Stroller for 8 yr. old? Which one?

[proud_canadian]

On our first trip, I had two dds, aged 3 and just turned 6. I was only going to rent a stroller for my three year old, but got scared after reading some similar threads. So we rented a double for our two kids. My three year old does have diagnosed gross motor delays, and she definitely needed it, but my 6 year old barely rode! We would have been fine without.

Last year we ad my 4 year old and a just turned 7 year old, in hot and humid September. The 7 year old knew she wouldn't be able to ride in a stroller and never even asked. We did parks 5 out of 7 days and did days of rope drop until about 4 pm each day and then had the kids in bed by their normal bedtime of 7 pm.

This year we didn't have a Disney trip, but did ave season passes to our local park. My now 5 year old,who does have a legitimate diagnosed delay and endurance issues s embarrassed to ride in a stroller, but still can't walk long distances. We bring a wagon and she walks when we needs it. We've done a few shorter visits of just a couple of hours and we s ok with that.

I will be honest and I thought this thread was a joke! My oldest dd is now eight and I couldn't imagine putting her in a stroller, nor wold she sit in one. I'm sure your child would be fine without! Plus it's good for them to be active. If you are worried just plan breaks, shows, longer meals and play it by ear.

Have fun!

 

[MSSANDRA]

See, I see where she is coming from. Parenting styles aside, I just can not see most 8 year old wiling to sit in a stroller. My older DS does have some health issues that really reduce his stamina and the year he was eight, he was having some breathing issue while we were at WDW. I offered him a stroller at Epcot one night. He looked at me like I had two heads!!! I was watching a group of boys ages 5 to about 9 at church tonight and they were riding their bikes and scooters and jumping ramps etc. NONE of them would be caught dead in a stroller, and yep....most of them have been to WDW. While I a very much a "whatever works" mom....I am surprised these kids are ok with this.

 

[julieanddanny]

I have a couple of average, not athletic, big kids - 8 and 7 on our last trip. They are so capapble of more than you think! The 7 yr last used a stroller at 5yrs (almost 6) and then and 7 yr old snuck in a ride or two. As long as we didn't have it and it wasn't an option there was no complaining. We also have a 2yo so we do pace our day so we can all handle it. That is certainly key.

Stroller recomendation for big kids: First years Jet or Ignite. They have a 50lb weight limit and my tall 5yr actually fit comfortably. Any bigger than that I personally wouldn't consider a stroller and just adjust they way you visit the parks.

 

[elaine amj]

I only read through the first few pages of the thread.

One trip we met up with another family with younger kids and they had a double stroller. My kids were 9 and 8 and happily sat in the double stroller "for fun" every once in a while. They just thought it was fun getting pushed around (heck they still like getting pushed around in a shopping cart even though I absolutely refuse to do so. If they want to sit in a shopping cart, they have to push each other - and they do!).

It was one of those regular double strollers from one of the Orlando rental companies. Yes my leggy 9 yr old DD was overlong for it, but she made herself fit and enjoyed the break off her feet! It didn't seem to be a problem and the stroller still felt sturdy and pushed easily.

Sure my kids didn't "need" it but it was rather fun for them LOL!

 

[luvmy2babies]

I can promise without the slightest bit of doubt or hesitation that my 9 year-old dd would have taken the opportunity had I presented it.

It’s not so much the first couple of days. It’s right around days 3 through 5 and beyond if there are that many. Being the only adult I could work our schedule so that she would not get worn out. Still there were a few times she muttered, “I wish I was little like (ds’ name) again, so I could get in a stroller.”

OP, if you’re still around and end up not being able to find anything, a park double stroller may work for giving them a break. They can take turns sitting “criss-cross applesauce” style. Or just try mixing short days in the schedule if you can. We had some days when we toured from open to about 3 and then did pool time, one day open to 1:00, another day 10am to 5pm, another 4pm to close. Most days my 9 year-old still had plenty of energy left when we were done touring. One exception was our first AK day. Tropical Storm Debby had left us that morning and the sun came out after 4 days of rain. The heat knocked us all for a loop and we bolted for the resort at 1:00 (we’d planned to stay until 3). At the bus stop, dd was sitting on the ground leaning on my leg and ds was nodding off. We spent a refreshing afternoon at the pool, had dinner in our room, got to bed early and actually did 10 hours at DHS the next day in the same heat that knocked us out midday day the prior day.

The only time she was truly tired was day 9, our last full day and actually had she listened to me we could have avoided her one and only meltdown. We had a dinner ADR at Chef Mickey’s and had spent the morning at AK. We went back to the resort and instead of resting like I told her to, both she and ds played around in the room. I did everything short of strapping them down to get them to rest. Eventually it was time to go. We took the bus to MK and ds (of course) fell asleep. I figured he’d have about an hour and some change to nap if we took our time getting to CR. That had been enough for him the entire trip even though he takes 2 hour naps at home.

When we got to MK, of course ASMo is like the furthest stop from MK, which makes it the closest to the CR. So, just like on our first trip, I decided instead of walking all the way down to MK and up that big hill to the monorail, it made more sense just to walk over to the CR. Just as we got on the property, dd declared she could not walk another step and the tears started. I told her I would let her rest once we got closer. She trudged on whining until I found a place. When we got down to 5 minutes before our ADR time, I told her we had to move on. As soon as she saw Chef Mickey’s she was like a new child. Some child screamed “MICKEY!” and ds popped up. Dd apologized for how she had acted and we had a great dinner. We did take the monorail back to MK, but the walk from the monorail is downhill.

 

[jujube]

I'm in my mid 50s with screwed up lumbar discs and I can walk in the parks 12 hours each day. When I was a child, I could have run in the parks all day. Barring any physical or deveopmental conditions, I think kids should walk. If they get tired, take a break or go into one of the shows.

 

[okeydokey]

8 years old? That's a third grader?

 

[Dizisfun]

ignore the rude comments of others and do what's best for you and your family and enjoy your Disney time.

My older grandchildren (6-9) will not ride in a baby stroller but they sure will jump in one of the strollers that the parks have....sometimes we rent it just to carry packages, backpacks, and coolers, but ultimately one of the kids will get tired and jump right in....

We have taken 5 grands with us to Universal. We started out with the double stroller from the park for the 5 year old, backpacks, and cooler. He wouldn't ride in it until the older kids wanted in then of course he wanted to ride in it. So they ended up taking turns.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

8 years old? That's a third grader?

Yep.

 

[LisaTC]

OY! I knew when I saw this post the poor OP hadn't a clue what a can of worms was about to explode on the DIS. Poor thing! Our DD will be 9 when we go in Dec. She was almost 8 when we went last October. She wouldn't be caught dead in a stroller at this age....EXCEPT when she was dog tired at the end of MNSSHP and said she wished she could ride in a wheelchair! We overstayed the day. Period. Exhaustion, at that point, would have trumped being pushed around...however, she did say wheelchair and not stroller. Every kid is different. Nobody knows anybody else's story.

We have a Schwinn jogger. She doesn't use it anymore, but it does go to 65 pounds and it pushes like a dream...literally with 2 fingers. I would recommend, if your children do not have any physical or developmental challenges, and you have your heart set on getting a stroller, you get the largest single you can rent and switch off if necessary. I think you'll end up on the wrong end of tired, not them! Mom will need a wheelchair! They will likely surprise you. My DD aka Little Miss Winey Pants, walked like a soldier. Knocked my socks off! Good luck.

 

[CraftyMommy]

We have been to Disney several times so I know how hard it can be on a child walking around the park all day. In the past we have always taken our own Joovy sit and stand. But this year my kids are older and the front seat of the sit and stand just isn't an option for them. My DDs are 8yr (59 lbs and 52" tall) and 5yr (40lbs and 42" tall) I am considering renting from Kingdom Strollers because of the better price and more comfort compared to the strollers in the parks.
However, I am wondering if the Double City Elite will have enough leg room. By looking at the photo it seems like there isn't much room for their legs. The foot rest seems really close to the seat. The Mini GT, however, looks to have more leg room than the Elite. The foot rest appears to be lower down for more room for their legs.
Has anyone seen these in person before to make this comparison for me?

I am really not looking forward to hauling this big double stroller on and off the buses, but I am guessing this is my only option. Renting in the parks just seems to be silly to pay more money for a less comfortable stroller. But then again I am a little worried that these Baby Joggers will look like a "baby stroller" for my eight year old. She won't mind what she rides in as long as she is comfortable. My eight year old is a big complainer when it comes to being tired and uncomfortable!

I only read through a couple pages but I saw several judgmental and rude posts. I don't know a lot about strollers for you, but I will say, I feel your pain. I naively made the mistake of posting an innocent thread asking if anyone else experienced my situation and received tons of unwanted parenting advice. I tried to be nice and brush it off, but after my innocent question turned into 10+ pages I quit reading. The negativity from all the fanatics with the desire to preach was too much to handle.

The Dis is not for the innocent people who come here to ask a random question about planning a Disney vacation. If you dare to ask a question that has been asked in the past century, someone will rudely point you to the search button. Your question isn't unique and fresh enough, off to the Search button you go! Or, your question shows you are naive. Let me school you on the ways of proper parenting of perfectly non-spoiled children who take 20,000 trips to WDW and walk every bit of it.

Disney fanatics are definitely fanatics about more than just Disney, they also love to start debates even when the debate was not asked for or wanted. Even when you tell them you don't care for their judgmental and rude comments they still continue to push them on you. After all...its a board full of Disney fanatics and we must be fanatical about everything, opinions and all.

Welcome to the Judgemental Disboards. Have a Disney day!

 

[Missy13d69]

I only read through a couple pages but I saw several judgmental and rude posts. I don't know a lot about strollers for you, but I will say, I feel your pain. I naively made the mistake of posting an innocent thread asking if anyone else experienced my situation and received tons of unwanted parenting advice. I tried to be nice and brush it off, but after my innocent question turned into 10+ pages I quit reading. The negativity from all the fanatics with the desire to preach was too much to handle.

The Dis is not for the innocent people who come here to ask a random question about planning a Disney vacation. If you dare to ask a question that has been asked in the past century, someone will rudely point you to the search button. Your question isn't unique and fresh enough, off to the Search button you go! Or, your question shows you are naive. Let me school you on the ways of proper parenting of perfectly non-spoiled children who take 20,000 trips to WDW and walk every bit of it.

Disney fanatics are definitely fanatics about more than just Disney, they also love to start debates even when the debate was not asked for or wanted. Even when you tell them you don't care for their judgmental and rude comments they still continue to push them on you. After all...its a board full of Disney fanatics and we must be fanatical about everything, opinions and all.

Welcome to the Judgemental Disboards. Have a Disney day!

Oh, those people who shout "Search!" are awful in my opinion. If all you have to add to the conversation, is to tell someone to search, then don't bother responding. Someone else will come along to actually be helpful. That's the point of the this whole DISboards after all, isn't it?

 

[Cree629]

I don't know why people feel the need to be so judgmental. I actually find it amusing to a point. Honestly, I don't understand why anyone cares how someone else chooses to travel around the parks with their family.

The "logic" they use doesn't even make sense most of the time. Yes, we are all aware that typical strollers are not designed for 8 year-olds and that children tend to have lots of energy. We are all aware of the fact that childhood obesity is a serious issue in our country. But we are not talking about pushing a 60 pound child around in a stroller around town on an everyday basis.

Some posters insist that if your child gets hot and tired, it's time to call it quits for the day. I laugh, because I suspect many of those posters do no such thing; rather, that they are among the parents I have seen all over WDW losing their patience with hot, tired children either for complaining or for not keeping up.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to visit WDW yearly. For some, it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip. But if your 8-year old isn't used to the heat and the walking, too bad, you need to call it a day. Even if they want nothing more than to stay in the park and experience more. Even if letting them rest or eat or drink or escape the sun for 10 minutes every couple hours while the family gets from point A to B or while waiting for a parade to start is all they need to stay happy and rested and capable of enjoying more of their family vacation.

One poster said that using a stroller is doing what's best for YOURSELF, not your child. Seriously?? The experiences children can get in the WDW parks are priceless and create forever memories. But if yours gets tired walking, too bad. They need to leave. Because you are a terrible, selfish parent forcing your child whose feet are tired to sit comfortably and continue touring a Disney park.

Instead, you should do what one poster does and have your exhausted child "sleepwalk" back to your hotel room at night. Wear them out completely by making them walk all day... Then, if they fall asleep on the bus ride, just tell them they have no choice and lead their groggy little bodies "by the arm" across the resort and back to your room. Yes, that's what parents who have their children's best interests in mind do!

Excuse my sarcasm, but honestly, people. Do what's best for your family and don't worry about anyone elses. Every child, every family is different. Families tour differently and have different expectations and priorities. It's not anyone's place to judge someone else's choices for their family, especially something as trivial as whether or not their child is too old to be riding in a stroller at a theme park!

My seven year old will probably not be in a stroller this November. Unless she is.

 

[PinkyPie]

What an amazingly judgmental rant about being non-judgmental.

I don't know why people feel the need to be so judgmental. I actually find it amusing to a point. Honestly, I don't understand why anyone cares how someone else chooses to travel around the parks with their family.

The "logic" they use doesn't even make sense most of the time. Yes, we are all aware that typical strollers are not designed for 8 year-olds and that children tend to have lots of energy. We are all aware of the fact that childhood obesity is a serious issue in our country. But we are not talking about pushing a 60 pound child around in a stroller around town on an everyday basis.

Some posters insist that if your child gets hot and tired, it's time to call it quits for the day. I laugh, because I suspect many of those posters do no such thing; rather, that they are among the parents I have seen all over WDW losing their patience with hot, tired children either for complaining or for not keeping up.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to visit WDW yearly. For some, it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip. But if your 8-year old isn't used to the heat and the walking, too bad, you need to call it a day. Even if they want nothing more than to stay in the park and experience more. Even if letting them rest or eat or drink or escape the sun for 10 minutes every couple hours while the family gets from point A to B or while waiting for a parade to start is all they need to stay happy and rested and capable of enjoying more of their family vacation.

One poster said that using a stroller is doing what's best for YOURSELF, not your child. Seriously?? The experiences children can get in the WDW parks are priceless and create forever memories. But if yours gets tired walking, too bad. They need to leave. Because you are a terrible, selfish parent forcing your child whose feet are tired to sit comfortably and continue touring a Disney park.

Instead, you should do what one poster does and have your exhausted child "sleepwalk" back to your hotel room at night. Wear them out completely by making them walk all day... Then, if they fall asleep on the bus ride, just tell them they have no choice and lead their groggy little bodies "by the arm" across the resort and back to your room. Yes, that's what parents who have their children's best interests in mind do!

Excuse my sarcasm, but honestly, people. Do what's best for your family and don't worry about anyone elses. Every child, every family is different. Families tour differently and have different expectations and priorities. It's not anyone's place to judge someone else's choices for their family, especially something as trivial as whether or not their child is too old to be riding in a stroller at a theme park!

My seven year old will probably not be in a stroller this November. Unless she is.

 

[smidgy]

just spent a week with our 6 year old grandson at WDW. believe me, my son and DIL were commando. my grandson would've died of embarrassment before he rode in a stroller.

there are strollers for little kids, and once kids get bigger, strollers for "special needs" children.
I think strollers for special needs kids are wonderful. without" special needs", I think they are not needed. that's the whole point.

we all get tired , cranky, hot, etc. I could see age 5, even 6. people say it is no one's business. I will tell you why I think (just my opinion) why it is my business.

It's because strollers are a pain in the butt to everyone else. sorry, but it's true. we all know they are necessary at an amusement park. esp. one that caters to little children, like Disney World.

I sure as heck wouldn't want to be dragging a toddler around all day. the whole family slowing down to his pace (heck, I dislike draggin DH around all day, slowing down to HIS pace!)

but once kids are in school all day, it's kinda accepted that they are past "stroller" age.

and why does this matter to me? cause strollers are a pain to everyone else. If we put aside the minority who purposely use them as battering rams, and assume everyone using them are polite and considerate, there still are accidents. they can't be helped. you are looking one way and pushing another. I mean, you can't look forward constantly the whole day! like, with blinders on. too much to look at.
I get it.
and people change their minds about which way to walk. both the stroller pusher and the people without a stroller.

and all of this in UNDERSTOOD. it's disney. there are parents with little kids in strollers.. you try to look out for them and vice versa. but you throw in kids ages 7, 8, etc. in the mix, now you have multiplied the amount of strollers.

buses: strollers take up room. less people get on the bus.

these are just my observances.

I really have don't care how you raise your children and it IS none of my business. if you put it on a public message board, you get opinions. my opinion is an 8 year old is too old to sit in a stroller. strollers are for toddlers and preschoolers. but you raise your children however you want.

but when the amount of strollers seems to have risen by 33% (just my number, not a Stat) it does get very annoying to everyone else.
if your child is too big to fit in a stroller, they dont' need a stroller anymore. unless they have special needs. misusing the special needs strollers actually hinders things for those families who actually do needspecial needs strollers(those families with children with physical disabilities, children with autism, etc).

this is my personal opinion, not an attack on anyone. and my reasoning why so many people are irritated by something that seemingly is none of their business.

 

[luvmy3]

8 years old? That's a third grader?

Here 8 year olds are 3rd and 4th graders.

The "logic" they use doesn't even make sense most of the time.

I disagree, the logical conclusion is that an 8 year old is perfectly capable of walking around WDW all day. Its logical to think that an 8 year old can take a break when they get tired. Its logical to think that parents can re-arrange their schedule to accomodate their 8 year old child. Its logical to think an 8 year old doesn't belong in a stroller because an 8 year old is not a baby and shouldn't be treated like one.

I opened this thread because I have an 8 year old. I've also raised 2 other 8 year olds. So yeah when I see stroller for an 8 year old its hard not to be judgmental, I do have some experience and know what an 8 year old can do

 

[rainynight]

Here 8 year olds are 3rd and 4th graders.



I disagree, the logical conclusion is that an 8 year old is perfectly capable of walking around WDW all day. Its logical to think that an 8 year old can take a break when they get tired. Its logical to think that parents can re-arrange their schedule to accomodate their 8 year old child. Its logical to think an 8 year old doesn't belong in a stroller because an 8 year old is not a baby and shouldn't be treated like one.

I opened this thread because I have an 8 year old. I've also raised 2 other 8 year olds. So yeah when I see stroller for an 8 year old its hard not to be judgmental, I do have some experience and know what an 8 year old can do

I agree with your response. We have been to Disney World twice, once when our son just turned 2 and then to celebrate his 4th birthday, neither time did we use, or even thought we needed, a stroller. There is a lot of walking for sure, but not straight walking, there's breaks for lines and rides so it's not constant movement.

WDW is jam packed wtih strollers, so much that it's hard to walk around at times. And it seems a large number of those are used for kids who are plenty big enough to walk. Of course on the other spectrum we have a large number of adults on scooters. No wonder obesity is such a concern, people view walking as a bad thing these days. It's okay for a child to wear themselves out phyically...in fact it's a good thing. It's called exercise.

I think anything beyond age 5 is way too old, and even that is really pushing it.

 

[nchulka]

Here is why another parent pushing around an complaining 8 year old in a stroller affects me. It's because as we all know children are the future of this country. What kind of future leaders will we have who have been raised think they should be made comfortable all the time, that everyone else lives and breathes to make them happy, that whenever they are tired/hungry etc all they have to do is start whining about it and they will be instantly given whatever they want to again return them to a state of being constantly happy and comfortable?!?! A parents JOB is to teach kids that sometime things are hard, but you keep going! I can just imagine if today's generation of parents lived 200 years ago, "Oh, yes, let's go explore the west and settle it! Oh, but all 15 if our kids will need their own private horse to ride on, because how can they possibly be expected to WALK across several states of endless prairie and forests. I just couldn't bear to listen if any of them were unhappy and started to complain" Good thing our ancestors were A LOT tougher than we are, I fear for our future

 

[rainynight]

Another thought. We had a few days of heavy rain during our Disney trip last month and our son wanted to ride the teacups, so we walk over to it in the pouring rain (I love rain so that didn't bother me), but when we got there the whole area was jam packed with people and their strollers trying to stay under cover, so much that although there was no line to actually get on the ride, there was no way we could get to it without pushing people and their strollers out the way. The same thing happened at stores and restaurants, the outside was packed with people and their multiple strollers trying to stay dry and completely blocking off the entrance to everyone else. It was like 1 person for every 3 strollers.

Monorails...not enough room for people since it's mostly filled with strollers.

Save the strollers for babies, as soon as they start walking they don't need them.

 

[rainynight]

Here is why another parent pushing around an complaining 8 year old in a stroller affects me. It's because as we all know children are the future of this country. What kind of future leaders will we have who have been raised think they should be made comfortable all the time, that everyone else lives and breathes to make them happy, that whenever they are tired/hungry etc all they have to do is start whining about it and they will be instantly given whatever they want to again return them to a state of being constantly happy and comfortable?!?! A parents JOB is to teach kids that sometime things are hard, but you keep going! I can just imagine if today's generation of parents lived 200 years ago, "Oh, yes, let's go explore the west and settle it! Oh, but all 15 if our kids will need their own private horse to ride on, because how can they possibly be expected to WALK across several states of endless prairie and forests. I just couldn't bear to listen if any of them were unhappy and started to complain" Good thing our ancestors were A LOT tougher than we are, I fear for our future

That pretty much sounds like the current generation of adults.