stroller questions for 5-6 year old

[2littleprincesses]

We are thinking of going in June and have a 5 1/2 year old who may tire easily. I was thinking of bringing an umbrella stroller. How difficult is it getting around with a stroller? Will I be pushing her all day and get tired myself?

Also, does that count as a carry on for the airline? THanks

 

[michael's mom]

I personally don't find umbrella strollers to be easy to push at all. If I were you I'd join a swap here and get a nice jogger. I am in a double jogger swap and all who have used it say 5, 6, & 7 yo's fit comfortably so I would imagine a single would hold one 6 yo.

As for the airport, no, it doesn't count as a carry-on because you don't actually carry it onto the plane. You check it at the gate and they put it in the luggage compartment. Then, when you de-board, the stroller would be waiting for you in the tunnel. We checked a stroller and a carseat at the gate for DS and each brought a carry-on.

But, now as I am writing, I wonder if some airlines changed this policy due to current fees and such. I'd call your airline.

Good luck.

Stroller swaps are located on the budget board. The double swap I am in can be found at the link on my siggy!

 

[2littleprincesses]

I am noticing there is only 1 single stroller and it is not available for my times. Also, there is one for an umbrella stroller not a jogger. Any more help?

 

[michael's mom]

Did you try the double strollers? You could always just use the other side to hold bags and things. That's what we are doing. For $10/trip it is saving us a boatload, as well as saving our stroller that is already becoming worn.

 

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

If you do want to get your own umbrella stroller for your child, consider a few features that I found to be important with an older child. When my daughter got older, the regular umbrella strollers WERE hard to push with her in it at Disney. The wheels were not as manuveurable with the extra weight. So I did a lot of checking around and finally found one for about $20 that was "taller" (easier on my back), wider seat to accommodate her more comfortably, the handle went all the way across the top in one piece rather than two "c" shaped AND it was covered with a cushy grip, so it was more comfortable to push, and had a nice sized basket underneath. It also had a sun-shade, but I had to remove the sun shade top because by the last trip her head was squished under it. I wish I could remember what brand it was. We used it when she was 5, 6 and (I am almost embarrassed to admit ) 7, but threw it away after the last Disney trip and I told her she is walking from now on. I think you'll get a lot more accomplished each day with the stroller as an option when your child gets tired. I'm a single parent and she's too heavy to carry after a long day at the park, so it really extended our ability to get more done each day.

In November, Airtran did not charge us for gate checking the stroller. It was not counted against our bag allowance or carry-on allowance. It has always been the same on American in the past.

Hope you find something that works for you!

 

[Mallow]

Just to consider; you may not need one at all. This past Aug my DD just turned five & did really well without and we would still occasionally use one at home (for mall shopping & such). We decided that if she really needed one we would just rent. But, when she seemed to get tired we noticed we were all tired & took a break, either just a quick sit down or if needed a return to the hotel. Although, I did miss the cup holders & storage area, it was really nice to not have to worry about it. I just had to pack less to the parks & that was nice too. Just another option to consider. Have a great trip.

 

[brie182]

We bought a Maclearen (sp) and they are wonderful. Small, easy to fold and very easy to use. I wasn't going to use one this year, my daughter will be turning 6 when we go down, but I know she will be tired and complain so we are going to rent one from here http://www.orlandostrollerrentals.com/
we read about them on another forum and they sounded great and it looks really easy to fold!! Good luck!

 

[all4fun]

You will most likely have to gate check the stroller, so it won't count as a carry on but it may count as a piece of luggage. MOST airlines do not count strollers as luggage though. It depends on the carrier. Most strollers do not fold up small enough for the airline to allow it to come on board with you.

We used an umbrella style stroller on our last trip. It was our old Kidco LS2000 (discontinued brand) that was rated to 50lbs. It had already been on several trips to WDW with us and was pretty well-used. DS (75% for weight, 95% for height) was getting so big that the top of his head was pushing the canopy, which we didn't really use since it was December, and he could set his feet on the ground if he wanted to (and did, at some inconvenient times, grrrr). Even though he was still under the weight limit, it was difficult to push. We actually bought a really nice jogging stroller for him last year that we've used at WDW and is much easier to push, but we took the Kidco last time because of the amount of luggage we had & also because we were cruising and worried the jogger would be too big to fit in a small state room (it would have been). We left the Kidco behind since ds will definitely be too big for it on our next trip anyway.

 

[kmccain]

Just to consider; you may not need one at all. This past Aug my DD just turned five & did really well without and we would still occasionally use one at home (for mall shopping & such). We decided that if she really needed one we would just rent. But, when she seemed to get tired we noticed we were all tired & took a break, either just a quick sit down or if needed a return to the hotel. Although, I did miss the cup holders & storage area, it was really nice to not have to worry about it. I just had to pack less to the parks & that was nice too. Just another option to consider. Have a great trip.

My Centiments Exactly!

Although it has been a very long time since my kids were this age, they were 5 & 7 on our first trip. When they got tired, we were too! Take advantage of it! If you don't, they will be rearing to go and you will be beat!

 

[mommymeg]

I was facing this dilema for our upcoming trip... Last trip DD was 4 and definitally benefitted from having the stroller... Now DS is 4 and we're headed back in May... I got rid of his stroller last year, but definitally wanted to find one to bring down with us.. What I didn't want was a $20 flimsy thing that he was too big for, or a $120 stroller that we'd use for a week and then probably never again.

I've been very patient and have been looking in consignment shops and on Craigslist for about a month now. Last week I hit paydirt and found a Combi stroller for sale. They originally wanted $60, but talked them down to $30, and I did have to drive an hour to get it. I've tested it out and think it will work perfectly. I would have to pay more if I rented a stroller in the parks, and if it gets stolen or breaks, I won't be mad at all the money I've spent.

Maybe you could find a similar deal in your area?

I know my son will definitally use it and it will make our trip a little easier. We're a family that likes to go, go, go...ironically we usually need a vacation after our vacation...

 

[nikkers]

We just got back last month. We have DS (5) and DD (2 1/2). We brought one umbrella stroller. It is not a cheap one, it is a nice Britax umbrella stroller. Luckily DS didn't mind walking too much. But when DD would walk he would sit in the stroller. It was a lot of work to push him, he weighs around 40 lbs. The last 2 full days of our trip we rented a single stroller for him. It was $15/day. The Disney stroller was so much easier to push him around in. Good luck.

We always gate check our stroller, and it does not count as a carry on.

 

[DisTwix]

Hi there! I've pushed a 3 year old thru Disney with an umbrella stroller and even she was too heavy. I'm only 5'5", but found the position of the handles to be terrible, and any time there were ruts it would jam in completely. It definitely wasn't comfortable enough for her to nap in - something it would have been fabulous for her to do.

I would second the thrift store/craigslist/used stroller idea if you have a very limited budget. There are some great strollers out there on Craigslist so you might find a gem.

We almost always fly Southwest, but gatechecking a stroller has never been a problem. In fact, the last trip, we used the stroller as a luggage trolley (probably not the best idea, but it worked) until we checked all the luggage, then gate checked it. I have a hard time believing there would be any fees for gate-checking a stroller - they would have to charge fees for wheelchairs too.

I just got back from a trip with 2 7-year olds, a 10-year old, and a 6 month old... we were worried about one of the 7-year olds because he has NO stamina, but he kept right up with the other kids, no problem.

Good luck!

 

[blum74]

I bought a Maclaren Volo for my 4 1/2 yr old for our trip last May and will take it again this May. It has higher handles and a bigger seat than most umbrella strollers. It folds so easily and quickly for getting on the buses and boats.

 

[minniemee]

We too have decided to not use a stroller this year. My DS is 6 but will be 7 next month and he has said he is now too big for a stroller!
I am so happy to not have to lug that thing around with us this year!! It will be our first trip without one. Just have to bring less stuff with us to the parks!
I would definitely suggest something more comfortable to push than the little umbrella strollers though. They tend to be harder to push than the higher end styles. We always used a Graco with the basket underneath the seat.
Also, a good tip is to spray all of the wheels good with WD40 before you leave! It makes the stroller roll alot better!

 

[ashleyd725@hotmail.c]

I would def. look into a stroller swap if I were you... most of the time is is just $10-$20 for your whole trip and that saves you hassles with the airlines and everything..
There is a stroller swap link under the budget board

 

[mookie]

We are heading down in May with our 6yo dd, and our 2 sons, 2&3. I feel your pain! I don't want dd to be miserable the whole trip because she is tired. We are buying a new double stroller for the boys (they need a side by side...they are terrorizing each other in my tandem...lol!) and having our dd walk...for the most part.

I think what we are going to do is see how she does, and if it gets too bad, rent a stroller from WDW on the days she needs it. I can swallow a 15.00 stroller rental for her on a few select days much easier than I can renting a double for 31.00/day for the boys. I don't think she'll need it everyday, but it will be nice to have for when she's tired...I'm thinking of a long day like Epcot where we tour the worlds and wait for the fireworks...it would be nice for her to have a place to relax during that day.

I just can't justify buying a whole seperate stroller for her when we dont' even know if she'll use it...not to mention the fact that I doubt she'll use it again after Disney.

 

[bellaphia]

we are renting from orlandostrollerrentals -don't have to lug your own stroller with you on the plane but is also cheaper than renting from Disney-plus can have it out of parks when needed-

 

[NorweJenNY]

Definitely have a plan for a stroller... whether it be saving your pennies to rent one on days when you'll be spending a lot of time in the park, or bringing something on your own.

I just encourage you to try out the strollers in advance, if you are able. I've found that you really can't treat all umbrella strollers the same! We had one that we absolutely HATED! It was easier to carry the kid for an hour than attempt to push him in that! Not all strollers are that way though. Try pushing your child in a stroller up hill too... there are quite a few slopes to deal with in WDW.

Our two boys have used a double stroller... more of a heavy duty one... for the last few years. They will be 4 & 5-going-on-6 for our next trip, and I hope we can get another year's use out of it. We may not use it every day (like if we plan on coming back to the resort mid-day for a break/nap/swim), but particularly for the all-day excursions, I can't imagine being without it! Even if our older son walks most of the time, it's so convenient to be able to keep our "stuff" in the bottom compartment and/or on his seat... we just KNOW there comes a point when those little legs get tired. Especially since both dh and I have had major back injuries in the last year, we know we simply cannot carry either of those boys.

 

[Readhed]

I got a nice retired Disney stroller - holds up to 75# from ebay, I think it was used in AK - it's a jogger - DGD is 7 but not very sturdy - gets tired at the mall - soo since it's just the 2 of us - a stroller was a must, esp. for AK and Epcot - if nothing else I'll be able to haul the pack and have something to lean on! I checked with AirTran and it's still not counted as carry-on or checked bags so it's free