Double or 2 single strollers? Also highchair/booster seat questions

[MommiePrincess]

I have a 3 year old and a 7 month old. We will be staying at DGC and will be
at the parks for 6 days off and on. We will be renting some baby gear to be delivered to the hotel. We have a "really nice" jogger double stroller at home that I am somewhat afraid to take to the park because of it's size, weight and possible interest to a stroller-thief We have a single jogger at home and a smaller, lightweight single stroller as well. I like to have the kiddies in one stroller, but what if I need to take DD2 back to the room to long nap (we'll have her nap in the stroller, but I want to give her a good nap mid day every other day) and DD1 and DH want to stay at the park....DD1 still likes to ride in the stroller instead of walking all the time and she still naps but she gets "I'm not sleepy" at Disneyland, so her naps will be in the stroller with maybe a long hotel nap snuck in every few days. I don't really want to be stuck in the park with 2 strollers in case DD1 wants to walk, hold hands or be carried (unless we "leave" a stroller someplace for a few hours). On the other hand, the smaller stroller (non-jogger) from home works well in restaurants to have the little one sit in while we eat.

I do not know if DD1 will sit in a high chair at each meal with us, right now when we eat out we sit her in a single (non-jogger) stroller. Do ALL restaurants in Disney allow you to bring a smaller stroller in the restaurants if you have a sleepy or relaxed 7 month old in it? Character meals as well?I know we had a stroller for DD1 last year (then 2 years old) and we were told to leave it in stroller parking at Ariel's Grotto, Goofy's Kitchen...but DD1 was always awake).

I am just stuck over what to do with the double, single, jogger vs non-jogger. We can also rent any of the above from the baby gear company (cheaper then the park rentals). I think I will bring/rent the single small stroller to use at the pool, hotel restaurants, restaurants during driving travel (places my older DD can walk to). But as far as in the park and whether to rent/bring I'm so confused. Space is an issue in our car for packing, but we can fit the double stroller if needed.

Also those with 7 month olds...do they sit well in restaurant (normally backless) high chairs vs. your home style highchairs that have a padded high back?

Also (I might post this seperately) but does Disney have high chairs and booster seats (for 3 year old) at all restaurants?

Thanks much!

 

[94bruin]

Isn't amazing how quickly we forget these things. I have a 4 year old & almost 6 mo old (she'll be just shy of 8 months when we go.) I vaguely remember bringing a strap-on booster seat to restaurants when DD1 was that age. In fact, it's a good thing I read your post because I wasn't planning on bringing our booster seat. Now I will. I just like that it has its own tray for dd1 to make a mess on (vs the table.) Plus it has a higher back than most restaurant booster seats/high chair.

We're headed to DLR in September, so we're in a similar boat (except that we're bringing along my parents as well.) We're staying 5 days.

 

[94bruin]

Actually, I'll be curious to know if you're allowed to bring strollers into restaurants as I'm sure DD2 will NOT be awake for every meal and will most likely be asleep in the stroller for many of them. I'm pretty sure she will have outgrown her infant carseat by then <sigh>.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

I can tell you for sure that we have brought strollers into Rancho Del Zocalo without any trouble. I am pretty sure we did the same at Pizza Port. I think at any place like Cafe Orleans, Ariels, etc. they would ask you to leave your stroller outside just because some of the restaurants are very tight and there wouldn't be room for strollers...I don't know for sure though.

 

[Disney*Happy]

I have a Citi Elite double jogging stroller that I bring to Disneyland each time we go. I have never had any trouble bringing the stroller in if one of my children are asleep in it. The castmembers have always been fantastic about accomodating my sleeping children. I could see how Carnation Cafe might be really tight but usually the castmembers have a way around it. In the case of my stroller, it is designed to fit through any standard doorway and it swivels so we have never had any problem with shopping with it.

I can understand your dilemma about have a spare stroller in case the kids are separated but maybe you could store a lightweight umbrella stroller at the park stroller area or in a locker.

We have also had no problem with potential stroller theives...although I did worry about it the first time we did it.

Hope this helps!

 

[Karebear]

We went Dec. 2007 when my son was 4 and my daughter turned 3 on the trip. I debated the whole double stroller thing. In the end, I brougt a single regular stroller and one umbrella stroller for my 4 year old. It worked out great. There were times that my husband and the 4 year old would go grab fast passes while dd--who was mostly potty trained--and I were in the bathroom, etc. It just made it easier to split up the kids if we needed to. Good luck!

 

[disfan07]

from our experience in disneyworld the only time we were allowed to bring the stroller into any of teh sit down restaurants was if she was sleeping
we had 4 kids with us with the youngest being 11 months old

If she was awake we would have to take her out which makes sense but she was also fine sitting in the high chairs that were provided.

 

[tripletlyblessed]

We've never had an issue when one or more of the girls were sleeping in the strollers. Also, we have a very expensive triple and haven't had any sort of problem with a stroller thief. As for boosters, when mine needed them, we used the inflatable boosters from Target. Can;t recall the brand. They are really compact and strap to the chairs.

 

[kailuagirl]

When we were just there, any of the "counter type/walk up" places you could of course have your stroller, but any sit down we had to leave it outside ie: carnation cafe, cafe orleans

 

[MommiePrincess]

When we were just there, any of the "counter type/walk up" places you could of course have your stroller, but any sit down we had to leave it outside ie: carnation cafe, cafe orleans

Even if you had a seven month old? I totally understand the space issue, but can they ask you to take out a sleeping or very relaxed "younger baby"...it just doesn't seem "Disney friendly". I think I will put up resistence to that if they ask us to do that....we tried my seven month old in a highchair without a back on it this weekend and we lasted about 4 minutes...so the stroller would be her "chair" while we eat. We have PS at Cal Cafe, Goofys Kitchen, Ariels Grotto, Wine Country Tratt, Minnies Breakfast etc.

 

[disfan07]

Even if you had a seven month old? I totally understand the space issue, but can they ask you to take out a sleeping or very relaxed "younger baby"...it just doesn't seem "Disney friendly". I think I will put up resistence to that if they ask us to do that....we tried my seven month old in a highchair without a back on it this weekend and we lasted about 4 minutes...so the stroller would be her "chair" while we eat. We have PS at Cal Cafe, Goofys Kitchen, Ariels Grotto, Wine Country Tratt, Minnies Breakfast etc.

Sleeping no....awake yes. If Your seven month old is awake they most likely will make you take them out. Its there policy. Usually they'll accomidate for sleeping kids but if they made an exception adn let you in withe an awake baby, then they would have to let anyone who wanted to to brign in their stroller. Its not possible. The restaurants are too small. Especially carnation cafe. I would make sure you have another plan. If they tell you no, the answer is no.

 

[MommiePrincess]

Sleeping no....awake yes. If Your seven month old is awake they most likely will make you take them out. Its there policy. Usually they'll accomidate for sleeping kids but if they made an exception adn let you in withe an awake baby, then they would have to let anyone who wanted to to brign in their stroller. Its not possible. The restaurants are too small. Especially carnation cafe. I would make sure you have another plan. If they tell you no, the answer is no.

I guess we will be putting a light blanket over the stroller and saying "She's sleeping", hopefully she won't cry when we cover her world up for a few minutes!