Stroller for 4 y.o. and infant? DILLEMMA

[sharibrat]

Dilemma!! We leave for Disney in 10 short days and today i got out the side by side Graco stroller we borrowed for the kids to try it out. DD is almost 4 and still tires often enough that she'll want to ride and even nap in the stroller. Baby will be 8 months. So they both need to recline also. Well, we put the baby in today and HE CLIMBED RIGHT OUT OF THE BELT!! It is only a lap belt style, not the harness/shoulder style!!! I am flipping out!

We can't imagine bringing 2 strollers and trying to juggle 2 strollers and 2 kids on and off the buses! We have a sit and stand, but DD would not be able to nap in that. We hate to buy one cause this really may be the only time we'll use it........but I would buy the right one if it were $200 or less.

I've looked at abbf.com for renting.....their side by side looks like the same one we have with no harness straps and the front/back style they have says the front seat does not recline!

Is there another rental company down there?

Any affordable ones to buy?? DD is quite tall for her age and I am really concerned she'd be too tall to fit in the back seat of a front/back model!

Help!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I have 3 kids -4,2,1. We have a Graco side by side. I know you said that the baby climbed right out, but I can tell you that with a harness, if the baby doesn't want to be in it he will scream most likely and figure out how to pull his arms out. I speak from experience. I would take the Graco and maybe a sling or baby carrier. We travel with a single and a double (seating for everyone!) and the double was great in WDW. As long as we kept moving and had something to look at we had very little escape artist moments! I personally wouldn't bother with a rental or a new stroller. You'd be surprised how different the kids can be in WDW. Good luck!

Oh and my oldest DS is very tall for his age (46inches) and he fits well enough in it and has even napped in it.

 

[sharibrat]

He has never tried the 'escape' before, ever! He sits good in his single stroller!

We tried the Graco side by side and I think since there was no divider between him and his sister he felt free-er to just climb about!

 

[Our2Girls&Disney]

We went when with a 5 yo and 23 months. We brought two inexpensive strollers. DH pushed one, I pushed the other. Usually for bus time, I would take the kids and bags, While DH took both strollers. It worked out fine, it was not that challenging and I was holding everything. I am pack rat too, I brought all kinds of stuff to the parks. A large diaper bag, small soft pack cooler, and camcorder. I just through the bag straps over my should held the baby on my hip and held the 5 yo's hand. You can get an inexpensive reclining stroller with the harness for around $30-40. It is still cheaper then renting. I think that it is easier to move though the crowd then if you had the side-by-side.

 

[sharibrat]

Good tips, but I don't think I could manage the 8 month old AND the 3.5 year old. I am imagining the older one wanting held too after a looooong day!

 

[emma'smom]

How about the Joovy from Babies R Us? It is a sit and stand stroller with a harness seat in the front seat and then a little sliding seat in the back for your 4 year old. Your dd4 can sit on it or stand while riding (so height won't be an issue) and your baby can safely sit in the front seat. We took ours to WDW last June and it was a dream to get dd1 and dd4 around safely and without many complaints. They are less than 200.00 at Babies R Us.

There is a cheaper Sit and Stand model at Target that I thought was bulkier and harder to manage....but others on this board speak highly of it.

 

[DisneyPhD]

This might not help because it isn't cheap (but I found it worth the $).

We have a peg Prego Aria twin. It is good for 2 kids with different sizes. (my kids were about that age when we used it to go WDW for the 1st time, so far it has been with us 3 more trips and will accompany us again in Jan with a 2 and 5 years old.)

It reclines, pushes great, folds up small, is light, has good 5 point harnesses (that you don't have to use if you don't want to.) The trays come off, or you can keep food in them.) It has an adult cup holder (just one that isn't so great.)

If you happen to go with this, the canopy is a bit on the lacking side so we drap a blanket over it when the baby was sleeping.

It ran for around $300 when we bought it a year and a half ago. We have gotten our $ worth out many times over. (just think of renting costs.)

 

[tanyaandallie]

I just ordered the Maclaren ralley twin. Lots of the people on this board have recommended the Maclaren strollers. I bought the 2005 version that they have on major reduction. It was only $189 and included free shipping!! www.albeebaby.com. If you order now you might just get it before you leave!! I tried one out in the store and it was awesome. It's perfect for my 3 year old b/c the weight limit is higher and she doesn't seem so cramped in there. Definitely has a 5 point harness, folds down decently, etc. Pretty heavy but I keep telling myself that heavy and sturdy is better than light and not sturdy.

 

[monorailsilver]

We had 2 kids in 2 strollers on our last trip.

My kids were 4 & 22 months when we went.

My oldest sat in the Jeep umbrella stroller & my youngest (at the time) sat in my evenflo stroller that was a bit bigger then an umbrella one.

It was a pain but we limited our bus trips & took the monorail any chance we could get.

I did buy a Joovy which is the sit/stand for our next trip in 2008! But I also had a baby in March & I needed another stroller for walking dd5 to the bus stop with 2 kids.

 

[snugglepeas]

you might try your local craigslist you might be able to find a cheap stroller that would work.

 

[alloyd1170]

I got a Joovy for our WDW trip in Sept. I have a ds 4.5 yrs and a dd 15 mos, both on the tall and skinny side. I liked the Joovy, as did my son, but it was tough to push with both kids in it. At the end of the day, the ramps to the monorail were a nightmare (I made ds get off and walk). When people would walk or stop in front of me it took some effort to get going and around them. Even worse was trying to get it on to the buses, especially when crowded. Empty it weighs 25 lbs, and the wheels lock when folded so you cant wheel it along. The footrest kept flipping up and down hitting people as I tried to get around them on the bus. I think next time we will use our car vs the bus.

The storage features are nice, and I even added a mesh bag to the one side to store ponchos and a rain cover. The front is the only part that reclines and it isnt much. DD still managed to nap in it, and even ds napped in the back by resting his hand on his hands which were on top of the safety close belt. The nice thing about the front to back is that it didnt take up anymore room in doorways and walkways than a regular stroller.

alison

 

[monorailsilver]

I got a Joovy for our WDW trip in Sept. I have a ds 4.5 yrs and a dd 15 mos, both on the tall and skinny side. I liked the Joovy, as did my son, but it was tough to push with both kids in it. At the end of the day, the ramps to the monorail were a nightmare (I made ds get off and walk). When people would walk or stop in front of me it took some effort to get going and around them. Even worse was trying to get it on to the buses, especially when crowded. Empty it weighs 25 lbs, and the wheels lock when folded so you cant wheel it along. The footrest kept flipping up and down hitting people as I tried to get around them on the bus. I think next time we will use our car vs the bus.

I have only had mine about a month but so far I haven't had any problems with it that I wouldn't have with a regular stroller-meaning yesterday when I had dd 8mo & ds 3 in it & I was pushing up a grassy hill at dd's5 school, um, it wasn't easy.

But I put all 3 of my kids in it. My baby is 8 months, 18 lbs & sits in the front & my dd & ds (5 & 3) are about 40 lbs & not quite 30 lbs & I am able to push them around with out a problem. One sits & the other stands or they both sit rather squashedly. I do push dd 8mo & ds 3 up the hill to the bus stop & I haven't found any problems with that either.

I guess to me it is just so much easier then having dd 8mo in the bjorn for a long walk & dd5 riding her bike & me pushing ds in his 'car' or another stroller.

 

[sharibrat]

We do have the sit and stand stroller and like it for cetain outings. I am certain DD is going to need a nap now and then in the stroller though and the sit and stand won't work for that. She is way too big for the front seat.

I found a pretty good deal - Graco Duoglider on sale for $139. Have a 20% off coupon plus a $50 gift card (TRU) so I can get is for $60. That's cheaper than if I rented one. So even if it isn't the most sturdy, it should do me well for this trip!

 

[DisneyPhD]

Glad you found something that works for you, that is a great price.

My friend took that stoller to WDW twice. It is a bit bulky, but it they made it work fine.

The biggest issue is the child in the front seat can't fall asleep, or they will fall off. Her son (4 at the time) kept getting sleepy at night and we had to keep waking him up so he didn't fall off. He didn't use the belt on it much since he is old enough to get on and off when he wants. Even strapped in it does not hold him well alseep.

I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[fabshelly]

Emmaljungas are expensive, but really worth it. Safest stroller I know of. I bought one after reading about a baby being hit by a taxi in it and barely being scratched (happened in Europe). That stroller was the best ever. Sturdy and comfortable for Alice.