we went (18 months and 4 years old) and I was so glad that we had them. Not only were they great when the kids got tired and wanted to nap, but it was nice to have a space to keep ponchos, snacks, diapers, ect. without having to carry it all.
We went with 2 seperate strollers which worked well for us. We went with my parents and my sister and her family and there were times when one kid wanted to go with someone else. It made it easier that we could seperate them.

We just spent the weekend at the Omaha Zoo and I was greatful to have both strollers again. My 5 year old didn't ride in it much, but when he did it is worth having it.

 

[jcmaro]

I think there are a lot of factors in this decision. The weather, crowds and your park touring style. When we went in Nov/Dec 2010 we took a nice double stroller for our then 5 and 3 year old and they used it all the time. This time we are going in Nov/Dec with a 7, 5 and 2 1/2 year old. We will have 3 adults and plan on taking it slower this time. So we will only take a single stroller but will have an extra single stroller waiting in the car for maybe AK and Epcot.

Part of our reason is we don't have the space to bring the big stroller with us since we will be driving with 3 adults and 3 kids. And I can't see paying the expense of renting one.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Our LO was five for our last trip in January. We did not take one but totally planned to rent as we went along if we needed to. He NEVER even mentioned a stroller and kept up with us fine. We are NOT commando but neither do we take the mid-day naps though we do sometimes take rest breaks at the hotel. I did rent one our last night which was a late night at Epcot following the day he had been sick. Nope, he refused to ride in it....strollers were for babies Pushed it around empty for a while and ditched it.

Now many kids at five DO need one. Our friends went with their same age child and they took one. Both boys have done 5K's with us. Biggest difference they stayed off site and did not leave parks at all during the day nor did they park hop.

We saw kids up to about 10 in strollers and we saw kids as young as about 3 walking. Absolutely do what you think will make your trip better for your family.

 

[wallawallakids]

I would. I am going with my twins, they are almost 5, and I am bringing a single that has a foot stool on the back. That way one can sit and one can stand. It is easier than having a double. But if I only had a double, I would bring that. They are really good walkers and I bet they will end up walking a lot of it, but I know that by 3 they are going to want to sit and my older two will still be running around. If I didn't have two older kids that we all need to keep up with, I might rethink having a stroller and just trying to be more mellow about the trip. Resting more when the 4 year olds need it, but that just isn't going to happen with a 10 and 9 year old wanting to go, go, go. When we went to Disneyland last year, there were several older kids in strollers. I don't think anyone will bat an eye with a 5 year old in one. My 7 year old niece even took breaks in my SIL's stroller that she bought for her 5 year old. The 5 year old was running around like she was on speed. So I guess you never can tell!!

 

[wallawallakids]

Oh..also the stroller is really nice to stick stuff in so you don't have to carry everything. We use ours like a pack mule.

 

[Meshell2002]

Since you are asking....that means you think you need it....take it!

We did last trip with a 3 & 5 year old and had a great time.

When we go back and the kids are 9 mos, 5 & 7 we will take a double (or 2 singles) and the two olders can take turns. It helps on those longer days.

 

[luvmy2babies]

If you don’t take one, remember you will have to slow your pace way down. Since my daughter is no longer stroller age, even though I’m pushing my son in one, we slow way down so she doesn’t tire. Your ticker says 7 months, so it won’t be as hot and that will help. In October we took a short trip and my daughter was able to do 30 theme park hours in 3 days because we moved at a slow pace. Not sure how many days you are going for, but even if you slow down, it might not be the first 2 or 3 days, but days 4 onward where you might see some issues. Or in a larger park like Epcot or a hotter park like AK.

I like the suggestion another poster had of taking the single for the 2 year-old, but let it be a stroller your 5 year-old can use if need be.

Our trip coming up is in June, I booked for the maximum days I could afford and mixed in half days where we only tour until 2 or so.

Really it is about what will work for your family. On our first trip, I pushed my dd (then 7) around for a couple of days after she had some tummy issues. She still wanted to go out, but wasn’t really up to walking. She was under the weight limit for the stroller we had so I wore ds and pushed her. I probably looked like a pack mule and several people commented on how loaded down I looked. I didn’t care. It was worth it not to have to sit in the room until she was back at full strength.

 

[Sheaboys]

Our last trip we rented a double. The boys were 7, 5 and 3. All 3 fit it, when need be, such as raining or going from one end of the park to other (think Epcot for dinner). It was so easy.

We have taken a single and double on many other occasions, but only 2 kids. When your kids out number you, I just could not be bothered to also, try and drag a stroller on the bus or monorail too.

This trip, it is 5 kids, the two youngest will be 6(day of arrival) and 3. If need be, we will rent a double again, for length of stay.

Do what ever will make your trip and travels more enjoyable.

 

[J3nn78]

It depends on the kind of trip we are taking. My boys are 5 and 6. On our January trip we were taking it slow with no late nights. DH and I ran the half. So our boys did just fine without a stroller. We leave tomorrow for a quick long weekend that will be full of long days and late nights so we did rent. This will be the last stroller trip for the though. We are going back in August, but that is a slow and leisurely trip, so no stroller then. After that, we will be done with strollers for the older two, but we have a third on the way and will have a few more years of strollers ahead of us. I actually don't mind though. I like being able to take in extra stuff and drinks and snacks. I feel more prepared.

So, I think it depends on what type of trip you are planning as for if a 5 year old needs a stroller.

 

[DW2010]

I cannot imagine NOT getting a stroller. My DD is extremely active yet I still plan on either buying or renting a stroller from Magic Strollers. She will turn 6 on the trip. You walk a lot at Disney, and DD was in the stroller a lot when we went in 2010.

**I should add that we went non-stop and did not take afternoon breaks which is why we needed a stroller. DD was a few days shy of 4 the last time we went.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

We are heading down in August, a month before our DD turns 5, and we are bringing our stroller for her. I know she will get worn out and will probably even nap for us. She still crashes in the car and the stroller.

 

[ChrisParker]

Totally OT - Every time I see this thread, that Smiths song "Girlfriend in a Coma" comes into my head, except the words are "5 year old in a stroller..."

Retreating...