looking for the perfect stroller

[jagruti6]

We just book our first ever trip for may (4th -11th). We only have one of those huge travel system strollers, much too heavy to drag on and off the bus all day. So I need to find a good umbrella stroller, light but with PLENTY of storage for my ds (2), he likes to travel in style! . Tell me about your fave stroller for taking to disney world please. Would you go with a light wieght stroller over an umbrella stroller?
jay

 

[Ariel8676]

I would look for a lightweight stroller that reclines and has some type of storage basket(even if it is a small basket). You can't go wrong with a lightweight Combi or Maclaren stroller, but there are a lot that aren't as expensive as these. Good Luck!

 

[stacy6552]

Graco and Baby trend usually have a model that is perfect every year. Forget the umbrella. They both make one for about $40-50 that is light enough to carry with one hand, has a huge basket and cup holders (Look for one with a snap off tray up front, so you can stow it if your tot is upa nd down alot.

like this one....http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t.../002-0261651-7264826?v=glance&s=baby&n=542444

 

[lovesdumbo]

I have a Maclaren umbrella but my youngest hated the umbrella style. I ended up buying a Peg Perego Pliko P3 which we both love. It isn't cheap but you can get pretty good discounts online for older (but brand new) models. I've had good luck twice with Albee baby. I bought this when DD was 18 months old and also had a DS(3 1/2) and DD(5). This is what I like:

child sits straight up and can see all that's going on around them (something my DD insisted on) but the seat still reclines for a nap

seat is very comfy and has a great 5 point harness that attaches to the seat back when you're strapping the child in but the top of the harness can come off the seat back so the child has lots of freedom of movement but they still safely strapped into the seat

has a snack tray for child that can be removed

has a huge sun shade but I do have trouble keeping mine in place

the stroller has an umbrella style fold and it stands when folded

it has a running board on the back for an older child

has a reasonably sized basket

I took just my DS(was 4 1/2) on a quick trip to Disney in Aug 05 and took just my MacLaren for him and worked great but the Peg Perego is my stroller of choice for my younger child (and when I have more than 1 with me). I would take your DS with you to try out some in the stores and see which you both seem to prefer. Then I would check prices online. You often don't pay tax and there are many free shipping offers.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

we have the maclaren...this will be our first try with it at Disney but it works great for all of our outings at home...the umbrella style and the carrying strap will be key for all those trips on the buses at Disney!

 

[java]

COMBI!! I love that stroller! So much that I have bought 3 of them through the years(lots of kids ) 2 singles and one double! The single is so lightweight and it folds so easily comes with a built on strap for throwing it over your shoulder- perfect for disney- it is nice and soft inside for a comfy ride and it so light I mean REALLY light!! check it out. And in shopping for a Disney stroller- the big thing to keep in mind is foldability(is that a word?) You will be getting on trams, trains monorails, boats, ect.. many of which will make you fold it up(surprisingly though not all of them!) The cheaper one that we love too was the Chico- had the strap, not as quick to fold but easy enough and was less padded but my DS loved it- it was easy for him to hop in and out of. Now he is in the Combi double with the baby.(love those Combi's)

 

[jagruti6]

Thanks, this advise is really useful , since either my dh or I have been before ( soooo glad I found this site !) I`ll prob take DS to Baby depot and put him in a few see what he likes.
JAY

 

[sandiegosusie]

The Mac Volo is my absolute hands down favorite. We have used it continuously for 2 years now and it is still in great condition. I paid around $100 for it in 2003 and recently just added the accessory pack and stroller organizer. I am taking it to NYC next week. It has been to the Bahamas, Disneyworld, Disneyland, Hawaii, back East etc... I would buy it again in a heart beat.

I bought a black one to hide the dirt and wear. It has been a gem!

 

[mommyceratops]

Peg Perego are awesome and the Maclarean are just as awesome. I own 2 Mac's and Perego P3 and love them all!!

My DH is forever telling people if I just let her get the stroller she wanted at the begining I would of saved $1000 in cheap strollers!

 

[momofbgtwins]

I have the Baby Trend Trendsport Lite, and have gotten one for everyone I know who's expecting. You can't beat them for the $$$ - about $40 at BRU, and Amazon.com. They are light weight, have a tray for child and parents, large basket, fully recline, handle height is good for my 6'3" DH, etc. We,ve taken ours to Aruba, Disneyworld, around town, etc. We love them! I could never understand spending so much $$ (Macclaren, PPK, ...) on basically an umbrella stroller?!

 

[bctripp]

You really can't go wrong with a Peg Perego, i've had my Peg Perego Aria for about 4 years now! It's very lightweight. I love it. Definitely worth the $$$.

 

[bartleby1]

I have the Baby Trend Trendsport Lite, and have gotten one for everyone I know who's expecting. You can't beat them for the $$$ - about $40 at BRU, and Amazon.com. They are light weight, have a tray for child and parents, large basket, fully recline, handle height is good for my 6'3" DH, etc. We,ve taken ours to Aruba, Disneyworld, around town, etc. We love them! I could never understand spending so much $$ (Macclaren, PPK, ...) on basically an umbrella stroller?!

The reason people will spend so much money on macs, pegs, etc, is because they are wonderful strollers and they can be used with older or heavier children and still handle like a dream. I believe macs are rated up to 55 lbs where most cheaper strollers can only handle up to 35lbs, sometimes 40lbs.

I have to say that I have the baby trend trendsport lite and LOVE it for my little one due to the fact that it has a parent tray and child tray and it has a large basket. I do tend to kick the back of it when I'm walking though. But overall, I think it is a great little stroller (although latest reviews on amazon on the newest model don't seem so hot). I bought my baby trend for my 13.5 month old on one of our disney trips.

However, I also have a maclaren which I LOVE, as well, and it was worth every penny. It doesn't have a tray which is not good for little ones when they are in the constant snacking age. But, my kids grew out of my baby trend by around 2 years old, where my 6 year old still fits comfortably in my maclaren if need be. You can't beat the maclaren for older kids. I purchased my maclaren for a disney trip when my very tall 3 year old who didn't fit comfortably in any of the cheap strollers. I definitely don't regret it.

 

[loveysbydesign]

We're having trouble trying to decide what stroller to use too! My dd will be 3 3/4 y.o when we go and my ds will turn 7 while we're there. I have a Sit-n-stand stroller and a lightweight Kolcroft stroller. I have no idea whether I should take either of these or if I should just take on for dd and make ds walk. DD is 35 lbs. and ds is 42 lbs. so the Sit-n-stand would be able to hold their weight. He does get tired of walking easily, but maybe at WDW he'll be different because he'll be excied. I really don't want to have to rent one when we get there. Any tips?

 

[jim and meesie]

Seventeen years ago we went to Disneyland with our then 18 month old son. When the lock on our rental car trunk jammed we couldn't get our stroller out for the day in the park. No problem, just rent one??? Not so easy, the park ran out of strollers by the time we got there. All we had was one of those non-politically correct "baby leashes" (a bungie type cord connecting his wrist to my wrist, with a Mickey head on the wrist). We made it through the day and he was still dancing (to a Spinners concert) at 11:30 pm. Admittedly we only had one kid at the time with 2 parents. Babies and toddlers don't need a rolling Winnebago to still have fun on a day at Disney.

My youngest has been out of a stroller for over 7 years but I just want to give you this tip. With our 3 kids we took the expensive stroller on the airplane to disney once. It got banged up and became annoying and heavy to carry around and on and off transportation. From then on we would pick up a $10 (or so) umbrella stroller just for the trip and not worry about what happened to it (sometimes we would stop at Kmart or Walmart to pick it up on our way to the hotel). It's also cheaper than renting one in the parks. I found that even with little kids it was easiest when we traveled light.

I think the biggest problem with a nice stroller was worrying that it might walk away while we were off on a ride.

 

[loveysbydesign]

From then on we would pick up a $10 (or so) umbrella stroller just for the trip and not worry about what happened to it (sometimes we would stop at Kmart or Walmart to pick it up on our way to the hotel).

Maybe that's waht we'll do, just buy 1 or 2 when we get there! It'll save us having to lug one down there at least, then we'll just have to lug it home-LOL!

 

[molly2004]

Do you guys take a double stroller for big kids? My guys will be 2.5 when we go, but they are big kids. To me, it doesn't matter how much weight the stroller can handle; they're just too heavy to push.

My lightweight stroller is a Combi double, and the kids are just too heavy to push in it. They also can't lie down in it because the seats aren't wide enough. I'm considering taking my double jogging stroller, since they'd be able to recline for a nap and it handles well under their weight. However, it's big, bulking and heavy. Should I just take two single strollers?

Have you any suggestions for this circumstance?

 

[lovesdumbo]

Do you guys take a double stroller for big kids? My guys will be 2.5 when we go, but they are big kids. To me, it doesn't matter how much weight the stroller can handle; they're just too heavy to push.

My lightweight stroller is a Combi double, and the kids are just too heavy to push in it. They also can't lie down in it because the seats aren't wide enough. I'm considering taking my double jogging stroller, since they'd be able to recline for a nap and it handles well under their weight. However, it's big, bulking and heavy. Should I just take two single strollers?

Have you any suggestions for this circumstance?

I don't have any experience with jogging strollers so I can't comment on how difficult it would be to take on transportation other than to say after 1 trip with my Mac twin I thought it was worth the money to rent in the parks. The rental strollers are super easy to push but they are hard plastic seats. My kids loved them but never napped in them but they did LOVE them. Taking 2 singles is a good option IF you've got 2 to take.

 

[tarmand]

We bought this one for $50 from KMart near WDW.

stroller

We drove there and didn't have room in the trunk for a stroller so we decided to buy one there and just leave it behind. Well, we fell in love with it and didn't want to leave it behind at the end of the week. We actually had a friend going up two weeks later so we left it at the hotel for her to pick up and use while there. She brought it home on the plane for us. We are still using it 2 years later. It's beat up from several plane trips and my daughter has Mickey Mouse stickers all over it, but it still works great. We're due for baby #2 in July and will be buying another one of these strollers. We have the $200 travel system in the attic that we haven't used since we got this one. Don't get me wrong; it's an inexpensive stroller and doesn't have many dings and whistles, but it's perfect. It's lightweight, has two cup holders and a small storage area at the top and a cup holder for the child. It has a huge basket and the best feature to me is that when it folds, all four wheels stay on the ground. Your tray doesn't end up scraping the ground because the handle and the tray are at the top when folded. It's great!