stroller for 7 year olds?

[Hannathy]

There is no way I would push a second grader around in a stroller, no way. They have more energy than we do! Unless they were special needs.

My kids never used a stroller past 4 by their trips at 5 they were fine walking from rope drop to close and the trip my DS was 5 was over Easter. Long days.

If they can run around outside playing all day they can walk at Disney.

It really is so freeing without a stroller, so much easier to get around.

 

[SDFgirl]

We are going in October and our girls will be 5 and 7 at the time. I definitely plan on bringing our old beat up double stroller. For our family it is a MUST HAVE at 10pm when they are sweaty and exhausted and waiting for the resort bus.

 

[1971DBday]

Doesn't bother me - your family, your business.

We used one to walk to and from BLT to MK on our last trip (our son had just turned 7 the month before). He walked all day around the parks, but rode the stroller back to the hotel. It kept my husband from having to carry him on his shoulders back to the hotel, like he had to do a year before.

My kids are healthy, active, and get tired after walking about 7 miles a day at Disney. If someone saw that he was in a stroller and had a problem with it, well, that's their issue. Not mine.

Completely agree!!!! My littlest just turned 8. Last year we tried, but as you can see from my signature she is the youngest by far and a few days into the trip was struggling to keep up. If it did not hold her it held bags. She is a healthy active kid, but could not keep up with adult strides. I am hoping her endurance swimming will eliminate the stroller rental this year but we waited until we were in the park and only got three days out of ten.

 

[suzyq0626]

We went in January with my 1 year old, 4 year old, and 7 (almost 8) year old. We had a double for the younger 2 but there were plenty of times that one kid wasn't in it for whatever reason and she gladly hitched a ride. When she was walking, which was most of the time, we made sure to take breaks and such, but I think it did help. She did use it minimally, no all days or super long stretches. Just adding in our experience.

 

[Boski]

You know your child best, so if you think the stroller would work, rent one. That being said our boys have never used a stroller and the first time we took them they were 3 and 4. We took a afternoon break back at the resort, toured at a pace they were comfortable with and it worked out fine.

 

[jm106]

This is our first trip with out a stroller. Ods was 6 last trip and did use it often because well it was available (had it because of yds who was just 4.) This trip, they will be 6 and 8 and no real reason. They can walk all day but sure they will get tired, we all do! We are choosing to just let them set the pace. I am confidant they will be ok but you need to decide for your kids.
My ods is lazy, he would probably sit in stroller just because it was there, if its not available, he wouldn't even consider it and just deal like we all do. Yds will holler when I walk too fast and remind me he has little legs.

 

[Momof2B2G]

We have a daughter with special needs who will be 10 at the time of travel. It is difficult for her to walk long distances for an extended period of time. We are renting a stroller while there. If I had a child who was 7 with no special needs, I still might consider getting one. It just depends on the child--you know best.

 

[Michigan]

Living as close as we do to Disney half the year it has been my observation that only Americans are pushing elementary school age kids in strollers. The non Americans have the backpack leash on their 4 and 5 year olds.

 

[bumbershoot]

If someone saw that he was in a stroller and had a problem with it, well, that's their issue. Not mine.

OP, we only had a stroller for Disney. (and a jogging stroller specifically for jogging, but I only got that when DS was 2 and I started trying to jog) For the trips to Disneyland he really really needed during those long days. But he has a mom who is a scary park commando and who prefers to smell the roses while simply slowing down to take a picture and smile at the beauty, then *move on*. (that's why DH and DS started sending me on short solo trips to Disneyland, so I could do what I want and be more relaxed for the fmaily trips)

We brought the Volo for our first WDW trip, when DS was 6.5. It was up to him if he wanted us to take it each day. He never chose to bring it. He did great. It just sat there in the hall. But we were still glad to have brought it!


So I say bring it and see if you need it.

 

[disney*mom*82]

Like it has been said a few times, you know your child best. Ask him/her if they even think they would get tired enough and be ok with riding in a stroller. If you are just planning on renting park strollers, those dont look babyish, so Ide just go with it and get one if needed. If you are wanting to get a jogging type stroller, Ide defiantly ask the child if they were ok with that or just plan to be ok with it if the only thing it is holding is your bags, cooler, etc. My children are 16, 14, 6, and 5. Our 6 year old still rides in a stroller, but she has health issues that cause her to get exhausted easily and she is in pain sometimes and our 5 year old has cerebral palsy, so he still rides as needed too.

I would not worry about what others think, it is all about what is comfortable for you and your family.

 

[bentopher]

Without reading other posts..

I went in 2012 and 2013. Boys were 4 &5 then 5 & 6. Coming this October they are 6 & 8. I'm still bringing the same single deluxe stroller. My youngest is just way too slow and pokey. And if 3 (me mom and oldest) of us are walking fast. I'm either dragging him or having to carry him. No thanks. I'd rather have my stroller and my pace and no crushing/whining. That makes a happier trip for me. That and I love how it holds everything for us. Lol

Oh I should mention. We often park it. Leave it for awhile. Then come back to if to move on to the next section.

Have a great trip!!

 

[Planogirl]

It really depends on the kid. Our son didn't use a stroller after the age of 5 and he ran circles around me. He was always a bundle of energy as long as we took some type of break. It didn't have to be a nap but a nice sit-down lunch or just some time in one of the resort lobbies might be enough.

Other kids might not have as much stamina or some travelers don't take the time to rest. Nothing wrong with that but only you know your child and how much time you plan to spend on the go.

 

[mslhb]

I am going in June with my just turned small 6 year old. Several days will be just her and I. We are not bringing a stroller and have no plans to rent one. For me 6 was the cut-off. But ultimately you have to do what is best for you and your family.

 

[JaymeC]

At five and six we no longer took the stroller for our kids. My then five year old was tiny (he still is smallest in his class), but he goes-goes-goes. Neither of my kids struggled to go rope drop to fireworks. At 7 I'm pretty sure he'd look at me like I was nuts if I tried to get him into a stroller honestly.

Having said that, my two are boys who go nonstop. Yesterday I poked my head into the backyard where they were playing and they were having a 'race' running laps. Fifty of them. For fun. I don't question. I say that to say that my kids may not be the best to judge by unless your kids are also uber-active with many hours a day outside. Now if only I could bottle some of that energy for me we'd be set

And I don't get the people who judge kids in stroller. I don't care if your child is in a stroller. I do remember our first stroller free trip though, and it was wonderful to not have to worry about!

 

[ChloeH]

Last fall we had a double stroller for my 7 year old niece and infant cousin. My niece has childhood arthritis so we thought she would need it a lot. Turned out that she only used in when it rained (she darted in under the rain cover!) She wanted to walk, and to look at stuff. It was helpful for carrying backpacks though.

 

[Gracedis1]

I have a 7 year old and he has been walking on his own at WDW since he was 4. He is a very big kid, so he didn't fit in a stroller anyway. We built in rest times during the day, such as a long lunch, a sit down show, sitting on a bench people watching, etc. He did rope drop just fine. Our touring strategy is a little less commando than it used to be, and a few times he was ready to go back to the hotel before the fireworks. I am OK with that, since I get tired too and my DH stays with my older daughter to enjoy the night at the parks. I do not miss trying to navigate a stroller through crowded parks!

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

On our first trip my boys were 5 and 7 and it never even occurred to me to use a stroller! Strollers were such a thing of the past at that age that it never crossed my mind. And I think my kids would have been mortified if I had suggested it, thinking strollers are for babies and they're not babies!

We took it at their pace. If they got tired, we rested. If they really started to burn out, we left and relaxed at the resort. If they walked slow, we walked slow. Some of my fondest memories are walking hand in hand and pointing things out and chatting as we moved along. You don't get the same interaction when you're pushing them around in a stroller.

I'm sorry, but I truly feel that the whole stroller thing is more about the parents than the kids. If school-age children are that tired, it's time to take a break. It should not be about the parents going commando and the kids putting a crimp in their plans. Isn't it about everyone having a good time and enjoying themselves? If you're pushing your kids beyond their limits because you absolutely have to ride every ride and go to every show and shop in every store and be at rope drop and close the park and walk from one end to the other 12 times, maybe you need a solo trip. Kids get cranky and whiny because they're pushed beyond their limits, not because they're having fun!

And any child with special needs or physical limitations, of course, needs to do whatever is necessary. This is not about them. This is about the otherwise able-bodied child who needs a stroller because parents don't know how to slow down.

Okay, fire away.....

 

[JeremyGNJ]

I'm sorry, but I truly feel that the whole stroller thing is more about the parents than the kids. If school-age children are that tired, it's time to take a break. It should not be about the parents going commando and the kids putting a crimp in their plans. Isn't it about everyone having a good time and enjoying themselves? If you're pushing your kids beyond their limits because you absolutely have to ride every ride and go to every show and shop in every store and be at rope drop and close the park and walk from one end to the other 12 times, maybe you need a solo trip. Kids get cranky and whiny because they're pushed beyond their limits, not because they're having fun!

Very true. These are generally the reasons that you see screaming kids in the parks...their parents have pushed them too far, and/or for too many days.

There's plenty of fun things to do on vacation that don't involve walking around in the heat when you're already exhausted.

 

[Rachel77]

We'll be taking 2 umbrella strollers for DD4 and DS7 - mostly just to get to the parks and back again. We're doing a split stay at BLT and BWV so will be walking to MK, EP, and HS. I think we'll just park the strollers at the park.

We typically leave the parks around lunch time and my two ( who no longer take planned naps ) were able to get in a quick cat nap while we walked back from the park when we did this last year.

 

[GillianP1301]

The stroller decision is a very personal one that had no right or wrong answer. For me personally, we did use a stroller last year at age 5 and I was glad to have it. It stayed parked a lit, but it was so handy for the long stretches of walking (like car to gate or one land to the next). Now at age 6, I'm on the fence. I really don't want to use one and my DS easily does full day outings on his feet, but I'm concerned about 8 days in a row. Plus, this year we have no DH with us who never minds giving a shoulder carry from time to time and I may physically can't do it. So right now I'm leaning towards taking one, but a flip flop on that decision constantly.l