Do we need a stroller for the parks?

[Mchurchill96]

...or just well-planned itineraries with snacks in the shade and long "sitting" rides, like It's a Small World, The Seas with Nemo, and the like? My youngest will be a couple months shy of 6 years old when we visit WDW in the summer. Last time we went, he was only a year old, and obviously still in the stroller. Didn't know when kids are pretty much old enough to start walking the parks?

 

[JWigs]

I think depends on the child. I've seen plenty of kids (who honestly didn't fit in the strollers) being pushed around and sleeping like babies.

I personally think at WDW it's more important than DL since it's so spread out. Kids and their lil legs can get worn out so much faster.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

It depends on the child...my son had a stroller when he was 5 going to Disney bc he's just a chronic complainer lol. When he was 7 he walked around Disney but he complained A LOT, lol...I told him to suck it up and be happy he's at Disney, lol. He still complained at 8 yrs old, lol. Hopefully when we go next time (he'll be 10 on that trip) the complaining will stop lol

 

[mzsarah10]

I would say depends on the child. Our oldest quit riding around 6. That year we would let her walk as much as she could but it was great to have after fireworks and parades so she wasn't trampled by the masses.

 

[Juliet25]

I'm in the same boat. My 5 year old will also be a few months shy of his 6th birthday and I'm wondering about the stroller. I use it occasionally to take him on walks when I want to exercise, but I don't really take it along on trips to the zoo. I agree with the others that it depends on the kids. My middle DD will be 8 and she went to WDW stroller-less as a 4 and 6 year old, so it can be done. My son, OTOH, can lose steam pretty quickly. Still, it would be so nice not to deal with that thing. I'm thinking it'll be less of a pain to just carry him than to deal with stroller parking, etc.

 

[feistygalkmc]

Was wondering about the same thing here. We are considering just renting when we get there for 2 reasons-1-we don't if DD will need the stroller all day but maybe at night/evening when she tends to get tired and 2- the convienience of not having to lug it around on and off the busses and stroller parking all day. DD will be 4 this trip and she wants to walk all the time in stores etc. so I think she will be alright, we take a leisurely pace through the parks for breaks etc. so she shouldn't get too tired out quickly during the day, it's night time I worry about most.

Just a little update- change of plans lol we are going to take our stroller but instead of going back for it every time we get off a ride etc. we are just going to leave it parked for a while until we get done with that areas attractions etc. That way it's the best of both worlds we have it if needed and daughter can walk around quite a bit. I know it seems silly but we didn't do that last year and it was just ugh....a lot of parking/unloading/finding the stroller/loading back up.

 

[Mchurchill96]

Initially, I assumed if we rented a stroller, it would be from one of the independent stroller rental companies for the length of our stay. But I know we'll have a rest day in there somewhere, and I don't know whether we'll need it every day. So, I'm thinking we could just rent by the day, as the need arises, from the parks? The strollers are kinda wonky looking, but we wouldn't have to worry about folding up a stroller and hauling it on a bus or ferry, or making sure to lock it up while we're on a ride or something.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Our older kids didn't use strollers after 4, but every kid is different. Now that we have a 1 year old (and a stroller), my 9 year old (who is TINY) will sometimes get into the stroller to sit for a bit if I have DS in the carrier, lol.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Our DD6 and DD5 had a double stroller last year which we found very helpful but also a big pain. We are going to make them walk this year. DS3 will have a stroller. Middle child is pretty determined and not a big complainer so she should be ok. Older sister though may be a different story. If worse comes to worse, we'll rent. I'm a little worried about keeping everyone together after fireworks but I'm sure it will be ok if we're laid back about it and hang just behind the mass exodus.

 

[monorailsilver]

My youngest was 7 and she did fine with out a stroller. She was 2.5 the last time we went with a stroller. I missed it for carrying our water.

Plus the only time we walked fast and yes my kids kept up pace with us was post Illuminations because they too wanted to hop the monorail with out a long line, get back to the Poly, and watch wishes.

But basically we were not sprinting in the parks, lots of sitting on rides, yes standing too but in a line they can't be in their stroller either. The summer heat didn't bother my kids either, probably because anywhere there was water spraying my kids were there. Poor people who sat on rides after us who did not want to get wet.

And yes I have 3. We basically held hands in a straight line making a bee way thru crowds, well slow walkers. We split here and there if needed but were with in arms reach of each other.

 

[brockash]

...or just well-planned itineraries with snacks in the shade and long "sitting" rides, like It's a Small World, The Seas with Nemo, and the like? My youngest will be a couple months shy of 6 years old when we visit WDW in the summer. Last time we went, he was only a year old, and obviously still in the stroller. Didn't know when kids are pretty much old enough to start walking the parks?

How long will you be there? With my 6 year old we rented one from Disney for 3 of the days we were there - both MK days, because those are pretty long days for us and on our Epcot day, just because it's so big. We didn't rent one for AK or DHS...DHS is just much smaller and more compact and we only spend 1/2 day at AK. It worked out well for us.

 

[Momof3WDW]

We made our 6 year old DS walk this past year and the year before, so since he was 4. Our DD1 will be 5 this year and we won't have a stroller for her, but the baby will have a stroller. The biggest issue for us was the late nights. DS was pretty good, but DD1 always fell asleep. She is tiny enough to sit on daddy's shoulders but DS is just getting to big. I am worried about my DH carrying one or both big kids out of the park at night, but he says not to worry about it. He can handle it.
I say if you don't normally use a stroller at the park or the zoo, then don't take it. If you find during the trip that you really need one rent one at the park. You won't need it at the hotel so that saves you lugging it around on the busses.
One note of advice on the rented strollers at Disney, wipe them down with a wet wipe or if you get a small pack of Lysol wipes it is recommended.

 

[Pesky]

I would think it depends (1) on your child and (2) on you all. Some kids don't want a stroller at all. Some are tall for their age so can keep up a bit easier. Some have been walking in preparation and are ready for 9-10 miles of walking. Any of those or a combination of them will tell you whether you might need a stroller. Next you all. If you are looking to set a blistering commando pace with huge adult strides, maybe having an option for your child is a good idea. If you are going to be more leisurely and willing to take breaks, perhaps frequently, to let those little legs rest, then you'll probably be okay without one. Worst case, you can try going without one and rent if you need to. I'd probably keep the phone # of a stroller rental place with you and have it delivered to your lodging as the ones in WDW might be snug for a larger 6YO.

 

[roseaster]

None of mine used a stroller after age 4. Once they hit kindergarten strollers were "for babies." I think that there are enough opportunities to sit (rides, shows, meals, etc) that the average kid refuels.

My kids were mostly so excited to be there that they didn't realize how tired they were until we got on the bus or back in the car and then they passed out.

 

[jim o'reilly]

our 4 year old didn't want a stroller. My wife had a fitbit on, she recorded 8 mile average at MK and 6 mile average for DHS and AK

and at the end of the trip, our 4 yr old still did NOT want a stroller and that was a stroller were "for babies", not big kids like her. mom and dad were happy not to spend the $15 rental fee ($30 for double stroller). we saw plenty of kids older and taller than our daughter in strollers.

then again, my daughter has never eaten a hamburger, hot dog, chicken nugget, tater tot or mac n cheese either and loves every single vegetable and fruit on earth.

#impressed

 

[Mom22beans]

We are heading in a few weeks with our 4 and 6 yo kiddos. Neither uses a stroller at home and both are VERY active kids..... BUT given the timing of our trip and my husband's medical needs (has to carry stuff) it made sense to offer the option. I think they can do it without but with the crowds and the chaos it will be nice to know they are only a hand away..... our oldest is a wanderer and our youngest is not yet convinced of the characters so having place to 'hide' will serve him well I think!

 

[TI double-GUH ER]

Our DS needed it sporadically at 5 - didn't spend the whole day in it, but it came in handy as he got tired. We didn't go when he was 6, and by 7 he didn't need it. When we did use a stroller, we rented a comfy one from an outside company - the plastic ones Disney rents look really uncomfortable, which for us defeats the purpose.
Oh - and he didn't need a stroller around home past the age of 3... but WDW is a lot of walking...

 

[bcbmommy]

We rented a Citi Mini for our youngest on our last WDW trip (2 years ago) from one of the companies that deliver it to your resort. I think I spent around $50 for an entire week. It was awesome to not worry about lugging it around the airport, and it was waiting for us when we got to the resort. We ended up extending our trip by one day due to weather, and they were super easy to work with in regard to letting us keep it longer. We're considering doing that for our trip next month for our 4 (almost 5)-year-old.

 

[stargazer2892]

When we went in October the kids where 3 1/2 and 22 months, we rented a city mini double and both kids hated it. My oldest ended up walking 99% of the time and my youngest walked/ ran probably 40%, 30% fighting being IN the stroller, 10% happy in the stroller and the rest of the time she was in her carrier . We only ended up bringing the stroller to epcot (it was wine and dine so it was pretty crazy) the rest of the time it wasn't worth the hassle. Next time we do we MIGHT bring a single umbrella stroller but i highly doubt we will bring it to the parks most of the time. It really depends on your kid, I'm glad we rented it just in case but at the end of the day it wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[HM]

A five year old doesn't need a stroller. We went for the first time with a just turned 4 and 6 year old. We did not take a stroller. We had a backpack that we parents took turns carrying with snacks, rain ponchoes, autograph books, etc in.

I've since been there with a child (niece) with a stroller, and found that dealing with where to put the stroller and finding it after rides (CMs move them around) was kind of annoying. Not to mention having to bring it on and off buses (and it was just a nice umbrella style one).

Worse case scenario...you have a day when your child just doesn't want to walk or something....just rent one that day (I can see this happening in Epcot that had a lot of walking involved).