Stroller for 7 year old?

[DisneyOma]

Hello, helpful people! Can anyone speak to stroller that are good for TALL kids? My DD just turned 5yo, and her height in inches (46) is greater than her weight in pounds (43). So, I can easily find strollers where she fits the weight limit, but many don't mention height boundaries in their specs.
N.B. Like the OP of this thread, I am NOT asking opinions on whether or not I should take a stroller. The number of costume changes my cosplaying family does in the park is reason enough for a stroller with a good basket, esp since wagons are no longer allowed!

How do you plan to keep all that stuff safe when you are on attractions? I'd look for a stroller with an underneath area where you could padlock your bag of costumes. Wagons were never allowed at WDW, BTW, and Disney is very strict about adults 'cosplaying' in the parks. The 'costumes' have to be pretty plain - colors could match, but anything even close to a costume will be looked at as an issue. We've gone in t-shirts/shorts/tunic tops, etc that matched the color code of different character groups and had a great time. But a woman in a short Rapunzel style dress (looked like a kid's dress but shortened) was asked to change.

 

[NYCgrrl]

How do you plan to keep all that stuff safe when you are on attractions? I'd look for a stroller with an underneath area where you could padlock your bag of costumes. Wagons were never allowed at WDW, BTW, and Disney is very strict about adults 'cosplaying' in the parks. The 'costumes' have to be pretty plain - colors could match, but anything even close to a costume will be looked at as an issue. We've gone in t-shirts/shorts/tunic tops, etc that matched the color code of different character groups and had a great time. But a woman in a short Rapunzel style dress (looked like a kid's dress but shortened) was asked to change.

I wondered about that as well but it's not a something I'm interested in doing so guess TigerlilyAJ knows all the rules and ins and outs of her family's avocation. Maybe they have a costume for every park and do a bit of park hopping to show them off? Were it me I'd just stick all the leftovers in a locker at each park and have done.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I did worry about some costumes being snatched when we went in 2016, but no one touched anything, and I quickly relaxed. I threw a sweatshirt over the XL freezer bags I use as garment bags for each individual costume and accessories to give some cover.
Yes, we're quite aware of the rules. We're a party of six, with three people young enough to wear what they wish.
Fantasyland and Epcot present multiple Meet & Greet opportunities in quick succession, where we would not want to have to run back to a locker. Rapunzel and Tiana are even in the same room, giving us our biggest quick-change challenge (which I fortunately knew about ahead of time!).
And in an attempt to answer what I imagine could be another non-stroller question: eBay, folks. Not only can you find discounted costumes, you can find the versions that are only found in the parks, not the Disney Store.

 

[DashforCash]

We rented a stroller when my youngest had just turned 6. After dragging it around the parks for two days without it being used, we left it in the room. My kids do not get tired at all by walking around WDW, but if you child has low(er) stamina, do what you think is best.

 

[Smrtalec33]

I think to some degree, it depends on when you are going. We were just there and I had a stroller for my six-year-old, and it was a godsend because of the heat.

 

[Sandiz08]

Big maybe, depends on the kid. We went last year without a stroller for the first time. It was easier on him that I thought it would be. He basically told me it was time. He did however pass out on the monorail, and on the buses back to the resort at times, nothing that was too big of a deal. We ended up having more sit down breaks throughout the park.

 

[Kelly014]

We have a 3yo and a 7yo and the 7yo asked us to get a double. Most of the time, she walked, but she knows her limitations. She was able to stay out later (and watch fireworks, which she loves) by taking breaks in the stroller earlier. The 3 yo still sometimes naps, so that was a no brainer - and sometimes they like riding next to each other, sharing a snack and chatting. As the PPs have said, "why don't you just take a break if the kids are too tired to walk?" and my answer is, they are, in the stroller. Plus I work off more calories pushing the stroller than just walking by myself.



This is how we look at it. We definitely wean off the stroller each trip. For example, use it to cross the parks, and then leave it in a central location while we do a bunch of rides/shows in the same area, rinse and repeat.

I love that. They are absolutely taking a break - in the stroller. Enjoy your 2 hour excursion back to your hotel room, we will keep enjoying the parks while the kids rest.

We used a double stroller for my kids when they were 1 and 6, and 2 and 7. My then 7 year old definitely benefitted from the stroller. Last year at age 8 she did great without one, so that was our cut off. Life is too short to let people judging your for your stroller use (at a giant theme park of all things) get to you - let them judge and you enjoy your trip!

 

[rg35]

7 is too old for a stroller

 

[Sarah6342]

I'd take a stroller not only is it a ton of walking but the Florida heat is draining. Last time we went my DD was 11 and was definitely tired out before our trip was done.

 

[katyjeka]

We must have strange kids as our 11 year old can run circles around us at the end of our Disney days. On our flight back after a 10 day trip our kids were already planning their next trip while dh and myself were looking forward to the rest.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I'd take a stroller not only is it a ton of walking but the Florida heat is draining. Last time we went my DD was 11 and was definitely tired out before our trip was done.

Yes but did you rent her a stroller?
I'm sorry but I couldn't resist because somewhere out there is a poster with an able bodied 13 y/o in a stroller because people "judge".

 

[Klayfish]

We must have strange kids as our 11 year old can run circles around us at the end of our Disney days. On our flight back after a 10 day trip our kids were already planning their next trip while dh and myself were looking forward to the rest.

No offense meant to you as I don't know anything about you, but that comment seems to come up a few times in these types of discussions. It always leads me to wonder, if a child can outlast their parents, is it the kids or the parents? My 11 year old twins are highly active, but there's no way on earth they can run circles around DW and I during a WDW trip. Even my DS15, who is very strong for his age, is getting to the point where he could probably just keep up with me now (though I won't admit that to him, it's a running joke between us ) Kids should be healthy and active, of course. But so should their adult parents. IMO, in a normal situation (i.e. no medical issues, etc...) a pre-teen child with a still developing body shouldn't be able to outpace an average 30-45ish year old adult on vacation.

 

[Sarah6342]

Yes but did you rent her a stroller?
I'm sorry but I couldn't resist because somewhere out there is a poster with an able bodied 13 y/o in a stroller because people "judge".

No we didn't get her a stroller.

Yes but did you rent her a stroller?
I'm sorry but I couldn't resist because somewhere out there is a poster with an able bodied 13 y/o in a stroller because people "judge".
[/QU

 

[katyjeka]

No offense meant to you as I don't know anything about you, but that comment seems to come up a few times in these types of discussions. It always leads me to wonder, if a child can outlast their parents, is it the kids or the parents? My 11 year old twins are highly active, but there's no way on earth they can run circles around DW and I during a WDW trip. Even my DS15, who is very strong for his age, is getting to the point where he could probably just keep up with me now (though I won't admit that to him, it's a running joke between us ) Kids should be healthy and active, of course. But so should their adult parents. IMO, in a normal situation (i.e. no medical issues, etc...) a pre-teen child with a still developing body shouldn't be able to outpace an average 30-45ish year old adult on vacation.

No offense taken. We are active parents with kids that have a lot of energy. A healthy seven year should have no problem walking an amusement park. Our 14 year old daughter has no issue keeping up with us!!! I guess I have strange kids. They belong to a swim team and have been active in sports for years. I can assure you our little dancer can keep up with anyone. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree but in our family our kids have tons of energy.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Team no stroller for us personally. Our first trip with kids they were ages 2 and 4 years. We fully intended to rent a stroller (or two!) for the entire trip. We decided to try it without and rent when (if) needed.

We never rented. Not once. Honestly we never even thought about it after the first day or two. Both kids walked nearly everywhere - we kept a pretty good pace too... if we needed to move quickly one of us would scoop up the (big for his age) two year old and off we went..... and this was in July. On future trips we knew strollers were not necessary.

Do what is right for your kids and your family.

 

[Tessaf]

If you are looking at buying one, I would just make sure it fits into the new restrictions that Disney has for strollers. They did make some big changes to those starting in May-
Beginning May 1, we are adjusting our guidelines on stroller sizes, which will require them to be no larger than 31″ (79cm) wide and 52″ (132cm) long or smaller. The good news – many of the strollers on the market, including many double jogging strollers, fit within these size guidelines. Also, just a reminder that wagons are not permitted in our parks. Beginning May 1, stroller wagons will also no longer be permitted. These updates are designed to help guest flow and ease congestion, making the parks more enjoyable for everyone.

 

[TinkTock]

You should consider buying a tween-size wheelchair for the trip. My 12-year-old dear cousin doesn't even like walking to the gate in the airport. Realistically, I know he could do it, but it's his vacation too. And with the wheelchair, there is more sympathy and less judgement. Since wheelchairs are so expensive (don't even get me started on the cost of the electric wheelchairs!), just get it a bit too big for the kid so they can grow into it. You have to do what's right for your family, so you can all enjoy the trip.

 

[marikujawa]

You should consider buying a tween-size wheelchair for the trip. My 12-year-old dear cousin doesn't even like walking to the gate in the airport. Realistically, I know he could do it, but it's his vacation too. And with the wheelchair, there is more sympathy and less judgement. Since wheelchairs are so expensive (don't even get me started on the cost of the electric wheelchairs!), just get it a bit too big for the kid so they can grow into it. You have to do what's right for your family, so you can all enjoy the trip.

Just make sure you get the right size wheelchair for the kid to grow into. Otherwise there might be a gap between the wheelchair and the electric scooter where he may end up having to walk. (Assuming this post is tongue-in-cheek)