Stroller or no stroller for a 5yo

[hodad]

I'm solo parenting my 5yo on a day in Disneyland in early December. I know how I'd do things if I took a stroller, but what sort of pacing should I expect if we both walk the whole time? Any experience/helpful suggestions?

 

[4Siamese]

Only you will know what /how your child can or can not do. However If it was me going solo I would probably go with the stroller at least for the 1st day. After that you will have a better idea on the level of stamina.

Strollers can be a contentious issue but IMO do what works best for you and your situation.

 

[Winnowill]

When our DD was not-quite-five, we brought a cheap umbrella stroller, and it worked out great. We used it about half the time and parked it the rest and made her walk. The only problem we ran into was that she got kind of an entitlement complex and tried to insist that she couldn't walk and needed to be in the stroller most of the time. We countered that by telling her that, if that were the case, she was OBVIOUSLY too tired to be at Disneyland, and we'd go back to the hotel so that she could rest. After that, though it was grudging, she walked when we made her.

 

[Spyral]

We had planned on renting a stroller for our 5 year old, but ended up not needing it. With an afternoon break, even with the heat, he did fine. Probably depends on the child though. Maybe see out they do the first day, and if feel the need, then rent one.

We just had 1 backpack between the 5 of us which held everything we needed. You do want to go light as possible

 

[sgrap]

I vote stroller! Your child will get tired and it also gives you a place to hang bags, etc. I was actually bummed when our youngest outgrew the need for the stroller. We used one until she was 6 3/4--but she is tiny and has spina bifida. I would still use one as long as possible because all the walking is exhausting to everyone, but especially hard on little ones trying to keep up. He or she can nap in it if worn out as well.

 

[AZMermaid]

We are going in June with my kids who will be 4 and 5.5. We are not bringing a stroller. We think it will be an out of sight, out of mind thing. Strollers are not on their radar anymore. But, that said, we are open to renting one if we decide we need one for my younger one. I am hoping this works out for us and doesn't cost us a billion dollars in stroller rental fees.

 

[RobertaMomof2]

I say YES to the stroller. Kids get tired easily, and it is a LOT of walking. It will keep the crankiness down (at least it did with my kids) and can use it for a quick nap if need be. My kids are 11 and 8 and both wish there was a stroller big enough to fit them STILL.

 

[pindecisive]

When our DD was not-quite-five, we brought a cheap umbrella stroller, and it worked out great.

Umbrella strollers the whole way. These were fantastic to see in the parks as they take up the least amount of space and are the easiest stored.

I vote stroller! Your child will get tired and it also gives you a place to hang bags, etc.

That's my biggest issue with strollers in the park (the contentious issue). Many strollers I saw took up the space of 3-4 people, easily. While it is more work to get a locker or have the item held for you - umbrella strollers are easier on many other people in the park.

 

[Winnowill]

Umbrella strollers the whole way. These were fantastic to see in the parks as they take up the least amount of space and are the easiest stored.

Yeah, it was great. It was even easy to take it on an airplane. The one with the canopy was $20 at Target, and worth every penny.

 

[YukonMommy]

I vote stroller also. Its a place to store your stuff, a place for your child to rest when they get tired, its also a place to sit your child in if it is crowded and you need to maneuver through the crowds.
Have a magical time!

 

[Epek]

I have a 5yr old and a 1.5yr old. We haven't taken the double in a long time. The only time our older has needed to be in the stroller is on the way out of the park. He's a go, go, go kind of kid and doesn't tire easily. But, he does wear himself out by the end of the day. That said, the last time we were there, I think he made it out on foot! I don't know if I'd bother bringing a stroller with just him.

 

[grnflash]

I think to stroller or not is more about the parent than the child (excepting health concerns.) We were not stoller parents and loved it. Obviously many others have different preferences for their visits. Our last stroller visit was at 13 months, so by 5yo a stroller would have been out of the question to him (and most of our DL visits are just him and me, many open to close.) But if your child is used to being strollered, then that's another matter and something to consider. As well, we never brought a bunch of stuff to the parks, a stroller to carry stuff was unneccesary. Additionally we were always willing to go at his pace, wander off to explore areas of his interest and sit down for a break. So I think you should think about how you like to tour, how much stuff you feel is neccessary to bring to the park, how much of the agenda you are willing to concede to your child and decide from there.

 

[Mysteryincorp]

My daughter is five and we go to Disneyland almost every week. She is non stop gogogogogogogogogo. But I still bring a stroller because it contains her when I want to walk quickly from one part of the park to another. It's great for settling her down and making her eat a healthy snack. The last trip we took she didn't even really sit in it but I had my backpack and extra sweaters in it.
It's annoying when you get off and on the bus or tram. And doubling back after a ride can be annoying as well......but for us the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[robndani]

My twins are 5 and we took our first stroller-free trip in February and it was heaven! No crazy stroller parking, no kids hopping out Evel Knievel style without warning. It was great, but you need to do what's best - only you know your child. Practice walking around a zoo or mall all day and see how it goes!

HAVE FUN!

 

[DisneyPeanut]

Depends on your child. We went last Tuesday. We drove to California and debated on bringing the stroller, thank goodness we did! After about an hour with the crowds and heat my 5 year old wanted to ride. Hubby walked back to the car and got the stroller. I am so glad we didn't leave it 1300 miles away!

 

[lalasmama]

As others have said, it's all about you, your child, and your touring style.

In my case, DD was a rather scrawny 7-turning-8yo at our first visit (she was the weight of an average 4 year old, and the height of an average 6 year old). She would have adored a stroller, as would I. We didn't bring one because of her age (and seriously, we hadn't had a stroller in years, so we would have had to figure out who to borrow one from!). By the end of a full day, she was ready to be carried, and I was cursing every single step to get to our hotel (Super 8 at Harbor and Katella).

We're definitely open-to-close, go-go-go-go tourists and we average 12 miles of walking a day (high of 14 miles!). That's a lot of walking for 2 obese adults and 1 preteen... For the average 5yo, that's a heck of a long walk, both in mileage and pure hours of walking!

 

[bumbershoot]

Stroller.

We didn't even use them at home (apart from the jogging stroller for when I wanted to go jogging), but the Volo for Disney was a must. Got it when he was 4. (after some mis-steps with cheaper ones)

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

I take mine for my almost 5 year old. We usually park it in a land and walk. We use it more for getting into the park, when she's super tired, and jamming from land to land! She's almost done with it though. I'll sure miss storing all our stuff in it ;-)

 

[bcwife76]

We just returned a few days ago from a trip with our 7 yr old and 4 (will be 5 next month) old. No stroller, we stayed at the parks all day, every day. Sat down on benches, in shows, etc when they needed breaks. We loved NOT having to do the stroller hunt after every ride, like we did in 2013. But as others have said, you know your child best. I knew my girls could handle the parks without a stroller.

 

[nicolispicoli]

Stroller!! Everytime I think my dd is over it (she doesnt use one anywhere else), I end up renting one. Usually I'm smart enough to remember our umbrella stroller, but recently I thought I could forego it and ended up paying its value in rentals. Even if you ditch it in one place all day, its worth having just in case.