Stroller Help!

[TSirgey]

We have a dd who turned 4 in November. Our trip is in April and last year we bought a cheap Umbrella stroller with a canopy that suited our needs, but did not last through the last year. It was not the easiest thing to push and the handle is breaking. You get what you pay for!

Now we are going again this year and I am wondering if we should buy a new stroller or rent one. We are going for 10 days, so renting will get pricey. She is our only child and we will probably not have any more children, so I don't really want to buy something I won't use for a while. So, what would you do?

If I get a new stroller, I want a good one that is compact when folded, but high enough that my dh can push with ease. Also that has wheels that actually move and you don't have to kick it

Any suggestions?

 

[emilysdoody]

Will you be flying? I dont know much about Disney since it will be my first time ever going in 6 days! I am bringing my stroller from home so i wont have to pay to rent one there. Do u have someone u can borrow a stroller from? I too do not like those cheapy umbrella strollers, They suck! LOL I have a Graco I bought for 90$ I love it! Its easy to push and super easy to close. My 3 yr old loves it too

 

[left210]

I saw one of the towncar services offered stroller rentals as long as you request it ahead of time. It is $10 for an umbrella stroller and $20 for a regular size stroller. This is $10 & $20 for your entire stay not per day. That is a great deal. I am considering it myself. The strollers looked nice although it would be nice if they would invest in a Maclaren stroller for rental for parents with bigger kids. Anyway you might check it out. I think their website is www.transportation2disney.com. Also they offer free booster seat and their prices looked pretty good. We are considering this for our trip in March.

 

[Colinsmom]

Not sure what your budget is, but I'd suggest a Maclaren. The Volo is basic (the 2004 and earlier models do not come with a canopy, but the 2005's do) with no recline, but has high handles and a 55lb weight limit. It also steers like a dream, especially compared to a cheapie umbrella! You can get 2004's and earlier on eBay for about $75 or less shipped, and 2005's for about $100 shipped. Keep in mind that you can always resell the stroller and get some of your money back - unlike a stroller rental!

 

[daisylove]

Hi there
This is a popular subject lately. Try these two threads. They may help.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=734103&page=1&pp=15
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=714861&page=2&pp=15

 

[TSirgey]

We are flying out of Philadelphia at 8pm. The more I think of it, the more we will probably want a stroller for the airport. My daughter has always enjoyed riding in a stroller and will probably prefer not to walk the airport at night when she is tired.

I'm going to try to borrow one, but I will look into buying a Macleran. I can always find someone to pass it down to or sell it.

 

[TSirgey]

I put my husband on a mission to find the best deal on the Maclaren. He's a sale finding wiz. Thank you for all the input. I saw a bunch of recommendations for the Maclaren on other posts.

Thanks again!!!

 

[JennsBabySky]

Just an FYI that the 2005 Volo comes with a hood, but previous models need an additional accessory pack to get a hood (accessory pack also comes with padding). I don't know that you'll need the padding, but the hood might be nice.

 

[BevS97]

check out the volo - perfect for your needs

 

[blessedby3]

I have seen pictures of the Volo, but it doesnt look that comfortable to me. It looks like there is no support. Can anyone comment on wether my daughter, 6 1/2 right now and 42 lbs would be comfortable in this and if it will hold her weight? Does anyone else have an older child that has one of these. We will be traveling in Nov. to WDW and she will have just turned 7 and we will be going back in Dec. 2006 and I would like to use it again then. Thanks for the help.

 

[daisylove]

Hi there
I am obviously too big to give you a first hand impression on the comfort of the volo But my 5 1/2 yr old 50- lb 46 inch DD seems to really like it. She willprefer to sit in it watching tv even in the house. I have to keep it closed or she would sit in it all the time. It seems sorta like to sling them. We have a 2004 so I bought the acessory pack for the hood (a must for sun protection), the padding (She prefers it without it)and the rain sheild (I have not used because we have a larger one that covers the whole stroller just not the front) I push her with a back pack on the back and a 6pack cooler in the basket usually. So I am assuming I am pushing more then the listed 55 pounds and it is still easy. I could turn it with one hand even. I wish I found Macs when she was still a baby.

 

[TSirgey]

We got the Maclaren Volo delivered yesterday!! The 2005 model is awesome!! My daughter is 39 lbs and 41 inches and I have never seen a lightweight stroller that fits her so well. There has to be at least 6 inches above her head when the canopy is down (this was a problem with out previous stroller). She thought is was very comfortable. It seems to conform to their body. The stroller came with plenty of S hooks and a nice sized compartment under the stroller for storage. The best part of all was the height!!! The handles were high enough that my husband can push comfortably. I wish I would have found this stroller earlier! Thanks fellow Dis friends for the recommendation!!

 

[Deesknee]

I put my husband on a mission to find the best deal on the Maclaren. He's a sale finding wiz. Thank you for all the input. I saw a bunch of recommendations for the Maclaren on other posts.

Thanks again!!!

You may want to check out Albeebaby.com I first heard of them here on these boards. I got my Mac. Techno from them - then a week later ordered an travel bag for stroller. both experiences were painless. Although I was kicking myself for not ordering the bag w/the stroller as if I spent over $100 shipping was free. I had to pay the 5 bucks for shipping but I love it.

The only down fall I have found (I've only had it a couple of weeks) with the Mac Tech is the basket on the bottom is difficult to get stuff in & out of.

My DD is 18mnths & about 23lbs. 39".

Good luck.

 

[TSirgey]

You may want to check out Albeebaby.com I first heard of them here on these boards. I got my Mac. Techno from them

We ordered our Maclaren Volo 2005 Peony from barebabies.com. It was $99 with free shipping. I was surprised that it came so fast since it is brand new. We had it within a week.

 

[igitur]

If you want a cheaper stroller but well made, try the Combi Strollee. I ordered two from Target.com for $30 each. They only weigh 10 lbs and fold up extremely easy. And they hold children up to 45 lbs. Our 6 1/2 and 5 year old are small (still under 40 lbs.) so they worked out really well for us.

I think after checking around, I thought Target.com had it for the best price.

Deb

 

[daisylove]

We had a problem with the Combis being too narrow for DD 5. Try it first.

 

[Skroops]

The Combi at Target is perfect. If you gate check your stroller, you know they can get banged up fast and won't last long. The Target one is priced so that if it does get damaged, you aren't out too much money. Plus one good feature is that it doesn't have the 5 pt harness (which my toddler HATES). We didn't attach the tray to the front (he'd never use it) and it looks, pushes and pulls great. It is really light weight,folds up pretty flat and has the one hand collapse feature like Graco. At 40 bucks you can't go wrong.

 

[Skroops]

This post was talking about bigger kids and strollers and I chimed in about the great stroller Target has. I didn't consider that it is narrow because I have a toddler. The 5 pt harness wouldn't be an issue for bigger kids either because they probably wouldn't be buckled up!
Definately "try" the stoller before buying, or get measurements!