Stroller for a 5yo?

[onajourney]

We will be taking our kids ages 11, 9 and 5. The 5 year old never goes in a stroller anywhere we go. In fact, we don't really even own one anymore. Are we going to need one for her? I am just trying to get everything into our budget for this trip and this is one I am not sure of.

 

[jenb1023]

My 5 year old needed a stroller. We did the parks for eight days and it was just too much walking for her. Plus it was nice to have the stroller to stow water bottles, rain gear and sweatshirts on.

 

[arielmomma]

I must admit that my 5 year old still uses a stroller at Disney world. There is just so much walking that he really needs it even though he doesn't need one at home. On the other hand, I have a friend who does not use a stroller for her 5 year old and he seems to do okay. The big difference is that they do not spend as much time in the parks as we do. When we go, we go for the entire day. If this is what you intend to do, you may want to pick up an inexpensive stroller. Doing so would be cheaper than renting them daily at the parks. Besides, having a stroller is handy if your 5 year old falls asleep (like mine) while waiting for the bus at the end of the day. If you have to rent one, you'll need to leave it in the park.

 

[Luv2DressEmUp]

We took our 5 year old this past summer .We did take a stroller for her even though she never uses it at home. We were very glad to have it with us especially when she got tuckered out - even though her legs were hanging over a little!! One day we decided to leave it at the camper...we did end up renting one that day! So I'd bring one even if it just holds your stuff.

 

[Aliceacc]

Ours was absolutely indispensible last year!!! And, like your daughter, my daughter hadn't been in a stroller in YEARS!

In fact, I'm going to have to borrow it back from the niece I gave it to last year after our trip!

 

[TheAngelForever]

We rented a double stroller for our boys for our upcoming trip. My youngest will be 2 during the trip, and our oldest is 5. Typically our 5 year old does not use a stroller (has not in two years really). For Disney we figured it would be a must. He has low muscle tone and the walking at WDW is like nothing he has ever experienced. I figure it is worth it to keep them happy and not too tired.

 

[Elmo888]

I would bring or rent one for a 5 yo. I plan to bring one later this year for our 5 yo.

If you don't already have a stroller and want to save some money, look into stroller rental companies rather than Disney. This way, you can still have the stroller outside the parks, too.

Did you see this thread about Orlando Stroller Rentals?

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1995724

If you want to build up your child's stamina, get your 5 yo walking 3 or 4 times a week (it would probably benefit your other kids, too!), building up distance 6 to 8 weeks before your trip. The first time that we went, I did this with DD#1 who was 6 (almost 7) at the time, and it worked very well.

Have a great trip!

 

[all4fun]

We will be taking our kids ages 11, 9 and 5. The 5 year old never goes in a stroller anywhere we go. In fact, we don't really even own one anymore. Are we going to need one for her? I am just trying to get everything into our budget for this trip and this is one I am not sure of.

This can really vary by child and by the family's touring style. If you're ones to really like to take it slow, and stop and smell the roses a lot, then your 5yr old may not need a stroller, especially if she typically has a lot of stamina. Having said that, we did bring a stroller for your 5.8yr old in December and were glad we did. He tires easily and dh and I like to be able to 'power walk' from time to time, which is difficult to do with a young child that is dragging his heals. For us, using a stroller meant a lot less whining, so it was a sanity saver. Since ds was outgrowing that stroller anyway, we left it behind. He will be almost six on our next trip, so we aren't bringing the stroller to DL and will just rent as needed. It will be interesting to see how it goes this trip. DL is not as big as WDW though, so we hope that he will do ok w/out it. Like others have mentioned, we've been taking walks to the park and such to help build up stamina.

 

[Liltx]

I am debating also. My mother and I always take the kids. This year they will be just turned 4 and 6. I think we will take the joovy, sit and stand again and use it as needed. I plan to not use it at HS and MK and use it at AK and Epcot. I think even then we will park it for the most part and only use it for the long walks. I also thought about just taking one umbrella stroller but that will set them up for a fight and the joovy isn't that much more trouble. I leave all of the extra parts off like the cup tray, shade, etc. I plan to check it as regular baggage and let ME transport it for me. They are perfectly capable of walking through the airport and such. I am also thinking of passing it to another family before we leave and asking them to do the same for another family.

Monica