Stroller Help!

[crabmeal]

For our November trip it will be me DH, DS 7 DD 2 1/2, DS 10 mos and my parents. We are driving so I plan on renting a stroller from abbf. My question is should I rent a double and if so which kind- the side by side or tandem? Im not sure which would be easier to use in the parks.I didn't buy a double when DS was born- I just make sure when I go shopping to bring another adult to push my DD. I was even thinking of renting a single and then renting in the parks for my DD. With my parents along there will be plenty of pushers. I can also picture my DS whining that he doesn't want to walk and wants a stroller too. So help me decide.

 

[baiqi]

I have the best stroller ever for multiple young kids. The Baby Trend Sit-N-Stand LX. There is a rental company in Orlando that rents baby supplies. I'm pretty sure they offer this stroller. I actually bought my stroller after borrowing a friend's for our last trip to WDW. We loved it. Very easy to get on and off the monorail and narrow enough to get through standard doorways (unlike a side-by-side).

I have three kids: DD4, DD2, and DS1. They all fit on this stroller at the same time. I take it everywhere with me. It's really built for two kids (one sits in front like a normal stroller, the other is supposed to sit on a little bench seat in back facing mom). But I put my little man in the front safely buckled in and the girls get on the back. One girl sits on the bench and one stands on the step (sometimes DD2 sits on DD4's lap). The girls are able to hop on and off as much as they want and I don't have to worry about them. It's much easier to push than those terrible DuoGliders and the kids love it. I pushed a 6 year old in it the other day. Your DS7 may even like to ride on it.

The stroller has a 90 pound weight limit and I think that my three have just about topped that weight...but I haven't had any problems with it. I love it. We get stopped all of the time by people asking where we bought our stroller.

One more thing: I have a great diaper/stuff bag that just clips to the side or handle of the stroller. It doesn't take up any space in the storage basket -- more room for other loot! It's called the Skip Hop Duo. Check it out if you are looking for a great way to keep yourself organized. You just clip in onto the stroller and go. When you get to an attraction just clip it off and use the shoulder strap to carry it like a regular bag. It's great!

That's all of my stroller advice for the day.
Good luck with your planning.

 

[daisy_77]

I'd go with a tandem...easier to navigate through the shops and crowds! Have fun!

 

[stacy6552]

If you're driving, why are you renting? why not toss what you have or soemthing new that you can use later into the car?

 

[marcij]

You mentioned maybe renting for DD at the parks. If you have sleeping children, it's much nicer to be able to stroll them around where you are staying, or out of the park to the car, rather than having to take them out to return the stroller at the park exit and carry them to the car/hotel room, so you might weigh the options of renting ahead of time for both kids, whether that is a duo or two single strollers. I have friends who would rather stroll both kids together, and some who use single strollers because they think it is more hassle having a wider/longer/heavier stroller.

Whatever you pick, remember to pack a poncho or something to cover the stroller while you are in rides/shows in case of bad weather.

Good luck, and have a great trip!

 

[crabmeal]

Thanks for the replies. Stacy I can't bring my stroller because there will be seven of us in the minivan plus luggage. We need the space on the drive down there. I think I'm going to rent a double tandem style.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I have a side by side and we love it. It fits through all doorways as doorways have to be wheelchair accessable. I have a Graco DuoGlider. The seats recline and it is lightweight. I have a 3 year old and a 17 month old and I wouldn't leave home without it.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have a side by side and we love it. It fits through all doorways as doorways have to be wheelchair accessable. I have a Graco DuoGlider. The seats recline and it is lightweight. I have a 3 year old and a 17 month old and I wouldn't leave home without it.

36 inch wide doors are the standard for wheelchair access, so if your stroller is narrowerr than that, you will have not problems getting thru doorways.
Some building don't allow strollers - 2 that come to mind are Mexico in WS and The Land in Epcot.

 

[Jaime]

I love my side by side stroller, never had a issue with it not fitting anywhere and both of my children love being able to see everything. I just can't decide if we should bring it with us on our trip or if we should rent a double in the parks. We plan on using Dinsey buses and think it will be diffcult trying to get a stroller and two chilren on a bus.

 

[rt2dz]

I have all sorts of strollers to fit different needs. I have taken just about every stroller to some type of theme park, including Disney.

I have the same sit-n-stand as baiqi and I HATE it!! Everyone I know who has it, hates it. But to each there own. I just find that it doesn't have enough space underneath, DS4 is always jumping out (no confining him), It doesn't recline enough for DS#2 when he was littler or wants to sleep, & it can be very difficult to steer.

I have a side-by-side double jogger that I LOVE! This is what we took to Disney in May and I found it to be invaluable. It can be a tight squeeze in stores when crowded and a little difficult to get through the gates at MK (no problem anywhere else). I posted some feedback on using it somewhere on this thread if you want to do a search (original thread started by tomkat(?)). However, DS#2 (currently 17 months) doesn't always like to share "his space", usually, but not always. And when he chooses to be a pain about it, everyone in a 5 mile radius notices. So, when DS#3 gets here in just 2 short months, we will be using a double tandem. So, if you get a side-by-side, make sure the kids don't mind always being next to each other.

My personal recommendation would be to rent a double for your DD & DS10 months. It is so much easier than doing two strollers, regardless of the amount of pushers, imo. I've done that before too, and it was a pain. Plus, you'll want the stroller going back and forth from the parks--you and the kids will all be exhausted. And it is a lot of walking for such a little one. Then just rent a single if you find DS7 can't handle the walking.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Now, my younger children are older than yours (ds almost 5 and dd 2.5); so this may make a difference. I've posted recently that we took 2 cheap umbrella strollers to WDW in late May. This worked WONDERFULLY. Dh (or 12 yo ds) and I could each take a stroller and not block traffic or get stuck in tight places. The strollers were lightweight and easy to fold when necessary. We also didn't have to stay together. This was a really big plus when taking the kids to the bathroom or ds went on a ride that was too old for dd. The kids were familiar with these strollers and had no difficulty catching a nap in them. Most importantly: we didn't have to worry about losing stroller. We've never had one taken on purpose at WDW (although, ironically, one was stollen at the outlets on our last day!!), but I always worry about the Maclaren.