Strollers for 3 yr old?

[BraveLittleToaster2]

My DS went to Disney world at age 4 and 5 and we didn't bring a stroller for him and he did JUST fine...No complaints.

Well my DD will be 3 this upcoming trip and my DH thinks she should walk, but I'm thinking it might be nice to have a small umbrella type stroller just incase...

Any recommendations for umbrella strollers that are not to expensive that will hold up to at LEAST 40 pounds??

ALSO....has anyone brought a 3 year old without a stroller and done okay without it????

 

[nicki.momof3]

Bring the stroller.

 

[DavidandLeahZ]

My DS went to Disney world at age 4 and 5 and we didn't bring a stroller for him and he did JUST fine...No complaints.

Well my DD will be 3 this upcoming trip and my DH thinks she should walk, but I'm thinking it might be nice to have a small umbrella type stroller just incase...

Any recommendations for umbrella strollers that are not to expensive that will hold up to at LEAST 40 pounds??

ALSO....has anyone brought a 3 year old without a stroller and done okay without it????

We have always preferred strollers. We have a Combi.

 

[Carol97]

My daughter will turn 3 in March, right before our planned April trip. She does like to be independent and walk. But, I do not think she will be able to walk the parks all day, every day for 5 days. I've heard that you do about 10miles a day per park walking.

I've done alot of research on umbrella strollers and just actually got mine today from the site to store at Walmart. Most small umbrella strollers will only hold up to 35 lbs and are short and hurt my back. So, I opted to get a heavier duty umbrella stroller. It is still compact, easily folds, has great storage comparments, taller, and even has a cupholder. It will also accomodate a child up to 50-55 lbs. The stroller I bought is a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited g-edition and it retals for about $100 but I think it will work perfect for a Disney trip!

Hope this helps!

 

[wehavesix]

My son and his wife were just discussing this last night. My grandson is 3 and a little dynamo so probably won't stay in the stroller all the time. But from experience, we know it will come in handy when the dynamo runs down and needs a nap. I think they've decided to bring it on our next trip. I can't help you with the brand but I can tell you it's not an umbrella stroller. It's a tiny bit bigger than an umbrella, has a reclining back on the seat and a folding canopy. It's much smaller than some of those really fancy ones. My son bought it at a Wal-Mart not far from WDW when he accidentally forgot to load their regular stroller before the trip. Turns out it was better than the regular one due to being somewhat smaller and easier to manage in park crowds. Maybe it was an Evenflo or Jeep brand?

 

[ktlm]

Bring the stroller for the 3 year olds. My DD (turned 4 this week) has always been a bundle of energy who from the time she could walk did not want to ride in a stroller. We would take the stroller to the zoo and other places with a lot of walking figuring she would get tired and get in it, but she never would. WDW was completely different. The minute she realized how big it was, she happily hopped in the stroller and let us push her all over the parks. She has been to WDW once when she was 2 and twice when she was 3, and I can't imagine doing it without the stroller. With the stroller, she makes it in the parks from open to close. I can't help you on the inexpensive stroller. We used our McClaren and loved it. We got it as a gift when she was born and we were just happy to get some use out of it ! It has made it through 3 WDW trips!

 

[delmar411]

we like our Pliko Lite. Our youngest loves to walk all over WDW but when he's tired there is no way we can carry him around for the rest of the day and night. Also it is great for napping since it has a full recline. DS is around 45lbs and 41" tall and fits in it just fine. (He's just shy of 4) It also folds small like an umbrella stroller. We paid $50 for it new back in 07 but I'm not sure what they go for these days.

 

[pixarmom]

We're in your boat, OP! When our older boys were younger, we stopped bringing strollers at age 4. We're bringing the Maclaren Quest for our 3-year-old, and it will probably just tote our stuff for most of the day while he walks (or runs) with us. But our kids have always been stroller nappers, so I think it will be important for us to have it ready when he's nap-ready! We'll see!

 

[Scrubba2]

We really liked our Maclaren Volo. It was really light weight and it was easy to collapse for the bus and had a shoulder strap.

You may want to go with an innexepensive stroller if your 3 yr old will not use it when you get home, because the Volo is around $100 depending on the sales you find. Sometimes the resorts board has a stroller swap you could see if one is available using the search. There are also off site stroller rental companies mentioned around these boards.

It was an awesome stroller though, because it was able to work great for our big 4 year old.

As other people posted, I'd definately use a stroller!

Have a great time!!

 

[mpbest]

I second the Mac Volo. It is a great stroller. We used it in the fall for DS 4 and will take it in April. Some days he rode in it alot, others not so much. I would much rather take it if you have the room, then to have to rent one.

 

[Bev J]

Well if your going to buy a new stroller for the Disney trip then figure out how much a rental would be and compare the amount of $$ spent. Then if your child is doing fine without it then your not dragging a stroller around unless you need it.

Now on the other hand, you could buy one then sell it on consignement and get some of your $$ back if your not going to use it anymore.
I personally don't think a 3 yr old can make it all day/night without a stroller that is just too much walking for those little legs and unless you have a strong back to carry them then a stroller can save the day. Plus those crowds in the parks can mow down a small child and it is easier to keep track of them in a stroller.

have a fun trip!
Bev

 

[bwilcox]

We brought our 3-yr-old last summer and were very happy for the stroller. The one day of our trip that we left it in the hotel, he was done walking by noon and had to be carried.

 

[Tara922c]

I would bring a stroller for a 3 year old. Yes they can walk, but they get tired much faster. What scares me the most is the crowds. DD will be a week away from turning 3 when we go, and although she loves to walk, I will carry her, or make her ride in her stroller if the crowds get too bad. She is only 26 pounds, and she gets heavy fast. Most the time she hates strollers, but I think after a long day, we will all be thankful for it!

 

[MSMomTJ]

I'm getting the Jeep Cherokee Sport from Walmart for my 3-year-old. It's $50 at Walmart, and it's got great reviews! It only goes up to 35 lbs, though. I am a little worried about that since my dd is 30 lbs, but I figure the 8 days of convenience and relief it will provide is worth $50 if I don't get to use it much afterward!

 

[VAfamily1998]

We brought our 3 year old (also in our family was a 5 year old, 7 year old and 9 year old) last November and did not bring a stroller. We went to the parks Sun-Sat, and most days were there from rope drop (9 am) till closing (MK: 8pm, HS: 8pm, Epcot: 9 pm and AK:5 pm).
The only time we felt we needed a stroller was the night we went to MVMCP--3 year old and 5 year old fell asleep so we ended up renting a double stroller.
Otherwise, when the kids got tired we would just carry them on our shoulders.

 

[Henlady]

BraveLittleToaster2:
I posted a similar post a week or so ago. My DGS will be 2yr& 11mo when we go in mid May. I know most people here recommend what they consider to be "inexpensive" umbrella strollers that run from $50 to well over $100. We were looking for something much less expensive than that, and one that would also hold at least 40 lb. Well, I found what we were looking for. Cosco makes a very basic umbrella stroller, no canopy, just something that DGS can sit in for a bit if he doesn't want to walk any more. I got it at Big Lots for $15. If the thing falls apart by our last day, it will have been worth it. We didn't want anything fancy or that reclined, etc..... just a lightweight means of transporting him without having to carry him. We have a large "super duper" stroller at home but didn't want to fool with transporting it. It's also a pain to have to deal with on the bus, and I am usually concerned that someone may swipe it while we're in an attraction - it does happen from what I've heard. After we got the Cosco home, DGS immediately wanted to try it out. He loved it. He actually spent the next 45 minutes sitting in it while watching a portion of his favorite movie. I had to drag him out of it to put him to bed. Like I said for $15, if it is unuseable at the end of our 5 night trip, I don't really care. If it is still useable, I may just give it to someone else to use so I don't have to pack it back home.
Have a great trip.

 

[djp0630]

I'd bring the stroller. DD3 never rides in a stroller at home. Took her to the mall yesterday, and didn't ride in it at all. In Sept, we told her we were not carrying her, and she would have to go in the stroller if she didn't want to walk. She rode in the stroller a lot in WDW. We had a double stroller so we brought that. Honestly, I can't imagine having to carry a 3 year old if they got tired. WDW is HUGE and a lot of walking for anybody, especially a little kid.

 

[traveljunkie2]

I would definitly bring a stroller. MY DS3 rode in a very basic umbrella stroller that our rental house provided. It wasn't the most comfortable thing, but he napped in it and gladly rode in it about 50% of the time. I personally preferred him to be in it so I knew exactly where he was. My DS6 wished HE had a stroller to dride in! It also allowed us to bring a ton of stuff in that we otherwise wouldn't want to carry. We brought a tote bag and just slid the handles over the stroller handles. We had drinks, snacks, extra sweatshirts, everything in there. The only problem that we encountered was that it didn't recline, but an uncle improvised with the colorful bandana that I had tied to the stroller to identify it easily. He tied DS's head to the stroller's handle so his head wouldn't keep falling forward! It worked out great!

 

[honeydiane1953]

My DS went to Disney world at age 4 and 5 and we didn't bring a stroller for him and he did JUST fine...No complaints.

Well my DD will be 3 this upcoming trip and my DH thinks she should walk, but I'm thinking it might be nice to have a small umbrella type stroller just incase...

Any recommendations for umbrella strollers that are not to expensive that will hold up to at LEAST 40 pounds??

ALSO....has anyone brought a 3 year old without a stroller and done okay without it????

I am a Disney Vet BRING THE STROLLER.

 

[Jamoky]

I would definitely bring the stroller. I bought a Maclaren for my son when he was younger at Disney and it really was worth every penny. If you don't think you will use it at home when you return from your trip I would just buy a cheaper umbrella stroller for the trip. Most stores now have the umbrellas available to try out in the store before purchasing. You want one that can fold fast, isn't too heavy, and a good rain cover can't hurt.

Best of Luck,

Jamie