The best stroller?

[Alex365]

Hi all, we will be visiting Disney for 25 days in april/may 2009. Our daughter will be 14 months old by then. We have a very bulky stroller at home so we can't take that with us. It has inflatable all-terrain tires and a reclining seat which we really like so she can take a nap while mommy and daddy are in line.

We are flying in from Europe we are thinking about buying a stroller in the US for her to use on this trip. I am having a difficult time trying to find the "best stroller" online, since we want to ship the stroller to the hotel so we can use it on the day of our arrival. We can't "test drive" the strollers in the stores, the brands in the US are different from the ones here.

Your help in finding the "best stroller" would be very much appreciated!

 

[DISNEYNV]

25 days! Wow are you lucky Anyway, we use our Maclaren quest umbrella stroller for our DS who was 13 months when we vacationed in Disney this past December and it worked out great. It reclines and folds up easily for those bus rides and is very light weight. The only pitfall is that it doesn't have a front tray. We have taken larger strollers before on previous trips and have found them way too cumbersome and bulky for us, but it is up to you and your child. Some kids (like mine) were barely in the stroller anyway. I vote for an upgraded umbrella...it's what I mostly saw people have in Disney as well. They also have stollers to rent for a fee of course.

 

[JTDisney]

We are renting from www.orlandostrollerrentals.com in March. They rent Baby Jogger City Mini strollers and they are awesome. We used them on our August trip last year and it is the best in my mind. It folds easier than any other and the canopy is HUGE! The kids loved it. good luck!

 

[laughinplace199]

Will you not need a stroller in the airport? That's when I really appreciate having my little one in the stroller. It can be difficult to deal with luggage, carryons, etc. while chasing a toddler around a crowded airport.

Anyway, we bought a Peg Perego Aria last year for our WDW trip. DS was 17 mos at the time. For us, it's the perfect travel stroller. It's lightweight, it reclines, has a decent hood for shade, has a snack tray and a storage basket. You can fold it with one hand and it even has a handle to carry it once folded. The only thing I didn't like about it was that you can't access the storage basket if baby is reclined. Other than that, I think it's a great stroller for WDW. We'll be bringing ours again this April for DS (who will be 2.5 yrs old by then).

Have a wonderful trip with your little one!

 

[tkme4ard]

I really love my valco buggster. It's light weight, folds up relatively small but comes with great features like a recline seat, wide seat, it doesn't tip with bags on the back, UV shade, rain guard, and foot muff. Love it

 

[alyssa810]

We bought a graco literider stroller that we use exclusively for our WDW trips. It's big like our stroller from our travel system, but it's much lighter. We like that it reclines all the way so our DS can nap more comfortably, and it has a nice big basket (which is why we don't bring our maclaren- the basket is too small). Anyway, we got the literider for $60 on amazon.com and it seems to be a great value for the price and quality of the stroller. Graco is a pretty reputable brand here and it has a wide price range on their products.

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Are you looking for something like you have at home? Big and full service? I have a Bertini that sounds a lot like what you have... very Euro inspired and can be bought and shipped in the US. Mine is a Bidwell/Horizon/905/Classic but I thought they discontinued that model. I still see it pictured though. Got mine on Ebay so not sure where else to get them. If I hadn't gotten the Bertini, I would have looked into a Bumbleride Queen B. As far as Graco goes, I tend to not like their strollers- quality, style, or function but a friend had a Coachrider that I loved.
Penny will be almost 3 when we go to Disney so I'm leaving the pram at home and just taking a simple stroller. She rarely naps in the stroller so she doesn't need the full recline, etc of the big srtoller. I always miss the tires, easy pushing, and full canopy though! We're on our third umbrella after I didn't like the Combi or Peg Perego. I got a Maclaren and am pretty happy with it.

 

[KAYLI'S DAD]

We bought a Mclaren as well for our trip and it was a god sent. Easy to fold up to ride monorail or boats and such. plus it was so light.

 

[katied]

I love my Maclaren for DS on our trips. We've used it at 8 mo, 13 mo, 18 mo and 20 mo. I have the Triumph. If I had to buy again, I'd get the Quest. The lack of a snack tray is not a big deal. DS is very happy to hold and eat out of snack trap, or a snack size treat bag. I just have teathers for his sippy and snack trap, so even if he throws them (which he has thankfully outgrown by now) they just fall to the side.

 

[Trev's mom]

I also vote for the Maclaren. It's the best stroller ever. It's very durable, lightweight, reclines and has a 5 point harness.

 

[lucigo]

After much research I narrowed it down to either a MacLaren Quest, Joovy Groove, or Baby Planet Solo.

I ended up getting the Baby Planet based on price, and we loved it on our December trip. Great recline, nice canopy that comes all the way down when not reclined, oversized basket, lightweight and easy to maneuver.

 

[skhermsmeyer]

I vote for the Maclaren Quest. I have a giant Graco that I knew would be too much trouble to take on the trip. I went to Babies R Us and really liked the Maclaren. We've used it every day since we bought it in October. I'd highly recommend getting one. They have several different models i.e one reclines more than another, one has a shoulder carrying strap vs. a handle strap, I think they all have a 5 point harness.

I hope you end up getting some you enjoy and can reuse! Have fun at WDW!

 

[candielips]

You are going to get so many mixed reviews here as a stroller choice really is a personal preference. For instance we started w/ a Perego stroller & ended up selling it when our DD was 6 months old & we bought the Bugaboo Bee and would never want to use anything else. We have taken it to Mexico for 2 wks & it travels well. It folds easily, manouvers like a dream, the handle can extend for really tall people, and you can purchase a wonderful UV shade for it. But it is definitely a pricier stroller.
That being said, why not purchase a stroller back home and just bring it with you? It'll come in handy in the airport & that way you won't be stuck w/ a stroller that you do not like.

 

[Alex365]

Thanks for all of your tips. We are thinking of using our Quinny Zapp which folds into a very small package to use at the airport. However, it doesn't have a reclining back so we will have to use another stroller for in the parks. We will look into all the strollers mentioned above. Thanks again!

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Since several people like their MacLarens, can't you check them out in Europe? Not sure where exactly they are but they are available in the UK, at least. If you're set on getting one shipped to your room, I'd check into some brands that sell comparable products near you and in the US. I do think you might have better luck with a lighterweight European stroller that you might find near you, like a Mac, Peg, or a Silver Cross? Usually the best strollers (features and quality) sold in the US are European designed/made anyway, IMO.

 

[strmtroopr96]

Thanks for all of your tips. We are thinking of using our Quinny Zapp which folds into a very small package to use at the airport. However, it doesn't have a reclining back so we will have to use another stroller for in the parks. We will look into all the strollers mentioned above. Thanks again!

We have a Zapp as well and one of the main reasons I have never brought it to WDW (besides small sunshade, lack of storage, and no recline) is because of how it is once folded. Just seems that it would not be easy enough to hold/grab while on the busses. I am fine with the fold but once folded, it isn't a nice shape for carrying like a Mac or Peg P3 would be. Does that make sense? LOL

We currently own the Quinny Zapp as well as a Peg Domani, Zooper Zydeco, I'Coo Infinity, Fisher Price Infant to Toddler, Baby Jogger City Mini, Chicco 6WD, and a cheapie umbrella stroller. We also had but recently sold 2 Mac Quests and 2 Peg P3's.

Since youngest DD was born, we used a Peg Perego P3 2x with her at 3 mos and also at 15 mos. That was a nice option for her because of the recline and large sunshade. We originally bought a Quest for her 1st trip but it didn't offer enough sun protection and can be tippy so left it home. I never really acquired the Mac love and sold both that were brand new. LOL I

This past September, we decided to try the Baby Jogger City Mini and it was perfect! The sunshade is huge and it is roomy and comfy for our now 2 1/2 yr old DD. That will be our WDW stroller for the next few trips I think.

 

[Shleedogg]

We have the Baby Trend Expedition Jogger Deluxe. We LOVE it! It has all terrain wheels which I think will really come in handy in Disney. The seat reclines almost fully, plenty of storage, ipod hook-up w/ speakers. The wheels lock to jog (which we won't be using it for) and unlock for regular use. It handles really well, I could push it with one finger and turns really well too. It's easy to fold and un-fold, 2 cup holders, and a parent storage tray. It was about $160 and was in-stock at Babies R Us. Being able to buy it in stock and find it easily when you get into Florida is probably important

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2980785

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

I have a P3 (Peg Perego) took it last year and loved it. It's coming with me again this year!

 

[lucigo]

This has probably been asked, but the PP brought up the City-Mini. Does it concern you to leave a $200+ stroller while you are on the rides, at dinner etc? That was one of the reasons I went with the $99 baby planet, but honestly I still felt like I was leaving a $100 bill laying around. I think I'll feel better if we can get it personalized, maybe our name embroidered on it. Any thoughts on this?

 

[AmyBWV99]

Until we needed a double i purposefully bought a Peg Pliko (P3) just for WDW, we have 2 Macs and they are very good for quick errands I don't like the lack of sun sade for all day park touring. We've used it there but I feel the P3 offers way better coverage from the elements and privacy when napping and a much more comfortable seat fabricwise. Occasionally we used it to cover the cameras, etc from the rain.

We've left strollers in the $150-250 range outside rides and resturants no troubles.

I've seen Bugaboos parked outside and Phil & Ted's as well that are in the $400+ range. If you worry you could lock it, I lock our Phil & Teds only beacuse it's the only stroller we take when we fly. When we drive we bring a back up.