Taking your own stroller?

[jj0plin]

I have a 2 year old and a 4 1/2 year old and we have one of the sit and stand strollers with the full seat in the front and the jumpseat in the back with a basket underneath. It is too much of a pain to take your own stroller, especially on and off the buses? We are staying at All Star Movies.

 

[Tweedle]

We had no problem taking our own stroller and we were happy to have it! The busses have wide entrances and isles (to accommodate wheelchairs) making it easy to get strollers on/off and you can actually push your stroller right on to the monorail and boats if it is not too crowded. We really liked having our stroller at the airport and not having to wait in line in the morning at each park to rent a stroller. Plus the cost of renting at DW has gotten pretty high for a double stroller.

 

[VIVIAN1113]

I personally like renting the strollers at the park. However, walking to the bus stop and waiting for the buses is exhausting after a long day and a stroller is helpful!!! An umbrella stroller, I have heard it is much easier if your using the bus transportation. However, I do not like the umbrella stroller for the parks. I find them so inconvenient.

 

[MandM-Mom]

Its nice to have your own going back to buses especially if you have to wait along time for the bus and one is sleeping! Plus the price of a renting double has gotten out of control in my opinion, I would rather lug mine on the bus if you think you can do it!

 

[Mickey'n'Me]

We always used to rent a stroller at the park but my daughter always wanted us to hold her after a long day at the park. The last trip we went on we brought an umbrella stroller and it was wonderful. Easy to fold up for the bus and not overly huge.......

 

[tooh8ful]

I always take my own. It's really nice to be able to get to busses etc quickly w/out the little one slowing things down. Also, I LOVE having a stroller to lug our extra stuff around so we aren't carrying it all the time. I send packages to pkg pickup but there still always seems to be a ton of stuff to tote. The good news is, no diaper bag this trip!

 

[MamaJessie]

Last time I packed our jogging stroller, and left the handle home
So... we went to Target and bought two cheapie umbrella strollers for the girls and I think I may do it that way again next time. They fold up in a second, I was never worried that someone would take it and they were much easier to pack in the car for the ride back home (although we still had the useless jogging stroller too )

Good luck!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My inlaws came with us last trip and bought a cheap umbrella stroller to bring with them instead of bringing their normal SUV-sized stroller.

But they still ended up accidentally leaving it behind at an attraction all the time and having to go back for it because half the time neither one of their kids used it anyway.

 

[buzzmom3]

I done it both ways. I like to have my own stroller when the kids are smaller and won't want to walk back to the room at the end of the day. I think renting works well when they are a little older, wouldn't normally use a stroller at home but all the walking at DIsney might be too much for them.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

We brought our sit and stand stroller the last two years and I can't imagine not having it! It would have been a bigger pain without it for sure.

 

[brockash]

We've taken our sit n stand our last two trips (once ASMo and once Pop) and we didn't have a problem with it on the buses. Don't get me wrong, it's not fun to deal with a stroller on the buses, but for us it was well worth it, and I can't imagine only renting one at the parks for kiddos that young.

 

[brockash]

We brought our sit and stand stroller the last two years and I can't imagine not having it! It would have been a bigger pain without it for sure.

I agree. We've stayed at ASMo and Pop and no it's not fun dealing with a stroller on the buses, but I can't imagine only renting one in the parks. It's well worth the hassle of the buses to bring ours.

 

[happymommy]

We brought a huge double stroller once (Peg Perego Tandem Twin). It was quite heavy (about 30 pounds) but could recline front and back. My kids were almost 5 and almost 3, and it was so great to have. They would fall sound asleep in it every day that trip.

Yes, it was a pain getting it folded and on and off the buses, but that is just a few minutes out of the vacation. Having it was so worth it. I really thought it was great to have our own.

 

[BrownDalmatian]

We always bring ours, and it's a big one ("SUV size" lol). It's KIND OF a pain folding it up going from the parking lot to the park, but not a huge deal. It's definitely worth having IMO.

 

[brymolmom]

I definitely recommend bringing your own. Too expensive to rent. And nice to have on the way to the bus, etc. - especially with 2 young ones.

If you have at least 2 adults...dh and I got the whole bus thing down to a science:
1) put an empty shopping bag (think 99 cent grocery store reusable) on the bottom of your stoller at the start of the day. Put everything you store here on top of it.
2) When going back to the bus in the afternoon/evening, keep kids in it as long as possible...when you see the bus coming is when to hop into action.
3) get both kids out of stroller and grab the backpack/bag out and then take the shopping bag and put any incidentals that have ended up in the bottom of the stroller into it (half empty water bottles, wet socks, popcorn buckets, etc.) - it is MUCH easier to throw all these things into one bag to keep your hands available for the kids.
4) I would take both kids hands (when possible - if younger wasn't sleeping) and walk on. DH would go in back door (when it was opened, isn't always) and stand with the stroller against one of the poles near the back door. He would prop it up against the pole and stand against it.
5) I sit with one kid on lap and one next to me.
6) At exit point - DH hops out quick and has stoller setup ready for kids to jump into when we get off the bus.

Never had a problem with it. If it is only one adult, IMO, is the only time it makes it much more difficult. Also if both kids fall asleep on the bus - but the driver usually lets dh get back on bus quick after he has stroller setup to grab one sleeping kid while I carry the other one out.

 

[monkey30]

We brought our sit and stand stroller the last two years and I can't imagine not having it! It would have been a bigger pain without it for sure.

I agree as well I loved mine and the one time we took a cheap one we ended up going and buying another and just leaving it behind!

 

[jj0plin]

I definitely recommend bringing your own. Too expensive to rent. And nice to have on the way to the bus, etc. - especially with 2 young ones.

If you have at least 2 adults...dh and I got the whole bus thing down to a science:
1) put an empty shopping bag (think 99 cent grocery store reusable) on the bottom of your stoller at the start of the day. Put everything you store here on top of it.
2) When going back to the bus in the afternoon/evening, keep kids in it as long as possible...when you see the bus coming is when to hop into action.
3) get both kids out of stroller and grab the backpack/bag out and then take the shopping bag and put any incidentals that have ended up in the bottom of the stroller into it (half empty water bottles, wet socks, popcorn buckets, etc.) - it is MUCH easier to throw all these things into one bag to keep your hands available for the kids.
4) I would take both kids hands (when possible - if younger wasn't sleeping) and walk on. DH would go in back door (when it was opened, isn't always) and stand with the stroller against one of the poles near the back door. He would prop it up against the pole and stand against it.
5) I sit with one kid on lap and one next to me.
6) At exit point - DH hops out quick and has stoller setup ready for kids to jump into when we get off the bus.

Never had a problem with it. If it is only one adult, IMO, is the only time it makes it much more difficult. Also if both kids fall asleep on the bus - but the driver usually lets dh get back on bus quick after he has stroller setup to grab one sleeping kid while I carry the other one out.

Awesome advice, thanks!!

 

[alexensmom]

Also debating on taking my fav. stroller (Maclaren). Anyone worry about leaving their stroller outside the attractions? Anyone heard of strollers "walking" away?

 

[badblackpug]

We take our graco tandem tank. It's huge. But we need recline for the baby, and a stroller for the 2 year old. It is much easier to keep them contained in 1 stroller. I am not paying good money for a stroller I'll only use once a year at WDW, so we just deal with it. Trust me after about 3 bus rides you will have stroller packing down to a science! The rentals are way too expensive, and besides, won't accommodate an infant. Plus it is nice to have them when waiting in line for the bus at the end of the day. Holding the baby is fine, but the two year old will wear you out.

All that being said, 4 is the cut off age for strollers in our family. Once you turn 4 you walk.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

What should we do???? We have a 4yo DS and 7yo DD, right now our only stroller is a cheap umbrella one... Its been 2 years since our daughter has sat in a stroller, but no way she can walk this much and make it, especially at Epcot.. seems crazy to spend $31 a day renting a double.

other thing, our 4yo weighs 50 pounds so not a normal sized kid, daughter weighs 53 pounds..