Best stroller for touring the parks?

[Megara5115]

This will be our first time with a stroller and originally we were going to rent a Baby Jogger city mini GT (we are familiar with this stroller) but now I'm wondering if it might be better to put that money towards purchasing an Uppababy G-Luxe and then just gate checking it on our flight. Is the Uppa Baby going to be too small and bare bones to work in the parks? I just want to see if it would handle all the walking plus a diaper bag. Opinions or other touring stroller suggestions welcome! Thank you!

 

[peteykirch]

I wish Disney enforced a strict size on strollers. To call something the "Mini" at that size is ridiculous. Folded up one stroller would completely block the walkway on a bus or boat.

My mother made due with an umbrella stroller when I was a child and its lack of size didn't slow us down.

 

[KittieKat]

That stroller is so expensive! I just bought a babies r us zobo stroller. Cost 70 dollars. Fully reclines, has a decent umbrella, storage under stroller, can handle a diaper bag being hung on it, fairly lightweight, when folded it can be pushed lightly forward like a suitcase because stands upright when closed. I've been using it here and there at zoo and such, is totally recommend it. I think it's just as nice as the more expensive models, but that's me.

 

[Megara5115]

That stroller is so expensive! I just bought a babies r us zobo stroller. Cost 70 dollars. Fully reclines, has a decent umbrella, storage under stroller, can handle a diaper bag being hung on it, fairly lightweight, when folded it can be pushed lightly forward like a suitcase because stands upright when closed. I've been using it here and there at zoo and such, is totally recommend it. I think it's just as nice as the more expensive models, but that's me.

That sounds like a good option too! What have you guys used at Disney in the past if I may ask?

*thanks for the relocation- sorry for posting in the wrong thread

 

[mzsarah10]

I second the zobo. I have a similar style of stroller. It's made 7 trips to DW now and has been great. IMO - Don't spend so much that you will be upset if the airline loses it or it gets damaged, but spend enough that it can hold up.

 

[Klayfish]

How old is your child? That will have an impact on the answer.

We have 3 kids and have been bringing them since they were 4, 1, 1. They're now 12, 9, 9 (twins). When they were younger, we had a fairly large double wide folding stroller, I forget the brand. It had storage below, which was fantastic. For the older one at the time, we used a simple umbrella stroller, which did the job just fine. The one bad thing about the small umbrella strollers is the small wheels will get stuck in the trolley tracks on Main Street in MK, and can be hard to push around hills and such. The only stroller we have now is a Costco umbrella stroller which we use to carry our gear (we pack all our food), as our kids now walk the entire time. However, we're one of the families that don't care how "silly" or "stupid" an older kid looks in a stroller if it keeps them from getting cranky and really tired. So even as recently as the last trip, we had a stroller we used a few times and this would be my recommendation...get one of the three wheeled jogging strollers with pneumatic tires and a pivoting front wheel. They are AWESOME. Incredibly maneuverable, tons of storage room and the big tires make it incredibly easy to push even heavy weight. They're pretty expensive, so what we did was buy one off the local Orlando Craigslist (we got lucky and found one that was less than 1 mile from our rental house) for something like $70. We used it as we needed for two weeks and then sold it back on CL for $50.

 

[portcityw]

We did the zobo 2x just for WDW, and it has worked out great. I know your not looking for a double, but the zobo are nice. This will be our third year using it

 

[Megara5115]

Thanks everyone! My son will be 9 months when we go. I'll look into other options because you guys are definitely right that I wouldn't want to have the stroller lost or damaged in transit.

How old is your child? That will have an impact on the answer.

We have 3 kids and have been bringing them since they were 4, 1, 1. They're now 12, 9, 9 (twins). When they were younger, we had a fairly large double wide folding stroller, I forget the brand. It had storage below, which was fantastic. For the older one at the time, we used a simple umbrella stroller, which did the job just fine. The one bad thing about the small umbrella strollers is the small wheels will get stuck in the trolley tracks on Main Street in MK, and can be hard to push around hills and such. The only stroller we have now is a Costco umbrella stroller which we use to carry our gear (we pack all our food), as our kids now walk the entire time. However, we're one of the families that don't care how "silly" or "stupid" an older kid looks in a stroller if it keeps them from getting cranky and really tired. So even as recently as the last trip, we had a stroller we used a few times and this would be my recommendation...get one of the three wheeled jogging strollers with pneumatic tires and a pivoting front wheel. They are AWESOME. Incredibly maneuverable, tons of storage room and the big tires make it incredibly easy to push even heavy weight. They're pretty expensive, so what we did was buy one off the local Orlando Craigslist (we got lucky and found one that was less than 1 mile from our rental house) for something like $70. We used it as we needed for two weeks and then sold it back on CL for $50.

That craigslist idea is amazing!!!

 

[Meeko5]

we rented a city mini GT (double) for our kids last fall from kingdom strollers - it was at bell services when we checked in, then we dropped it off there again on our way out. It was $100 for the week (including insurance) and we loved it. I used our umbrella stroller in the airport and gate checked that and folded it and stashed it in the room until we left for home.

It was nice not to worry about an expensive stroller getting lost or broken. And with a little kid a good supportive comfy stroller with a large shade is an absolute must at Disney. Yes a lightweight umbrella stroller would be easier for the parents, but not nearly as comfortable for the kid for that length of time.

 

[kohlby]

My youngest is too old for me to know much about the specific strollers out right now. We have had several trips with babies though.

But make sure whatever stroller you choose can be reclined fully and has great sun shade. One of our kids went at 8 months and would only nap lying completely flat in the stroller. It was nice to have that option. Also, bring some sort of carrier. Other than that one baby who would only nap in the stroller, my kids stayed in a sling the entire time as babies in Disney. It makes it easy in line. (And easy for a baby who really wants the closeness of mum while in the sensory overload of Disney).

 

[TWK]

We brought our city select the first time we went and it was a nightmare on the buses, (because we had 2 seats) it was way too big to manage. I think an umbrella is always the best choice for Disney if you are using Disney transportation, it folds quickly and is compact and easy to manage. There are bigger strollers that have a compact close, but they just don't get as small as an umbrella... I would get a good umbrella that reclines and all that, and is comfortable to push, not one of the cheaper ones, those seem to be always too small. (We have a maclaren double, and we love it for Disney)

We prefer to bring our own, than to rent, because we find it helpful in the airport to contain the kids (we always gate check it) We have never had any damage problems with it. It is also a cost savings over renting...

 

[kayemgi]

We use the Kolcraft Cloud Plus at Disney and for other day trips/travel and love it. It's light, folds easily, stands up by itself, has a great sunshade, and good storage underneath. The recline isn't super great (it's there, just not easy to do quickly or without jostling your kid), but our daughter won't really nap in the stroller anyway so it's not much of an issue for us.

 

[roseaster]

Do you have a stroller that you currently use? We have always just used our stroller from home. The only time we regretted that was the Bob jogger. That thing was huge.

I have a 6 month old and a Graco Lite Rider. It reclines, it is light, easy to push, easy to fold, and only cost about $50.

I learned long ago that putting out big bucks on a stroller didn't always get you something better.

We went when my son (now 10) was 4. We didn't use a stroller at home at that time, and since we planned for him to be our last, we had given away our stroller. We stopped in a Walmart and bought a lightweight for about $50 on that trip, and it worked out great.

It was cheaper than renting, and, honestly, we gave it away at the end of the trip rather than take it back home on the plane.

Umbrella strollers for us are out as we are tall.

 

[LMO429]

We have an uppababy gluxe and I am obsessed with it! We are bringing it to disney world with us. we plan on gate checking it on the airplane. Its great for tight spaces and we have been using it locally at restaurants and it takes up less space then a chair would. Go with the uppababy gluxe even if you don't use it for disney world its an awesome stroller!!! We are renting a city mini while we are there for the parks and plan on using the gluxe for when we go to nicer restaurants since it takes up less room and no I know you can not take the stroller in restaurants but if my baby is sleeping the gluxe will take up way less space

 

[pixie08]

We have an Uppa baby Vista but we also have a City mini and that is what we bring. It is light and folds flat which is great for travel but it is sturdy and lies almost flat with a large sun shade for naps.

 

[wampuscat7]

I bought a Summer Infant 3D Lite for our cruise last winter. I didn't want to spend much cause I didn't know how we'd like it or how much we'd use it. I loved it! Our "better" stroller is now sitting in the sell/donate pile in the basement, and the 3D Lite goes on trips, to the zoo, to the aquarium, etc. If it gets damaged or lost, it's no big deal.

 

[Megara5115]

We have an uppababy gluxe and I am obsessed with it! We are bringing it to disney world with us. we plan on gate checking it on the airplane. Its great for tight spaces and we have been using it locally at restaurants and it takes up less space then a chair would. Go with the uppababy gluxe even if you don't use it for disney world its an awesome stroller!!! We are renting a city mini while we are there for the parks and plan on using the gluxe for when we go to nicer restaurants since it takes up less room and no I know you can not take the stroller in restaurants but if my baby is sleeping the gluxe will take up way less space

Thanks for the reply! I went to my local baby store today tom heck out some strollers and they said they are actually having an Uppababy event tomorrow with a rep there so I am going to go test it out!

Do you have a stroller that you currently use? We have always just used our stroller from home. The only time we regretted that was the Bob jogger. That thing was huge.

I have a 6 month old and a Graco Lite Rider. It reclines, it is light, easy to push, easy to fold, and only cost about $50.

I learned long ago that putting out big bucks on a stroller didn't always get you something better.

We went when my son (now 10) was 4. We didn't use a stroller at home at that time, and since we planned for him to be our last, we had given away our stroller. We stopped in a Walmart and bought a lightweight for about $50 on that trip, and it worked out great.

It was cheaper than renting, and, honestly, we gave it away at the end of the trip rather than take it back home on the plane.

Umbrella strollers for us are out as we are tall.

We have the baby jogger city elite (it's a discontinued one basically is a bigger version of the city mini gt) and it is great for bumpy sidewalks around town but it is a pain at stores and pretty heavy- I have to mentally prepare to hoist it into my trunk with one arm and baby in the other! That's also a good idea about getting something cheaper and easier to maneuver.

 

[roseaster]

Put the baby in the car seat 1st before you put the stroller in the trunk. LOL

Anyway...if you are looking for something for theme parks and outings like the zoo and things, think this way.
1) your baby is only 9 months old, so if you buy a lightweight stroller now, it will save you tons over renting.
2) Look for something lightweight, that reclines, and is easy to fold.
3) As far as cost. Think of buying something that you won't be worried when it is thrown around the cargo hold on the plane. That you won't care if your kid spills ice cream in. That you won't care if CMs drag it around to re-park it, and that if you get caught in a downpour if it gets soaked.

My Bob jogger was a gift from my sister when I had my 3rd (1st 2 were twins so I had a double) I loved that stroller, like yours it was great around town and in the park, but it was heavy and didn't fold compactly at all. We took it to WDW and it was a huge PIA on the bus. After that we went to lightweight for travel.

 

[LMO429]

Thanks for the reply! I went to my local baby store today tom heck out some strollers and they said they are actually having an Uppababy event tomorrow with a rep there so I am going to go test it out!

We have the baby jogger city elite (it's a discontinued one basically is a bigger version of the city mini gt) and it is great for bumpy sidewalks around town but it is a pain at stores and pretty heavy- I have to mentally prepare to hoist it into my trunk with one arm and baby in the other! That's also a good idea about getting something cheaper and easier to maneuver.

At home I have 2 strollers the uppababy gluxe and the city mini gt. The city mini gt I use when I go on long walks or when I go places with tougher terrains like grass at the park etc.

The gluxe I use for when I go to the mall restaurants its a better stroller for that type of stuff cuz it can get in tighter corners the wheels are not really made to go over grass rockier surfaces

 

[Megara5115]

At home I have 2 strollers the uppababy gluxe and the city mini gt. The city mini gt I use when I go on long walks or when I go places with tougher terrains like grass at the park etc.

The gluxe I use for when I go to the mall restaurants its a better stroller for that type of stuff cuz it can get in tighter corners the wheels are not really made to go over grass rockier surfaces

Thanks for the reply! I bought the gluxe today and I'm going to use both in pretty much the same way!