the 6YO doesn't wanna walk

[Ashley Kees]

Just curious, do those of you who think a stroller is coddling have your 6yr. olds walk 10 miles a day at home?
Seriously, a day at Epcot can easily exceed that amount.
My strategy with that age is rent one if needed - that usually means Epcot and maybe MK, although all kids are different.
My kids all stopped using a stroller at home at age 2. Disney, on the other hand, is nothing like home. With all the complaints I read on these boards about having to stand on buses, it's safe to say there are a lot of adults out there who are pretty tired too. Rent the stroller if you need one! - JMHO

I have three kids, 4, 3, and 1, and only the 1 yo uses a stroller. With the amount of running, playing, jumping, nature walks, etc that my kids do daily, yes, I would say they easily hit 10 miles a day, and my guess is most active kids do, too. Even at Epcot, you aren't hitting 10 miles full tilt, non-stop. There are food stops, potty breaks, looking at stuff breaks, and rides interspersed in there.

I can't imagine my oldest would need a stroller at 6yo anymore than should would now at 4yo. When they start whining about being tired, it is usually because they are bored. In that case, we find something else to do. If they really are tired, we take a little break. We don't let the older ones in the stroller unless they are injured.

All of that said, though, we live in Tx., where it is just as hot as Florida. If your kids aren't used to it, you need to be taking LOTS of breaks, and if your sweet baby can't handle the HEAT, I think a stroller would be fine. You certainly won't get a dirty look, even from me. Exercise is one thing, heat stroke is something else alltogether.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I have three kids, 4, 3, and 1, and only the 1 yo uses a stroller. With the amount of running, playing, jumping, nature walks, etc that my kids do daily, yes, I would say they easily hit 10 miles a day, and my guess is most active kids do, too. Even at Epcot, you aren't hitting 10 miles full tilt, non-stop. There are food stops, potty breaks, looking at stuff breaks, and rides interspersed in there.

I can't imagine my oldest would need a stroller at 6yo anymore than should would now at 4yo. When they start whining about being tired, it is usually because they are bored. In that case, we find something else to do. If they really are tired, we take a little break. We don't let the older ones in the stroller unless they are injured.

All of that said, though, we live in Tx., where it is just as hot as Florida. If your kids aren't used to it, you need to be taking LOTS of breaks, and if your sweet baby can't handle the HEAT, I think a stroller would be fine. You certainly won't get a dirty look, even from me. Exercise is one thing, heat stroke is something else alltogether.

You made me think of something else which can affect the need for a stroller on not - the whole group's dynamics. If we were just traveling with my daughter, or she was the oldest, she could probably walk as we could go at her pace. However, she has 2 older brothers and she always feels the need to keep up with them. Yes, we could split up and take her back for a rest but she would be beside herself thinking that the boys were doing something and she couldn't. So, we use a stroller for her so she can keep up with the boys.
So I guess the bottom line is, there isn't one good answer.

 

[MichaelH]

Our DS is 7 and our DD is 4. We rent a stroller at Disney. It is nice to have a place to put all your stuff that you aquire in the parks during the course of a day.

We make the kids walk, but they do get tired. When they have walked a good while we will let them ride in the stroller for a bit, and get rested. We then tell them that they need to walk. It works quite well and they wind up walking more than they realize.

Again we don't push them all day, but we will let them ride when they need to rest or if we need to get somewhere fast.

 

[heartbeeps]

thanks everyone for your opinions.

I was really wanting to know if there were other options besides stroller & walking to consider (with walking choice being "stopping" when the child complains which - if history repeats itself might be by the time we get on Main Street! LOL) ...keep in mind she complains NOW when she walks short distances at home.

I just didn't know if there were other ideas, carry the kid on your back (forget that my back hurts already)

re putting her in a stroller, she just nudges over the 40" inch rule and is often mistaken for a 4yo. Besides, I really don't care what people think about it; I just want to give her the best experience possible. Of course, not tiring her out and... not exhausting me in carrying her.

perhaps there's a market out there to invent something that's not quite a stroller but works for older kids. (ah yeah, they probably already invented it - heelies! LOL)

 

[DVCHokie]

I'm 19, I've gone to Disney World more times than i can count and my first time was when i was six years old as well, my parents never even considered pushing me in a stroller, they just never expected to be in a huge hurry, we walked slow, but really unless you're not stopping to do any attractions or look in any of the shops its not too much to ask of a six year old, there is so much going on around that she probably won't even notice how much she has walked, just make sure she is having a magical time, even when she's walking!

 

[snugglepeas]

We are going in July. we already have to rent a stroller for rour youngest, but I told DH we might as well get a double so that if our six year old needed to sit for a while he could. We could walk ten miles a day with them in New England and it won't do any good considering the difference in climate and the number of people in the parks.

I'd not given it a second thought until I read on here that people think it is coddling or unneccessary. Makes me glad that my 6 year old is the size of about a four year old so I won't have people staring at me like I am crazy for letting him get in a stroller.

I would not worry about what other people might think, if it works for your family then it's great, I personally would rather have a happy 6 year old in a stroller than to have a very tired, cranky 6 year old walking. by about the 4th day I am wishing someone would push me around in a stroller. the Florida head is VERY different than the New England heat.

 

[PiratesRock]

When we went before, my girls were 6 and 7. My girls did great for the most part but were exhausted by late afternoon at MK. We took a nice long break at a little park area (can't remember the name but had water shooting up in spots and Pooh & Tigger nearby). This helped a LOT but if I had it to do over I'd just get the stroller for an hour or 2 to give them the break. They're 8 & 9 now and will be doing the Music City Children's Marathon in April, so I don't expect this visit we'll have a problem. Of course, they're definately too old for strollers now!

 

[collcass]

Thanks. My six year old is about the happiest guy, but, boy, if he is unhappy the entire world knows it.

We take our kids to Boston often and never use a stroller, even for the little one. We also hike in NH and VT but the heat and humidity in Florida is a completely different monster. Not to mention we are going 4th of July so we aree going to be squeezed into MK like a bunch of burnt sardines!!!

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

We haven't used a stroller in years. The biggest thing I remember about using a stroller in the World was how tired and crabby it made Me. Esp. when they are bigger and heavier. I don't judge anyone for using one - but we just walked slower and took afternoon breaks. Good Luck!

 

[GBShorts]

Let me start this post with a disclaimer saying I'm NOT trying to be rude. It's a sincere question.

Do you think she might have a medical issue that makes her legs or feet hurt? I have really weak ankles (they turn in) and it hurts me to stand for long periods of time or walk. Have you considered taking her to the pediatrician to find out if he or she might notice a problem?

I also thought of gym class at school. Does she complain when she's having to run and play in gym or at recess? The reason I ask is because I wonder if it's something she considers "fun" if she drops the complaints. If you're having to walk through a mall, a 6yo might consider that boring and complain, but if it's somewhere like WDW, the land of over-stimulation, she might be a completely different child.

You can always try it when you first get in the park, and if she starts to complain, you can get a "kid transporter" like campbellscott calls it in her trip report (I think that's her name!). Each child is different and you never know.

It's easy to say "no, I wouldn't let my kid ride" but if you don't know the child-if they have medical issues, chronic illness, or whatever, you have no way of knowing how that individual child might react. I'll admit, my first reaction was "a 6yo in a stroller???" but the more I thought about it, I remembered my younger years waiting in lines and such at 6 flags and how miserable I was...and I was anywhere from 8-12!! It was literally painful to stand there regardless of what sort of shoes I wore.

Whatever you choose to do, it sounds like you've got the right head on-you're going to do what's best for your child and I applaud you for that.

 

[wen774]

If it will make her happy, let her ride. I rented a double for my kids the last trip when they were just 5 and almost 7. This next trip they will be expected to walk. I saw plently of older kids in strollers, so really no one will care. Heck, If I thought I could convince someone to push me in a stroller I would. My feet are killing me after a day in the parks.

 

[vellamint]

IN the year 2000 we went with 2 just-barely 6 year olds, an 8 year old and a 9 year old.....it was August...it was hot and at times we had 3 kids in a double......actually one time we had my husband in the stroller!!!! Dont worry about other people!!!! Do what You feel is best for Yours.

 

[momxx5]

We were at WDW this past summer. My 5yr old and 8 yr old DDs shared a stroller. My 8yr old is small for her age and does tire easily. I know exactly how you feel.

My #1 main reason for using a stroller was to avoid any walking issues. The little one mostly used the stroller, but by afternoons by older one took her turn.

My #2 reason for using the stroller is that both girls are small and the younger of 5 kids. Keeping track of all of them at the entrances and busy rides is a skill of its own. When DD was strapped into a stroller then I knew exactly where she was.

Mclaren makes strollers for use up to 55lbs, but it did hold both my girls a few times= 80ish lbs.

I say do what is right for you. Having a stroller with you helps because you can use it at DTD, the resorts, etc. Renting a stoller is only good for the parks.

I am considering putting my Mclaren Volvo on Craigslist or Ebay because it was only used once for a week at WDW and I still have the box. I'm not sure which way to go because of shipping fees.

 

[mareed]

I say go to a resale shop and buy a used mid-size stroller for probably $30 - $35 and take it with you. Gate check it and then use it as a luggage cart at the airport. This is what we did with our 2 DS's who both rode in a stroller on our Disney trips until they were 8. That seemed to be the magical number for us when we kicked them out and they did fine walking with us all day. We're still weaning ourselves from having the stroller to carry our stuff!

I wouldn't bother with an umbrella stroller. They're so hard to push with anything other than a tiny child in them, and they tip over when the child gets out if you try to use them to carry any sort of a bag.

 

[JulieNMM]

I guess I'm an odd one. I will have no qualms at all about renting a stroller if my child gets tired when we make our first trip this October. And our daughter will be 9 (yes nine) when we go. I'd rather push her in a stroller when she gets tired than have a cranky kid to deal with. She obviously doesn't use a stroller in normal daily life, and can usually out-walk any one of us. However, Disney World is a completely different experience from normal daily life. Do I plan on getting a stroller for her? No. Will I get one, if I think it will make all of our live's easier? Most definitely YES!!

Basically, I guess my philosophy is whatever works for you! It's not hurting anyone else if your older child rides in a stroller, so why not?

I agree. My kids will be 6 1/2 and 8 1/2 when we go in June. They haven't used a stroller since our last WDW trip 2 years ago. I am not planning on renting one this trip, but if they really want one, I will. Plus, I like strollers! Then I don't end up carrying everything around all day and it's nice to have a place for the kids to sit while we're walking. My kids are way too big to carry. I remember last time we went, the hardest part was the walk back from the park entrance/exit to the car in the parking lot. My DD was always so tired and we had given back the stroller.

I wish they made strollers for grown-ups!

ETA: I was also wondering if maybe your DD had a physical problem if she can't walk for very long. Does she tire easily at home? My kids do sports 4 days a week and have tons of energy, but they get tired, too, but not til after a long day. They're not usually tired after an hour. Also, maybe she is not getting enough rest at night? I know that when we go on vacations, we tend to stay up later and sometimes wake up earlier and that can make anyone tired!

JULIE

 

[PrincessHannah]

Start out with short walks and gradually increase them. Maybe make a calendar with a countdown to Disney that she can put stickers on when you guys take a walk. That might help. But if you end up needing a stroller I wouldn't worry about what other people think. I kind of miss having a stroller to put all my stuff on now that my kids are older.

 

[WantToGoNow]

We used strollers on our last trip -- the kids were almost 3 and 5.5. My ds is a big complainer when he's tired. He will be 7.5 when we return and I don't doubt for a minute that he'll need a stroller. We go to amusement parks and zoos here and he walks without an issue, but WDW is walking all day every day and it even wears me out. He also has asthma and the higher the temps, the more he wheezes - I would imagine the wheezing makes him more tired more quickly. I bought 2 Maclaren Volo's for our last trip - they are safely stored in the garage for the next visit.

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

I would not worry about what other people might think, if it works for your family then it's great, I personally would rather have a happy 6 year old in a stroller than to have a very tired, cranky 6 year old walking. by about the 4th day I am wishing someone would push me around in a stroller. the Florida head is VERY different than the New England heat.

Ditto! I honestly couldn't care less if I get looks from people if I put my 6 yo in a stroller. Honestly, if they have nothing else to do than worry about my kids in strollers then they've got much bigger issues than I do!

 

[JodyLynC]

Our girls will be 5 when we go and we will not hesitate getting a stroller.

If you have an aggressive agenda and plan on keeping a good pace, you should probably get a stroller. I realize that my kids can't walk as fast as me, and although there will be times that we will be moseying along, there will also be times that we will be wanting to rush in order to make an ADR, show, etc.

I imagine that much of the time, my girls will want to walk and I will encourage that. But when we are in a rush and my girls are starting to wilt in the Florida heat, Momma will be glad for a stroller.

 

[sueh]

I say do whatever is you feel is right for you. You also shouldn't worry what other people think.

We will be in DisneyWorld in July and my children will be 8 & 6. My 6 yo loves to walk but sometimes she does get tired and cranky when we go to parks & zoos so I bring the umbrella stroller for her. I am concerned with the heat factor in July. I know that as an adult I get tired in the heat and I can just magine that my child will be exhausted in it so I will get them both a carriage if they get tired.