Just bought stroller for my 6 YO!!

[FreshTressa]

I felt so stupid. I just bought my 5 year old (will be 6 when we get there) a stroller! I thought we were done with those things! But I just can't see paying to rent one for the 8 days we do disney and the 3 at universal, since a new one would be half the price.

Now he wants to use it at the mall again. It has a weight limit of 40lbs, and he weighs 45, but it was the only one under $100 that was wide enough.

Now, tell me, am I totally foolish?

 

[Trinity721]

I think lot of other mothers would agree that most of the time parents feel they need the stroller more than the kids do. I know I just read a recent post by a mother who did the World without a stroller for her 5 year old and she said it was mind over matter. You might want to try going to the mall or zoo a few times without the stroller to gradually accustom him to long days without it. I know when my youngest brother was about that age, my mom and dad would say "oh, it's broken and it's being fixed right now. You have to go without it". My brother would pout for a while, but then he'd forget about it. And after a while he forgot about it for good. If you go on a few "practice runs" out minus the stroller, he should be ready to go to WDW without it. Does he fit in an umbrella stroller? That is a good cheap alternative just in case he gets too tired to walk anymore. Hope it works out for you!

 

[FreshTressa]

Yes, we have been without a stroller for almost a year now. My DD is 4 and she does just fine. But my son tends to wander off or get focused on something and I wind up losing him. It is also a nice place for him to nap.

We hike for miles, so I don't think it is a stamina thing, I think it is more for a place to sleep and to help keep track of him. Plus, it is nice to have a place for our stuff.

 

[beattyfamily]

NO!!

You are NOT totally foolish! I get so tired at WDW and I get blisters, so I can just imagine when my DD has to walk everywhere...we'll just go at her pace then.

My DD gets tired enough from the sun let alone walking all over the place, I used the stroller till she was 6.

This year, we're going with family and her cousins are 7 and 10 and won't have a stroller so we're only bringing a single stroller for our 3 year old. I gave her the choice and she was too embarrassed to use one this year with her cousins coming. So we're going to take lots of walks this summer to prepare our feet and legs!

I wouldn't be surprised, though, if she whines to go in her sister's stroller from time to time regardless of her cousins!

 

[perpetualplanner]

We just returned from a 9 day trip and my 7 yr old used a stroller part - time. My DH had said he didn't think he'd need one so we only had one for the 3 yr old. I think the 3 yr old might have walked more than the older one. Of course he had the flu at the beginning of the trip which took a lot out of him. A lot depends on the child and how quickly they adjust to the difference in climate and distance. My older child always walks here at the malls and is quite active but the huge climate difference - it was 60's at home and 90's and muggy in Orlando - really threw him off.

 

[noodles]

Fresh Teressa,

Im just curious what type of Stroller you bought for your DS? We are going in Nov and my DD will turn 5 on the trip. I know she will not last the whole trip without using a stroller at least part time. On our trip last year my DD7 was begging me to let her use the stroller a few times. I dont think your foolish at all, kids get tired and it better to be prepared!

Shannon

 

[zurgswife]

No, I'm bringing my WDW stroller for my 6.5 yr old when we go in Dec....She just can't keep the pace with us. It keeps everybody happy.

 

[CRCrazy]

My daughter hadn't been in a stroller since she was two - has gone hiking with us many times, and is a high energy kid. When we brought her to Disney for the first time - she was 5 1/2. I never thought to bring a stroller - After two days - she was begging us to rent one for her - which we did! What a lifesaver. She has two big sisters - 12 & 14, so she was able to do so much more using the stroller - whenever she needed a break - all set! If we were only planning on doing a few attractions - at MGM, for example, no stroller - but at Epcot or AK where everything is so spread out - we automatically rented one at the start of our day! She was just getting over the flu last December - 6 years old, 48 inches tall and 52 pounds. I wish I had a stroller that would fit her to bring from home. She was well enough to enjoy the parks, but didn't have a lot of stamina - she kept falling asleep in the rental stroller during the evenings - especially at Illuminations and MVMCP. A kid that age is awfully awkward to carry asleep from the rental return to the bus stop, especially if the bus wait is more than a couple of minutes - it wasn't fun taking her up and down the monorail ramps when we were returning from Epcot! There must be an easier way to transfer to the resort monorail from the Epcot rail!

 

[Daxx]

I think you're smart to take a stroller along ... you never know when you're going to need it. I know that my DS (6.5 yo) could probably keep up w/us ... but we're taking our umbrella stroller anyway. I figure it's better to have it and not use it than not have it at all! And, we'll strap our backpack into the seat if we feel the need. I know w/the heat and sun and all the walking, he might get tired more quickly than if we were walking around the mall (which is climate controlled for max. comfort!).

Have a fun trip!

 

[Danemom]

We went when my kids were 3 and 5 and again at 5 and 7. We did not take a stroller either time. They no longer used strollers anywhere else and we had gone to a local theme park without one. We figured that we could always rent one if needed for a day or two. We went for a week each time. The kids never complained at all.
Without the stroller, we went slower than we would've but it was the off season and we were not forced to rush. We had no problems with blisters or tired feet and we took breaks as needed. I felt like we made up any lost time from walking slower by not having to deal with the stroller all the time - manuevering, parking, etc.
We are light packers (we went back to the room daily) and we didn't miss the storage of a stroller.
I realize every child is different but it's not unreasonable for some children to walk through Disney.
Have a great trip!
Autumn

 

[FreshTressa]

We bought the Safety 1st alumilite, but after using it for a few days, it doesn't seem very sturdy. And the back leans back too far. But, it was the only one that was wide enough for him to feel comfortable sleeping in. He was too wide for the umbrella one. He is 47 inches and about 45 lbs.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Mine will be 4 and 6 this trip, and I plan to have strollers for both. We only have 5 days in WDW, and I'd rather push them in a stroller all day every day, then have them walk for a few hours and then have to take breaks for naps or little tired legs.

 

[Princess Tink]

We took one for my DS when he was 2 and ended up ahuling around an empty stroller for 75% of the time. We left it up to him when he was 4.5, and he chose not to take it. Of course, there were a few times he was wore out......we'd just find something to do (sitting down) like taking in a show or we'd find a bench. This was much better than hauling around a stroller!

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Hah!!! My daughters were 6 and 8 when we took them the first time. I didn't bring any strollers, thinking "They're old enough".

Well. After the first day of having the 6 yr old on my husband's shoulders and the older one complaining, we decided to try to rent a double stroller. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH BETTER LIFE WAS!!

Maybe it's because we are from the north and this was October and they weren't used to the heat anymore, I don't know. But everyone's life was bettter after the stroller.

My girls are little things so they didn't have any problem fitting in the stroller. We didn't have to worry about them keeping up with us, getting lost and you wanna know the best part.........they weren't joining in with the whinney kids at 7 or 8 at night. They were still just as cheerful as could be.

Think about what it does to our bodies, then think about theirs. THERE WERE DAYS I WANTED A STROLLER FOR MYSELF!!! LOL!

Whatever works for your family is the way to go. And remember how much money you are spending on this "wonderful, Disney vacation" .......is it worth your kids complaining and being exhausted all of the time just so you can save a few bucks!

 

[Sinclare]

The only stroller my 7yo son will use is my shoulders Everytime we go to one of these parks thats where he stays when he gets tired. Really makes my nephew jelous though cause his dad won't let him "ride". Heck I'd ride the both of them if they would fit but DAD's only got one set of shoulders I usually try to switch them out every once in a while so each one gets the "HIGH seat" and can see what's going on + my nephew 6 is a LOT lighter than Justin.

 

[princess crazy]

Can anyone tell me of a fairly cheap stroller for what will be a 6 yr old when we go in DEcember?? She is 46" tall and weighs about 55 pounds. The last time we went I thought well this will be the last time to take a stroller along the next time we will have to rent one.

I would love to be able to take our own stroller as we stay at the CR and it is nice to just wheel her back to the room on the monorail. Also I love to have it to put our collapsible cooler and other things in the bottom I't s great storage and just the other day she told me she would still ride in a stroller if we went.

I assumed they did'nt make strollers for kids this big but if anyone out there knows of one i could get I would be grateful!!

 

[LMC]

I would (& do) definately use a stroller. We are planning our 3rd trip for Nov which will be 3 trips in 3 yrs with our DS who will be 8 and DD who will be 5 and I think we will leave our DS (2) w/ the MIL so the rest of us can have fun!

My 8 yo uses the stroller about 1/2 the day and my DD sits in it between all rides (her choice!)

I would never do Disney w/o the stoller!! My only delima is getting a double where they can "touch each other" or two singles and keeping up w/ 2.
But anyway, back to you. I would use a stroller but consider a few things:
Can you take it on the shuttle buses. I have read different posts on this site where some say you can some say you can't.

If your child is over the weight, will it really last very long??? My DD was only about 30 lbs at the time and ruined two strollers for my youngest because she was to heavy

To me, the daily cost of a rental is not too much when I don't have to worry about it missing, getting on/off shuttles, and if you ride the train in WDW you can just leave your rental, take your rental page and pick up an empty one on the other side of the park. The rental is worth the convenience to me.

 

[FreshTressa]

Your little boy in the boots is a DOLL. Great idea saving for high school.


Anyway, I thing at 55lbs you would have trouble with a stroller.

My son is 45 and it creaks when we turn corners. I would think renting would be your best bet, especially if you aren't going to use them anywhere else.

 

[DEH3rd]

Once my littleones hit 4, no more strollers...(except for 1 agonizingly hot day at AK). They are not able to interact as much in the stroller, plus Kids are too sedentary these days anyway. The know that they don't touch things in a store & not toeven think about walking away from us. I'd start little walks a few weeks before you go, building up in distance. At the parks, take your time. When they get tired, rest. (unless you are going commando, then you're on your own). It seems that the kids really get to experience things to a much greater extent when they have a little freedom.So, the short version is that I vote no on the stroller. have fun!

 

[summerrluvv]

I have tried a lot of stollers for my 37lb son (he is four) and haven't found a good one yet!! Today at Toys R Us they had some umbrella ones, so I put him in one, pushed him around for a little bit and was very surprised at how easily the stroller turned and manuvered. I paid $19.99 for it, it's a Kolcraft and is hunter green and ivory. I figure if it works for pushing him around the airport it's worth the money!! Once we get to Disney, I'll probably just end of renting one since the umbrella doesn't look all that comfy.