Shipping Stroller/Should we take ours?

[TravelinGal]

Two Part Question:

I really want to take our nice stroller (one of the big Evenflo Travel System ones - without the baby car seat since DS is to big for that part) and am thinking about shipping it ahead of time so that it doesn't get damaged by the airlines.

1)Has anyone done this before? Where did you get a box to fit it?

2)I'm open to reasons I shouldn't take it as well
- that said, here are the reasons I want to take it:

~all the storage/pockets/drink holders it has
~DS is familiar with it
~it is more comfortable for DS than an umbrella stroller
~we own this one - would have to buy an umbrella stroller

We have had a couple umbrella strollers in the past. The first one was short - very uncomfortable for us to push (gave it away) - got another one (Baby Trend TrendSport) because it was taller, but the stride wasn't right. I'd kick the wheels every time I took a step (and I'm short! - It was horrible for DH)​

The only negative I can think of with this stroller is that it is kinda heavy and bulky if we were to use WDW transportation. We are staying in an Award Vacation Pool Home (for MUCH LESS $ than onsite {since we'd need 2 hotel rooms} and they are lovely homes!!), so we will drive in each day. I don't know how much WDW transportation we would use in that case...

 

[Rowlf]

Honestly, I'll bet it would cost more to ship the stroller down there and back than to buy a new one.

 

[idreamofdisney24/7]

We used our travel system stroller for our last 2 trips. One time with the infant car seat and the other without. Fortunately, we drove the last 2 times from Mass. and didn't have to worry about carting it on the airplane..but, we will be going in June and we will be buying a double stroller for our "soon to be" newborn and 2 year old. It will be bulky but, I wouldn't think of not bringing it.. I don't like the umbrella either..their always too short and you can't use the basket underneat, cupholders, handles for holding packages, etc.. The tough part about bringing the oversized strollers are that you have collapse them getting on the trams.. Most of the time if we get to MGM early enough, we walk to the entrance..it's easier than collapsing and carrying everything onboard.. The monorail isn't too bad..it's just takes a few minutes to get the stroller on and move around standing people.. but, what can you do..not much..we've even had to pass on monorails since they were sooooo full and the carriage is large..but, it's worth it once we get to the park!!!

 

[Dewy]

We took our Graco stoller with us when we went. It was a pretty large stoller but we loved it because of the storage bins and cup holders. We flew JetBlue out of Boston and they "gate checked" it. We walked right to the door of the plane, took our son out of it, colapsed it, they tagged it and gave us a receipt and we walked onto the plane. We got off the plane in Orlando and there it was at the end of the gate. We found the whole experience very convenient. It was great to be able to keep our eight month old in the stoller right up to the door of the plane and then as soon as we got off. The only minor hastle was security because we did have to take him out of it to get through the metal detector.

I don't know of anyone every shipping one but I would worry that it might be very cotly and then there is the issue that it could get damaged with the carrier there as well.

Good luck.

 

[staci]

We had no problems with the airlines and the stroller we took along. We flew Southwest.

If you absolutely dont think you will want it in the airport, I still wouldnt pay to ship it. I woudl think it woudl be easy for it to get broken that way too.

I would rent from www.abbf.com if you really want a 'real' stroller but dont want it in the airports. I havent used them but I have heard a lot of great things on these boards about them.

 

[Willow25]

On my last trip my 2 year old neice came along. We rented the strollers from the parks and I would never do that again. The problem at Disney is it is a long walk from the park to your car. After a long day at the parks my neice was not in the mood to walk and we were not in the mood to carry her. I would highly recommend having your own stroller. I would think that your stroller would be fine on the plane as it does not go through the normal baggage process.

 

[TravelinGal]

We checked the stroller when we went to Las Vegas to visit my sister in law. They bent the back axle. (it was really hard to straighten out again!)

We checked the stroller when we went to Cancun and they tore up the handle. (I had to file it down so there weren't sharp spots but it still looks like

)

The airlines are NOT responsible for strollers period. They don't care what they do to them - and this was on MAJOR airlines.

Hence my reason for wanting to ship it ahead of time.

I'll check out that rental company too! Thanks for the link.

I'm open for more opinions!

 

[my4kids]

take it on plane...or rent in the parks....we rented in the parks..plenty of cup holder room...we loved the convience of not having to tote one onto buses etc....of course this was for my 20 month DS that is my fourth child..so we are over that whole attachment to stroller thing...if it was my first, I would probably still be worrying about cup space and baby being used to it etc too...honestly, by the time you are on your 4th, you don't even carry a diaper bag anymore...anything that I can't fit in my purse..I don't need.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Sorry you had problems with your stroller on the airline.

So far we have taken a stroller on a airplane 8 times, no problems (total of 16 flights) . Make sure you take everything that you can off it.

For some reason the only time I have ever heard of stroller damage from an airplane is with the large evenflo kind (froma friend and a few other people.) I wonder if there is something about that one. We have taken a backpack stroller by instep (very small and light) a combi travel savy (also small and light) and a peg pergo double. Not small, but for a double not too heavy and pretty compack. I wonder if the kind of stroller makes a difference? Would a stroller bag for it help?

I think take the one you want and will be most comfortable in. I wouldn't ship it though. I would rent one if I didn't want it on the plane. Chances are you are going to want a stroller in the airport anyway.

Edited to add, sounds like it is time for a new stroller anway. Welcome to the wonderful world of stroller obbession! Many a Dis mom knows it well! I am dying to by a new peg pergo P3, but DH is putting his foot down. There are so many great strollers out there, too bad we can't have them all!

 

[TravelinGal]

Edited to add, sounds like it is time for a new stroller anway.

Sigh - if only we could afford a new NICE one!!! But I'd rather have the money for WDW!!

We DID have a really nice bag (with wheels even) when we went to Las Vegas - three things happened that day -
1)the rear axle was bent sometime between gate checking it and when we got it back
2)because it was in a bag and not clearly a stroller, we had to haul everything including DS in his infant car seat through the entire airport because they did not bring it to the gate - they put it with the regular luggage when we landed (and I was insulted by an employee while waiting at the gate for the stroller that never appeared - he saw I had a tiny baby (3 months old) and assumed that I was already pregnant and showing with a second baby...

- sorry jerk - I'm just fat, OK?)
3)they drug the bag (not by the obviously placed handle or on the wheels) and tore THREE holes in it from dragging it on the concrete. (fortunately BRU refunded our money with their generous return policy "any reason...within 90 days" I was completely honest on what happened too.) We had to push DS all over Las Vegas with a bent axle - felt like pushing the stroller through sand.

The trip to Mexico was not as extreme - but they did drag the stroller on the upper handle and I had to be careful not to scratch myself on the sharp barbs it made. Once I got home, I filed them down and tried to buff it out - Here's a picture of how it looks now - and where it's located (fortunately not where one usually holds the stroller!!!) Just makes me mad, ya know??

I did some research - I could get a box for $7 that it would fit in (probably the only baby item box I didn't keep LOL) but the least expensive ACCOUNTABLE shipping method (not USPS parcel post) was DHL Ground and that was $35 one way. Guess we will brave it and do a gate check with it and pray they don't damage it this time. (Maybe the "low cost" carrier {Air Tran} will actually do better than the "big boys" {United and American}........)


I did look into renting, but for the 9 days we'd need it, it would cost almost as much as shipping our own. And I really like all the pockets ours has! It has a large pocket right under the handle, a large (flat) pocket attached to the back of the seat, 2 triangle shaped pockets on the sides of the stroller, 2 bottle/drawstring pockets on the sides of the basket, a HUGE basket with a mesh cover and FOUR cup holders!

my fourth child..so we are over that whole attachment to stroller thing

LOL - I guess I'm still "there"...DS is our first and ONLY one, so I guess that's as far as I'll ever get.
RE the diaper bag - We use a backpack. I never carried a large purse, so that wouldn't work for me, but I do carry far less in the backpack now than I did when he was an infant, so I know what you mean. Usually it gets a few toys thrown in, 2 diapers and the wipes and a sippy. The # of toys depends on where we are going and for how long (3 or 4 hours at someones house who doesn't have toys - it gets stuffed! LOL - but for a shopping trip almost no toys since they will just end up (lost) on the ground.)

Thanks for all the comments!!!