Stroller for older kids

[kandb]

I am still bring a umbrella stroller for my 7 year old, since he sometimes tires easily. It's a good idea, since the heat is a lot for the children.

 

[kandb]

Just an FYI, renting a stroller from Disney is ridiculously expensive.

 

[rideswithchrist]

The sheer amount of things you carry when you have young kids (snacks, drinks, jackets, sunscreen, etc.) make a stroller so nice to have on a day trip. Not to mention the actual child. My kids are petite, but they get heavy fast!

THIS! So very much this. We pack a lunch in and my kids were allowed to buy one item per day- being children, they did not want them sent to their room.
I was so nice to not have to have a backpack for autograph books, lunch bags, water bottles, wet ponchos and hats that were on/off/on/off/on/off.
We will be bringing a stroller, a single this time only so the kids can swap off and put stuff in it.
We had a double for a 2 (almost 3) and 4 (almost 5) YO and they both rode all the time. Hubs is a fast walker and said "get in" and we went to the next spot.
For ME- we could zoom out of there after hours and not wait for the bus because we had kids in stroller and on shoulders and we booked it.

That said, this next trip, I be 27 weeks pregnant so we will take it much slower, so the stroller will be left at the camper in the morning and we will pick it up after the mid-day break. The disney strollers looked cumbersome to push and not very comfortable- we rented from Apple Scooters.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thanks everyone, I've really appreciated all the info and especially the details as to why for your family a stroller was great/a pain/not needed... this was exactly what I was looking for! And I'd love to hear more if anyone else has more to add!

Anyone go without a stroller and then end up renting one later in the day/trip?

@DSLRuser thanks for the follow-up with more info, it was helpful to better understand the downsides and I know you weren't picking me!

We played it by ear after my DGD was 6. I think we rented a Disney Stroller one or two days when we had long days planned. Last August we rented Disney Strollers for the little 5 and 6 YO a few times. It was wicked hot in AK, and those kids were melting, so I was glad we had it towards the time we decided to pack it up and leave. We also rented on in MK once or twice, and once in DHS. Thank Goodness because we got caught in torrential downpours each time, so the girls at least had a place to sit.

I would decide what works for you once you get there.

 

[mshanson3121]

I'm looking for advice on strollers for older kids. DD(8) and DS(6) haven't ridden in a stroller for a long time but I'm considering it for summer WDW trip because I've heard it's a lot of walking and I'd much rather push a kid then carry one or listen to non-stop whining about walking. But it's hard to think about a stroller with an 8 year old...

So if we go for it, I'm thinking we'd just do the Disney ones because those should fit the older kids. Reading through the threads I'm thinking single because people seem to indicate doubles are harder to maneuver in the parks.

But I'm really interested in others thoughts/advice on the topic, this will be our first trip to the parks! Thanks!

Oh goodness. You're opening a can of worms by asking people about strollers for older kids... From what I've seen, some people have REALLY strong opinions about this topic.

To answer your questions, I'd say that, given the ages of your kids, I'd do a Disney stroller based on the day and your kids' energy level/needs - perhaps you won't need one on Day 1 of your trip, when everyone has energy to spare, but as the vacation wears on and the kids are a bit footsore before the day even begins, rent one and see how it goes. (Some 6 or 8 year olds will refuse to get into a stroller. Others are perfectly happy to climb in and rest their aching feet. You know best what your kids will do!) If that's what it takes for you to have a sane, whining-free trip, go for it. A single is definitely easier to maneuver. Remember that the Disney strollers are all identical - probably wise to bring something bright (scarf, ribbon, etc) to tie to the handle so you can spot it among all the other Disney strollers in stroller parking.

Have a magical trip.

^^This was great advice. Our children were 8 & 5, and trust me, there were times the 8 year old used the stroller too. We too went in the heat of summer and he enjoyed having some shade, and also a place to sit when he got really tired. He rarely ever sat in it while we were pushing him, but he did use it for a resting place.

 

[North of Mouse]

Forget about the haters!

Really? Haters?

Posters have been giving opinions (which was asked for), but haven't seen any 'haters'! It's been 'strong opinions' - for and against. That's the way discussion boards usually go. The OP doesn't seem upset at all - seems to know how to take other's opinions with a grain of salt.

 

[johncostas]

I am totally agree with quagmire. Play it by ear and what your kids can handle.