anyone use a stroller just for your "stuff"?

[sharoncity]

My kids are older now and certainly don't need a stroller anymore. But I miss having a spot to stick my "stuff" so I don't have to always carry everything. Anybody ever get a stroller just for their "stuff"?

 

[bubblygrl]

We do, we have dd10 and dd who will be 6 we use the stroller for jackets and such and for when the dd6 gets tired...its great to have if you need it!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Yes, we do. Ds4 doesn't sit in it much but I LOVE having a place to put stuff. I realize he is still age appropriate for a stroller most of the time but I think even if he was a little older we would still bring it for our storage.

 

[sharoncity]

Okay, so my DD is 14 and my DS is 9. Would it be "wrong"?

 

[dizzyami]

Nah, you might get a few concerned looks of where you lost a child - but I wouldn't let that stop me!!! I love the stroller at DL!!!

 

[PlazaPavGal92]

I've seen the double stroller in the park many times with older children.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I loved having the stroller on our trip! We stored jackets, water and snacks down in the basket, and hung the backpack on the back when one of the kids was seated in the stroller.

I was honestly wondering what I'm going to do with all that stuff when the kids are too old for the stroller!

But I guess that's when you ~
A) Have the kids carry their own stuff! , and
B) Use a locker if you need to.

I don't think I'd go to the trouble of bringing the stroller just for the stuff. It is kind of a hassle in itself, and I guess I'm just too dang lazy to deal with it! I'll just load up the packmul...er, children.

 

[Judy from Boise]

my honest opinion....it is not "wrong' or against the rules, but I would say it borders on inconsiderate.....honestly DL size works against us all when it comes to strollers for both the pusher and the people who are being blocked. Completely understandable when needed....but the size of the park is not so large that returning to a locker is hardship if it is not really needed. Not trying to preach, and i wouldn't say a word against people who think they need them, but every stroller not being used is a plus on the side of all visitors.

 

[crasher11]

Will be taking ours when we go in May, Both DS'S( 7 and 5) never use the stroller anymore but will be nice if one of them wants to sit a little when we are on the move. We also like it to store our stuff in there when we are riding or just walking around, nice not to have a arm full of stuff as you walk. I say take it and if you see the first day you don't need it, leave it at the hotel.. Better to have it there if you need it then leave it at home and want it.

 

[XTinabell]

my honest opinion....it is not "wrong' or against the rules, but I would say it borders on inconsiderate.....honestly DL size works against us all when it comes to strollers for both the pusher and the people who are being blocked. Completely understandable when needed....but the size of the park is not so large that returning to a locker is hardship if it is not really needed. Not trying to preach, and i wouldn't say a word against people who think they need them, but every stroller not being used is a plus on the side of all visitors.

I would have to agree with this, just because it can make it hard for all parties involved to move around a busy park. But if it will save you, take the stroller, but if you don't mind walking to a locker I'd recommend that. But with that being said I don't think people would judge you one way or the other, I certainly don't spend my time at Disneyland assessing who in the crowd should be using a stoller and who shouldn't Have a fun trip!

 

[sharoncity]

Thanks for all the reply's. I have not used a stroller in quite awhile, so I had forgotten about the difficulties of manuevering the crowds. Hmm... this puts a new light on my thoughts. Unfortunately, I end up being the pack mule. Kiddies just whine too much for my comfort and they know it and work it! My DH has a slight disablilty now, so it is difficult for him to help out too much with the carrying. I'll just try to take the minimum and use a locker if need be. Thanks for all the input!!!

 

[Grendel]

while i think its nice to take a holistic approach to making the park better for everyone by making less congestion, i think if it will add alot of value to your vacation and make your experience better by having a stroller..then do it. Parks are crowded by nature and there will always be issues and stares etc. But if having a piece of plastic with wheels on it makes your whole day more relaxing and and your vacation more enjoyable..then do it!!

of course try not to give me flat tires if im walking in front of you!!

 

[fidoprincess]

My kids are older now but you just never know when you will want a stroller! We have the Disney Visa so the option of having a stroller is free and that makes it nice. My youngest dd had just turned 7 on our last trip and we never thought we would use a stroller but we realized that she was getting worn out from all the walking so we did get her a stroller a couple of times and one night, she fell asleep in it and we stayed much later than we would have if she had been walking. Even my older ds has used the stroller when he was not feeling great, they are pretty big strollers!

That said, both my kids wear their own fanny packs with their own drinks, snacks, and gameboys for waiting in giant long lines! I wear one too and believe me, I would not be caught dead wearing it anywhere else but for DL it is perfect, hands free, nothing to stash for rides, no worries about having anything stolen either. Had a bit of trouble finding one for my little dd but she found one she loves in the pooh store!

If we are going to stay late into the evening (once it gets dark, it gets cold to us especially in Nov and Jan!) we pack a backpack and stash it in the locker for Jackets, sweatpants for the kids to slip over shorts and any other "night gear" like glow in the dark toys. When they were in diapers, we stashed the extras in the locker and just went back to get refills for our tiny diaper bag.

You don't want to push a stroller if you don't have to and so many of the things we were lugging around on our first few trips are just not necessary. We've seen people carry in packs of water bottles. We take one small one each, the tiny ones that fit in our fanny packs and refill them at the restaurants. When it was just slightly cool, we just tied sweatshirts around the kids waists and that was great. Travel light or your shoulders will hurt and it is really a pain to have to drag a big pack through the parks! Many rides have small nets to store your stuff but no backpack is going to fit on soaring or indy!

 

[minmate]

So far, we still believe we need the stroller for our youngest (4). I've seen posts about people considering not needing one by 4, but honestly, I prefer having the stroller for the same reason you've said here. We went in early and were wearing jackets and the kids, even had pants on some mornings. But within 2-3 hours or so, it was warm enough we had to peel off those layers. That's a lot of junk to carry around -- in addition to the backpack! With that being said, we do try to travel lightly into the parks. Juice boxes or water bottles, a few prepackaged snacks, say cheez-its, napkins, band-aids and aspirin. That's about all we have in our "Survival kit" along with camera, cell phone, tickets and maps/showtime guides.
But when we'd go in at night after our break, we found we didn't need to bring in as much stuff -- the kids weren't changing their clothes as the weather was at a constant.
I would say, go ahead and try a day without it but if it's too much of a pain, go ahead and use it. You don't want to be miserable b/c of all the stuff you feel you have to lug around. But if you try to go into the parks light, you just may find you like that too -- no need to waste time parking the stroller, navigating crowds with it and then backtracking and searching for it after each ride. After awhile, that's all kind of time consuming.