Talk to me about STROLLERS!

[LockShockBarrel]

So my friend is going in mid November and has never been to Disney before! I told her I'd help her plan (ok I basically took over) but there's some stuff I'm not used to accomedating, mainly a 6 year old. I've been around the boards enough to know to recomend that she does get a stroller for the kid, but other than that I'm clueless about strollers!

I told her how much walking is involved, and that the strollers for rent are on the larger side so her kid will fit in it, and that she's not obligated to ride in it all day, just that it's handy to have. The daughter isn't used to walking long distances at all and I forsee mega tantrums and whining without the stroller. I believe I read correctly that a single day rental is $15, but if you rent for multiple days the cost goes to $13 per day for however many days you specify, and that you keep your reciept and that's all you need to rent on the rest of the days. Is that correct? I guess the big thing I'm confused about is how does stroller parking work? I feel like I've read that strollers get moved from entrances to exits at some attractions? Is there a good, or better than others, way of marking your stroller so you can find it?

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

You will probably get posts from people who do not believe that a 6 year old belongs in a stroller. I was of that belief until going to WDW when my daughter was 4, and I saw how tired she got. My mom was right in making me take one (I say she made me take one b/c she went out, bought one, and brought it herself, so I had no choice!) My daughter has been training in the martial arts since she was 2, and is in as good of shape as any almost 6 year old can expect to be in. However, after walking miles and miles, her tiny legs were done. She fell asleep everywhere, even sitting on my dad's shoulders. We will bring one next October, and she will be 6 1/2. I just want her to be able to have a place to rest if she needs to rest. I refuse to carry a sleeping child through WDW! That being said, I don't do the stroller rentals so I can't tell you too much about that part. I can tell you about stroller parking though. At all major attractions there is a stroller parking area. They have to be out of the way for parades and such, so they have designated areas to park. The only time we've had our stroller moved was when we accidentally parked in the wrong area b/c we saw other strollers parked there. When we came out and saw our stroller was no longer there, a CM was able to tell us where it was moved to. My biggest suggestion would be making sure the stroller is heavily marked, especially if it is a rental. I bought a cheap laminator from Target, made my own tags, laminated them, and used zip ties to attach them to the stroller. I labeled it with our family's name, and with a couple tags stating where we were staying for what dates so that if someone took it by mistake it could be taken to the right resort. With a rental, they all look the same, so it really needs to be marked. We are labeling our stroller as the "Rock-n-roller stroller" this time. My son came up with that!

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Oh I fully expected to get people posting that a 6 year old shouldn't be in a stroller. I guess I fall kind of in the middle of that argument actually. I don't think a 6 year old needs to be babied, and kept in the stroller the whole time with a blankey and a teddy bear. I wouldn't suggest a stroller for the mall, but Disney is a lot for anyone. I also think that I know this kid well enough that she will turn into a fire breathing hell demon by early evening without it. She gets lots of exercise, but is that kid who runs around like a whirling dervish for an hour then wants nothing to do with more exercise after that. With it being this family's first trip, I want to at least give my friend as much info as I can about the strollers so if she chooses to get one, she'll know whats going on.

So marking the stroller is a big thing. I'm guessing bring a can of safety orange Krylon is out? Would some ribbons wrapped around the handles be a good idea? I think the Disney strollers have that clear sleeve where you put a piece of paper with your name right?

 

[Infamousmare]

The Disney strollers do have the clear sleeve so that you can mark them. We made sure to use silly names/graphics to make our rental stand out (and we didn't use our real name b/c my mother was just convinced that someone would use it to steal our identities). So we were the "Abby Normal" stroller tag most days, along with a picture drawn by my daughter. Our stroller was very easy to spot.

As for stroller rental...I, too, am in a position where I'm looking to rent one. My infant daughter obviously needs one; however, my 4-year-old son also gets tired. It IS a LOT of walking and frankly, it doesn't matter what others think. Nobody at the park is going to care whether you're pushing a baby, a kindergartner or your neighbor's dog in a stroller, so go right ahead and do what you think is best.

I am currently looking into Orlando Stroller Rentals, as their jogger strollers will accommodate both my baby and my preschooler. Depending on how big your friend's daughter is, you might consider just using the Disney strollers, as I *think* they might be cheaper than a jogger rental. Of course, I haven't priced this out yet. Right. I'm a ton of help here.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Oh man you must not have been around the disboards very long, people care a LOT about who you're pushing in that stroller!

This poor girl is so clueless with Disney stuff. I'm just trying to make everything as easy as I can for her, but she's not making it easy on me! When I was trying to help her with dining reservations (at 40 some odd days out mind you!) she got overwhelmed making 3 reservations! Now that all the ADRs are made, I'm trying to make up some basic touring plans...basically "go here first, this can wait, don't miss this" kind of stuff. I can't imagine how she'll react when I pull out a map and tell her "Ok, this is the path your gonna follow" and start talking about fastpasses and all that.

 

[txwdwmom]

Oh man you must not have been around the disboards very long, people care a LOT about who you're pushing in that stroller!

This poor girl is so clueless with Disney stuff. I'm just trying to make everything as easy as I can for her, but she's not making it easy on me! When I was trying to help her with dining reservations (at 40 some odd days out mind you!) she got overwhelmed making 3 reservations! Now that all the ADRs are made, I'm trying to make up some basic touring plans...basically "go here first, this can wait, don't miss this" kind of stuff. I can't imagine how she'll react when I pull out a map and tell her "Ok, this is the path your gonna follow" and start talking about fastpasses and all that.

I wouldn't care what other people think!! You know what your child is and isn't capable of doing. WDW is a LOT of walking for adults and children, and no one can tell by looking at a child whether or not they have a disability preventing them from walking, and who cares what someone else thinks!!! Why do they care? I would recommend calling Orlando Strollers. They will deliver and and pick up at your resort. You can use the stroller as needed!

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

Oh I fully expected to get people posting that a 6 year old shouldn't be in a stroller. I guess I fall kind of in the middle of that argument actually. I don't think a 6 year old needs to be babied, and kept in the stroller the whole time with a blankey and a teddy bear. I wouldn't suggest a stroller for the mall, but Disney is a lot for anyone. I also think that I know this kid well enough that she will turn into a fire breathing hell demon by early evening without it. She gets lots of exercise, but is that kid who runs around like a whirling dervish for an hour then wants nothing to do with more exercise after that. With it being this family's first trip, I want to at least give my friend as much info as I can about the strollers so if she chooses to get one, she'll know whats going on.

So marking the stroller is a big thing. I'm guessing bring a can of safety orange Krylon is out? Would some ribbons wrapped around the handles be a good idea? I think the Disney strollers have that clear sleeve where you put a piece of paper with your name right?

I am totally with you, believe me! My daughter would never be in a stroller at the mall, but it is a Disney necessity for sure! MY legs are too tired after a day in the parks, and she has to take probably 6 steps to equal my 1! I've seen the sleeve on the Disney strollers, but they all looked alike to me, so I can see how people make the mistake of taking someone else's! Maybe ribbons are a good idea, though I did like the Krylon idea too!

The Disney strollers do have the clear sleeve so that you can mark them. We made sure to use silly names/graphics to make our rental stand out (and we didn't use our real name b/c my mother was just convinced that someone would use it to steal our identities). So we were the "Abby Normal" stroller tag most days, along with a picture drawn by my daughter. Our stroller was very easy to spot.

As for stroller rental...I, too, am in a position where I'm looking to rent one. My infant daughter obviously needs one; however, my 4-year-old son also gets tired. It IS a LOT of walking and frankly, it doesn't matter what others think. Nobody at the park is going to care whether you're pushing a baby, a kindergartner or your neighbor's dog in a stroller, so go right ahead and do what you think is best.

I am currently looking into Orlando Stroller Rentals, as their jogger strollers will accommodate both my baby and my preschooler. Depending on how big your friend's daughter is, you might consider just using the Disney strollers, as I *think* they might be cheaper than a jogger rental. Of course, I haven't priced this out yet. Right. I'm a ton of help here.

Haha! I dare someone to steal my identity! They are in for a rude awakening if they do (we had some financial difficulties a couple years ago when construction work dried up and our contracting business took a dive!). We used only our last name on the stroller b/c I don't think anyone could do much with that. I would never put my daughter's name on it, so our last name worked out well.

I personally don't care what others think either, but I was hoping to disuade people looking to flame from making rude comments. I got ripped a new one several months ago for making a simple, innocent comment that someone took WAY out of context. To the point of actually twisting it into something I never even said, then blasting me for something I never posted. I had to quote myself repeatedly to clear up the situation. I stumbled upon a stroller thread on another site when I was looking into strollers earlier this year, and whew! was I glad I wasn't in that forum!!! I don't think the Dis moderators would ever let that happen!!! It was brutal! I even read how some people are mad that Disney is overrun with strollers! It's a place for kids and grown ups reverting back to childhood for a couple days! If we could get in a stroller ourselves, we probably would! I also think this is how Walt intended it. I never realized strollers could be such a heated subject until I saw that thread! Anyway, I think it's great that LockShockBarrel is helping out their friend!

We took a Jeep jogger stroller for our 2011 trip, and it was wonderful! I got it off Craigslist for $60, and it was barely used. It was so great! It held everything we didn't want to carry, and the kid as well! That is of course the reason we bring a stroller......My mom did the umbrella stroller for the 2010 trip, and again for my niece for 2011, and proceeded to walk away while we dealt with the thing falling over when she would stand up. My husband put in a request for a sturdier stroller, and I managed to get one. It had shock absorbers and such too, so when people rammed into us it didn't faze us! I have never used a Disney one b/c I didn't want to fight the crowds to rent one, so I can't attest to that, but I loved the jogger, so if fighting the crowds gunning for a stroller rental is not part of your touring plan, then that's the way to go! Good luck! Oh, and I think Orlando stroller rental is reasonably priced, but we decided not to go with them b/c for our 11 day stay I was able to buy a stroller for half the price rather than renting. It wasn't extra to bring on the plane, so maybe that's another option.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

Oh man you must not have been around the disboards very long, people care a LOT about who you're pushing in that stroller!

This poor girl is so clueless with Disney stuff. I'm just trying to make everything as easy as I can for her, but she's not making it easy on me! When I was trying to help her with dining reservations (at 40 some odd days out mind you!) she got overwhelmed making 3 reservations! Now that all the ADRs are made, I'm trying to make up some basic touring plans...basically "go here first, this can wait, don't miss this" kind of stuff. I can't imagine how she'll react when I pull out a map and tell her "Ok, this is the path your gonna follow" and start talking about fastpasses and all that.

You are right! It is sad that people are so judgemental. As long as my girl gets tired from walking 8 miles a day I will bring the stroller! Like I said, she trains all the time, but still gets tired. It's natural! I hate people who look down their noses at others.

Good luck! It's great you are helping your friend out. My mom kinda says "Whatever. You do what you gotta do and I will show up." I planned our last trip for 12 people, and this trip will probably be either the same or 14. My mom thinks I'm wierd for thinking about ADR's 7 months before I can even make reservations, but I like to be ready! Your friend will probably be totally overwhelmed at WDW it sounds! Maybe it's an excuse to take another trip yourself...

I wouldn't care what other people think!! You know what your child is and isn't capable of doing. WDW is a LOT of walking for adults and children, and no one can tell by looking at a child whether or not they have a disability preventing them from walking, and who cares what someone else thinks!!! Why do they care? I would recommend calling Orlando Strollers. They will deliver and and pick up at your resort. You can use the stroller as needed!

Tru dat! I could use the same argument (and have) for people who use scooters at WDW. Ya can't tell by looking at someone if they need one or not. I have never used one, but I try never to look at someone and judge them for using one. I can't tell what kind of pain they are in. It's sad that there are people who judge others like that. Hopefully we can avoid having that happen on this thread b/c it would be nice to see a stroller thread where no one gets flamed!

 

[Main Street Matilda]

From my point of view, I would rent a Disney stroller rather than bring one, especially for an older child. They can hop in and out of the Disney strollers so much easier, I think. My kids loved that aspect of using those strollers.

 

[Infamousmare]

*LOL*! I meant that once you're in the park nobody's going to care what or who you're pushing in a stroller. I have seen around here that people do seem to care. Meh, I'm kind of busy chasing my kids around to worry about the age cutoff for being able to use a stroller. Which makes me wonder if I should just strap my brood into a stroller ALL the time, not just at WDW...

WDW is a LOT of walking. I'd much rather your friend have a stroller for her daughter than to make the poor kid suffer. I mean, I'd much rather deal with an amusement park overrun with strollers than watch kids being literally dragged around crying because their legs hurt (saw this a lot on our last trip). Honestly, I would totally look into a stroller for myself if I knew I could count on someone to push me...

blackbeltdisneygirl-As for planning ADRs 7 months in advance - I am so with you! I plan the vacay for 8 of us every other September (and am now planning a last-minute-for-me vacay @WDW next month for my MIL, myself & kids). My life's calling is making ADRs, mapping out daily routes and calling the WDW travel line daily trying to score a better resort rezzie (gotta jump on those villas right at the 6 month mark!).

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I don't make any claims of not being judgemental. I get very judgemental when I see a 10 year old sitting in the basket of a shopping cart playing with an iphone. The way I see it, if anyone wants to flame me over this I could always counter "Well at least I didn't tell them to rent a wheelchair"...but I don't want to turn this thread into that crap.

I am also one of those long range planners. When this girl told me how long she had til the trip, I must have had "the look" on my face because she goes "That's a long time before the trip!' to which I replied "I had my January 2011 reservation made in April and knew where I'd be eating the week after that. I made my dining reservations as soon as they opened, but I knew where I wanted to go 2 months before I even made the resort reservation...I also pretty much knew what I'd be eating"

So back on track..anyone else for ideas on how to mark the stroller?

 

[mom2agirlandboy]

When we went last year, my dd was 6 and ds was 4. We brought 2 umbrella strollers and honestly, it was the best decision as they both love to work and very active kids but Disney is very large that a 5-10 mins ride in the stroller makes a huge difference for them. I'd rather have a happy and not tired 6 year old than a cranky one.

On our January trip, we are planning to take again the 2 umbrella strollers even though my daughter is 8 as i'd rather push her than carry her.

 

[TwistGrl101]

Rent from Orlando Stroller Rentals! They are EXCELLENT!

 

[Infamousmare]

So back on track..anyone else for ideas on how to mark the stroller?

Okay, what I'd do is turn around the standard little placard they give you to slide into the clear plastic sleeve and write in large letters whatever name you want (turn it around so that you have full use of the white space and because it will already be different than the 57 other strollers with the Disney graphics and small space for a name). Take along a couple of bright markers and also draw some little squiggles or other interesting markings on it alongside the name. Additionally, a brightly colored ribbon or two tied to the handle will really make it stand out.

My favorite idea is one we used the last day at the park: I turned the standard Disney card around and wrote in huge red letters "STOLEN FROM MARE". I'm positive this is what kept our stroller from disappearing.

 

[PEANUT1]

For night time we use battery powered led lights..it looks cool and everyone comments on how neat they are. During the day, a neon colored ribbon would work well.

 

[blu]

Being a major planner I haunted craigslist until I saw a sit and stand stroller for my 6 year old (major wimp) and almost 3 year old. It wasnt a whole lot bigger than a standard stroller. We had another double stoller that was like pushing a pig thru mud. I mention this stroller because the handle padding was tore up so I bought some 'tape' that they use on 10 speed bikes for the handlebars. I re-wrapped the handle with that. Little did I know my bright red handle would stand out so well in the sea of all the other black/gray strollers. worked perfect.

we are going again soon and we most certainly will still bring the stroller for my 4, almost 5 year old. I am sure the older child will want a ride too but I think due to weight limits they may have to take turns now. my younger child is short for his age and can still wear 2T pants so he gets leg-tired very easily when trying to keep up with his 6'4" daddy.

point being for the whole post is a $50 stroller was well worth the 'not renting' of a disney stroller plus we got to use it to and from the bus, we got to personalize it well to get it to stand out.

as far as how it works with the stroller. Most rides or areas have a stroller parking and usually someone to keep things orderly. I felt perfectly safe leaving my stroller, snacks etc there.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

Obviously I ended up purchasing one myself instead of renting like I mentioned before. To each their own, right? Either way, personalizing can be really easy and fun. We had ours labeled weeks in advance, and had fun doing it. However, if they decide to rent, ribbons...yes, and also they can make their labels in advance if they want and just take zip ties along. Had I rented, that's what I would've done. Another upside to purchasing for us was that no one had the same stroller as us. I was so nervous that everyone would have one b/c it seemed like a common enough stroller (green and black jeep jogger). I was concerned that it would be a hassle in the airport, but my husband just popped his suitcase and c-pap into the stroller and cut a pretty wide path for us to follow! I hope they figure out what will work for them.

P.S. Yeah, I guess I would probably at least look twice at a ten year old in a cart. I would probably decide in the end that they may have a non-obvious issue though being that I am a sensei and work with kids who have physical issues that aren't always obvious. I try to give the benefit of the doubt, though a lot of people are probably willing to push their perfectly healthy kid around while they play video games. Sad world. I deal with parents like that all the time! You are right though. I probably would take a second glance! Oh well, it is what it is right? I second your "Meh."

 

[Gmouse]

For a child that size-I would rent a Disney stroller rather than from offsite or bringing their own. Most strollers only accomidate up to about 40-50lbs...if you're lucky. My son was 5 and a half the last time he rode in the stoller there (one that we brought) and it was difficult to push him around and he wasn't a big kid. The Disney stollers are much easier to push bigger kids in. If you've ever watched Kate Plus 8- when the kids were small they went to Diseney. She had 4 kids to a cart sometimes and she said they could push them onehanded.
I would take a tub of cleaning wipes. That is Flu season and Disney strollers RARELY are cleaned. Only by the rain and germaphobe parents like me
As far as making the stroller easy to spot- I've seen people tie a balloon or two with their name or large brightly colored ribbons. They really do ALL look alike sitting in a sea of strollers.

I have even seen kids in little WAGONS! I don't know if that's still allowed, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Of course you most likely can't take them on the Disney transportation. Probably driving only. I don't know that I would want to PULL a child either -for 300 miles of walking around parks.

Who cares what age the child is that's in a stroller. Disney is HUGE and everybody gets tired! I don't care what age they are...you never know what could be wrong with that child. I have a little cousin that has had Leukemia since he was 1 yr. Had stem cell transplant 2 yrs ago. He's 7 now and gets tired very easy. Something to do with the vencristine (sp?) messed his legs up. Other than that you would never know anything is wrong with him. There's no way he could walk those parks all day. He was in a stroller the whole time and had the time of his life! So those of you that DO look at big kids in a stroller-don't judge a book by it's cover!!!!

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

For a child that size-I would rent a Disney stroller rather than from offsite or bringing their own. Most strollers only accomidate up to about 40-50lbs...if you're lucky. My son was 5 and a half the last time he rode in the stoller there (one that we brought) and it was difficult to push him around and he wasn't a big kid. The Disney stollers are much easier to push bigger kids in. If you've ever watched Kate Plus 8- when the kids were small they went to Diseney. She had 4 kids to a cart sometimes and she said they could push them onehanded.
I would take a tub of cleaning wipes. That is Flu season and Disney strollers RARELY are cleaned. Only by the rain and germaphobe parents like me
As far as making the stroller easy to spot- I've seen people tie a balloon or two with their name or large brightly colored ribbons. They really do ALL look alike sitting in a sea of strollers.

I have even seen kids in little WAGONS! I don't know if that's still allowed, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Of course you most likely can't take them on the Disney transportation. Probably driving only. I don't know that I would want to PULL a child either -for 300 miles of walking around parks.

Who cares what age the child is that's in a stroller. Disney is HUGE and everybody gets tired! I don't care what age they are...you never know what could be wrong with that child. I have a little cousin that has had Leukemia since he was 1 yr. Had stem cell transplant 2 yrs ago. He's 7 now and gets tired very easy. Something to do with the vencristine (sp?) messed his legs up. Other than that you would never know anything is wrong with him. There's no way he could walk those parks all day. He was in a stroller the whole time and had the time of his life! So those of you that DO look at big kids in a stroller-don't judge a book by it's cover!!!!

You're right about the weight limit on strollers, which is something I never realized until I started looking into strollers for our 2011 trip. It seems like it is mostly the joggers and the Disney strollers (which remind me more of a push cart than a stroller, and that's what makes them easy for the kids to get in and out of.)that can handle a bigger kid.

Good idea on the wipes. We took Lysol wipes with us. I probably should've used them more though. I ended up getting really sick while I was there! I got off the plane and went straight to the ER for antibiotics, and I know another DISer that I was supposed to meet up with whose family ended up in the hospital while they were there.

I'm sorry your cousin is going through that. It hurts my soul to think of kids going through something so hard. It does go to show that you never can tell by looking at someone what is going on in their lives. I was honestly surprised at some of the harsh posts I've come across (not on this thread. We are keeping it kind here.) about strollers, wheelchairs, and scooters. It also goes to show that Disney is a place where anyone can have fun. That's why it is home to so many people.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I really don't want to turn this into "one of those" threads but I'll say this only because I originally brought it up. I work in a grocery store and see big kids in carts at least 5 times a week. I know for sure that not all of those kids have issues, but I obviously can't tell which may or may not. Yes fine, they're not hurting anyone by doing it (unless they climb on a shelf to haul themselves into the cart, then I say something) but I just think "Kids...its a grocery store, its not a marathon. Parents...are you that afraid of your kid throwing a fit or whining that you can't tell them "I will not push you around like an infant?"" OK, off soapbox, end of rant

I like the idea of looking on craigslist for strollers, but I think this little girl is just a bit too big for one. I did see the Kate plus 8 when they were in Disney and the rental strollers did look pretty manuverable.

I think I'll tell my friend to print up some name plates for the stroller and grab some ribbon at the dollar store to tie on the handles. And I promise, as a loyal dis-er, to make her take the dis boards oath of strollers. "I solemnly swear that I will not use my stroller as a battering ram, not to hit other people's ankles, not to mow down any small children, and I especially promise not to stop in the middle of a walkway to read a map"