Strollers on the bus

[nytimez]

I've been on buses where it's apparently not even ok for your kids to sit on the seat. We were asked by a bus driver on two different occasions to have our kids sit on our laps in order to make room. I didn't mind for my 4 year old, but my 6 year old really should be able to sit in her own seat if she wants.

I dunno about that. As a matter of courtesy, I would make my 5 year old sit on my lap on a crowded bus, and without being asked by the bus driver. I don't think she'll be THAT much bigger in 8 months that I would change that.

 

[BigTikiDaddy]

My husband is far too tall for an umbrella stroller so the big ones are really all we can use.

I'm probably not as tall as your DH, I'm 6'2, and I have found the slightly larger umbrella strollers go higher. The cheaper ones are hard to push, I admit. This trip we have a Graco Mosaic (with Mickey designs on it!!!) that suited our needs for our DD2 (2).

 

[LovesTimone]

When DD was little. Here's what I would do.

It was only the 2 of us then, I would drive to the park it is much easier to get a stroller on the tram with just myself and her, I never once had a problem nor did I take up and extra seat. When family was with us, we would ride the bus and another family member would put the stroller in front of them and I always had DD sit in my lap. When she was older around 4 or 5 she said I'm not a baby I don't need a stroller and that was the last time we took one. If she got tired we just went back to the room and took a break. One night on the way back to the hotel the bus was so crowded I just decided to wait for the next bus and we were almost the only ones on it. So that is our policy if there is standing room only we wait.At the end of a long hot day the last thing I want is to get packed into a bus with alot of other people. Waiting the few extra mins, has never hurt me or our group.

 

[maxiesmom]

I dunno about that. As a matter of courtesy, I would make my 5 year old sit on my lap on a crowded bus, and without being asked by the bus driver. I don't think she'll be THAT much bigger in 8 months that I would change that.

If it is still that crowded, I have been known to let my 15yr old niece sit on my lap. She is not huge by any means, and if it lets somebody else have a seat, then why not?

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

The last few times I have been to WDW I have noticed strollers on the seats more often... I am confused by the thought process behind it . I don't know why anyone would put a stoller across 2/3 seats and not on the floor in front of them. It doesn't bother me in the sense that I want that seat, I always stand on the bus if it's full, but there are usually a few people on the bus that could really use the seat.
My DD is now 18 so I haven't had to deal with a stroller for many years and therefore I am not up on current "Stroller etiquette" but IMO a little common sense can go a long way.

 

[book_junkie]

that they would mount a big rack on the front of the bus like those you see on city buses for bikes. But, make ti to hold folded up strollers. Then have everyone fold them and put them on the rack. The drive can then strap them in and off we all go on our merry trip back to the resort. For most resorts this should not be an issue as the bus stops at one place.

It will also free up a lot more room on the bus for guests as well.

Exactly! You would think that Disney, knowing that they have all these families from all over coming with strollers of any and every size, would figure out something to deal with the issue. If not something on the front like the bike racks I've seen on urban buses, then an additional compartment or something on the back where they can be enclosed so that they're not exposed to the weather (probably a major issue for stroller users- I'm not). Put an Imagineer on it, and figure it out. Surely running through all the models of strollers there are enough common elements that they can figure out a way to store them for the 15-20 minutes it takes to get from a park to a resort or vice versa without damaging the stroller.

Then they can put the Imagineer to redesigning the bus to be safer when they crowd them to the gills...

 

[SLK1]

Just wondering...if the stroller was THAT big, and took up three seats, maybe it could not be wedged between the seat in front and the people? Maybe it was so big that there was no other option?

 

[nytimez]

Just wondering...if the stroller was THAT big, and took up three seats, maybe it could not be wedged between the seat in front and the people? Maybe it was so big that there was no other option?

I think if that's the case, you fold the stroller as much as it folds and stand with it, allowing human beings to use the seat instead of the stroller.

 

[goofyernmost]

The last few times I have been to WDW I have noticed strollers on the seats more often... I am confused by the thought process behind it . I don't know why anyone would put a stoller across 2/3 seats and not on the floor in front of them. It doesn't bother me in the sense that I want that seat, I always stand on the bus if it's full, but there are usually a few people on the bus that could really use the seat.
My DD is now 18 so I haven't had to deal with a stroller for many years and therefore I am not up on current "Stroller etiquette" but IMO a little common sense can go a long way.

Sadly, you have to go a long, long way to find any common sense lately.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

that they would mount a big rack on the front of the bus like those you see on city buses for bikes. But, make ti to hold folded up strollers. Then have everyone fold them and put them on the rack. The drive can then strap them in and off we all go on our merry trip back to the resort. For most resorts this should not be an issue as the bus stops at one place.

It will also free up a lot more room on the bus for guests as well.

I disagree with strollers on the seat, but I don't think I want it strapped to the front of the bus either!

 

[maxiesmom]

I disagree with strollers on the seat, but I don't think I want it strapped to the front of the bus either!

I think it sounds good in theory. But for real life, not so much. You would then be making it take even longer to get to/from the parks, as everyone has to wait for people to load and unload their strollers from the front of the bus. And then you would have people complaining that their stroller was damaged by someone else's stroller. And people tossing other strollers aside to get to their stroller from where it is strapped down.

 

[ppony]

I haven't read past the first page of the thread yet but want to thank the OP for asking the question. I've only been on a Disney bus once. We had a small, fold up umbrella stroller and just kept it standing up (folded) in front of us and there were only 2 other people on the bus anyway. I couldn't imagine my stupid stroller taking up a seat a body should be occupying. IMO, people that do that are on a bit of a power trip.
I plan to need to leave the parks this time w/o the rest of my family as my youngest son won't likely be able to do a whole day so this thread and question interested me. I'll leave the car for them and take the bus back and I will have a jogging stroller becuase it's necessary for him. (Wish I didnt have to take that size, but it is what it is.)

Thanks OP for asking the question and giving me food for thought and planning.

 

[nytimez]

I disagree with strollers on the seat, but I don't think I want it strapped to the front of the bus either!

How about dragging the strollers behind the bus? Put those wheels to use!

 

[d1gitman]

1. First of all let me say that this is in no way asked to cause a debate. If you want to debate this, I would ask that you start another thread. I am simply trying to find out what the "standard" policy, or normal practice is. If there are differences of opinion about what is normal, I would also ask that you respectfully present your thoughts, without attacking anyone else's. Um, I don't remember seeing all these thread rules in the rules sticky

2. Secondly let me also say that we were in no way put out, irritated, upset by, etc... what I am asking about. Again, I am simply trying to find out some info about this (not griping about it). Gee, your no fun.

3. So, this is my question. What is the standard practice of placing strollers on a bus? While staying at the POP last week, we took a bus to one of the parks, and we noticed that as we got on, that a family had one of those really large strollers, and they had it folded up, and on 3 seats next to them. I was just wondering if it is normal to put a stroller on an empty seat (or multiple seats).
Since we were the last ones on the bus, we wouldn't have gotten a seat anyway, so the stroller didn't make us lose a seat or anything, but it did strike me as kind of strange to see a stroller using 3 empty seats, while many people were left standing.
So, is this the normal practice of taking a stroller on the bus? Again, no debate wanted, just looking for some info about this. Definitely NOT part of any standard practice that I have seen over the years. In fact, I have been on buses where the bus driver asked people to remove belongings from empty seats so that other's may sit down

.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

How about dragging the strollers behind the bus? Put those wheels to use!

Yep, that's probably a better idea, plus that way there won't be as many dead bugs to clean off!

 

[Colleen27]

We have the best peg pergo aria stroller that folds to nothing but a small square. People in disney and on flights ask me all the time about it because it opens and closes so easily, and it is almost nonexistent when closed on a bus. In case anyone was looking for a lightweight option.

We've got a Peg Perego P3 and get the same questions. It is such a nice stroller, with the full recline and wide canopy of a full sized stroller and the small folded size of an umbrella stroller, and it really is ideal for traveling. I didn't want a to lug around a typical full sized stroller, but my DD is a stroller-napper so I wanted the recline and a few other features of larger strollers. If not for the DIS, I'd probably have been one of those moms complaining about lugging my Graco on and off of buses, but the family board pointed me in the direction of the Peg Perego and it is perfect!

We keep ours folded standing up in front of whichever of us isn't holding the baby, and it doesn't take up much room. I've never seen anyone take up seats with a stroller - shopping bags, purses, diaper bags, camera bags, yes, but not strollers - so I wouldn't think it is normal or common at all.

 

[Colleen27]

I'm not sure I understand your point here. The only other option is to tell them that they cannot ride on the bus.

The option I described, of course would only work if there was a wheelchair space available and yes it would take up seating area...the point was to eliminate the loose projectile from the scenario. Seating, well that is another story, but again the only other option is them not being able to ride the bus, safety should always be the highest priority. That may not be the answer one would like to hear but if you were riding on my bus...that would be the rule.

As for stroller frames...I think that they can take the strain of a the slight amount of pressure that they would need to stay put. I'm not talking about the stroller being occupied at the time, that is a major no-no! Blocking the aisles is also a major infraction and is federally regulated. Nothing can be blocking the aisles, ever.

The loose projectile factor doesn't appear to be a concern on public transportation in general or Disney buses in particular. If it were, you're right - the appropriate thing to do would be to disallow strollers altogether (and require bags be properly stowed, and install seat belts).

I think the same goes for blocking the aisle. I've seldom been on a Disney bus where the aisles weren't blocked by people, strollers, and packages. That's just the norm and I don't buy that every bus leaving after Wishes every night is in violation of federal regulations.

 

[Colleen27]

that they would mount a big rack on the front of the bus like those you see on city buses for bikes. But, make ti to hold folded up strollers. Then have everyone fold them and put them on the rack. The drive can then strap them in and off we all go on our merry trip back to the resort. For most resorts this should not be an issue as the bus stops at one place.

It will also free up a lot more room on the bus for guests as well.

I suspect most people wouldn't be comfortable with that. It is fairly common for people to get off the city bus to find that someone who got off earlier took their bike and left a cheaper/beat up bike behind. I think you'd have some of the same issues happening with strollers, where the dishonest people of the world see an opportunity to grab a $300 stroller and leave behind their $80 stroller. You'd probably also get a lot of genuine mix-ups, since strollers (especially when folded) often look very similar to one another, and I don't imagine the balloon we tie to the handle to set our stroller apart at attractions would be such a good solution if it meant the balloon waving in the driver's face!

It seems like it'd be a customer service headache waiting to happen, to say nothing of the increased loading and unloading times, the problems when the person who put their stroller in first gets off before the six strollers stacked with it, etc. Going to the parks there's usually just one stop, but going back to the resorts there are always several.

 

[DisneyMim]

Very rude. We never used the buses. When my kids were young and needed strollers we always rented a car. We still do. Can't stand the buses. Another vent of mine is the monorail and strollers. Since when has it become ok to wheel those huge strollers on the monorail, park them smack in the middle and let the kids out and let them sit in the seats?? Why can't they stay in the strollers?? So now, not only are the seats taken up, but the handrails are also not usable because the strollers are in the way. Again, when my kids were using strollers we always had to fold them on the monorail and I would put it with ME, so it bothered ME or my husband, not everyone else on the monorail. Oh and another thing. We put our kids on our laps so other people could sit down. When did being rude become so popular?? I don't get it.

OK vent over.

Enjoy The Magic!!

 

[dmoore718]

We always place our strollers folded but standing up on the floor. We sit down, or stand and hold onto them. I would NEVER place one on a seat......unless the bus was totally empty, and even then, I still might feel funny about it, when I could just put it on the floor....that makes no sense.