I have a giant kid - can I go stroller-less?

[hoffse]

Posting my own thread so I don’t hijack others.

I have a giant kid who turned 5 at the end of January. At his 5 year old checkup a couple weeks ago he clocked in at 49” and 50 lbs. He’s absolutely off the charts.

We are going to Disney over Columbus Day (October), at which point I fully expect him to be between 50-52” and a bit over 50 lbs based on his current trajectory. I’m trying to nail down a rough itinerary so I can book flights in the next few weeks, and the stroller thing obviously plays into it (especially on our arrival and departure days).

He doesn’t use a stroller at home. We regularly take 3-5 mile walks as a family, and he walks the whole time. We have also taken other walk-heavy trips with minimal stroller use. When he was 3.5 we did Washington DC, and he only used the stroller for a single day (national zoo). We never used it for museums or the national mall on that trip. When he was 4.5 we did a week in San Diego. He used his sister’s stroller for about 30 minutes on 2 days of the trip (so 1 hour total over the whole week), and that was all. And for what it’s worth, we live in Alabama so we know how to manage heat and humidity.

I’m not anti-stroller by any means, but he’s huge and just doesn’t fit comfortably in one anymore.

So my first question - can we just hit the parks first thing in the morning (my son is usually up by 5:30), go at a slower pace, and take an afternoon break to avoid needing a stroller? This is how we have handled other trips, and it has worked fine. We are booked at the Poly and tentatively plan to visit Epcot, MK, and AK.

My next question - if I have truly lost my mind, then what strollers fit 7-8 year olds? Because that’s how big my son will be by the time this trip rolls around. He barely fits in our Thule Urban Glide right now, which is about the size of a BOB. I think the BOB is the biggest stroller I can rent from an independent company. Are the strollers at the parks significantly bigger?

TIA!

 

[Micca]

If he can handle 3-5 mile walks I think he's going to be fine with no stroller. My only concern would be if he falls asleep and you have to carry him. Just tell him "If you start getting drowsy, let me know and we'll head to the Poly."

 

[loves to dive]

My son stopped using one around 2 years old. We went to WDW when he was just shy of 3 and we maybe rented one twice in the late afternoon. By the time he was 5, he had no problems at all not having one, as a matter of fact there is no way I could have gotten him to get in one since he hated them. We stayed at Poly often when he was young and would usually go back to the room mid-day or so for some pool time and for me to rest in the room. He should be fine. Just go at his pace and know it will still be hot in October so plan to get some AC time.

 

[dez1978]

We have never used a stroller. My kids were 5&7 the first time we went and my youngest was similar in size to yours. He’s 8 now and 56 inches and 100 lbs

 

[thanxfornoticin]

When our kids were young, we found we had more trouble keeping up with them than we did having to worry about a stroller or carrying! There will be so many new things to do and see, he's likely to just keep going. You likely can take a break in the afternoon and will be fine! Have fun.

 

[juxtapose]

My son had always been tall so it just made sense to drop the stroller early, the last time he had one was when he was a young 4. We went again when he was 6 and he did great without a stroller.

 

[Anna131517]

Give it a shot. Worst case scenario you can rent a double stroller in the park. You see plenty of bigger kids in the double strollers.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

I think as long as you pay attention to his cues and aren't trying to do non-stop park days, he'll be fine. We took our double last year for our 5 year old and just under two-year-old. It was mostly for the younger one but figured it wouldn't hurt to have the double available for her if needed. She did make use of it, and we're taking the double again this time even though she's 6 now, but I also think she would've been okay without it, just as long as we didn't push her beyond her limits. We definitely will need it for our youngest and this way if she does want a break she has the option. We are also taking it in hopes that they might fall asleep in it later at night so we can get some drinks at Epcot or DS.

 

[MamaMermaid]

My kid is similar to yours... he's 48", around the same weight and turned 5 in November. We visit the parks pretty much monthly... still bring it. Disney is a lot. FWIW, we have a BOB; he JUST fits. It's tight but it does the job. This is probably our last year bringing BOB.

 

[SLThomas318]

We have large kids and I’ve always had the mind set that I would rather have the stroller and not use it much vs not have one and need it. My boys were 5 and 7 last trip and we did the double Bob. We like late nights in the park and having a place for them to crash or eat a snack on the go is great. They will be 6 and 8 for our summer trip and we are doing a single Bob… I’m a little nervous, but we are mentally preparing we might not be able to keep doing our late nights.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Holy cow, he’s the same size as my 7 year old!!

We went last summer and my son did fine without a stroller. Based on your description of your family’s physical activity, I’d say you likely don’t need one.

 

[RoseGold]

You can get a pediatric wheelchair that can handle this much weight. It isn't that different to transport than a stroller.

You can rent one at your local medical supply.

 

[tetera]

.

 

[Beer Me]

Give it a shot. Worst case scenario you can rent a double stroller in the park. You see plenty of bigger kids in the double strollers.

When we went with a 5 and 3 year old we rented a stroller mainly for the 3 year old but our 5 year old took some turns. I can’t remember if it was a double but I remember it being fairly large compared to what we used at home.

 

[hoffse]

So it looks like he won’t fit in a single rental at the park but he could fit in a double. That might be our back up plan if we really need it.

That being said, we aren’t interested in wiping him out, and my husband and I aren’t Disney fanatics or theme park people at all… we would honestly prefer to skip the parks entirely and just hang out by the pool! But our son loves Mickey, and he’s earned some special one-on-one time with us. So Disney it is, and our son can take the lead in the parks.

I was worried about cris-crossing the parks so much with Genie+ but honestly…. He may be huge, but he’s still barely 5, and he’s still scared of things like the dark and loud noises. I think he will do OK on fast rides and heights don’t bother him… but all those slow boat rides with the creepy animatronics or rides that go through pitch dark until something jumps out at you…hard pass (can you tell who he gets it from lol?). So after looking at it more, I realized there are a LOT of popular rides we will skip because they will be scary for him, and it might be more of a “meet the characters” trip this time. That’s perfectly fine for us, and I think it will reduce the cris-crossing.

I think our plan is going to be to take it really slow, not even attempt to see everything, and book some nice long character or themed meals for breaks. Maybe watch some shows to sit some more. We might do one partial day at HS to see the Toy Story and Star Wars areas, but otherwise I think we are going to stick to MK and Epcot so we can be close to the hotel if he needs a longer break. In other words, we are aiming for a slow Disney sampler here instead of a long checklist of attractions we need to hit. Does anybody else approach it that way?

Thank you all!

 

[Anna131517]

So it looks like he won’t fit in a single rental at the park but he could fit in a double. That might be our back up plan if we really need it.

That being said, we aren’t interested in wiping him out, and my husband and I aren’t Disney fanatics or theme park people at all… we would honestly prefer to skip the parks entirely and just hang out by the pool! But our son loves Mickey, and he’s earned some special one-on-one time with us. So Disney it is, and our son can take the lead in the parks.

I was worried about cris-crossing the parks so much with Genie+ but honestly…. He may be huge, but he’s still barely 5, and he’s still scared of things like the dark and loud noises. I think he will do OK on fast rides and heights don’t bother him… but all those slow boat rides with the creepy animatronics or rides that go through pitch dark until something jumps out at you…hard pass (can you tell who he gets it from lol?). So after looking at it more, I realized there are a LOT of popular rides we will skip because they will be scary for him, and it might be more of a “meet the characters” trip this time. That’s perfectly fine for us, and I think it will reduce the cris-crossing.

I think our plan is going to be to take it really slow, not even attempt to see everything, and book some nice long character or themed meals for breaks. Maybe watch some shows to sit some more. We might do one partial day at HS to see the Toy Story and Star Wars areas, but otherwise I think we are going to stick to MK and Epcot so we can be close to the hotel if he needs a longer break. In other words, we are aiming for a slow Disney sampler here instead of a long checklist of attractions we need to hit. Does anybody else approach it that way?

Thank you all!

You might want to just get the double stroller when you enter the parks. It can be a nice place to store drinks and a backpack when you go in n a ride. It’s also a good place for your child to be tucked away from crowds if you’re navigating a busy area.

 

[tinkerjo]

So it looks like he won’t fit in a single rental at the park but he could fit in a double. That might be our back up plan if we really need it.

That being said, we aren’t interested in wiping him out, and my husband and I aren’t Disney fanatics or theme park people at all… we would honestly prefer to skip the parks entirely and just hang out by the pool! But our son loves Mickey, and he’s earned some special one-on-one time with us. So Disney it is, and our son can take the lead in the parks.

I was worried about cris-crossing the parks so much with Genie+ but honestly…. He may be huge, but he’s still barely 5, and he’s still scared of things like the dark and loud noises. I think he will do OK on fast rides and heights don’t bother him… but all those slow boat rides with the creepy animatronics or rides that go through pitch dark until something jumps out at you…hard pass (can you tell who he gets it from lol?). So after looking at it more, I realized there are a LOT of popular rides we will skip because they will be scary for him, and it might be more of a “meet the characters” trip this time. That’s perfectly fine for us, and I think it will reduce the cris-crossing.

I think our plan is going to be to take it really slow, not even attempt to see everything, and book some nice long character or themed meals for breaks. Maybe watch some shows to sit some more. We might do one partial day at HS to see the Toy Story and Star Wars areas, but otherwise I think we are going to stick to MK and Epcot so we can be close to the hotel if he needs a longer break. In other words, we are aiming for a slow Disney sampler here instead of a long checklist of attractions we need to hit. Does anybody else approach it that way?

Thank you all!

Just go with a good plan. I hate cross crossing through the parks so I don’t do it. I would rather miss an attraction. We do the crazy rope drop thing and go hard for about an hour to take advantage of some shorter wait times. I did find Genie+ was invaluable at MK, especially for your less popular rides( changes a 20-30 minute wait into a walk on sometimes). Since you will be going more on his pace you will be fine without a stroller and if you find you do rent the double in the parks.

 

[stephnerninnie1984]

My daughter was way smaller at that age and the DAY she turned 5 I told her, NO MORE STROLLER. And her and my son (age 11) also have small backpacks that they carry all their own stuff in (water, snack, magic band, and anything else they want to bring.) She knew it was coming so accepted her fate They can do it! She is almost 8 now and still gets tired by the end of the night but that’s what my husband is for. Piggy back king!

 

[brockash]

Posting my own thread so I don’t hijack others.

I have a giant kid who turned 5 at the end of January. At his 5 year old checkup a couple weeks ago he clocked in at 49” and 50 lbs. He’s absolutely off the charts.

We are going to Disney over Columbus Day (October), at which point I fully expect him to be between 50-52” and a bit over 50 lbs based on his current trajectory. I’m trying to nail down a rough itinerary so I can book flights in the next few weeks, and the stroller thing obviously plays into it (especially on our arrival and departure days).

He doesn’t use a stroller at home. We regularly take 3-5 mile walks as a family, and he walks the whole time. We have also taken other walk-heavy trips with minimal stroller use. When he was 3.5 we did Washington DC, and he only used the stroller for a single day (national zoo). We never used it for museums or the national mall on that trip. When he was 4.5 we did a week in San Diego. He used his sister’s stroller for about 30 minutes on 2 days of the trip (so 1 hour total over the whole week), and that was all. And for what it’s worth, we live in Alabama so we know how to manage heat and humidity.

I’m not anti-stroller by any means, but he’s huge and just doesn’t fit comfortably in one anymore.

So my first question - can we just hit the parks first thing in the morning (my son is usually up by 5:30), go at a slower pace, and take an afternoon break to avoid needing a stroller? This is how we have handled other trips, and it has worked fine. We are booked at the Poly and tentatively plan to visit Epcot, MK, and AK.

My next question - if I have truly lost my mind, then what strollers fit 7-8 year olds? Because that’s how big my son will be by the time this trip rolls around. He barely fits in our Thule Urban Glide right now, which is about the size of a BOB. I think the BOB is the biggest stroller I can rent from an independent company. Are the strollers at the parks significantly bigger?

TIA!

Do whatever you want and what you think is best. It sounds like you'd prefer to go stroller-less...have at it. If you're willing to go at his pace than of course it's doable. If you get there and it becomes an issue you can always rent one from the parks.

There are also stroller rental companies that have strollers that relatively fit a 50 lb child...technically his height is over what is recommended, but my daughter has used one at 50 and 52 inches before.

 

[sponica]

We ended up going stroller less for my 6.5 year old, she got too tall for the stroller, like way too tall. I don't know how tall she is, but she's over 4 ft tall. Her feet were hitting the wheels. So I basically set money on fire renting a double. I probably could have contacted the vendor, but didn't really want to deal with the hassle of returning it...

We didn't do full park days though.