Strollers at Disneyland

[Sleepless Knight]

My family is going down in December. We're thinking about bringing the double stroller for my 3 yo nephew and my 9 mo niece. However because of the Disney Visa, we get free stroller rentals, so we're trying to decide what the best option is.

1. Can we get a double stroller off of two Disney Visa cards(which we have) or is there an upgrade fee?

2. How comfortable are the rental stroller for children?

3. How much storage room is there for diaper bags and camera bags that children cannot get to?

Thanks in advance.

 

[IBLarsen]

I don't think there are Double Strollers for rent at Disneyland. Only singles. We took our double stroller and it was nice at the end of the day to be able to push the kids in the stroller back to the hotel. Otherwise we would have ended up carrying them, they were so tired. Something to keep in mind, depending on where you are staying. Good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

There are only single strollers at DLR, and you can get two free strollers per day per Disney Visa.

They seem fairly comfy, though they are the "jogging" type with very little support for a wee one, so the 9 month old might scrunch down and be less comfy than the 3 year old, and it might not even be safe for all 9 month olds.

Anyway, if the 9 month old still needs more support, then don't go with the rental.

The main issue, depending on where you're staying, is the walk to and from the hotel. That walk in the morning, with a toddler who doesn't understand brisk walking LOL, can be frustrating. And the walk back with a toddler who is rather exhausted can be, well, exhausting. Add a baby to the mix and you're going to be sore! So I tend to suggest bringing strollers from home just for that factor.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

How many adults are going? I'd suggest 2 single strollers instead of a double. If you'll have a group of adults just take turns pushing the 2 strollers. I'll be bringing a stroller for DD, perhaps we'll get a Disney stroller with my mom's Disney Visa to hold our stuff.

 

[TXAng]

Here's a photo of DS (he was 9 months old at the time) in the DL stroller:

He seemed pretty comfy in it - it's very similar to a jog stroller.

We did not use our own stroller the entire time we were there, however, we did use a baby carrier for the walk to/from the hotel as well as off and on throughout the day at the park. That's probably not an option with the 3 year old!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Thank you all so much for the information and tips. I told my brother that I'd be shocked if an answer hadn't been posted within 2 hours, and sure enough, there were multiple posts well within the 2 hours.

We'll be driving to the parks, so that issue won't come into play too much. Do the monorails allow Disney strollers on them? We have Goofy's Kitchen scheduled at the DLH and were thinking of taking the monorail.

 

[DahliaRW]

No, you can't take the strollers through the checkpoints. So you can take them between the parks, but not to the hotels.

 

[Feistygirl916]

No, you can't take the strollers through the checkpoints. So you can take them between the parks, but not to the hotels.

Wait, what? No, last time I checked, you cannot take the strollers between the parks...

 

[wendylady36]

I think they ask you to park your stroller before getting onto the monorail.

Come to think of it, I don't think you can take the strollers to DCA, I can't remember ever seeing Disneyland strollers there.

We always bring our double stroller for my nieces, it's just easier for us.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Strictly from an observational viewpoint, it always seems to me that the people with double-wide strollers at DL struggle getting through crowds, queues, etc.... They're just B-I-G.

 

[avalon451]

Yes, you definitely can take the rental strollers between the parks, through the Esplanade. They just can't go through the security checkpoints.

If you are driving and have the room in your car, I'd take two individual strollers-- I agree that doubles are hard to maneuver in crowds. If you don't want to take up room in the car for your two strollers, you might consider taking two cheap umbrella strollers, that fold up compactly, and use them for getting to and from the trams, monorail, parking, DTD, etc. Once you get into the gates, you can park those lightweight ones and get your free stroller rentals. This works well because the rentals are sturdy, comfortable joggers, with a fairly large and roomy storage compartment beneath the seat. They also have a folding canopy, which is nice. If you do use the rentals, bring along a bright bandana or scarf to tie on the handles, so you can quickly pick them out of the sea of strollers, when you park them outside a ride.

HTH!

 

[DahliaRW]

Yes, you can take them between parks. We did this in September.

You really don't need a stroller to get from parking to the park to just rent one if you're ok carrying your LO a short distance. It's MUCH easier to get into the parks without have to use a stroller and it'd be a real pain to haul on the monorail, especially if it's crowded.

 

[WendyT]

My personal vote - from experience - is one umbrella stroller per child. The larger strollers are much more difficult to manage when they have to be folded up. Also, there is the possibility that someone could "accidentally" borrow your stroller, so I would never take one that I wouldn't mind parting with. Having said that, I think it is better to bring your own than to be stuck at the end of a long day carrying a child back to the hotel.

 

[carebear2002]

If you do use the rentals, bring along a bright bandana or scarf to tie on the handles, so you can quickly pick them out of the sea of strollers, when you park them outside a ride.

HTH!

This is a great idea! No matter if we have rented a stroller or brought our own their are so many strollers shoved together that it is a must to have a scarf or bandana to identify your stroller!

 

[tinkerbelt]

We love the rental strollers, but for an infant, I'd prefer my own. The rentals steer very well, have a bit of storage space, and if you keep your receipt, there are several places throughout the parks where you can get a new stroller. They also fold up if you want to take them on the train.

You can't take the rental strollers on the monorail, and if you take your own stroller, it must be folded. DL does not rent double strollers, but you can take them between the parks (you can also rent strollers at DCA).

 

[skoocher]

IMO, take your own stroller. Last time we went, our son was only 9 mo old, and we were so glad that we took our own. He was comfortable in his familiar stroller and made taking a small child more enjoyable.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Thanks so much for the additional information. I think we're going to be renting strollers especially because my DB's family is flying out of state for Thanksgiving and will be flying into the Ontario airport, so it sounds like they don't want to hassle with one more thing to haul on the airplane. Thanks again to TXang for posting that picture. It went a long ways towards answering some questions and concerns my DSIL had.