Too old for stroller?

[720L]

Our daughter will be turning 6 the week we are at Disney. Is she too old for a stroller? My husband and I can't agree on this, I say she can have a stroller, he says she's too old for a stroller. I figure if she can still fit in one, and it helps her not get tired out faster, why not? Help!

 

[stacy6552]

When our son was 6, we did not bring a stroller for our son. But we took mid-day breaks almost every day. The one day, we stayed straight through, we did rent one for him in the afternoon.

 

[Magic2000]

We found that renting a stroller for my DD helped - for her and for us!!! She didn't tire out so easily, and it gave us a place to put our stuff!

We always rent one for Epcot - that's a lot of walking for a child. And my DD can fall asleep anywhere - and I like knowing where she is!

You could always play it by ear - if she starts to tire out, then you can rent her one!

Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[MoranClan]

The last trip we took my DS was five, and I did not rent a stroller. It was good and bad. It was the first time I didn't have anywhere to put all of our stuff!
It was great not to have to look for our stroller after each show or ride.

He is also the last of three children and kind of broke my heart when he informed me that he was not a baby and refused to sit in the stroller!

 

[FOV]

We'll be renting a double stroller because my youngest will be turning 4 during our trip. The 6 year old will ride along with his brother.

You can start the day without and see how it goes. Your daughter may not need it - kids can be so different at that age. If she is getting tired (especially at Epcot because it covers a huge area) it would be worth it to me to just get the stroller and help her out. It could make a big difference! Disney is the one place where 5 & 6 year olds can ride around in strollers without looking ridiculous.

 

[robinb]

Our trip in August when my DD turned 5 was our first "non-stroller" trip. We brought ours from home, but never used it. I think I'll leave it at home this time and rent one if we need it.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Definitely go with the stroller. It saves time and energy. You won't be alone lots of 6 year old kids are in stroller in WDW. While we never use a stroller for dds at home (they are 5 and 7) I know our trip would be more stressful without them at WDW.

 

[BevS97]

My 6 year old did not have a stroller last year (she had just turned 6) and the only time we missed it was very late after MVMCP

 

[cl1067]

The last time my DD went she was 5, almost 6. She went with her grandparents and they just rented a stroller when she needed it. This time she is 8 and my youngest is 3. We will be taking a stroller for my youngest and if my 8 yr old gets tired, I wouldn't hesitate to rent a stroller for her. (Thank goodness she is small for her age!) It just makes life easier.

I agree with most posters...play it by ear. If she needs a stroller, rent one, otherwise let her go without.

 

[crisi]

I'd budget to rent one when needed. Take a wait and see approach - your husband may be right, but if he gets tired of carrying her or prodding her to move, you'll rent.

It also depends on your child. My son is a great walker, and we could have done away with the stroller at 3 1/2 for him (however, the stroller kept him "located" - he is an easy one to lose!). My daughter is a lollygagger. At four we'd have arrived at the MK at opening and made it to the castle by noon if we expected her to move herself forward! She will be six next trip, and I'm going to take my own advice - budget for a stroller - hope we never need one.

 

[disneyandme]

We are taking our stroller for our DD5 this trip. She's a slow walker and will trier way before she's ready to stop.

 

[kpossible]

What are the double strollers like? We will bring one from home for our 1 year old and plan to rent one for our 3 and 6 year old. Our six year old will want to ride if her 3 year old sister is. Thanks

 

[daisylove]

Hi
My DD is 5 and Tall. But we use the stroller (maclaren volo) for her still. I figure by 6 she will refuse but as long as she will ride I will push. I like knowing that we won't get seperated or that princess dawdle will be reigned in a bit. I also like the storage for the small cooler and bag we bring. And even though she is 5 she is still a kid and why would I want an extremely tired cranky kid demanding to be carried at the end of the day? She is a great kid but that is a lot of walking.

She wont use a stroler anywhere else but it seems that Disney is the exception to "looking like a baby".

Oh forgot. If you go to www.allearsnet.com they will have pictures of the strollers. The double at MK is just like the single. hard plastic and the kids sit with their legs out in front of them (sunburn city).

 

[Figment1964]

We did WDW 2 years ago with a 9 yo and 4 yo and didn't get a stroller. This year when they were 11 and 6 we ended up with *2* strollers most days. Granted, my 11 yo is teeny-tiny, not much bigger than my 6 yo, but they both wilted early in the day this year and it was so much easier to know where they were. Once we'd rented them once they wanted them every day, and I'll say it really was easier.

 

[ladydancer]

Took my granddaughter when she was 6. Didn't think I needed to rent a stroller for her. After a few hours we had to trek back to the front of the park and get one.

There's nothing wrong with a 6 year old riding in a stroller if she is tired and needs one. It makes everyones life a little easier if she doesn't get overly tired.

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

We have a 1 year old and a 4 year old. DD-4 generally does not ride in a stroller, but we find it to be VERY helpful at Disney. First, when the crowds are thick, it's easier and safer to wheel her through a crowd that have her dodge adults who don't look where they are going. Second, when she gets tired, she can sit and regroup.

 

[Buttercup26]

I would definitely recommend renting one as needed. At 6 it's hard to say how much you will need one. But nothing's worse than seeing some poor tired child being pushed/dragged by an equally tired parent. You know neither one is having fun anymore. Last winter even my 10 y/o DD and 11 y/o DN needed a good sit-down break every few hours.

 

[beautybelle]

my son will be 8 when we go in May and we will have to rent one for him because he cant walk for long periods. He had a joint disease when he was 5 and he just cant be on his feet for long. So when I go to rent one for him, I wont be thinking twice.

 

[missminniemouse]

We rented a double stroller for DS and then DD could ride along. The last time he needed a stroller, he was 3, making DD 7. I think she liked riding in the stroller more than he did. Our last trip, with him being 4, we only rented a stroller one day and that was at Sea World. I'm sure our upcoming trip will be stroller-free, especially since both children decided on a recent weekend trip that they like hiking. If either of them gets "tired feet" on this trip, I'll remind them how much walking they did on the weekend trip.

 

[kimbac3]

My DD will be 7 when we go and I plan to bring our stroller from home. She's tiny and tends to get tired fast. She can't get through the whole mall without dragging. I'm glad to hear that I won't be the only one with an "older" child in the stroller.

Kimba