Stroller question.......need advice from experienced moms.

[shelley7]

We are headed to Disney in 8 more days (hooray). We have two boys, one is 1 1/2 and the other just turned 5. Should would take 1 umbrella stroller and let our 5yr walk.....take the double stroller so they both can ride (husband doesnt really want to lug this thing onto the buses) or take 2 umbrella strollers??

I know as soon as we dont take the double stroller our 5yr will get tired and want to ride.....however, the dbl stroller is so large and if the buses are crowded that will cause problems....any advice is appreciated.

Last time we went, we only had 1 child and took a small stroller.

Thanks,
Shelley

 

[ainmama2001]

You'll need a stroller for BOTH kids. Why don't you take your umbrella stroller for the airports and such if you think you'll need it and then rent a stroller in the parks. It's SO worth the money. They have double strollers. When only one is in it, you can use it for "stuff" that you buy. I wouldn't do WDW even for ONE DAY without one. My daughter is 4 and we've done Disney every year since she was born and plan on doing every year we can from now on. I'll cram her into a stroller as long as I can!

 

[Cupmom]

my opinion take the umbrella stroller ( if it has a basket even better. The 5 year old will want to walk most of the time. If he does get tired rent one. A double stroller is a pain to take on andd off the buses and takes up too much room. Plus if you each are carring a stroller on to a bus whos goona hold onto the kids, diaperbag, cooler, camera and everything else.

We went went when my son was 2 1/2 and a stroller worker great. He'll be 5 this time but we have no plans to get a stroller for him. The only thing I'll miss is that last time a small cooler bag fit in for water snack and other items

 

[aljer]

we will be headed to florida at the end of Feb. and also had the same concern. My children are about the same age as yours. We decided that we will bring one umbrella stroller with a sun shade for the 21 month old and the 5yr old could walk. we figured that the little one would like to get out and walk once in awhile so the older one could take a break in the stroller. Last resort if the older one is so tired we could rent a stroller at disney but i figure he will be so busy with all the rides he won't miss it that much. Hope that this was somewhat helpful.

 

[Going Broke]

On our last trip we took 2 umbrella strollers for DDs 4&5. We agreed this was the best option yet. We did not want to lug around a double stroller (crowds can get hectic). It was also nice to have the umbrella strollers for the resort, downtown disney, etc. They are also the easiest to fold up and do not take up much space, especially if you will be using disney transportation.

 

[mickeyminnie]

when my kids were that age and we went we ended up renting double strollers, the 4 year old got tired and also hot and resented it when the 18 month old had a ride and she didn't we ended up with 2 singles at one point because we didn't want to fight the fight.

we used a backpack on days when we moved from park to park but rented strollers on full park days

the back pack was excellent on the buses and the airport

 

[pjshaff]

We have taken our two umbrella strollers for the past few trips. The great thing about that is if you want or need to split up, you can.

 

[dlf]

My two children are 3 and 8 and we always rent a double stroller (even if just to carry bags, jumpers etc. Best money spent!

 

[Mainebound]

You will need a stroller full time for both kids, no matter how energetic they are. We used a double umbrella last 2 years with our DS5 and DS3, and used two umbrellas our first year with them (age 1.5 and 3.5). I liked the double because one of us (DH, of course) could push it while another went to get a FP or something else. If we did need to split the boys up, it was usually for a brief period so we didn' need them both in strollers -- one of them could walk (such as to go to the restroom or get a snack). Personally, we did not mind folding it up to get on the busses, and we liked having it at the resorts.

I just looked at the prices to rent a double stroller every day for our upcoming May trip -- I could BUY TWO double umbrellas for that price! but they are just too big (ages 4 and 6) for the umbrellas now, unfortunately. So enjoy your choices while you have them!

 

[MareQ]

I say bring both umbrella strollers. That's what we did last time - this time - UG - we're going to have to rent a double stroller there for my two older ones and bring the umbrella for the baby. There's no way we could manage getting on and off the bus with all 3 kids and a double stroller and umbrella stroller - lol!

 

[cara76]

THey also make this thing, not sure what it's called where you can connect the two umbrealla stollers to make it one double stroller. I would take both umbrellas, as the big double would be too much to handle etc.

 

[Disney Doll]

I don't have kids, but have been to Disney at least twice per year for the last 14 years, so God knows, I have observed and helped an awful lot of people dealing with their strollers in the parks!!!

I'd advise bringing 2 umbrella strollers. The 5 y/o will get tired. If he doesn't, you'll have a place to carry souvenirs.

It's better to have your own than to rent them, because there is a lot of walking at Disney beyond what you do inside the parks. Think of what the distances could be from your room to the food court, the bus stop, the pool. From the transportation drop-off points to the park gate...lots of walking for little ones with short legs.

One big double stroller is a lot more to handle than 2 smaller ones. The umbrella strollers fold up more easily and quickly, and are not as cumbersome.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

This is like all packing, I think. I'd bring one - the umbrella for the little one. But that's just because I don't like packing a bunch of stuff and hauling it around.

...but that's just me.

 

[goofy's friends]

I would bring 2 umbrella strollers. We have taken kids that age and the youngest stayed in the stroller almost all the time and with another stroller along, we didn't have to hear about how tired the older one was and how it wasn't fair that she never got to use the stroller. 2 strollers made everyone happier. The other great thing about it is that each adult has one kid. You can split up or not , but in crowds you know they are OK. They are also great for helping to carry the extra stuff. Definately 2 umbrella strollers.

 

[turnlisa]

Definitely take your umbrella strollers! If you are staying at a resort and using Disney transportation, it is worth it just to have the strollers at the end of the day from the entrance to the park to the transportation (be it bus, monorail, etc.) Otherwise you are going to have to drop off the stroller and figure out how to lug a sleepy 5 year old to the bus. Not a pretty picture! Also, it is nice if you are going to do other things (i.e., Downtown Disney). There is a lot of walking and it is definitely too much for a 5 year old. My oldest didn't start walking the whole trip until he was 7. When he was 6, we were convinced he wouldn't need a stroller. We were really wrong! Ended up renting one and really regretted it.

 

[luvthedis]

Here is the strange solution we found for a similar situation. We went in October and December with an almost two year old and a four year old. We bought a lightweight stroller with a good sized basket for the two year old. We put a folded umbrella stroller in the basket of the lightweight stroller and bungee-corded the handle to the other stroller's handle. When the four year old got tired, we took out the umbrella stroller and wheeled her around. When she wasn't tired, we just folded the umbrella stroller back up and stuck it in the other stroller. It worked great for us. We rode buses a few times and just kept both strollers folded until we got to the parks. The strollers were both so light, it was really no hassle at all. Good luck.

 

[bdklein]

We (me, wife, DD3 and DD6) are going in May and staying at the Polynesian, flying from NY. It's our first trip to Disney. We have a double stroller, but it is front to back, not side to side. In my opinion, I'd rather have one stroller than 2. This way only 1 person has to push. The other person is free to walk about, possibly with 1 or two of the kids (snack, bathroom, etc.) This way the other person can keep going (like to get on line for a ride, etc.). Otherwise, each stroller has to be constantly pushed by someone. Plus I can wheel it right on to the monorail (I hope). Am I missing something??

 

[dznygurl]

You will definitely need two umbrella strollers. My kids were 5 and 2 on our first trip. It was nice for the 5 year old to have a place to rest. It also comforted us to know exactly where the kids were at all times. If we were not waiting for an attraction, they gladly rode in their strollers.

 

[mel]

we found it easier to just rent a double stroller from Disney and they definately need something over the top to shade them. Our 8 year old got in there with our 4 year old and we didn't think she would need to!

 

[luvthedis]

bdklein -- You'll find quite a few threads on this issue. I think it's just a personal preference as to whether you prefer one or two strollers. IMO the doubles are too bulky and with one child who will walk most of the time, the double was a waste for us. When we did use the two separate strollers, my husband and I found them easier to navigate through the crowds more quickly than the more cumbersome double stroller (Important when we were trying to leave the parks late after fireworks). On one trip we brought the grandparents, so we had four adults available to push the two strollers. But, even on the trip with just us we found two strollers (with the one stored in the other's basket when not in use) to be the best for us.