Stroller alternatives

[madsmom]

Our last trip (and our first) to WDW was in May 2008 with our, then, 5 year old DD. We took a stroller just in case she got tired and needed to ride. She never wanted to ride, but the stroller came is really handy to store things we bought, water bottles, camera case, snacks, etc... We're going back to WDW this September and I'm considering bringing a stroller again. Our DD is almost 8 now and would NO WAY want to ride in it, but I think I want it just for the convenience of having someplace to keep all of our stuff so I don't have to carry it around. Do any of you do this? Or is there an alternative to a stroller that I haven't thought of? Thanks for your input!

 

[brymolmom]

We just did our first stroller-free trip in April and I, too, was apprehensive about not having a place for our 'stuff'. What I did was buy the 'perfect' bag(s) and WAY REDUCE what I bring. Down to bare minimum and honestly it was VERY FREEING not having all that stuff and the stroller!

Do you have another adult in the party? DH and I each carry a small-ish backpack - to distribute it between two of us to make it lighter. And we bring:

ponchos if rain called for (don't if it isn't)
sweatshirts for kids if cold (mine goes around my waist) - so dh gets 1 kid and I get he other kid
SMALL first aid
sunscreen
a few small snacks (kids are old enough won't expire) - if we are savign $$ we bring a cooler with lunch but put it in a locker.
one or two water bottles each (depending how hot)

And that's it - -so my bag only has at most - 2 tiny ponchos, 1 sweatshirt, 1 sunscreen, a few granola bars (or similar) and 2 bottles of water (that are gone within the morning so it is VERY light after that.

What we used to bring: change of clothes for kids, light up toys, autograph books (still bring these but only 1 or 2 days of trip), more snacks, water sprayers. We ditched all these.

If you don't have another adult I wouold get a small backpack for dd just big enough for her own sweatshirt or poncho and autograph book and pen.

You'll LOVE not having as much stuff! ENJOY!

 

[madsmom]

Thanks for the ideas. I'm still not sold on not having a stroller or something similar. I already carry a baggalini but would like a place for the water bottles, we refill during the day and these get heavy. The autograph book, can't leave home without it!! The things we buy at the parks, our camera and video camera bags (I usually carry the baggalini with essentials in it and DH carries camera/video). Any other thoughts about some type of push cart?

 

[worm761]

It doesn't sound like you carry all that much. Your DD is old enough to help carry some stuff, like the autograph book and maybe her bottle of water. I suggest you not refill your water bottles until you are ready for a drink. That will help with the weight. From what you have said, I take it you really want someplace to store the stuff you buy. If you are staying onsite at a Disney hotel, just have the stuff sent back to your hotel. I shop a lot more since I discovered I don't have to carry all that stuff with me. If you are not staying onsite, you can still have it sent to the front of the park. I think it takes like 3 hours so you wouldn't be able to for the last few hours you are going to be in a park. But Disney does a pretty good job of making it easy to shop.

As for a buggy, I have no solution for you. I know wagons are not allowed. Do you need all that stuff with you all day? Could you just put it in a locker? This will be my first trip with a stroller. If DD wasn't so young, I wouldn't take one but she is only 7 months old right now. I can't wait to not have to take a stroller again.

 

[Honeystar120608]

I cant imgine NOT having a stroller. For those storage reasons for one. I throw my backpack on the handles of the stroller and away we go.
Our dc are 4 and 5. Old enough to walk, but still at the age where if we want to get from one end to the other quickly, put them and in go. DS is more of a walker than dd. She is Miss Princess. So we need the stroller for her for sure. If they get hot or tired, they can just hop in there.
We also fly, thank goodness they are not considered a checked piece of lugguage.
Lastly, I don't think there really is a solution unless carrying your things. As pp said, you could get anything bought sent back to your room. As for things you carry, is it better for you guys to carry them in backpacks or bags, or bring along a stroller? Which is best for you?
It will be nice to do a stroller free vacation, but at the same time if you have a lightweight easy folding stroller, shouldn't be too much of an issue. DH takes one stroller, I take the other, we are pros at folding them up quickly by the time we are done in Disney.
If you are going in warmer months, the worst is to have to carry a backpack and getting very hot with it on.
Last thing, our plan is to park our strollers somewhere around the carousel in MK. From there we will walk around the park, train is available to get around in, and our strollers are central. We don't need to bring it EVERYWHERE. But in Epcot, they will be nice to have, same for HS and AK. But it is an option to park it for half the day if you are comfortable with leaving your things.

 

[Schmeck]

Thanks for the ideas. I'm still not sold on not having a stroller or something similar. I already carry a baggalini but would like a place for the water bottles, we refill during the day and these get heavy. The autograph book, can't leave home without it!! The things we buy at the parks, our camera and video camera bags (I usually carry the baggalini with essentials in it and DH carries camera/video). Any other thoughts about some type of push cart?

Do you need bags for the camera and video camera? My camera fits in my purse, and well actually, I never understood why people haul a video camera with them. Of course, we only had the big, ancient-dinosaur style from about 15 years ago, LOL! I would think a smaller one would also fit in a backpack?

If your daughter wants autographs, get her a fanny pack to keep the book in, or a small backpack would be even better. My kids carried their own bags when they were 5 years old. Small ones, with their autograph books, and any other little things they wanted to bring with them.

I wouldn't bring a stroller unless you were sure your daughter was going to use it. You have to check it at the airport, fold it up for transportation, backtrack to get it after you go on an attraction, etc. It can also get stolen, 'borrowed', soaked when it rains, and people can steal whatever stuff you leave in it.

 

[badblackpug]

Back pack. I have 2 who need a stroller, so I am stuck with the double, I have been stroller free (big age gap in kids) and I am now back to the stroller.

I couldn't fathom pushing a stroller around the park and schlepping it on and off the bus just to tote "stuff." Too much of a pain.

You don't really seem to carry all that much that it wouldn't fit in a back pack. You can get straps that hook to your water bottle to carry drinks.

 

[worm761]

Back pack. I have 2 who need a stroller, so I am stuck with the double, I have been stroller free (big age gap in kids) and I am now back to the stroller.

My DS is 14 and DD is 7 months. I have a huge age gap. I took DS for the fist time at 5 and we never used a stroller. DD will be first experience with one.

 

[badblackpug]

My DS is 14 and DD is 7 months. I have a huge age gap. I took DS for the fist time at 5 and we never used a stroller. DD will be first experience with one.

I feel your pain. My older two are 13 & 9, my younger two are 2 & 8months!

We did our 1st trip when they were 4 & 8 so no stroller. The last 2 years we've had my younger daughter at 8m & 21m in a stroller. This year we get to do it with a double stroller!

...I sooooo look forward to our stroller-free days!

 

[kalee45]

Hey I'm in good company! My girls are just about all teens & my son is 4! We're not going for an extended trip until he's 5 (that's due to $ not age), but when we went to Studios for a day trip when he was 3, I pretty much pushed the stroller with just our stuff in it as he was too excited to sit! Haven't decided about stroller or no for our June 2011 trip. My girls were always ready to ride rather than walk but not him!

 

[tzolkin]

Thanks for the ideas. I'm still not sold on not having a stroller or something similar. I already carry a baggalini but would like a place for the water bottles, we refill during the day and these get heavy. The autograph book, can't leave home without it!! The things we buy at the parks, our camera and video camera bags (I usually carry the baggalini with essentials in it and DH carries camera/video). Any other thoughts about some type of push cart?

Have you ever tried a hydration backpack?

That's what we use at Disney. We fill them (often we just bring one) with ice and water before we leave the room and throughout the day we will refill with a free cup of ice when we stop for CS or a snack. This has been wonderful for us because the kids can have a drink wherever we are. The ice also keeps the wearer cooler than a regular backpack.

The bag is more comfortable than a regular backpack (sits higher on the back) and we have enough room for whatever essentials we take into the parks (snacks, sunscreen, meds, etc). I carry a fanny pack with the camera and the tickets/CCs/index cards.

We have always had two strollers, but have never used them to store/carry anything except the kids.