Stroller dilemma

[HayGan]

My boys are now 3 and 4 1/2 and we don't really use our double stroller much anymore. I might keep it for trips this to the zoo this summer but I'm wondering if I should sell it later this year for extra Disney $$$ or hold on to it and take it to Disney with us?

We will be driving and there should be room for it on the trip but I'm just wondering if it is worth lugging it around? Do the kids really ride in it much? What are the options for renting something for them that might be more appealing than their old (but still in great shape) stroller?

Part of me is just saying sell it in our spring garage sale but part of me thinks it would be great for Disney. So what do other parents of 2 kids under 6 think of the whole stroller thing???

TIA

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Personally, I'd get rid of it and just rent one while there IF the need arises. Our last trip our youngest was 3 and we took the stroller. I've since sold it in a yard sale and our next trip she'll be 4/almost 5 and I'm not taking a stroller. The trip when she was 3- we sometimes didn't even take the stroller with us to the parks and rented a stroller for both her and our then just turned 6 (and small for his age) son- but only had to do that one long COLD day at Epcot (they had blankets over them in the rented stroller).

I'm taking them the next trip without the stroller and I'll just rent one if needed- but I'm hoping it won't be needed.

 

[henrylovespooh]

I think you might be happy to have the stroller on days when your kids are tired of walking around. Happens very often.

From an economic standpoint, figure that renting a double stroller will cost you at least $15 a day. Decide if you'd rather bring the stroller along and then sell it or pay $15 for every day you'd need the stroller. I was planning on renting one for our next stay but when I realized that it would cost about $100 in rental fees, I decided to bring my stroller and put the money to better use.

 

[Buzz's_girl]

This is a tough one since you know your kids best. I think it might depend (for me at least) what time of the year it is. We were there in August. the crowds were not too bad, but the heat and humidity were AWFUL. My kids were 5,4, and 3 at the time. I brought 3 umbrella strollers and clipped two together to make a double. This worked great for us, and for only 55$. (all 3 stollers and clips). This was cheaper than renting AND we had them at the end of the night when there were larger lines for the buses. This meant less whining!!! The heat was so bad we ran the strollers into the ground, literally. The wheels were DONE. We ended up leaving them there.

We are heading back in 3 weeks!!!! I am again bringing 3 umbrella strollers and the clips. This time,though, we have slightly more expensive strollers...they were about $30 each. They have sturdy wheels (thicker than most umbrella strollers) and they recline slightly. They also have shade. I had my six year old sit in it, and her weight did NOT affect the strollers at all.
I may not need them as much this time around, but if I do, at least I will be prepared. Renting would have cost me 15 per day for one double, and 8 a day for a single. It would have been over $150.00 for stroller rentals alone. I only spent 90 on the strollers and 10 on the clips, and now I will have them on the way out of the parks. I also will not have to wait in any stroller lines...renting or returning.

One option would be to bring one umbrella stroller, and rent another if necessary. I know with my kids, if one "gets to sit" they all want to sit!!!

Hope some of this was helpful!!

 

[robinb]

Save the Stroller!!!!

Whew. I got that out of my system. Your kids are still really little. My went stroller-less for the first time at 5 and on her second 5-year-old trip she needed it everytime we went out in the evening. Many times she fell asleep in it, just like the good old days. There is a lot of walking at WDW and little legs get pooped. You will be glad that you kept the stroller for at least another year.

 

[3xthecharm]

How well does your stroller steer or push with you children in it. 4 1/2 is a little old to share a double stroller. Consider selling the double and getting a single at a consignment store. You could rent a single stroller for your older child as needed. A double stroller on the bus is not a pretty picture. Trust me, been there done that.

 

[Reb0507]

I am kinda experiencing your same dilema too. I still have my double stroller for my kids (3 & 5). Though we tend not to use it on a regular basis - we have taken it to Disney quite often and here are the Pros and Cons:

Pros:
- You can keep them together and not have to worry about them lagging behind or what not when you are going from one end of the park to another. The kids would jump in an mom was the pilot and zoomed in out of crowds in order to make it to other attractions/FASTPASS times.

- The back seat reclines so whenever my youngest (who just turned 2 on Tuesday) was tired he'd recline the seat and take a nap. We would just lift the shade over him and he could sleep a good 2 hours in there. Shelby my oldest loved riding in the front seat because she gets tired easily and tends to walk slow.

- More comfotable for the kids b/c they are used to it. The rental ones tend to be hard because they are plastic.

CONS -
- If you are staying off site - you have to fold it when you get on the parking lot tram. I am not sure how the On-Property bus system works but I think you might have to fold it on the bus as well.

- You have to fold it once again on the Monorail (well thats if you get stuck with a CM that wants to be petty about it or if the monorail is so crowded that the open stroller will take up half of a train car.

Those suckers are heavy...but usually thats DH job to fold the stroller here and there. We have always stayed off-site so they only pain is the parking tram.

IMHO - I would keep it and then sell it once the kids get older. Depending on how many days you are going - you might be spending a fortune just on renting a stroller.

Good luck with your decision....and have a great trip!
Rebecca

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I say keep the stroller. By the afternoon your older child will probably welcome the ride.

 

[JFrey4240]

Yes, yes, yes! You will want it because you know they are going to get tired. You can either push them or carry them. We always bring our own--it's much nicer than the rentals. I'm sure yours is too. I bet yours is padded and covered with cloth--not hard plastic. Your handle is probably covered with some type of foam to make it more comfortable when you're pushing the stoller. Also you probably have a basket underneath for odds and ends. The convenience of a rental is nice but I'd rather have my own. Plus you don't have to pay anything extra for it. You just have the fun of making your husband responsible for lugging it on and off the buses!

 

[sanctus]

You will probably need a stroller. So do the math. If you can sell it for more than the stroller rental will cost, sell it. If not, keep it.

 

[fun & fancy free]

I too had this dilema last May. We did not take the stroller. My dd's are 4&5 and our stroller is sometimes tough to manuver in large crowds. Also we did not want to have to lug it on and off the buses. We found it much, much, much easier to just rent the double stroller. I also remember the kids walking along side of it on several occasions. You know your children best and how much walking they normally do. It is a catch 22. If you bring it you will wonder why and if you don't you will wonder why. Good luck!

 

[kjwdad2]

We were there last Sept and did nor bring one or rent one.... by the time we got to Space Mt. and were heading for Indy 500 my 4 and 6 year old were complaining already that they were tired. So yes we rented it for the week... was it costly yeah I think in the area of 75/80$$ for the week. (That is a double). But let me say that it really came in handy. When they were tired of walking they were in and out of it. You could put your bags on the back while you push and there are places for cups and such. If you go with the week plan or andy other plan then the day thing ... all you do is show show your recipt at the stroller rental area and you are set. Then you get Disney $$$ bcak when you return it each day. I think it was a dollar a day. We gave it to the kids to spend.

Here is a little trick... the main stroller rental is at the main gate of each park.... when I needed one last year we were right by Space Mt... and I looked at the map and noticed the stroller rental logo on the map at the Space Mt gift store. Went inside and sure to please was a cast member who said that yes you can get the stroller rental there in a few minutes I walked out with a stroller!!! I did not have to go all the way back to the main gate.

So all in all YES YES YES get the stroller you will be happy that you did.

 

[trirae]

Everyone shares great perspectives. The pros and cons are well thought out. With my 3 year old, we rented a stroller every day, and it was well worth it. At the end of the day, we carried her a lot to and from the car/transportation, and that did get old.

However, since we fly in, I would still opt not to take a stroller and rent one instead.

I imagine your kids will want to ride quite a bit at Disney. My dd rarely rides in a stroller anymore at home, but at Disney was in it all the time. Even my 6 yr old niece really liked riding.

Good luck on your decision!

 

[cepmom]

On our last trip, my kids were 2 1/2 and 5. The 5 year old had stopped using a stroller for quite a while, but I knew she would be tired from all that walking. I had already given my double stroller to my SIL so I only had the huge double jogging stroller and I knew I didn't want to bring that (way to big and difficult to manuver in crowds). I ended up buying (second hand in a consignment store for about $70) a Sit & Stand stroller. It had a reclining seat in the front for the youngest and a place to either sit in the back for the older child or they could stand up. It was a god send! My 5 year old didn't need to ride in it all the time, but when she was tired she could just hop on for a rest. It was great for Epcot too ~ that's a lot of ground to cover!'

We had it for the airport too, which was great. I could push the younger one to the gate and we were able to load a couple carry-ons and the car seat onto the back standing part. We gate checked it as we boarded the plane. I couldn't imagine having to walk all through the airport with all our junk and 3 kids without the stroller.

I ended up selling it a yard sale about a year after for $45 so in the end it only cost me about $25 ~ that's a lot cheaper than renting a double at the parks for a week!

 

[HayGan]

Thanks for all the advice!!!

I'm going to keep it! We will take it with us and if the kids use it great if not then we don't have to take it with us to the parks. We will be staying at Hilton -DD and the Poly so we will be using Disney transportation alot but we will also have our own vehicle if that looks like a better way to go (except when we are staying at the Poly )

We have a Graco DuoGlider which we have always loved! It was by far the best baby related purchase we ever made!!! I think it is easy to manuver and I have no problems in folding and lifting it myself.

Thanks for all the help!!!!

 

[tjkraz]

Add me to the list of rental fans.

I crunched all of the numbers and said "why in the world would anyone pay to rent a stroller?" We have one of those big 3-wheeled double strollers that can be hard to maneuver in crowds. Kids were 3.5 and 1.5 during our trip.

The Disney strollers are much easier to maneuver. Even with a car, hauling that big stroller into and out of the trunk was a huge pain in the rear.

For our next trip, I'm just going to bring a single umbrella stroller for our daughter. We don't do the commando touring thing, so having transportation from 9am to 9pm isn't an issue. In short spurts, we'll just let DS walk (he loved running around much of the time anyway.) On the two or three days when we might have a busier day planned, we'll just rent a double.

 

[rkrivas]

A friend of mine mentioned that when she was in Disney in January, she was able to pre-pay for the stroller rental on the first day at the park for all of her park days and got a 10% discount, so that may save you some money as well.

 

[MHS]

We are going to WDW in late AUG (arrgh) so this discussion was extremely helpful. Guess my sister and I will keep your double strollers (kids: 5, 4, 2, 1 at time of trip) and make our DHs fold and carry! We are staying at the WL so I am hoping that the boat transporation will be a tad easier with a stroller.

 

[slo]

We rent a double stroller at WDW in every park. I have a 6yr old and a 17 month old and the stroller is a must for us!!! The thought of my oldest whining because she is tired of walking when it is only half-way through the day makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

I know there is alot of difference of opinion on the WDW strollers, but we really like them. My DD for 4 years now has never complained and I think she finds them quite comfortable. They are easy to manuever around and I like that your last name is written on the stroller so no one accidentally grabs it. The WDW strollers are a thumbs us for us!!

 

[liznboys]

I agree with everyone who said to rent them down there. We also loved using the rental strollers on our last trip! Our older two boys were 3 and 17 months then. We rented double's in MK, Epcot and AK. At MGM, 3 yr old walked the whole time, and we used the umbrella we brought with us for 17 month old. This time our 3 boys are 5, 3 and 11 months. We're bringing an umbrella stroller for the baby, and we'll rent single or double strollers as needed for 5 and 3 yr olds.