Should I Get a stroller for my seven and eight year old?

[JavaQueen8]

Thanks for everyones opinion. Based on the feedback i will have them walk and then do a stroller if they ask for one. Have a great day!!

 

[ParrotBill]

When my daughter was 6, we chose that year to test and see if she could be ready. We adjusted our plan and our pace - no commando speeds.

We took the stroller to Florida but the first morning I left it in the closet and we went out to the bus without it. During the day, when she said she was tired we
a) took breaks
b) kept her fed and watered
c) gave her shoulder rides in carefully defined doses - like I will carry you to the entrance and you will walk from there to the bus.

it worked... we did not take the stroller out at all.
The following year she knew what to expect and we still adjusted our pace down a bit. By the time she was 8 she could keep up quite well.

 

[bsjs0708]

You def do what is right for your child...I am an active healthy adult and I get tired after the third day or so. And just to let you know ..when DS was 7 we had the same dilemma so we just rented a stroller there at the parks when he got tired

 

[ElizabethG]

We did our first trip stroller free last October (DD was 7). She did great.

We did move slower as a group. We didn't get to the park at RD because DD needed her sleep. If she was well rested, we were fine, happy, with no complaints. Two mornings we had breakfast ADRs. DH and I had to draw straws for who was going to "poke the bear" (aka DD).

 

[indymom21]

We gave away DS's stroller when he was 3. Went to Disney just before he turned 5 for 8 days and walked through all the parks just fine. We adjusted our pace and schedule to suit him. Some days we slept in late, some days came back for a nap, some days quit touring the parks by early afternoon. If his legs were tired, we stopped and sat down. We did a lot of shows, not as many rides. I wouldn't want to have to push a stroller around the park, retrieve it after parking, and get it on/off buses, the monorail, water taxis, etc.

 

[brockash]

I'm a pretty big stroller supporter. -I take a stroller for my kids up to 5, and even at 6, my ds got to relax in a sit n stand, but it was only because I had my dd (17 months,) and had to take something. With that said, I really think a 7 & 8 year old should be okay without one. I suppose you could always rent a double stroller once you're there if you find that you really need it, but I really can't imagine I'd ever take/use a stroller just for a 7 or 8 year old.

Is there anyway you could possibly start taking them on walks around the neighborhood to get them more in shape for the trip? I know it sounds silly, but I tried (ended up being more sporadic than anything else, because of schedules ect.) this with my ds when he was 7 before our trip that year and I know a lot of ppl. on the boards talk about doing it. I plan on doing with my dd next summer, since she'll be 6 for that trip and on her own

Good luck. I'd really try to get them outside and walking more now and plan that they'll be fine and if it gets really bad, you can rent a double there. Also, it's not like they'll be walking for a mile straight without a break (you'll be stopping A LOT for rides, shopping, eating ect.) My ds tells me this a lot (how it's so much easier and not a big deal to walk at Disney) when we go on long walks at home. There's a lot more incentive for a kid (or anyone) at Disney to do the walking than just at boring home.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

And the comment about their age and their physical abilities is out of line. IMO your post is trollish and looking for conflict.

Just because a reply may contain an unpopular truth, that doesn't necessarily denote the poster is intentionally being combative. You may have misread the tone of my response, an easy mistake to make when communicating via text, but otherwise you're tilting at windmills.

 

[Wendy31]

We are going to disney in june. Yay!! However, my daugher, 7 and neice,8, do not get a lot of physical activity during the day, just palying on the playground during school and they are fairly wimpy. should i bring strollers for them? I cant see them walking more than a mile without a rest. help!!

I agree w/ some of the PPs. I really think a 7 & a 8 year old should be fine.

I honestly don't think you walk more than a mile at a time at Disney w/o a rest.

It's walking to an attraction & then stopping for the attraction. And then walking a little bit more & then stopping again. And then walking a bit more & then stopping. And then walking to a restaurant & then sitting for your meal. And so on... You're never walking more than a mile at a time, & I'm not sure you ever walk even close to a mile at one time. Yes, you're tired at the end of the day & your feet are sore - but that's regardless of age!

I think if your kids do fine at the mall or walking around places like a zoo, they'll be absolutely fine at Disney World!

The 1st year we went, our older two were 3 (almost 4) & 5, & we took strollers - which they probably rode in the majority of the time. The next year, they were 4 (almost 5) & 6, & we took the strollers again. However, this time, they walked as much as they rode. By the end of the trip, we were leaving the strollers at our resort.

The strollers are nice to cart stuff though! Now, we have a stroller-aged child again, so we take our stroller once again. And it's nice to have a place to stash stuff - like extra water bottles, etc.

However, if you have a stroller, you're also having to stop & find the stroller parking & then find your stroller when you come out of the attraction after a castmember has "re-parked" your stroller. While pushing a stroller, you're having to constantly dodge people who dart in front of you. When leaving a park after the fireworks show, trust me - you'll be able to leave much more quickly w/o a stroller! Additionally, if you have a stroller, you'll have to fold up the stroller each time you get on a bus.

The 1st year we went completely w/o strollers, my kids were 6 (almost 7) & 8, & I was amazed at how much more quickly we were able to navigate the parks! (Oh, & they did fine & possibly had more energy than DH & I!)

 

[kaligal]

If these kids have some kind of problem or you plan on doing more than they can handle, rent a stroller.

Me, I would take a tired kid out of the park. But I know many people spend a ton and plan forever and don't want to stop for tired children.

Better to let them sit in a stroller than keep pushing them beyond their limits.

 

[fairestoneofall]

my older kids were 10 and 7 on the last trip and did fine. on our previous trip, we did rent a stroller for DS (then 5) on one day that he wasn't feeling well. DD would probably gladly ride in a stroller if we'd let her (she's now 10).

that said, on our last trip, one morning DH and i were separated (he had DS7 and i had DD10 and the baby). DH had the stroller (the baby was in a carrier), so he had DS7 get in just so he could move more quickly to meet us. but he was perfectly fine and really didn't need one.

i wouldn't buy one for them. but, if it comes up, you could always rent one.

 

[Day-Day]

We have a good time laughing (to ourselves) at the size and age of some of the kids we see in strollers at WDW.

 

[kohlby]

We did one trip in which my oldest knew he couldn't have a stroller. He was 6.5 years old. He used to complain even when he had to walk half a mile. We had a single stroller with us but since its limit was 50 lbs, he was too big. Plus, the stroller was for the 3.5 year old and I had a sling for the 11 month old. So, even a stroller that allowed for heavier weights would have meant taking a second stroller.

He did amazingly well! We did 7 different parks in 8 days with one break day. We were at rope drop every day and go hard. The 3.5 year old is actually the only one who ever acted tired and was the determiner of how long we stayed - which was around dinner time most days though we made it to 8:30 one day. The oldest even went back out one night with one parent while the others stayed in. I had no clue that he could walk that much. And neither did he. It didn't feel hard to him since he was having fun. Also, he knew we would stay as long as everyone could handle. Since it wasn't summer, we did not go back to the room mid-day. In your case, it's quite likely you'll have to take some mid-day breaks to cool off and recharge.

I'd skip the stroller. I'd let the kids know that you're determining how long to stay in the parks based on how well they do. If you really find you need a stroller, then I'd rent one just for the last day. (Or throw one in your car if you're driving). Even on our first trip, our 3.5 year old of that trip refused to sit in the stroller and walked the entire first two days! (Though he needed the stroller after that).

Our last trip had kids ages 2.5, 5.5, and 8.5. The oldest was the kid who did great the time before, so we were not concerned with him. But the middle child who has great endurance also is petite. We didn't know how she would handle keeping up with the oldest and the adults. It turned out that the 2.5 year old refused the stroller and was in the sling so she did get some short stroller breaks. She still walked most of the time, but it was helpful to have the stroller. If we hadn't had it, she still would have managed just fine, but we would have needed to walk a bit slower at times.

 

[World Showcaser]

This thread absolutely shocked me!

Our youngest isn't quite 3. He complains if I make him sit in a stroller. In fact, we haven't used one in months. I would have to think really hard about renting him one at WDW next time. Heck, when we went and he was a year and a half he probably walked half the time. I can't imagine ever convincing our five and seven year olds to ride in one.

Perhaps you need to rethink your pace or the health of your children if they require a stroller at such an old age as other posters have suggested.

 

[chartle]

Thanks for everyones opinion. Based on the feedback i will have them walk and then do a stroller if they ask for one. Have a great day!!

I see some of the responses didn't scare you away.

My suggestion is to un-subscribe now, run away and don't look back at this thread. This thread has the makings of 6 page forum buster by the end of the day.

 

[sharon_wv]

The strollers are nice to cart stuff though! Now, we have a stroller-aged child again, so we take our stroller once again. And it's nice to have a place to stash stuff - like extra water bottles, etc.

My DD is 6 now and I'm a bit bumming because we won't have the stroller to hold all the extra stuff.... I'm not looking forward to carrying it all on my back But I guess this will force me to downsize the crap we carry with us, right?

OP - Do what works for the kids and you. I think if our DD starts to fuss (or I get too tired), we might end up renting a stroller in June. Who knows? I'm certainly not going to judge!

 

[aripantaloon]

I see that you have decided against the strollers. I think that's probably the right decision. Those girls are definitely old enough to do Disney without a stroller, barring any true health issues.

My 8 year-old would never in a million years want to ride in a stroller. This trip, the only one riding in a stroller will be my almost two year-old. There is a stand bar on the back of it for very short trips if we are running and the 5 year-old can't keep up, but it's not designed for regular use. Our prior two trips, our oldest walked the whole time. She was just over ages 4 and 6 at the time. She did fine. She is active and has been in dance for several year as well as soccer for 3 years, though.

 

[buzzrelly]

When we went in 2008, my DS was 7 and DD 5. We rented a double stroller just for EPCOT one day because it can be exhausting to walk around World Showcase, expecially on a hot day. I think it was the third day of our trip.

And then in 2010, my DD was 7 and had the stomach bug on the third day of our trip. By the fourth day she was feeling better but we rented a stroller at AK for her and pushed her around in it. If people gave me weird looks, I really didn't notice, nor would I have cared.

On a normal day, MK and DHS are fairly easy to get around in, plus you stop and wait a lot so I don't think you'll need a stroller for these two parks. As for the other ones, play it by ear and see how your kids feel. If they seem to be whiny and losing steam, you can always rent one. And trust me, nobody will be pointing and laughing at you at the park for doing so, as some on here seem to want to make you think.

Have fun!

 

[stashbin]

When we went in 2008, my DS was 7 and DD 5. We rented a double stroller just for EPCOT one day because it can be exhausting to walk around World Showcase, expecially on a hot day. I think it was the third day of our trip.

And then in 2010, my DD was 7 and had the stomach bug on the third day of our trip. By the fourth day she was feeling better but we rented a stroller at AK for her and pushed her around in it. If people gave me weird looks, I really didn't notice, nor would I have cared.

On a normal day, MK and DHS are fairly easy to get around in, plus you stop and wait a lot so I don't think you'll need a stroller for these two parks. As for the other ones, play it by ear and see how your kids feel. If they seem to be whiny and losing steam, you can always rent one. And trust me, nobody will be pointing and laughing at you at the park for doing so, as some on here seem to want to make you think.

Have fun!

I bolded the part about EPCOT because that is what happened with us last year. My then 7 year old made it the entire trip without a stroller but when we did EPCOT's World Showcase, she was done. It was so hot that I rented a single and let her sit under the shade. No one gave us a look or anything...but I am the type of person that if someone did give me a look, I'd give them one right back. It's no one's business. It amazes me how many people think it is their business to judge other's choices.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

Based on the OP's post count and the question at hand, I'm mostly certain this is a facetious post.

However, should this be a question asked in earnest: if your children are that old and are in such poor physical shape that they would need a stroller, you may want to put your vacation on hold and take them to see a doctor for a physical exam.


Wrong. Once it becomes a topic on a public message board it becomes the business of anyone wishing to weigh in.

I agree with both of these statements.

 

[summermac]

OP, I am debating this myself. On our last trip, it was a no-brainer b/c my daughter was only 2. Oddly enough my FIVE year old (who I never ever thought would want a stroller) asked several times to ride in the stroller. We ended up having the kids take turns. The parks are smoking HOT in June. We were there then and it was pretty bad. However the stroller sometimes irritated my 2 year old more than helped b/c by being in the stroller she was sweating a whole lot and wouldn't have been nearly as badly had she been able to walk freely.

I would probably not bring it (and assuming you don't have one big enough for them anyway) but also not be opposed to the kids needing one at some point if necessary especially if you have a particularly long & hot day.