Stroller for older kids?

[ellismom]

We've done Disney twice before with our two kids when they were younger and always did a double stroller rental. Next time we go they will be 8 and 5 and over the weight capacity for a double stroller. Suggestions? I thought about a single with the stand on board but my son is over the weight limit for that as well. He is about 50 pounds now and we aren't going for another year. We go allllll day long to the parks and think we'll still need a stroller for Epcot and evenings even though they're older. Thanks in advance!

 

[Habbott]

The summit x3 has a weight limit of 70lbs. But...depending on when you're going, I would wait to see if you even need it.

 

[Nancyg56]

I also would wait and see. The older one may revolt at being asked to use the stroller. I used a double when the girls were 5 and 6 and it was HOT, but if I tried to ask the 8 YO to use one now, she would die. I am not suggesting it is wrong, but that at that age, children usually want to walk.

 

[jo-jo]

We are looking for a stroller for younger kids and thinking of sit and stand. But in my limited research,people are saying those hook on boards are a pain.

The child standing getting in the way of the handle bars and parents are tripping over the boards, so I'm giving up on that idea.


Just to add another thought, could you get a single good stroller and the kids can switch???

I could see at the end of the night possibly, pushing the 8 yr old and carry the 5 yr old.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

We used a sit and stand when my boys were 8 and 5 and it worked out great. Most of the time they both walked, but it was nice to have the option at the end of a long day.

 

[Calee]

We just got back. My boys are 8, 6 and 4. We did not take a stroller, and instead had a gift card and rented a double in the park most days. It was great bc with my kids ages we had no need for a stroller outside the parks. We didn't have to store it in our room or load it on the bus.
It doesn't look very babyish, and all my kids enjoyed taking a turn when they were tired. We also didn't get it until we needed it, and I wasn't sure we would so it was nice to not have it when we didn't need it, and to have it when we did. If you park hop you can take your ticket to any other park and get a stroller there same day and not pay again. It worked other great.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

Mine are 7 and 4 and we use a sit and stand stroller if we are waking long distances and if mommy needs to get there faster than the little legs are willing to walk. "Ooh look a squirrel!"

I would not bring this on vacation because i am not hauling a 25 pound stroller on and off the plane, bus, anywhere. Add 75 pounds worth of children to that and I will add that I am not pushing 100 pounds in the Florida heat.

I am bringing my 10lb easy to fold stroller for my 4 year old. If my older one needs a break she can take a turn too.

Echoing Nancy's comment, My older one would have to be very tired to resort to sitting in a stroller "like a BABY".

 

[ellismom]

I think we will just rent a single. I am pretty much thinking of sprinting to catch the bus at the end of the night-nothing like seeing yours pull away and waiting another 20 minutes with sleeping kiddos. My son and I also have a medical condition which makes it pretty impossible for me to carry either kid or for him to walk as much as Disney necessitates. Trust me, he will be booting his little sister out of that stroller! No worries about what he looks like, he's on the spectrum and doesn't tend to worry about things like that.

 

[kohlby]

Sounds like a single will make sense as long as you are travelling with another adult. At 5, it seems like half the kids don't need one from reading these boards. Two of my kids didn't need on at that age. One did due to sensory issues. Physically, he would have been fine walking. If you think your 5 year old will walk most of the time, then you'll have the stroller for your eldest. The worse case would be the other adult carrying the 5 year old and you push the 8 year old.

If you are not travelling with another adult, then I'd rethink the double.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

You can rent a double for each child, increases the weight capacity. Not sure if this answers what you are asking though.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Sounds like a single will make sense as long as you are travelling with another adult. At 5, it seems like half the kids don't need one from reading these boards. Two of my kids didn't need on at that age. One did due to sensory issues. Physically, he would have been fine walking. If you think your 5 year old will walk most of the time, then you'll have the stroller for your eldest. The worse case would be the other adult carrying the 5 year old and you push the 8 year old.

If you are not travelling with another adult, then I'd rethink the double.

OMG! A 5 year old can walk WDW without a stroller? My 7yo (who does have slightly low muscle tone) cannot still.

 

[roseaster]

I think we will just rent a single. I am pretty much thinking of sprinting to catch the bus at the end of the night-nothing like seeing yours pull away and waiting another 20 minutes with sleeping kiddos. My son and I also have a medical condition which makes it pretty impossible for me to carry either kid or for him to walk as much as Disney necessitates. Trust me, he will be booting his little sister out of that stroller! No worries about what he looks like, he's on the spectrum and doesn't tend to worry about things like that.

Have you considered renting a special needs stroller? Their weight capacities are higher. If you check on the DISabilities board I think there may be links to companies that rent them.

 

[roseaster]

OMG! A 5 year old can walk WDW without a stroller? My 7yo (who does have slightly low muscle tone) cannot still.

Yes. All 5 of my children, no disabilities or medical problems have all walked the parks at age 5. 5 is our cut off age for strollers. 4 we will bring a stroller that you can use if you want. 5 you are walking.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Yes. All 5 of my children, no disabilities or medical problems have all walked the parks at age 5. 5 is our cut off age for strollers. 4 we will bring a stroller that you can use if you want. 5 you are walking.

That literally amazes me. Good for you guys no doubt (or is it good)? LOL

 

[Thing 1]

Sounds like you 8 year old has some special needs that make a stroller much more desirable. I think that fact changes a lot. Many if not most 5 year olds I know DO need a stroller at least part of the day. Mine refused one at 5, but he is the exception. I would either budget to rent in the park or rent from an outside company. Outside company will give you a more comfortable option. We let our boys decide when they no longer wanted a stroller. Now if they still wanted pushed at 12???? But at 5-6-7 even 8....it would have been ok with me

 

[mjkacmom]

That literally amazes me. Good for you guys no doubt (or is it good)? LOL

Of course it is good. I think the majority of 5 years olds would be okay without a stroller. We walked miles in miles in DC with a 6 year old (very tiny). Monument to monument, museums, zoo - no sitting down on rides, just walking and standing. It never even occurred to us to bring a stroller.

 

[roseaster]

That literally amazes me. Good for you guys no doubt (or is it good)? LOL

I'm not sure why. I don't know any kindergartners who still use a stroller. Special needs, notwithstanding. I also on't know why it wouldn't be good? I mean, I am fairly sure typical 5 year olds walk and run and play. I would actually think it would be odd to have a 5 year old who didn't have more energy than me in WDW.

Sounds like you 8 year old has some special needs that make a stroller much more desirable. I think that fact changes a lot. Many if not most 5 year olds I know DO need a stroller at least part of the day. Mine refused one at 5, but he is the exception. I would either budget to rent in the park or rent from an outside company. Outside company will give you a more comfortable option. We let our boys decide when they no longer wanted a stroller. Now if they still wanted pushed at 12???? But at 5-6-7 even 8....it would have been ok with me

This is why I suggested a special needs stroller. They are a little larger and will accommodate a larger child. I don't know if they come in doubles, but I would think that at those ages the kids could switch off. I know there are companies that do rent special needs strollers. I am not sure whether the cost is comparable to other rentals, but it may be worth the OP checking it out. I would think that it would be more comfortable for her to push a stroller designed to accommodate a larger child, rather than push a stroller that was over or near the weight limit.

 

[kohlby]

That literally amazes me. Good for you guys no doubt (or is it good)? LOL

Some 5 year olds do need them. From what I've seen on these boards over many years, it's about half. It's not the exception to not need one or to need one. It can go either way at 5. (Most need it at 4 - though not all. Most don't need one at 6 - but again, not all. These ages all consider kids without any special needs however). None of my three needed one physically at 5, though one needed it still emotionally. We do walk a lot in the parks, but we've never had an issue with our kids not being able to handle it physically once they were 5. It probably helped that we told them that we would leave the park as soon as one was acting like we needed to so they tried harder. My eldest had a phase where he complained about any walking normally. But he did an amazing job keeping up with us in the parks and didn't complain at all. He didn't want to be the reason we left the parks early. The walking in the parks isn't the same as going for a long walk because there are breaks in there. There's sitting down for rides, attractions, and to eat. There are distractions that make you forget how much you're walking. My oldest two didn't want a stroller at 5. My youngest needed one due to his sensory issues. At 6, we didn't tell him we brought the stroller with us. (It stayed in our car). We wanted to see if he could handle it without and he could. We didn't have a cut-off age specifically but we never did a double and the kids have three years apart each. So it was the baby in the sling and the 3 year old in the stroller and the 6 year old walking. Or the 2 year old in the stroller, with the 5 and 8 year olds walking. The only time we really nudged a child out was with my youngest because we thought he was ready. It was so much easier to not have to worry about a stroller.

 

[JanBlessed]

To me, it all depends on 1- the attitude of the older child. Some eight years olds act more mature than others and 2- how many adults are going. I took my stroller when my son was 4 and only used it at the very end when leaving the park. There were 3 adults and a teen with me, and took turns carrying him for a bit. Most of the time (80%) he walked! I was surprised!

P.s. My parents reminded me, every half hour, that they suggested leaving the stroller. Needless to say, that was the last time, until my daughter was born two years later.

 

[kjw42]

We brought a cheap, lightweight stroller for our 3 year old. Our 7 year old did use it from time to time and it held her just fine. She would have be fine walking but it was nice to be able to give her a rest and keep moving. Also, it made it much easier to put who was ever slowing down in for a ride when we had to be somewhere quickly.