Stroller for 5yo?

[jodim]

We are taking ds3 who will be 5 1/2yo, I'm wondering if we should take (or rent) a stroller for him.

He is 43lbs, so he still fits in most strollers.

He really doesn't ride now, although will on occasion... but I'm thinking by the end of the night he will want to. (although, dh or ds1 (17) can carry him if need be) Not to mention we can put all of our junk in the stroller.

Not sure if it will be more of a PITB than it's worth. (Is it hard to maneuver / park strollers at WDW?)

Is it worth taking/renting a stroller?

 

[RMulieri]

Thats up to you.I didn't use one for my now 6 yr old but I am in the minority here.

 

[Hannathy]

We never used on with any of the kids past 4. I would think he will be fine at 5 1/2 especially with a 17 yr old for the rarity he falls asleep on the bus back to the room and you don't want to wake him, otherwise if you and everyone else can walk it so can they!!


ETA you are right it is a PIA to have a stroller and sooooo much more freeing without it!

 

[speairson]

My kids will be 5 and 6 when we go in August and we're not bringing one this year. We did last year and while it was nice and we did use it a lot, it was a PITA to get it on the busses. I'm thinking this year if we get to where we really need one, we'll just rent one and then not have to take it back to the resort at the end of the night.

 

[happymommy]

I brought one for my kids until they were 7 and 9 (to share). I was so glad I did! Both got sick during the trip, and my DD had a raging fever and fell asleep in it at DHS, so I could just push her back to the Dolphin (where we called the East Coast Medical to see her, she had strep).

Even at 8, my DD got very tired and I used a Disney rental twice. She fell asleep in it even. She's very active and strong, but vacations wear her out a bit (and we don't go all day either).

 

[momofsamandeden]

Maybe you should consider renting a sit and stand while there this way there is the option of him sitting down for a breather when you are trying to get to the next point. We still have to swap the two and five year old when we walk around the Mall of America, I can only imagine the Disney parks!

 

[lovedvc]

I would bring one. I brought one till DS was 7. The little guys get so tired. By the end of the day everyone is tired and no one wants to carry a sleeping child especially if its hot.

 

[PolyndianPrincessJes]

We took two for DS(then)2 and DNiece(then)5. We took one again for DS(then)3. On our last trip, we had two strollers for DS4 and DCousin3. DNiece7 walked most of the time but would occasionally hop in if the other kids wanted to walk.

Honestly, I really like having the stroller. We carry costumes and/or customs depending on the plan for the day, plus snacks, autograph books, a 12-pack of Sharpies, etc., and it's much easier to tote it around with a stroller in tow. I guess I'll just have to keep taking babies so we can keep taking a stroller.

I've done it with and without a stroller (on a grown-ups only trip), and it adds a little time to your day, but it wasn't enough to make me not want to take one when I had kids.

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

By the end of the week I want a stroller for ME! Seriously, who wouldn't want a soft comfy seat wheeled around the greatest place on earth and it comes with a sun shade and a drink holder.

I think that if you have a stroller which folds easily and is lightweight, then it is worth the hassle to have the carrying capacity for your five year old and all the stuff that comes from three kids and two adults.

If you have one of those beastly strollers that weighs a ton and drives like a battleship, then I would pass.

 

[naomi78155]

DS was 4 1/2 last year and we took a stroller for him. He is very athletic, in every sport each season. He used the stroller every day.
This year we will be bringing DD 2 for her first trip and we are planning on taking 2 strollers so she and DS 5 can both use one.

We bought our Maclaren Volo from Ebay for around $70 with free shipping. It is cheaper for us to just get a second Volo than to rent at Disney or rent outside of Disney.

Highly recommend the Volo. Easy to push, easy to steer, compact, light and comfortable.

 

[sahmoftwo]

I also am in the minority here, but we did not take a stroller for our 4 yr old dd and she did great...and she is in no way an athletic child...her favorite thing in the world to do at a playground is to sit in the sandbox to play However, she did great and didn't complain at all!

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I would take one, if you don't need it fine, but if you do you'll have it. My 5 yr old likes having one when we do WS at EPCOT.

 

[TiggerFamily]

Our first trip to WDW my boys were 4 and 6 we rented one stroller and the 6 yr old sat in the back and 4 yr old sat between his legs and it worked out great. They weren't both in the stroller the whole time.

 

[DrMomof3]

We have a Jeep double umbrella stroller that cost about $70 new. My oldest just turned 6 and he would fight with his 4 year old sister over her seat if we didn't have a seat for him. At least 2 evenings he fell asleep in the stroller on the way home. We were very happy to have it!

Amanda

 

[design_mom]

We didn't take one for DD (5yo) on our most recent trip. It was 6 days and she did fine. She never complained about walking too much and never asked about a stroller. If one had been available I am sure she would have ridden, but she did fine without -- and it was so nice not to have to park/find the stroller.

For the most part, it's not that difficult to maneuver a stroller around WDW. However, you need to park it somewhere when you enter attractions. You will need to park your stroller in a designated stroller parking area. Cast members move strollers around to make room for as many as possible (repositioning as people leave, etc.), so you stroller is not usually where you left it when you come back. Disney does as good of a job as possible with that many strollers around. However, sometimes it can take a while to track down your stroller when you come off a ride. If you need a stroller, it's doable... but if you don't *need* a stroller, I wouldn't take one. They're a pain... and those minutes spent searching add up!

 

[bangzoom6877]

We're bringing the umbrella stroller for our 3-year-old (turning 3 in May, we go in July) but our older son will be 5 and a half when we go and we're not renting a double stroller or using one for him. He will walk, and we go at the children's pace anyway when touring the parks.

 

[happymomof1]

I asked this about a year ago and got some REALLY rude answers. We did take one for DS, 5 and it was well used. After a long day in the parks, even just to sit on the way out and while waiting for transportation, it was a huge blessing. My son would never use one at home now, but at Disney--DEFINATELY! We are planning on bringing it again! ps-at the end of the day, I wished I could get in it-haha!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I would have the 5 1/2 year old walk.

When our daughter was 5 1/2 and our son was 2, she was able to walk most of the time. They did share a rental stroller once in Epcot on one of our last days, but most of the time she went on foot.

 

[designermv]

We're going in April with a 4-month old and 5.5 year old. We will be bringing a stroller for the baby and renting one at Disney for my oldest. She is fit and active, but she's still a little kid and she tires after an hour or two of activity. I'd rather have a happy, resting child in a stroller than a whiney walking child any day. Chances are she'll walk most of the time and just climb in the stroller when she needs to rest for a bit. Just my own experience with my own child.

 

[brergnat]

Our sons will be 5.5 and 4 when we go.

We are taking ONE lightweight umbrella stroller. Mostly for the 4 year old, and not because he gets tired, but because he thinks it's a really funny game to let go of our hands and RUN and find somewhere to hide. For those times when crowds are super thick and/or we want to do some shopping in a store, he'll be in the stroller. Otherwise, I've taken both my (now) 3 year old and my 5 year old to Disneyland for the day several times with NO stroller (and by myself) and they both do fine with all the walking/standing.

Worst case scenario is older DS gets sick or hurt or something. If that happens, we'll likely rent as needed.