To Double stroller or not THAT is the?

[java]

Yes a stroller question. I have 4 children. NONE of whom use a stroller anymore- the youngest is 3 and then next one is 5. I am thinking the 3 will need one every now and then- but I really can't imagine the 5 wanting to be in it on any day except maybe Epcot World Showcase day? So do I drag that double with me just for that? Or just swing it with a single and hope that they both don't get tired at the same time?

Decisions decisions........

 

[rt2dz]

My kids have never used a stroller past their third birthday. My middle one quit around his second birthday. HOWEVER—despite my kids being very active (they walk miles every day, literally, & play sports) at WDW they nap (which they don’t do at home either) and want the stroller. They are not constantly walking, but are still on their feet. Even DS7 on our last trip (about a month and a half before his 7th birthday) wanted in the stroller from time to time. We don’t go commando either and have no aversion to stopping and sitting. It’s just different. You are on your feet all the time. You are in the heat and the sun and have the humidity. You are constantly active, even when taking a break. They are just too excited to truly rest.

I’m not saying you’ll need the stroller—some kids do just fine without it. I’m just saying that you might be surprised, especially with the 3 year old. I’m not sure what kind of double you have—that would play big time into whether or not I’d bring it. If you think without a doubt that they’ll only want the stroller at Epcot, bring the single and rent a double for the day at Epcot. Yes, they way over charge, but for one day it’s a convenience fee I’d pay. If you find that your kids want a stroller more than you thought—call a baby’s best friend when you’re down there and see what they can do. Or go ahead and buy a cheap umbrella—WDW sells one for $40; it’s the same one you can buy at Wal-Mart or Target for $10-$15, but…

 

[momof3girls6712]

This May was our first WDW trip without renting a double stroller. My girls are 6 and 7. They both play sports and would never be caught in a stroller at home, but we stay almost all day in the parks so even my 12 year old starts eyeing the stroller towards the end of the day. That being said the girls made it the whole week without the stroller. Epcot was a bit rough and we took lots of breaks, but they made it. It was have been a bit less whiney I am sure, but the freedom of no stroller and ofcourse the HUGE savings outweighed the occasional whinning.

 

[lorilori]

MK was fine, MGM was fine, but EPCOT was a totally different story that we still talk about! Three years ago my boys were 5 and 7, yes 7, and by the middle of our EPCOT day, we had rented a double. It may have been because we had toured MK the day before and stayed out later than we originally planned to or because EPCOT is so spread out, not sure, but they definitely needed it. I would take yours definitely for EPCOT and especially for the 3 year old at the END of the day. Have fun!

 

[TJA]

Our twins are now 5 and we've been taking them to disney since they were babies, going to disney every 5-6 months, so we've hit every stage. Last trip was last month. They still needed our double jogger, big time. Not to sit in all day, of course, but by the end of the day they were tired out. Picture this: we got caught in the back of MK when Wishes started (big mistake...). Kids were exhausted, so we put them in the jogger and they watched Wishes and then immediately fell asleep. It took us about 45 minutes to get through the crowd and to the exit -- the kids slept the entire time in the jogger. So we parents could take our time and relax without worries of tired kids. Now I'm not saying this would be the case for your kids, but I just wanted to give an example of what happened to us last month.

As far as double versus single strollers, we prefer a double but we have twins and they do everything at the same time, so the double makes the most sense for us. I should also point out that we've mainly stayed at either monorail resorts or Epcot resorts, so the double stroller has rarely been an issue as far as folding it up, etc. I will admit it is somewhat of a pain for us on a bus, but not nearly as painful now that the kids are older versus when they were baby stages.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

What's the worst that could happen if you take the stroller? You might not need it and end up lugging it around for nothing.

What's the worst that could happen if you don't take the stroller? You might need it and then have meltdowns to deal with or have to cough up money for a rental.

I'd err on the side of bringing it-but you know your own kids best. Go with your gut instinct and plan your days accordingly. If you don't bring it be mentally prepared to slow down your pace, keep their snacks and drinks flowing to keep their energy and "humour" up and be prepared for some bench breaks.

Good luck with your decision and enjoy your vacation!