Oh No - DD No Longer Needs Stroller!

[plutospup]

...so what do we do with our "stuff"?! (Ponchos, water bottles, snacks, etc) We always stored this stuff in the stroller. I've always said we'd take the stroller until DD was at least 16. Now I'm told (by DW) she's 7 and we don't need to take the stroller. Unless anyone has a suggestion it looks like I'm going to be a pack mule walking through WDW. Help!

 

[jckdisneybound]

You can always rent one, or since she says she doesn't need/want a stroller anymore. make her carry her own stuff

 

[lclark0621]

How about a good backpack? Or a couple of them, one for each member of the family.

 

[disneychrista]

What about getting a locker? Store things in there that you don't need right away and go back and get them when you do. We do this at Disneyland when we will not be going back to the hotel (like on NYE and our trip 7/17/05). We store jackets, change of socks, and whatever else we don't need. It is great because then we have a place to stash the junk we have collected throughout the day.

 

[beattyfamily]

I am actually dreading that day and it's fast approaching! I love having a stroller to put our stuff in!!! I feel for you!

I have everything in a backpack but it's still nice to get a break from carrying it. And there's always more stuff you accumulate!

Anyway, I guess all you can do is rent a locker or take turns carrying the backpack? Also as someone else suggested, you could still rent a stroller if you end up needing one 7 is still young enough to sometimes need one in Disney world anyway...for those really long days.

Good luck!

 

[BevS97]

Take less stuff!

We carried tons of stuff when we went in December 2003 as the weather was very variable - last year I decideded we were not lugging all that STUFF around with us and we travelled very light, even with a baby and a stroller we still just took the bare minimum and it was SO much nicer.

We each had a bum bag, and I had a small bag for the babys nappys and that was it - anything that didn't fit in the bum bag didn't come. I can't think of anything that we regretted not bringing out with us

 

[beattyfamily]

Take less stuff!

We carried tons of stuff when we went in December 2003 as the weather was very variable - last year I decideded we were not lugging all that STUFF around with us and we travelled very light, even with a baby and a stroller we still just took the bare minimum and it was SO much nicer.

We each had a bum bag, and I had a small bag for the babys nappys and that was it - anything that didn't fit in the bum bag didn't come. I can't think of anything that we regretted not bringing out with us

I try, I really do but I'm a pack rat! I have to bring at least one water bottle, sunscreen, autograph books, digital camera and video camera, ponchos, snacks, sunglasses, wet wipes, sanitizer, spare batteries and memory cards and video tapes and I just can't seem to cut it back! I'm really trying though! If it's a short trip to the park, I can sometimes but if it's an all day thing, I can't do it!

 

[BevS97]

one water bottle, - OK, but get a string and get a kid to wear it.

sunscreen, decant into a very small bottle, or get those sunscreen wipes? To be honest, we don't carry it, we put it on in the morning and forget, but we don't travel in August

autograph books, Kids carry there own, in their own bum bag. This helps too if you split up , we had too many traumas where Kid and Dad spotted a character, while Mum was off getting drinks with the autograph book in her bag - much safer for DD to have the autograph book with her at all times.

digital camera and video camera, We don't bring the video, but I have a bulky digital camera - I founda nice large bum bag (was only about $5 in Walmart) that I can carry it in. you can almost definitely find one that will take both your cameras. They do a nice (but pricey) one in the camera shops at WDW.

ponchos, We get those tiny ones from Walmart that are $1, they are basically disposable, but each person can easily fit one in their bumbag

snacks I've stopped carrying much - we just tend to prefer to buy food and the snacks just get carried around. I do have emergency snacks for the baby in her baby bag
, sunglasses, on strings around necks

wet wipes, sanitizer Other than wipes for bottoms, I don't carry either - I am not a sanitizer sort of person. You can get tiny packs of wipes though, and I can see how they could be handy - but I don't believe in sanitizer, a few germs never hurt anyone.

spare batteries and memory cards and video tapes These all go in the camera bum bag

I don't think you are taking too much, you just need to spread it round your family rather than lugging a huge backpack.

 

[BevS97]

Stupid question, but how do I edit my post to fix that typo? I can't see an edit button anywhere....

 

[beattyfamily]

Stupid question, but how do I edit my post to fix that typo? I can't see an edit button anywhere....

It's a button at the bottom right of the post you want to edit...

Thanks for going item by item! I think I will invest in 2 really good childsize fanny packs. My older DD does have one but it's way too small. It only fits sunglasses and maybe a chapstick.

You've given me a mission! I'll still have a backpack for the plane ride though but will try and only have fanny packs for the parks!

 

[DebIreland]

I've always said we'd take the stroller until DD was at least 16.

Wow! 16?!! You were optimistic Just picturing a 16 year old strapped into a stroller at WDW!

...so what do we do with our "stuff"?! (Ponchos, water bottles, snacks, etc) We always stored this stuff in the stroller. Unless anyone has a suggestion it looks like I'm going to be a pack mule walking through WDW. Help!

You could buy your DD one of those cute kiddie bags on wheels and have her put her bits and pieces in there (along with a selection of *your* bits and pieces!!). Here's a link to one of those bags to see what I'm talking about.
http://www.ebags.com/kids_parents/k...00250000000000&bfencoded=qIpwQh3OJiLDAli9KYDo

Good luck! And if you use the thing on wheels, even if you end up pushing it, it's still a lot easier than haven a broken back.

 

[F1Julie]

Pack light! How much of that stuff that you lug around do you actually need? All I take is a small handbag. I can easily fit a sunscreen stick, a camera, wallet, sunglasses, and a few wipes in there. That's really all I need.

 

[BevS97]

I must be cracking up, I could swear that button wasn't there 10 minutes ago, btu i can see it now.

 

[tjmw2727]

You will LOVE being stroller free, I dreaded it myself but after the first trip found it so much easier!!

I carry a medium size fanny pack with tickets, camera, travel size sunscreen and if it looks like rain I carry the dollar store poncho's as they fold very small.

My girls each wear a water bottle on a strap (sold at each park and a great souvineer) and if they want to do autographs and or pictures they carry a fanny pack as well. They each have one from home and fit the book, a pen, and sometimes I put in a granola bar or other snack. Last trip they had the characters sign a baseball cap so all I had was the sharpie and they wore the hat.

Eliminate all the stuff you were carrying "just because you could" and you will find you don't need as much as you may have thought.

TJ

 

[Deesknee]

How about a good backpack? Or a couple of them, one for each member of the family.

This is what we now do.
We used a double & single stroller until our kids were about 6. They all out grew a stroller at once. Now we use fanny packs & DH carries a backpack & one of us carries a smaller bag/bk pack.

 

[christinadei]

I bring my camera bag. It's sort of big, bought it for my SLR. It fits my MiniDV player, digital camera, extra tape and memory card, travel size sunscreen, antibacterial wipes (in small ind. pkgs) shout wipes, money and sunglasses. DS wears a small backpack with his autograph book, lightchaser, snacks, quaters and penny's for penny machines, etc.

 

[HM]

What you have to do is pare down what you take with you. Our first trip we carried a backpack. Now 8 trips later the most we carry with us is a fanny pack. It is no fun having to lug an extra 10 pounds on your back and figure out what to do with it on the rides.

Tickets/room key
Chapstick/small tube sunscreen
moleskin
small amount of money
camera
autograph books and pen

We leave the ponchos in the room unless it is actually raining, then we wear them; we don't carry the camcorder unless we have something particular we want to film; and we don't even carry water bottles anymore, since its easy to get drinks at the parks

-HM

 

[plutospup]

I like the idea of bringing "less stuff". However, when people ask what flight we're on I tell them, "The plane that's pulling a U-Haul". Seriously,though I think we'll try to have everyone carry their own water bottle, and fanny pack with their own poncho, snack, autograph book,etc. If that doesn't work, I'll try the backpack.

Beatty family...Happy Birthday! DW surprised me with a birthday trip (11/29). This year I was trying to surprise her for her birthday (11/30) but she found out! It's still a secret for DD & DMIL.

 

[beattyfamily]

Beatty family...Happy Birthday! DW surprised me with a birthday trip (11/29). This year I was trying to surprise her for her birthday (11/30) but she found out! It's still a secret for DD & DMIL.

Thanks! I can't wait! Any excuse to go back to Disney is GREAT! My birthday is November 29!! I'll be doing MVMCP on my birthday!