Strollers for non-stroller age kids?

[nonzerosum]

We have always brought 2 strollers or rented a double while at WDW, however I'm wondering if this is necessary given the size difference of DLR? DS is 4 and hasn't used a stroller in a year. DD is 6 and did sit in a stroller out of pure exhaustion or laziness last year at WDW. I am planning on bringing one stroller for DS, but do we need a second? I am really hoping the smaller size of DLR limits the need. BTW, we're staying at the Grand Californian and planning on taking afternoon rest breaks. TIA

 

[NattysMom]

One thing to consider is that the we found the walkways and lanes to be much narrower in DL. You might be swimming upstream and be more frustrated trying to maneuver a double stroller in DL. If you aren't walking from an offsite hotel then you might be inclined to go with just one. Have fun!

 

[cheyandrew7]

My kids are gonig to be 5, 3 and 1 when we go to disney and we are renting a double and bring our single stroller, my daughter who will be 5 hasn't sat in a stroller for a couple of years and we are going to take one for her since disney is so big

 

[mcnerthney]

I can't tell you how I now hate strollers. We really fought them last Wednesday. And don't get me started on people who don't need wheelchairs. It was something out of WALL-E.

 

[nonzerosum]

My kids are gonig to be 5, 3 and 1 when we go to disney and we are renting a double and bring our single stroller, my daughter who will be 5 hasn't sat in a stroller for a couple of years and we are going to take one for her since disney is so big

Do you mind if I ask where you're renting your double. I understood that DL only rented singles, unlike WDW.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

just an FYI, we tend to clock between 7-9 miles per day at DL... I'll be bringing my stroller again for dd who is 6 now... she could do 1 day of all that walking, and then I'd have to carry her out at night, and at 42 lbs, I can't do it anymore!!

 

[QueenDoOver]

I took my son last fall who was nearly 7. It was a 3 day trip and we are commandos and really only rest when we have to. Most of the time, he was fine. But on day 2 and 3, I did get a stroller. My strategy was to just save his legs when I could. We stayed at PPH, and one MM we were at DL until about noon, but on the way out, I rented a stroller, and gave him a ride to GRR, where we rode, left the stroller at the entry to GC, and then walked to PPH, had a nap and when we came back to DL for fireworks etc. I grabbed the stroller again, and we had it for fireworks and then Fantasmic, and then exiting the park. It allowed him to participate in long days.

We are going again this summer and he turns 8 next fall, and I won't hesitate to rent a stroller again for him to sit in as needed, if it will help him and us enjoy the trip. We know that in some ways it will slow us down, but that is okay. We don't run any people over with the stroller

Oh, and my son weighs in at 73 pounds so there is no carrying him. He has grown about 3 inches since last fall though, so may not actually fit lengthwise anymore. Darn it!

 

[S. S. Columbia]

I understood that DL only rented singles, unlike WDW.

You're correct! DLR only rents single-strollers.

DLR does not rent double-strollers.

HTH

 

[Disney Dreams]

... And don't get me started on people who don't need wheelchairs. It was something out of WALL-E.

How do you know if someone needs a wheelchair? Did you receive their complete medical history upon seeing them?

...We are going again this summer and he turns 8 next fall, and I won't hesitate to rent a stroller again for him to sit in as needed, if it will help him and us enjoy the trip....

I am not a parent so I am really not "up" on stroller usage and related issues. Please kind this in mind with my question. I am not judging or being rude. I am just curious. Eight seems really old to me for using a stroller. Is this something that lots of parents with kids of this age do? I have friends and family with kids around 8 and I thought they were done with strollers years ago. How long will you continue to use a stroller? Thanks for sharing.

- Dreams

 

[jenpace]

I am not a parent so I am really not "up" on stroller usage and related issues. Please kind this in mind with my question. I am not judging or being rude. I am just curious. Eight seems really old to me for using a stroller. Is this something that lots of parents with kids of this age do? I have friends and family with kids around 8 and I thought they were done with strollers years ago. How long will you continue to use a stroller? Thanks for sharing.

- Dreams

My dd will be eight in a couple of months and when we're at DL she always rides in a stroller. All kids are different...she is my 5th child, all of my other kids were fine w/out a stroller much earlier. It's all about a kid's individual stamina. My dd happens to have some physical issues which make it difficult for her to keep up with everyone else but there are plenty of older kids with no medical issues that just aren't ready to walk upwards of 10 miles per day like the grown-ups.

And yes...I too would love to know how someone can tell just by looking that someone in a wheelchair doesn't "need" to be

 

[QueenDoOver]

How do you know if someone needs a wheelchair? Did you receive their complete medical history upon seeing them?


I am not a parent so I am really not "up" on stroller usage and related issues. Please kind this in mind with my question. I am not judging or being rude. I am just curious. Eight seems really old to me for using a stroller. Is this something that lots of parents with kids of this age do? I have friends and family with kids around 8 and I thought they were done with strollers years ago. How long will you continue to use a stroller? Thanks for sharing.

- Dreams

I completely agree. 8 is incredibly old, and it seems unimagineable under normal circumstances. But, I know about the long wait times and the long days, and would be totally fine with renting a stroller just for the 8 year old to sit in for fireworks/fantasmic/WOC waiting, as that will might make the difference in him being able to participate or not. His legs are still 1/2 the length of everyone elses after all But in reality, he is a goer, and we may be past our last use of the stroller. We will see. My point is that everyone should just decide for themselves and their family what will work for them, and not feel bad about it. While of course, not running anyone else over, or putting their kids on their shoulders and blocking other peoples views, etc. I guess my I would say, "live and let live".

 

[BlueBayou]

My kids are 7 and 9. On our last night of a 8 night trip to WDW in October we ended up renting a double stroller. It was a life saver. We had closed the parks down the past 7 nights - and the kids legs (and my 7 year old's ankles) were done - the prior night my DDthen6 and I went back to the hotel because her ankles were hurting her at EPCOT. Had we not had the stroller on that final night we could not have comando run across the Magic Kingdom getting in the final rides we wanted on the last night, closing down the park. (we are from the Pacific time zone - and the kids never adjusted their body clocks. We ended up not being able to make early ADR lunches - but closed down the parks every single night. If you looked at the adjusted time - they kept the west coast time).

Last month when we were at DL and we were fine without one, or so we thought. On our last night we were walking up Main Street after watching the fireworks from town square. Around the Mickey Cinema - my DD7 asked her dad to pick her up. We did not think anything of it. By the time we got to Tomorrowland she was OUT. Dead weight. Not 5 minutes earlier she was a bundle of energy - spinning like a top. Had we had rented stoller - we would have put her in it and child swapped the rest of the night. We ended up waiting as a family in the line for Matterhorn. Then me and the 46 pounds of dead weight on a park bench.

Since we didn't have a stoller - I ended up having my DH carry the baby to the monorail and then I loaded her in and carried her back to the DL hotel. My DH and DD9 stayed at DL until it closed.

A stroller would have given me two more hours in the park. Not a big deal at DL - because I know we will be back.

I would not worry about what others think if you are using a stroller late at night for older kids (but then again I have very small girls who would pass for a year or two under their age if they did not open their mouths).

 

[VictoriaAndMatt]

Have you thought about the possibility of getting a sit and stand stroller, buying a backboard attachment for a regular stroller? I think this is more verstitale. It's not as wide as a double so it's easier to get around, but still has an option for when your older child needs a rest.

 

[Disney*Happy]

If you feel your children need a stroller...then you should use it. My kids are almost 8 and almost 7 years old. My daughter is usually fine but when my son gets tired, he will literally lay down on the sidewalk and fall asleep. He didn't see any fireworks show until he was 6, and that was a fluke. When trick or treating, he will say he has had enough candy and will want to go home. When he is done...he is done. I take a stroller because I can't carry a 50 pound child around in the park. I also can't expect my daughter to do nothing while her brother sleeps for a couple of hours. So...we bring the stroller. We have it if we need it and when we aren't using it, we park it in whatever "land" we are visiting and check in with it periodically. It is there if either of my children need the rest and it works for storing extra clothes, water bottles, etc. I say bring it if you need it...

 

[Mugglemama]

Our youngest is 5.5, and this will be our first trip to DLR without a stroller (next week). We have 4 kids who are spread out in age, so we literally have not been to DLR without a stroller in 14 years!!! UGH, 14 years of pushing strollers around the parks! I am SOOOO looking forward to not having to use one this time! (we're taking breaks midday and the 5 year old will likely nap for a couple of hours).

We've never used a double stroller, but I would think that trying to maneuver one through Disneyland would not be easy, depending on crowd levels.

 

[Aust]

Our girls were 3 and 6 when we went to DL - no question we needed the stroller for the 3 year old, she still used one at home. The 6 year old had not used a stroller for a couple of years, but really could have done with one - especially on the walk back to DLH. DH had to carry the 3 yo so I could push the 6 yo in the stroller. And the time I went to the parks in the evening with the girls but not DH - it was not fun trying to carry one and push the other by myself, I was tired too, but the poor girls were exhausted! I would definitely err on the side of caution and get the stroller for both.

 

[Smokering]

Hmm. DD will be just turned 3 when we go, and I hadn't planned on hiring a stroller for her. Now I'm wondering if I should. How expensive is it? We'll be there for 5 days, so we won't have to race around... but there'll be lots of walking still, I'm sure... but she is a pretty good walker....

Hmm.

 

[tink929]

DD is almost six and on our last trip we used the stroller about 50% of the time we did previously. We're still bringing one in the fall, but she insists she's a big girl and won't need one :lol: We like it mostly for the walk back to the hotel - she's tired plus we don't have to struggle to keep her right with us among the throngs leaving the parks.

 

[samkj]

The need for a stroller is a personal decision. Our youngest is now 8, but we didn't need a stroller when we went for his 4th birthday. We usually spend 12-14 hours per day at the parks, but we do not have any complaining about being tired even with the walk back to HoJo at the end of the day. Every child is different, some have no problems with long days of walking, with others it can turn the trip into a nightmare if the walking expectations are too high. My advice see how it goes, if your kids are no longer having fun because they are exhausted then get a stroller.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

DD hasn't strolled outside of Disney for years but I do bring it along for Disney trips ~ her *Disney* stroller is a Mac Volo ~ it's an awesome little stroller and it's definitely worth it's price. I'll bring it along for our trip this weekend ~ DD will turn 7 on our official 1st day *Saturday ~ her B-day *we fly in Friday eveing* she's still pretty teeny ~ we're hopin' she's finally tall enough for Indy! I bet I'll leave it in our room in the morning and when we return to the parks after our mid day break we'll have it with us ~ I believe jacobsmommy mentioned one of her kids stood on/in the stroller during WOC ~ DD will do that for sure!

*I'm physically beat after a day and a 1/2 in the parks ~ shows ya how out of shape I am - if DD can have a ride ~ why not?? Her short legs take twice the amount of steps mine do.....