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

[java]

I have wanted to crawl into the stroller by the end of our trip-so I say any age is ok as long as they safely fit into the stroller. (alas I didn't) After a week of park hopping even the athletes in the group get tired.

 

[shellybaxter]

Honestly?? "Cute" leahes for children??

Call me crazy, but watching a parent who has put an out-of-control (or "bratty", as you put it) child on a leash because he/she doesn't know how to behave (or, more likely, because of ineffective parenting) is FAR more bothersome, to me, than seeing a happy child resting in a stroller in 90 degree weather as the whole family enjoys their vacation.

I am as supportive of "if a child needs a stroller - get them one - no matter what age" as anyone, but don't hate on the leashes. They are appropriate tools for some children. Some children like to ride in a stroller and that how they enjoy WDW. However, some children - like my niece when she was younger - like to be able to get up and walk around and explore. She is from a VERY small town. The biggest crowd she was usually in at 2.5 years of age was at the grocery store when four families were shopping at the same time. So she didn't really understand the "you can get lost in a crowd concept" and she was so unhappy alway holding hands - she never had to be confined like that at home. The "leash" - or tether as I would rather call it - was a God send. I felt safe and she felt enough freedom to enjoy her trip

 

[styron]

Two light-weight strollers were better than 1 big & bulky stroller! Have a great trip!

This is such great advice!

 

[Mrs.Toad]

5, 6, 7, 8-yo kids don't have the stamina of adults in a place like WDW. Sure, we often think they have more energy than we do, but it comes in short bursts. Like someone said, they have shorter legs and have to take more steps to go the same distance. Then they get excited and run ahead, turn around and run back to you, they play in the fountains or the playground areas while their parents sit and watch. Of course they are going to tire and need to rest at times the parents don't. If a family wants to use a stroller for them to rest in, rather than a bench, so that the family can keep moving, so what?!

Seriously, some people think that a child over age 4 using a stroller in WDW is a sign of laziness and obesity risk? That's ridiculous. My kids are in great shape, they play sports and never used a stroller at home past age 3. But if I was ready to leave the park for the day as early as my 6yo needed a short reprieve from walking, I'd consider it me who was lazy and out of shape!

 

[buffettgirl]

We had good luck with a McClaren light weight umbrella stroller that had a shoulder strap on it. It made it much easier to carry it on the bus because we could have our hands free to hold children and the stroller strung over our back.

So you could always modify a regular umbrella stroller to have some sort of carry strap on it. I'd much rather you try to get on the bus with 2 small light weight ones than one big bulky double.

 

[darlak]

My .02....I don't care if you're bringing a stroller for a kid that's big/old enough that the two of you can take turns riding and pushing the other. It's none of my business. Just please try not to run over me as you go.

Have a great trip! As at least one other poster mentioned, you don't know these people and you'll probably never see them again, so who cares what the heck they think?

 

[Orlando313]

Honestly?? "Cute" leahes for children??

Call me crazy, but watching a parent who has put an out-of-control (or "bratty", as you put it) child on a leash because he/she doesn't know how to behave (or, more likely, because of ineffective parenting) is FAR more bothersome, to me, than seeing a happy child resting in a stroller in 90 degree weather as the whole family enjoys their vacation.

Yes, they are cute, they have little monkey's on them, or bears. I'm sorry but maybe I did not explain the situation very well, but that's neither here nor there. It is far more bothersome to me to confine an able bodied child to a stroller than to walk on his own if he is willing and capable. That is where you and I, and I'm sure many others are different. Which is ok with me.

And I guess if you live in a city where 90-100 degrees is the norm, then the heat and humidity is not bothersome. Maybe everyone on the boards here is from up north or midwest, I don't know, but my sister and I were never bothered by the heat because that's what we played in every single day.

 

[buffettgirl]

And I guess if you live in a city where 90-100 degrees is the norm, then the heat and humidity is not bothersome. Maybe everyone on the boards here is from up north or midwest, I don't know, but my sister and I were never bothered by the heat because that's what we played in every single day.

it's absolutely 100% different if you're not living in it every day. Just like you'd probably freeze here mid winter when it's 20 out and we're all going on about how warm it is out. LOL.

 

[BrerRabbit_fan]

I'm getting my popcorn out and replying before I read. We had a 7 yr old in the stroller. My friend had a petite 9 yr old. If they fit and want to ride, they can. It makes for a quality vacation. I wish I could ride sometimes. I'm a fit adult and walk five miles each day but Disney is exhausting. My trips are usually 5-6 days and that's all I can go for at a time. Resort breaks each day make no sense for us. At night, the kids have enough energy to swim this way and we never have crying/meltdowns/fights.

Whenever I see adults carrying their kids at the end of the day, I'm amazed they have the strength to do so. I couldn't/wouldn't.

 

[BrerRabbit_fan]

Forgot to say, standing in lines is what does you in, not walking. I went to Disney last in January and even though lines were few, we did stand in some when it made no sense to return later.

 

[Orlando313]

it's absolutely 100% different if you're not living in it every day. Just like you'd probably freeze here mid winter when it's 20 out and we're all going on about how warm it is out. LOL.

I freeze when it's 60 out.

 

[buffettgirl]

I freeze when it's 60 out.

It's about 65 where I am right now..and I bet you anything that when I go pick my kids up there will be people in tank tops and shorts. LOL. It feels balmy today.

so yeah, the heat when it gets that much that quickly, really bothers some people.

 

[Orlando313]

It's about 65 where I am right now..and I bet you anything that when I go pick my kids up there will be people in tank tops and shorts. LOL. It feels balmy today.

so yeah, the heat when it gets that much that quickly, really bothers some people.

Touché.

When I was at Universal yesterday, I heard all these people complaining about the heat and it's like 75-80, and I'm like, yea, just wait, you think it's hot now.

Sorry, totally off topic. But point is taken and noted.

 

[Colleen27]

And I guess if you live in a city where 90-100 degrees is the norm, then the heat and humidity is not bothersome. Maybe everyone on the boards here is from up north or midwest, I don't know, but my sister and I were never bothered by the heat because that's what we played in every single day.

It is *so* different when you're not used to it. The heat is really exhausting to both my kids, but we go years between 100* days. Low/mid 90s is hot here, and that only happens for a few weeks out of the year. It works in reverse too - we were happily swimming under the watchful eye of lifeguards in jackets, hats and gloves on our last trip to Disney, because cold to someone who is used to Florida weather is prime swimming weather to us!

A lot of Disney guests come from the midwest and northeast, so it is a pretty safe bet that a lot of those kids in strollers are unaccustomed to the extreme heat and humidity of FL.

 

[Colleen27]

I freeze when it's 60 out.

It is in the low 60s here this week. I'm wearing capris and a t-shirt, all the windows of my house are open, and we walked up to the ice cream shop with the kids after school yesterday. Given a heated pool, my kids have been known to swim in this kind of weather!

 

[MaumeeMom]

Adults are overweight because they sit on the computer all day and argue about stuff that doesn't really matter.

I thought it was from using all those snack credits on the DDP.

Ice cream cookie sandwiches, dole whip floats, sweet pretzels...

 

[Tiffany_PartyOf7]

By the end of a long day at the parks, my 6 yr old needs a stroller - otherwise he is nothing but a whiney kid who walks so slow the crowds will run him over exiting the park. LOL

 

[crazyfordisney2000]

My DD is 5 and DS is 7, soon to be 8 . I am absolutely renting a stroller!!!! Worth every penny IMO!! They are by no means obese, and I prefer, ESPECIALLY after fireworks leaving the parks it is sooooo crowded, I love not having to worry where they are. We are debating getting 2 singles instead of 1 double, easier to manouver, and not sure how much our son will use his, maybe just 1 single to share, but I would stake my life on it that at the end of the day DS would not want to walk back to the busses!! OHHHHH the decisions

 

[Iwant2BAprincess]

We had strollers for both our boys last year, they were almost 5 and 6. We just take the cheap umbrella ones but the little storage they give is great and it is just easier to manuver the kids that way and they didn't mind

 

[buffettgirl]

Touché.

When I was at Universal yesterday, I heard all these people complaining about the heat and it's like 75-80, and I'm like, yea, just wait, you think it's hot now.

Sorry, totally off topic. But point is taken and noted.

My parents are both down there "snowbirding" right now and they've been complaining all week about the heat. I said to them "I thought that's why you went to florida in Feb/Mar/April..." lol