Stroller Recommendations Please

[jandkN]

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting on these boards, but you guys always seem to have such good advice, so I thought I would give it a try. We are planning a trip for the end of June and I am looking for stroller suggestions for my 3 1/2 year old daughter. Just so you know she is pretty small for 3 (28 pounds and 35 inches tall). I love my big stroller that I have at home, but don't want to take it with us because it would be hard to take on the Disney transportation. Does anyone have a stroller that is easy to fold and folds small, steers well, doesn't cost a fortune, but still has a basket underneath? Thanks so much for any advice that you may have!

 

[sunlover13]

I'm not sure how much you are looking to spend, but we bought a Maclaren Triumph for our 4 yr old. We paid $119 for it with free shipping & no sales tax. We only used it for 2 trips to Disney, but if you think about how much it costs to rent a stroller there, it has paid for itself. Plus, when we are finished with it, it will probably sell easily on ebay or something like that.

We love the Triumph! It is lightweight, holds big kids, easy to steer, has storage, etc.........

Your child is probably small enough to go with a cheap umbrella stroller, but if you want something that you can use for your child when they are bigger, the Maclarens are great!

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[stacy6552]

I wouldn't say if folds small, but tis light enough to carry in one hand, and we've never had any trouble on WDW transportation with ours. Baby Trend and Cosco usually have a model that is lightweight, with basket, canopy and cup holders for about$40-50. I woul ecommend something like this....

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2671817

We had one like it and took it many many times until we finally left I behind at SSR with a free to good home sign on it. Finding a rain cover was easy on more than one occassion and I recommend hat you get oe, too.

Here's our son at about 6 in it, we'd taken it since he was 11 mos old.

 

[DevilDuckie]

I'd go with an inexpensive umbrella stroller from Target or Babies R Us. Many have a basket on the bottom and fold easily without the drama of something more complicated.

 

[Em&Bec'sDad]

I will say this, the stroller rental at the parks is pretty convenient. It saves the hassle of having to carry a stroller on the buses and they drive quite easily. They also have a couple of pockets for storage.

We were quite pleased with this when we first went to WDW. They are not for free, but work quite well IMHO.

 

[stacy6552]

I wouldnt go with the umbrella. # year olds will still fall asleep in the parks and you want to be able to recline them, so you can keep going.

 

[tanyaandallie]

We have a Peg P3 and LOVE it. It's an awesome stroller. All the amenities of a full size stroller but folds up like an umbrella. The Macs are also really nice and work well for older kids. The volo is highly recommended here. I tried my kids out in it and it pushes very nicely, fold up very small.

 

[tinkandpan]

Another vote for the Mac here as well. I have the triumph but if cost is an isuse there is always the volo.

 

[tjlovespooh]

Another vote for the Mac Triumph here The high weight limit (50 or 55 lbs, I forget) means DS(2) will be able to use it for years to come! It steers super easily and folds very compactly (plus it has a carry handle and came with a rain shield - 2 things that can come in handy for WDW).
The only complaint I have is that it is tippy when DS gets out of stroller. In other words, I have to remember to take my bag off the handlebars before letting DS out - something I've forgotten to do many times
Nevertheless, I've owned 2 Zoopers and a Combi yet the Mac is by far my favorite!

 

[5 for WDW]

We have a Peg P3 and LOVE it. It's an awesome stroller. All the amenities of a full size stroller but folds up like an umbrella.

Another P3 vote. Ours has taken three trips to WDW and it was perfect for the parks. DD was able to take some nice naps in there on occasion. Like three hours at MNSSHP on of the evenings we were there.

Kinda sad to think it won't be joining us in December. DD will be 5 when we go and we are leaving it at home.

 

[jandkN]

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that replied. I think I will go to Babies R Us sometime in the next two weeks and look at a few of the strollers that were suggested. Thanks again for all of the advice!

 

[sunlover13]

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that replied. I think I will go to Babies R Us sometime in the next two weeks and look at a few of the strollers that were suggested. Thanks again for all of the advice!

FYI, my Sunday paper had a Toys R Us flyer with $10 off any stroller over $39. It was on the last page of the flyer. When you figure out what stroller you are going to buy, shop around. I saved a great deal on the Maclaren Triumph I bought. It was brand new, but a 2006 model (we bought it in 2007). I think the online store was babydealz.com. Good luck!

 

[blessedby3]

I vote for the Macs. I have the Quest and the Volo and LOVE them. They are so lightweight and convienent. The weight limit is 55 pounds. You would get tons of use out of one. My DD9 can still fit in ours and you wouldnt even know she is in it. It pushes like a DREAM- one handed!! They are great.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

Our DS is 4 and we have a Combi, that has been to Disney with us a few times. Very lightweight, folds easily, carrying strap, small basket and reclines. I really like it. However, I just ordered the Mac Volo after reading great reviews about it. We did try it out in the store and DS said it was great...the only thing I'm worried about is that it does not recline like the Combi.

 

[tooh8ful]

I just bought a baby Trend tonight at Toys R Us for our upcoming trip. I wanted something lightweight that would fold, have storage, and recline, oh yeah, and cup holders too!
Anyway, I got one at TRU for 29.99 b/c they had coupons in todays paper for $10 off any stroller 39.99 or more.
We aren't going until Sept. but I will take any WDW planning I can!

 

[hoosiergirl7]

Another for my Mac Triump. I love it and my DS 4 loves it. It has a basket and it reclines.

I think it will be hard to convince me to ever by another brand of stroller.

 

[twinmom2]

Another for my Mac Triump. I love it and my DS 4 loves it. It has a basket and it reclines.

I think it will be hard to convince me to ever by another brand of stroller.

DITTO!!! Another Mac fan here. .

 

[d1gitman]

We always rent a double stroller at the parks, you can pre-purchase the rentals on day one to avoid getting in line at each park. Each rental is for the whole day and transfers if park hopping. We have no desire to wrestle with a stroller on the bus. In the AM it usually isn't too bad, but at night when the buses are jam packed, we see people struggling with strollers, baby bags, kids, purchases, etc...not a pleasant thing when exhausted at day's end.

2 yrs. ago we learned that the luggage services at the resorts keep some strollers on hand. They told us people buy inexpensive strollers in FL and then leave them behind when they return home. Disney donates most of the strollers to charity but does keep some for guests to use for free. What we do is check out a stroller from our resorts luggage services. We use it to go from the room to the bus in the AM, check it in at luggage services, which is right by the bus stops anyway. We ride on the bus with our kids (DS 7, DS 2) free of wrestling with strollers. Then when we return at the end of the day, we check the stroller out of luggage and wheel the kids (usually asleep) back to the room.

If you don't mind carrying the strollers on the bus, then you get the advantage of a free stroller the whole time you are there. We just happen to prefer the convenience of the park strollers and thus budget accordingly.

Hope this was helpful.

 

[melodywalsh]

Can anyone tell me the width of the single stroller that they rent at disney? My DD5 is pretty tall and weighs more than most 5 years olds and I know she won't make it a whole day walking around so we are thinking about renting a single stroller at WDW. She is 50 inches in height and 61 pounds so most umbrellas we tried she's too big for that's why we are wondering how the single rental strollers will hold up and how big they'd be. Thanks so much!

 

[javamommy]

We just bought a Combi Cosmo for our 3 year old when we go to WDW in April. So far I love it! It reclines, has a basket, lightweight, and folds easily. It costs about a hundred dollars. Hope this helps!