Needed: Advice from experienced Graco Duo Glider Owners

[momofbuzzfan]

I am thinking about getting the duo glider for our upcoming trip to WDW the first week of Dec. My DS will turn 5 on our trip and my DD will be 20 mo. I tried one out in the store today and it seemed to fold easy and push fairly easy. My DS in about 44in and 45lbs. We are staying onsite at the PC. I am going with my mom and I think it would be easier if we had one stroller versus two. That way if my DS wants to walk one of us can push while the other takes a hand. Also we dont rent a car while we are there, so we rely on the Disney Transportation so I am concerned with the stroller being too bulky for the bus. It didn't seem too bad in the store, but everything looks bulkier when trying to board the bus. I also thought, for the transportation reason, that one stroller would be ideal since one of us could then deal with the gear and the other with the kids, instead of dealing with two strollers. I am thinking that I will need something a little more than an umbrella for my DD. Anyways, I am wondering if this stroller will be good enough for us or if we should consider another. Also are there different types of dou gliders? Any recommendations about this stroller or any other would be greatly appreciated Thanks!

 

[Vanryan]

Will you get much use out of the double stroller after your trip? I have 3 kids and brought an umbrella and rented the double strollers at the park. I checked the umbrella when I got the double and then used it between the exit and transportation on the way out. They are $15 a day.

 

[bubbasmom99]

I wouldn't recommend it. We bought a DuoGlider when our daughter was born and our son was 3. They are now 5 and 2, and my son is about the same stats as yours. It is EXTREMELY difficult to steer/maneuver the stroller with the heavy weight. The max weight is really about 40 lbs per child. If Nick was in the front seat, it was REALLY hard to steer, and if he were in the back, he was completely crammed in there.

I would recommend that you bring a lightweight stroller for your daughter (we have a Combi Travel Savvy - very lightweight and sturdy - about $60-70), and rent one for your son, if he even needs one. The strollers at the parks are made for higher weight limits.

We will be there the 1st week of December as well! Have a great time!!

 

[momofbuzzfan]

Thanks for the replys and advice!! Has anyone had a positive experience with this stroller or another double with an older child and using it on the disney buses? Thanks again!

 

[SouthFLMommy]

I think your best bet would be a double umbrella, like Kolkraft. They're very inexpensive.

The problem with the DuoGlider is that it's very hard to push a tandem with heavier children. The steering can get pretty hard to handle.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[TiffJ]

I agree with the Duoglider being hard to push with an older child. My DS was 5 last may and less than 40lbs. VERY hard to push with him sitting up front. For our Nov. trip I bought the Kolcraft double umbrella stroller. LOVE IT. My boys are 3 & 6 and except for being close enough to fight it works out well. Also much easier to fold up for transportation.

 

[HayGan]

I guess I'm in the minority because I LOVE my DuoGlider!!! We have had it for almost 3 years now and still use it constantly. My boys are 4.5 and 2.5 and I have no problems with it whatsoever! They each weigh about 40lbs (so almost 80lbs total in kid weight)and we always have stuff below. I don't have any problems with manuvering it at all (even in crowds.) Mine folds up easily and really isn't too heavy or bulky (I've taken it on our local subway system with no problems.) We will be taking it with us on our Disney adventure next year!

I personally don't like the side by side strollers because they seem so wide and difficult to get thru certain areas!

 

[disney_family_1247]

We have a duoglider that we love! We first used it at WDW when dd was 2 1/2 and ds was 6 weeks. We stayed at the allstar resorts and relied on the buses for transportation. I was in charge of getting the kids on the bus and dh was in charge of the stroller. We didn't have trouble with it at all. We used it again last Thanksgiving when dd was 3 1/2 and ds was 11 months. I use it all of the time around town (dd's 4 now), but she is still pretty small. I have used it with my nephew on board who is 5, and I can notice a difference with a larger kid. DH and I still don't think it's difficult to use, though.

With all of that said, we are wondering what to do about a stroller on our upcoming trip in October. We will be camping (in a tent ), so we've got lots of stuff to pack into the car. We aren't sure the stroller will fit, and we can't figure out what to do instead.

LP

 

[MATTERHORN]

Another vote for the Duoglider. I also think the side by sides are a little too wide for my taste and
I like built in cupholders. I don't know why everyone always says they are hard to fold. Mine is super
super easy. We did the same as a PP, one of us handled the kids, one of us the stroller and it works fine! Good
Luck with whatever you decide. Also about the suggestion to rent, if you end up renting everyday for lets say a week,
you are going to spend $105.00. That's a good chunk towards a stroller that you can re-sell or continue to use,
instead of a week's worth of rentals and nothing else. Also then you wouldn't have it for the resort which can be a long haul sometimes. Hope you have a great time, whatever you decide.


Andrea

 

[momof2inPA]

I have a duoglider that I would never take to Disney. It's way too hard to maneuver. I can't even imagine it on main street (with the brick and rails). We always take a single stroller or rent at the parks. My kids love the rental strollers.

 

[razorbackdisneyfan]

I have a duo glider that I love, but feel it is way too heavy and bulky to take to WDW. I couldn't imagine lugging that thing on and off the bus.

I have taken it to other amusement parks with no problems, but we also parked and walked. (We did have to get on a tram at Silver Dollar City. That wasn't too much fun.)

We are going to WDW in Nov. with our 2 DS (3 and 5). I was also in a stroller dilemma, and this is how I solved it. I was originally going to rent a double stroller each day, but at $15 per day, you can buy a really nice stroller for that! So, I decided that since my 5 yo usually walks everywhere anyway, I would let him walk and got a silver cross micro for my 3 yo. If my 5 yo gets too tired to walk we'll rent a stroller for him. We too are staying onsite, and I felt this was much more doable than lugging my beloved duo glider. HTH

Ellen

Link to the stroller I bought:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/littlefolks/new20sicrmis1.html

 

[daisylove]

I only have one Dd but I reecntly had the stroller discussion here also. One poster bought the Pliko P3 I think and she loved it. It reclined and supported her younger child and there was a step thing for the older to ride if he needed it. She said you could get them on e-bay for a good price. Hope this helps. Have a great trip.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

We took our Duoglider on our last trip (DS4 and DS2). We stayed at the WL so we were able to just take the boat to MK without folding up the stroller. And, we even took the boat to MK and the monorail to Epcot because the boys loved the "journey" and we didn't have to deal with the buses.

But we did take the bus to AK and MGM. I had no problem with the duoglider--it is certainly not lightweight but DH was in charge of loading/unloading on the bus and I held both DS's hands to load and unload.

We managed just fine, and the big basket came in handy. We also took a raincover and had lots of passerbys asking where we got it as both boys could sit comfy and dry in the stroller in the middle of a downpour.

I prefer it over a side-by-side model.

That said, I am the poster who just bought a Pilko P3??? I think the running board will be great because I anticipate my older boys (who will be 6 and 4) walking most of the time.

HTH!

 

[TJA]

We have a Graco duoglider and could not imagine going to Disney without it. Our kids are only a year old, so we have not had to deal with a weight issue yet. But I can say that we love having our storage area below for diaper bag, etc., the trays are especially nice as we can put little snacks on them while we stroll around, and the reclining seats are awesome as our girls can nap when they get tired. All in all, I highly recommend this stroller for Disney.

That being said, we did think the folding and unfolding of the stroller was tedious and tiring for the bus transportation. But our twins were also only 7 months old at the time we stayed at AKL, so it was a pain for me to hold both babies and the bags while my husband folded up the stroller and carried it onto the buses. Being that you have a 5 year old, you will really only have to contend with holding one child and it may not be as hard for you as it was for us. I think as long as you have 2 adults and the double stroller, you should be fine with the buses.

 

[lovesdumbo]

Originally posted by daisylove
I only have one Dd but I reecntly had the stroller discussion here also. One poster bought the Pliko P3 I think and she loved it. It reclined and supported her younger child and there was a step thing for the older to ride if he needed it. She said you could get them on e-bay for a good price. Hope this helps. Have a great trip.

I just bought a Pliko P3 for my 20 month old and we all LOVE it! I have 3 children 5 1/2, nearly 4, and 20 months. I already own a Duo GLider but would never take it to Disney and really don't think you'll get enough use out of it for you to purchase now. I also have a Maclaren double side by side that I took to Disney for my older 2 and that worked out fine. I rented a single last year from ABBF for the baby. Problem is that my baby HATES the side by side (she hates share space with siblings) and also the single Maclaren umbrella stroller (doesn't like sitting reclined while her siblings run around). She LOVES the Pliko. She can sit up straight in the very comfy seat, it has a very interesting harness that is detaches from the seat so the child has freedom of movement, it folds small like an umbrella, it stands when folded, has a carry handle, is VERY stable(the duo is NOT), it weighs 16 pounds vs 34 for the duo, has a huge sun canopy and a 2nd child can hop on the running board on the back. I plan on taking this and renting double strollers only as needed for the older 2. My DS(3) would have been just fine with just the running board on our Jan trip but his older sister would NOT-I'm she'll be better this trip but will rent as needed (we'll have 3 adults). I purchased mine from Albee Baby. They have a 2002 version for $179.99. Pliko They were very nice when I called to ask the difference between 2004 & 2003 (fabric only). I don't see the 2003 any more. The 02 has a bar in front instead of the tray (I've seen the trays online but can't find it right now...). Someone else posted about good deals on Ebay. Just do a search there for Peg Perego Pliko P3. Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[momofbuzzfan]

Thanks for all the advice! I too own and love my Pliko! The one thing I am not crazy about for disney is that it doesn't have much storage, and my son is really too big to push on the running board for any extended periods. And if I have a back pack/ diaper bag hanging on the back, there really wont be any room for him to hang on. He does love riding on the back though, he thinks its pretty cool. I have a friend who may let me use her graco duo glider, I think I will test it out with both of the kids and see how it does. Does anyone else who has brought the duo, regret taking it on the disney transportation? Thanks Jamie

 

[lovesdumbo]

Since you already own a Pliko what if you rent a duo glider from A Baby's Best Friend (abbf.com). It would cost $70/week (cheaper than purchase) and then you'd have the option to use either stroller depending on the park, time of day, son's stamina. So you could have the ease of the Pliko for a small park like MGM or MK but then use the Duo for AK or Epcot at night. I think your DD would find it easier to nap in the Pliko.

I used ABBF for a full size crib and single stroller in Jan. They were at the resort when I arrived, everything was super clean and we left the items in luggage storage for them to pick up when we checked out.

I think its a great idea to borrow a duo from a friend-its not real easy to push with all that weight (34 stroller, 40+ son, 25 DD(?)=100 pounds ). And although I've never taken it to Disney I find it heavy just to put in my mini van and I've got the kids strapped in their car seats with nothing in my hands. Your mom will have to carry your DD onto the bus while holding DS's hand? Can she also handle your backpack/bag? What ever you've got in the big basket has to come out to fold up for the bus.

 

[StephMK]

We will be there w/our Duo-Glider for Halloween. Yes, it's a heavier stroller but my kids are 2 & 4 & love it. They are tall, both weigh around 32-34 lbs & fit fine. It's nice to have the extra storage space. I can see if you have to change transportation a lot, it would be pain due to bulkiness but I think it's really easy to fold up. Since they won't be using strollers much longer, we're not investing in something other & will just manage as is.

 

[jerrb]

I don't have the duo glider, but I do have the Sit and Stand (?) I think it's called. I got it from One Step Ahead when DS was born and DD was 22 mo. They are now 3 and 20mo.

http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.js...2&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=1622&change=117

What I like about it is that DD can opt to sit or stand on the back. I do agree with the others who have posted that it is difficult to maneuver, especially with the weight.

I also have a Kolcraft side by side umbrella which is what I am planning on bringing, as it's a dream in the airport. I don't find it too cumbersome as far as the width goes. It fits through doorways without a problem and is much easier to push.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Ok I found this thread after I started another (The dreaded double stroller question.) The search function was down when i tried it before.

Personally I can't stand the duo gilder. I know so many people who have one and it does seem really hard to move when weighted down with kids. Plus it really isn't an option for me since I have an evenflo car seat and mine won't fit on it.

I am pretty pleased with the Evenflo take me too tandom stroller (after looking at it in the store and reading on line review, plus the price is less then duogilder.) However I am not sure about the lock, I could not get it to work in the store. However it will take my car seat (only in the back). It didn't seem too hard to push with both kids in it (however DD is only 3 1/2 and only 27 lbs and DD2 is one month.)

I also agree with posters who say it is hard to get in and out of the car. I can't imagine having it at wdw.

I was really impressed with the peg pergo aira twin lb (2004) in the store. Infact I really love that stroller. (around 300 at stroller4less.com) It rolls so well, no problem with only one kid or different size children. Folds down small and only weighs 14 lbs. It fits through doors just fine. This is the one I really want. However hubby says I only get one and I am thinking the car seat one will be better for around town and until she is 6 months old.

I hadn't considered the Pliko P3 before. That would be less then the double stroller. Something tells me I still won't be able to get my car seat on it.

My hubby is giving me a hard time because we already have 3 other single strollers, but I am finding that may seem alot for me, but not so much for other people!