How old is your oldest kid that you put in a stroller?

[Aliceacc]

I normally try to stay out of the fray, but I have to say that it isn't the tennis shod foot of a child in a stroller that gives you that bloodied ankle/foot..it's the stroller itself. Yes, I have had run-ins with strollers...one mother literally used her stroller as a battering ram. Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but that mom was rushing down Main St., yelling 'excuse me, excuse me..have to get through.'...well so do the rest of us!! We all have someplace to be. And to bang into people is just rude!!! And that's what she did to me....clipped me from behind, bloodied my shin where the stroller grazed it as she rushed past me...only to come to a complete stop about 10' away. We were headed towards the Castle, so it wasn't an emergency exit type thing!!!

I've had kids being allowed to run around, pushing their siblings in strollers. Actually witnessed one group of kids having a race with the three strollers...over in front of Le Cellier headed towards the Rose Garden area..that was just plain scary.

Are parents who use strollers (no matter what the age of the kids) all rude and 'entitled'? No, of course not. Not any more so than the ECV users. But, there will always be a few bad apples that color everyone's opinions.
It's up to each family to decide the best way to handle the stroller issue. Me? I don't care what you do, or how old your child is. Just don't try to shove past me with that stroller...I'm moving as fast as I can!!!

Absolutely. There's no excuse for rudeness and pushing. We should all realize that there are others in the park (or the supermarket or on the highway for that matter) who also have needs and priorities.

My point was that there are always people ready and willing to judge your actions, particularly when you have kids. Having once been children themselves, I think some assume they know better than you exactly what you should be doing.

And, in many cases, they're wrong. They get a small snapshot of your day and extrapolate from there.

And, yes, there are rude and inconsiderate parents and ECV users and singles and honeymooners and teenagers. But I think they're the exception, not the norm. Aside from someone with a real medical emergency, there's no need to push or rush, to tailgate or stop suddenly.

Likewise, there's no need to judge others for their actions, particularly when those actions have no impact on you. Pushing another person, with or without your stroller, is rude. Putting a child into a stroller is not.

 

[marciemi]

My favorite embarrassing shot of my 8-year-old being pushed in the stroller by his 5-year-old brother!:

However, I will also admit, that we did a trip in 2005. Only 2.5 days and we pretty much did everything in all 4 parks (mid-January). After one day including an early EMH at MGM, a full afternoon at AK, and a late EMH at MK, the kids (then 9, 11, and 12!) were dying. We got one of the double strollers for the evening and DS9 claimed it the entire time and the other two took turns sharing it with him!

And to tell you the truth, if I fit, I would have been right in there with them!

 

[mill4023]

Well no I put those icon b/c I know I give my opinion and someone like you will come along and bash my opinion, so you are the one starting not me.
And yes it does bother me to see very unhappy children at WDW b/c teh parents want to stay at the park and the children don't....I have hear that conversation at WDW so many times.

You're making big assumptions here.

Just because a child is tired and needs to rest her/his legs for awhile, doesn't mean they need or want to leave the park. Having a stroller made it possible for us to spend the whole day in the park, WITHOUT having unhappy children.

 

[dis75ney]

I was 25 and pregnant when my body just decided to give out on me while at Epcot. I sat on the ground and declared I couldn't move anymore. A very nice family offered to let me have their rented double stroller, as they were heading out of the park anyway. I clambered into the stroller and DH pushed me around until I felt up to walking again. Got mostly weird looks, but several mommies grinned and one smacked her husband and complained that he never did anything like that for her when she was pregnant...

So, in answer to your question, 25...

 

[AlohaAnnie]

I was 25 and pregnant when my body just decided to give out on me while at Epcot. I sat on the ground and declared I couldn't move anymore. A very nice family offered to let me have their rented double stroller, as they were heading out of the park anyway. I clambered into the stroller and DH pushed me around until I felt up to walking again. Got mostly weird looks, but several mommies grinned and one smacked her husband and complained that he never did anything like that for her when she was pregnant...

So, in answer to your question, 25...

Oh, I so would have done this when I was pregnant too!

 

[buffettgirl]

My favorite embarrassing shot of my 8-year-old being pushed in the stroller by his 5-year-old brother!:

<sarcasm> your kids look so obese and lazy LOL. </sarcasm>

I was 25 and pregnant when my body just decided to give out on me while at Epcot. I sat on the ground and declared I couldn't move anymore. A very nice family offered to let me have their rented double stroller, as they were heading out of the park anyway. I clambered into the stroller and DH pushed me around until I felt up to walking again. Got mostly weird looks, but several mommies grinned and one smacked her husband and complained that he never did anything like that for her when she was pregnant...

So, in answer to your question, 25...

Oh you poor thing! I can only just imagine..I think all of us who have been pg know exactly how you felt.

 

[mariannecox]

in my case i have a 1 and 4 yrs old. my 4 yrs. old son has asthma and needs a rest every now and then and he is not allowed to get tired that much. a stroller is a big help for me. I cant imagine there are people who are so judgmental in putting a kid in a stroller. What if that 10 yrs. old child has asthma and wants to enjoy but he cant because of his conditions, its like stealing the joy from that kid. Being in the stroller will not make your child lazy. Disney land is made for kids to enjoy and not for those adults who only care for their own happiness.

 

[KimR]

Well, my DD rode in her sister's stroller when she was 12! We got some really strange looks, but at that point she didn't care. She had a very painful heel condition that flared up once in a while so she was very grateful for the stroller that day.

Last year, we had had a stroller for my youngest who had just turned 7. She is small for her age and it wears her out to try to keep up with the rest of us. Yeah, we could take a break, but why? If everyone wants to stay in the parks and the stoller allows us to do that, I'm going to take advantage of it. That way, everyone is happy and we get the most out of our vacation. Oh, and she is hardly lazy or obese. She is a tiny little thing and a gymnast to boot.

 

[Orlando313]

Whoa there! I don't think letting a child use a stroller at Disney World is going to make them lazy. It is just going to make them a happy, well rested child. Instead of an exhausted, cranky one. And it is not like they sit in their strollers like slugs, and have everything handed to them. Most kids do get out of them and run around a bit.

As far as all the stroller/pedestrian accidents go, I'm sure the walkers cause as much of the problem as those pushing the strollers. You see people all the time trying to just quick cut in front of someone pushing a stroller. People have even posted about others jumping over their strollers! Stroller accidents are not just caused by those with the strollers.

Don't use them if you don't want to. But there is not need to insult those who do.

Umm, excuse me, but is this no longer a place where we can express our opinons. I'm sorry to get off topic, but I just have to defend my post, once again, by saying that is MY opinion, and I don't care what the heck everyone else does. My post was in no way an insult, and if you think it was, then you read it wrong.

I have literally stood in a crowd after a parade where EVERYONE is trying to get down the street only to have someone ram me, back it up and ram me, and tell me to "Get out of the Way!" even though the whole street is full of people and we're all going the same way. I was offering suggestions and it's obvious that people here do not accept others who have different ways of thinking. If people want to put a child that is too big for a stroller in a stroller, then do it! I don't care! I won't say anything to you when I see you in the park.

 

[Kitzer]

We pack a small cooler of ice water bottles and crystal light on bottom of stroller to make it through the hot day. Then you don't have to spend $4 a bottle for water for each person in your party. Plus if you have things you need to carry for the shorties or your camera bags, stroller is good for that. Also purchases you make in park can be stowed on stroller. They're like little pack mules. Once that kid gets too big for stroller I'm going to miss having it for these other purposes.

My DD will turn 7 two days before we arrive at WDW in June. We will bring the Maclaren Volo, but I already know she's gonna look like Baby Huey sitting in the thing. I don't really care, if she wants to use it, fine. If not I'll still have my gear in it, at least for this year.

 

[nanceliz]

I think the last year we got strollers was when my boys were 5 and 8. My older son is small for his age and he would get tired easier. It was much more relaxing to do it this way. I'm glad we did because the next trip they were 7 and 10 and they would still tire easy and we had to take breaks.
They way I think is it's alot of walking for an adult much less a younger child

 

[lesos69]

We get one every year for our daughter(who is 9 this year)But, she has a disability and she is very small for her age. My 7 year old walks it without issue.

 

[bwilcox]

And we wonder why our children are overweight and in poor condition...

Kids are overweight from too much junk food and too much time sitting in front of the TV and video games, not from being pushed around in a stroller for a week on vacation.

 

[buffettgirl]

Umm, excuse me, but is this no longer a place where we can express our opinons. I'm sorry to get off topic, but I just have to defend my post, once again, by saying that is MY opinion, and I don't care what the heck everyone else does. My post was in no way an insult, and if you think it was, then you read it wrong.

I have literally stood in a crowd after a parade where EVERYONE is trying to get down the street only to have someone ram me, back it up and ram me, and tell me to "Get out of the Way!" even though the whole street is full of people and we're all going the same way. I was offering suggestions and it's obvious that people here do not accept others who have different ways of thinking. If people want to put a child that is too big for a stroller in a stroller, then do it! I don't care! I won't say anything to you when I see you in the park.

The OP has said she doesn't want people opinions on IF a stroller is acceptable .

 

[lmgaddis]

I decided that we wouldn't take a stroller this year for our 5 yr old. BIG mistake!! He kept up in the MK no problem. Epcot was a different story! We did all of the rides and went to World Showcase. He made it to Italy and just sat down. He said he couldn't walk anymore and needed "a rest". I have pictures of my poor child "resting" all over the park! You have to remember that they have little legs and it is alot of walking. I ran over and bought a stroller by the back enterance to the World Showcase and let him ride while we finished World Showcase and also at AK. Take one just in case! It can't hurt!!

Decided to add some pics of my very tired Epcot monkey!

 

[brockash]

What? I don't even know how to respond to the thought that renting a stroller at Disney World is the reason for childhood obesity and poor health.

Let me pose this question...how many of US jump in our car to go to the store that is under 2 miles away? Or even 1 mile away? Sounds like a HUGE case of the DOUBLE STANDARDS!

No kidding. For those of you that are trying to claim that letting a child use a stroller at Disney is somehow making them fat, lazy obese... a little insight... A sporadic vacation of a week or two walking at Disney or riding is not going to make a bit of difference to their health. No one can be that ignorant. Having a child ride or walk at Disney has nothing to do with making them or preventing them from becoming obese. If you think that's the case with your children, then you should probably make sure they're eating healthy and getting enough exercise at home.

 

[Desiree430]

our kids were DS 4 and DD2 and we used single umbrella strollers for them. This year we have a sit and stand that we are using instead since my oldest is 5 and he doesn't use a stroller out anymore. We figure this gives him the option to get off and on as he wants or if he needs a break. We also get the AAA diamond parking pass that allows us to park all the up near the front so we don't have to worry about loading and unloading.

 

[Orlando313]

The OP has said she doesn't want people opinions on IF a stroller is acceptable .

I was giving suggestions for alternatives to strollers and suggestions on being respectful with one in case she did use one. It was the person that replied to mine that made my post about it being acceptable to use them. I gave my for instance, and someone didn't like that.

And that is why I don't like to post here. I give a response, someone doesn't like it, so they twist my words and attack me. I need to go back to just being the reader and not the responder.

Peace out, I'm going to Universal!

 

[jwp321]

We are bringning the sit/stand stroller for our DS3 and DD8. I want to be prepared for when my daughters feet give out and she wants to hop a ride. No sense in making her walk when her feet are tired but the rest of her is still rarin' to go! And like many others have said in other posts, it does help when going through large crowds with being able to keep the kids close by.

Not judging others, but it really is a matter of YOUR OWN preference and YOUR OWN comfort level with "older" kids in strollers. No need to force ones own opinions on others.

 

[styron]

The OP has said she doesn't want people opinions on IF a stroller is acceptable .

I mean, I really don't care. Anyone can have any opinions they want to, and it doesn't faze me a bit. See, when I say I don't care if people want to be grumpy about stuff that isn't affecting them one bit, I really mean I DON'T CARE. It doesn't matter to me what their opinions are, but good for them if they have one and can't help but burst out with it.

My kids are skinny.

Also, they seem to have a lot of energy, but then again, I'm not the kind of mom who routinely makes my children walk ten miles a day every day for a week. That sounds kind of like boot camp to me (Disney boot camp, ha!). I'm not concerned about them keeping up for a couple of days, but who knows how they'll do by Day 6.

They're going on vacation, not to kiddie boot camp. I'm just trying to be balanced and reasonable here.