To stroller or not to stroller??

[RipleyKCR]

My boys are 8, 6, and 3 1/2. I thought we were out of the stroller years, but now re-thinking as we might have tired legs and having a spot to put jackets, bags, ect... sounds nice. Going in January.

Thoughts on bringing stroller, renting stroller, what kind of stroller do you like best??

 

[Bethshaya]

You could always rent in the parks if you didn't want to bring your own.

We used to have a compact full sized stroller that only weighed 7 lbs and had a shoulder strap. It was great for the parks and getting to and from. It was made by Graco.

 

[MyHappiestPlace]

I'd prob still rent one just to help the youngest ones when their legs get tired. This was my first year to not do strollers and I must say its liberating! It was hard at first since I'm a stroller-fanatic but pushing 80 lbs of kiddos around WDW all day just about broke my back! My youngest two are 8 and 6 so they can definitely walk fine all on their own But sometimes having the stroller just to put bags and such in/on it was very helpful

 

[theLavers]

I vote yes on the stroller, especially for the youngest. It helps littles ones so much get through the day happier if their little legs aren't tired! My family doesn't rent one, we always bring our own. My youngest is 5, and we're going in January also and we will definitely use our stroller. It's really nice to put jackets and bags in also!

MaryPat

 

[matt and beth]

Great thoughts. We just got back from WDW with our 8, 5, and 3 1/2 year old. We decided that there was no way the 3 1/2 would make it. He would just whine repeatedly about tired legs. So, what to do? The rental price is outrageous to me. We went with a double stroller the first two times and hated it. They both were destroyed by the time we finished a week of Disney. This time we bought a Maclaren. Has a very high weight rating and is small and compact. Easy to carry and fold up. The added bonus is they demand a high resale on Craigslist and Ebay. Buy, resale, and still be way ahead of rental. The second bonus is you can use it to push the 3 year old in the airport. Third bonus is the stroller keeps the 3 year old close. He does not get lost in high crowds, because he is in the stroller. My advise: buy the Maclaren and use it. Afterwards, sell it for a nice refund.

 

[Beckypooh1972]

I agree with the PP; we have 2 MacClaren lightweight strollers for our twins and we love them. I push one and my husband pushes one. We like having the extra room for stuff and our near 3 old twins would never make it without strollers. For your older children I'd suggest taking regular walks to build up their legs. You are not just walking a lot in the parks. Even the walk to a bus stop or parking lot can be a far distance. Going in January won't be too bad because walking in cooler weather is easier than hot weather. Have a great trip!

 

[MichaelH]

We do the stroller. We rent the ones at the park. It is nice not having to travel with one. Our kids are 8 and 6 and it is nice to have to put items in. Also, the kids can get in and ride if we are wanting to get to a ride fast.

 

[PhillipA82]

You are...

 

[viking042900]

If you're doubtful at all about your kids walking abilities, I would take the strollers for those you are doubful about (or buy cheap ones from the Walmart down there if you are flying in.) We tried to prep our girls (5&6) for it last year by taking walks around the neighborhood, and they do fine walking around our mall, stores, etc for pretty long lenghts of time, but Disney is a whole different animal. We took one stroller with plans to swap the kids out as needed and ended up buying a second. It was just so easy to push them from ride to ride, and I think it made the whole trip a lot more fun for everyone.

 

[Kkhoward227]

You can rent a fabulous stroller from Orlando stroller rentals. I own the type they rent and it is well worth the price they charge. They'll drop it off at your resort and pick it up at the end of your trip.

 

[maxiesmom]

If it fits into your budget, I would just rent a stroller as you needed it. The Disney strollers are well made, and easy to push around the parks. Some strollers are a bit on the short side, and can give you a back ache after pushing them around all day. Not so the Disney strollers. Plus they are sturdy enought to haul quite a bit of stuff around.

 

[kksmom92]

We are driving down in Feb (my son just turned 6 last month and my daughter will be 4 tomorrow) and we are still going to bring our umbrella strollers for them.

My son tends to be the one who "gets tired" early, but my daughter is the one that will just walk off, so for piece of mind we are bringing ours. Plus then we can put our water bottles and snacks down below and I don't have to worry about what to do with them when riding the rides.

 

[tam626]

I would say bring a stroller. It's really not too much hassle to bring & it'll save money because I'm pretty sure you'll end up renting one.

 

[happymommy]

I brought one until my youngest was 6. Still, I rented one a couple of days on the trip when she was 7 (turned 8 that trip) and she zonked out for a nap in it twice! So I totally agree - bring one! It is a lot of walking, and it's nice to have. The rentals are great for convenience, but they are expensive, and then you only have it inside the parks. I needed it to get back to the resort when DD was asleep in it a few times (nice when you're onsite and don't need the bus, like when we stay at the Swan and Dolphin, Boardwalk, and on a monorail resort as well, since you don't have to take the child out of the stroller for the boats or the monorail).

 

[disneybliss2]

I vote bring one. Your 3 1/2 year old will definitely use it, and your 6 year old may as well. I think having it will make for a much more enjoyable and less whiney trip from tired little ones.

 

[Disneyforus]

Our 6 yr old and 4 yr old both used a stroller on our most recent trip. It came in handy when one or the other of them needed a break. We were out late a couple of nights and the 4yr old never would have made it. The days we didn't use the stroller at all, we were just done early...'cause they were tired out quicker.

We bought two umbrella type stollers that have storage underneath the seat and a parent console up top. Decorated the handles with curling ribbons so they were easy to find after getting off a ride at the parks...best money we spent! ($60 total for both of them off Amazon)

We always preferred bringing our own, because we use them outside of the parks as well. They can even stay in them on the boats too!

 

[LandChildWorldAdult]

I brought my 10 year old umbrella stroller on our recent trip, just in case. The thing is a hunk of junk, probably cost $10 ten years ago. Saved our trip, really. It was fabulous when Mr. "just 4" passed out and way better than a park stroller, it saved us several times at the end of the day, which is not a time that I want to carry a sleeping 38 lber. Since we were on the monorail to Epcot and walking to MK, he went from park to bed at least twice without waking up.

I thought my 7 year old would wear out too, but she was a trooper, only complaining at the end of the trip at the end of the day -- and then only a little. Adrenaline does wonders ... she was having a blast!

You know your 6 year old best. If you are staying at a monorail resort, I would definitely consider buying or renting a double stroller that you can have with you from the beginning of your trip to the end, instead of a park stroller.

That said, we used that umbrella stroller all the way home. We had a late flight and put him sleeping from the plane to the stroller, through baggage claim and out to the van without waking him. It was wonderful. And cheap!

 

[kohlby]

Take or rent a stroller for the 3.5 year old. The last time I went with a 3.5 year old, he did not spend much time in the stroller at all the first two days. The next day he spent more time in it. By the last day, he spent more time in the stroller than out. If you plan on renting one at the parks, I'd wait it out to see if you really need it the first couple days to save a little money. We brought our stroller into the park and then just parked it until we needed it.

I don't have specific stroller suggestions since we take one that is terribly hard to fold that we bought 7 years ago.

 

[Peanut&Piglet'sMom]

I'm totally the odd one out here... but on our last trip we went stroller free with our then 7.5 and 3.5 year olds and it was super easy...so here's my advice.

First...Are you staying on property?

With some planning, a stroller free day can be done! If you plan to take a break in your day to go back to your hotel...only bring with you the things you'll need to get you through morning until your break. Re-pack your bag during your break and then enjoy your evening. Since the kids won't need a diaper bag...you can get away with the minimal size bag for your familys belongings. Just don't over pack!!! And if you somehow forget something...transpotation back to the resort isn't that bad...or just buy it at the park!

We only used a small backpack each day but there were plenty or places to put our bags for the rides we went on.

Another key thing was that I planned out which park we'd be at each day and prepped the night before using the latest "timesguides".

We'd do a few rides, then hit up a show or someplace we could sit and rest. My littlest one was a trooper!!! Then only time she needed to be carried was if we stayed late and she didn't nap during the day.

Mind you....our trip was in the heat of August and the kids still did fine!

You can do it stroller free!

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm totally the odd one out here... but on our last trip we went stroller free with our then 7.5 and 3.5 year olds and it was super easy...so here's my advice.

First...Are you staying on property?

With some planning, a stroller free day can be done! If you plan to take a break in your day to go back to your hotel...only bring with you the things you'll need to get you through morning until your break. Re-pack your bag during your break and then enjoy your evening. Since the kids won't need a diaper bag...you can get away with the minimal size bag for your familys belongings. Just don't over pack!!! And if you somehow forget something...transpotation back to the resort isn't that bad...or just buy it at the park!

We only used a small backpack each day but there were plenty or places to put our bags for the rides we went on.

Another key thing was that I planned out which park we'd be at each day and prepped the night before using the latest "timesguides".

We'd do a few rides, then hit up a show or someplace we could sit and rest. My littlest one was a trooper!!! Then only time she needed to be carried was if we stayed late and she didn't nap during the day.

Mind you....our trip was in the heat of August and the kids still did fine!

You can do it stroller free!

So you had to plan not only what rides you were doing in what order, but you also had to take breaks, and repack your park bag in order to go stroller free. Sounds like a lot of hassle to me! And you still ended up carrying your little one a few times. I'd much rather have a stroller along and be free to plan the day around what we wanted to do, not around the lack of a stroller.

I guess I don't see why going without a stroller is something to be excited about.