The thing I hate most. . .

[palmbeachguy]

One thing I found yesterday during New Year's Eve that I hate..........strollers!!!!!! Imagine 90,000 people crammed into the MK and strollers every 5 feet. Now imagine it being very dark with all these people. I had my feet ran over more times yesterday and almost fell over several strollers. Now I can understand strollers, but my big problem is those strollers not being used. Most people didn't have their kid in a stroller, they were using the stroller as a storage bin and pushing an empy thing around. This sucks because it takes up so much room, and the design of the Disney strollers make it easy for you to trip over. Not only are there no kids in a stroller, but also people with strollers sometimes feel that they own the midway. I have seen many people just barging through with strollers like the own the place. I understand it is tough to have kids at Disney, but be a little more courteous. Something has to be done.

 

[skuttle]

Please dawn your flame retardant suit.

 

[sunkissed212]

Ooh you're gonna ruffle some feathers with this one...that's for sure.

I do understand your frustration though. I was at WDW in September and even though it was very empty while we were there, I noticed a lot of people that were very UNcourteous with their strollers. In fact, I almost got nailed by one when we were walking up the walkway to the Kiliminjaro Safari at AK.

The other problem I see with strollers is when people let their children push the empty stroller. They are all over the place, don't pay attention, run into people, cut people off...STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE THOROUGHFARE!!! That's the worst...stroller or no stroller..if you need to stop, STEP ASIDE!

I know it's hard with kids and I don't necesarily see a problem with stollers but people just need to be more aware of the people around them and be a little more courteous of others! Thats all.

 

[TerryU.]

Don't get me wrong, I do understand the need for strollers. But I can also unsterstand that some people are annoyed with them. I was in one of the gift shops in the MK and where I was standing was a tight area. I was talking to the CM behind the counter and here comes a woman with one of those big double strollers headed my way. I almost had to jump up onto the counter to get out of her way, she was not stopping. There was no excuse me or anything! It was like she didn't see me.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I know what you mean. I try to be sympathetic, because not so long ago I had the double stroller. Still sometimes it gets hectic. One problem I especially notice with strollers is allowing older siblings (like age 7 for example) push the stroller. This happened to us at Disneyland last month and my 80 year old dad almost fell over. The parents laughed like it was just so cute. I have also seen adults giving their kids thrill rides in the stollers up Main Street. It is such a small minority but it takes one bad incident to make you angry! Then of course there are the scooters. My father in law is one of the world's worst in his! I end up walking behind and telling everybody he cuts off how sorry I am. Very embarrassing!

 

[Pig Pen]

DH and I were discussing the possibility of a pedestrian-only lane in certain crowded areas?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I am a parent. I am also a professional nanny. I have been pushing a stroller of one sort or another (single, double, even triple) for the past ELEVEN years. Adults who allow their child to A) push the empty stroller or B) allow a sibling too young to navigate to push the stroller should be tarred and feathered. Hello? It's not a TOY. It's also not cute to anyone in your child's path! I know children enjoy walking now and then - you hold their hand with one hand, push the stroller with your other hand. I do it all the time. Oh, and I watch where I am going.

 

[paigevz]

and I have been a stroller pusher for 4 of our last 5 trips.........BUT...I have not yet run into anyone...........we take our own umbrella stroller and only lug it around so the kids can ride in it..........occasionally it's empty when kid wants to walk, but mostly we will park it in the main stroller parking of a particular area (Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Toontown, Playhouse Disney area) and then walk around until it's needed or we head to another area. I have been run into by umbrella strollers which hardly bother me at all, carriages, which bother me some, and those horrible rental strollers, which seem designed to cause injury. I found that the only way to navigate the stroller without frequent "near misses" was to watch other people's feet. I had to look at their feet to see where they were going and how to fit in. I must say, though, that there do seem to be so many people who don't see those strollers and walk right INTO my child! I guess because the stroller's not 5 feet tall, they just don't even seem to notice it.........we'll be strolling along in a straight path, and suddenly someone just cuts right OVER the corner of the stroller..........causing me to have to stop short to avoid running into them or having them sit on my child. I've also seen the phenomenon with my other son........because he's 4 feet tall, he was run into and smacked with backpacks several times. The worst part is, the cutters and smackers never even looked back......................ooops, I guess that's a different thread.................anyway, careful as I was, I was run into frequently.............and hate the whole "leave the stroller to save our place for the parade and then either get upset that it was moved and argue with the people now there, who didn't move it to begin with, or come back and little Jimmy doesn't even sit in it, so it's just there where someone else could be".............................

 

[normmo]

One thing I found yesterday during New Year's Eve that I hate..........strollers!!!!!! Imagine 90,000 people crammed into the MK and strollers every 5 feet. Now imagine it being very dark with all these people. I had my feet ran over more times yesterday and almost fell over several strollers. Now I can understand strollers, but my big problem is those strollers not being used. Most people didn't have their kid in a stroller, they were using the stroller as a storage bin and pushing an empy thing around. This sucks because it takes up so much room, and the design of the Disney strollers make it easy for you to trip over. Not only are there no kids in a stroller, but also people with strollers sometimes feel that they own the midway. I have seen many people just barging through with strollers like the own the place. I understand it is tough to have kids at Disney, but be a little more courteous. Something has to be done.

Did it every occur to you that a child may not want to stay in their stroller the entire time they are at a park? We tried strapping our two year old in all day but for some reason he wanted to spend some of the time walking, running and being able to look at stuff up close. At the same time, when the stroller is not in use it's handy to use it as a "storage bin" since it's nice to have your hands free so you can chase the little one who's racing around and not have to carry the diaper bag, snack bag, your purse and all the other things you have when going to the park with little ones. And just to let you know, the parents are pushing the empty stroller around so that it would be near where they are. So - if they are going from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland, they want to stroller to go with them so that when their child is tired the stroller is actually there and not half way across the park. I understand that people can be rude and not look where they are going but don't forget that Disney is a place where there are alot of kids and therefore alot of strollers.
__________________

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Hmmm, you might be opening yourself up to some flaming...

I did have an incident happen during my recent trip that made me shake my head. I was the one with the stroller, btw. I was walking towards Country Bear Jamboree at the same time that an older man (60-70 I'd guess). We were bother hurrying in our opposite directions and almost crossed paths. We didn't almost run in to each other and if that had of been the case I would have said, "excuse me" even if I was not at fault (I always give the other person the benefit of the doubt and try to be polite). But like I said, we were near each other, but not in a dangerous way. The man got a scowl on his face and grumbled at me. He then walked past me and made a comment that my sister and mother heard about "strollers always have the right of way". That man had a problem with strollers before he ever caught sight of me and most certainly didn't have the manners that I was raised with.

I agree that some people are not very courteous when using strollers. Some people run into others without even an "excuse me", stop in the middle of the walkway (with or without strollers), cut people off, etc, etc. Of course there are rude people with or without strollers. Still, though, don't think that all stroller pushers are rude and don't come with a chip on your shoulder and have something against all stroller users like that grumpy man that I encountered.

Of course there are plenty of people who stop right in front of a stroller or cut a stroller off and make it almost impossible to avoid hitting them. Still in that case I tell the person that I am sorry or a polite excuse me.

My next trip will be with my 11yo and I'll have to say that I'm going to miss having the storage that comes along with the stroller. I won't miss navigating through crowds with the stroller, though or getting on a bus with it.

And yes, sometimes toddlers need to get out and exercise a little and shouldn't be expected to stay in a stroller all day long, so there will sometimes be empty strollers.

T&B

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

We just got back from WDW with two strollers, a double rental and a single of our own and they really are a pain! I walked behind my dh most of the time because it was easier for me to keep sight of him than him me and I don't know how many times I ran into that poor man! Then he accidentally ran into another man with a stroller and immediately apologized and the man said "at least now I know how everyone else feels that I've run into with my stroller today!" They're just too difficult to maneuver, in those kinds of crowds in a family atmosphere it's almost a given that you're going to get bumped just the same as getting bumped into by another person. I guess if you want to avoid the strollers in a crowd you shouldn't go to a family place when it's likely to be that crowded.

Paigevz, I know what you mean about the "smackers", my ds is a small 5yo and he got hit in the side of the head with a woman's oversized purse at the airport hard enough to make him cry and she didn't say a word. She had to have felt it, I was walking behind him and saw it happened and she had to hike her purse back up on her shoulder afterward. Unbelievable.

 

[Chuck S]

There are several "typical" stroller/wheelchairs accidents. Most of which can be relatively easily avoided.

1) Adult or child looks down as they are walking, sees the stroller or w/c, steps in front, and comes to a dead stop. Hello, these moving "vehicles" have inertia, they don't stop on a dime. Solution: Never knowingly step into the path of a stroller or wheelchair.

2) Groups of people walking that suddenly and unexpectedly come to a full stop in front of a stroller or w/c. If you MUST stop your party to look at a map or discuss your next attraction, please move off to the side of the walkway.

3) Inexperienced w/c or stroller driver. Many people try to look around, seeing all there is to see, but not paying attention to what is directly in there path. DO NOT allow yourself to be distracted while pushing. Keep your eyes on the clearances between you and the party in front of you, especially in slow moving darkened areas, like EPCOT at closing.

4) W/cs & strollers parked for parade viewing. Do NOT allow your children or anyone in your party to "squeeze" in front to get a better view, unless unvited to do so by the occupant of the wheelchair. Chances are, you will misjudge your clearance, clip a foot pedal and either bruise yourself or stumble.

5) Do not try to rush by a wheelchair or stroller in a queue line, especially where the queue turns. These vehicles need that turning radius clearance.

6) On heavy park attendance days, be mindful of your surrounding, whether walking or pushing a stroller or w/c. I've had folks walk broadside into a perfectly stationary w/c.

7) It is true that many folks may never have used such a large stroller for their child, or used an ECV. Accident will happen.

8) As stated in another post. NEVER let a child push a stroller or w/c in a park, that is an accident waiting to happen.

Remember, it is rare that the w/c, ECV or stroller driver is ever 100% at fault, just as the "walker" is usually 100% at fault. Drivers need to leave stopping distance, walkers should NOT step into that space. Type 1 is probably the most common accident.

 

[wirki]

Ok, when I did not have children I did not like strollers. I will admit it. Now that I am a parent, I can not live at Disney without it.( do not use one at home) I have a 2 yr old, who like to go go go and then falls.(actually falls and kicks and screams) Now I am a preschool teacher and have worked with children since "89" so please do not start the talk again about children and their tantums. Sorry off the subject.
I have only run into 1 person with my stroller, and I did apologize. Yet my daughter was running to see Minnie and I had to reel her back in. I think you need to claify which people you are talking about. I know there are many out there without manners or a kind word to say about anyone. And they still come to Disney. (something I am still trying to understand)
Let's just try to be kind to others and use our manners. We all just want to have fun!!
Debbie

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

Heres my thought on it....

It's not the stroller thats the problem....it's the drivers.

I distinctly remember staying for fireworks at MK in May and it was so crowded and dark at the end(perhaps Disney could use more flood lighting when the mass exodus occurs) I recall people ramming into the backs of my ankles with strollers, once I yelped and turned- only to have the driver talking to the person behind them- or to their side- it was a quick glance Im not sure.

But you know what- without the stroller thats probably the same person who pushes you and then says "Oh sorry, it was the person behind me" and you know they are lying.

Plenty of nice people use these devices, it's the mean, pushy types that give everyone a bad rap.

I don't think segragating them is a good solution though (stroller free lane idea). I think I will just cope with it and hope when I have kids I will be polite to others.

 

[eeyore0062]

Here is a story from the other side of the coin. When my DD was younger and we rented the stroller for her, she did ride in it, as did the things we would otherwise have to carry. We were going up the ramp to Cinderella's castle, minding our own business when this pre teen ran in front of the stroller and it caught her heel. Those strollers do not stop on a dime, especially with a 40 lb DD in it, and a 200 lb man pushing it. There had been no one in front of us until she did ran out. We apologized, but the mom still yelled and screamed at us. My husband finally told her to tell her daughter to look where she was going.

 

[TinkerDeb]

I found your post hilarious. My husband and I have had this exact conversation numerous times since we were at Disney for the holidays last year. We left with bruised ankles from some of these parents who seemingly entered the parks in attack mode! I'm sure I'm looking for trouble here, but I have to say, for this and many other reasons, I waited until my son was 8 years old to take him to Disney. He loved every minute of it and will always remember it. Far more than one can say for the occupants of the strollers!

 

[wirki]

interesting......but I do not agree. I think younger children can remember and enjoy Disney as much as anyone else.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I am very careful with my stroller, and I never let my sons push the stroller. The problem that I have is when people abruptly stop right in front of me, or dart in front of me without looking. It's like someone changing lanes in a car without looking if there is a car in the next lane. The pedestrian needs to watch for strollers/wheelchairs; and the drivers of stroller/wheelchairs needs to watch for pedestrians! This is a responsibility for everyone!

 

[kerry34]

I have had to use a stroller at most of my visits. I hate them, but they are definately a necessity, unless your child is the energizer bunny. Only one of my kids was like this, and absolutely refused to sit in a stroller. I absolutely REFUSE to let my children push the stroller around because it frays my nerves waiting for them to hurt themselves or someone else. I have never hit anyone with my stroller, but always try to say excuse me if I need to get by. People are usually very kind if shown kindness, and if you do bump someone an I'M SORRY works wonders. One note on behalf of my fellow stroller pushers though, it is impossible to keep older children in them all day. My children are 5yrs old and need breaks but do not want to sit all the time. One thing I have noticed is that there are also plenty of people who step right in front of the stroller and give you a heart attack for fear of hitting them. Someone mentioned this earlier, and this is true. I have stopped dead in my tracks with my stroller a few times but it was because of the person who just walked in front of me.

 

[MikeM132]

Strollers are everywhere, that's for sure. Just last night (New Year's Day) at Downtown Disney I saw a first-- a woman with a stroller and one other little kid on a bicycle with training wheels. DTD was packed, too. I can't believe what some people try to get away with. 99% of everyone we see here is polite, but you really remember the idiots. I guess that's just typical of how the bad stuff sticks out.