Stroller for a 6 year old?

[cm4lfie]

So here is the dilema. Last time I was at Disney, my son was 3. We areheading back in Feb and he will be six. It has been ages since he has last used a stroller and I was looking forward to avoiding the stroller parks and the inevatable hunt for the stroller after the ride/show/attraction.

Of course we dont really make him walk nearly as far as we would on a typical Disney day so... what do yall think?

Would you bring one? Rent one?

 

[Annette_VA]

Our last family trip, our boys were 5 & 7. It was our first stroller-free trip. They did fine. A little complaining here & there by the younger one, but that's normal for him.

In your case, I wouldn't take one. If you end up needing one, they sell umbrella strollers in lots of the shops.

 

[Chropistopy]

So here is the dilema. Last time I was at Disney, my son was 3. We areheading back in Feb and he will be six. It has been ages since he has last used a stroller and I was looking forward to avoiding the stroller parks and the inevatable hunt for the stroller after the ride/show/attraction.

Of course we dont really make him walk nearly as far as we would on a typical Disney day so... what do yall think?

Would you bring one? Rent one?

My opinion is that you should have a stroller (rented or otherwise). As you stated, he'll be walking a lot more than normal. It is nice to have a seat readily available. It is the worse to have a 5/6 year old complaining about how tired they are and asking (asking = whining ) to be carried. It is also nice to have a stroller for safety purposes. If you are pushing him in a stroller, then you don't have to worry (as much) about him getting separated from you in the crowd.

Not to mention, that the stroller can also work as a nice place to hang bags, etc. that you bring (or buy) when you are in the park.

I'm sure there are many that may think that he is too old to be in a stroller but I believe that if he fits and you don't mind pushing it through the park...why not???

 

[Jodijo]

I say NO! My kids have been going to DL and WDW since they were 4 years old and we never took a stroller. If they got tired, we stopped and rested. If they were really tired, we went back to the room for a nap.

I think there are way too many strollers allowed in the parks. In fact my husband and I could not even walk though Fantasy land one day because the strollers blocked the entire area from the Carousel to Perter Pan. The CM in charge, was just standing there with her hands in the air. She had no idea what to do.

So, I say strollers are for infants, toddlers, and those kidos with special needs. If you can walk and go to school, you should be able to walk in the parks.

Sorry if it sounds too harsh, but this is a topic that I am passionate about.

 

[dancin Disney style]

When my youngest DD was 6 we HAD to get a stroller for her to use at WDW. Approx 2 hours after arriving at MK she was asking to leave. It took a while to figure out that she just couldn't handle the walking. After we rented a stroller she was a totally different kid. Until that point she really was not having fun but after we put her in a stroller it became a great day.

I will agree that all kids are different and some will handle the walking just fine while others won't. So if you want to try and go without a stroller then do it and know that if you need one you can either rent one or purchase a cheap umbrella stroller.

Try taking your son on a few really long walks around the neighbourhood and see how he does.....and by long I mean well over an hour.

 

[ScotsMinnie]

I have to say I agree with the PP and would think that at 6 they are too old to be pushed in a stroller. If they are tired - let them rest. If they are shattered take them for some time out at the hotel. We push our children really far in WDW so why not just recognise their limit and build your trip around that?

 

[policycobb]

Rent him a stroller if he needs one.

 

[Smile&Nod]

You've got 4 or 5 months before you need him to be able to walk around a lot - get a "countdown to Disney" exercise program going - as a family figure out how much you need to be able to handle at Disney and work toward being able to do that. You can start out slowly (15 - 20 minute walk) and build up - you may find you can get by most of the time without a stroller that way -

 

[Jodijo]

Here is just a little of the stroller mess we came across. I would not like to be the person with the stroller in the middle of all this.

 

[chesterpdt186]

Rember their legs are shorter then yours, so take it easy walking, and try not to rush from one place or another.

I suggest a strap or backpack monkey. Less chance of separation.

 

[WaltD4Me]

All kids are different, but at six I wouldn't bring a stroller. If it turns out he needs one you can rent one. I took my niece who had just turned six, she is tiny for her age. I didn't bring a stroller, but did end up renting one on Animal Kingdom day, other than that she was fine.

 

[sjsjbrook]

My children were 4 and 6 our last trip and we rented one of disney's double strollers. (though my six year old looked like a 4 year old)

For them it was needed and perfect for us on our trip.


Now going back ten years ago when my oldest was 6, she walked everywhere, She was tall for her age and very energetic and it worked for us.


So really do what is best for you and your family, what will make you enjoy your trip.

 

[teskak]

Yup, I have rented one for my six year old and will have no reservations with it.

My reasons are:
1) It is easier to allow her to manage her energy with the stroller, but especially to try and avoid the exhausted kid melt down.

2) It seems to be a looong way from the bus stop to potentially the last room at AKL and I have no great delight in carrying a sleeping 6 year old for that distance. Ad hoc renting at the park is more expensive and will do nothing for the long walk to the bus stop and then the walk back to the hotel.

3)We are doing MVMCP and even though my plan has scheduled a quiet nap day for the day of the party, if DD6 does not sleep she will be exhausted for much of the party. The stroller lets her have a nap when she is tired and then we wake her for parade etc

4) Relaxed kid goes a long way towards having relaxed parents and no parental melt down. As an Aussie flying over, Kevin's comment is true - it really does cost $$$$ for us to get to WDW - try $7k for airfares (in coach)


And no, DD is not unable to walk all day, indeed she is much fitter than I am, but I recognise a kid is still just a kid

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

Our last family trip, our boys were 5 & 7. It was our first stroller-free trip. They did fine. A little complaining here & there by the younger one, but that's normal for him.

In your case, I wouldn't take one. If you end up needing one, they sell umbrella strollers in lots of the shops.

this was my suggestion too I really enjoyed our first trip stroller free, though beforehand I really stress how we would carry all our stuff. Turns out we didn't need all that stuff.

 

[disneyplanner76]

6 year olds are people just like you, only with less experience - so use yourself to judge.

Are you planning to go all day? Will you be tired at end of day?
Are you planning to take it easy and have a relaxing trip at Disney?

If you are a more relaxed traveler - and you can say at the end of the day you aren't completely worn out then the kids can probably handle too - even if that's not what they are used to normally, as the excitment of Disney will help them to go a little farther than normal without noticing how tired they are!

If you GO all day and you're exhausted at the end of the day - then kids will be too and they have built up far less tolerance for exhaustion at age 6 than you have as an adult, so a stroller would probably be a good idea. Though more expensive at park (and don't help with trips back to hotel) you can pick them up as you need - there are usually two or three spots in each park where you can turn in or pick up a stroller - so if you get tired of having the stroller turn it in for a while - you can always pick back up later if you need.

I say it depends on the kind of trip you have planned but I wouldn't be worried about getting stroller if you need it.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

I think it really depends on your child and you know them best. Do you think they would be likely to get tired? Will they stay with you or are you worried about getting separated in a crowd? How do you usually tour. Last time we went the kids were almost 3 and 5 and we took two strollers. This time we're taking one stroller and they can take turns in it if they need to. We're trying to take walks together to before we go and we'll try to cut down on the amount of backtracking we're doing. We'll also be going in January when it isn't as crowded or hot so I think thwt is in our favor. I have a feeling we'll need the stroller just to store all our extra layers of clothing.