stroller for 7 y/o? opinions....

[vcgirl925]

In every disney book i've ever read it says that even up to an 8 year old might need a stroller at disney world. They are going to be walking miles and miles every day in the parks. That's tough on a kid. Then throw in the heat, the sun, and being overstimulated by everything in the park. If you think your 7 y/o might need a stroller then i'd either play it by ear or buy a cheap one..under $100 if you are going for a week, you'd still be paying less if you rented. I don't think weight/height issues are that big of a deal since the stroller will basically be a throw away at the end of the week.

All kids aren't the same. So a blanket statement really isn't fair.

My son is 4 and he does not use a stroller ever. Not in the mall and not at regular amusement parks or fairs. But at disneyworld i would not even hesitate to have a double stroller for both my kids.

 

[dcherry]

I brought one of our old strollers from home for DS (7). He was really too heavy for it according to the maufacturer but it worked just fine anyway. I'm soooo glad we brought it. It enabled us to keep going pretty much all day and it was easier to sit the kids in their strollers (we brought 2) and get through the parks than trying to drag them or keep track of them when the crowds were heavy, it gave them instant seating (not to mention space saving) for parades and I didn't have to stop to rent one or return it after a long day when we needed it most to get back to the hotel.

 

[Ocean Ears]

I have a 6 yo son and I'm going to DW during free ddp. I plan on bringing a fold up stroller with me (we're driving). It would be much easier to rent one in the parks but the resorts are so big -depending on where your room is - that's another lengthy walk to get to your room. They are already tired from going non-stop from dawn til dusk - as well as the overall excitement of just being at Disneyworld - even if they aren't walking.

And I agree with other people, do what makes your vacation the most enjoyable. Choose your battles, and choosing to make him walk in the heat and humidity in September is me ruining my own vacation. Not because he's a bad child, but b/c I don't think ANY child can walk 10+ miles in one day in the Florida heat and not whine and complain about it. Instead of listening to the whining, simply use a stroller and make an ENJOYABLE vacation for the ENTIRE family. And, as a bonus, you don't have to worry about them getting lost in a crowd when they are sitting in the stroller that you are pushing!

I also agree that the ones that say they would never put their 7yo in a stroller are the same ones who complain about the kids who are past tired in the parks. I plan on taking breaks mid day but I know my child well enough to know that after a couple of days of going and going, he'll be tired no matter how many mid day breaks or early bedtimes he gets. Disney is the best, but it is exhausting for everyone!!! Including parents!!

One last thought, letting your 'older' child use a stroller at DW is not the equivalent of having them grow into a teenager that still requires a stroller. I believe DW is a special case. Since the time my child could walk I never used a stroller, I actually sold it b/c I never used it and now I'm buying a cheap one specifically for DW. Letting him use a stroller at DW doesn't equate to him being coddled and me setting myself up to have to buy a stroller a teenager will fit into so I can stroll him around the halls of high school one day, that's silly. Or even stroll him around elementary school. He runs and plays all day every day, and never touches a stroller, it's a matter of wanting the family including the older 2 kids to enjoy the vacation.

 

[crisi]

In every disney book i've ever read it says that even up to an 8 year old might need a stroller at disney world. They are going to be walking miles and miles every day in the parks. That's tough on a kid. Then throw in the heat, the sun, and being overstimulated by everything in the park.

When you are in the parks and notice the number of wheeled conveyences, you realize that people of all ages might need help. Some of it is age - no one expects a three year old to walk the park and eighty year olds don't tend to walk it well either. Some of it is able bodyiness - Disney is full of people in wheelchairs or ECVs who have limited mobility. And some of it is choice - taking time and planning can make the parks walkable to most people - including MOST six to eight year olds - but if you want to commando four parks in four days in July EVERYONE in your party is going to want a stroller - its just that the eight year old is lucky enough to fit in one.

(My kids have a fitness program through school where EVERY KID without a documented physical disability can RUN a mile by the end of the year. Five year old overweight kindergartners are out there running their mile next to slim, athletic fifth graders (who end up running several miles). I think its too much like boot camp - the phy ed teacher is an old Marine - but they can all do it. If you set your expectations low, you won't be disappointed. If you set them high, you might be impressed.)

 

[blessedby3]

I gave my opinion as asked for. You don't have to like it but I stand by it. If your healthy 7yr old needs a stroller then you need to slow it down. There is a reason strollers are not designed for school aged children. They are not supposed to be in them. It's not a hard concept and I just find it mind boggling how many people are under the impression that simply sitting down and taking a break is not an option at WDW.

You didnt give your opinion, you said that families who choose to go commando are wrong, you said it was just not acceptable. Going commando is our family choice and you shouldnt care if we do or if my DD rides in a stroller-or anyone elses child. We do take breaks at the parks, but when you are there from open to close it is nice for the aduts and older kids to keep moving when they want and push small children- just more of a break for the small child. My child fits in her stroller- its MADE for a child up to 55 pounds. My child was 48 pounds at 7. That means she at school age, can and does fit. Healthy children get tired too and I see no problems for our family or any other that chooses to use a stroller. If you dont, thats fine, but dont infer that I am a bad parent for choosing to stay at the parks all day and let my child ride in a stroller.

 

[DVC Sadie]

I think that the stroller is more for the convenience of the parent and has less to do with the age or health of the child.

I have not met a healthy 5,6,7 or 8 year old who actually needed a stroller at WDW but I do have friends who have 2 or more children who find having the stroller easier so they can see everything in the park (whatever park they are visiting that day) in one day.

 

[maxiesmom]

I think that the stroller is more for the convenience of the parent and has less to do with the age or health of the child.

I have not met a healthy 5,6,7 or 8 year old who actually needed a stroller at WDW but I do have friends who have 2 or more children who find having the stroller easier so they can see everything in the park (whatever park they are visiting that day) in one day.

And why do so many people think that is so wrong? No one is being hurt. No child is going to turn into a fat lazy slob a la Wall-E riding for a few days in a stroller.

Don't use a stroller if you don't want to. Just like I don't use a child leash because I don't want to. But we are all allowed to chose what is right for our families.

 

[RF536]

And I agree with other people, do what makes your vacation the most enjoyable. Choose your battles, and choosing to make him walk in the heat and humidity in September is me ruining my own vacation. Not because he's a bad child, but b/c I don't think ANY child can walk 10+ miles in one day in the Florida heat and not whine and complain about it. Instead of listening to the whining, simply use a stroller and make an ENJOYABLE vacation for the ENTIRE family. And, as a bonus, you don't have to worry about them getting lost in a crowd when they are sitting in the stroller that you are pushing!

I also agree that the ones that say they would never put their 7yo in a stroller are the same ones who complain about the kids who are past tired in the parks. I plan on taking breaks mid day but I know my child well enough to know that after a couple of days of going and going, he'll be tired no matter how many mid day breaks or early bedtimes he gets. Disney is the best, but it is exhausting for everyone!!! Including parents!!

Bolding added by me.
I am another one of those parents who feel that unless there is a medical reason, 7 year olds should be able to walk DW without a stroller. Both of my sons, ages 5 and 7, were able to walk for our 14 day trip without a stoller. We did 10 days in the 4 main parks and 4 days in the water parks and Disney Quest. They were also able to do this without whinning or complanining about the heat or being tired. In fact they handled it better then me, I think I requested more breaks then they did. While we did not open the parks we were there by 10 am and were there until the parks closed, which included until 4am on the 3rd. They were to busy having fun to complain, but if we did notice someone in the family start to get grumpy we would take a break and get a snack and that was normally all it took to get us back on track.

 

[aurorafan]

When we went last fall my youngest had just turned 7. We ended up renting for him a few times (usually in the evenings when we went back) and it worked out great for us . We just went back in June and he didn't need one at all--he's grown quite a bit and can now keep pretty good pace with us (and honestly we didn't give him the option in June either ).

At home of course he didn't use one, so we decided not to buy for what we knew would only be the one time .

 

[MusiqChic99]

Wait and see. Our last trip was with another family - my daughter had just turned eight, they had an eight year old and a seven year old. These are both really slight, tiny children who both have had health issues - these aren't soccer players or baseball players. These are kids who look so frail that you think the wind may blow them away. And, as I said, my daughter is lazy - a whiner.

We had our issues, but none of them involved any of these kids not being able to keep up using their own two feet. No one needed to be carried back to the room.

I guess my take is that if you expect your kid to need a stroller, they will need one - perhaps indefinately. And eventually you'll have a coddled whiny twelve year old who is able bodied but doesn't want to walk the parks. Or you can prime your kids for walking the trip - "train" as a family with some long walks, go in with a can do attitude - and if nothing but a rental will keep the actual trip from being miserable, you've done what you can.
Strollers are a hassle, and walking is good healthy exercise for your kids. When you get rid of the stroller at Disney, its like getting rid of diapers - there is that brief moment in time where its more convienent for YOU to have your kid in diapers or a stroller, but once that moment is passed, you never regret not needing to deal with those things.

Letting my son ride in a stroller for a 7 day trip isn't going to spoil him or make him need a stroller forever!

Again my son is only 2 and even now he walks a lot of the time without a stroller. Then again on most days we aren't walking Disney!

 

[luvsJack]

I didn't "expect" my 8 year old to need a stroller, I never even thought about it before the trip. This is a child that has cheered, taken gymnastics, takes dance classes and rides her bike for miles every day except in the summer when she spends her days swimming; but after one night at DTD, a day walking around Sea World and half a day at MK her legs were tired, so we rented a stroller. Would she have made it without it? Probably. Would she have complained? Maybe The cost of the stroller was well worth keeping both of us happy. Why have to listen complaints or get on to her about complaining? She wasn't going to turn into a ball of mush in 5 days of riding in a stroller for part of the day, she is just as active now as she was before the trip, she didn't suddenly expect to be carried or start thinking the world owed her something to ride on or any other of the silly things people seem to think renting a stroller is going to cause. What is the big deal??

If you want to rent one do so. Do not concern yourself with what anyone else thinks about it, its not their vacation--its your's. Besides it gives them something to judge, if not big kids in strollers they would just find something else.

 

[AmyBWV99]

Our 1st DS has tone issues w/his right side due to a neurological birth defect but to people who don't know him well enough to tell assume he's perfectly normal, but for him to walk comfortably hin crowds he needs a kid leash since he needs both arms for balance holding hands throws him off and will probably be in a stroller well into his 7th year so when you are noticing all the 'normal looking' 7 years olds in strollers rethink before you judge.

That said we've been traveling with another family for YEARS and they rented for two of their kids thru 6+ years old for AK and EPCOT at night. They were slower and usually pretty pooped after all the swimming they'd do when we'd break but they never whined and it worked for everyone. So i'd say rent if you need to who cares i say whine free and comfortable is worth whatever it costs. Who cares what people think.

 

[thegrimdwarf]

Bolding added by me.
I am another one of those parents who feel that unless there is a medical reason, 7 year olds should be able to walk DW without a stroller. Both of my sons, ages 5 and 7, were able to walk for our 14 day trip without a stoller. We did 10 days in the 4 main parks and 4 days in the water parks and Disney Quest. They were also able to do this without whinning or complanining about the heat or being tired. In fact they handled it better then me, I think I requested more breaks then they did. While we did not open the parks we were there by 10 am and were there until the parks closed, which included until 4am on the 3rd. They were to busy having fun to complain, but if we did notice someone in the family start to get grumpy we would take a break and get a snack and that was normally all it took to get us back on track.

Why in the world would anyone assume that because your kids can do it, all kids can and should? Do you apply this philosophy to any other part of life? Like if your kids can skip breakfast and be fine until lunch, all kids should be able to do the same? Or maybe your kids can stay up til midnight, get just 7 hours of sleep, and be fine the next day - all kids do that too?

Or maybe, just maybe, all kids are different....hmmmmmm.....

 

[tonilea]

To be honest, I thought it was silly to get a stroller for a seven year old.... until I took a seven year old to WDW. After the third day, I changed my tune. We didn't need it all the time, but we were glad to have it part of the time!

 

[RF536]

Why in the world would anyone assume that because your kids can do it, all kids can and should? Do you apply this philosophy to any other part of life? Like if your kids can skip breakfast and be fine until lunch, all kids should be able to do the same? Or maybe your kids can stay up til midnight, get just 7 hours of sleep, and be fine the next day - all kids do that too?

Or maybe, just maybe, all kids are different....hmmmmmm.....
If you had looked at what I bolded, the poster I copied had implied that he/she didn't think ANY kid could walk 10+ miles in the Florida heat and not whine and complain about it. And the those of us that say we would never put our 7 year olds in a stoller are probably the same ones complaining about the kids who are past tired. I was just supporting the several others on this board who have pointed out that they have toured the parks successfully with kids 7 and younger without a stroller. So no I don't feel just because my kids can do it every other kid should be able to do. I approach this like everything else I do with my kids, I expect them to succeed or meet my expectations. I don't go into it expecting them to fail or not meet my expectations.

 

[5 for WDW]

OP, My suggestion would be to wait and see how your child does. If you think there is a need for a stroller, rent one. You might be pleasantly surprised and not have the need for one. If getting a stroller will make your vacation more enjoyable, then go for it. I hope you have a great trip.

My kids were all out of a stroller in WDW by the time they turned 4. They never asked for one and we never gave the option since we knew they were capable of doing WDW without one. We found that out after pushing around an empty stroller with each of them. But, if they would have needed one once we got there, we would have rented one. Having to deal with a stroller that is not being used around the parks can be a pain. But, it can be a good place to store things.

 

[Goobergal99]

We used one for DD at 5 and 6 because she was just miserable without one, but by 7 she was ok without one.

I would rent one if she asks for it, we took one with us the first trip and then dumped it before we came home, on the 2nd trip she only asked for it on occasion so we rented it a few days out of the week.

 

[C.Ann]

Unless anyone here actually knows the OP's child on a close, personal level, how can all of the posters who have made negative remarks actually determine what is best for this particular child?

I say wait and see how things go once you get there.. If you feel the need to rent a stroller, then by all means, do so.. It's your child.. Who cares what anyone else thinks? I know I wouldn't..

 

[markm0926]

Wow, what a varied choice of opinions.
I didn't think that my original question would stir up controversy, but I must say I did learn quite a lot reading through this thread.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and opinions.

My choice is too go "no stroller" and see how things go. At least the option to rent will always be there.


Thanks again.

 

[brymolmom]

.

.

I guess my take is that if you expect your kid to need a stroller, they will need one - perhaps indefinately. And eventually you'll have a coddled whiny twelve year old who is able bodied but doesn't want to walk the parks. QUOTE]


I will second this. My aunt lives near WDW and, I kid you not, her able bodied kids were in a rented- double until they were about 10 and 11!!!! And even then it was tough to 'break' the habit because they were so used to being pushed around and not walking in the parks.

Since that was ridiculous IMO, I am striving NOT to be in that position - as much as I love having a stroller for my kids and the convenience of having the storage room. We will be going in Nov and I am downgrading to a single for my just-turned-5-year-old....the 6 year old will be walking. The only issue I foresee is that he will be annoyed that his sister gets to ride while he walks - but except for that he really doesn't need one at all. DD5 likely could do it too - but she would be really whiney about it so I'm taking it this one last time. I think I'll cut her off after 5 years old too.

I have a friend who has not used a stroller for her kids since about the age of 2. And they have walked around parks sunup till sundown....but I have noticed being with them that they carry her a bunch (she was 5 last trip) and she is tiny...so that's not as much a big deal. No way I would set myself up to carry my 5 year old - she's too heavy and I'm too hot at WDW...so a stroller it is for me!