Stroller and/or bus questions (m)

[DumboDash2006]

Ok, here's the deal. Dd is 6 yrs old and while I normally probably wouldn't even consider taking a stroller for her, she was recently diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. And heat and exercise play a big role in blood sugar level stability. So I want to have a stroller in case she experiences low blood sugar etc.

We have her stroller still. We have not used it in at least three years. It's a full size stroller but folds up umbrella style. A bit of a pain to open and close though and heavy. Not heavy to push, but to carry when folded. I had planned on taking it versus renting because of the cost. However the thought of lugging it on and off the busses makes me groan lol. I don't want to BUY a new lighter weight stroller though as this will certainly be the last time we ever use one (she's our only child and always will be).

But renting makes me nervous because of the walk back to the bus stops at the end of the day. I haven't been in years. How far are the bus stops from the stroller return area? Also do the rental strollers have enough storage space for your bags etc? I will need to carry a back pack of supplies in addition to a fanny pack.

Thoughts? Our trip is next week btw. TIA!

 

[all4fun]

Having never rented I can't really answer your questions too well but I thought I would mention another option. You could rent from A Baby's Best Friend (www.abbf.com). They have a 3-wheel jogging type stroller that might fit your needs. This way you'd have one you can take all the way up to the bus and it might be easier to use than the one you own. I think it has a 50lb weight limit though. Just thought I would mention it.

 

[disneypharm]

The walks from the stroller drop off and buses are very long. However, we rather rent than bring strollers to the park. We have been getting double strollers for our DDs in the last couple of years and we like them a lot.
You can find the pictures of the strollers at allearsnet.com website.
I got the following information at the above website.
MGM - the strollers are three-wheeled (jogging-type) with a soft, canvas sling-type seat. They have a net basket underneath for storage. They are made out of a cloth material, that seems to be waterproof.
Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom - the strollers are hard plastic with 4 wheels.
Single or infant (newborn to 9 months) strollers: $10/day (no deposit) OR $8/day Length of Stay rental
Double strollers: $18/day (no deposit) OR $16/day Length of Stay rental

 

[Barak's Disney]

I liked the rental strollers, but it would have been nice to have our own stroller at the end of a long day b/c some walking was involved on the trip back to our resort. We rented strollers at MK and AK ... both rental counters were right at the exit/entrance. They had a small mesh bag on the back for storage of small items, but no other storage. We threw our backpack on top of the canopy, but too much weight will tip an empty stroller. You might think about renting a double for a six year old ... costs more, buy she would probably be a bit more comfortable and you could use the extra space for storage. I am a huge fan of using a stroller until they don't fit ... makes things easy on everyone.

 

[Debbiebee68]

Unless you are going to do a lot of park hopping, the full size stroller is not a big deal. Yes it is a little heavy and bulky, but if you think about it, how many times did you fold and unfold it on a big day of shopping when she was little? The walks from where you drop off the stroller to where you get a bus or a monoral are NOT SHORT. I always bring my own full size stroller because leaving the stroller at the park gate just does not work for us. My son has some muscle weakness and I would not dream of making him walk after a busy day at the park- but what would be worse is if I did not have a stroller and had to carry him. Also, depending on where you stay, you could have a walk to your room from the bus or monorail too. Don't feel worried about what you have. If your daughter is comfortable and you are saving money, just go for it!

 

[Schmeck]

Is this full-size stroller going to be easy for her to get in and out of, like an umbrella one, or does it have the permanent bar across the front with the leg strap? How comfortable will she be in it? If it's a tight fit, she's going to get hot!

You didn't mention how much she weighs/how tall she is - but it's a lot cheaper to buy a simple, lightweight umbrella stroller at WalMart for under $30, isn't it?

 

[DumboDash2006]

Thanks for the input. I'm still not sure lol!

I read these thoughts and then thought I'd just take ours as I want storage and want a ride for her back to the busses. She's too big I'm sure to fit in a regular umbrella stroller, even if we bought one.

But I was talking to my mom (we're going with my mom, sister and my 5 yr old nephew) and she thought maybe my sister and I could rent a double and split the cost. I would do that, but I'm still worried about the storage. But then again I did just get the fanny pack I ordered today and it's HUGE, much bigger than I thought. I may not need to carry a back pack after all lol.

Ugh, decisions, decisions.

 

[sgmom]

You could always take your own stroller and after a day or so, if it doesn't work for you or becomes too heavy, use the park rentals. I'm thinking of my own simply because the park ones look too hard and do not recline or provide storage and concerned about the walk from park to buses and vice versa.

 

[mytwotinks]

I just bought a Maclaren volo stroller on ebay for under $100 with shipping. It is the only stroller that I found made for bigger kids. It is up to 55 lbs. I really tried to find something cheaper, but the volo is the only one that is big enough for my 45 lb. 4yodd.

It pushes soooooo much better than anything else I sat her in. When I compared the cost of renting for the 9 days, it came out about even. I will probably keep it for any big trips that we do for the next couple of years (my kid is big, but she walks like a turtle!). Although, if you wanted to sell it on Ebay when you return you could get quite a bit of your money back. I saw a used stroller exactly like the one I bought sell for $102 plus the $15 shipping while I was looking. If I even got half that I would come out way ahead of renting.

Our combi that we have been using up to now would not be comfy for her in the heat because it is getting a little snug. The maclaren is super easy for her to get in and out of too!

 

[dsnymomof4]

We're taking a stroller for DD5 when we leave tonight(yay!). We have always used our own stroller (except for one day when our stroller's wheel broke on the 2nd to last day of our trip). Anyway, I keep joking with DH that even when the kids are too big for the stroller, I still want to take one just to keep all of our stuff in - camera bag, water bottles, extra-stuff bag, etc. I don't know what I would do with it all. Besides DD5 tends to fall asleep in the stroller before we leave the park. So, while we do have to carry her on the bus back to the resort, at least once we get there we can push her to our room, rather than carrying her all the way!