Double Stroller- rent or buy

[sl_underwood]

I am wondering should I rent the twin stroller at WDW (will cost around $100) or buy a twin stroller. It will need to fit 2 kids, one age 4 and the other age 11 (very small for her age weighs about 70 lbs and around 4'8. They fit in the commercial twin strollers we rent at the zoo and disneys strollers seem to look about the same. What do you all think?

 

[sl_underwood]

Has anyone used this stroller- Jeep Wrangler All Weather Stroller

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3765493

 

[scottsod]

hi

we got this one right before we went to wdw

had a 2yo and a 9 mo worked great have even put my 9yo in it when the wc was not around like from car to house


best part is it folds in 1/2 then again side to side in 1/2 with a strap so it was easy to store and move on wdw bus its a little more expensive but shop the web
another tip get a stroller fan clip on type from web or try walmart runs on batterys keeps baby in stroller cool and content

http://www.combistrollers.com/ProductDetails.aspx?CategoryID=1&selection=11&Children=0&productID=503

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I'm afraid I don't know any makes, as I don't have any kids, but it might be good for you to go to a local store that sells them, and test them out with your DD and DS. You can then order the best one online, if that's cheaper. The main things to consider when buying a stroller for WDW are:

Will the kids fit comfortably (without getting in each other's way / kicking each other / squabbling etc?

Will it fold up well to fit on the buses?

Is it too wide to fit through some of the ride queues?

Does it provide enough shade for them?

Will the fabric 'breathe'? If not, they may get heat rashes

There are probably more things, but none that spring to mind immediately.

Another thought occurred to me, might you be able to get a pediatric wheelchair for your daughter through your insurance? If you can, she would then have that to use whenever she needs to, and might be able to push herself a little (e.g. in shops), if her condition permitted. She might also be happier using a wheelchair than a stroller (I don't know whether this bothers her or not). You could then get a lighter-weight, less bulky, single stroller for your son. Any time one or the other is not being used, it can be parked in the stroller parking. Of course, this would only work if you have two adults who are willing and able to push. Might this work for you guys?

 

[mamaloya]

JMHO, but you will probably need to rent due to the weight of your older child. My ds8 still rides. I have yet to find a double stroller yet that can hold a 70lb child. Most of them have a 70lb combined weight limit. I have also found that most double strollers are difficult to push with an older child in them. You will tire much easier struggling to control it. The doubles at disney are so easy to control and push. I can actually seat my 3 youngest ones all at once. I have even ridden in one a couple of times while the kids were exploring innoventions and such. CMs got a kick out of it.

You may want to bring a couple of lightweight blankets (heavy if in winter) just to make it more comfy as they are hard plastic.

Have fun!!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Ordinarily, I'd say buy...but as others have pointed out, the older child is too big for most strollers.

Personally, I'd hate to push around one of WDW's strollers all day, but lots of kids that age take turns in the WDW strollers - so the child won't feel odd or get funny looks for sitting in a WDW stroller. The WDW strollers are very sturdy, too. You also won't have to deal with getting it on/off the bus, but you may want to get to the parks relatively early.

 

[mechurchlady]

Buy the stroller. You pay $100 to rent one. At discount stores like Target and Wal-Mart you can get one for less than that. Then when you get home you can donate the stroller to a charity and get a tax write off while helping some needy mom directly via a charity such as a home for abused women or help a charity's thrift store.

 

[sl_underwood]

I was concerned about the weight limit as well. I have discussed this with my dd and she refuses to use a wheelchair. She would rather people think she is getting a free ride in her little bros stroller or acting like a baby than for people to view her as sick. Its a rather touchy subject with her. I suppose I will end up eating the cost and renting one just because I know she will fit in the ones at WDW.

 

[mechurchlady]

How about testing strollers in stores and I am sure with some online research you might find a cheap one that will hold up fine to her weight. It will take a lot of work to get her to want to use a wheelchair. The ladies here can give you good advice on helping your daughter get used to using a wheelchair in public places like zoos and WDW. I think she might do with one of the ones above as it she is still light enough to not be too much over the limit of most double strollers.

 

[SueM in MN]

The largest double strollers you can buy hold up to 45 pounds for each seat -
you could not put one 70 pound child in one seat, that would be too much weight for that seat, even if the stroller will hold two 45 pound children. At best, it would be hard to push, as one poster mentioned. At worst, it would put too much weight/stress one one side of the stoller which could cause the frame, axel or wheels to bend or break. I have read of situations where the stroller broke unexpectedly with that type of use.

That's the weight that the Combi stoller someone posted a link to will hold. I think the Jeep Wrangler only holds 35 pounds per seat (70 total, so a 20 pound child and a 50 pound child, for example).

The biggest double stroller I have read about doesn't hold as much weight as you would need. Also, most of the strollers would not hold a 4 foot tall child.
She would be uncomfortably squeezed and a child that size in that small of a stroller would get stared at.

Since you have 2 bigger children, I'd suggest renting a double stroller at the parks. I have seen up to a small 12 year old riding in one (she would not be the only older child in one). It would be much easier to push and more suitable for your needs.
Your other option would be to bring or buy a single stroller for the smaller child and either rent a WDW park stroller for the older child or rent a special needs stroller for her (Links in disABILITIES FAQs thread).

 

[OneLittleSpark]

SL_Underwood, I can understand it being a touchy subject. You're right, if she's not happy to use a wheelchair yet, then forcing her will probably do more harm than good. You do what's best for you, which may well be renting, by the looks of it.

Good luck and have a wonderful trip

 

[mommy-on-the-move]

What about a sit and stand or joovy caboose type stroller? (or would she need a more supportive seat than the bench type these have?)

I know there is also a jogging stroller firm that does a special needs stroller but unless you specifically know special needs equiptment you'd just think it was a regular jogging stroller - i'll try and find you a link!

looked for links- just google special needs jogging stroller and loads come up

alternatively what about bike trailers that convert into strollers? Alot of those are double but not sure what weight specifics they have on them or if you'd be permitted to use them in the parks.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

If it converted into a stroller so it was, to all intents and purposes, 'a stroller' (rather than a wagon or similar), I don't see why it wouldn't be allowed. Don't know what weight they'd take either, though.

 

[SueM in MN]

What about a sit and stand or joovy caboose type stroller? (or would she need a more supportive seat than the bench type these have?)

I know there is also a jogging stroller firm that does a special needs stroller but unless you specifically know special needs equiptment you'd just think it was a regular jogging stroller - i'll try and find you a link!

looked for links- just google special needs jogging stroller and loads come up

alternatively what about bike trailers that convert into strollers? Alot of those are double but not sure what weight specifics they have on them or if you'd be permitted to use them in the parks.

The sit and stand strollers and Joovy caboose type strollers both have a height and weight limit for each spot. I remember looking them up and I know the height limit is way less than the height of the 11 yr old and the 4 yr old may even be too big.I think the height was around 36 or 40 inches.

I noticed that I misread the older child's height - she is 4 feet 8 inches, so almost 5 feet tall (56 inches). She is way too large for any regular stroller you can buy in a store.

The easiest would be to rent either a special needs stroller (there are links to places to rent in the disABILITIES FAQs) or to rent a park stroller.
They are very expensive to buy - in the order of at least $400-$700, so it would be less expensive to rent than to buy.
If she has continued need for a special needs stroller, see if your insurance would cover one. Many will cover much of the price.

We had a bike trailer that converted for pushing. I would highly recommend against one of those. They are large, difficult to turn with and probably too wide for many of the places you are going to be. It would also be difficult to transport one of those by plane and you may not be able to bring it on WDW transportation because of the size. Many of them are made with seats that are comfortable for a bike ride or jog, but not really all day use.

 

[mamaloya]

If you are concerned about the cost of renting the doubles at WDW, ask you doctor about writing a prescription for a special needs stroller rental. I went to the Florida Mobility Rental website on the FAQ page and the maclaren looks like a regular stroller. Not sure if your dd would be comfortable with that or not. My doc (well, one on base anyway) wrote me a prescription for a 3 month rental for a wheelchair for myself. I picked it up here at home and have time to get familiar with it and my kids used to it before our trip. If you explain to your doctor why you need one, I really think he would write you a prescription.

Now, if your insurance does reimbursement and you are persistent, you may try turning in the receipts for your rentals at WDW. You would really need the help of your doc and a lot of persistence for that one though. I would not count on it, but it is worth a shot in the dark.