First ever trip with the kids, stroller recommendations? (DD4 & 6)

[LordAthens]

While this will be my ~10th trip in 15 years, I'm really excited for it to be my daughters first trip! But, I've never done Disney with kids, it's always been as a couple. I pretty much decided to plan this less than 5 days ago, but at this point I have a reservation @ SSR on rented points for a 5 day stay in 3 weeks and all 4 flights are booked (Thank you Southwest Companion Pass!) So my primary concern right now is a stroller.

I've searched a little regarding this topic, but most of the replies seem to be "get this" with no detail as to why. So I'm posting yet another "what stroller" thread.

Option 1) Last year my wife and I talked to a couple that had a Graco RoomFor2 Stand and Ride and they really seemed to like it. I can pick on of those up for $100, not bad. It seems to be one of the smallest folded 2-kid strollers there are, which I like.

Option 2) I'm considering taking 2 cheap umbrella strollers. If they get lost or stolen, no big deal.

Option 3) My last consideration is one of the folding fabric wagons. They're a little bit cheaper in the $80 range, it seems to fold up the smallest AND I can actually use it to consolidate some luggage at the airport, in essence using it like a SmarteCart. BUT, I don't know how functional it will be at the parks. From the dimensions, it seems like both of my kids could fit with their legs next to each other, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if pushing a stroller all day is easier, or pulling a wagon.

I think the biggest issue for me at this point is we haven't used a stroller in a long time. I'm pretty sure my Graco single has been in the same closet for probably two years now. Even when we do the local amusement park I don't take it. That's primarily because we have season passes there, it's only 20 minutes away, so we usually don't do an open to close day. Maybe 6 or 7 hours at a time.

The last thing I'll throw out there is about renting. I have no desire to rent. Disney is $23/day for a double, MagicStrollers and OrlandoStrollerRental are both $70 for our stay. I'm not going to throw the money away.

Other information;

*We will be using Disney transportation from start to finish. I refuse to be one of those parents with the massive non-folding double that takes up 3 additional seats.

*My daughters are 4 and 6. Due to steroids from my oldest's eczema treatment as a toddler, she's a big 6 year old. She just turned 6 and is wearing 7/8 in nearly everything.

*We tend to pack fairly light at the parks. I have my DSLR bag with me at all times and my wife carries a small Baggallini messenger style bag. I'm sure that will change on this trip, but I'm not sure to what extent.

 

[loutoo]

To begin with, I don't think the wagon would be a great ide.. It would be much more difficult to steer and navigate through the parks pulling a wagon than it is pushing a stroller. Plus your children would always be behind you. I find it easier to talk and interact when the kids are in front of me in a stroller.

on or last trip and for or next trip we considered going with two cheap umbrella strollers but for both trips we decided on using a city mini double. The biggest factor was so DW and I both wouldn't have to always be pushing strollers. By going with a double it frees one of us up. plus it gives a small amount of storage. the stroller folded and unfolded easily and was not cumbersome on the busses. It easily rested in front of me talking up no more room than my seat and the area immediately in front of my knees.

We did rent ours. I know that you are concerned about "throwing the money away" on a rental, but it looks like 2 out of your 3 options would cost more than renting and you would be left with a product you most likely would put into your closet next to your existing stroller and never use again.

you might also consider looking for a stroller from a local second hand baby consignment shop. You could easily pick up a city mini double at such a store for about the cost of the rental, and then after the trip you could keep it or sell it back to the same shop in order to recoup a chunk of your expense.

Hope That helps, And enjoy your first trip to wdw with the kids. The first time with your children is extra magical.

 

[LordAthens]

Those are some great points, especially about the wagon. I like the wagon idea because we would likely end up using it other places, but as a multitasker, it seems like it might be the worse option for it's reason of purchase.

As far as renting vs buying, I'll definitely be buying without question. I buy my Amazon gift cards at the gas station where I get "Fuel Perks" as well as cash back through Discover. So, a $100 Amazon GC for the Graco effectively nets out to $83 once you factor in the free fuel and 5% cash back. Anything I buy on Amazon is basically an instant 17% discount.

The old Graco sits in the closet because it's huge and cumbersome. Don't get me wrong, it was great as a stroller from new born to ~1.5 or 2 when we did use it a lot (especially when she was still in the infant car seat, since it clipped into the stroller as a unit). But now it's just not worth the hassle. I keep meaning to put it on Craigslist, but out of sight, out of mind. Whatever we buy will likely get used again. This is their first trip, but certainly won't be their last. We were just waiting until they got a little bit older and I decided now was the time As we all know, Disney is expensive and I didn't want to spend quite a few grand, only to end up spending most of the time at the resort because they're tired. I can do that at Punta Cana all inclusive for a lot less money.

 

[mjkacmom]

No wagons allowed. I'd bring a single, and have them take turns.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I would also look for a used double citi mini. It will be comfortable for the kids, is fairly lightweight for a double, easy to push and fold. I bought a used Maclaren Techno XT on craigslist for my son's first WDW trip and then sold it on Craigslist afterward (that wasn't my original plan but I didn't love it).

 

[Cedarmom]

Wagons are not allowed.

I would also look at getting a used single Maclaren off of Craigslist. Cheap umbrellas are cheap for a reason. The handles are short, so unless you are very short, they don't work very well. I would have the girls take turns. At 4 and 6 you'll likely be pushing an empty stroller thru the parks a lot as it is. I can't imagine having to push two empty strollers! For our first trip, our kids were 9 mo, 3 and 6, so we brought two singles. We never even took the second single out of the hotel. I wore the baby when the 3 yo needed a break, and my 6 yo never once wanted a ride.
Our trip this time was stroller less, with the youngest being 5. I thought we would have to rent a stroller at least once to give her a break, but she kept up like a champ. No stroller needed. Your girls may surprise you.

 

[LordAthens]

No wagons allowed. I'd bring a single, and have them take turns.

Wagons are not allowed.

I would also look at getting a used single Maclaren off of Craigslist. Cheap umbrellas are cheap for a reason. The handles are short, so unless you are very short, they don't work very well. I would have the girls take turns. At 4 and 6 you'll likely be pushing an empty stroller thru the parks a lot as it is. I can't imagine having to push two empty strollers! For our first trip, our kids were 9 mo, 3 and 6, so we brought two singles. We never even took the second single out of the hotel. I wore the baby when the 3 yo needed a break, and my 6 yo never once wanted a ride.
Our trip this time was stroller less, with the youngest being 5. I thought we would have to rent a stroller at least once to give her a break, but she kept up like a champ. No stroller needed. Your girls may surprise you.

Really about the wagons? Is that a recent change? I could have sworn I had seen a bunch of the collapsible ones last April. It's also possible my mind is slipping as I get older. Well I guess that helps eliminate an option

Noted about the girls surprising us (they do that on a daily basis as it is). But I think I would rather be on the safe side and at least have it at the hotel. I did imagine pushing an empty stroller, but I would rather push an empty stroller than have to carry a child (I've had back issues for a decade now). I also figured that even if I pushed an empty stroller all day, I would be glad to have it at the end of the night when both girls are getting cranky and don't want to walk. I suppose now I just need to decide between the Stand and Ride or one of the other suggested single strollers.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I took our 'normal' stroller for years but last year when DD was 5 I borrowed a friend's City Mini and it was AMAZING. Easy to push, folds up amazingly easily just by lifting a strap. It is an expense to rent one but I believe you won't regret it.

Last year we travelled with my brother and his kiddos were 2 and almost 6. Due to the amount of walking at WDW the 6yo often wanted to sit too (rather than ride on the standing portion) which meant one of the parents was carrying the 2yo.

Personally, a cheap umbrella stroller is never an option. The wheels can be a challenge to push (especially with an older child) and the handles are often lower than a regular stroller so you could find yourself hunched over pushing the stroller. would this work for you?

Renting a City Mini is my recommendation, hands down.

 

[jeremy1002]

One of my favorite tips is: put some brightly colored duct tape on the handles. It will make the stroller so much easier to find in the corrals, especially if it has been moved around by the CMs!

 

[Lilliputian]

Your vacation will not be fun if you stroller is not super easy to use. It needs to fold up easily and small, be lightweight enough that it's not a pain to carry it when it's folded, push easily, and have handles high enough that you don't have to bend over to push it. I'm not familiar with the Graco you mentioned, but I doubt that any of the options you listed meet all of these qualifications. That style of stroller is usually large and not particularly easy to push unless you have one of the "fancy" brands of strollers made with really lightweight materials. I think that a stroller that's not easy to push could easily make you more miserable than a 6 year old who doesn't have a stroller available.

I know you don't want to rent a stroller, but since it sounds like buying an expensive stroller would be a waste with your kids as old as they are, I'd strongly consider it. You can save some money if you rent a single and just have them switch off. Before you rent a double, you may want to go to your local baby store and try pushing them both in a City Mini double. It's one of the best, but it's still going to be pretty heavy. It's a fairly heavy stroller (unfortunately, the lightest strollers are harder to push and particularly to steer), so when you put 2 bigger kids in it, it's still not a breeze to push. To me, side-by-sides are much easier to push than any tandem strollers, including the sit and stand styles. Having heavy weight that far out in front of you makes steering a challenge.

We always kick ours out of the stroller at WDW when they're 4, and we've never had an issue with it. However, we kind of have to do it that way because we have a large family with babies coming frequently, and if I let older kids sit in strollers, that would require a triple stroller, and that simply isn't happening. But I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how well a single stroller works, unless there's some sort of health or endurance issue that you didn't mention.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I know you said you don’t want to rent; but unless you will be using the stroller after this trip, that’s my recommendation. Graco sit and stand will be a pain on the bus, though people do make it work. Wagons as others have said are a no go. I wouldn’t go with a cheap umbrella given what you have mentioned about your 6 year-old because it will be a pain to push it.
I’d rent a baby jogger city mini or city GT. Whether you do a double or get a single and have them take turns I can’t offer an opinion as my older child hasn’t done any stroller time since our first trip 4.5 years ago. She had recovered from a minor illness but was still tired so I pushed her one day of our trip. Then my son was an infant and I wore him. I wouldn’t rent a park stroller because for us, when I have needed the stroller the most was leaving the park and walking from the bus to the resort room. My son will be out at the last pop of Wishes.
If you’re going in 3 weeks, it won’t be hot; so that’s a plus. You won’t have heat zapping their energy. My son is 5 now and could probably walk it in cooler weather; but, he has some sensory issues and uses the stroller as kind of a retreat from the crowds and not just at Disney.

I hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[buzznina]

We have been taking our sit-n-stand and it works great. I do not agree with taking one stroller and having them take turns. You will always run into times that they both want to sit. We have been taking 1-2 strollers for years and I rarely have issues with them on buses etc. I voted for the stand and ride since it has 2 seats. We spend all day at the parks so the girls can be sitting while I am making faster time pushing them to our next adventure.

 

[oceanmarina]

http://wdwstrollers.com/best-strollers-in-walt-disney-world-for-older-children/

Here is a link for stroller ides for older kids @ Disney

 

[MommyMK]

Wagons are not allowed. Citi mini double all the way. It is NOT throwing money away, it is amazing, so easy to push. Check out Apple Scooter for the cheapest rental prices. I have a 45 lb 43 in 4 yo and 4 strollers at home. She's outgrown our jogger and after a day with her in the Maclaren at Hersheypark I knew I needed something better for Disney. Rented a Citi Mini and it pushed like a dream.

 

[MandiC]

I would go to a cosignment store and buy a nice single (McClaren, First Years Ignite, ect) and then resell it when you get home. Cheaper than renting, nicer than a cheap umbrella. You likely won't need two

 

[Elacklen]

I would use two umbrella strollers. You can latch them together, or use them separately. Cheap and easy. I think your oldest can still probably use one. r, rent a double through a company.

 

[MichelleMu56]

I second two umbrella strollers. Easiest to maneuver through the crowds. Plus, there may be some times where the children want to go different directions. Plus, if you find that the older child doesn't want to ride you could leave one stroller parked ride a bunch of rides and then pick it up when you leave that area of the park.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm curious, what steroid treatment as a toddler caused your 6 year old to be bigger than average? Most of my kids have had/have pretty bad eczema, and were only prescribed steroids creams, which has no effect on size (dd14 can fit into some size 7/8 clothes.

I'd rent, since after this trip, will your oldest ever use a stroller again? I don't know how much she weighs, but if she's over 40 pounds, an umbrella will be a PITA. This might be the last time you use a stroller for your kids.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

If your 6 year old goes to amusement parks at home and doesn't need a stroller, she likely won't need one at wdw. If she starts getting tired out, head back to room for a nap. You will likely not need a stroller for the older one on subsequent trips either. Buying an expensive stroller for a vacation seems a big much. She's too big for one now and will definitely be too big for one in a year or two. I'm pretty sure strollers have weight limits, usually about 40 lbs if I recall.

We have used both our big stroller, a chicco, and our umbrella, a first years ignite. I preferred the chicco because it is roomier for our two year old and has more storage space. She's a tall 2 year old though, 37 inches and 32 pounds.

 

[bsblady01]

no stroller for either child they can both walk