Stroller for 4.5 year old?

[budafam]

We'll be going for our first time in May and we'll have DD who's 2 and DS who's 4.5. We have a single stroller right now (regular kind) and we have a double sit and stand stroller which I'm selling to someone for $80. Should I take that $80 and invest in a double side by side for Disney? or just go with the single? I'm not sure how DS will do with that much walking. We just took a mini vacation to the Mall of America and he whined a bit about the walking. WWYD?

 

[PEANUT1]

I think I would bring an umbrella stroller for the little one at the airport and rent a double jogger from Orlando Stroller Rental. You can just leave the umbrella in the room and use it when you don't need a double (ie downtown disney or stuff where you won't walk a ton). You can get the whole week for about the price you got for your sit and stand.
I doubt you will need a double side by side at home..the 4 1/2 yr old won't use it.

They drop the stroller off at your hotel by 10am of your arrival day and you return it to Bell services by 12pm on your departure day...we loved it It was a really nice stroller with lots of storage and easy to open and close.

 

[Jessica527]

I would stick with the single and invest in the good old piggy back. Plus once the 4yr old is tired, it probably time for a nap or some quiet time.

Test it out the first day and if you change your mind, go ahead with the double the next day

 

[TheLadyTremain]

I think I would bring an umbrella stroller for the little one at the airport and rent a double jogger from Orlando Stroller Rental. You can just leave the umbrella in the room and use it when you don't need a double (ie downtown disney or stuff where you won't walk a ton). You can get the whole week for about the price you got for your sit and stand.
I doubt you will need a double side by side at home..the 4 1/2 yr old won't use it.

They drop the stroller off at your hotel by 10am of your arrival day and you return it to Bell services by 12pm on your departure day...we loved it It was a really nice stroller with lots of storage and easy to open and close.

Provided your budget allows for a stroller rental, I would do the same. On our trip in 2009, I refused to take the Sit and Stand Double. It is way to bulky to fold up and carry on buses. Also, my oldest was 3.5 at the time and she took some great naps in our City Jogger (rented from Orlando Stroller rental). She never could have napped like that in the Sit and Stand. (I should note that my daughter hadn't napped in a year so this was a miracle she slept at all!)

 

[budafam]

We are driving, not flying so bringing a stroller along isn't too big of a deal. Since we're selling our sit and stand already (I have a buyer), I was thinking of purchasing a side by side for $71 ($9 less than what I'm selling the other one for) and then just being able to resell that once we get back. We are on a bit of a budget so any money saved would be great.

 

[ktlm]

DD was 4 (getting close to 5), on our trip last December. It was her 4th WDW trip, so she knew what to expect. She is a kid who has not sat in a stroller at any time since she could walk at 12 months EXCEPT for at WDW (I'm talking not even at the zoo, big mall, etc). DH asked her if she wanted to leave the stroller at home for the trip. She looked at him like he was absolutely crazy and said in her best sarcastic 13 year old voice "UHHH NOOOOOOO". I would say if your DS whined a bit about the walking at the Mall of America, he will definitely need a stroller at WDW. If you think you can resell the double when you get back, it might be a good choice, but realize that the strollers can get dirty at WDW and they can get beat up on the planes, so it might not be in perfect condition after your trip. Also realize that every time you get on a Disney bus, you have to fold and hold the stroller. We don't have a double side by side, but I would wonder how hard it it to fold, and whether it is going to be too big and bulky for you on the bus when folded. If those things are going to be a problem, then I might just buy a cheap single for him (of course then you are dealing with 2 strollers), or look into renting the jogging stroller as suggested.

 

[mommy-on-the-move]

I'd be tempted to go with just the single and buy a cheap second single if needed once there (as you're driving down I'm guessing getting out somewhere where you can buy a cheaper-than-on-site-stores priced stroller won't be a problem)

Our last trip our younger kids were just turned 5, just turned 4 and 19months- all we did was take a stroller for the 19month old, occasionally our 4 year old went in it but one of us carried the 19m.old at that point and from the bus to the room at the end of the day we tended to push our then-five year old in it, DH would carry our 4 year old and I'd carry our 19m.old (they're all older now- next trip we'll only have one small enough to be asleep on the bus ride home!)

Our middle child (who was the 4 year old on our last trip) is awful about not wanting to walk places but at Disney it was a different story- she was entertained constantly, wanted to look at everything and the fact we were on and off rides, in and out of places to get drinks made it seem less like walking to her when she was so eagerly entertained.

If we'd have taken a double stroller it would have been a big waste for us and it would have been quite annoying with the crowds however I think it can depend on how used to walking places children of that age are- we only bought our first ever car last year so my kids have been used to walking everywhere their entire lives (we're in England it's pretty easy to walk to most amenities- I was genuinely shocked how complicated life without a car must be in some parts of the USA)

 

[CarpeDisney]

I'd go with a double stroller rental from Orlando Stroller Rental or Magic Strollers.

We rented one this past February for our 2 yr old and 4.5 yr old daughters. Prior to the double (and prior to having 2 children), we rented single strollers (city mini) for our older daughter. I agree with a PP that these are extremely comfortable for the children, easy to push and maneuver, and EXTREMELY easy to fold for the bus rides.

 

[frijolefrito]

the 4 year old will need to use the stroller.

 

[PEANUT1]

alot of the side by side strollers are really bulky and hard to push and fold up especially the inexpensive ones. The city mini double jogger that they rent is really a nice stroller...that it why I suggested it.