Stroller use in the parks?

[KB'sMom]

After reading a bit on the board, I have a few questions about stroller use in the park. I'll be travelling with my 21 month old (as well as an older child).

I've read to leave strollers outside of ToonTown when we go meet the characters - does that mean strollers are not allowed in the line ups? I was kind of counting on my toddler strapped firmly in the stroller and bribing him with a snack to get him to wait patiently. He won't care to stay in someone's arms for more than about 30 seconds and if I put him down I'll be losing our place in line to chase after him. I'd thought of putting him in the Ergo for line-ups, but the little stinker has figured out how to get his arms free and then is not very secure. How else do people deal with toddlers in line-ups without a stroller?

I was also thinking we'd try and do some of the attractions he can't go on using rider switch while he naps in his stroller - are we allowed to take a stroller into ride line-ups if we are doing rider switch and the child will be staying IN the stroller? What about at counter service restaurants - I've read no strollers are allowed - what if the stroller is occupied by a sleeping child?

TIA!

 

[djblu883]

you didn't say when you were going. Most of Toon Town is closing VERY soon. They are re vamping it. As to strollers in the parks. Strollers are not allowed in ANY lines. They must be parked in an area close to the attraction and are subject to be moved! They have attendants who actually spend all day re-arranging stroller parking as people come and go . Your stroller will be moved as well! Make sure you don't leave anything on it of value! also know that really nice strollers are being stolen! We actually bought a cheap umbrella stroller to take just for that reason!!! BAD people watch what is left unattended and take things or entire strollers. It's impossible for the attendants to know what belongs to who and they are not responsible for them at all only for moving them to fill in empty areas.It would be easier not to have to hold a baby in line with another child but that is just the way it is...child swap is the best option!Good luck and have a magical vacation!!! PS you might get some type of hand held device to keep your child occupied. Even your little ones can enjoy a silly game that makes sounds and has movement! and the lines are so loud the sounds should not bother others

After reading a bit on the board, I have a few questions about stroller use in the park. I'll be travelling with my 21 month old (as well as an older child).

I've read to leave strollers outside of ToonTown when we go meet the characters - does that mean strollers are not allowed in the line ups? I was kind of counting on my toddler strapped firmly in the stroller and bribing him with a snack to get him to wait patiently. He won't care to stay in someone's arms for more than about 30 seconds and if I put him down I'll be losing our place in line to chase after him. I'd thought of putting him in the Ergo for line-ups, but the little stinker has figured out how to get his arms free and then is not very secure. How else do people deal with toddlers in line-ups without a stroller?

I was also thinking we'd try and do some of the attractions he can't go on using rider switch while he naps in his stroller - are we allowed to take a stroller into ride line-ups if we are doing rider switch and the child will be staying IN the stroller? What about at counter service restaurants - I've read no strollers are allowed - what if the stroller is occupied by a sleeping child?

TIA!

 

[KB'sMom]

Oh - we're going in two weeks!

So what do you do with sleeping children in strollers when the older one wants to do/see something?

 

[2binak]

You can bring strollers into a counter service restaurants if you choose to. You cannot bring strollers into a table service restaurant unless the child is sleeping and even then, it's up to the CM whether or not they allow the stroller inside.

If your older child wants to see or do something and your LO is sleeping in the stroller, you will have to make the decision to have one of you stay outside with the LO while the other goes on a ride with the older child or try to carry a sleeping child onto a ride.

As the previous poster mentioned, strollers do get moved around while in stroller parking so you might want to put something on yours to make it stand out a bit so that you can find it right away.

also know that really nice strollers are being stolen! We actually bought a cheap umbrella stroller to take just for that reason!!! BAD people watch what is left unattended and take things or entire strollers.

Yes, strollers are occasionally stolen, but I think this is slightly dramatic.

 

[KB'sMom]

Thanks for the info! Just want to be prepared so I know what to expect. We are just taking a very old umbrella stroller ('cause we can't take our big one on our flight),so really not concerned about it getting stolen.

 

[Mom of 3 Princesses]

Sorry to Hijack, but what are your thoughts on the rental strollers available?

 

[2binak]

Thanks for the info! Just want to be prepared so I know what to expect. We are just taking a very old umbrella stroller ('cause we can't take our big one on our flight),so really not concerned about it getting stolen.

You can't gate check your stroller? Have you confirmed this with the airline? I would not want to put a 21 month old in an umbrella stroller, especially for naps.

 

[KB'sMom]

You can't gate check your stroller? Have you confirmed this with the airline? I would not want to put a 21 month old in an umbrella stroller, especially for naps.

Oh - it reclines. It's a larger stoller that does the umbrella fold - just not as nice as our at home regular stroller. The airline we fly down on only allows umbrella fold strollers to be gate checked.

 

[sau418]

hijacking - but what airline are you flying? We are planning on gate checking our BJCM and it is by no means an umbrella fold. We flew Airtran last time and they were fine with that.

 

[LisaT91403]

you didn't say when you were going. Most of Toon Town is closing VERY soon.

How soon is VERY soon? I don't see it on the closure/refurb list on the DL website.

 

[LisaT91403]

How soon is VERY soon? I don't see it on the closure/refurb list on the DL website.

Sorry, Newbie error...I see you are talking about DW and not DL. My apologies

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

How soon is VERY soon? I don't see it on the closure/refurb list on the DL website.

DisneyWORLD is closing Toontown February 12, 2011 To revamp with the new Fantasyland expansion opening in 2013.

-Edit to Lisa- No worries, we all make newbie mistakes!!!

BTW - I left my stroller in the "parking areas" that were designated and left nothing inside of it.... Ive never had a problem

 

[2binak]

Oh - it reclines. It's a larger stoller that does the umbrella fold - just not as nice as our at home regular stroller. The airline we fly down on only allows umbrella fold strollers to be gate checked.

Oh, that makes me feel better I just feel so bad when I see kids slumped over in the umbrella strollers that don't recline or worse, don't have canopies.

 

[amylynne01]

Sorry to Hijack, but what are your thoughts on the rental strollers available?

I just rented a Baby Jogger City Mini Double from Orlando Strollers on our trip last week. Best thing I ever did! We didn't really need the stroller in the airport since there were 4 adults wrangling 2 kids, and we wanted them to walk to get their energy out before the flight. The stroller was waiting at my resort when we arrived, and it was a dream. The seats reclined independently so the girls could nap when they wanted. The sunshades were huge. It folded up with the pull of 2 straps. The basket underneath was a little small, but we had a backpack for all our stuff anyways. Totally worth it!

OP, have you thought about a baby carrier? I have an Ergo and would wear my 20 month old in line if she was sleeping.

 

[Mom of 3 Princesses]

I just rented a Baby Jogger City Mini Double from Orlando Strollers on our trip last week. Best thing I ever did! We didn't really need the stroller in the airport since there were 4 adults wrangling 2 kids, and we wanted them to walk to get their energy out before the flight. The stroller was waiting at my resort when we arrived, and it was a dream. The seats reclined independently so the girls could nap when they wanted. The sunshades were huge. It folded up with the pull of 2 straps. The basket underneath was a little small, but we had a backpack for all our stuff anyways. Totally worth it!

OP, have you thought about a baby carrier? I have an Ergo and would wear my 20 month old in line if she was sleeping.

We used a Moby till about a few months ago (when I stopped nursing) and now she HATES the idea of being cramped up... sigh.....

I am thinking that renting one is a great idea. We are driving in and would have no problem bringing an umbrella stroller, but if she gets tuckered out and tired, I want her to be able to lie back and snooze.

 

[KB'sMom]

I just rented a Baby Jogger City Mini Double from Orlando Strollers on our trip last week. Best thing I ever did! We didn't really need the stroller in the airport since there were 4 adults wrangling 2 kids, and we wanted them to walk to get their energy out before the flight. The stroller was waiting at my resort when we arrived, and it was a dream. The seats reclined independently so the girls could nap when they wanted. The sunshades were huge. It folded up with the pull of 2 straps. The basket underneath was a little small, but we had a backpack for all our stuff anyways. Totally worth it!

OP, have you thought about a baby carrier? I have an Ergo and would wear my 20 month old in line if she was sleeping.

Oh - I have an Ergo, and plan to take it and will try to use it. Unfortunately the little stinker figured out how to climb out of it the last time he was in it

eta: He'll stay put if we're walking, but as soon as I stop moving he starts climbing up my back - or getting his arms out and leaning waaaay back.

 

[PolyndianPrincessJes]

hijacking - but what airline are you flying? We are planning on gate checking our BJCM and it is by no means an umbrella fold. We flew Airtran last time and they were fine with that.

None of the airlines we've ever flown have ever not allowed us to check out non-umbrella fold strollers. We've taken our Pliko (umbrella fold) and Aria (not) on most major airlines, and there's never been an issue. I think the only airlines we haven't flown are Airtran and Southwest.

 

[KB'sMom]

None of the airlines we've ever flown have ever not allowed us to check out non-umbrella fold strollers. We've taken our Pliko (umbrella fold) and Aria (not) on most major airlines, and there's never been an issue. I think the only airlines we haven't flown are Airtran and Southwest.

We're flying AirCanada, and AFAIK they only allow umbrella strollers to be gate checked. Not really an issue anyway as I do not want our P&T's to be gate checked and risk having it damaged as we do not have bag for it. We've flown with this other stroller before and it really works well for hauling my DS's carseat through the airport.

 

[deegack]

you didn't say when you were going. Most of Toon Town is closing VERY soon. They are re vamping it. As to strollers in the parks. Strollers are not allowed in ANY lines. They must be parked in an area close to the attraction and are subject to be moved! They have attendants who actually spend all day re-arranging stroller parking as people come and go . Your stroller will be moved as well! Make sure you don't leave anything on it of value! also know that really nice strollers are being stolen! We actually bought a cheap umbrella stroller to take just for that reason!!! BAD people watch what is left unattended and take things or entire strollers. It's impossible for the attendants to know what belongs to who and they are not responsible for them at all only for moving them to fill in empty areas.It would be easier not to have to hold a baby in line with another child but that is just the way it is...child swap is the best option!Good luck and have a magical vacation!!! PS you might get some type of hand held device to keep your child occupied. Even your little ones can enjoy a silly game that makes sounds and has movement! and the lines are so loud the sounds should not bother others

seriously very dramatic. We came back a couple months ago and we brought our $800 stroller with us. We had no problems. A little common sense (don't leave the stroller for hours on end, don't leave expensive things in the stroller, don't tie a fake bag of dirty diaper to it etc) goes a long way. We did have a lock to lock the back wheels together but used it once or twice when we were going to dinner and would be gone for a while.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Sorry to Hijack, but what are your thoughts on the rental strollers available?

The rental strollers at the parks are hard plastic with large sunshades. Not really good for smaller kids, but fine for kids who probably won't nap and just need a ride. They are expensive to rent in the parks, though - $15/day for singles and $31/day for doubles (you do get a slight discount if you pay for multiple days in advance).