stroller advice

[sfowler2003]

Going in May with two boys 3 and 5......need some stroller advice......we have a double jogger that is nice but it is SO BIG and heavy to push when both boys are in it....are the doorways at WDW wide enough for this beast or will be constantly getting in and out to get inside anywhere......

we also have a single jogger and a mid-size umbrella that would be our second option so we could split up and go in different directions if we wanted.....

any stroller suggestions.....

 

[MomtoGKC]

I always suggest to my friends to rent the double stroller at the park. For us it worked better for a number of reasons. We didn't have to deal with folding and lugging our stroller on the bus. Their strollers are all plastic - easy to wipe down when the kids make a mess with their Mickey bars! The seat is low to the ground so the kids can hop in and out on their own (ours is high up so we have to lift them in and out.)

The only drawback is the price, but to us it was worth it. Also, all of my friends thanked me for suggesting they rent a stroller!

 

[TikiGoddess]

I say rent the double stroller...you'll be glad you did. It's super easy to push, you don't have to lug it on and off the busses and if you pay the first day for the number of days you'll be using it you get a $2 a day price break and you don't have to wait in line after the first day. You just present your ticket and get your stroller. I've rented them for 2 boys twice and plan to again even though they're getting older. I think it prevents meltdowns if they don't have to walk the whole time.

 

[THESCHULTZFIVE]

I'm going to offer a different opinion. My DD's that are now 4 & 6 don't like the rented strollers. They are very hard and they found it very uncomfortable. We used to bring our double umbrella stroller and even theough doorways weren't a problem, people were. With the double, people just seem to want to jump around you or in front of you and you sometimes just get stuck waiting to be able to get through a crowd b/c it's so wide. Last year when they were 3&5, the 5 y/o insisted that she did not want a stroller. We brought 1 umbrella stroller with us for the 3 y/o. 2 days in guess what happened.......the 5 y/o wants a stroller. We went to WAL-Mart and actually bought 2 single umbrella strollers(I have a thing about matching stuff, so I wanted 2 of the same) and it was so much easier. So all of that is to say, I think you would be better off with 2 single umbrella strollers. If the 5 y/o dosen't want to ride you could fold it up and push it or put a backpack in it or something, but it's much easier getting through the crowds that way.

 

[jack hannah bananah]

I have yet another option for you to consider.
Bring one umbrella. It is easy to get on and off the buses, and you will probably want it for the 3 year old at the resort (especially if you are at one of the big ones). Then rent a single for MK and Epcot. My five year old is able to easily walk Hollywood Studios and AK. And if the 3 year old want to walk in these parks at time, it will allow the 5 yr. old to take a break.

 

[Liltx]

We always take two lightweight strollers. I guess they really are just fancy umbrella strollers and only weigh 7lbs. Then if dd (last trip 4) wants to walk we just leave it in the land and come back for it when we are done with that area. The 2yo usually wanted to ride. 4yo usually wanted to ride on the way to the busses though so we were glad we had it. This year I am taking two again and we'll see how it goes after the first day whether we rent for her or not or use a stroller at all. Mom and I can't carry either of them all that far and I don't want to listen to the crabby cakes.

Monica

 

[planplan]

go with the double rental... do not think twice. for the amount you spent on the trip the $16 a day is nothing. Bring some towels or blankets and they turn into a decent bed for the young one and a 2 hour power nap!!! turn it in when your done!! not fighting with thousands of people on the monorail with your big double stroller. best investment on my trip. my small 7 year old rode in it with the 3 year old for short times to save her energy!!!

 

[MomtoGKC]

Here's a picture of the double stroller at the MK - all three of mine would pile in when they were really tired! They didn't mind the hard seat, but I know a lot of people bring a beach towel to make the seat a little softer.

 

[jngwright]

Hi! What worked REALLY well for us was 2 umbrella strollers that had a higher weight capacity (45-50lbs)than the $9.99 Target umbrellas. We got them on Ebay, so it was less expensive than renting for the week. They folded down compactly, were easy to push, had a sunshade, basket, carrying strap, and reclined. We liked being able to take the stroller back to the resort. If the kids fell asleep on the bus, we could put them in the stroller back at the resort and push the kids to the room. Plus, we didn't have to wait in line to rent or return. Our strollers were easy to find when exiting attractions, since they didn't look like the hundreds (thousands??) of rentals, pushed nicely, and we could split up if needed.
JMHO-but they worked so well we are using them again this trip!!

 

[cbenjisgirl]

I was thinking of renting a single stroller for our 4 year old son. Does it have a basket to put things in? Does it have any cup holders?

 

[PGHDisneyfan]

We are going May 3-9 and we are taking our stroller and car seat with us. We are renting a car and will need the car seat for all our trips. Im taking the matching stroller since you cant rent a stroller outsided the parks. If you want to go to DTD be ready to carry your kids since they dont rent them. We thought about either bringing a cheap umbrella stroller or getting one at Target but most of them dont have a nice basket to hold your goods and no cup holders. like jng said you could get a better one and bring it with you. Ive heard if you have the Disney Visa you can get discounted stroller rental but I dont know if its true or not. I have to admit hauling our stroller and car seat will be a pain but it beats paying for them.


Brent

 

[kwhdman]

Another option you might consider is renting a stroller from a baby service (such as abbf.com). They are a fraction of the cost of the rentals at the park, and much more comfortable as they are the types of strollers you would have at home. They deliver the stroller at your resort and pick up as well. We used them for our last trip 2 years ago (for a stroller, fridge & microwave), and we'll be using them again next month.

We always rent a car, so we don't have to deal with the problem of folding them on the buses. They did come in handy, however, when arriving at the park because we didn't have to fold them when getting on the monorail. And they were a life saver if the kids fell asleep when we were leaving because they could sleep all the way to the car.

Our children are now 5 and 3. We don't even own a stroller at home any longer because our kids are very active and would rather walk with us. I won't hesitate taking the stroller to the park every day though. They might not be in it very long - but it is definitely appreciated (by all!) when it is needed. It will also come in handy when we are trying to walk quickly somewhere (like at rope drop). The kids can be in the stroller and not have to deal with the crowds or get tired early trying to keep up.

Have a great trip!

 

[TJA]

Going in May with two boys 3 and 5......need some stroller advice......we have a double jogger that is nice but it is SO BIG and heavy to push when both boys are in it....are the doorways at WDW wide enough for this beast or will be constantly getting in and out to get inside anywhere......

we also have a single jogger and a mid-size umbrella that would be our second option so we could split up and go in different directions if we wanted.....

any stroller suggestions.....

I haven't read all of the replies, but I know people always have different thoughts on this subject. We have 4-1/2 yr old twins and still take our double jogger to disney. It works perfectly for us. We tend to stay at either Epcot resorts or monorail resorts, so it's very easy to handle a double jogger -- either walk or monorail to parks, so no unloading and folding of the jogger. If we stay at an epcot resort, we do a TON of outside-the-parks walking, so that is one thing to consider. If you rent at the parks, then you have to leave the rental at the park before leaving. This would not work for us. Our kids don't use the jogger much during the daytime, just to rest on occasion or get some relief from the heat. They do use the jogger at night time when we're at parks late, and it's wonderful to be able to let them fall asleep and then just walk or monorail back to our resort without waking them up.

Disney rents out double side-by-side strollers, so the parks are equipped to handle double strollers, as well as wheelchairs, etc.

I'm not sure how it would work in your situation with kids of different ages and if you'd split up then it might be practical to take your 2 single strollers. Personally, having twins, we never split up and a double jogger works the best for us. Just one stroller to push and worry about.