At what age did you stop using a stroller for your child at the Disney parks?

[accm]

I think it really depends on your own kid and your travel style.

We were at DL for my son's second birthday, and only really used the stroller to walk to/from the parks and sometime to walk between the lands. Most of the time the stroller was just parked somewhere. We were in the parks everyday before rope drop, and stayed until the parks closed. But we also went at his speed during the day, took lots of snack breaks, and a ~4hr break back at the hotel.

We had a trip to WDW planned for January which has now been delayed, but even now with two kids (will be 1.5 and 4 on our next trip hopefully), we're still planning on only taking the one stroller, and they can take turns using it if needed because I'm not about to buy/deal with a double stroller.

 

[disneymom0104]

We stopped strollers at the 5/6 range. I have 4 kids and one of them needed a stroller at WDW at age 6. I've also had a newly 5 year old at WDW that didn't need a stroller at all. My other 2 stopped at 5. Actually our upcoming trip will be the first we've ever done without a stroller (minus our Disneyland Paris trip in 2019). My youngest will be 7.

 

[Rory607]

I think it really depends on your own kid and your travel style.

We were at DL for my son's second birthday, and only really used the stroller to walk to/from the parks and sometime to walk between the lands. Most of the time the stroller was just parked somewhere. We were in the parks everyday before rope drop, and stayed until the parks closed. But we also went at his speed during the day, took lots of snack breaks, and a ~4hr break back at the hotel.

We had a trip to WDW planned for January which has now been delayed, but even now with two kids (will be 1.5 and 4 on our next trip hopefully), we're still planning on only taking the one stroller, and they can take turns using it if needed because I'm not about to buy/deal with a double stroller.

WDW is much bigger and different when it comes to the stroller issue, IMO. We did DL when our kids were 7 and 4 and hardly used the stroller at all. But at those ages at WDW we used it much more.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Ours our currently 6 and 4. We never ever use our stroller. It stays in the attic currently. But we wouldn’t travel to Disney without it. It’s hard for little legs to walk 6-7 miles a day without asking to be carried. And I love the ability to put them in a safe place when we need to move through a crowd, or quickly get to another place. Add to that the storage it affords and a place for kids to rest when needed or have a snack make it invaluable to us.

 

[accm]

WDW is much bigger and different when it comes to the stroller issue, IMO. We did DL when our kids were 7 and 4 and hardly used the stroller at all. But at those ages at WDW we used it much more.

We were in WDW for his first birthday and didn't really use the stroller much more than we did at DL. Still just used it to get into the parks and sometimes to walk between the lands. I actually find a stroller is more annoying at WDW since you need to fold it to use the buses.

Like I said though, it really depends on the kid and your travel style. We mostly just do what our kids want to do when we're at the parks, and take a midday break, so the stroller ends up not being as necessary for us. Both our kids don't really like the stroller either, so that definitely impacts how much we use it, and why we didn't bother buying a double stroller when our second son was born.

 

[Rory607]

We were in WDW for his first birthday and didn't really use the stroller much more than we did at DL. Still just used it to get into the parks and sometimes to walk between the lands. I actually find a stroller is more annoying at WDW since you need to fold it to use the buses.

Like I said though, it really depends on the kid and your travel style. We mostly just do what our kids want to do when we're at the parks, and take a midday break, so the stroller ends up not being as necessary for us. Both our kids don't really like the stroller either, so that definitely impacts how much we use it, and why we didn't bother buying a double stroller when our second son was born.

Your one year old walked through WDW? That would never have worked for my kids, lol. My first wasn’t even walking yet at that age and my second was just starting and was still pretty wobbly. I do agree it’s annoying to fold when you get on the bus, which was always my H’s job.

 

[dez1978]

my boys were 5& 7 on our 1st trip and we did not use a stroller then.

 

[accm]

Your one year old walked through WDW? That would never have worked for my kids, lol. My first wasn’t even walking yet at that age and my second was just starting and was still pretty wobbly. I do agree it’s annoying to fold when you get on the bus, which was always my H’s job.

That makes it sound way more impressive than it actually was haha we spent a lot of time on the splash pads or playing around waiting on rider swap, so there wasn't as much walking as a normal WDW trip. And then if we had to walk a long distance, I would usually put him in a carrier. He was an early walker, so was pretty confident by the time we went to the park and hated staying still. I have a very clear memory of our last night, in the hub, when we stayed later than we had planned since he was in such a good mood, and he just kept running back towards the castle while we were trying to leave.

We went with my parents and grandmother, and they brought so much stuff to the parks that the stroller ended up just carrying all their stuff.

 

[nangosix]

I have four children. I was convinced when my youngest son was five that I no longer needed a stroller. . I caved in less than a day and purchased an umbrella style stroller by the Epcot International Gateway entrance. I will say that was the best $55 I spent that trip. My last trip with all my children, even some of the older ones asked for a break in the stroller. Partial laziness and partial exhaustion but I will definitely bring one for at least another year or two. My youngest now is 5.
Always an option is to buy an umbrella stroller on Amazon and ship it to yourself at the hotel.

 

[Lilsia]

I have four children. I was convinced when my youngest son was five that I no longer needed a stroller. . I caved in less than a day and purchased an umbrella style stroller by the Epcot International Gateway entrance. I will say that was the best $55 I spent that trip. My last trip with all my children, even some of the older ones asked for a break in the stroller. Partial laziness and partial exhaustion but I will definitely bring one for at least another year or two. My youngest now is 5.
Always an option is to buy an umbrella stroller on Amazon and ship it to yourself at the hotel.

That 4, 5, 6 age is so different for every child as far as development. I am always amazed at how much they grow while in kindergarten. My youngest is very stubborn and at 4, she refused to get in the stroller anymore. We went on a trip to San Diego and she walked the whole time at the zoo, wild animal park, seaworld, and our trip up to DL. My oldest would have happily sat in the stroller at that age. The umbrella strollers are great for trips like that. I know that a lot of people leave behind a small stroller in the pay it forward groups that I belong go. I recommend people join one of those on FB if going to WDW.

 

[bdiddy]

Our first 3 trips were when my kids were 2/4, 3/5 and then 6/8. We didn’t use any strollers on the trip when they were 6/8.

 

[mrspark812]

Never! It carries all our stuff for us That being said our last time to DL my then 6 year old walked most of the day while her brothers (4 and 4 months at the time) rode in the stroller. Every now and then I'd put baby in the carrier and big sis would hope in for a break.

 

[Afabena]

My kids were 6 on our last trip in 2019. By that age they didn’t use one at home, and I didn’t bring a stroller. They did great walking the first 2 days but by the 3rd day their feet were tired and we were dealing with complaining and whining. We rented a stroller the last 2 days in the parks and it was a huge difference for them being able to hop in and out. They were happy to be pushed to the next attraction. We took pool breaks 4 out of 5 park days but even with doing that it was too much for them in the parks.
I don’t anticipate using one for our upcoming trip in Nov when they are 8, but if they are within the weight limit I would consider renting again a few days if it keeps everyone happy.

 

[Makmak]

We had planned on doing our first stroller free trip but then Covid hit. We go long hours and with the masks and heat I thought I’d bring a stroller for my 7 year old and was glad I did. We got some “looks” in the morning but by afternoon the “looks” of many other parents had turned envious. We mostly used it to get to the park entrances and to go from land to land to give a little break and I’m so glad we did. We are bringing it again in a few weeks, and if we don’t need it then that’s fine, it’s still a place to store our stuff haha.

 

[gossler1]

Boys 5 and 7, and we’ll likely get 1, if not 2 strollers for an upcoming summer trip. The added storage is a nice bonus for carrying bags, snacks, purchases, etc

 

[billybobblockhead]

First trip with our kids was when they were 7 and 4. We've never taken or rented a stroller. I would occasionally throw the 4 year old on my shoulders for a quick rest, but other than that, they walked the entire time.

 

[Kelly014]

We got a double when my kids were 7 and 2, that was the last time my DD needed one. DS will be 6 on this trip and I plan to get one. Not sure if he’ll need one next year. We do not poke around the park at my kids’ pace and like to stay open to close, so the stroller keeps everyone happy. We can move at our pace without wearing out the kids to the point of exhaustion. We’re also doing a nine day trip and one of those days is going to be a jam packed day at Universal so he is going to need it at some point and the storage doesn’t hurt!

 

[luvmy2babies]

He was 4; but we did not go when he was 5 or 6. I likely would have had one if we had gone at least one of those years. We returned when he was 7. It was a short trip (the shortest we have done). We just had 4 park days so I didn't get one. There were a couple of times he mentioned he wished we had one; but for the most part he was fine. Had the trip been longer I might have done things differently.

 

[AC7179]

I would use one if your kid was still comfortable with it. Even if they can handle the walking---if you're walking across the park, it is a great time to put them in the stroller with a snack and a drink. If they can close their eyes or even look at a cell phone (if you are comfortable with screen time) I find 10-15 minutes in a moving stroller does a LOT to reset a kid who might be overstimulated or over excited. By the time you get to your destination, they are fresh and ready to enjoy.

 

[AC7179]

We did rent a stroller for my 8 year old last year when we did DAH from 7 pm-1 am. I thought if she couldn't make it, I was not carrying her out of the park and we could just put her in the stroller and follow the big kids. She surprised us and was up and moving the whole time without even getting sleepy. So in that case, it was probably a waste, but we didn't mind.