stroller debate??

[jill9072]

we will be at wdw in dec 1-9, we have 2 dc, one getting ready to turn 8 and the other will be 21 months at time of visit. We took our dbl stroller last year and it helped lugging kids around, but the bus rides were hard with all the pkgs. This year we are sending pkgs to the room. so there will be less on the bus but hubby doesnt want to take big stroller, just the little umbrella one for the baby. I know my 8 yr old will want to sit as well. Which would you all do?
like i mentioned, we will be having the pkgs sent back to the room so all we will have to deal with is the big stroller? It folds really well,would you all still take it? and save hearing the oldest wine about being tired and not fair the baby gets to ride sort of thing???thanks everyone

Jill--staying at pop century for 2nd year in a row

 

[stacy6552]

IMHO, at that time of year, with the shorter hours, the 8 year old doesnt need a stroller. Yield to DH on this one. Tell the 8 year old, too bad, he's a big kid and doesnt need a stroller and if its that hard to walk, then you will leave him home with a sitter. Start training now. Take him to the mall all day and if he begins to whine, warn him about not going to Disney. Ocne you're there, tell him if he keeps whining then he can go back to the room with a sitter. This is your 8 year old child, its a dictatorship at this age, not a democracy.

 

[Tink215]

I did the double stroller 2 years ago and hated how heavy and bulky they were and the ride on the busses were no fun, have you thought of renting a double stroller or renting a stroller and brining an umbrella stroller as well, like that you only have to bring back one stroller that is light weight on the buses.

 

[WL Fan]

Well, there wouldn't be a debate at our house.

The eight year old would walk...

Have a great trip!

 

[NCombs]

I would rent a double stroller at the park. We did this and it worked great. Wonderful in the park but nothing to worry about hauling on the bus. It's easy to tell an 8 year-old to tough it out, but in reality it is hard to do all that walking. The point is to make things work for you and your family and the larger stroller might be a great help. They do have discounts for multi-day rentals.

 

[magicaldisney]

As I totally understand that having one in a stoller and one not in a stroller seems unfair, that is how it is for most families. Our first trip our oldest was not in a stoller while our youngest was. I would only bring an umbrella stoller. Those big strollers are such a pain for both you and those around you. Even without packages, those stollers are hard to maneuver on the bus, especially if they are full buses.

We also have an 8 year old who has been walking the parks for the last three years. During that time of the year, the heat won't be as bad. I think that makes it harder for the little ones to walk.

Ultimately, you have to make the decision that is best for your children and your family as a whole, but, if you're looking for opinions, an 8 year old should be able to walk.

Good Luck

 

[Colinsmom]

I'd take a single and rent another single if absolutely necessary - at 8, he should be able to handle a fair amount of walking.

 

[Goingtodisneyworld]

I may be out on a limb here ~ but I say bring the double. I just love strollers, & how comfy they are & what better place to be strolled around than DISNEY! ) Truly, I think they grow so fast & soon enough there’ll be no more strollers, because yours folds easy, you know your 8yo would enjoy it & as long as Hubby understands, I say go for it!

 

[PatricenPete]

I'm sorry - I am one of those people that mocks 8 year olds in strollers. I think it is ridiculous. (No trying to flame here!) I would never be rude enough to do it to someone's face or make comments - I just snicker behind your back..... In any event, at 8, a kid should be able to differentiate between himself and a toddler and the need for the toddler to be in a stroller.

My niece is 4 and she just did Disney, Sea World, Universal, etc., etc., etc., without a stroller in the middle of August.

I would leave the double stroller at home and just bring the smaller one for your 21 month old. Let the 8 year old suck it up and walk - ask him what he would do if his or her buddies on the playground saw him/her being pushed in a stroller.....

I hope you have a wonderful trip no matter what you decide!!!!

 

[moopdog]

WELL - what about us.... we have a 2 and 4 year old... I think my 4 year old will definitely need a stroller a lot of the time but not all. I hate the idea of bringing 2 umbrellas but in reality it might make more sense since sometimes we'll leave one in the room (for dinner, etc) and other times we'll take both singles and split up, each taking a kid in a stroller. On the OTHER hand: the double is nice because of the large basket underneath... canopy over top... and the fact that the seats recline!

What should we DO??? We leave tomorrow!!

 

[Brina]

personally, i would not lug the double stroller. I am not bringing one for my two who will be almost 6, although I will rent one or two days - probably at epcot, not sure where else.

 

[Mom21]

I'm sorry - I am one of those people that mocks 8 year olds in strollers. I think it is ridiculous. (No trying to flame here!) I would never be rude enough to do it to someone's face or make comments - I just snicker behind your back..... In any event, at 8, a kid should be able to differentiate between himself and a toddler and the need for the toddler to be in a stroller.

I can't believe someone would actually take the time to mock or make fun of a child. I know the OP didn't say her child has a problem but some children do. My dd is a large child (not fat, just very tall and muscular from years of gymnastics). She is 8 and until last year she used a stroller. I am sure if you saw her you would think she was 8 or 9 or maybe even 10 last year. She has very flat feet which cause her pain when she walks for long distances. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night to a child crying in tremendous pain in her feet and legs. Sometimes the cramps and pain is so bad she can't go back to sleep for hours even after taking Motrin. I would much rather she ride in a stroller than scream and cry from pain. She does have special orthodics to wear in her shoes that help some. but to look at her I guess she would be one of those children you feel the need to mock and laugh at behind her back. Next time think before you laugh.

 

[MazdaUK]

We took our single buggy for our 5 y.o., and even if he didn't use it we found it great for the waterproofs, water etc. (You DO need to carry some as when you want to buy it urgently there is always a queue ). Our 11 y.o. obviously is way too big, but he did wish he could get in it sometimes! Younger DS walked quite a lot of the time, especially in the a/c malls, but after a day with a stomach bug he really needed the buggy. Soemtimes we'd park it in a buggy park and do a whole land before retrieving it and moving to the next area. We also found it was not so much when we got there, as on the way back - and it can be a loooong way to the bus stop!
My DSis has 4 kids between 11 and 6, and she bought a cheap umbrella buggy from Walmart (with a small canopy) which her younger two (6 and 8) used in turns, and otherwise was used for drinks and waterproofs.
I think a lot depends on the weight and foldability/manoeverability of your double, and who is going to get moaned at for not bringing it if you're elder kid gets cranky

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I'm sorry - I am one of those people that mocks 8 year olds in strollers. I think it is ridiculous. (No trying to flame here!) I would never be rude enough to do it to someone's face or make comments - I just snicker behind your back..... In any event, at 8, a kid should be able to differentiate between himself and a toddler and the need for the toddler to be in a stroller.

My niece is 4 and she just did Disney, Sea World, Universal, etc., etc., etc., without a stroller in the middle of August.

I would leave the double stroller at home and just bring the smaller one for your 21 month old. Let the 8 year old suck it up and walk - ask him what he would do if his or her buddies on the playground saw him/her being pushed in a stroller.....

I hope you have a wonderful trip no matter what you decide!!!!

What a classy answer - you make fun of people behind their back!

I would bring a single umbrella stroller and rent a single one if you felt your 8 year old needed it. I bring an umbrella stroller for ds (5) and rent a double one for dds (6 and 7). We go in July - it's hot, it's humid and it makes our life easier if the kids are in strollers. No, they don't use strollers any other time but it makes our vacation more enjoyable if they use them at Disney.

If you are laughing at us behind our back then I feel sorry for you. We spent a ton of money last year on vacation (15 nights at GF lagoon view). I'm not about to spend my vacation with a tired, worn out child because somone I don't even know or care about thinks my child shouldn't ride in a stroller.

Do whatever YOUR family feels comfortable with.

 

[PatricenPete]

I can't believe someone would actually take the time to mock or make fun of a child. I know the OP didn't say her child has a problem but some children do. My dd is a large child (not fat, just very tall and muscular from years of gymnastics). She is 8 and until last year she used a stroller. I am sure if you saw her you would think she was 8 or 9 or maybe even 10 last year. She has very flat feet which cause her pain when she walks for long distances. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night to a child crying in tremendous pain in her feet and legs. Sometimes the cramps and pain is so bad she can't go back to sleep for hours even after taking Motrin. I would much rather she ride in a stroller than scream and cry from pain. She does have special orthodics to wear in her shoes that help some. but to look at her I guess she would be one of those children you feel the need to mock and laugh at behind her back. Next time think before you laugh.

I don't MOCK children. I have a DS of my own, plus several nieces and nephews. I just think that it is ridiculous that a 6, 7, 8, 9 year old needs to be pushed around in a stroller. To that same extreme, I actually fault the parents more than the children, because if parents didn't feel the need to push push push and go go go 24/7, there would be no need for an older child to be in a stroller. If you took proper rest/relaxing time, the child could be recharged and ready to walk through the parks. Hell, by the end of a 12 hour day in a theme park, *I* would need a stroller and I'm 27.

Of course, there ARE some children that for medical reason need to be in a stroller and that I completely understand. I'm sure that God will forgive me for a little chuckle, though most of the members of this board won't......

 

[bevemjake]

I can't believe someone would actually take the time to mock or make fun of a child. I know the OP didn't say her child has a problem but some children do. My dd is a large child (not fat, just very tall and muscular from years of gymnastics). She is 8 and until last year she used a stroller. I am sure if you saw her you would think she was 8 or 9 or maybe even 10 last year. She has very flat feet which cause her pain when she walks for long distances. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night to a child crying in tremendous pain in her feet and legs. Sometimes the cramps and pain is so bad she can't go back to sleep for hours even after taking Motrin. I would much rather she ride in a stroller than scream and cry from pain. She does have special orthodics to wear in her shoes that help some. but to look at her I guess she would be one of those children you feel the need to mock and laugh at behind her back. Next time think before you laugh.

I'm with you on this one. When she has an older child who needs a rest it may look different to her. Like they say "Don't cast stones....."

 

[PatricenPete]

When I have an older child who needs a rest, I would take him back to the resort, not just stick him in a stroller and keep going......

I'm not goint to win this one - I used a poor choice of words when I said that I "mock" children, but I still stick behind my original stance that an able bodied 8 year old should not be riding in a stroller....

After all this time, I should know when to and when not to post my opinion here on the DIS....you people are like freaking scavengers waiting for the attack.

I'll keep my lip buttoned from this point forward.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I don't MOCK children. I have a DS of my own, plus several nieces and nephews. I just think that it is ridiculous that a 6, 7, 8, 9 year old needs to be pushed around in a stroller. To that same extreme, I actually fault the parents more than the children, because if parents didn't feel the need to push push push and go go go 24/7, there would be no need for an older child to be in a stroller. If you took proper rest/relaxing time, the child could be recharged and ready to walk through the parks. Hell, by the end of a 12 hour day in a theme park, *I* would need a stroller and I'm 27.

Of course, there ARE some children that for medical reason need to be in a stroller and that I completely understand. I'm sure that God will forgive me for a little chuckle, though most of the members of this board won't......

I hope you're not whistling a different tune in 6 or 7 years. I always find the people who "know" all the correct way of raising children are usually pregnant or just have a baby. We'll see what a difference a few year make.

 

[PatricenPete]

I never claimed to "know" ANYTHING - I just voiced my opinion.

Christ have mercy, jump down someone's throat why don't you......

I'm really done this time....

 

[joanchris]

we will be at wdw in dec 1-9, we have 2 dc, one getting ready to turn 8 and the other will be 21 months at time of visit. We took our dbl stroller last year and it helped lugging kids around, but the bus rides were hard with all the pkgs. This year we are sending pkgs to the room. so there will be less on the bus but hubby doesnt want to take big stroller, just the little umbrella one for the baby. I know my 8 yr old will want to sit as well. Which would you all do?

I would take the umbrella for the little one, and, if needed (NOT on the first day or two though) rent a stroller for your older one. Maybe on an epcot day or something, AS A REWARD for being such a big kid and walking so much etc the first few days. Or maybe try telling the older one that if s/he would like the stroller rented, s/he could use their spending money (if you give them a set amount) on it.....encourage the walking, s/he a big kid etc. As another poster said, do what's best for your family.
I don't blame hubby for not wanting to take the big stroller, I couldn't wait to get rid of mine. However, I have DD10 who uses a wheelchair, cannot walk at all, and DD6 (almost 7 when we'll be there) who sometimes wants to sit, "like sissy". I plan on using something like what I suggested above for DD6 while there. Possibly getting a stroller, if absolutely necessary at Epcot (our 5th day of 8 at the parks) and maybe for our 2nd AK day, when we plan on doing the trails etc. However she doesn't know this yet, as I plan to see if it's even necessary.
I would like to think that days broken up by shows/pool breaks/TS meals etc should make my DD able to handle the walking. Also, we don't plan to stay at the parks from open-close any days. The one day, MNSSHP we plan to stay relatively late, we aren't planning anything (breakfast and swimming) until 4 pm.
Ignore the rude comments from others and do what's right for you. Most of all, make sure you have fun!