To take the stroller or not take the stroller...

[DawnaJean]

My DS is almost 5 and he never rides in the stroller any more, but I am considering whether to take the folding stroller for him. I don't think he will need it at all in the morning but in the evening when he starts getting tired....

What do you think?

 

[TJA]

We take our stroller from home (a double jogger works for our situation having twins). I think you have it pegged right on the button that you suspect you'll need the stroller for night time. Our twins are 4 and we just returned from Disney last month and we needed our stroller every single night. And not necessarily just for park time -- we mainly need our stroller for walking between the parks and the resorts. For example, we stayed at CR last month and walked back and forth to MK almost every day/night. Sometimes it was late at night after Wishes and our girls were fast-asleep in the stroller. So renting a stroller wouldn't work for us, but I do know it works for others. Personally, we do too much walking outside of the parks to not have our own stroller in Disney. Where are you staying? Even if you take a bus, it's nice to have the stroller when getting off to walk from there to your room. Good luck with your decision!

 

[tinkandpan]

Last time we went- we rented one when we switched parks miday through for ds5. It probably added up to be more than just bringing our stroller but I didn't have to deal with it through the entire day.

 

[rjan67]

Take the stroller! We went in the summer. It was super hot and maybe that was the problem. We thought our almost 5 yr old would be ok but we ended up getting one after a couple of days. He was much happier. My older two would fight to get in it when he felt like walking. I didn't think we would need it either but he did!

 

[DawnaJean]

Thanks all! I think I'm going to take the stroller. At least then we will have it as an option!

8 days til Disney...woohoo
Thanks!
Dawna

 

[Tootles]

Good decision! I am bringing an old umbrella stroller (that's been put away in storage BTW for the past 3 years!) for my soon to be 6 year old DS! Yes, my youngest. My DH thinks I'm crazy because he's just too old/big for it now. The thing is, my DS gets tired pretty easily, and even though he's very slim, he's also way too lazy for his own good. He will walk during the day for the most part, but do I want to have to carry a 6 year old child because he's had enough... and won't walk...and is getting cranky...I don't think so. The way I see it, no one at WDW knows me, so I really don't care what anyone else thinks. Besides, why should anyone care? It's certainly not hurting anyone else. My DS will be happier, and in turn the rest of us will be happier. Case closed! Bring the stroller....

Oh- and have a wonderful time!

 

[SqueakyMouse]

It doesn't hurt to take the stroller along. The only time we have ever used a stroller for our kids after they were over about 3 years of age was at WDW. Younger ds (now 7) used one until he was nearly 5. I don't think he truly needed it; but his younger sister was in one, so he wanted one too! DD decided on our July trip (at age 4.5) that she was "too old" for a stroller. Truthfully, I think she could have used one during the hot afternoons in Epcot, but she's stubborn. I have to admit that it was awfully nice after so many years of dealing with strollers (oldest is now 15) to not have to deal with stroller parking.

 

[bnk1120]

Take a light fold up stroller. Even if your child does not use it often, you have it. It is also a good place to put your bags, souvenirs etc. that can get so heavy to carry around!

 

[yrdlyprincess]

I would bring one, we got one for DD7 for 3 days, she was just tired of walking & I can't blame her watching her brother (DS3) being pushed around all day long!!

 

[dimimi]

We used ours when our DS was that age. I think we used it up to first grade. He did NOT use a stroller at home, but at Disney, we all were able to move around faster and we had a place to store things.

 

[mjh8955]

TAKE THE STROLLER!! We actually went out and bought garage sale umbrella strollers for two different trips since our youngest was out of a stroller. They were absolutely necessary after so much walking. Sometimes our daughter just needed a break from the sun and the sunshade was a lifesaver. When we were done, we gave it to a family arriving who didn't have a stroller and looked like they might use one. We didn't have to transport it home on the plane that way.

 

[nettii]

I also say take the stroller! I bought a cheap umbrella stroller for my ds and thought we would toss it after every trip but in 12 days its making its 3rd trip down and my DS is now 6! Id rather get funny looks from strangers than deal with a cranky boy on vacation!
Have a great trip Nettii

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

I also say take the stroller! I bought a cheap umbrella stroller for my ds and thought we would toss it after every trip but in 12 days its making its 3rd trip down and my DS is now 6! Id rather get funny looks from strangers than deal with a cranky boy on vacation!
Have a great trip Nettii

I agree! My DD was 6 our last trip to WDW earlier this year and we took the stroller. It's a Maclaren Volo so it's a little bigger than a regular umbrella stroller and has a weight limit of 55lbs. She did fine walking during the day, but at night we really needed it going back to the resort. It was also helpful during the day in getting from one side of the park to the other quickly. Another thing I loved about having the stroller was having a place to hold our drinks, jackets, etc. When I have gone solo or just with my older kids and no stroller I miss having a place to stow everything! Now DD is 7 but I am still bringing the stroller to DL later this week, though I'm sure she will need it much less than she even did in January, which wasn't all that much, it may end up being more for stuff than for her! She still fits in it and it makes life much easier for all of us, so I don't really care what anyone else thinks! Sure she could walk it completely, but why, it would just slow us all down, as her older brothers are much bigger and faster than she is. Also, DL will be very crowded this weekend because it's the beginning of all the holiday stuff, so I would rather know exactly where she is.

 

[REW91599]

If you are asking then I would take one! You know your child best! Hey, my 8yr old would still hop in if we let him!

 

[Tootles]

If you are asking then I would take one! You know your child best! Hey, my 8yr old would still hop in if we let him!

My DS8 too!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

Take the stroller
We are for our DS5. Last year we didn't bring one for him and it was a huge mistake. Luckily, he was able to use DD's while I carried her in the front pack. This year we are definetely bringing one for him to use. Plus, if his little butt is planted in a stroller he won't be running off and getting lost again.