Another stroller question

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

This will be our first time to WDW with kids. I am wondering what I should do regarding a stroller(s). At the time of travel our DD's will be 4 & 1. We have a very nice double stroller. However, is that going to be to cumbersome? Would using 2 umbrella strollers work better? Or, would renting one at the parks be a better solution. Would the park ones be ok for my 1 year old (will be 14 mos at time of travel). If we decide to use the double or two umbrella...how does that work at the airports? What do we do with them?

I am unsure about the whole nap/afternoon break thing right now. DD4 is getting to the point that she won't take naps. However, I know if she is wore out enough she will sleep. I think she would sleep in the stroller if she is tired enough. DD1 still takes naps, she will sleep wherever! So sleeping in the stroller would be no problem. So I need to consider this when deciding what to do for a stroller. I know DH would probably say leave the strollers at home and rent, but I would like some expert opinions from you guys!!!

I am confused as what to do, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

 

[Elmo888]

I would definitley bring a stroller for the 1 year old. It will be more comfortable for your baby. In addition, you will find that you will need a stroller outside the parks, and the rented strollers are only for inside the parks. There is a lot of walking from your resort room to the transportation (bus/boat/monorail) and from the transportation to the park. This is the reason that I would consider bringing your own stroller for your 4 year old. If she falls asleep in the evening, you will have to carry her out of the park to the transportation and from there to your room. And at the end of the day, you are tired, too.

You could try leaving the 4 yo's stroller in the room for the first day out time and rent one, seeing how it goes. If you don't stay late or stay all day, your 4 year old might be fine walking back to the resort room. It just might depend on the time of day and the type of child and how you tour.

If you have 2 comfortable umbrella strollers, I would go with that. That way, you and your DH could separate if you wanted to. One adult could go back to the resort with one child or go to the parks with one child and still have a stroller.

At the airport, you can take the stroller up to the gate and gate check it.

Enjoy!

 

[chef_mickey]

You could have a stroller for the 1 year old and a child leash for the four year old... a child child leash is a book bag that has leash on the back of the bag.

 

[MrsPMC00]

My girls are about the same ages as yours. My 4 year old will turn 5 while we are there and my little one will be 20 months and we have a doubel stroller at home (the sit stand type) that we like for the older for when we are out and she gets tired, but to WDW we take 2 umbrella strollers. We leave our "gear" in one of them and let the older one walk, but we have the stroller ready and available if her little legs need a rest. There are times DH and I split and each take a daughter, so 2 strollers makes this easier. As far as the airport, you can take the strollers right to the gate. Go to the counter and have them put a gate check tag on them, you will get a claim ticket. When the planes lands and you de-board they will be sitting in the jetway for you to take (sometimes it takes a while for them to get there, but they are usually pretty quick!!) Hope that helps! Good luck!

 

[kjbrown]

At home, my DD3 doesn't really use a stroller. We will be bringing one stroller from home (Maclaren Triumph) for my DS18months and renting a stroller at the parks if needed. We brought the Maclaren for our last trip when it was just DD, then 2 1/2. We gate checked the stroller (we used a bag I got on-line to keep it from getting wrecked). As PP said it was great to have our own stroller for getting on the buses, at the airport, etc.

I have to comment on this...

"I am unsure about the whole nap/afternoon break thing right now."

Obviously, you should do whatever is best for your kids, BUT I have to say that it was SUCH a good idea for us to break/nap every afternoon. Even if my DD didn't nap, it was great to get away and go swimming or just take a break. We only had one major meltdown the entire trip (with a 2 1/2 year old!!) and it was our second day and I think she was just in sensory overload! Incidentally, we thought she would fall asleep no problem in the stroller and ended up on meltdown day walking the entire WS in Epcot with DD WIDE AWAKE!

The break was good for us and her! We will DEFINITELY be doing this on our next trip. I can't recommend this enough.

 

[kjbrown]

Me (33) DH (36) DD(4 1/2) DD(18 mo)

Incidentally, (and not to highjack the thread) this is almost exactly our family when we go to DW next Feb - Me(34) DH(36) DD(4 1/2) DS(18mo).

 

[Elmo888]

At home, my DD3 doesn't really use a stroller. We will be bringing one stroller from home (Maclaren Triumph) for my DS18months and renting a stroller at the parks if needed. We brought the Maclaren for our last trip when it was just DD, then 2 1/2. We gate checked the stroller (we used a bag I got on-line to keep it from getting wrecked). As PP said it was great to have our own stroller for getting on the buses, at the airport, etc.

I have to comment on this...

"I am unsure about the whole nap/afternoon break thing right now."

Obviously, you should do whatever is best for your kids, BUT I have to say that it was SUCH a good idea for us to break/nap every afternoon. Even if my DD didn't nap, it was great to get away and go swimming or just take a break. We only had one major meltdown the entire trip (with a 2 1/2 year old!!) and it was our second day and I think she was just in sensory overload! Incidentally, we thought she would fall asleep no problem in the stroller and ended up on meltdown day walking the entire WS in Epcot with DD WIDE AWAKE!

The break was good for us and her! We will DEFINITELY be doing this on our next trip. I can't recommend this enough.

I wanted to second this. It isn't necessarily the nap that some kids need (although DD6, one month from turning 7, napped nearly every day). It is the break from the sensory overload. Some kids can sleep in the stroller, but some kids need to get away from all of the stuff in order to just relax and process what they have done/seen/heard/experienced.

I also wanted to add an experience...whenever I read these posts about strollers for a 4 or 5 year old, I remember a family that we met at WDW in January. They brought a stroller for their 2 yo, but not for their 4 or 5 yo. They were from overseas and decided to buy one for the 4 or 5 yo. And they didn't buy a cheapie - it was a Maclaren (I read recently how Europeans will spend more money and buy higher quality, and, as a result, less often than Americans, and this was a good example of this). When I met them at 7:30 or 8 pm at Epcot, the 2 yo was sitting up, wide awake, and happy in the Maclaren and the 4 yo was in the plush, fully reclining P3 fast asleep (she was so reclined and comfortable that she was on her side). It is just difficult to predict what little ones are going to need!

 

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

Thanks for the help! I am leaning more towards the 2 umbrella strollers. I think that might work the best for us. Will have to talk to DH about it. We will be driving to the parks as we will be staying at GKTW. My DD4 likes to ride in the stroller when we go for walks, but I can see her wanting out for a good portion of the day while at the parks. The break in the afternoon is sounding like a good idea. Since it will be our first time with kids, we may need the break just as much as the kids!

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Until our trip last week, we always took umbrella strollers -- 2 when our younger ds was still in one. This trip, 4 1/2 yo dd stated that she wanted to walk like her brothers. (Yea!!) Umbrella strollers are light weight and easy to pack on the buses. Larger strollers are bulky and heavy. (They also will earn you some pretty wicked looks from fellow guests on crowded buses.)

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

word to the wise, when bringing and umbrella stroller, try to get one that reclines. Also if you are on the tall side be sure to try to walk with them in the store. I am on the tall side (5'8") and here is the one I have, and I love mine.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/inde...co&fbc=1&categoryId=2256203&parentPage=search

 

[mrstomrice]

Just my opinion...those plastic strollers look pretty uncomfortable too. I plan on bringing our double stroller since we don't have 2 umbrellas. I also can't picture my DH and I each holding a sleeping DS (3 years and 10 months) and a stroller...I hope I survive the buses!