question for those who own maclaren strollers

[hobby]

I need to purchase a good umbrella type stroller for my soon to be 4 year old daughter for our disney trip in May. I have seen some on ebay, Techno Classic and was wondering if this is a good model. And does anyone know if the basket underneath for storage is large? It does not appear to be from the pictures. I saw the new Quest at Babiesrus and they were nice but also $200.00. Any suggestions would be so helpful! Thanks

 

[BevS97]

The Techno is a great stroller but probably more than you need for a 4 year old - they recline flat and are suitable from birth - ideal for a 1 year old, but for a 4 year old I would look at a Volo.

 

[BevS97]

PS - the basket isn't large, but it will hold a small cooler (6 pack kind), and you can hang a bag from the handles and it won't fall over

 

[hobby]

I want one that reclines and I don't think the volo reclines.

 

[dotgirl]

The Volo doesn't recline. Do you need a flat recline? Or just "lean the seat back a little"? We have a Maclaren Triumph, and I love it - it's so lightweight (9lbs), the seat reclines (not all the way flat, but it's fine for our son), it folds up very compact, and it has a decent (though not huge) understroller basket. It's also great if you're tall (which my husband and I are) - no hunching over or kicking the wheels.

We paid $139 for our sat Babies r Us, but I think you can probably find one on eBay (or maybe last year's model?) cheaper than that.

 

[Msslaydbug]

The techno is a little much for WDW> The basket is on the smaller side. The Volo does not recline , the Triumph has a slight recline (good enough for napping) , the Quest has the full recline just like the Techno but is not as expensive.

 

[BevS97]

Honestly, for a 4 year old I wouldn't worry too much about the recline - we took something very like a volo for our 3 1/2 year old and it was brilliant - she did sleep in it quite well, it's sort of at a slight recline all the time, it's not bolt upright.
The big plus is that it's tiny for taking on and off the buses - that would be the deciding factor for me.

 

[capthooksmom]

We also have the Triumph and love it. We actually bought it specifically for a visit to WDW. Our main reason for choosing it was that it folds up so compactly, has a strap for carrying it on your shoulder, is lightweight, has the reclining feature, and has the rain cover. It was a breeze to get on and off the buses. It met all of our needs for the trip and beyond, so we put our other strollers in the attic.
As far as the basket, I think it's a good size. We put a small backpack, several bottles of water, jackets, and ponchos in it. We rolled things up and made sure we pushed everything toward the front of the stroller so we were using all of the space. It's not super big, but is adequate. It's much easier to get things in and out if the child is not in the stroller, though.
DS is almost four, over 40" tall and weighs about 38 pounds. He still fits fine.
As far as sleeping in it, he had no problems:

 

[justhat]

We have a Techno Classic and love it. We brought it to WDW when my daughter was 9 months and I could carry it onto the buses myself, while holding the diaper bag and the baby in the Bjorn. It will tip over if there is a heavy bag on the back though (my diaper back has tipped it many times). We also bought the Universal Organizer by Maclaren and it has been an excellent addition. It was invaluable in WDW. I could put some diapers and a wipes case in it so that I didn't have to take the diaper bag in each time i changed her. We also kept a tissue box, sunhat, light blanket, a spare outfit, and park maps in there, and they fit with plenty of room to spare, and it was much more convenient than the basket. It also meant I could put less in the diaper bag, which meant it was smaller and easier to get in and out of the basket inthe bottom (basket's not that big, but big enough for our camera case (Nikon SLR) and diaper bag and blanket). Also, it holds 2 drinks and has a smaller pouch for a cell phone. I didn't keep my phone in there, but did keep our park tickets and fastpasses in it (we have APs so I didn't care if someone stole the passes as I could get new ones). It also came with a rain cover, which I usually keep in the basket too.

 

[Brina]

I only had a double, and they are built like tanks - they take anything you dish out. I agree with the others, you probably don't need full recline - look at the difference in price between the full recline and the partial recline, and you will be amazed. Much cheaper to get a stroller that only goes down half way. We have the Savvy Z by Combi that we used when my boys were 3 at disney and it worked great. They fell asleep in them every day.

 

[G00fyDad]

Here is one we are going to buy for our trip in October. It cost about the same as 2 days rental of a park stroller. AND when we leave we plan on donating it to another couple the day we leave.

 

[justhat]

I forgot a good point. My SIL has a Baby Trend EuroBaby, that looks like a Maclaren, but there's no comparison. I pushed hers in the mall with my nephew in it (he was about 25 pounds and 15 months old) and it was horrible. I couldn't steer it, and it took incredible force to push, compared to my daughter in her Maclaren. Granted, my daughter was 10 months and 18 pounds, but even so, there was no comparison between the strollers. In WDW, I definitely want one that's easy to steer and push, especially when I have the diaper bag and drinks and other stuff in it. So test some out with our kid in it before you purchase it so you'll know which one you like best.

 

[sandiegosusie]

I own the Volo and it will be making its 4 vacation trip with us. I just purchased the Maclaren storage "thing" that hooks onto the handles which I feel will increase storage space. I also purchased the canapy for the Volo, which I wish we had in Hawaii last summer. I would love to hear if the stroller is sturdy enough for a 4 1/2 yo. I have only needed to use it for our 3 year old. We now have a new baby which will be making her first DW trip when she is 18 months. Our 4 year old will then be strollerless.

 

[hipmaman]

I plan to take 2 Volos for my 3 and 5 yrs old comes this May to DL. The Volo is light (8 lbs), comes with a shoulder strap and basket. The fabric is 'lighter' or mesh for breathability.

The Vogue or Techno come with many features and padded fabric that make them heavier and can be too hot for sunny weather.

Alternately, if you want a bit of a lean back/recline, the Quest or Triumph will do. There are also the Silver Cross Mini, Inglesina Swift if you want a quality umbrella stroller.

 

[daisylove]

I use my volo at WDW for my DD5 1/2 and it is great. Since she is older there is no questionof her sl;eeping so the sling like seat is fine. We have the organizer but do not really use it. Usually put a cooler with 6 pack in basket. Cant say enough good things for Maclaren. Especially for older kids. The seats are wider and the canopy fits higher so their heads dont push against it. Yea!!

 

[alloyd1170]

I have the Quest and wished I had purchased it a lot sooner! I have a 3 yr old son and we used it at WDW last month (its about the only time we use it). The recline feature was a huge plus for him as he was able to take naps daily while my husband and others rode the big rides. The sunshade was able to be positioned that it covered his head too, which he also liked since it shut the world out for him. Even after he woke up, he wanted it pulled over his head. I debated which model to get, but since we were trying for #2, I splurged in hopes we would get lucky (which we did-#2 arrives in July). I dont plan on using the travel system with that one, just my Quest!

alison