Too big for a stroller, but too little to walk the entire vacation. Suggestions?

[My2QTs]

My DD will be seven this visit. This will be our first trip not taking our stroller. shes def too big for the one we have. so i guess that leaves her to walk the entire week. But honestly, I really need my stroller for baggage purposes, and because I know she's gonna have trouble keeping up. Is there an alternative? any strollers for "older" kids, but not that much older?

 

[cluvsdisney]

Disney rents double strollers that should be able to accommodate your daughter.

Will she ride in one? My friend has a 7 year old who is firmly planted in the "strollers are for babies" camp (the 7 year old says this, not my friend).

 

[phanomouse]

My advice is, don't ask here unless you are ready for the wolves to feed!

Piggy back rides, sitting on shoulders or rent from Disney are all viable options in my opinion. Best of luck!

 

[rstout01]

We've been walking at amusement parks with our DS8 and DS7 without strollers for quite awhile now. Our strategy is just to bring backpacks for whatever we need to carry and to take breaks as needed. We tend to take a couple of pool day breaks during Disney weeks, too - we find that 7 days at Disney is a bit much and the kids like the down days at the pools sprinkled in there. This works well for us. But if you really want a stroller, you can search for other threads on this topic - I know I've seen them.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

On our first trip to Disney DD had just turned 7 - we didn't take a stroller and she had no trouble keeping up timewise or energywise. You might be surprised at how easy life is at Disney w/o a stroller. For 'baggage' I don't know how much you tote around in your stroller but it might motivate you to lighten the load in general which in turn might make it an easier trip as well.

 

[KMcCP]

I was in the same boat as you. My DD5 is as tall as a 7yo and I know she'll get tired and I don't want that dragging anyone down. I looked around and decided to rent from one of the local stroller vendors. It wasn't overly expensive. I don't expect her to be in it at all times, but I'm glad to have the option -especially for the later nights out.

 

[twinz]

We just recently went with a friend and her 7 year old twins and they had NO problems keeping up. We took thing VERY slow. They never complained once about being tired. They carried their own backpacks so their mom didn't have to carry everything.

 

[B&WMickey]

In Nov of 2011 we went strollerless with DS 8 and DD 6. They both did great. They were both working off that WDW high you get from being there. We made sure we took time during the day to stop and rest, maybe take in a show or something that allowed us to sit for an extended period of time.

 

[Magpie]

Just take it slow!

And remember that being a bit tired is not the end of the world. Why not plan to head back to the hotel for an afternoon nap?

My daughter's a bookworm and rather horribly out of shape, because she'd like nothing better than to sit with her nose in a story all day. We went to Universal Studios when she was 14 and the morning after our first full day there she got out of bed... and promptly fell on her face! She was SO sore from all the walking.

Of course, her being 14, we did not contemplate renting a stroller for the rest of the trip. Instead we had a good laugh and sent her into a hot shower. Then we took it a bit slower after that and made sure to work in some shows through the day so she could sit and rest.

I would do exactly the same if she was 7, though actually she was in better shape back in those days. Most healthy, non-disabled 7yos can run circles around most adults.

 

[wdwcraz]

My DD will be seven this visit. This will be our first trip not taking our stroller. shes def too big for the one we have. so i guess that leaves her to walk the entire week. But honestly, I really need my stroller for baggage purposes, and because I know she's gonna have trouble keeping up. Is there an alternative? any strollers for "older" kids, but not that much older?

We are heading to the world in two weeks and are going back and forth with this same situation. We have a DD6 and she is too big for a stroller, she is a very tall 6 year old and sitting in one of the Disney strollers isn't an option. She can keep up just fine going to Six Flags for a day, but repeatedly doing it day after day for 7 days is hard on anyone let alone a 6 or 7 year old.

My sugestion is this. You know your kid and your situation better than anyone. This is a question I would never ask on these boards. All you get it is people ranting about how their kid did it or my friends kid did. All I say to that is "GOOD FOR THEM" my kid is not your kid and he or she can't keep up as well. Most of these people are the same ones that complain about the strollers in the gift shops or stroller parking or using your stroller to save a parade spot. You do whatever you have to so you and your family enjoy your trip if that means putting your 15 year old in a stroller then so be it cares it is nobody's business how you treat or raise your kids.

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!!!!

Oh and by the way.....I think we have decided to take it as we go. We are going to try it without one but if she starts getting tired and needs it we are going to rent a stroller at that time.

 

[Pixiedust34]

A healthy 7 yo should be fine with walking. Just make sure to take some breaks. Breaks are good for all ages, including the adults.

 

[Tinkerbell58]

Start taking walks now to prepare her for WDW. On our first trip, my DD was 5, and she did fine.

 

[Disneyfriend]

I'm in a similar boat with a 5 and almost 7 year old. They haven't used a stroller regularly in years . . . maybe 2-3 years, even.

But in May we were traveling and went to a large zoo, where my 6 yo got a queasy stomach. My husband suggested we rent a zoo stroller (similar to Disney's) to get her through the day, because she didn't want to go home. It ended up being a great suggestion that I wouldn't have thought of because we hadn't used a stroller in so long. It worked out great!

My point is . . . you can take it day by day and just see how it goes. That's what we're going to do. I am not planning to rent a stroller, but if anything goes south . . . even a nasty blister, or just tired little legs at the very end of the trip . . . it's a nice option to keep in mind.

I think a stroller is particularly helpful at Epcot, where the distances are just sooooo huge. Heck, I wouldn't mind a stroller myself at Epcot.

 

[Disneyfriend]

I do agree with the idea of trying to "train" for a WDW vacation. We've done that every trip, and it's a great way to get little legs ready for a lot of walking. Big legs, too!

It also provides a great opportunity to break in any new shoes.

We start "training" about a month before our trip. It just consists of trying to do family walks at least 4 evenings a week. The specifics of how you do it don't matter so much, obviously.

 

[WedgieSock]

My DD will be seven this visit. This will be our first trip not taking our stroller. shes def too big for the one we have. so i guess that leaves her to walk the entire week. But honestly, I really need my stroller for baggage purposes, and because I know she's gonna have trouble keeping up. Is there an alternative? any strollers for "older" kids, but not that much older?

I really think she'll do fine - I had a hard time letting go of the stroller more than my DD because it was my donkey* - carried everything for me!

I have seen lots of DISers who went without a stroller for the first time and were worried but came back totally shocked that their child did great. Kids are much more capable than we sometimes think.

I've never rented a stroller but I know when I was there, those hard-shell type ones would easily carry a 7yr old .... and carry your stuff

*No animals were harmed as a result of the reference to a stroller being a donkey

 

[LoriABil]

We have been doing WDW since DS was 5, and he has walked to 10 to 13 miles with us every year. We also use a backpack for all the things we have to carry.

That said, every little one is different and parents know if they can keep up or not. My advice is - Don't push her. Take an afternoon break, or make sure to schedule time for a long lunch. Also, break up long walks with cooler, indoor shows and rides. She isn't too young for Hall of Presidents plus - bonus - air conditioning!

Most important, you will be tied to her schedule. If you go in knowing this, you should be fine with or without a stroller.

 

[ttintagel]

If it was me, I'd slow down to *her* pace instead of wanting her to "keep up" with mine. Sometimes we have to adjust our expectations when kids are involved.

 

[laceemouse]

I have a hard time understanding these questions just because there is no way in the world that any healthy elementary aged kid could be in worse shape than I am. I am old and fat and I can walk in Disney all day.

It isn't a marathon. You walk, stand in line, sit in a show, walk, stand in line, sit on a ride, walk, stand in line, sit and eat (lather, rinse, repeat )

Also, kids are USUALLY very happy and excited to be at Disney World. Mine always have been, the trip that they start complaining will be our last for a good long time.

I think a lot of parents want to keep the stroller to haul stuff. What in the world are you hauling? Get ice water when you need it and just travel light. We bring a very small backpack or cross body purse for all of the passes and maybe a hand gel and that is it. Stop carrying all that stuff you never use!!!

 

[biondagirl]

When we went last year, ds was 8 and dd was 5. It was our first year without a stroller. Our 5 year old did FANTASTIC. The 8 year old whined a bit the first two days. Then he snapped out of it and no more whining! Yes, it was a bit slower, but it all worked out well.

We bought a back pack to carry the stuff we needed. Since we drove down, we also left things in the car in case we needed them.

Have a great trip!

 

[mwmom]

I have been worried about the same thing. My DD has short legs but is in great shape thanks to gymnastics and dance class. I know that she will get tired by the end of our trip, so I am planning a little differently this year. Since it is just the 2 of us this trip, we don't have anyone to send to get fast passes. I am just going to plan on doing one section of the park at a time so we aren't crossing back and forth across the park to get fastpasses and then running back to another attraction. When we go to Epcot, we will take the boat across to the back of the park and work our way around 1/2 of the countries to the front. When we go back to Epcot another day, we'll do the same with the other 1/2 of the countries. (I like to do Epcot in 2 days since we have PH passes). We will also take breaks in the afternoon like we have done in the past. She usually swims in the afternoon, but I think I will work in an hour break of doing nothing but resting in the room, too.

I think she can make it and if she gets way too tired, we'll just rent something if we have to. I agree with PP's that I wouldn't worry about what others think. I work in a school and can tell you that all kids are different on many levels. What works for one may not work for another. The important thing is to plan to take it slow but do what you have to so that you have an enjoyable time!