Stroller for 5yo what do think of this?

[nowimscrappin]

When my middle one was 4, we took a stroller. On about the 3rd day, I made him take a nap in the stroller and it was great. He rode in it a lot and walked plenty. It gave us somewhere to put the backpacks and jackets, etc. I'm all for taking a stroller.

My parents are going with my sister next month - and we recently decided to go. My mother was thrilled we were joining if, for no other reason, now they have someone to "throw the stuff" during the day. We find it a great convenience.

 

[texasthree]

I didnt think my five year old would need a stroller as he never uses one at home but I wished I had brought one. Even with an afternoon rest he was very tired at nights end. It made our trip so much nicer. I would either buy the maclaren volo or rent one in the parks. The volos not much more and is nice and small. Its great for bigger kids.

 

[tacomaranch]

I just tasked the DH to buy a Maclaren triumph this morning on ebay. He blew it! But I did find one for $30 more so he is going to have to buy it.

Our DS is almost 4 but he is a runner and autistic. He is gone in a second and I can't catch him. He will run over anyone to get to what caught his eye. People will thank me for putting him in a stroller

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I took a stroller for my daughter in July 2004, she was almost 7. It is a lot of walking and at night when you try to leave the park when it is very crowded, it is so nice to know she is sitting right there and not lost in the shuffle. Also a great place to store your backpack. We wish we had a stroller just for that!

I went to kmart and bought a cheap $10. stroller, figured it had to last at least the 9 days we were there. We actually took it twice and never had a problem with it. And we sure saved a ton on stroller rental. Since it was cheap it was nice and light.

This is what we did. I brought a stroller until they were 5 and 7. It was handy. You can put stuff in it and hang bags on it. I always brought one. Now that they are 19 and 16 I wish I had one just for all of our things. LOL! Actually by the end of the day, I would like one for myself.




"Parents are so convinced that educators know what's best for their children that they forget that they themselves are really the experts." Marian Wright Edleman

amberdansmom, how true this is.

 

[amytheobald]

I have a 6,5 and 3 year old and I am going to do a double stroller for the length of stay. My kids can swap in and out.... we are staying onsite and I don't want to worry about the stroller when boarding the bus etc. For me it's less of a they could walk thing and more that it's easier, so thats what we are doing!!

 

[Bren's Mom]

For the original poster...if you decide to buy a stroller don't buy that one!

I have a 24lb 15 mo old who is almost too big for it. He is 90th % for height for his age and his feet already reach the metal plate that your feet sit on. And it isn't stationary...it bends downward on springs...so if your dc has longer legs they might drag and/or the metal plate will just hit the back of their legs.

HTH!

 

[Luv'sTink]

I just told DH that I wanted a stroller when we were at WDW a week ago, and I ment it!

I think it is YOUR business what YOU do with YOUR child and a stroller.

After all it might inconvience someone you dont even know, it might slow them down from being able to walk as close to the person in front of them pushing that person to walk faster after the fireworks when leaving the park. And just think they wont be able to complain about your child because he is tired and cant walk or stand anymore and the bus wont come so they are whinning. Or they might actually have to wait for you to pass instead of cutting you off because they dont want to get hit by the stroller.

Oh yeah I am waiting for the "once my child started walking we no longer used a stroller post!"

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

I have been to disney three times this year and every time I have brought a stroller for my 6 yr old. THAT'S RIGHT MY 6 YEAR OLD! We used one that is almost exactly like this one it didn't have 1 wheel in the front. My dd is petite and this stroller doesn't provide much support for when they are sleeping there heads are higher than the back of the seat with the way this stroller is made. We used this one because my dd3 who requires a stroller due to her disabilties use the graco literider that I have for school. Also if you are looking to use the parent tray on this stroller it is NOT functional at all. For 10 dollars more on walmarts website you can purchase a jeep liberty 3 wheel stroller that IMHO is more functional if you want a 3 wheel. If that is not necessarily a preference the jeep reclining umbrella stroller in blue or pink is on sale for 32.97 and is easier for folding to get on the buses. They also have the lightriders for 50 dollars. The snack tray on the seat is removeable for both the jeep 3 wheeler and the graco literider. If you are interested in the 3 wheel jeep stroller and live near a toysrus that carries baby products stop by one day mine has one on display and we tried it out with dd6 and it manuvered great. HTH best of luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[matlock42373]

My son is 4 and he will be in a stroller. He doesnt know it yet but I think he will appreciate it at about 3 pm. I can't think of a time he will ever have walked so much. he got tired of walking x-mas shopping the other night and thats just in the mall. I know there will be some whining I will have to deal with but at least if I rent or bring a stroller I won't have to hear about his legs being tired.

 

[themudd4]

When we were there in June my DS6 was willing to walk. That lasted one day. The second day we went ahead and paid for the remaining 6 days for stroller rental. (Cheaper than paying day by day). Some days he was greatful to have it others he was fine. We on the other hand, was greatful we had it when we needed it. Don't worry about what others think...believe me you will see children upwards of 10 years old in a stroller. a 5 year old is not an issue. Not to mention great for putting things on and in. It will save you money to just take your own or buy a cheap umbrella stroller but with a 5 year old you may not have one anymore and an umbrella stroller may be to small. The disney rental are plenty large enough although $$$.

 

[kimis]

I say yes--- do the stroller! Us adults get tired and our legs are a lot longer. Let him have a place to sit down. Plus it comes in handy carrying other things. enjoy

 

[Newcastle]

What kind or type of stroller did you use? My DS is 7 and he weighs 50 lbs even and he is autistic with low muscle tone from head to toe and just can't physically do it all day. We can't even walk through the mall for too long without trying lo LUG him out which at 50 lbs is HORRIBLE!!! I want to either bring a stroller with me or buy one once we get to Tampa which is where we will be for 2 days before our reservations at POP. Just cuious as to what kind of $$ I am going to have to dish out for this one time thing. I don't want to rent one since I don't want to ahve to wait in the long crowded lines and with my son being the way he is he can't handle the hassle with the crowd. and I thought since they are $10 a day to rent one then I didn't want to spend more to buy one then I would to rent one fore the 5 days we will be there.

I would have to agree with jenseib...consider renting a wheelchair as it is extremely unlikely that you would find a stroller to accommodate your son's size unless you want to shell out quite a few dollars to purchase a special needs stroller. We have historically used a wheelchair for my autistic son as it allows him the opportunity to rest as needed (he also has seizures which seem to be exacerbated by the heat). We've never had a problem with the wheelchair (aside from a few unpleasant stares from others!).

 

[mickeyfan2]

$80 for a stroller for a 5 year old to only use for WDW seems too expensive to me. My nephew was 5 when he went to WDW and we never offered him a stroller and her never asked or needed it. When he was tired we were tired. If you feel this is a problem then get a cheap umbrells stroller that you can just leave at WDW when you are done.

 

[twinspluscade]

Hi!
I think that I would personally just rent one from the parks for him. I think the singles are either $8 or $10 a day. Since you'll need one for just the 6 days you'll be there, it'd actually be cheaper for you to rent a single rather than buy a new stroller (that might possibly be too small).

We rented a double on our trip in Sept for our 3 kids to share (ages 4,4,almost 3 when we went). The kids fit in it great; often we had all 3 riding in it at the same time! I thought it was super-easy to push and stop--way easier than our triple stroller used to be (when we still needed one at home)

Kelly

 

[SueM in MN]

I would have to agree with jenseib...consider renting a wheelchair as it is extremely unlikely that you would find a stroller to accommodate your son's size unless you want to shell out quite a few dollars to purchase a special needs stroller. We have historically used a wheelchair for my autistic son as it allows him the opportunity to rest as needed (he also has seizures which seem to be exacerbated by the heat). We've never had a problem with the wheelchair (aside from a few unpleasant stares from others!).

You can rent special needs strollers from several places. The special needs strollers are basically larger size umbrella or jogging strollers. They are size better and would be more comfortable for a 50 pound child with autism than a park wheelchair. (The park rental wheelchairs have seats that are about 18 inches wide and they are also too deep for most children to sit comfortably. For comparison, my 5 foot tall, 85 pound DD has a 14 inch wide seat on her wheelchair.)

There are several places that rent special needs strollers listed on the disABILITIES FAQs thread (near the top of the disABILITIES board).

Also, you might want to look into purchasing a special needs stroller. Even though they are expensive, insurance will often pay for one for a child with low muscle tone, inability to follow directions or safety needs. This site (adaptivemall.com) is a good place to look at what is available. That page has links to strollers for kids that have a lot of positioning needs (those are more exoensive). The "Umbrella Style" are the strollers that would be more appropriate for a child who can sit up well and doesn't have specific needs for positioning.

A lot of people have posted in the past that their children with autism like the WDW park rental strollers. Many like the firm plastic the strollers are made of and also like the solid sides that cut down on stimulation.