Need Opinions of Expert Moms....Stroller Question...

[bellenbuzz]

We have been to WDW twice and have little girls, got the double stroller both times......LOVED IT !!!!

Great for carrying stuff, purchases, snacks, drinks, jackets and sleepy kids, you get the idea.

Now, planning on going February 2011, girls will be 6 1/2 and 9......

They want to ride in the stroller, more like a wagon ride, plus we will have the room for our stuff and the kids don't tire out so easy.

My Q...what is to old for the stroller???

BUT, in my opinion......these are more like luxury carts for kids then a baby stroller....

Just curious from one Mommy to another....THANKS

 

[Sara*s_Mommie]

My 8 year old niece rode with my daughter in a double stroller at times (we got a double once out of 6 days) Did she need to? No. Was it a little perk for her? Sure - but so what... don't worry what other people think. We only had 1 rule - don't drag your feet and slow it up! A double is great for carring one kid and extra stuff, like you mentioned. I remember reading a story in the Unoffical guide where a dad carried his pregnant wife and kid in the stroller at the end of a long day! That being said - my 8 year old niece would not have fit in my regular stroller - only the disney ones.

Forgot to add...you're daughter who will be 9 may not want to ride in one by then...especially if she sees kids her age walking around.

 

[powellrj]

From one mommy to another, there is no way I would let a healthy 7 and 9 year old ride in a stroller at WDW.

 

[mjkacmom]

From one mommy to another, there is no way I would let a healthy 7 and 9 year old ride in a stroller at WDW.

We used to rent them as WDW and Hershey, but not that they are 7 and 9 - no way! Plus, the strollers are much smaller now.

 

[imthatgirl]

Honestly at that age there is no way I would bring a stroller for them. It's one thing to take a quick break in a younger siblings stroller...but a whole other thig to be prepared to not have them walk.

 

[worm761]

I started taking DS when he was 5. We never took a stroller. If they don't need one at home, they don't need one at Disney. What we did do was start walking a couple months before we went. We do this for every trip now. When your girls get tired, it is time for a break. For some that means going back to the resort. For us, it meant going to another park or watching a show. It got us off our feet for a little bit and we were good.

 

[Jessica14]

This is always such a hot topic! I'm usually all for a stroller if you think that it is in your kids best interest ie: a safety issue, a medical issue (which I don't think it is in your case), an endurance issue.

I personally was going to bring one for our trip in Dec, and although I think no one should criticize anyone for choosing to use one no matter how old the kid, it got me to thinking that my kids probably don't need one since they will be 6 and almost 8. I'm more concerned that DS6 is still immature and I really don't want him under anyone's feet causing a problem (he can be hard to wrangle sometimes). I'll have to see at the time. You may consider seeing how it goes and if you still want to tour the parks, but they are giving out, then you may wish to rent one. If you can avoid a meltdown, I'm all for it! But also as a PP said, if this is starting to happen, its time for a rest! There are plenty of kids in every park, museum, you name it, who would not be screaming if the parents would either have them rest in a stroller or just go home.

In the end, as someone said, don't worry about other people and do what's best for your family. Also, a perk is that when we went about 18 months ago, we used a double stroller and I ended up getting quite a workout and losing some weight!
Jessica

 

[pktbMouse]

Well my son is 8 years old and if he gets tired and wants a stroller we will do what we did last year and get him a double stroller that he sat in no problem. We were walking from 7am that morning and by 8pm his little legs were flagging. I feel sorry for kids late at night that have been walking all day..even if they are perfectly healthy...they get hot, tired and sore feet. I just dont see the problem...they are on vacation for goodness sake...if you cant pamper them on vacation when can you?????

 

[bellenbuzz]

WOW ! I can see both sides of the coin here......
Thanks for the input. Didn't have any clue this was a hot topic.
Personally I don't care what others think when they look at me when on vacation...I will probably never see any of those folks again.
If that was the case then watch out when I wear my swimsuit at the waterpark!! YIKES !! A Victoria Secret Model body is not what I have...Let them look!
Anywhos, will most likely not get one this trip, unless my 6 year, which I consider young yet wants one.
We too are on the go all day long taking in all the Disney Magic.....Don't want to miss out on all the WDW fun, so if it works for us, what the heck!

Thanks Moms !!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My Q...what is to old for the stroller???

Well, I'm not a Mom, but I'm going to give my opinion anyway.

Personally, I think any age is too old for a stroller. I'd rather carry a 2 year old than use a stroller in Disney World. I absolutely hate having to navigate WDW with a stroller. Then again, we also don't bring a lot of stuff, so we don't need to use the stroller as a catch-all.

We have used them (a few times), which is why I can say I hate using them. In 2002, when my kids were 2 and 5, we rented a stroller for the 2 year old. Occasionally the 5 year old would hop in, too, if we rented a double stroller. By the time we went back in 2006, no stroller.

In 2009, we went with our 2 year old and 4 year old nieces along with our two kids. We brought a stroller, but half the time the 2 year old didn't want to ride in it. And the 4 year old walked basically all the time. The stroller wound end up getting left behind and someone would have to go back and get it. It was much more of a pain in the butt than a help.

These are your children, of course, and you know if they can walk around Disney without getting tired. But if I were doing it, I would not bring a stroller. Never again. Especially not for kids that old.

 

[*Seanaci*]

WOW ! I can see both sides of the coin here......
Thanks for the input. Didn't have any clue this was a hot topic.
Personally I don't care what others think when they look at me when on vacation...I will probably never see any of those folks again.
If that was the case then watch out when I wear my swimsuit at the waterpark!! YIKES !! A Victoria Secret Model body is not what I have...Let them look!
Anywhos, will most likely not get one this trip, unless my 6 year, which I consider young yet wants one.
We too are on the go all day long taking in all the Disney Magic.....Don't want to miss out on all the WDW fun, so if it works for us, what the heck!

Thanks Moms !!

Quite honestly, it's totally up to you and your kids (not to mention your park touring style; ie fast/commando or slow and easy). Especially the 6 year old. Some kids are fine walking all day, others might start getting slow and need a walk break...hence a stroller would be perfect.

 

[ZeroMyHero]

LOL, it just goes to show how different we all are. I felt guilty about bringing a stroller on our last visit and ODD was 4! However, once we were there, I was glad I brought the stroller. We went all day long at a quick pace and ODD was able to keep up because of it, I think.

Next year when we visit YDD will only be around 18 mos, so I won't hesitate to bring it. But ODD, who will be 7, will be hoofing it with me and DH. When she's tired, we'll take a break, or she can hop on one of our backs for a bit if we're in a rush to get somewhere (like an ADR).

 

[ccgirl]

Totally up to you. You know what's best. My DD is 7 1/2 and I would not get one for her. We take breaks and do sit down meals though. My DS is 2 and we will be bringing an umbrella stroller for him. We also use one for him at home though. He is a runner so the stroller keeps him safe. As far as using the stroller to carry stuff. We have learned to really limit the stuff we bring. We only bring in one backpack between all of us. Have fun!

 

[Punkin472]

I bought a Maclaren Volo specifically for our upcoming trip for our 5 year old. He'z lazy AND he will likely nap in the afternoon.

 

[MaumeeMom]

This topic gets a little touchy so be prepared.

First off - only you know your kids and you must make the best decision that you can for you and your family.

Personally, there is no way that I would bring a stroller for kids the ages of your kids, unless they had a disability that warranted a stroller.

My kids were both 4 for their first trips to WDW and we have never used a stroller once and I have never regretted it. We didn't used strollers at home so why would I at Disney. We were on the go all day, walked miles and once went during the busy Spring break crowds and never had any problems. IMO strollers are over rated and in all honesty, when my oldest was 9 (or even 6) he would have been embarrassed to be pushed around in a stroller or even a wagon.

Good luck making your decision.

 

[jj1403]

Sometimes when crowds are especially high at the end of the evening it's nice to have them secured somewhere. That being said I wouldn't hesitate to get a double. Only you know your kids, so whatever works best for you. On average people walk approx 10 miles a day while at some of the parks. Your kids are still pretty young and that's a lot of walking.