Stroller for older child

[Lenae]

When we go to Disneyland, DS will be newly 7 and DD will be newly 5. This is a year + a few months away. Am I totally crazy to consider bringing my stroller/renting one? Both of my children are very small, DS6 is under 40lbs currently and DD4 is under 30lbs. DD isn't much of a walker, she tires easily and has short legs. I do plan on walking with them a lot starting this spring, gradually lengthening our walks, to build muscle and endurance. But I just don't want to end up packing a 30-35lb dead weight for two hours at the end of each night.

 

[sherilaine]

When we go to Disneyland, DS will be newly 7 and DD will be newly 5. This is a year + a few months away. Am I totally crazy to consider bringing my stroller/renting one? Both of my children are very small, DS6 is under 40lbs currently and DD4 is under 30lbs. DD isn't much of a walker, she tires easily and has short legs. I do plan on walking with them a lot starting this spring, gradually lengthening our walks, to build muscle and endurance. But I just don't want to end up packing a 30-35lb dead weight for two hours at the end of each night.

If you are in doubt you could always get there, and if you find you need it, you could rent one. That saves you from bringing your own. Or if bringing your own is not an issue, then you could always leave it in the room if you find you don't need it. Sounds like it's a long way off so you never know what the situation will be by then. Strollers are very popular at DLR, many people using them there, even though they might never use them in their day to day life.

 

[smiles33]

I know folks have varying opinions on strollers for older kids, so let me just say you should do what's best for your family. I took a double stroller for my 2 and 5 year olds and again when they were 3 and 6. It made us SO much more efficient because we could travel much faster than a 2/3 year old can walk and my girls were happy all day because they weren't tired/cranky.

If you do want/need a stroller for larger kids, I'd recommend getting one with air-filled tires. I brought a double stroller for my 3 and 6 year olds at DLR last year and it was a real workout pushing 70+ pounds. I brought a Bob Revolution and it was totally worth it. It was so much easier to push than a stroller with the "plastic" tires like what I had on the Baby Jogger City Mini double I brought on our first trip.

HTH!

 

[momjeeps]

I was excited that we were going to have our first no stroller trip. Our youngest will be 9!!! I mentioned that we weren't taking it and he frowned! He too is small for his age, but I think he has his the 60 lbs mark.

Then everyone says, what about snacks and water and jackets? So I guess I'm pushing a stroller with no kid in it most of the time. Evidently the rest of the family is not ready to let go of the stroller. Oh well I think I'd feel naked without something to push anyway.

We will likely leave it parked much of the time while we are in and "land" and move it when we move.

I say err on the side of taking it if it's not to difficult to do. Like others said you can leave it at the room or in the car for just in case. If you plan afternoon breaks maybe try the mornings without and take in back with for the evening when the kid(s) tend to start tiring.

 

[jenpace]

I say err on the side of taking it if it's not to difficult to do. Like others said you can leave it at the room or in the car for just in case. If you plan afternoon breaks maybe try the mornings without and take in back with for the evening when the kid(s) tend to start tiring.

^^^This. If you can bring your own, you'll avoid having to return a rental at the end of a very long day when your kids will appreciate the stroller the most. Carrying tired, heavy kids at the end of the day on the way back to the hotel is no fun for anyone. One of my favorite pictures of my husband and youngest daughter is of him carrying her when she was 3 years old on his shoulders to the hotel at the end of long DL day and she's fast asleep up there (he's 6'6" tall). After that trip we always brought the stroller

 

[YukonMommy]

Take a stroller!! Even if your kids do not ride in it until the end it is handy for jackets, drinks and snacks. On a side note...put a thin blanket underneath to help save your spots for parades, shows, etc.

 

[trill]

I won't go without mine and my 5yo kid barely fits in it (49in and 54lbs). Undoubtedly, she takes a nap in it at least once before we head out to the car. It is very handy!

At Christmas, her 8yo cousin came along and I had them both in it! 100lbs to push but it was doable(and it was only for brief stints). Disneyland and CA have no hills really. The 8yo took a nap in it too. Plus it holds all the snacks and jackets and autograph books!

It's better than her walking, with me saying "Go this way...get over here...dont bump into those people please...dont run ahead sweetie...not left...go right go right...the other right...that line is too long...Please come back this way..no you cant have a churro...cmon keep walking... we'll go on that one later...dont make me pick you up...we are losing the group...arghhh"

With a stroller all I say is "Get in, we're going" and she can enjoy the view.

 

[deanimal]

I agree that you should do whatever feels right for you. I recently went with just me and my five year old and the stroller was a huge help. I often parked it for long periods and just used it to move from land to land. I'm also not looking forward to the day we have to give up the stroller since it's so handy to store water bottles, jackets and all our other stuff. I may be still bringing it with me after our kids are grown just to have the handy rolling storage locker!

I've never really understood the appeal of rental strollers, though. The time you need them most is getting from the park to the hotel at the end of the day. I've never found it to be a hassle to fly with a stroller. I use mine as a handy luggage trolley that they let you bring right to the gate. The only thing I probably wouldn't do is bring a double. I have one since my kids are close in age but I find it too cumbersome for anything but going for walks in my neighbourhood. I couldn't imagine navigating narrow walkways at Disneyland with one although plenty of people manage it.

One idea might be to take your kids for a full day somewhere close to home like a zoo or a local fair. Spend the whole day walking around and see how your kids are doing. If you need a stroller there, you'll be happy to have one at Disneyland!

 

[christinaspring]

I always bring one for my 7 yr old DD. It's convenient for those late nights when she's exhausted, and even more convienent during the day when it holds all our "stuff".

 

[wallawallakids]

My vote is to bring one, just in case. We are going in a few weeks and I rented a single for our 6 year old twins. I probably will not need it, but my thought is that it is better to have in case I do. My plan is to try the first day without it and if it is just awful I will have Dh run back to the hotel and grab it. I anticipate they will need it more in the evening when we have been going all day and have to get back to the hotel. (We are staying at the DLH so not a huge walk, but still a walk)

Our last trip to WDW we had just a single and it was still a little rough. (granted they were only 4 then). I feel we can make it work with a single again though and force them each to take turns walking. My oldest two could walk the entire time in the parks by 7 so I have a hard time not comparing the twins to the older two. (Granted, they had to, because I had the twins in a stroller already and no way was I getting two doubles!!!)

So I do feel like I baby the younger two a bit and that I do need to toughen them up. But I also realize they have to keep up with the older two and I don't want to ruin the fun by rushing them to keep up, or having them be cranky and too tired to enjoy the parks, or doing more than they really physically can. So I am going to play it by ear and have the stroller in case. Good luck!

ETA: I used city strollers for our rental and they had some really great rates and you get them delivered to your hotel room. I hate flying with a stroller.

 

[seagodess]

Do what feels right for you. Like others said, you could bring it and leave it in the hotel room if you change your mind.
Personally I wouldn’t. I am a minimalist though. I hate having a bunch of stuff to lug around. If it doesn’t fit in our pockets or my small over the shoulder purse, it doesn’t go. I don’t want to have to worry about anything that isn’t attached to my body except DS. We specifically waited to go to DL until DS was old enough to walk the majority of the time himself. We took him for his 5th birthday 2 years ago. I got him ready by doing long walks months ahead of time. During our trip, he did great. He did get a few piggy back rides from DH, but for the most part he walked.

 

[Lolsmum]

Honestly, do what works for you.

When I was little, there were almost never kids above 3 in a stroller there, but now it seems to be fairly routine.

Just try not to hit people with your stroller if you use one. I was tempted to rent one for my then 5 year old just to stop her getting hit by people who didn't seem to notice a small child in front of their stroller.

 

[Dot2Vegas]

I agree, you have to do what's right for your situation! It doesn't matter what any of us say if your not doing what makes you happy! With that being said, I would not bring a stroller. But I am one of the ones who was ecstatic about my twin DDs growing out of the their stroller! I prefer to tour Disney with as little as possible. Our girls were 3 or 4 when we stopped the stroller. The first non stroller visit was a little tough but we paced ourselves and took plenty of little breaks!

 

[BayGirl22]

I'd wait until a few months before your trip and test them at smaller amusement parks or other all day excursions. How tired are they at the end of the day, do they complain, can they keep up walking or do they slow down the group, do they wander off or stay with you? All of those would influence my decision and you can't really tell physical and mental maturity with a kid until you get closer.

Mine are 2.5 and 4.5 and we use a double at Disney and still sometimes at home. The 4yo still naps at school, so at Disney they both nap in the stroller. That makes a huge difference in our day, we don't go back to the room most days. Also it allows us to stay out later because they sleep in the stroller if they get tired and DH and I can child swap. But my kids have always been super flexible with sleeping anywhere, and I'm a stroller person in general.

If you do need one you can probably get away with renting just a single from a place like CityStrollers. That's easier than dealing with the park rentals because you'll have it the whole trip, in your room, to use as needed. They have Baby Jogger City Miny GTs and Bobs, both of which are better for bigger kids. The Disney rentals are more of a hassle to me and don't cover to/from the hotel, and I would prefer a more full featured/better push stroller than an basic umbrella that is a b*(&% to push.

 

[starshine514]

Your youngest will be the age when we stopped bringing one. We stopped when she was about 5 1/2 (and should have stopped sooner, but she loved her stroller at Disneyland). I'm truly glad to be free of it. No more kids arguing about the stroller (yes, her 7 yr old sister always wanted in, too - we ditched the double a while back, too heavy to be pushing almost 80+ lbs of kids in). Everybody just walks now, and it's actually very nice to have the freedom of having everything with you (no backtracking, just keep up with the backpack). So, you could really go either way with it. Don't feel bad if you decide to take it, but don't hesitate to leave it at home if you feel it's unnecessary. You'll be fine either way.

 

[Mrs.Goofy]

I personally dislike strollers and avoid using them when ever possible. Baby normally goes on the back. 3yo is expected to walk most of the time.
5yo and 7yo do walk. And they carry their own stuff too. Like their sweatshirts get tied around their waist.
That being said, I will be renting a stroller for my next trip.

 

[crystal1313]

I agree with the PP's, do what is right for your family. =)

DS5 and DS4 still use strollers in the park. Last trip in December, we walked almost 11 miles in one day (and DH and I felt like we didn't walk all that much compared to a normal trip). After realizing just how much we walked, we were ok with DS5 in a stroller. We had been pushing him to walk because we really wanted to be down to only one stroller. DS5 walked a good chunk of the time, but at the end of the night he was happy to have his stroller, and so were we. Neither one of us wanted to carry our 50lb boy back to the hotel.

Like others have said, we usually just park ours in a central location. Tomorrowland near Star tours for that side of the park. And ROA for the other side of the park. Then of course take them with us if we park hop. DS4 almost always falls asleep in his stroller at the end of the night. Sometimes walking through the parks with a stroller can be a pain, but I am always really cautious of others and make a huge effort to never hit anyone, even the people who walk right in front of me and stop. Have a great trip!

 

[L2S2C]

My kids are 5, 5, 6, 8 & 10 and I bring a stroller and will continue to do so for a few years. Having the younger ones in a stroller allows them to not wear out as fast as they would if they were walking all day, and I can carry all their "stuff" easily.

 

[Pastalady]

We didn't bring one for our 4 year old DD. We knew we could rent there. We did 3 whole park days and on the fourth we could see she needed a break. So we rented one. I think this trip we will rent one in the evenings if anything. We do take plenty of breaks. I do carry a back pack now and miss having a stroller to put stuff in lol!

 

[DarthMole]

OP - I say wait a bit longer to make the decision. We thought we needed one when our youngest just turned 4 but after the first half day, it stayed in the room/car the rest of the trip. What a waste of space in the trunk. But every kid is different.



As for the idea of taking one with no intention of using it for kids, please don't do that anyone. The park is already very congested most days. There's not enough space for everybody to be pushing around a cart full of their junk everywhere they go. If you have a kid who needs it, that's fine, but leave it at home if all you'll use it for is storage.