Infants, strollers, and Disney

[msilverstone1]

I have an 18 month old, and the one problem with Disney World that no one has mentioned is that no strollers are allowed on the lines, rides, or in the shows. My baby will not stand still in the lines and refuses to be held for the time it takes to get through a line. At that age, they want to run everywhere. It would be so much easier to at least have her strapped safely in her stroller through the lines or shows. She would even be able to take a nap while we were enjoying a show. She does enjoy the rides once we are on them. But I think Disney has made a horrible rule for a park that is supposed to cater to young children. Anyone else have a problem with this? I think that at least children under age two should be allowed to have their strollers on the lines and in the shows.

 

[taximomfor4]

I feel your pain. When my youngest dd acted up out of line (fastpass is your best friend), we left the line.

I cannot see any possible way that WDW could allow strollers in lines and shows. THat place is packed. We had problems enough trying to walk in and out of shows together, without dealing with stroller-dodging. I live by a couple of theme parks (Cedar Point is one of them) and they don't allow strollers in lines either. I am sure they don't limit it to be mean, I just cannot imagine how horrible it would be with strollers in there.

Maybe do the big ugly and get a harness? Although once we made our family leave a couple of lines because of dd acting up, she learned she WANTED to go on the rides and wasn't going to, if she didn't stay nicely with us.

Good luck...bring a small toy for her to play with in line. We brought lots of packs of stickers. Then, when we were waiting, we would pull a sheet of them out for dd and she would stick them all over herself. We even made her peel them off the sheet herself, so it took a looooong time to stick a sheet of stickers!

 

[Tiger926]

The rule is there for safety reasons, time constraints and space available. Sure it's inconvenient, but it's necessary. If your baby is that active, then you have no coice but to bring toys, books, etc. to keep her busy, don't go on lines requiring long line ups, use Fastpass, or skip Disney altogether as it's pretty much one big cueing system - you do realize that strollers aren't allowed in most restaurants either? They will make exceptions for sleeping infants depending upon restaurant and time of day.

You may want to rethink your decision to take your infant at her age as Disney's system sounds like it may not work for her.

Good luck, Tiger

 

[Schmeck]

What would you do with the stroller when you are on the ride, take it with you? That would take up the space of another rider. The rides do not always exit anywhere near the entrance either.

One of the best ways to avoid lines is to get to the parks at opening. Also, use Fastpass where available. Take breaks at each park - there is the Pooh Playground at MK, Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at MGM, the numerous water fountain play areas at all the parks (except AK?) and the Boneyard at AK. ALl these areas will give your little one a chance to strtch and move about.

 

[phins_jazy]

Hmm.... I too have an 18 month old and didn't relize that I couldn't have her in her stroller in line. Guess I'll be bringing her harness with.

 

[tjmw2727]

Welcome,

Sorry you were so inconvenienced. FWIW I have never been to an amusement park, zoo etc where strollers were allowed in line. I have been taking my dd's to WDW since they were babies and never found it inconvenient. Before FP we hit the parks early, used a bjorn or sling until they were walking and after that we just held hands, talked and played in line or dh and I tood turns carrying them.

I can't even imagine the chaos strollers in lines or shows would cause. Did you notice the numbers of strollers in the parking areas? Also how would you keep the stroller use to those under 2, does WDW hire a CM to police stroller use?

So I guess to answer your question, no! We have never found this a problem, even during our last trip when my neice and nephew were in strollers at 20 mos and 3 years old, they did great in lines.

Hope you had a good trip other than that.
TJ

 

[jennyo]

So, what do you do with the stroller while you stand in line? Is there a safe area to put it in ( taking out purses and such, of course.)

Thanks!

 

[brymolmom]

I feel your pain too. I think that some people might not be able to respond with empathy - kids have SUCH different personalities. If we only had ds (almost 4) - I would be writing 'I've never had any issues - just brought him in line'. Of course, then I had dd (2.5) and realize the differences in personalities. She, too, when we brought her at just a year and then at 23 months - was very difficult to contain. We've tried to contain her (although I love her spirit) - we had to start timeouts with her at 15 months - long before we ever considered it with her big brother.

But, I tell you - we didn't have too much of a problem at WDW. We went at slower times of the year though - I imagine it would be a lot more difficult at a very busy time. We did what other posters have suggested - used FP and went on a lot of things that either have no lines or very fast moving lines. We also planned on going to the room for a nap each day (although she did sleep in the stroller a time or two and dh and I would just take turns child swapping and going on some adult rides or just sit in the shade and relax).

I think the key is flexibility - be willing to try everything but know that it might not work out and you might have to have one adult take dc out of line after 10 minutes if they're uncontrollable. Also - like a pp said - she might learn from that and not like being singled out and taken out of line - and MIGHT be good for the next line.

SOme thoughts for in line entertainment: books, marker/pad of paper, misting fans, mickey (or other) figurines, playing hand games/songs (where is pointer...etc), playing eye-spy.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[gottalovethem]

A great tip I got on DIS -- have a small over the shoulder purse that fits ID, room card, camera and cell phone that you can grab out of the diaper bag after you park your stroller in stroller parking (it's all over the place). That was a great tip. I actually had a little black purse that fit over my shoulder across my chest that I never had to worry about it falling off. I just grabbed it and we jumped into line or to see a show. It was great!

If you want to see a pic you can check out my trip report (I'm wearing it in lots of photos) -- http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1104505

Good luck and have fun.

 

[gonemousin']

When my DD was 18 months in WDW, we put her in a Hip Hammock while waiting in lines:

http://www.playtexbaby.com/hiphammock/

While I don't think I'd want to wear it all day through the parks (can give you some neck pain), it worked out really well for the line waits. And my DD was happy to play with the toys that you can attach to it. And it's small enough to roll up and throw in the stroller basket when you're not using it.

Good luck!

 

[msilverstone1]

Thank you for your comments. We wound up getting my daughter a backpack/harness. This allowed her to walk a little through the long line wait. But people around us gave me a hard time about it. One man said loudly, "Does she bite?" Implying that since my daughter was on a leash, I was treating her like a dog. I simply said loudly to my husband how rude his comment was. No, I wasn't planning on putting the stroller on the ride. I would leave it at the same place people in wheelchairs leave them when they aren't taking their chair on the ride. At 18 months, I can't reason with my daughter and tell her that if she just waits a while longer and lets me hold her, she will have a ride to enjoy. I'm sorry most people don't seem to understand.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I have a todler and I think it would be too hard to have the stroller in line. There isn't much room. It would be very difficult if every person with a young child tried this. Just like it is hard for people who smoke to refrain, they have too (and to disney for make sure of this!)

We handled the problem with a hip carrier too, or didn't wait in long lines. We used fast pass and went when the lines were short (heck when they are 18 months you don't have to worry about missing school, however this doesn't help when you have older kids.)

One thing we did when my oldest was young was use a back pack stroller. It went right from a stroller to the back pack. It was pricessless in places that you couldn't bring a stroller and she loved being up so high. It was great for the parade when we tried to leave, but the park was busy. She got to see the parade and we could walk at out a lot easier. We didn't use it for ride lines though (but I guess you could, you might have to leave it when you get in the ride, so that might be a problem.) However for places that strollers weren't allowd (one man's dream, hunny I strunk the kids, etc....)

Best of luck. There is no shame in using an harness when needed! Use fast pass and keep things with you to keep them amused in line. Fruit snacks, spining and light up toys, dumb dumb suckers. Look at pictures on the digital camera, sing songs. Some rides have things for the kids to do like on dumbo. (lots of germs though.)

Oh and my now 21 month old tolder wasn't walking until she was 17 months old. Infact we took her to WDW when she was 17 months old and she didn't walk. The minute we put her down in house she started walking. So I know about carrying a todler around.

 

[all4fun]

Thank you for your comments. We wound up getting my daughter a backpack/harness. This allowed her to walk a little through the long line wait. But people around us gave me a hard time about it. One man said loudly, "Does she bite?" Implying that since my daughter was on a leash, I was treating her like a dog. I simply said loudly to my husband how rude his comment was. No, I wasn't planning on putting the stroller on the ride. I would leave it at the same place people in wheelchairs leave them when they aren't taking their chair on the ride. At 18 months, I can't reason with my daughter and tell her that if she just waits a while longer and lets me hold her, she will have a ride to enjoy. I'm sorry most people don't seem to understand.

We used a safety harness at WDW with our ds too. It was invaluable. We didn't get any rude comments thank goodness. People can say what they want to about it, but in the end, I'm the one that's responsible for what happens to my ds. It's really none of their business anyway. I'm sorry that you had to deal with that. I would have told him No, but I do.

 

[msilverstone1]

I never knew they made carriers that could support toddlers up to 40 pounds. And I also had never heard of the backpack stroller. Both are great ideas. Thank you.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Here is the stroller we used. Saddly DH back over it last summer so we don't have it any more. (um but it was my fault for leaving it behind the van.)

http://www.strollers.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=250

You can find it a lot cheaper then that, around $50 is a good price for it, but I think it was even cheaper a while ago. I dont' know if it goes up to 40 pounds since neither of my girls are at that yet (and one is 5 years old.

Here is the hip carrier I use, but the hip hammack is cheap and easy too, they just didn't make it when I bought this one (for my 1st.)


http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.js...itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=427757&change=117

 

[amarberry]

Like others have mentioned, look into some sort of hip carrier or sling (they have higher weight limits) for the lines. My DD was 18 mo. old on our last trip and I managed to squeeze her into the Bjorn for one last vacation. It wasn't comfortable (I think she was technically about a pound over the weight limit), but we made do. Also, do not think twice about taking a harness. They are everywhere and the people who are rude enough to make comments clearly haven't been somewhere like WDW with a toddler. Keep in mind that there is a lot going on and your normally very active child might stick to you a little closer with all of the excitement.

A couple of other things that seemed to help us with DD and the lines/bus rides were park maps (free, colorful, and she could rip them apart) and small, plushy Winnie the Pooh characters that came with a set of Pooh books. DH would hide Pooh or Tigger in the front pocket of his shirt for DD to find if he was holding her in a line.

 

[Tiger926]

msilverstone1 - I'm not sure if you are referencing posters on here who don't seem to understand when most of us travel to WDW with children and therefore absolutely know how inconvenient parking strollers is at times, but we also know that it is necessary to the system. If you are referencing people in public places who feel the need to make rude comments, don't mind them! These are the same people who frequently make spectacles of themselves while in WDW because they need to get somewhere right away, the same people who use curse words in front of my daughter, and the same people who walk around WDW with huge coolers or bags that knock into my daughter's stroller, my hips, my feet, etc. You need to do whatever is safest for your daughter, whether it be a carrier, harness or stroller.

My daughter was 10 months old for her first trip, and has trip #4 in July - 4 times in 2 years, so we definitely have lots of experience in this area. Backpack carrier (sorry, I forgot to mention it in my original post), stroller, harness, toys for lines, lots of breaks, well fed, well rested, etc. The fact is though, that all children have different temperments and personalities - my DD can wait in line and doesn't run off in crowds, whereas your DD based on your posts, does not; therefore, the Disney cueing system, stroller storage, etc. may not work for your daughter (I can't tell from your post if you have already been to WDW, or have a trip coming up) and so it may require you to be creative with how to keep her comfortable while in WDW. The fact remains, that millions of families travel to WDW each year and we are all forced to work the system, some successfully, and some not so successfully. Only you know if your DD can handle the constraints within WDW as they are there for safety, space limitations and keeping things running smoothly.

I do wish you luck, and do understand your frustration as I have a very active 3 year old myself who has been able to work the Disney way of doing things, although not always (sometimes the 95 degree weather in July makes her do things she wouldn't normally do - LOL!), and so we do our best to make sure that she is as comfortable as the Disney system will allow.

Good luck with the carrier. Happy travels, Tiger

 

[Schmeck]

No, I wasn't planning on putting the stroller on the ride. I would leave it at the same place people in wheelchairs leave them when they aren't taking their chair on the ride.

The only problem with this is that there would be no space for people to actually exit the ride if everyone with toddlers lined up with strollers at the exit to get on. As I stated before, most rides don't exit at the entrance area - you'd have to go in the exit, as the wheelchair riders do, and get on there. At PoC, you can't even board at the exit - (no head room between the exit and entrance) - someone has to bring the wheelchair around, or you have to use the manual one there. There'd be no way to board with the stroller. There are hundreds of toddlers in strollers in the WDW parks - can you imagine them all trying to get on attractions with the strollers right there? Fire hazard, big time!

Glad you found a solution that worked for you!

 

[Anniegirl]

Yup, I feel your pain too. We traveled last summer with our 3 boys, 5 year old DS with ADHD, 2 year old DS with PDD, and a 9 month old. We were outnumbered! We traveled with a double side by side stroller and a single stroller as well. All the boys rode. For lines and any place where the strollers weren't allowed, I carried the baby and my DH carried the 2 year old and we both kept an eagle eye on the 5 year old. The best way to deal with this is to avoid all the long lines entirely. We accomplished this by being at the parks at opening (we rode practically all of the Fantasyland rides by 10:00am with NO lines.) and effective use of Fastpass. We kept them hydrated, fed, and cool as possible given the August heat. Left the parks after lunch usually and back to the room for a change of pace. Believe it or not it was very doable and we are returning with the same crew this August and looking forward to it.

 

[NotUrsula]

WDW didn't create this as policy; it is a safety regulation required by the Fire Marshall.

Usually if there is a problem requiring evacuation one of the first things that happens is that the power goes out, leaving you to try to find your way out of a labyrinthine queue area with nothing to guide you other than battery-operated overhead exit signs, and maybe a CM with a flashlight shining toward you. If there were strollers in the area people would either trip over them and fall, or jam the strollers together, blocking the exits in the dark. (And yes, wheelchairs are also a problem in this scenario, but wheelchair users are always a very small percentage of the average theme park crowd--getting past one or even two of them is doable, while getting past 90 strollers is a much different proposition.)