Stroller for 6 & 8 yr olds?

[BelleQ]

I hope I don't seem like a weirdo asking this

What can I possibly expect from a 6 & 8 year old (boys) in WDW in October....for 8 days.

It's going to be hot, right? But not unbearably hot? But we are going to walk..and walk...and walk...until we wished we had motorized wheelchairs, right?

Seriously though, I expect to be tired. I expect there to be complaining. And I expect my 6 year old to be nearly narcoleptic - he's our child that doesn't sleep....he sleeeeeeeeps. So we have scheduled rest time in the afternoons for napping or relaxing in the room (Pop) and to get in some homework time. Or should we do homework in the mornings? Ah, that's another post I guess.

Anyway. So my stingy hubs doesn't want to rent the park strollers. We wouldn't have to get one for all 8 days. Maybe 6 and skip the first and last days we are there. But then I came across this super cute umbrella stroller at WalMart...it's red and has Mickey Mouse on it (aw!) and it was only $15! So we are taking that for the 6 yr old - the one who gets tired easy and walks about 5 steps slower than everyone else. But I imagine the 8 year old will have his moments of stroller envy. Even being 8 years old, that stroller is going to look heaven sent when his feet are aching. Maybe they can swap up a little. BUT, well this little umbrella stroller is on the cheap side. In fact the 6 yr old is about 45 pounds and actually just over the weight limit. The material on the stroller is really thin and I doubt it will even hold up for the whole trip before it rips or tears from the weight of my child.

Anyone have experience with those umbrella strollers? And for a 6 year old? I can see us chunking that thing at some point during the trip and ending up renting a park stroller. So would the double stroller be a better size for a 6 or 8 year old to have enough room?

Thanks for the input.

 

[mom2princesss]

Honestly, at 6 and 8 you probably won't have any problems as long as you go at their pace. Yes, WDW is hot and you do a lot of walking but you also do a lot of sitting or just standing and you basically just walk from one air conditioned ride/show to another.

The last time we went my DDs were 3 and almost 7. We always take afternoon breaks to rest/swim/clean up and we go at their pace. We had a stroller for the 3 yo but there was only one night where DH was carrying DD out of the park. That was the night we watched Wishes. Otherwise she was tired but good to walk to the exciting next event.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

We visited WDW in early Oct 2009 - it was way too hot and humid for us! DD was 6, DS was 9 - DD strolled a lot - her Disney stroller is a Mac Volo - great for kids. We took a mid day break every day. We'd stroll to a land or area in a park, I'd park the stroller and she'd walk with us, when we'd head someplace else she'd stroll - it was wonderful at night - she fell asleep on the bus ride back to POP - I plopped her in the stroller for the walk to our room - much better than carrying her.

 

[luvmy2babies]

Yes, for a 6 and 8 year-old, and boys at that, I'd just go slower and take breaks and go stroller free. My daughter would not fit comfortably in an umbrella stroller at 5 and this was a MacLaren Triumph, not the $15 Wal-Mart type. Of course no one knows them like you do, but there's so many opportunities to stop like for lines and shows and rides and parades and eating, they can probably make it, especially since you are planning afternoon breaks.

The only exception may be Epcot, but renting one for one day probably won't be that big of a deal.

My daughter was 7 when we went and I'd say she's healthy, in great shape, but just is not "into" walking. I had a City Mini I rented for my son (10 months at the time) and she only rode in it after an overnight battle with a stomach bug. But she tried unsucessfully to hop into it several times just because I had it. We'd come out of an attraction and while I was removing ds from the carrier, she'd hop into it. If I had a dollar for every time I said, "I did not get this stroller for you." I could buy something really nice.

If you're going to take one though, I'd pick something more durable. A tiny stroller with a heavy load will be really hard to push.

 

[powellrj]

At 6 and 8 I don't really think you will be needed a stroller. I know I sure as heck don't want to be the one pushing them! At that age, they can push me around!

 

[nchulka]

You're not going to need it. We went in Sept. last year with DD8 and DS who turned 7 on the trip. We went for 2 1/2 weeks, open to close, no breaks, no strollers, and the kids carried their own backpacks. They were having way too much fun to be tired! It is not continuous walking. You walk to a ride, wait in line, sit and ride, then walk a short distance to the next ride and repeat. I had read about peoples feet getting sore, but mine never did. My kids never complained either. There are lots of shows, and you stop to rest for 2 meals in the parks if you do open to close, so there is tons of down time. My kids and I walked a couple of miles each evening all last summer to get in shape, and were surprised how easy Disney was compared to a hour of straight walking every evening!

 

[fitmom]

Our DD is 8 and our DS is 6 we had rented a stroller on our last trip they got great use of it we rented a tandem phil and ted from www.orlandostrollerstogo.com we and the kids loved it.

 

[Geomom]

We went in October 2009 as well--it was one of their hottest Octobers--mid 90's...we'd leave the room at 9AM and it was already 78 and humid. My 9 1/2 and 5 1/2 year old fell asleep during the Kool and the Gang concert--they were just so tired from the heat/humidity.

You know your kids best. Bring the $15 cheap stroller--you'll probably only need it in Epcot--that's the biggest walking park. The 8 year old shouldn't need a stroller at all, but if it seems to be surviving the trip, let him just sit in it and rest for a moment--no pushing. We let our oldest just sit in a stroller to take a break.

My youngest (now 7) hated walking...'I'm tired. How much farther do we have to go?' We told her she could have the stroller at Disney until she turned 6--so we used it in October 2009 (she was 5 1/2), and we used it on the trip she turned 6 (April 2010). We went Thanksgiving 2010 without the stroller (she was 6 1/2) and she did great walking--only complaints were while standing in line. We went again this past February and she did fine.

 

[Macduffy]

You know your kids so if you want to use a stroller use one and don't feel bad about it!
That being said - for a 6/8 year old I would use a park stroller. They can handle the weight and wear n' tear that kids those dish out

 

[amylynne01]

I wouldn't think of using one at all. Everyone gets tired, not just little legs.

 

[Leajess99]

I have been to Disney in October every year since 2008 and my youngest has not used a stroller even when her asthma was acting up last year. We had someone give us a stroller in 2008 as they were leaving the park and at 5 she would not use it.

I would seriously just go at their pace. In 2009 the heat index was ridiculous even for Florida but we took breaks and kept hydrated. Some kids actually find it embarassing to be in a stroller at those ages. It never fails either we always see someone from home at WDW.

 

[RMulieri]

At those ages they should be able to walk..Its all in your expectations of them.Just go slower if need be and let them take breaks.My 4 yr old walked the parks in the heat and humidity of September and was FINE.It can be done.

 

[disykat]

We went at the beginning of July when our boys had just turned 6 and 8 and we are NOT used to heat. No problems. We were hot. We sat on a bench a couple of times when the youngest got tired. No big deal.

I think the only reason my child even wanted to sit on a bench was because we'd told him to let us know if he got tired and we would sit on a bench. He felt special!

 

[nilseks]

I wouldn't worry about the stigma of pushing 2 kids those ages in a stroller...you will see all kinds of things at WDW.

That said, if your boys are tall, I doubt the 8 yo would fit in a rental stroller. My oldest tried to jump in it a few times when he was 7 (had it for younger DS who was 4) and he had to duck his head down to ride in it.

Also, when the park gets crowded it is such a pain to maneuver a big stroller through the crowds...I can't imagine pushing 2 kids that heavy. It would be a huge PITA for you! When we went last October they broke a heat record the week before Halloween--it was insanely hot! Our boys were 9, 7 and 5 at the time and it was the first time we left our stroller home. Nobody missed it for a second...not the 5 year old who is about the size of a 3 year old, not even the lazy 7 year old.

 

[abcboys]

When we went in 08 my 2 younger boys were 2 and 6. We brought the volo for the 2 year old and rented a stroller for 2 days to give the 6 year old a break. The rental stroller pushed like a DREAM! Even way easier than the volo. I think at one point my 9 year old even hopped in (yeah he wasn't the least bit embarrased either) and still didn't have any trouble pushing it. Don't think I'd last pushing a $15 stoller around with a 6 year old in it.

This year my youngest will be 6 and we are going to play it by ear. We are definitely not going to take a stroller, but will rent one for a few days if we have to. We'll see how he does. Yes, it is expensive but we just budget for it and it will be nice not having to fold it up for the busses and hopefully they are the same strollers still easy to push. You may find your child does fine and you may only need it for a few days for a break.

 

[azdizzymom]

Take breaks, go to shows to stay cool, stay hydrated, go back to hotel if extremely hot. I would not even consider a stroller for kids those age...but all kids are different and as others said you know your kids better than anyone. If you want opinions...mine is it is a terrible idea and I wouldn't do it. If they can't walk they should go. BUT like I said that is my opinion. If you want to push a stroller with them...go for it!

 

[fakereadhed]

My DS has some physical challenges. He will be 7 this trip and hoping he won't need a stroller at all, but bringing one for back up in case he tires, because I am not able to carry him out of the park at the end of the day if he crashes. My DS is not caught up to his peers on stamina, balance, and tone. If your kids don't have issues you will be fine without one.

 

[WantToGoNow]

If you're happy with the way the stroller pushes, then go ahead and take it for your younger child. I had not planned on a stroller for dd when she was 5 (a week away from turning 6). It was the week after Thanksgiving and it wasn't really that hot. She walked all day (rope-drop to closing) Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and until Wednesday evening when she dropped to the pavement and said she couldn't walk another step. Luckily we had a Maclaren Volo that was being used by my cousin's dd4 that we had to take over. She went back 1 year later on her 7th birthday with her older sister and walked the entire 10 days without a stroller - she knew that her sister wouldn't get her one and that it meant it would be time to go back to the room if she complained. It was amazing the difference in her stamina in one year's time.

That said we will be going in a few weeks and ds10 and dd7 will be walking.

 

[MWGreene]

Let them walk but if they get tired, I wouldn't hesitate to rent one!

 

[twinboysmom]

I will be honest, I cannot even imagine pushing a 6 year old (an 8 year old) in a WalMart umbrella stroller. My boys are 22 months old and we brought the WalMart umbrella strollers on a recent trip to visit family on the west coast and only because we flew. We didn't use them often but it was terrible.

We brought our nephew in the middle of June when he was 6. He was a healthy child but not what I would call super active. We took afternoon breaks and stayed out late. He whined some and when he did we sought out an air conditioned attraction like a movie, strolled in the shops, or rode something like the people mover or railroad. He did fine. I imagine yours will too. This mommy has no intention of pushing her 6 year old boys in a stroller, much less when they're 8 but this is your decision. They are your children and if you think they need it then bring one.