Stroller for a 6 year old ?

[hsmamato2]

also another 2cents.... I think renting a stroller at those crazy prices for a 6 year old is kind of a waste of $$$ (I know,IMHO) I'd much rather buy a 15.00 umbrella stroller than pay 18.00 rental a day for a stroller, plus I was thinking about the long resort walks back.....

 

[WantToGoNow]

Do they even make cheap umbrella strollers that hold a 6 year old? Most have a 35-40 lb weight limit. If you are sure you need it, at least get one he will fit in and won't be hard to push. My dd10 sat in one of the park singles (it was abandoned at DHS at closing) when she was 5 and she was too tall - her head hit the canopy and she was quite crowded.

 

[flutterby3744]

I agree with PP that a cheapy umbrella stroller probably won't cut it. If your child is above the weight limit, it will likely break. In my experience they are fairly hard to push with a larger child, and there is no storage space. I have a 6 year old too, and honestly, the thought of bringing a stroller never crossed my mind. At that age they are plenty old enough to walk. However, we go at our kids' pace. It's it not important to us to run at breakneck speeds to the next attraction. We're a smell the roses kind of family. But only you know your child. If walking would be a constant issue, then do what's right for you. I would definatly recommend renting a park stroller though!

 

[Disneylover99]

Do they even make cheap umbrella strollers that hold a 6 year old? Most have a 35-40 lb weight limit. If you are sure you need it, at least get one he will fit in and won't be hard to push. My dd10 sat in one of the park singles (it was abandoned at DHS at closing) when she was 5 and she was too tall - her head hit the canopy and she was quite crowded.

My six year olds did fine in a cheap umbrella stroller. I will admit, they looked a bit too big for them, but honestly, the umbrella strollers got us from point A to B quickly. Plus my goal wasn't to make my kids too comfortable or they would never want out. They realized they were growing out of the stroller and it was time to walk.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I stopped pushing my kids in Disney once they turned 5. My first stroller free trip in 2011 was our best trip ever and DD was 5. Last trip before that she was 3. I wasn't as tired from lugging a stroller, diaper bag and all of those accessories. It was an awesome trip. We didn't go commando. WE enjoyed ourselves.

We did midday breaks and 6 days straight. No complaints.

 

[okeydokey]

Will a first grader fit in an umbrella stroller? I would leave it home. It is so much easier navigating crowds at Disney without a stroller.

 

[CraftyMommy]

Will a first grader fit in an umbrella stroller? I would leave it home. It is so much easier navigating crowds at Disney without a stroller.

The OP said her child was tiny. I would definitely recommend taking a cheap umbrella stroller.

 

[Hannathy]

The OP said her child was tiny. I would definitely recommend taking a cheap umbrella stroller.

She won't be able to take a cheap one. The wheels on a cheap one will buckle and it will be hard to push. The wt limit on those is the most it will hold without breaking not what won't stress it or make it hard to push.

I had a bean pole and even he stressed it to the point that the wheels were buckling in just playing with it at home. I wouldn't want to be pushing a 35 LB kid in one with the wheels buckling in. Bean pole as in he's 5'7 now and weighs 98 pounds so think what he weighed in first grade.

And he walked open to close over Easter when he was 5.

 

[okeydokey]

The OP said her child was tiny. I would definitely recommend taking a cheap umbrella stroller.

I would recommend leaving it home for a grade schooler who hasn't used one in years and can walk. Strollers are a hassle in the parks, especially in summer crowds.

 

[wallawallakids]

We just took a trip in Feb and I was really worried about not bringing a stroller for our 6 year old twins. (By the way, they are tiny as well. They were premature and right now DD weighs 32lbs….so she is also a peanut). I was concerned they would be tired and not be able to keep up with big sister and brother, and I was worried about not having a place to stuff our stuff! The last time we were in the parks they were only 4, and we had a single stroller with a board on the back. In the end I decided to rent one, but leave it in the hotel and try without it first. BEST THING I EVER DID!! They did great. We made it from park opening to park closing and they walked the whole time. No complaints. AND it was so much easier without a stroller! I have always had a stroller when we went to Disney before so I had no clue how great it would be to not have one. NO going back to pick it up from where we parked it, no trying to squeeze through crowds and stores with it, no folding it back up and emptying it out to get on the bus. Ahhhh….so much better…so much easier. Not at all what I expected.

Orlando strollers rents some nice ones, so if you wanted to try it and leave it as a back up in your room you can. You would have a safety net if your kiddo did need it but seriously, don't be afraid to ditch it. I wish I hadn't been so worried about it because it really did make our trip so much better not having to deal with it. Good luck!

 

[stobaugh6]

We went to the zoo last week and bought a cheap stroller for our 4 year old from Walmart. It was awful. I'm short, barely 5'3", and I had to lean over to push it. It was hard to push after awhile too. And very hard to turn. I'm so glad I realized this before out upcoming Disney trip. I have a 1 year old as well, so we are going to invest in a decent double stroller. My suggestion would be spend a little more and buy a decent stroller for your 6 year old. Your back will thank you!

 

[smashing]

We went last year when our kids were 5&7. There would be no way either of them would have sat in a stroller. They loved walking around and checking everything. We just made sure to stop and sit for about an hour over lunch each day to re-charge. Neither of them complained at all

 

[Juliet25]

No, I wouldn't bring a stroller for a 6 year old. When my girls were 1 and 5 (almost 6), we had a double stroller and my oldest hardly ever used it. On our last trip, the 1 year old was 4 and she didn't need it then.

 

[brymolmom]

I have a tends-to-be-whiny now 10 year old...So I can see the temptation to just get one to keep a child quiet. But then I thought about it and I really shouldn't be bringing a child who should be walking to a fun, expensive holiday if they are just going to ruin it with whining...Not only that - after age 5, it would start significantly impacting the trip for the family (mom and dad get more tired and exhausted from pushing around strollers - especially umbrella ones that are tough to navigate around crowds)...So I made the rule that there would be no stroller at WDW after age 5. SO GLAD I did that. She was old enough to walk on her own...OR choose to take a break (she only did that option once on her first big trip at age 6). Good lesson for us both...Start treating her like her age...and make her more responsible for herself and less whiny...and stop allowing myself the 'crutch'.

Only things I'll disagree with pp's...A healthy 6 year old (not talking about any with hidden issues that make them special in some way) does NOT 'need' a stroller...THey might want one and the parent might want one too. But it is up to the parent to decide if that want is enough to warrant it.