Stroller or not to stroller?

[PrincessBrideJo]

My son is 4 and we are going to Disney in May. I am torn on the whole stroller thing. He is a good walker but does like to ride in strollers sometimes. Should we bring one or just rent one as he needs it? Do they ever run out of strollers?

 

[susykt4]

We always took a CHEAP umbrella stroller from Wal-Mart and then ditched it at the resort at the end of our trip. The kids were always way too big for it, but it held up and worked just fine. It was nice to have the stroller at the resort and especially for that long walk from the park gates to the bus stop. I only took the stroller to MK, AK and Epcot- the kids walked at HS with no problem. For ~$12 we had a stroller that worked well enough to keep the kids happier longer. I think it saved a lot of whining and allowed us to tour the parks for much longer periods of time.

 

[all4fun]

DS was over 5-1/2 yrs on our last trip (Dec) and we brought a stroller for him. It was as much for our sanity as it was for him. He hasn't used a stroller at home in a long time, but walking around WDW is different. Plus, if we're in a hurry for some reason, it's much easier for him to "keep up" if he's riding in a stroller. He's also too big to carry very far when he gets tired. He really doesn't mind riding in a stroller at WDW either. Also, keep in mind what the temps will be like when you're there. Florida can be hot and humid, which can also affect your childs stamina.

I have never rented a stroller but from what I've heard, it's not typical for them to run out of the rental strollers unless it's a very busy day. They did raise the cost of a 1 day rental to $15/day ($13/day Length of stay), so that may play into whether you want to rent or just bring your own as well. http://allears.net/pl/strol_faq.htm

We always fly in and I just gate check our stroller. After several trips, I guess I'm used to it. The stroller is also a pack mule in the airport when ds will walk.

hth

 

[nelep]

We just got back! We joined a stroller swap and got a double stroller for my DD2 and DD4. DD4 is a great walker with lots of patience, but she would have NEVER have lasted through those LONG days at the parks. Time goes by so fast and before you know it, you've been there for 10 hours. That would've been too much for DD4. The stroller made her (and our) trip much more enjoyable.

BTW you should look into joining a stroller swap. Disney rentals are pretty expensive and not very comfortable looking. For approx $20 you could get a decent stroller for the entire week! Check the budget board. At the top there's a thread for all the stroller swaps.

 

[QVCshopper]

On our last trip, we only brought one stroller for our two kids to share, and they ended up fighting over riding in it and being carried a lot. With a previously broken elbow and torn ACL in my knee, all the carrying proved to be very painful.

On our last trip, we brought 2 umbrella strollers. We told the kids that they could walk or ride--no carrying. Usually they ended up riding; sometimes they walked and we'd park the stroller somewhere and get it on the way out of the part.

Either way, the strollers made it much easier on us.

 

[nicki.momof3]

We tried on our first trip to have our sons walk ages 3 and 5 - nightmare. At might they got so tired talking about to the resort that we alwyas ended up carrying they.

Bring a stroller - you can always park it and grab it later. I can almost 100% guarantee you will need it.

Have a great trip

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

bring your stroller or rent from www.orlandostrollerrentals.com when we were in disney evey day before 10 am the strollers were completely gone. I don't know what time they started becoming available again since we didn't rent but I would hate to risk it.

 

[della]

I like bringing one. Some of the resorts are spread out. At the end of the night it's nice having a stroller rather than carrying a sleepy child.

 

[tribus121]

We always took a CHEAP umbrella stroller from Wal-Mart and then ditched it at the resort at the end of our trip. The kids were always way too big for it, but it held up and worked just fine. It was nice to have the stroller at the resort and especially for that long walk from the park gates to the bus stop. I only took the stroller to MK, AK and Epcot- the kids walked at HS with no problem. For ~$12 we had a stroller that worked well enough to keep the kids happier longer. I think it saved a lot of whining and allowed us to tour the parks for much longer periods of time.

We did the same when our DD was 4

 

[Iced-Coffee-Addict]

I'm bringing my double stroller for my boys, 2 and 4. My 4 year old is rarely in a stroller but will be for Disney. If he decides to walk, fine but if not I like having the option for him to be pushed.

 

[LuvBug1977]

We used 2 umbrella strollers last year for DS5 and DD4. We would never have made it through 5 days without them! My kids hadn't used strollers in years, but were begging to ride in them 1 hour into the parks. I recommend trying before buying though! The handles on one of our umbrella strollers proved to very uncomfortable to push for that many hours a day! If you can find padded handles it may be a bonus. Plus with the cheap umbrella strollers we didn't really worry too much if they got lost, damaged or stollen, but never had a problem with them regardless. Just was peace of mind knowing they didn't cost a lot! Stroller swaps also sound like a great option!

 

[flaco67]

Hello all. New to the boards. Love em. Drives my wife crazy! Quick question. We have four kids and are going to WDW next Friday. We have two double strollers and intend to take them because it makes good sense to have the option for the bigger ones. Do the Disney transportation buses from the hotels have compartments for strollers or am I going to have to lug both monsters onto the bus while my wife carries four nugget heads herself? Are the bus attendants helpful at all with getting small armys with strollers onboard? Thanks for the info guys. Great thread.

 

[michael's mom]

First of all, Hi Nelep

I am seconding Nelep's recommendation of a stroller swap. I actually joined with my 2 year old to prolong the life of my current stroller.

There is a link in my signature to a great double and brand new single swap!

Now, to answer Flaco's question, you have to carry the strollers onto the busses. There have been reports that the kind drivers will open the back door (handicap access) to let you get on that way, but you will have to fold them up and carry them onto the bus yourself.

 

[brockash]

I'd definetely bring one for a 4 year old. I would bring you own, because renting is now so expensive.

 

[michael's mom]

I'd definetely bring one for a 4 year old. I would bring you own, because renting is now so expensive.

If you have one that you want to bring, go for it. But, if you don't need it for the airport, and don't want the hassle of one, the stroller swaps are $10-$20 for the entire trip, sometimes even less than a 1 day rental at WDW which you have to leave in the park.

 

[squirrel]

I think you will need a stroller. My niece was 4.5 yrs when we went in September and she used it every day that we were at a park. She also took a nap in it a few times.

If you have one, bring it.

 

[kgle]

For a 4 year old I would definitely have one on hand just in case.

 

[nicki.momof3]

Hello all. New to the boards. Love em. Drives my wife crazy! Quick question. We have four kids and are going to WDW next Friday. We have two double strollers and intend to take them because it makes good sense to have the option for the bigger ones. Do the Disney transportation buses from the hotels have compartments for strollers or am I going to have to lug both monsters onto the bus while my wife carries four nugget heads herself? Are the bus attendants helpful at all with getting small armys with strollers onboard? Thanks for the info guys. Great thread.

Welcome to the boards. I am sorry to report that the bus drivers do not do anything to help with strollers and there is no special place to put them. You have to fold them up and hold them and their contents, carry them on the bus, and hold them while you are riding (many times you will have to stand). We take a double Jeep All Weather umbrella stroller. It is smaller and more compact than the traditional double stroller. It works well for my 4 and 5 year old kids. Than we take a single umbrella stroller for our 6 year old son.

Have a wonderful vacation - my only recommendtion is to take the smallest most compact strollers your kids will fit into. 4 kids, bags, and 2 strollers will be also but doable if your strollers are smaller.

 

[Mom2apirate]

Bring a stroller if you can. My friend went the year before w/kids my age and she said I didn't need a stroll for my 5 year old. Well to make a long story short I ended up carrying DD1 most of the time and DS5 rode in the stroller. We went last month and my arm still hurts lol. In retrospect we should have just rented a single stroller when we needed, but we were always in the other side of the park when we needed it. I'd at least bring or buy an umbrella stroller.