Sell me on Renting a Stroller or Bringing my Own

[mmbrad02]

My little girl will be 3 on our trip, but one month shy of 4. We definitely want a stroller, so that is not the issue.

However, our stroller is a second hand Maclaren Quest. It serves our purposes at home, which include about 2-3 family walks a week in the neighborhood and an occasional outing. Overall it is not used a ton. It is starting to wear down - it works fine, but it doesn't look the prettiest and overall doesn't seem all that smooth, but my daughter never complains. It doesn't have a cup holder either.

I think I have pretty much ruled out renting from Disney. We have pretty much ruled out buying something new, because 1) we are nearing the end of stroller usage and 2) we know from a past flight that sometimes gate checking them puts a toll on them.

So that leaves us with either bringing ours or renting from an outside service. Pros of ours:
1. It's free
2. We can use it in the airport, which we thought was a significant plus until you consider we are using DME on the way to Disney and the resort check in on the way home

But what would I love about renting? Do the Citi Mini's have cupholders? Do they fold compactly for bus travel? Are they heavy? What if my DD spills something on it during the week?

 

[hollypoast]

QUOTE=mmbrad02;52029626]My little girl will be 3 on our trip, but one month shy of 4. We definitely want a stroller, so that is not the issue.

However, our stroller is a second hand Maclaren Quest. It serves our purposes at home, which include about 2-3 family walks a week in the neighborhood and an occasional outing. Overall it is not used a ton. It is starting to wear down - it works fine, but it doesn't look the prettiest and overall doesn't seem all that smooth, but my daughter never complains. It doesn't have a cup holder either.

I think I have pretty much ruled out renting from Disney. We have pretty much ruled out buying something new, because 1) we are nearing the end of stroller usage and 2) we know from a past flight that sometimes gate checking them puts a toll on them.

So that leaves us with either bringing ours or renting from an outside service. Pros of ours:
1. It's free
2. We can use it in the airport, which we thought was a significant plus until you consider we are using DME on the way to Disney and the resort check in on the way home

But what would I love about renting? Do the Citi Mini's have cupholders? Do they fold compactly for bus travel? Are they heavy? What if my DD spills something on it during the week?[/QUOTE]

If it were me I would either:
1) buy a nice but inexpensive ($30) umbrella stroller and find someone on the DisBoards with dates shortly after yours and leave it at the resort for them to use. (pay it forward kind of thing)
2) rent one from one from one of the Disney preferred vendors- Orland Strollers, Magic Strollers or Kingdom Strollers. All come with cup holders. Not sure what happens if you spill something on them but I assume that happens all the time.

Have a great trip. 4 years old is a perfect age for Disney IMO!

 

[angelover02740]

great question we are going in oct 2015 and i really dont want to bring my from home, my daughter will be a little over 2 when we go

 

[jms]

We rent! I use a cheap umbrella stroller for the airport and it stores easy enough in the room and bus. Benefits of renting are they are very nice strollers with lots of storage space. I also use a mommy clip to have a bag easily accessible. My dd was 2.5 on our last trip. She loved the stroller and slept comfortably in it. It's great because it will be at the resort before you arrive and you just drop it off at bell services. To me an umbrella stroller would be a pain for the fact that it's not comfortable to push, no storage space and not comfy for a toddler to sleep in. Not sure if this helps you at all. I am unsure about spills. If you are worried I would just bring a fabric cleaner. Also they fold up very easily and are not at all heavy.

 

[actopp1017]

I went round and round myself on what to do. My DD is 2.5 and we drive to Disney. We have a bulky full size Chicco stroller and a Maclaren Truiumph. We hardly use the large stroller anymore but it is the only stroller my DD will nap in because it has a full recline. We are going to Disney in Sept and historically it is projected to have some sort of rain shower daily and we do not have a rain cover for either stroller. I know all of the outside stroller companies do give them complimentary with your rental.

After some convincing to my husband we decided to rent one and it will be waiting for us when we check in to our resort. All in all it was the best decision because I personally don't want to have the hassle of packing it in the car and taking up space in the trunk.

 

[maileenm]

We debated this for a while because our daughter will be 4 when we go.
My husband and I are very tall 6'5" and 5'10" so for us a cheap umbrella stroller and many not so cheap strollers don't work for us. We end up pushing the thing all hunched over and we would need some serious therapy if we did that for 7 days at Disney.

So we decided to bring our old no longer used stroller. For us it was the height of the handles that works for us and our backs and the familiarity with something we have used before.

We were afraid if we rented the handle height would not be high enough for our comfort and we would be stuck with it. Also my cousin told me about how she had to fold her stroller up each time she got on the bus and what a production it was. She had 2 yr old twins and a twin stroller so she was dealing with more than I will be, but it made me realize that we will probably want something that we know how to fold up easily and quickly without thinking.

 

[Disneychix]

We rented through Apple Strollers and it was the best idea I ever had. Although, I don't believe wae had a cup-holder. We had asingle stroller for my younger DS and rented for the older one. They both fought over who got to be in the city-mini.

City-minis are extremly lightweight and push like a dream.

Normal spills will be fine, they wash between each use.

 

[jacknsally19]

I'd say stick with the Maclaren & spend the money on purchasing a maclaren organizer for the stroller that has cup holders. My Maclaren has made 2 trips to WDW and is headed for another next month. Here are my thoughts -
-Its lightweight and easy to carry
-You are used to dealing with it & its issues
-Maclaren is compact when folded up so a lot easier to deal with on buses / monorail
-Great sun shield on Maclaren
-Will be easier to spot in a crowd of strollers... There are SO MANY of the same rentals
Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[jacknsally19]

BTW - If the wheels are an issue, I would use some WD-40 on them. I've done it to ours at home when they started squeaking and its helped a lot.

 

[mmbrad02]

After reading the responses I was all set to "sell" DH on the rental tonight, until I got to the last one. Then I thought maybe a good wash of our McClaren and the WD-40 and maybe we would just try that. Then I remembered the cup holder issue. Sadly I had an Organizer for the stroller and I gave it to a friend when she had her baby (four states away, so I can't just like borrow it back!) because 1) I thought our stroller days were about done and 2) I never loved it to begin with, then if I hung a bag on the handles, it was still hard to use to cup "sleeves".

Obviously there are pros and cons to both. I DO like how compact my McClaren folds up and it is easy to store and that part is what DH actually commented on, for the bus transportation (which we will soley use at Disney).

If we rented and the stroller was left with Bell Services before arrival and when we depart, what do you usually tip for that service?

If you fly with YOUR compact stroller, do you put it in a bag? Ours is about done for us, so if it gets damaged or dirty it would not be the end of the world, but I didn't know if airlines required anything. In 2011 we flew with our Chicco travel system stroller and we did not bag it.

 

[jeepwreck]

our next trip we will be taking my son for the first time he will be 22 months and I am planning on bring our stroller from home, I have looked into renting but its my stroller and I am comfy with using it and folding it up for the bus.

plus it has a lot of room for cups and storage

 

[jacknsally19]

After reading the responses I was all set to "sell" DH on the rental tonight, until I got to the last one. Then I thought maybe a good wash of our McClaren and the WD-40 and maybe we would just try that. Then I remembered the cup holder issue. Sadly I had an Organizer for the stroller and I gave it to a friend when she had her baby (four states away, so I can't just like borrow it back!) because 1) I thought our stroller days were about done and 2) I never loved it to begin with, then if I hung a bag on the handles, it was still hard to use to cup "sleeves".

Obviously there are pros and cons to both. I DO like how compact my McClaren folds up and it is easy to store and that part is what DH actually commented on, for the bus transportation (which we will soley use at Disney).

If we rented and the stroller was left with Bell Services before arrival and when we depart, what do you usually tip for that service?

If you fly with YOUR compact stroller, do you put it in a bag? Ours is about done for us, so if it gets damaged or dirty it would not be the end of the world, but I didn't know if airlines required anything. In 2011 we flew with our Chicco travel system stroller and we did not bag it.

So I bought on amazon the JL Childress Gate Check bag and used it the first time I flew with the stroller. Its $10. I couldn't find it the second time and just flew without it. My stroller was fine. I just put a luggage tag on the carrying strap.

The Maclaren folds up so much smaller than the citi mini. So I think that will end up being a big plus for you. It sounds like you a pretty concerned about having a cup holder so maybe it would be worth it to buy a new one? My family really only drinks water bottles - so we just stashed our water in the basket.

 

[jms]

As far as folding the citi mini it is a handle on the seat portion and all you do is pull up on it and carry it by that handle. Very easy!

 

[andrea4896]

I have no experience with this but we are going in November and I am planning to rent from an approved outside vendor.
We don't have a nice stroller at home and I want to rent a double so my older child can use it as well if needed but my main reason for renting is that if your stroller is stolen the rental company will deliver a new one to you. I tend to be a worrier and I know that if I didn't have this security I would be paranoid about my stroller every time I left it. I would rather pay to rent a stroller and have that peace of mind so that I am not constantly worrying about a stroller while on vacation.

 

[Lumish family]

easily recognizable!!!

 

[ecross23]

We rented from Orlando Stroller rentals and loved it. the city mini is awesome! It manuevers so easily and reclines. My 2 and 5 year old boys would take naps in it daily. It was so convenient to just pick up at the resort and drop off at the end of our stay. I plan on renting one again for my 4 year old daughter for our September trip.

Eva

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

BRING!!!

-Great for using in the airport - littles can wander away & it helps to know everyone is together. Helps parents move quickly through the terminals

-Its FREE to bring & FREE to fly!

-Great for using at the resorts, esp when late in the evening or when little feet are tired.

-Gives the littles a place to sit even when one isnt available (waiting for busses, DTD and parades)

-You know your stroller amongst the 800million others.

-Your daughter is used to "her" stroller and may be more comfortable napping in there if she gets tired.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I'd say stick with the Maclaren & spend the money on purchasing a maclaren organizer for the stroller that has cup holders. My Maclaren has made 2 trips to WDW and is headed for another next month. Here are my thoughts -
-Its lightweight and easy to carry
-You are used to dealing with it & its issues
-Maclaren is compact when folded up so a lot easier to deal with on buses / monorail
-Great sun shield on Maclaren
-Will be easier to spot in a crowd of strollers... There are SO MANY of the same rentals
Good luck with whatever you decide!

^^^^^^^^^
This
But, maybe consider checking it at the airport. ONLY because if you gate check the airline will refuse to repair or replace if broken. If it's checked they will be responsible. Also, if you do that do not ME it. You will want it with you when you catch the bus. It is checked as oversize and handed to you. Check for breakage. Then you have the stroller you are use to. Maybe buy a rain cover and extended sun shield with the money you saved.

 

[LovesTimone]

My girlfriend just went through this with her grandkids, all of her kids and grandkids and her and her DH were heading to WDW for a family vacation. The problem was there was going to be there was going to be a lay over each way. So they decided to buy a couple (4) umbrella strollers for in the airport and such. They went to one of those kids consignment shops and bought them. She said that it worked perfectly for them, super easy to fold up at the gate, she made these little tie on ribbons Disney of course so they could easily spot theirs and keep on moving. They also took up no room in the car or room.

Then they rented 2 double strollers for while they were at WDW, which worked out great, They did not use DME they rented 2 large SUV for everyone as they were heading over to Universal and Sea World, and hitting the outlet mall. They were they when they arrived at the Resort , and then dropped it off when leaving easy peasie. The ribbons that she made she used Velcro to attach to the umbrella stroller, she just took off and put on the rental ones which made it easier finding theirs in the sea of strollers. Then off again to the umbrella's for the flights home.

 

[mmbrad02]

Thanks everyone! I think for now we are going to give our Maclaren a good wash and WD-40 and plan to use that. Mainly because it is free and our daughter has never complained while using it. I was totally freaking out about the cup holder, but in all honesty, drinks don't last that long with us in the Florida heat, and like a previous poster said, bottles can always be put underneath.

I really appreciate your comments! This has been a topic I've been going back and forth on since we booked this trip!