Tired feet / Stroller options?

[osmommie]

Hi All

We will be heading to WDW for our first trip in 2 weeks. My little guy ( not soo little ) is a lazy one.. haha... my feet hurt too !
He is just 6 and weighs 55lbs and is 4 feet tall. Do u recommend a stroller ( this would mean purchasing one, as we havent used one forever!!)
What are the pros and cons of using strollers?
Also can you rent a wagon?
Can I check a wagon on the airplane?
Any recommendations of stroller brands and anything else would be greatly appreciated !

T , O , J

 

[Mom to Jordan]

No wagons for rent but wonderfuly large strollers that would fit your son just fine. I would just rent one when you need it. Most likely Epcot for sure and for late eveings.

 

[heart4dis]

You can rent strollers. He should be fine. We rented one for our DS who was 7 at the time. He needed one at Epcot for sure. He was fine early in the week but we rented one for Epcot and at the end of the week because he was really getting tired.

 

[Living with the Land]

My daughter is about that size and has a Jeep stroller. It is only for use at WDW. I agree that the park strollers are great but on our last trip DD got so tired that she was falling asleep on the bus. You really don't want to carry a 45-50 pound kid to your room after a park day. We put her back in the stroller with a towel for a pillow and could take our time heading back.

Holly

 

[bartleby1]

I would definitely rent for a six year old. You may want to consider renting a double so he has more room and you could have somewhere to put your stuff too. I always brought strollers for my kids figuring they would be more comfy, up until the last trip. I rented a double for my 3 and 5 year old to share. I was soooo impressed with the way they handle! I would have been exhausted pushing them in my graco double, but pushing them in the rental was so easy.

The downfall of renting is of course the cost. But, any stroller that you would buy to hold an older, heavier kid is going to cost you quite a bit of money anyway.

 

[Brina]

personal opinion here, and I know a number on this board do not agree with me, but I would not rent a stroller for a 6 year old. I traveled back in november with my 5 year old twins and they walked everywhere. If they said they were tired of walking I suggested we return to the hotel for a rest, and most of the time they found miraculous reserves of energy. Once or twice they said, okay, let's go back to the hotel, so we did.

 

[toesmom]

My recommendation for disney world stroller is .... Graco strollers, not the literiders (they seem too small). Check craigslist.org in your city and put wanted ad for Graco stroller. Even if it doesn't look great, they are super and last forever. Has tons of basket storage underneath, and can support even my 10 year old nephew.

We have one that is probably 12 years old and keep it specifically for disney trips. I don't care if it gets dirty, as long as I have it to keep stuff in and have it there when my dd (now 7) can sit in if she gets tired after all the walking.

The model we use is Graco Glider SL (I think). Just make sure your son fits in the seat. You can probably get the stroller for less than $20 if you place an ad and tell sellers you don't mind if it is pretty used.

 

[MariDisney]

We just got back from 8 days with my 6 year old DD. She's 65 lbs and about 50 inches tall. We got a length of stay stroller rental, which saved a buck a or two a day over the single day rental price. She looked a little funny in them, but was comfy the whole time. Although some disagree, for us, renting the stroller is the perfect option.

 

[poohfriend]

Doesn't sound like your little one would be one of the happy walkers.

I however, would not lug a stroller for the whole trip.

The strollers for rent at the parks are great. And if there are times you don't want to use it, just park it, take your id plaque with you and pick up another one later (try the train stations even during the Christmas rush we were always able to find one.)

We have a 7 year old that enjoyed riding for short amounts of time occassionally. (but we already had a rental for our 4 and 2 year-olds.)

Also, the length of stay or multiple day rentals are a good idea ... save a little money and save some waiting in line!

Have a great trip and do what's best for your family -- even if it means a few strange looks. Better to have the crazy looks because your son is in a stroller that to listen to whining and be frustrated with him!

 

[SEVANS2208]

This is a really useful thread for me. Last time we went to WDW we needed a stroller for our (then) 3 year old - she spent a lot of time in it in the afternoons and it also meant we didn't have to carry so much stuff we could just hang it on the stroller!

She's 5 now and will just be 6 when we go to WDW again. I'm a bit worried that she'll be tired by mid-afternoon at the parks but I thought she'd look a bit silly in a stroller at her age. Now I realise that other people do the same thing I won't worry so much.

Question is, I wonder if she'll still fit in her old stroller!!

 

[ntink]

We went in late August with at 3.5 yr old and 7.5 yr old. They walked everywhere without complaining (we generally took a break in the afternoon) but on the last day at Epcot my husband and I did rent a stroller for them and it worked out very well. They needed a break and it was the most humid day of our trip. I say rent if you need to but start out with the walking because once you offer the stroller, it's hard to go back.

 

[Grammysue]

Do the rental strollers recline?

 

[strmtroopr96]

Our DD was just a few weeks shy of her 6th birthday when we went last September. She was fine walking most of the day but by later on in the evening got tired. By the time we were leaving the parks or once we got on the busses, she would pass right out. LOL She is a tall girl for her age and definitely not light at all. Even DH gets tired if carrying her. So a stroller is still very handy for us. We bring our own. It is just a Kolcraft Umbrella stroller that we bought 2 years ago when Toys R Us was having a green tag sale. We got it for $4.95! We have only used it 2x for WDW trips so it was certainly worth the $$. Plus, it;s great to carry the backpack or souvies in during the day. Rebecca

 

[KZE]

My son is almost 5 and loves to walk but we have found that the parks do get to him at times. We are going again in February and I am taking my stroller with us again. I usually just bag it in a large trash bag and check with our luggage. I have found easier to just have my stroller with me and not have to rent.

My other concern about renting is my friend went down a few months ago and because all the rental strollers look alike, someone accidentally took her stroller with their book bag. It all worked out but just be careful if you rent. I would recommend taking a pom pom or something so you can identify your rental.

 

[mrsmariahc]

I am taking my 6 and 2 1/2 year olds February 3-9. I have decided to rent my stroller there. From everything I've read, the park strollers are much easier to handle. I was able to reserve a double stroller at Sea World on line when I bought the tickets. It's already paid for and everything, so all I have to do is show them my reservation slip when I get there. My husband used to be a land surveyor, I am planning on taking some of that hot pink or orange surveying tape and tying a piece to ours so it can be easily spotted.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

Then again..our 3.5 year old ended up using the BIG stroller that we lugged with us for her Chicken Little Doll and her wand. And insisted on pushing it.