sorry but another stroller question, please help

[momofbuzzfan]

I am new to these boards, so I am sorry for another stroller question, BUT I am trying to find the perfect stroller to take to DW and I don't have much time. We leave on October 1st for eight days! I am looking for any recomendations for strollers for an almost 4yo and a 5 month old. I am deciding if I want to get a double or just a single and an umbrella stroller for the 4yo. I need something lightweight yet comfy for the baby, and something that will fold up easily for the buses. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[riggins]

We are going 10/4 with our 6 month old and 2 year old. We are taking a double for the parks and most of our activities and a single for just the baby for shorter outings (we are driving, so we have room- if we were flying, I'd leave the single behind).

We typically find that our 2 year old changes her mind often about if she wants to ride or walk. When we have 2 strollers, I find that we are often trying to keep up with the baby stroller, the empty toddler stroller, and a walking 2-year old. If she wants to walk and we have the double, one of us can push the stroller and one can keep up with our walking DD. So we find it easier to just take the double.

I recently purchased a Maclaren Twin Traveller. It was expensive ($350), but for lots of reasons, we decided it was best for us. It has full recline for the baby, an acceptable sunshade, and it folds compactly with a carrying handle.

The trouble with a lot of doubles, particularly the tandems (front/back) and the inexpensive side-by-sides, is they are so heavy and bulky that they are trouble on the busses. We had a Graco DuoRider and it was difficult to get in and out of the car . . . I couldn't imagine trying to carry it on to a bus. I sold it and bought the Maclaren, in large part because of my concern about the WDW bus. My DH thinks I'm crazy and would argue that the bus hassle isn't worth the $100-200 dollars more for a different stroller . . . but everyone has their own opinion. We use our double for other outings, so I could justify the purchase. If your 4 yo really doesn't ride much anymore, you may have a harder time justifying the double purchase.

If you decide to get a double, Combi makes a great double (Twin Savvy) that is lightweight, folds in thirds and has a carry strap that allows you to carry it like golf clubs. I really wanted this one, but DH and I are both tall and the Maclaren handles are much higher. You can find them on-line for about $250, but you probably don't have time to order one, so you'd have to find it locally. Peg Perego also has a lightweight side-by-side that runs about $300 at Babies R Us. Its nice and lightweight, but the sunshade isn't very big.

You might also want to consider a kiddy board. Its a platform with wheels that you can attach to your single stroller so your 4 yo can catch a ride. Here's a picture http://www.kiwi-kid.com/lascal.html
I don't know a ton about them (my 2 yo isn't ready yet), but you can find lots of people who swear by them on the iVillage Stroller Board: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppstrollers

HTH . . .

-Leslie

 

[The Maughan's]

Hello! I also just bought the Maclaren Twim Traveler. It was expensive, but it was worth every penny. I have a two year old and a baby that will turn one next week. (While we are in Disney!!) They are 15 months apart. I have owned just about every stroller ever made, and the Maclaren is by far the best. It folds like and umbrella stroller so it is easy to pack around. Each seat reclines fully so the kids can nap. The sun shades are great because they operate independently of each other. Good Luck with your decision. I know how hard it can be.

 

[Lisatreasa]

You can purchase Maclaren strollers on ebay. You can get pretty reasonable prices for new and slightly used ones, singles and doubles. Also, there is a brand called Kidco that is very similar to the Maclaren and much less expensive. My sister has the kidco and I have a Maclaren and they are both great strollers

 

[madelyn]

I agree Maclaren makes a great stroller. The current models of Maclarens are made in China. Made in England Maclarens are considered superior by some and can be harder to come by since they are mainly second-hand. Although in the last week or so, a baby merchant, Baby Catalog of America, had some new floor models on Ebay. They had doubles that sold for $189 which is a great price considering the stroller originally retailed for $399. I became the owner of not one, but two used Maclaren doubles this year. One I bought for a summer trip to Wash DC and it worked wonderfully for my now 5 year old and 23 month old sons. Recently I picked up another on Ebay from a local seller. Couldn't pass it up because it was a great deal! These strollers are 1998 and 1995 models and both are still going strong. We were at WDW earlier this year but we drove so I was able to take my Mountain Buggy Double Urban, www.mountainbuggyusa.com. It is a jogging/all-terrain stroller from New Zealand. It works wonderfully but isn't that compact or lightweight. There are some seat width issues with some of the Maclaren Doubles, approx from the years 2001 and 2002, so you might want to avoid those if you are planning to use the stroller with a toddler or older child.

 

[tjmw2727]

With the ages of your children I would look into a sit n stand. I had one with my girls and they have even nicer models with more options now.

If your oldest is walking most of the time at home and you don't really need a new stroller consider renting from one of the orlando rental places. a baby's best friend, kidsafe and one other I can't recall. Just do a web search or wait for helpful poster here to post as many know the websites. They offer the sit n stand as well as some nice double strollers. I liked the sit n stand since my older child could stand or sit on the back, see all the sights and hop on and off to do the attractions and walk.

Check a baby store webstore and find the details on the strollers offered by abbf to and see which one looks best. If you don't need to buy then see what the rental will cost. The buggy board someone mentioned looks cool as well but I have never used one.

If I may also suggest a snugli or sling for the baby you may just save your back. None of the attractions let you use a stroller in the line and our sling saved us when dd was young. I just wore baby through the line and on most of the rides and we were all happy. Your older child can also ride in the stroller while you carry baby if you do decide to use a sling or snugli.

TJ

 

[lindabatt]

one site is www.abbf.com, where you can rent a single for $45,
4-7 days. It is deliverd to your resort and then picked up when you are ready to leave. They look nice.