At what age did you stop using a stroller

[caroline1851]

I went recently with ds6 and dd2 (almost 3) and they walked the whole time except mid week we went to Epcot-eveyrone was starting to be really tired so i rented a double stroller and they both rode in it the whole day. the rest of the time they both walked. And...we stayed at CSR,so there was a lot of walking even at our resort.

 

[clori]

At 2.5 we thought dd would need a stroller at Disney but in all reality it was used to push our belongings since she wanted nothing to do with it. It probably also had to do with us going in January so no heat/humidity and shorter park hours. At 3.5 we rented one just for Epcot which was seldom used and at one point we gave it away. At 5.5 she didn't have one and did fine without one though we still had one with us for our then 1 year old.

We went in January this year with a now 4 year old. Our stroller came in handy mostly for crowd control such as going straight to the safari ride at AK opening but otherwise we parked it in sections. At home dd4 pretty much stopped using a stroller by 2 or so. However in bad weather she will still use the stroller (combi savvy z and now maclaren volo) to walk dd8 to/from school which is a mile round trip just to speed things up a bit.

 

[emma'smom]

At home...we stopped using the stroller at about 3 (although I still sometimes toss the umbrella stroller in for long trips---like when we toured DC--although we didn't really use it much).

In WDW, older dd went to age 6 BECAUSE we had a Joovy---so she could sit in the back. Now she is almost 60lbs...so we've cut her off. We're taking the umbrella for dd (just turned 4)....mostly to keep our stuff in and for long evenings and keeping her contained in crowds.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

I am an oddball... at disney I still used one this past year for my 6 and just turned 9 year old. I take the girls alone and having them confined is HUGE for me. I will be getting one again this year for my then 7 year old. Unfortunately my oldest daughter will be too big. Oh where did the time go...... ok, off subject, haha... The strollers at disney are just so easy to push and keeping the sun off of them is as important as keeping their legs fresh. Even though they are hugely expensive, to me, they are priceless. My vacations would have been so different had I not had them.

We don't use one at home but I have just bought one to take to WDW for my 4yr old (she turns 5 while we are there). Last time she was 3 and we took one with us and also for my 5 year old. The 5 year also needed one as it was just too much walking for her. This year she will be 7 when we go. I'm not taking one from home for her but will rent one when she needs it.

 

[akersten]

We brought our Chicco Capri umbrella stroller along for DD5 just in case. We brought it to the park everyday. I saw kids much older in strollers too. I would bring one along for your DS.

 

[matthew&haleysmom]

We stopped using a stroller at home at age 3 1/2 but at Disney we used one last fall when dd was 5. We still have a mac that we use for the zoo and long trips to the mall...not quick trips she can walk. But at Disney you are walking ALL day and it is so nice for dd to fal asleep at the end of the day and we can get her to the room much easier! We will probably still use one next year when we go and she will be 6.

I am in the same situation with my son! We will bring a stroller in June. DS will have just turned 5.

 

[nessz79]

We haven't been on a long trip since the kids were 4 and 3- we did rent a stroller then. We haven't rented a stroller since then, but we've only taken short trips and taken afternoon breaks each day. The boys will be 6 and 4 for this trip and I don't plan on renting a stroller, but might need to on our Epcot day.

 

[dougsmom98]

We stopped using strollers for my boys at age five in Disney.

 

[brandand]

We will use a stroller this trip for my 4 year old. I am pretty sure that my oldest used on at age 5. He walked most of the time but it was good to have "just in case". I also liked having a place to hold my bags and my drinks, etc...

 

[NMAmy]

I stopped using a stroller for dd when she was a little over 2. She figured out how to unhook herself and would jump out. It was easier to have her walk and have a grip on her hand as opposed to trying to chase her.

We took her to Disney for the first time at age 4.5. I never even thought about getting a stroller for her. We just took rest breaks and went at her pace and didn't have a problem.

 

[NJFabFour]

I stopped using a stroller for dd when she was a little over 2. She figured out how to unhook herself and would jump out. It was easier to have her walk and have a grip on her hand as opposed to trying to chase her.

We took her to Disney for the first time at age 4.5. I never even thought about getting a stroller for her. We just took rest breaks and went at her pace and didn't have a problem.

I also had my own little Houdini who prided herself on maneuvering out of every harness I could think to put on her. So as shocking as it is . . . my DIStwins were OUT of the stroller by 18 months of age! (DD is now in competitive gymnastics! ) I tried the firm grip approach but usually found myself chasing after two in opposite directions (I was that crazy lady running after her toddlers screaming from two aisles away, "Get back here!" ) We took them to WDW for the first time when they were five and using a stroller never entered my mind. However, on our last day (Epcot), we ended up carrying DS kicking and screaming all the way from the back end of World Showcase to the car!! After a nap at the resort the kids and DH all voted to go back to finish their masks at each country and see Illuminations so first stop when we returned was the stroller rental!! Best money spent!!

 

[sss]

Ok, Disney is not like anywhere else at home so I won't bother with when my kids (twins currently age 6.5 and 4, all girls, dunno if that even matters) got out of their strollers at home. We were just at Disney in October so the twins were just 6 and my youngest not quite 3...EVERYONE got strollers...you go faster, they are more rested and while my kids have no sensory issues, quite frankly, the place just IS very stimulating for the senses and I can see how having a stroller is a bit of a shield from that in brief pieces. If your child is less than 7 then get them a stroller at wdw. Worst case scenario you don't need it and return it. If you aren't sure rent it initially for the day and see.
hth
sss

 

[Pixieflip]

Kids are all different. One daughter hasn't needed a stroller since she was 3. The other still enjoyed the back seat of the double stroller until she was 8 and my younger son was 5!! Hey, if they're little enough to fit and would otherwise be crabby beyond belief, we were happy to drive that thing around.

Disney is way huge. They WILL get tired. Plus, it's a great place to throw all your bags. This next trip we won't take it and now I don't know to pack a bag! Small is not my thing, yet I don't want to carry anything...

 

[disneymomofmyca]

My DH still used a stroller in 2007!

 

[MyZoeJane]

I'm another mama who is hung up on the stroller largely because I enjoy the safety it provides. My DD just turned 5 and up til last summer I still used a stroller for her at the mall sometimes, and at Disney, the zoo, and museums.

Over the winter I sort of phased it out for mall and museum trips, but I couldn't imagine not having something for her were we to goto Disney this year. Unfortunately, we wont be making it to Disney til January of 2010, but even as I make mental notes of that trip, I have a hard time imagining her not having something to rest in. We will have a 4 month old at that point, so I am considering a Sit-N-Stand type of stroller for the two of them. I'm sure she'll still have a hard time keeping up with our pace and it'll make ME feel better to have some place to put her when we're in big crowds and walking the long distances from our transportation to our room.


I just don't understand why so many people seem to think that any child over the age of 3 looks "ridiculous" in a stroller?

 

[julm26]

at home we stopped using the stroller sometime at age 3, but at Disney - it is a must - if only to give her a place to rest when she's tired and cranky and for us to put our stuff in. We will be there in September and we will be using a stroller - Lucie will be 4 1/2 by then.

 

[locodemickey]

None of my kids used a stroller at home past the age of 2. However, they've used them at Disney up to the age of 6. Try lugging a sleeping child from your bus to your room and you won't give a hoot about how ridiculous they look in a stroller. I suggest you bring one.

We also used one for our 6-yr-old. Much better than a whiny, crabby child. In fact, we just bought another stroller for our trip this summer for our almost 4-yr-old. It lays almost flat and holds up to 55 pounds. We also plan on using it at Christmas time and the following summer for her. We only use it a Disney at this point. If she fits in it for future trips, we'll bring it along. I like to stay out late and a stroller is much easier than carrying a child

 

[brie182]

I debated about this as well. My dd hasn't used a stroller at home for years, however, I can see her getting very tired at Disney and am renting from Orlando Stroller Rental. It will be helpful to hold things and I know she will get tired by the end of the day. I think I will not regret it.

 

[tam626]

I don't use one around here for my 3 1/2 year old but at Disney, we stay at FW & walk to the ferry & buses, so we need it. I'm sure he'll look too big this year but oh well.

 

[DISHUD]

The stroller at home was gone by the time our son was three.......but at Disney it's a whole new ballgame. This will be the first trip that we are not renting one, he's 7. I'm sure he'll get tired of all the walking but we'll get thru it! The stroller are a life saver when you have a hot, crabby child!



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