I am going to vent; please bear with me

[nannyz]

I am getting just a little upset over the many comments I see here about strollers.

I know I speak for all those moms, dads, etc., who are pushing strollers when I say that we do not intentionally run into you. If we do, all we can do is apologize. It is extremely difficult to negotiate a stroller through a large crowd. We do not deserve the dirty looks we get.

Maybe Disney should set aside "no stroller days" so that those who dislike strollers and/or babies can go to DLR without the annoyance that we cause.

Just needed to get this off my chest -- thanks.
I know I will get slammed for this -- bring it on; it won't bother this old granny.

 

[specialks]

I actually agree with you. I have needed strollers to tour DLR and it amazes me at how many people attempt to jump over my stroller to get around/in front of me when I'm just walking in a straight line. And if anyone has ever tried to bob and weave their way through a crowd at DL, imagine trying to do that and leave a buffer space in front of you that people automatically jump into to try to move up in the crowd. It is so frustrating. I have bumped into people and I have apologized. I've been bumped into and not been apologized to. But I've also had people (adult humans with no strollers) run smack into me and my children because they were too busy talking to their friends to look forward at where they were going. I think this issue is a typical problem with the differing values of individuals. Some of us will say please and thank you, and teach our kids to. Some won't. Some will choose to follow residency and resale rules on tickets, some won't. Some will choose to wait in line, sone won't. And, some will choose to say sorry when they bump into you, stroller or not, and some will just keep walking. I get bothered hearing all this constant talk about all the bad people/things at DLR. I guess I hope that it encourages others to stop going, because then I can enjoy the parks with less people, knowing that my behavior and my reaction to situations is the only thing controlling my vacation memories. I love the disboards, but wish there was a way to keep from having to discuss/debate/report on negative events and opinions. Now, let's all just get along. . Oh wait, I don't think we're all wired to think & behave the same way. Shucks
Thanks for the post!

 

[Gina]

While I know that most people pushing those things don't intend to run into anyone, the fact is that there are just too many of them! And I say that as a parent. The shops are small, some walkways are narrow, and a giant Hummer of a stroller simply takes up way larger of a footprint than a person does. When you add in the fact that half the people are pushing strollers simply because they don't feel like having to carry all the "stuff" they brought along or bought, and the people who are pushing kids who would be just fine walking if their parents simply scheduled some breaks in there.

And don't even get me started on strollers on buses -- especially the ones that "fold up" about as well as my car does! Ugh.

But we all do have to agree to disagree and all get along, and if we're going to disagree anyway it might as well be at the happiest place(s) on earth. Have a magical day!


-gina-

 

[wdw4rfam]

I think it is even funny that there is an actual DEBATE over strollers. It is DISNEY, a child- themed park. Although my DH and I think that we actually enjoy going more than our kids, the place is focused on small children. Anyone has a right to use a stoller, and who cares if anyone disagrees over your "reason" (carrying bags, or if THEY think your kid is too big). I use a srtoller for my 4 year old, and I AM considerate enough to leave it outside of shops, stores, and things that it just isn't needed. But I have to say, and speak for probably ANY parent who uses a stroller... no matter how many people complain, I am still going to use it

 

[Bossy22]

I have never taken a stroller to the parks (but will in 10 weeks!), but am also amazed at the negative attention. Sure there may be some inconsiderate people with strollers but its almost the same as saying people without strollers are not considerate of those who do (most are but there will always be a few). It boggles my mind that people are annoyed that people take their children to Disneyland! C'mon people, its Disneyland! Thats the magic of the place, it is great for a 2 year old, 20 year old, or 90 year old! Bring on the kids, thats what Walt would of wanted.

On a side note, if you have a stroller, say sorry when you bump into someone and stop giving the rest of us a bad name! Those without a stroller, stop giving us dirty looks for just having a stoller!!!

 

[stubby]

Strollers have never bothered me. Maybe because I have children who used one at one time...not sure. The people that bother me are the grown adults who just stop in the middle of the walkway to look at a map, talk to their friend, etc. I really wish I had a stroller at that point to run them over...oh, maybe I shouldn't say that...lol.

 

[mouseymommy]

Until I came to this website I never knew people had such strong opinions on strollers at DL. I honestly never gave strollers a second thought. Personally, I can't wait to have a stroller free trip to DL. But the reality is, I still need one. I try to be considerate of others, but that is generally how I live my life anyways. My youngest just turned 2, so unless we have another, we have another year or two with a stroller.

 

[All American]

I am getting just a little upset over the many comments I see here about strollers.

I know I speak for all those moms, dads, etc., who are pushing strollers when I say that we do not intentionally run into you. If we do, all we can do is apologize. It is extremely difficult to negotiate a stroller through a large crowd. We do not deserve the dirty looks we get.

Maybe Disney should set aside "no stroller days" so that those who dislike strollers and/or babies can go to DLR without the annoyance that we cause.

Just needed to get this off my chest -- thanks.
I know I will get slammed for this -- bring it on; it won't bother this old granny.

Nah. I think a ban on inherently uptight people would solve a myriad of problems.

ETA: Not saying you're the uptight one, OP. Just people like a lady I overheard on the tram say to her friend, "You know, I really hate coming to this place and only came because you wanted to." I don't think a stroller-and-kid-free day can help a person like that.

 

[joelnkelly]

we are heading to dl in 3 weeks, woohooo. we will be taking our double stroller which is a front to back (its a sit & stand), not side-by-side. this stroller works well for us because we have a 3 year old who will get tired quickly of all the walking and a seven year old who can hop in the standing portion when she is ready for a break. if it bothers people they can get over it, its disneyland for heavens sake which is a place for children.

 

[nannyz]

Enjoyed reading your replies.
We will be in the parks this summer with three strollers.
Maybe I should post a warning before we leave!!!

 

[mouseymommy]

Strollers have never bothered me. Maybe because I have children who used one at one time...not sure. The people that bother me are the grown adults who just stop in the middle of the walkway to look at a map, talk to their friend, etc. I really wish I had a stroller at that point to run them over...oh, maybe I shouldn't say that...lol.

That drives me crazy!! I always "pull over" when I need to stop, and I don't get why anybody would just stop in the middle of a crowded walkway! Who does that?!

For the record, the only person I have ever hit with my stroller was a young lady who jumped out of the way of her dad's stroller and landed in front of mine. We all laughed and joked about how crowded it was and nobody got angry.

 

[DanT]

There are inconsiderate folks with and without strollers...just as there a considerate folks with and without strollers.
Line jumpers, profanity slingers, girlfriend gropers, mental meltdowners etc
Just go and enjoy yourself, be considerate and treat others as you would like to be treated...
The percentage of total DL visitors that visit this website in so insignificantly small, no discussion will ever change the overall mood.

I am the grandfather of identical twins that will be making their first visit to DL sometime in the next 12 months...they are currently 9Mos.

When we go we have the ability to use one of two different strollers, a more compact McClaren and a much wider Schwinn Jogger...
We will probably opt for the McClaren just for it's more user and non-users friendly size

DL was designed and built with kids of all ages in mind...Walt wanted a clean well maintained amusement park to take his Daughters to...
Just like the rest of us do.

 

[blackjackdelta]

A couple of years back a "stroller" caused an emergeny room visit for a few stitches to one of my daughters not to mention the xtra expense. The parents were absolutely nasty and trust me I would have liked to put the dad in the ER...they were escorted out of the park by security. If the stroller nazi's would lighten up a bit and not have the expection that they can do what they wish, then I think the time would go better.
We took our 4 kids for many years when they were young and there we NO strollers, OMG.....
I am sure Walt was not thinking about strollers when the park was designed.

Jack

 

[mooshka1]

I think it will be a trade-off. Do you prefer being bumped by a stroller unintentionally, or dealing with thousands of kids who are crying, tired, and having-an-exhaust fueled tantrum, because they had to walk all over DL instead of having a stroller? And then imagine the moods all their parents would be in.... We know our kids best, and even with breaks during the day, even if my child is old enough to be "able to walk", DL stimulation and travelling in general make for extra tired/over-stressed kids. I am glad parents do what's best for their kids and rent a stroller if they know they'll need one. If they bump someone, apologizing is a must. During the end of our trip, my DD6 was tired but wanted to go back to the parks. She wanted a stroller, and although people gave me strange looks because she was "too old", I know she was tired and she needed one, so she got one. End of story.

 

[babyrich]

A couple of years back a "stroller" caused an emergeny room visit for a few stitches to one of my daughters not to mention the xtra expense. The parents were absolutely nasty and trust me I would have liked to put the dad in the ER...they were escorted out of the park by security. If the stroller nazi's would lighten up a bit and not have the expection that they can do what they wish, then I think the time would go better.
We took our 4 kids for many years when they were young and there we NO strollers, OMG.....
I am sure Walt was not thinking about strollers when the park was designed.

Jack

While I dont think most people intend to hit anyone with their stroller. I do wish some folks might think about the situation some. For instance, if I am in front of you on a line and it moves every so often; why must I get hit with the stroller behind me every time the line moves?? You have hit me twice already and apologized, but the 3rd and 4th time is gonna make me angry. Maybe pay better attention that my ankle has moved before you begin to push. Maybe take the kid out of the stroller and drag the stroller.

The dirty looks you are receiving probably just come from pain. You may find it hard to navigate with a stroller but its hard to navigate without one too.

Just do your thing, dont worry about the looks. You know you didnt mean to hit them, so your conscience is clear.

 

[tinkermomma]

Truth be told, the last time I went to the land was in 07' when the hubs and I had just gotten engaged. Sadly, even though I love kids, the many challenges and joys of parenthood were about as far away from my mind as you can imagine. I was horrified by what hubs and I began to deem as the "stroller army" on that sweltering July day and night . I thought it was highly ridiculous that stroller aged children should be kept out for fantasmic! and why on earth were these these terrible parents not in their hotel rooms letting their children nap and sleep in normal places. I convinced myself if I ever did have kids I would surely wait until they we're passed the stroller phase. Bahahaha!

Oh karma... Please be kind to me. I get it now. Disneyland is for the young and the young at heart. So really it's the perfect place to practice the two thing we ALL (should) have learned in our youth, patience and manners.

 

[Escape2Disney]

This recent phenomenon is interesting - it sounds a lot like discussions on the disability boards regarding scooters!

Bottom line: MOST people who have strollers NEED them (at least part of the day). MOST people who have scooters NEED them. There is no grand conspiracy to mow down people as they walk through the parks.

As someone who used strollers with my kids when they were younger and now uses a scooter because it's medically necessary, I have always been cautious. The few times over the decades when I accidentally bumped someone, I've ALWAYS apologized and asked if they were okay.

Whether with a stroller or scooter, it's not easy to navigate the parks. People dart in front of you, stop suddenly, and generally disregard the fact that it's hard to stop on a dime. There are tons of stories of people leaning on our stroller, using my HEAD to brace while stepping over me on a scooter, stopping suddenly in front of the stroller/scooter, etc. It isn't easy on a busy day, but most of us are just doing our best to get from point A to point B without anyone getting injured.

SIDE NOTE: In the spirit of full disclosure......
The only time I ever intentionally hit someone (and this was in a scooter at Disneyland) was when a drunk jerk PICKED UP my service dog and ran away thinking it was funny. I acutually ran the guy over to get my dog back. Even THEN I got security, told him what happened, and asked him to check on the guy to make sure he was okay. The security guard looked a bit shocked, but told me I was justified and the guy would be escorted out of the park.

 

[FireflyJar]

deleted

 

[pixiewings71]

I am getting just a little upset over the many comments I see here about strollers.

I know I speak for all those moms, dads, etc., who are pushing strollers when I say that we do not intentionally run into you. If we do, all we can do is apologize. It is extremely difficult to negotiate a stroller through a large crowd. We do not deserve the dirty looks we get.

Maybe Disney should set aside "no stroller days" so that those who dislike strollers and/or babies can go to DLR without the annoyance that we cause.

Just needed to get this off my chest -- thanks.
I know I will get slammed for this -- bring it on; it won't bother this old granny.

Ok but most people don't apologize, in fact the many times I've been run over by a stroller the person won't even look at me. So ya, if you aren't going to acknowledge you hit me (not YOU OP ) I am going to give you a dirty look should I happen to finally catch your eye. This response is directed towards the lady who was trying to leave after the parade (as were we), stuck in the crush as we inched our way to the gates who repeatedly slammed her empty stroller into the backs of my ankles, which causes cuts and bruises and did make me bleed. I couldn't go any faster, yet it seemed that was goal, to push me to go faster.......we got away from her as fast as we could (by leaving the middle of the street and walking through the shops) but I had to stop in DCA and ask for band-aids for the cuts she opened up on the backs of my legs.

There are inconsiderate folks with and without strollers...just as there a considerate folks with and without strollers.
Line jumpers, profanity slingers, girlfriend gropers, mental meltdowners etc
Just go and enjoy yourself, be considerate and treat others as you would like to be treated...
The percentage of total DL visitors that visit this website in so insignificantly small, no discussion will ever change the overall mood.

I am the grandfather of identical twins that will be making their first visit to DL sometime in the next 12 months...they are currently 9Mos.

When we go we have the ability to use one of two different strollers, a more compact McClaren and a much wider Schwinn Jogger...
We will probably opt for the McClaren just for it's more user and non-users friendly size

DL was designed and built with kids of all ages in mind...Walt wanted a clean well maintained amusement park to take his Daughters to...
Just like the rest of us do.

yup, there are considerate and inconsiderate park visitors, stroller users or not, just make sure you do say you're sorry if you bump into someone in front of you, you may not know what's happening ahead of them, they may have to stop suddenly.

This recent phenomenon is interesting - it sounds a lot like discussions on the disability boards regarding scooters!

Bottom line: MOST people who have strollers NEED them (at least part of the day). MOST people who have scooters NEED them. There is no grand conspiracy to mow down people as they walk through the parks.

As someone who used strollers with my kids when they were younger and now uses a scooter because it's medically necessary, I have always been cautious. The few times over the decades when I accidentally bumped someone, I've ALWAYS apologized and asked if they were okay.

Whether with a stroller or scooter, it's not easy to navigate the parks. People dart in front of you, stop suddenly, and generally disregard the fact that it's hard to stop on a dime. There are tons of stories of people leaning on our stroller, using my HEAD to brace while stepping over me on a scooter, stopping suddenly in front of the stroller/scooter, etc. It isn't easy on a busy day, but most of us are just doing our best to get from point A to point B without anyone getting injured.

SIDE NOTE: In the spirit of full disclosure......
The only time I ever intentionally hit someone (and this was in a scooter at Disneyland) was when a drunk jerk PICKED UP my service dog and ran away thinking it was funny. I acutually ran the guy over to get my dog back. Even THEN I got security, told him what happened, and asked him to check on the guy to make sure he was okay. The security guard looked a bit shocked, but told me I was justified and the guy would be escorted out of the park.

I have never stepped in front of a stroller, wheelchair or scooter unless I was physically pushed. And yes, I have been pushed by other park guests in front of someone else. I always apologize and I usually get the dirty look in return, even tho the person I "cut off" saw me get pushed......
This debate is not new, it's been occurring since I joined the boards......

Again, this is an issue of common courtesy, be courteous to me and I will be courteous to you. Heck, be rude and I'll probably still be courteous......lol But remember that sometimes even we walkers have issues that will cause us to unintentionally step in front of you.
Also, I would like to echo the sentiment that if you realize you need to go somewhere else to please step out of the way of people walking behind you before you come to a dead stop in the middle of the path.....otherwise I will probably walk into you. Please exit the flow of traffic and step to the side to help traffic keep moving.

 

[coaches24]

I dont bump into people with my stroller, they bump into me. Very rarely do I actually run into or slightly bump anyone with my stroller. I slow my pace down and will not be in a rush for anything if I am pushing a stroller. What does happen is people cutting me off, stopping right in front of me, or just plain not paying attention to where they are going. Stoller or not that is by far a bigger issue than anyone with a stroller.