Strollers, GCH, and Etiquette

[Sy-]

Ok couple questions. I'm staying at GCH durring our trip in Oct and will be using the free(Visa) strollers in the parks. I had a couple questions on renting and returning strollers. Can you rent a stroller in DCA and take it to DL? How far can you go with the strollers after you rent em? Downtown Disney? Can I drive it through the GCH private entrance? If I can't, say at the end of the day can I park it at the GCH private entrance and just abandon it there? What happens if you don't return it to the stroller rental office and just abandon it in the park? Thanks all... Just wondering how lazy I can be durring my trip!

 

[avalon451]

Yep, you can take them back and forth between the two parks on the Esplanade. But you can't take them into DTD, or anyplace beyond the security tables. Many many people abandon them over to one side of the security tables, I don't think it's a big deal; they expect people to do that and take them as far as they can to save tired little feet. You can also leave them at the entrance to the GCH inside CA, though you can't take them into the hotel.

The upside of this is that, if you leave to take a midday rest in the hotel, when you come back, just grab an abandoned stroller from the many left next to the security tables at any entrance. No need to go back through the rental area. Hang onto your nametag they gave you and put it in the plastic sleeve of your newly commandeered stroller, and voila, it's yours.

 

[IndyBride]

Perhaps it's because I don't have kids but I have NEVER noticed abandoned strollers at the GCH entrance to DCA. I mean, it's not a huge area where the benches are. I'd imagine it get pretty crowded quickly if people were always dumping their strollers there.

 

[avalon451]

Yeah, late afternoon, you'll always find some there. You know how at the entrance from DCA into the GCH, you walk into the stone walled area and it's kind of an L shape, goes to the left and then turns right? We left our stroller there a few times along with a dozen or so others, in the space at the end of the entrance area before you turn right to the walkway into the hotel. There's a pretty good sized little niche there that they usually accumulated in.

 

[grizbuzz]

I didn't notice abandoned strollers, but there are plenty of strollers in that nook. We just left our stroller with the name tag in place at the GCH entrance and picked it up again after our nap time. Very convenient.

 

[caldad]

Ok couple questions. I'm staying at GCH durring our trip in Oct and will be using the free(Visa) strollers in the parks. I had a couple questions on renting and returning strollers. Can you rent a stroller in DCA and take it to DL? How far can you go with the strollers after you rent em? Downtown Disney? Can I drive it through the GCH private entrance? If I can't, say at the end of the day can I park it at the GCH private entrance and just abandon it there? What happens if you don't return it to the stroller rental office and just abandon it in the park? Thanks all... Just wondering how lazy I can be durring my trip!

No worries. You don't need to return it. By the way you also get a free stroller for staying at any of the Disneyland Hotels. We've left ours at the GCH DCA entrance when we have gone to take a break at the pool. But most of the time when you head back out you can find a stroller that someone else has left behind. I just wish they would let you take them back to the hotel through Downtown Disney when DL closes but you can't go past the security tables.

 

[avalon451]

I didn't notice abandoned strollers, but there are plenty of strollers in that nook. We just left our stroller with the name tag in place at the GCH entrance and picked it up again after our nap time. Very convenient.

To me, "abandoned strollers" means strollers left in a cluster at the security tables or GCH entrance, with nothing left in them, no identifying ribbons tied on,etc, and no name tag in the sleeve. I'd never take one that still had the nametag on, something in it or tied onto it, and I'd never take one inside the park gates.

 

[Sy-]

What happens if you take you nametag out when you go up for a nap then come down to find that there are no available strollers? Can you go to the rental station and grab another one?

 

[avalon451]

yep, just show your receipt to the CMs who are handing out strollers and they will give you a new one. No need to wait in the rental line again.

 

[Brenna&Noah's Mom]

No worries. You don't need to return it. By the way you also get a free stroller for staying at any of the Disneyland Hotels. We've left ours at the GCH DCA entrance when we have gone to take a break at the pool. But most of the time when you head back out you can find a stroller that someone else has left behind. I just wish they would let you take them back to the hotel through Downtown Disney when DL closes but you can't go past the security tables.

I didn't know that if you stayed onsite you can get free strollers.I paid 20 dollars for 2 days and stayed at DLH.Oh well, I know now.

 

[avalon451]

I didn't know that if you stayed onsite you can get free strollers.I paid 20 dollars for 2 days and stayed at DLH.Oh well, I know now.

I don't think that's correct. We just stayed onsite in March and it was not one of the perks.

You can get 2 free stroller rentals a day if you have a Disney Visa, though.

 

[bumbershoot]

By the way you also get a free stroller for staying at any of the Disneyland Hotels.

No, I don't think so. Trust me, I would have been all over that.

 

[caldad]

No, I don't think so. Trust me, I would have been all over that.

We used it last year at the GCH but I just called the GCH and the front desk told me they stopped doing it. Guess we just got lucky.

 

[caldad]

Thanks avalon451.......I was just wondering how many rentals you get with the D Visa. We're making a trip out on July 23rd so I'll be sure to bring my D Visa.