Rent a stroller or bring one?

[Ella Bella]

We are leaving in 7 days for Disney. I have a 5 and 6 year old girls. We haven't used a stroller in about a year but I do still have a single stroller than I could bring with me. My sister-in-law also offered to let me borrow her double stroller. So the question is should I bring my own single, borrow a double or rent a stroller at Disney? I know that my kids will get tired with all the walking and need a break. I think I would rather save my $$ and bring a stroller than rent but my husband thinks it will be too much of a hassle to bring a stroller through the airport. I should mention that we are staying off of Disney property at Bahama Bay in Davenport. What would you recommend?

 

[byrd328]

Hi

This is something I struggled with for months. Thankfully I made the right choice. It made a big difference for us, she was constantly taking a break and it was great to just sit her in it if we needed to get somewhere fast or manuever in a crowd. My daughter is 5 and at the time of our trip hadn't rode in a stroller since she was two. I decided to buy a cheap umbrella stroller since we would only use it for the trip. I ended up with a maclaren volo umbrella stroller off ebay. It was light and easy to fold for boarding Disney transportation and the train in MK.

Since both your girls are older, you may benefit from renting the double if money is not an issue. They're a nice size and will hold both kids nicely. I found that the stroller was only an issue at airport security, it was a little chaotic for me, but we didn't know what to expect. We also had a booster with us and alot of carry on stuff. After that it was fine. We gate checked the stroller and booster. There were so many people doing the same thing, so if you want to save money it's not too bad.

Only thing I will say is, if your going to bring one from home: The lighter the better.

 

[Flight]

I have done both. If there is going to be a rainy day, I rent.

 

[philadelphiadad]

I'd borrow the double stroller. We used one for our 6 and 7 years old girls and found it to be invaluable in the parks AND in the airport. It was a great help with carry on bags, jackets, ect. We had no problems with security, gate checked it w/o a problem. They can be be a bit bulky on the Disneybuses but if you ask the driver if you can board via the rear door they are managable.

Have a great trip!

 

[browniemtb]

Before #3 came we would rent.......it does alleviate the hassle in the airport but mostly it alleviated the hassle using Disney transportation. Constantly having to fold and unfold a double stroller could be a big PIA. The double strollers Disney provides are very sturdy......I've actually sat in one to take a break, could get out that fast though.

 

[NikitaZee]

I'd say definitely bring your own. We rented a double one day on our last trip, and it was $30. Wouldn't want to pay that every day!

 

[kenny]

Not trying to highjack the thread here but in the same situation.

We always bring a stroller but will now have 2 kids this trip. 5yo and 5 months old.

For all the posters that brought a double with older kids, what stroller did you bring?

With a 5 yo the only stroller I could find where we will get more than 1 trip out of is the Maclaren triumph. goes to 110lbs or 55lbs per kid.

 

[Heidijs]

I just reserved ours through www.magicstrollers.com not sure how much the double was but a single was only $67 with tax for 7 nights delivered and you can take it to EVERY park or outside the park and they're actually comfy compared to those big hard plastic ones in the park...which have to stay in the park.

 

[vallamen]

Another option would be to buy 2 volos for cheap off ebay, use for the trip, and then sell them on craigslist or ebay for close to what you bought them for. They push and steer great with older kids in them, fold really small, and weigh so little that it would be no big deal to fold them up and throw them on your shoulder to carry onto the bus. The resale on maclarens are really good and they usually sell pretty quick. Also, most versions come with a small rain cover which is a big plus incase it rains!

Have a great trip.
Val.

 

[WDWjen]

You have to decide if you want to make life easier or spend the least money.

I have the same dilemma with a 4 & 6 yr old. They dont use a stroller EVER at home, but the last few years in WDW we have always used a double stroller and all the kids hop in and out of it all the time. SO if i were you I would either rent or bring a DOUBLE. This way one child isnt whining that they want to get in, and if you need to cross the parks to get a fast pass, you can do so pretty fast if little feet are not walking.

That being said, you have to decide to rent or bring the Double...and what is more important to you. Saving money or making the trip a bit easier.

1-Stress free- renting from WDW..get the multi-day rental (just a bit cheaper than paying per day) Since you are staying offsite, and probably wont need the stroller outside the parks, then you could make it even easier by renting from disney, to avoid travelling at all with it. No buses, no airplanes etc. If you park-hop you just keep your ticket and can pick up another stroller later in the day at the next park.

2 Cheaper option - rent from an Orlando area rental place and you dont have to fly with the stroller but you have it delivered to your hotel and can use it at all times. I think they run around 80-100 for the week?

3-cheapest option - bring the double from home. You can check it as a bag in the airport (avoiding security) or bring it all the way to the gate and check it there. It will allow your kids to be a bit more comfortable (the disney strollers are a bit hard) and if they fall asleep in the parks you can push them to the car at night. - all the same reasons as above.

Also, 2 yrs ago we had long delays on our flight home and the kids wanted to go to sleep in the airport while waiting! It was so great having our stroller that night! We expected to have them home in bed at 8pm and didnt get home until 1am. we were so glad we had the stroller with us - especially while waiting for our luggage to get off the carousel at JFK. Our tired, sleepy kids were asleep in the stroller!

Sorry if this confuses you more! You just need to decide what means more to you - some people would rent at disney for sure just to avoid the hassles. I on the other hand would bring one from home to save more money!

 

[Hibernians]

based on my experiences, I have found it easier and more convenient to rent a double stroller at the parks and make sure to purchase the multi-day tickets which are discounted and can be used in more than one park per day.