Stroller?? Nap??

[Bellanota]

I have been reading alot here about a stroller and nap being almost required by most. I am trying to figure out now if I need to plan on both for my upcoming trip.

My Daughter will be just shy of 6 and has had season passes to Busch Gardens for two years now. We never take a stroller to Busch Gardens and we are there from open till close just about every trip with no nap. During the summer we are in the park almost every weekend so she has alot experence walking a park.

But this is Disney and its different... so a stroller really a must for a kid almost 6 and could we get away with nice rests for lunch instead of going back to take a nap? (I figure only I know my kid, but advice will be helpful)

 

[Gracie09]

We never leave for a nap. Not even when my dd was 16 months. Play it by ear if you need a stroller. You can always rent a park one on a day you may need it. Disney is much bigger than other parks and people go for longer times so day 1-3 you may be fine but after that you may find she tires out more.
We have two five year olds and are bringing our double mainly because one can walk forever but is the slowest walker known to man. Seriously. It would take her an hour to walk down Main Street not because she gets distracted but because she walks that slow. So we will put them in take them to an area, park the stroller. Do what we want to do. And then off to another area.

 

[Bellanota]

You can always rent a park one on a day you may need it.
So we will put them in take them to an area, park the stroller. Do what we want to do. And then off to another area.

I hadn't thought about either of those. We are driving so I hadnt even thought about renting one, but I will take a look into that now. See I dont own a stroller for her anymore so I would have to buy one anyhow... Good idea

Same goes for parking it and letting her explore. I was worried she would not want to sit in the stroller. She has been talking about Disney for two years now.

 

[mm1971]

I have been reading alot here about a stroller and nap being almost required by most. I am trying to figure out now if I need to plan on both for my upcoming trip.

My Daughter will be just shy of 6 and has had season passes to Busch Gardens for two years now. We never take a stroller to Busch Gardens and we are there from open till close just about every trip with no nap. During the summer we are in the park almost every weekend so she has alot experence walking a park.

But this is Disney and its different... so a stroller really a must for a kid almost 6 and could we get away with nice rests for lunch instead of going back to take a nap? (I figure only I know my kid, but advice will be helpful)

When the kids were younger, we always had a stroller. I think DD was 8 when we finally stopped bringing one. I would suggest it as there is a lot of walking, but you know you DD better than anyone else. If you think she wouldn't need or use the stroller, then skip it.

My kids never napped at age 6 when on vacation and they were fine. We would head back to the resort for a break/pool time in the afternoons. Both to cool off and avoid the busier afternoons at the park. We would rest for a few hours and head back to the parks at night. If you take a break and pace your touring, you should be OK without having to nap. It really depends on the child.

 

[MSSANDRA]

The year we went when DS was 5, he never napped. We DID take a room break most days and I would nap and he would watch TV. He really did need a break to make it to fireworks. By 7, he did not. We never took a stroller past age 4. That trip at 5, we were planning to rent in park as we needed as they fit older kids well, but we never needed one. You could just budget and rent when and if you need it.

 

[ZeroMyHero]

DD10 used a stroller when she was 4 but we never needed to go back to the resort for a nap. We did (and still do) take a day off from the parks in the middle of our trip to sleep in and enjoy the pool at our resort. That's enough to recharge us for the rest of the trip.

When DD5 was 20 months old, we went back to the room for a nap every day and of course she rode in a stroller most of the time. By the time she was almost 4, she no longer needed a nap in the room and only used the stroller some of the time, since she preferred walking. On our next trip, we will be stroller-free. So I guess we don't need a stroller past age 4 in our family, either.

 

[kohlby]

No, many kids will not need a stroller at nearly 6 even at Disney. Yes, there are some who will. If you don't think your child will need one, then you're likely correct. It seems like 5 is the point at which half the kids do and half don't. At 5, all three of my kids would have been perfectly fine without a stroller at Disney physically. However, one of my kids needs the stroller due to sensory issues so we're taking it on our next trip, and he's 5. The other two would have been fine without a stroller at 4 actually - and we're pretty hardcore. They didn't have any trips at 4 though so we didn't test it out. Even at 3, my eldest didn't use the stroller until the 3rd day. But by the 7th day, he was in it quite a bit.

None of mine napped while at Disney - whether in the stroller or back at the room. We've tried the mid-day break for resting and it doesn't work for us. My kids don't sleep in so going back out and staying up later just isn't a good idea. Naps at Disney didn't work from the time they were 2 and up. We do leave the parks earlier than some though - around the dinner hour. On our next trip, we're ending our days in the parks sometime between 4 and 7. The timing depends on how the kids are doing. We can't get our kids to nap. But we can get them to bed at a reasonable hour so they have plenty of energy for the next day.

Seeing how you've been at other parks from open to close and in the heat and it's worked out well, I would not worry about a stroller nor worry abut going back for a break. Be flexible. If you find you need a break, then it isn't a big deal to go back. If you find you don't, keep on going.

*We do some relaxing time in the park, meaning doing air conditioned relaxing attractions like Ellen. We also are rather commando-style until around 1pm and then take it easy for a couple hours and then kick back into high gear once the kids do. So, in a way, we do take a break. Read your child's signs and it work out well.

 

[Bellanota]

kohlby Your a lifesaver thats just what I was looking for. I didnt want to think my kid could go with out a stroller and nap when I saw so many on here were talking about it being a must. I think I will play it by ear and maybe rent a stroller if we need one and just plan on leaving once she gets cranky. I have avoided ADR after lunch with the exception of Thanksgiving.