I may be the only one.. but I HATED using a stroller in WDW!

[Trina7020]

My kids are only 2 and 3 so I figured a double stroller was an absolute must.

We just got back from a trip and well... the stroller was our biggest headache.

We had originally planned on renting, but when the prices went up we decided to bring our own.

Poor DH was so frustrated with it in the airport. The boys didn't want to ride so he carried it through the airport and we gate checked it.

We stayed at Pop and it was the biggest pain on the buses. Seriously... worse than I imagine. The people with singles that folded up umbrella style seemed ok... but the doubles are big and aiyiyiyi... It probably made it worse that we had two young children that needed help on the bus and one of us was tried up with a stroller.

Then at the parks... the boys didn't want to sit in them. So we would end up parking it and not coming back to it for several hours and then going to get it only to move it to a new area.

A couple time my little one wanted to be carried... but it wasn't often.

The last 3 days of the trip we just left the stroller in the room.. lol We were sick off it. We send it on with our luggage to be checked so we wouldn't deal with it on the way home.

So there is my opinion... renting I don't think would have helped us much more. The times the boys were willing to ride was walking up to and leaving the parks and we wouldn't have had a rental then anyway.

 

[gobraves39560]

Thanks so much for this post. You have made my decision on whether to bring strollers alot easier. My kids are not lazy by any means. They are 4 and 5, and we really hate strollers. They are a hassle. I was going to bring 2 umbrella strollers, but may just bring one now. Do you think that an umbella type would have been better???

 

[Trina7020]

A single umbrella style strollers on the bus were FINE! I don't think we would have used it anymore in the parks. LIke said... ours stayed parked for hours at a time until we gave up bringing it!

 

[HGD24]

I'm wondering if a stroller with a sit and stand option would have been better since they tend to be smaller than a full-sized double stroller.

Here's the first example I came across:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2827351

 

[Trina7020]

We actually have one of those as well as a regular side by side double. (My kids are 15 months apart... we used doubles alot when they were little)

We choose to bring our side by side as it provided a true place for our older child to rest. Our Sit N Stand folds about the same size as our double.

 

[MightyMom]

You're not the only one!

I was hoping by the time this trip came around that my DS4 would be able to walk the entire park and not need a stroller. DS8 uses a wheelchair and it's hard enough pushing him around..... we didn't want the extra struggle of a stroller too.

Unfortunately.... I see no way around it. DS4 has some sensory and social deficits.... he's also pretty small for his age..... so it looks like another trip with a stroller.

I'm gonna drink the Dis kool-aid and buy a MacClaren. He's about 35lbs...... so I'm thinking it will be perfect for him.

 

[J&J'sMOM]

You're not the only one!

I was hoping by the time this trip came around that my DS4 would be able to walk the entire park and not need a stroller. DS8 uses a wheelchair and it's hard enough pushing him around..... we didn't want the extra struggle of a stroller too.

Unfortunately.... I see no way around it. DS4 has some sensory and social deficits.... he's also pretty small for his age..... so it looks like another trip with a stroller.

I'm gonna drink the Dis kool-aid and buy a MacClaren. He's about 35lbs...... so I'm thinking it will be perfect for him.

I gave in also, and bought the maclaren! It folds so small--it will be a dream on the busses!!!

 

[_queenie_]

Us too! We stopped at like 2.5, strollers were just so much of a hassle for us. You can't always get into every little nook you want to and it always creates a struggle when eating and going on rides. I think I might add the list of our trips to my sig and write which ones were "stroller free" indicating when we had a better time!

 

[mommyof2princesses]

We have always rented for some of the reasons you mentioned. We have seen others getting on the bus with some huge stroller, 2 or 3 kids and packages and bags. It is not easy. Especially when the bus is packed. We love to be able to leave the park with nothing but our little bags and the kids. I am not sure if we are renting this year as dd4 will be 5 and we don't even have a stroller anymore. We are going to see.

 

[kileybeth]

Welcome Home! sounds like you had a good trip sans the stroller anyway!

I was tied to my double for a bit longer than I liked (premmie on her moniters until 6mos)and yes it was a huge pain on buses but we had someone offering to help us each and every time.

I now have also joined the cult and am quite religious about my 2 MAC's! lightweigth made all the differnece for me as I could toss them over my shoulder and still go.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

We bring our double..but we also avoid buses like the plaque. It helps we can walk, boat or monorail to most places..i think that is key to whether a double is more of a hassle. I stayed at the Pop one trip and even a single was a pain with the bus lines there.

I definitely would not want to carry my kids around everywhere...Walk or ride. Those are your options..

 

[Octoberbabiesrus]

thankyou for the input! I was debating on bringing my stroller, my umbrella or the double.

After all said and done, I will be bringing the double. Laughing at me? Well my regular one is bulky. My umbrella sucks as I have to bend forward and hubby tips it alot. So the choice is made, my Eddie Bauer Double stroller. its heavy, but has a carry strap and folds up LIKE a umbrella! best of all was the price... 37.48 at target, 75% off

 

[annacali]

I had a double Macclaren last week and a rental car which made life so much easier. But, even so we compromised. We took the stroller during the day when it was hot and when we parked close enough in the parking lots not to get tram service (requiring more walking to get to the park). But in the evenings, we rode the tram and left the stroller in the car. It avoided getting wet in a few rainstorms that way too! But, my feet hurt with all the walking we did, so I know my little ones with shorter legs walked twice as much, so didn't mind giving them a ride (they are five and three).

 

[Narnia]

I was thinking of bringing my sit and stand but I think I'm only going to bring my peg plinko. it has a small standing bar. We live near marineland ON and we never bring a stroller for the older kids they walk and walk we will be there all day and they still have energy at least until the car ride LOL.

 

[brymolmom]

I can understand the OP's pain, but I think if you want to use a stroller for its many benefits (knowing where the kids are, right in front of you at all times (not going to accidentally slip away), not worrying about carrying my little one until my arms fall off, being able to store our change of clothes, snacks and light up toys, etc.), I think that it just takes experience and/or planning to 'make it smooth'.

DH and I are pro's with two kids 17 months apart who have been since they were 1 at least once a year. Here are some things we do that help:

DH gets on and off the bus separate from us so that he can just stand right near the back door with the folded double stroller. It doesn't get in as many people's way and it is easier for him to kind of lean it against the pole near the back door. I hold the little one on my lap and the bigger one right next to me sitting. He has the stroller out and setup by the time we get off the bus.

Now that mine are older we don't insist on this as much - but for many years we had a stroller 'rule' - we said that you had to get in it when Mommy and Daddy said (or if they didn't we would just stop and not go anywhere or do anything until they did - it only took about once or twice for them to get that this was the rule and to obey). For safety reasons I wanted this and honestly if we had to go at the pace of my 2 year olds' little legs - we likely would only get to one or two rides in a couple/few hours. So, really, it just made practical sense to me that they get in it when we were going farther than one or two rides away. I also wanted to prevent the crankiness of getting legs tired out and also in the summer heat I insist upon it just due to worry about dehydration. If you want to use a stroller and your kids aren't used to it at home - have them practice or at least make sure to mention the rule that they will be required to sit in one at WDW before your trip so they're not surprised.

We got a side by side graco at a garage sale - so we don't care if it gets dirty, etc - and it folds pretty easily and flat - that is a big benefit with a double.

I bring a large shopping-type or beach bag and lay it flat in the bottom basket of the stroller all day. The basket tends to accumulate 'things' throughout the day- like popcorn containers, water bottles, extra socks that got wet and removed, etc - when getting back on the bus it is tough to grab all this stuff PLUS my kids hands. So, right as we see the bus pull up - we grab the big shopping bag and throw everything from the under basket in it - that way I can sling that over my shoulder and have my hands free.

We might go in November and I think we'll downgrade to a single stroller this time - I know I'm going to miss the double though - but we're moving on to the 'next stage'.

TO the OP - why did your dh carry a double stroller in the airport? We like it if the kids want to walk in the airport - we push it along with all our carry-on stuff in it - makes it easy as can be! Of course, folding it up to get thru security is a pain - but it is with the kids in it too.

I am impressed that you were able to do 3 days at the parks with a 2 and 3 year old without one. Did you really get to do everything that you wanted? WOW - your kids are much quicker and resiliant than mine are. I guess whatever works best for your family is best! No way I would let my kids walk at those ages - even if they wanted to.

 

[justhat]

OMG, I wish I read this post last week, BEFORE I bought a double stroller!! I HATE double strollers and have made it 22 months with 2 kids and no double stroller, but I caved for our trip next week. We're going with friends, not a family trip, so I'll be alone with the kids and not following their regular schedule as much as usual so I figured I would need a place for my daughter to sit to avoid tantrums, so she could nap, etc.

I bought the Mac Twin Triumph and have been walking the kids to school in it this week and I hate it. Pushing 85 lbs is just insane. We live a mile from the school and my daughter walks there and back everyday without issue, and we only ever bring a single stroller to WDW and she's fine. I so much prefer walking at her pace to pushing a heavy stroller. I also don't bring any kind of bag into the parks with me, so I don't need the stroller to really carry stuff either. I do have the camera and will have some wipes with me, but that's it and easily accomodated in a single stroller for my 22 month old.

But that's when we go with my husband and we follow the kids schedule, have them in bed on time, etc. I know that won't happen with other kids to play with, so I am sure she'll get less sleep and need to nap (she hasn't napped at home in 2 years), so I guess the stroller will serve its purpose, but man do I hate pushing it!

 

[scootch]

Even though renting is so much more expensive, the bus/folding carrying stuff is just not worth it. I am doing a photopass share to offset the cost of renting the double stroller and my daughter is 6.... but so needs it(especially since I take them alone, so noone to give a piggyback ride or help out when she poops out!)

 

[Sorsha]

When we were in the parks last September we left the stroller behind, and it was the best decision we ever made! We LOVED not having to deal with it.

Yes DD4 got a little tired by the end of the day and wanted to be carried, but we usually tried to give her lots of breaks to sit down and rest, and she did just fine.

It was SO nice not to have to worry about a stroller on buses, and not have to try to find the stroller when it was parked in the middle of a gazillion other strollers outside Small World. Easier to get through crowds too, without gouging the back of innocent people's ankles.

We also made the decision to pack ultra-light for the parks this year too. No more backpacks or huge diaper bags - YAY! DH and DD13 each had a fanny pack, and I had a smallish purse. We had water bottles that clipped onto the fanny packs or onto a belt-loop. Everything was hands-free and very light. If we couldn't fit it into the bag, we didn't bring it along. It was SO liberating.

 

[deedeetoo]

We went one year with a double stroller but it was a fold up umbrella type and really was pretty small when folded up - not much bigger than a single umbrella stroller.

I agree with a pp on wheeling the stroller through the airport. When we have traveled with a standard stroller (not umbrella) it has carried all our carry-ons for us until we got to the gate where we gate checked it. It actually made getting through the airport much easier.

 

[mea1179]

My kids are only 2 and 3 so I figured a double stroller was an absolute must.

We just got back from a trip and well... the stroller was our biggest headache.

We had originally planned on renting, but when the prices went up we decided to bring our own.

Poor DH was so frustrated with it in the airport. The boys didn't want to ride so he carried it through the airport and we gate checked it.

We stayed at Pop and it was the biggest pain on the buses. Seriously... worse than I imagine. The people with singles that folded up umbrella style seemed ok... but the doubles are big and aiyiyiyi... It probably made it worse that we had two young children that needed help on the bus and one of us was tried up with a stroller.

Then at the parks... the boys didn't want to sit in them. So we would end up parking it and not coming back to it for several hours and then going to get it only to move it to a new area.

A couple time my little one wanted to be carried... but it wasn't often.

The last 3 days of the trip we just left the stroller in the room.. lol We were sick off it. We send it on with our luggage to be checked so we wouldn't deal with it on the way home.

So there is my opinion... renting I don't think would have helped us much more. The times the boys were willing to ride was walking up to and leaving the parks and we wouldn't have had a rental then anyway.

Hi there, I am curious, what kind of double stroller did you have? I have a combi side by side that folds up pretty small, and was trying to figure out if to take it or just a single. Our kids will be 23 mo, 3 1/2, and birthday boy turning 5. I would definitely take a wrap to carry my 23 mo old around if my 3yo wanted to ride, but what if my 5 year old tires out? He is a very heavy 47lbs...he can't be carried without causing a hernia lol

Ahh decisions, decisions. I feel so blessed that my burden is wondering which stroller I am going to take to WDW!!!