Need opinions on strollers (again) ((sorry!))

[iReverb]

I guess I'm sort of looking to poll all the parents here...

Okay, the condensed version:

I have twin 5.5 year old girls. They are about 49 lbs each. Fairly tall.

• will they fit in a Disney Double?

• will they fit in a Disney Single?

• if they do, will I get nasty looks from others for having my 5.5 year olds in strollers?

• will i even need a stroller at all, or do the 5.5 year olds generally do okay in the parks? Are they more distracted by the rides and magic and forget about the long walking distances? First hand advice please!

We are leaving on Sunday, and I guess I'm just concerned about hearing the whining that inevitably comes after my twins have had to walk long distances.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

They might be a little squished in the double but they definately will fit in 2 singles. That being said, why are you renting strollers and not bringing your own? It's very expensive to rent at Disney. I would suggest bringing your own strollers. At 5.5, they may not need them all the time but at night, after walking all day, they may be helpful (especially if they fall asleep...really hard to carry two 5.5 year olds). You will not be given looks in Disney. I've seen plenty of older children in strollers. DD will be almost 5 on our next trip and I definately plan to bring her stroller just in case.

 

[turtlegirl1]

I wouldn't think twice about having your girls in strollers - I'm prepared to have to rent one for my DD(8) for the last few days of our August trip! We had to rent one for her during our last trip @ age 6 too - we thought she was going to make it so we didn't even think about taking a stroller with us. Boy were we WRONG! I'm hoping that she's a little older she'll be able to hang a little longer!

 

[iReverb]

They might be a little squished in the double but they definately will fit in 2 singles. That being said, why are you renting strollers and not bringing your own? It's very expensive to rent at Disney. I would suggest bringing your own strollers. At 5.5, they may not need them all the time but at night, after walking all day, they may be helpful (especially if they fall asleep...really hard to carry two 5.5 year olds). You will not be given looks in Disney. I've seen plenty of older children in strollers. DD will be almost 5 on our next trip and I definately plan to bring her stroller just in case.

Thanks for the info! Sadly, we do not own a stroller (sold them a long time ago) and I remember loving how easy Disney strollers are to push. I'm outraged by the increase in cost, and I am still thinking of renting them thru Baby's Best Friend. I guess I'm just curious if they will fit -- it's been a long time since my twins have wanted to be pushed around.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Thanks for the info! Sadly, we do not own a stroller (sold them a long time ago) and I remember loving how easy Disney strollers are to push. I'm outraged by the increase in cost, and I am still thinking of renting them thru Baby's Best Friend. I guess I'm just curious if they will fit -- it's been a long time since my twins have wanted to be pushed around.

Got any friends with Maclarens that you could borrow? I am loaning a friend of mine DD's Maclaren for their Disney trip next week. They fold up like umbrellas but hold to 55lbs.

 

[iReverb]

Got any friends with Maclarens that you could borrow? I am loaning a friend of mine DD's Maclaren for their Disney trip next week. They fold up like umbrellas but hold to 55lbs.

I so wish I did! I'm really glad to know they'll at least fit in Disney's singles. It's actually cheaper to rent two singles for multi-days than to rent a double for multi-days. Or, heck, it's still only $10/day to rent a wheelchair. That, I KNOW, they'll fit into -- but not without fighting!

 

[Elmo888]

Here are 2006 Maclaren Volos for $80...if you are going for a week, couldn't you buy two of these and it would still be cheaper than renting? Not to mention that you could resell them?

http://www.albeebaby.com/ma20vostinsa.html

I just noticed that you are going on Sunday, so ordering online isn't an option! I would still go check out the Maclaren Volos at BRU. Even if it is a little more $$ to buy than rent, you can still resell them!

 

[moparop]

I don't think you'd necessarily need a stroller at every park. If you planned to have/make the kids walk at MK and HS, but let them ride at AK/Epcot... you could cover the increased price in stroller and still get the multiday discount!

 

[dmomom]

We just returned today from our trip and we had a dilemma about strollers as well. We have a baby, a 4 yr old and 7 yr old. We debated bringing a single and buying a double jogger, but in the end found it more convenient to bring our single and rent a double in the park. We did a length of stay rental which saves about $4 a day and saves time having to pay every day (you pay up front then get your ticket stamped daily). Yes the price is outrageous, but they push so nicely and we didn't have to lug it in the car or on the buses.

As far as your question about putting your girls in a stroller - I got a lot of negative feedback on these boards about putting my 7 yr old in a stroller. It made me feel guilty, but I knew it was best for our family. In the parks I never got one dirty look. I saw lots of kids older than my daughter in a stroller. It was a lifesaver and well worth the money. We were able to get around quickly without worrying about losing a kid. They stayed rested and refreshed. They were overwhelmed enough and I can't imagine how it would have been if we had added sore feet to the equation. Now that we have seen for ourselves, I know without a doubt that we made the right choice.

As for the issue of 1 double vs. 2 singles - we didn't have a choice since I had to push DD (1) and my DH pushed the big kids in the double. The main advantage to a double would be only one person having to push (easier for one person to run for Fastpasses).

Good luck with your decision. Do what is best for you and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

Lisa