Magic Kingdom got new strollers

[livndisney]

They appear MUCH smaller than the blue ones. Pictured is a double stroller. For a size comparison notice the single stroller next to the beige MK Stroller.

I did not get a picture of a single rental stroller, but there were tiny!

 

[Tissa]

Yes they look much smaller. Sounds about right with Disney. Raise prices and reduce the size of the product.

I am glad I finally got my ds a special needs stroller/chair so we do not have to worry about that anymore.

 

[SueM in MN]

thanks for the heads up and the picture.
I saw some of these at MK when we were there in October, but I also saw the 'old' blue strollers. I never saw the 2 kinds of strollers together, so it was hard to make a comparison. I also couldn't get any pictures since the ones I saw had children in them.

 

[livndisney]

thanks for the heads up and the picture.
I saw some of these at MK when we were there in October, but I also saw the 'old' blue strollers. I never saw the 2 kinds of strollers together, so it was hard to make a comparison. I also couldn't get any pictures since the ones I saw had children in them.

I did not see the blue ones in use or at the rental place.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

From a CM perspective, this is a good thing. Fantasyland is the stroller parking capital of the world, we have positions at most rides called "stroller" parking and your whole job is to move strollers and keep them in order. The old strollers took up a lot of room and were quite bulky. They were much bigger than single and double personal strollers. The area around the stroller parking tends to bottle neck on busy days, this will cut down on the amount of room needed.

From what I observed, the old strollers had more room than they needed. Unless you are putting two large or two overweight children in them, it doesn't look like it should be a problem. But that is just by looking at the pictures. I can't comment on the single ones since I haven't seem them.

The biggest issue is that it was not uncommon to see kids up to 11 in strollers. Many kids that I saw being pushed around were old enough to walk. It seems the problem is that people let older children ride in strollers in the parks when they are too old for strollers at home. It seems like those are the families that will be the most affected by this.

 

[dclfun]

I'm also glad they're smaller for the reasons mentioned above. Maneuvering around the sea of moving strollers in Fantasyland can be a real nightmare for guests and I'd think a smaller stroller would be easier to steer for a parent too.---Kathy

 

[livndisney]

I have no opinion on the new strollers. I posted the information from a parent perspective. I have read here about parents with special needs children who have rented (or were planning on renting) the blue strollers. Since it appears the blue strollers are no longer available (atleast at MK) the parents whose trip would be affected by this change now have a chance to make other arrangements.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have no opinion on the new strollers. I posted the information from a parent perspective. I have read here about parents with special needs children who have rented (or were planning on renting) the blue strollers. Since it appears the blue strollers are no longer available (atleast at MK) the parents whose trip would be affected by this change now have a chance to make other arrangements.

There some parents who have older children with special needs who found those old blue strollers worked better for them than renting a wheelchair or a special needs stroller.

I looked at my pictures from October and found one from 10/22 with a whole lot of blue strollers, no brown ones in sight. But I did see a scattering of the brown strollers in MK. They must have been in the process of converting then since when you went, you saw only the brown strollers.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Honestly, almost all the parents who came through with special needs strollers had MacLarens. Once your work there long enough you don't even need to see the GAC when you see the MacLarens. Very few rent the park strollers if that is what they need. (It is cheaper I think to rent off site).

Maybe it's me, b ut it seems like even the old strollers would be dang uncomfortable for an older child. Has anybody used the old (or new ones) as a wheelchair for an older child? Was it actually comfortable for them? They just od not look supportive at all.

 

[KPeveler]

some autistic children felt more comfortable with the hard surfaces beneath them, as opposed to a soft stroller or wheelchair.

i dont mind them being smaller from a personal standpoint, because i had a very hard time maneuvering between them in my wheelchair.

also, i wonder if these fit into lines better - that would mean more "stroller as wheelchair" parties can go in mainstream lines...

 

[SueM in MN]

some autistic children felt more comfortable with the hard surfaces beneath them, as opposed to a soft stroller or wheelchair.

For a lot of children with autism, the firm surface is really what they like and/or they crave that kind of sensation. Some feel very insecure in anything with a sling seat like a wheelchair or special needs stroller.

Also, the kind of 'hooded' top canopy of the strollers makes it a very nice 'refuge/safe spot' and cuts down on stimulation.
Some of the kids with autism also liked it that they could have a towel or blanket put across the top and have even more separation from the stimulation 'outside'.
That's not possible with a Maclaren or BabyJogger Special Needs stroller or with a wheelchair.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Hmm, never really thought of that.

If the stroller has the GAC, it will go through whatever the standard wheelchair entrance is regardless of size. There are plenty of strollers used as wheelchairs that are the smaller than the park strollers, but we don't let them mainstream.

One of the biggest reasons for alternate entrances is the turnstiles. Even small stroller cannot navigate them. Also, some rides have stairs, or the exit is across the load platform from the entrance. So regarldess of size they will always use hte standard wheelchair entrance.

 

[JKSWonder]

My kids would kill each other if I tried to stuff them both into this tiny double stroller.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Uh oh... my kiddos are going to be 5 & 8 for our April trip and I was hoping to squeeze them in together again. DS8 has autism and likes the stroller for the reasons previously mentioned - the firm surface, canopy and just the ability to hide away a little & have his own space. DS5 has ADHD (we think - undiagnosed at this point) and we find it next to impossible to cover any long distances in short time without him getting distracted by about 100 things along the way. If ever in a rush, we would put them in the stroller together. And they are both definitely too big for a regular stroller. So, I guess we'll see... Thanks for the heads up!