Almost 5 - stroller or no?

[NicholeB630]

My DD will be just about 6 and my DD 2.5 when we go and we will rent a double. I just low my DD won't walk all day and to avoid over tiredness & meltdowns I think it's needed. Plus it Carey's stuff

Holy crap my auto correct is awful!! Carries* and DS2.5 know*

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

My four year old never uses a stroller at home. We're going to spend three days in Orlando in June and I'm wondering if we should bring one on the trip. All three days will be park days (MK, Epcot and Sea World). Part of me just wants to leave it at home because I've had a stroller in the parks for the last three years and I'm sick of dragging it around; looking for it when they move it around, etc. No stroller sounds so freeing!

But then I think about my little guy and tromping around Epcot all day and think it's better to be safe than sorry.

What's the standard cut off (no special needs or anything - he's an average (although small/short) energetic four year old who will turn 5 a month after vacation).

I vote yes and do not understand why others get so fired up about this. Our 5-year-old never used a stroller at home but at WDW it allowed us to keep going past his stopping point. He would happily ride once he started getting tired and then would fall asleep in it. After a nice long nap, he'd wake up ready to keep going with the rest of us.

 

[amberpi]

My nephew turned 5 on his first trip to WDW. He's pretty normal in every way physically (but brilliant - obviously!) he didn't use a stroller during our morning touring and loved to play in the pools or resort playgrounds (hard - he wore the 4 grown ups out!) but in the evening he was willing to concede to the stroller. We did long afternoon breaks for pools and naps and then stayed up FAR past his usual bedtime. He thought he was a rock star. I'm not sure the experience would have been so pleasurable except for that evening stroller. In the morning he had FAR more energy than any of the adults and because of the break/stroller, he was the least whiney of the whole group!

 

[buggy2727]

This is a very contested topic... so I will give my experience and opinion.

I'm amazed as well that this thread has been flame free for this long! Anyway, add another vote for yes. Better to have it than to wish you would have brought one! I'm getting a double for DD's 4 & 6, we also have an 8 yo. I have a friend who is there now with a 4 & 8 yo DD's and a single stroller. By the end of the day, they are fighting over who goes in it (and her 8 yo is a very active, non whiney kid ). As PP said, maybe just rent one for the day you think you'll need it.

 

[AndreaA]

Absolutely I would bring one if you have the slightest inclination to do so. I clearly remember being surprised to see older kids (7-8) in the rented strollers when I went to MK as a non-parent 20-something. Now I'm the mother of twins and I actually dread the day when they'll refuse to ride. Where will I put all our stuff??

They are 5 now, haven't used a stroller at home since age 3 and we rented a BJCS double for both our trips (ages 3 and 4) and I fully intend to rent one again if they are under 7 at our next trip. I seriously doubt that even my super-active boys will turn down a place to sit, ride, eat, and drink in relative comfort, and it'll be much easier keeping our family together and moving quickly through the park.

 

[kmb584]

I would say: absolutely yes. My DD is 5 and hasn't used a stroller at home in 2+ years but when it comes to WDW it's a necessity. She'll walk for the better portion of the day but those little legs get tired faster than mine, and by mid-afternoon she's ready to be chauffered for a bit (the motion tends to lull her into a nap as well, an unheard of occurrence at home). If we're running a bit late for an ADR it's also much easier to push her in a stroller compared to hurrying her along or carrying her.

 

[mamattorney]

OK great - it seems virtually unanimous then, better safe than sorry. The stroller will come along. I looked at what the rental ones look like and they look pretty clunky and uncomfortable. I think I'd rather bring ours along even though it means toting it on a plane and having it sit in a cruise cabin for a week beforehand. It's a good thing it folds up to be pretty small!

 

[Hannathy]

No
Non of the 3 kids I have taken to Disney used a stroller at 5. They have more energy than adults.

Not having a stroller at Disney is so freeing!

 

[GenevieveRaqs]

My son's first trip to WDW was at 4 1/2. We hadn't used a stroller at home since he was 2. We didn't take one to WDW, and this was absolutely the right decision for us. There is NO WAY he would have wanted to ride in it--that's just the kind of kid he is. When he needed a break, we took a break. Sometimes that meant sitting on the curb with a popsicle. Sometimes it meant going back to the room for a longer rest. We took things at his pace--and, frankly, he has more energy than all of us grown-ups anyway!

 

[Aquatic]

Yes, bring a stroller.

 

[KELLY]

My youngest hasn't used one in the world since 3. But she is a trooper. I did bring it at age 4 but it stayed in the room for 2 weeks. Same with my older dd. I just hate taking the stroller and if my kids are tired we usually just take a break and find a place to sit and grab a drink or snack. They are now 6 and 8.

Only you know your'e kid. So if you think you need it bring it. I will say my youngest wanted me to bring it to the park the fist day and I said no. She did fine and never asked again.

 

[Angel Ariel]

OK great - it seems virtually unanimous then, better safe than sorry. The stroller will come along. I looked at what the rental ones look like and they look pretty clunky and uncomfortable. I think I'd rather bring ours along even though it means toting it on a plane and having it sit in a cruise cabin for a week beforehand. It's a good thing it folds up to be pretty small!

You could always look into renting from an offsite company like apple strollers or kingdom strollers. They rent nice, comfortable city mini strollers which are very easy to fold to get on/off buses

 

[DavidNYC]

4 year old twins here. Disney and airport are the only places we've used a stroller for about a year now. Probably a year or two more for Disney. They just need down time and we like being able to still walk around. Depends on your kids and touring style - no right answer by anyone other than you.

Edit - by the way, even though we bring one, we'll often leave it at one ride for a while and come back after a few rides in the area. You're not stuck using it if you have it!

 

[MrsHammer]

We visited when my daughter had just turned 6. We hadn't used a stroller at home for quite a while either, but I must say I'm really glad we brought ours. It was a hassle at times to navigate through the crowds, but overall, I'm glad we had it. As others have said, Disney is a *lot* of walking, especially for little lets. Plus, we went in June, so the stroller canopy allowed a shaded place for my daughter to rest. We took it from area to area and parked and then walked to the nearby attractions. Just be sure to have something to identify yours from every one else's. Also, the cast members will 're-align' groups of strollers to allow for more parking. A few times we came out of attractions and our stroller had been moved and we spent an extra 10 minutes or so looking for it.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Our experience.

We celebrated DGD's 5th birthday at WDW (got there on Sunday, her birthday was the following Thursday). My DH did not want anything to do with a stroller. DGD had been out of the stroller for about a year.

Late Sunday afternoon, after multiple, "Grandpa, carry me," he gave up. While we were in line to see Cinderella, I dialed Kingdom Strollers. By 7 AM the next morning, they delivered a stroller to our condo.

 

[Mom2darlingboys]

Absolutely! DD was out of a stroller at home by 2, little stink! She happily strolled at Disney till she was 7, her stroller the last few years was a Mac Volo, awesome umbrella stroller.

I agree with the Volo 150%. We used it for my youngest when he was 5 and 6 and occasionally, his 8 year old brother would sit in it (although he was over the weight limit - that thing is a workhorse!). We would leave it parked safely and appropriately in each land with our backpack in it (with no valuables - just extra clothes and snacks) and it was rarely moved. We would walk around in the land then get the stroller and move on. Sometimes the kids would walk, but at the end of the day the little one wanted to ride. It really is a lot of walking for little feet. He always had a seat for parades and fireworks too, which was great.

The best thing about it was that when we needed to make a quick escape through crowds, after Wishes for example, we folded it up, threw the strap over our shoulder and could easily navigate the masses while the other one carried the tired boy! At the crowded bus stop at the end of the night, and if he fell asleep on the bus, he'd also have a ride back to the room.

I think the mistake most people make is bringing more 'stroller' than they need to Disney. I know a lot of people love them, but I cannot even IMAGINE navigating Disney with a jogging stroller... Especially those massive ones with the enormous front wheel!

 

[Angeni11]

It really depends on your kid.

My now 6 year old could do it all at 3 without one (we had a sit and stand and he rarely used it). He has been fine without one since then. He loves to go for walks.

My 4 year old (will be 5 in July) is getting better about it but we will definately need one for him this year. He knows this is the last year of the stroller though and with all our hiking to the beach for fossil hunting is not complaining as much. He does sometime nap (or pass out lol) so we need it for him.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I think the mistake most people make is bringing more 'stroller' than they need to Disney. I know a lot of people love them, but I cannot even IMAGINE navigating Disney with a jogging stroller... Especially those massive ones with the enormous front wheel!

YES! This is good advice. The mac fits through the x-ray machine at airport security, is super-light-weight, and takes up very little room. So easy to deal with, even in a crowd.

 

[FPminusCommando]

I have three kids and have used strollers on six annual trips. Reasons to get a stroller:

1) You can move much faster
2) You are not constantly looking back to see if your young one has gotten lost in the crowd
3) The child will be rested and can even fall asleep
4) You can hang purses, water bottles, shop purchases, etc off the back (I suggest buying some plastic hooks in advance so you can have some additional hook points on the stroller handle)

I happily rented Disney strollers for years but last year we switched to Orlando Stroller Rentals. They deliver a stroller to your hotel bell-hop, ready when you check in. Advantages of this:
1) You can bring the stroller out of the park so you can stroll the child all the way to the bus and again from the bus to the room. You can board the monorail with the child still in the stroller.
2) I recall that they are cheaper then Disney strollers
3) They look more comfortable

I suggest personalizing your stroller so it's easy to pick out in the parking areas and to reduce the change of someone deciding to accidentally borrow your stroller. For example tie a bright shirt around the handle, or keep a balloon tied to it.

 

[FPminusCommando]

If you find yourself touring MK late at night near the train station stops (next to Splash or next to Barnstormer), look for abandoned Disney strollers (they will not have a family name card in the card slot). One night I picked up a single-person Disney stroller that way and my 10yr old and 13yr old had fun pushing each other across the park from ride to ride. I had my official Disney stroller name tag in my backpack, so I was good to go