Buggy for a 4 year old or not?

[Lady Lowe]

I'm travelling in June and trying to decide wether to take a buggy for my 4 year old or not? He walks everywhere now so we dont have one for him but i'd buy a cheap 2nd hand one, he has a trunki as well.

i have one each for my twins (figured singles would be easier to get around than the twin buggies) but they will only be 17mths so no question i'd take them but i'm in 2 minds wether to take one for my 4 year old?

Initally i thought for airport, late evenings in park, possible late dinners at least he'd have somewhere to rest after all it'll be hot and long days but he does like to walk so is it worth it as it's just something else to push around!

Any thoughts would be helpful, also if anyone knows the cost of renting the park strollers that'd be handy!

 

[london75]

This is always a tricky subject but from my point of view, we'll still be taking one for a six year old and although that's not popular it's far from uncommon.

I'm a geek and have a GPS logging device I use to tag photos with where we actually are at the time photos are taken. A side effect is I get a plan on google maps of everywhere we were for a day and distance etc.

We once did 12 miles around Epcot across a whole day. There is no way my kids could do that and we would have gone back to the villa tired rather than all had a really good day!

That's what swings it for me regardless of what people think. I'd rather have one, park it up some where and not need it, than face kid meltdown and 2 hours of piggy backs!

 

[Lady Lowe]

thats what i'm currently thinking, it's a long day and he is only 4, add the heat and theres no way he can go on shoulders all the time!

think i might consider it, wondering what the cost of the park buggies are tho as an alternative?

anyone know this or know how i can find out?

 

[cliveywolves]

Hi..

We took buggy when DD was 3 and was very helpful with all the walking we did, but next time we went she was 5 and we found that we hardly seemed to use it at all and ended up leaving it in our room when we left.. But she does love to walk everywhere its hit and miss I suppose...

 

[london75]

Personally can't remember but always recall thinking they are prohibitively expensive.

Picked up a Mamas and Papas end of line pushchair from Argos a while ago and it's just used as holiday transport now. Even the 3 year old doesn't use one at home, we have two and they live in the garage. These are the same as the ones we have http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3763588/c_1/1|category_root|Nursery|14417537/c_2/2|14417537|Pushchairs%2C+prams+and+carriers|14417542/c_3/3|cat_14417542|Pushchairs|14417543.htm but paid less than that, more like £45 on offer

Ironically I asked the eldest (6) only yesterday if she really wanted one this year and in her own words, "yes, because then we can stay out longer and I can sleep when you're doing boring things"

 

[Rach78]

From what I have seen this appears to be a hotly debated topic on the us boards but to be honest I have no idea why as you just have to do whats right for your child. We are going for the first time this year and my youngest will be 5. She has not been in a buggy for over 2 years but I will take one with me to Disney. As a PP said the amount of miles you cover coupled with tired kids, why not use if it will save kids being miserable plus my DD would just want carried otherwise, or walk at the pace of an arthritic snail.
I think Disney strollers are $15 per day for a single stroller so it definitely adds up. However they are supposed to be quite big and sturdy so depends what you are looking for. I am going to take my own cheap buggy, as long as DD still fits in it!!
Just decide on whats best for you and your family.
Rach xx

 

[Lady Lowe]

just spat my drink reading that "the pace of an arthritic snail"

think i'll take a buggy! just gotta fine a cheap enough sturdy one now

 

[joolz1910]

If you have 2 single strollers for your twins, why not take a buggy board? You can get them with a seat now. I think pushing around 3 strollers would be hard work.

I'm taking a stroller for my 5 year old - she's not much of a walker (has had arthritis) and I don't want her to slow the other two down!

 

[Lizzi]

I'm in a similar predicament, but my youngest will only be 10 months when we go next February.

A friend of mine has this, which I thought was quite snazzy and a good compromise to not being in a 'stroller' for the more discerning toddler.

http://www.bibi-uk.com/products/strolli-rider.htm

They have quite a few on ebay for around £20-£40 at the moment.

 

[Elise79]

Have you thought about renting?

Having just come back with our 3 1/2year old (and having taken her plenty of times already) there is no way I would want to push an older toddler in a cheap buggy. We also didn't need it at the airport just the parks. We will be renting one in June to save the hassle of taking ours as we are also cruising!

Have a look at Magic Strollers - It is the same company as Owners Locker who are Fab! Their strollers look really clean and in excellent condition. They rent the Baby Jogger City Mini which is the stroller we have and is brilliant in the parks and has a large sunshade. They will also include the rain cover free on request and they all come with a cup holder!

 

[jtlover]

When we took dd first time she was 6 and we got her a buggy every other day as it can get quite expensive. But if I was doing it now I would buy a cheap one from somewhere like Walmart and probably not bring it home.

The board sounds a good idea though seen lots of kids use them

 

[Vixster]

Hiring the buggy is $15 or $30 for double we went with our 4 and half and he walked everywhere didn't enter my head to take a buggy for him as we had an 18 month old in her buggy

We are going back in October and my youngest will be 4 and 4 months and we are taking one for her as she always complains about walking so we end up carrying her or she uses her micro scooter

Perhaps your 4 year old can borrow the twins buggy when there walking how many adults are going with you?

 

[Lady Lowe]

there will be 4 adults, had considered the buggy board but doesnt solve the problem of him potentially falling asleep later in the eve?
maybe i'll leave it and if we feel we need one get a cheap one from walmart then

 

[Rienchen]

the 4.5 year old I look after has been out of pushchair for a good year now and she was only in it so long because we had the Phil&Teds and she's a slow walker, so sometimes it was just easier to use the pushchair for her as well.

Even though she has improved with the walking and has been walking(or scooting) everywhere for a good year now I would recommend taking a pushchair if her parents decided to go to a theme park.
We live in London and do quite a lot of walking but it's hot in Florida and some days you walk further than you think.
Also if you're out longer than you had initially planned, they can go to sleep in the pushchair.

I don't think I would enjoy pushing her in our MacLaren umbrella style pushchair, but something like the babyjogger city mini, mountain buggy or phil&teds might be good as it's easier to push(but bulky)

 

[RDP]

We did not take a push chair for our DS(4) last time we visited WDW, but we only ever did half days in the park, it did slow us down considerably. We did hire a buggy for the late nights in the parks on a couple of occasions, such as MNSHP.

 

[bex7583]

yes i would definatley take a pram or at least rent one, its hot and tiring and i would rather have one with me and not end up using it than drag a tierd hot grumpy 4 year old round, i often use my double buggy with 3 and 4 year old in at home as i dont drive and will walk 5 or so miles a day

 

[Rienchen]

also, just think of all the extra storage room you'll have ;-)

just be aware that the cheapo umbreall style pushchairs will tip over if you have too many bags on the handles and child gets out of buggy

 

[chmurf]

We're currently in WDW so here's our story

we ruled out taking our own buggy on the transatlantic flight, it's an expensive one and we didn't want to take any chance for loss or damage.
we considered renting one, either with orlando strollers rental or in the parks.

Being there for 18 days, we were quoted for $150+ with the rental and $230 or so with the parks strollers.

we also thought DS would do without a stroller ... he didn't last a day although he always insists on walking and goes like "strollers're for baaaaaaabiiiiies" ... and facing heat up to 85F there is no way we could carry him all day ...

So we decided to buy one in orlando. We went to sears in florida mall and bought a contour stroller for $80. It's just big enough for our 4 years old who's quite short actually, so if your kid is rather tall for his age you might end up paying more for a bigger stroller.

We'll take it back on the plane (checked) with us and eventually sell it back home, maybe for half its price, so that would end up being a real cheap stroller "rental"

You can also find umbrella strollers in super target (on 192) for about $15 but I wouldn't risk it as they look like they'd break if a squirrel was to jump in them ...

of course you need a car.
If you don't have one, may I suggest orlando strollers rental, their city elite stroller looks great, there are plenty of them in the parks.