Stroller for a 5 year old?

[KAPPELL]

My daughter is 5 and we are going to WDW in Oct. I have heard before that it is always good to bring a stroller with you to the parks if your child is under 6, given how big the parks are. Thoughts on this?

 

[woodkins]

I have always brought a stroller for my daughter on all of our trips (2-4 per year) and she is now almost 7. We will be brining one in Sept. and that will be the trip where we choose to continue bringing it or not. I feel safer having her in the stroller in the crowds at night & it is much easier for me to have the stroller.

 

[Hillbeans]

I would say yes. We brought our stroller for our 3 yo but traveled with my 8 year old son, 9 year old niece and 7 year old niece and all 4 of them ended up in the stroller at one point or another. I think the time of year had something to do with it because it was so hot, but the 7 yo used it just as much as the 3 yo. My SIL bought a 2 day stroller rental for our last 2 park days because of all the walking was just too much.

We have a Peg Perego stroller with a step to stand on the back so we could push 2 kids at once, which was great for them but backbreaking for us at the end of the night.

 

[laughinplace199]

We used strollers up until the kids were 5 or 6. If you think your DD will need one, then bring one. If you're not sure, I'd start off without one and see how she does. You can always rent as needed. Also Disney sells a decent umbrella stroller in the parks and resort shops.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Depends on the kid, time of year (heat) and your touring schedule. Our oldest only needed one at MK and Epcot when he was 5. Our youngest used one about 1/2 to 2/3 of the time on our trip last year. She has asthma which wears her down sometimes plus she wants to keep up with her big brothers. We just brought a cheap stroller and used it when we needed it. It took up very little room and we didn't have to worry about it getting stolen.

 

[AmyBWV99]

Take one you'll all be happier for having it even if some days all you push are your bags. It's so nice to have a place to put little ones in the dark.

 

[RMulieri]

It is a personal choice. My 5 yr old did not use one at all our last trip.But she never used one at home ever... we started her on a walking program 6 months before .She outpaced us most days and kept up with 10 hr park days.She is also an only child ,which means we stopped to rest when she wanted and didn't have to worry upsetting siblings etc.

 

[boltfans]

We were in WDW 2 weeks ago and only brought one stroller for my 2yo. My 5yo was trying to jump in it every chance she got! It was the first time we didn't bring our double stroller or a 2nd umbrella for her and she really did need time to rest. We generally only did half days in the parks, going back around 1pm to swim everyday, but it was hot and the 5yo needed a break too.

 

[VBAndrea]

I plan on either bringing or renting one for my dd who will be close to 6 at the time of our trip. She gets cranky easily and on occasion will still take a nap when overstimulated. Likewise, if she falls asleep we can just leave her in the stroller and either dh or I can stroll around with her and take in the Xmas decor while the other does attractions with our ds.

My other reason for bringing a stroller is to tote around water bottles and snacks. Much rather have them in a stroller than a backpack.

 

[PaDisney02]

I'm bringing one for my 6 yr old. Disney is too much walking for him plus its just easier for me having him the stroller, we can go at my pace. Good Luck!

 

[smithmom]

I asked this very same question a few weeks ago. I have a 3 & just about 5 year old - neither of them use strollers at home. However, I think they will be exhausted after a few hours of excitement. I'll be bringing a double stroller just incase. It think it's a great idea, if only for getting through our home airport. Many people have also said it's a nice way to get out of the parks with some control over where your kids are. And for waiting for the busses at the end of a long day. (this alone convinced me!).

Have a great trip!

 

[turkeymama]

Our first visit, my daughter had just turned 5 and we rented a double for her and my 8 year old nephew for a couple of days of a week long trip. She has always been really active and had little problems keeping up....most days. Epcot and Animal Kingdom were the ones that gave her problems, and even then it was later in the day that she got really tired.

My son is 5 this year, and he is a completely different animal. He isn't active, has low muscle tone, and never gets in a hurry, ever. I don't think he is anywhere near ready to go to Disney without a stroller.

So I guess my answer is, it depends on the kid. I would probably bring a stroller since the rental prices have gone up so much. Then if you don't need it, you can leave it in the room. Or, if you take it to the parks, you could park it in the stroller parking area that you will be closest to. If she gets tired, the stroller will be close by.

 

[veraletta]

Umbrella stroller are great for old children as they are cheap and easy to push with them in it. We used them for our grandchildren at that age, mostly in epcot!

 

[VBAndrea]

Umbrella stroller are great for old children as they are cheap and easy to push with them in it. We used them for our grandchildren at that age, mostly in epcot!

I'm glad to hear that b/c someone else told me just the opposite. I originally wanted to get my almost 6 yo a cheap umbrella stroller since we are driving down and space is essential (small car). I'm not too worried about weight issues b/c she's only about 40 pounds and I'll only use the stroller for one week.

 

[DISNEYNV]

You can also buy a Kolcraft umbrella for like 40 bucks i think at the parks if you need one. Also check the stroller swaps here on the boards! This is another great alternative to brining/ buying your own

 

[OneBoy/OneGirl]

We will be bringing a Maclaren Volo for my 5 yr old dd when we go in Sept. I bought it last year on CL for $50 for a Sept. 08 trip that had to be canceled (long story). My just turned 8 yr old will be walking, unless he just completely melts at Epcot, then we will rent him one (but we aren't telling him that beforehand). When we went in Sept. 07 we rented a double (they were 3 and 6 at the time) but the price increase since then are too high for me, so I bought the volo. We go to the parks ALL DAY and this is the only way my 5 yr old will be able to keep up. She is very sensitive to the heat.

 

[Doc CW]

My baby sister is 3 and she refuses to ride in a stroller and walks most of the trip or I carry her, which has resulted in me having a bad back. Its all good though, I split time with my Pops carring her, so there is rest in between, regardless she wont ride in a stroller.

 

[tartemis]

My baby sister is 3 and she refuses to ride in a stroller and walks most of the trip or I carry her, which has resulted in me having a bad back. Its all good though, I split time with my Pops carring her, so there is rest in between, regardless she wont ride in a stroller.

We won't be taking a stroller for my DD who will be 2 1/2 on our next trip. She never uses a stroller now, so I don't see the point. (We took one on our last trip when she was 18 months and she basically never used it.) If she needs to rest, we will rest.

My personal opinion (and I know this is the minority) is that it is better to just take the parks more slowly. I'm sorta shocked at how long kids stay in strollers these days. We are expecting #2 in a couple of months and people keep asking us if we are going to buy a double stroller -- it never even occured to me. However, I was raised this way -- neither my brother nor I used a stroller past 2.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I'm glad to hear that b/c someone else told me just the opposite. I originally wanted to get my almost 6 yo a cheap umbrella stroller since we are driving down and space is essential (small car). I'm not too worried about weight issues b/c she's only about 40 pounds and I'll only use the stroller for one week.

us

I've had plenty of people tell me not to use the cheapies too. But, we used one for DD who was 5 1/2 without any problems. She is fairly tall and average weight. I will say, it was difficult for DH, who is 6"1' to push her. But DMom and I had no troubles. In fact, DMom preferred to push as opposed to not because she is somewhat unsteady on her feet due to diabetes and this helped her with the large amounts of walking which is good for her illness. To me, it certainly wasn't worth buying a good carriage for a child who hadn't used one at home in years; I didn't want to rent as the time I needed one the most was at night getting from the bus to the resort because she would fall asleep; and I didn't want to get one from places like Orlando Strollers etc... because she was technically over the weight limit and I didn't want to break anything. Anyway, a cheap umbrella suited our needs just fine.

 

[SmallWorld71]

We won't be taking a stroller for my DD who will be 2 1/2 on our next trip. She never uses a stroller now, so I don't see the point. (We took one on our last trip when she was 18 months and she basically never used it.) If she needs to rest, we will rest.

My personal opinion (and I know this is the minority) is that it is better to just take the parks more slowly. I'm sorta shocked at how long kids stay in strollers these days. We are expecting #2 in a couple of months and people keep asking us if we are going to buy a double stroller -- it never even occured to me. However, I was raised this way -- neither my brother nor I used a stroller past 2.

This strategy can work fine if you are only traveling with 1 child or children who are all about the same age. Throw in older siblings or extended family and it likely won't work and is in fact a recipe for vacation disaster. This is a large part of why DS13 didn't really need a stroller touring WDW when he was young, but DD6 needed one last year. I'd be interested in hearing your opinion in a couple years after you have told DD over and over that she can't do something AGAIN because you are taking it slow for her little sibling. I also think the vast majority of older kids you see at WDW using strollers don't use one at home.