Advice on younger kids

[disnut8]

We are coming down to Disney the second week in August. We have four kids: 16, 14, 6 and 5. My wife things we should bring strollers for the 5 & 6 years old. I am not necessarily against it but I also want to bring two smaller soft side coolers on wheels to carry food and water in. Just seems like a lot to pull/push around. We were going to bring a wagon but luckily I read that wagons are not allowed. We are staying off property, so anything we bring we will have to carry back and forth.

Looking for any advice or other suggestions.

For food, get a back pack or daybag and pack smaller containers of pretzels and snack mix or whatever your kids like. BUT, only pack the minimum and in hard sided containers. For drinks, take one small soft sided cooler with six drinks and ice. Put that under the stroller. If you want to take two strollers, do that so you have more room.

Quite honestly, what I've found to work out best is to lay out EVERYTHING you think you will need on a Disney trip on your bed at least a week before you leave. Then, every day, start really thinking about it. Two extra sets of clothes? Nope - just one, off the bed. Five bottles of water per person? Nope, just one per person AND, they can carry it themselves (Disney sells water bottle straps) and there are water fountains everywhere. As a PP stated, your kids can carry their own small pack with them. If they carry a bag to school, they can carry a bag in a theme park. Distribute the weight. Your kids can have their own pack of their snacks and a bottle of water (the small ones work well in a pack).

Oh - if they chew gum, you have to take that with you - none will be found for sale in the parks.

 

[WuvEeyore]

Bring the stroller. When we went last year, DH didn't want to bring one, but I insisted. DD (3 at the time) who is very active and loves to run around, spent a good portion of the day in the stroller. All the walking and the heat was too much for her highness to bare. lol We just brought an umbrella stroller, so easy to load on and off the bus. We will be bringing it again this trip.

 

[mummabear]

if you really feel you need to bring one I would only bring one not two. That way they could take turns in it when they were too tired to walk.

I would agree with this, you can always take it on the trip skip it the first day then decide whether its worth bringing.
I would note though at the end of each day I would expect both your young ones to want to ride in either the stroller or on someones shoulders.

 

[GatorMama]

We didn't use one for our five year old in Sept but it was only one day. Your wife has a mothers instinct though and Id tend to follow a mothers instinct on most things. Rarely wrong.

 

[juliekzp]

Strollers for sure. Just went with my almost-6-year-old, and it was so nice to be able to just plop him in there and get where we needed to go without issue. We've often used 2 strollers too, so 3-year-old gets her own, and 8-year-old even likes to hop in if one is vacant. One stroller with a Buggy Board (one kid in stroller, one standing on the back) is a good option too, unless you think you'll split up a lot (like we do, because my kids like different things).

 

[jtowntoflorida]

On our one August trip I wanted a stroller. For myself. **cry**

Rent a stroller from an offsite company. They're fairly cheap and they're soooo much better than those clunkers that Disney rents.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I will say that our stroller use does go up exponentially when it's hot. On our December trip, I'd say that we were mainly pushing an empty stroller unless we needed to be somewhere quickly. But it was nice and cool then. In June, the kids were fighting over who got to sit in it. The heat just takes so much out of you. I really can't imagine a trip in August with a 5 and 6 year old without a stroller. That would be miserable for us.

 

[asbyrneva]

Your wife is right. Bring strollers for both of them. My wife and I had the same conversation last November. Our boys were 10, 7, and 5. I thought we wouldn't need a stroller at all and was excited about the prospect of not having to push it around and park it everywhere. We ended up bringing one (if for nothing else, just to carry our stuff), and our biggest regret was not bringing two. We had many fights between the 7 and 5 year old over whose turn it was to ride in the stroller. I would think the kids would be even more tired in the August heat.

Or no stroller no fight

 

[Mamato2cutekiddos]

My kids will be a month shy of turning 7 and 5 and haven't been in strollers for ages. We are most definitely renting one. I think my 6yo will be fine but I am not willing to take any risks as *I* do not want to be stuck lugging kids on my back/shoulders when I'm already hot and tired. No thanks!

 

[Linda M]

We just finished a five night trip to Disney with our five year old granddaughter and didn't use a stroller at all. It was very hot and I can imagine that sitting in a stroller would have been incredibly uncomfortable. With the summer crowds at Disney, I would not have wanted to be navigating with a stroller, finding parking for rides and attractions, then searching for it again at the end of the ride. The other issue you may face is that if you use the Disney transportation, you will have to be able to fold up the stroller in order to board. The bus drivers, in particular, can be very picky about that. Take as little as you can manage to the parks. Especially when it's hot, you don't want to be lugging all kinds of things through those crowds and figuring out what you're going to do with the 'stuff' when you're on rides. Travel light or you're bound to regret it.

 

[nat8199]

My kids will be 4.5, 4.5, and just turned 6 when we go to Disney in the fall. We don't even own a stroller. I am still renting a double stroller for our trip. Worst comes to worst we realize we don't need it, park it somewhere for the day, and then it never leaves the room again. I would rather have it though. I still plan on parking it in one spot for a few hours at a time, then moving it as we move from land to land and area to area. I mainly see us needing it for the treks into and out of the parks, or for shaded seating during parades and shows. I think it will also be useful as a mobile snack break.

The main thing that could ruin my trip is having to carry a hot, sweaty, tired kid when I am hot, sweaty, and tired myself.

 

[rtilner]

You needs strollers don't kid yourselves. The little ones get tired. You need to bring extra items them also. Plus at the end of the day and you board your transportation they are going to be dead to the world. Try carry dead weigh back to your hotel room. At the bottom of this website there is stroller rental company. The owner operator is very nice and she has different size strollers. In the stroller you can store items in the pocket. And having them in the stroller will help keep tabs on them. Renting the strollers at the parks are expense plus there hard plastic and very uncomfortable. Plus when you leave the parks the stroller stays. When you rent outside its your 24 7

 

[DisneyAnytime]

My DDs first trip to WDW was when she was 6 and had been out of a stroller for at least 4 years. We rented a stroller at WDW (they also have doubles) and it was the best money we spent the whole trip. She was always a high energy kid but the lines, the walking, and the heat can be a little overwhelming and there was NO WAY any of us could carry her. The stroller allowed her to take a break whenever she needed it (we also gave her one of those dollar store personal mister fans to keep cool).

If you feel you MUST take a cooler, you might also want to look into renting a locker. Remember you can get water at any counter service restaurant for free, so you don't really need to bring it in to the parks. Snacks are fine but go for smaller, portable items and not a full on picnic. If you are bringing a cooler for budgetary reasons, most counter service meals are big enough to share between two people (maybe 3 depending on the appetites of your little ones) and there are many ways to eat on a budget. If you are bringing a cooler because of allergies or other dietary requirements, Disney is GREAT about accommodating guests needs. And finally, if you are bringing a cooler just because you want to -- by all means, go right ahead!

Regardless, the less you have to carry the better! I know younger children come with a lot more "stuff", but less really is more when walking around in the Florida heat (and the second week in August will be HOT)! The backpack that feels light as a feather in the morning will feel like a ton of bricks by late afternoon or before. Just be sure to enjoy your trip!

 

[Halefamilyof6]

My youngest will be six when we go. We will have a stroller. But, that's my child. He hates the heat, he's not overly fond of big crowds, and walking a lot isn't his idea of a good time. This child needs a stroller. All kids are different and you'll know best what you need. My oldest would have been just fine without a stroller. She could go all day and night. My middle two kids...it would have been a toss up if they needed one, and I honestly would have erred on the side of caution and rented one anyway, especially for carrying our stuff if nothing else!

We plan to rent off site as it's much cheaper. Good luck!

 

[jesster]

How much is it to rent a stroller there?

From allears.net stroller blog:
"It will cost you $15.00 per day to rent a “single” stroller and $31.00 per day to rent a “double” stroller. If you’re going to need a stroller for more than one day you can rent them at the “multi-day” rate of $13.00 per day for a “single” and $27.00 per day for a “double”.

If you’re park hopping you will not be allowed to take the strollers from one park to another. However, the price you pay entitles you to a stroller (at no additional cost) that day in any of the parks you visit."

You can read the whole article here: http://land.allears.net/blogs/michaelbachand/2009/03/new_strollers_magic_kingdom.html