Two kids (4 &6), one stroller dilemma. Suggestions?

[MSSANDRA]

1/2 mile isn't too long. 1/2 mile (actually, .66 mile) 4x a day in addition to all the walking (yes, we park hop) at Disney is a lot. Like I said in a later post, I think we're going to have her ride with DH on his ECV for the ride to/from (that is, assuming he joins us in the park. Last trip, he only started out with us 1 of the 4 mornings... and left the park earlier than us 3 of the 4 days as well). Dang it! each time I have myself convinced that we don't need a double, I think of something like me being the only one in the park with them, both getting tired and me having to get a tired kid to walk all the way back to the hotel again... I wish DH were healthy; with most dad's there wouldn't even be a question of whether he would be there to help, and there would always be an extra set of shoulders for a tired kid to rest on.

@ *Seanaci* - I have a Jeep Wrangler single stroller. I don't think they make footboards for those, but that would be an interesting option - save DD6 some of the steps to/from the hotel, while still not giving her the comfort of a regular stroller.

HUGS for you. No one can judge until they have been in your situation. Prayers that your DH has a healthy trip and your little ones have lots of walking energy and you get the rest you need!

 

[princessmom29]

I disagree. You would never see kids over the age of 3 in strollers years. Not anywhere, even Disney. I went a lot as a kid and once we were old enough to listen/follow directions, we walked. Same with my oldest daughter. Once she was 4, no more stroller. We did still go back to the hotel for naps/swim daily, eat sit-down dinners and relax more - and she did just fine. I don't believe little kids legs give out and I don't believe that each kid is different (in terms of walking.) I think parents just want to push push push all day long, to get their money's worth and if it means keeping overtired kids content in a stroller, they do. I see so many parents yelling at overtired kids on vacation because they want THEM to keep up with their schedule as opposed to sitting back, relaxing and enjoying their child's speed.

Since the OP has an AP, I think going at the kid's pace and taking frequent breaks is a much better idea than buying a double stroller she may only use a handful of times. It will save her money and her back. If they are whining and tired, give them the option to go back to the hotel.

Plus Disneyland is no where near the size of Disney World. I just personally don't think it is worth the cost. What if no one sits in it? Then she is just going to push or carry a double stroller around half the day. No thanks.

So you think every child is capable of exactly the same abount of physical exertion? That makes absoultely no sense. Tell that to the child crying because they have muscle spasms when their long bones are growing faster than their muscles, or the child in DD's dance class that is half the size of the others her age. She just cannot do what they are doing. I do think every child is different as to what they cano and cannot do. That would be why development al milestones are given in ranges, or else every child would be walking at 10 months, like DD. Applying your logic, if she can do it every 10 month old can and parents are just being lazy by not insisting they do. My DD would be miserable if I forced her back to the hotel for arest. I woudl behearing "when can we go back" every 5 minutes. She is a wide open all the time full throttle kid. If a stroller means she can stay happy and keep going I don't see the harm. The year she had just turned 6 ,she did 3 day without it. On the fourth day, her legs were getting really sore and we took it JIC. She ened up needing it for a couple of hours, then she was ready to go agian. Why is it better to take her back to the hotel and make her sit for 2 hours miserable than to let her rest a couple hours in the stroller and be happy that she got to stay in the parks??

 

[princessmom29]

But the six year old won't need to walk all seven miles - she can share a stroller with the four year old. If the six year old walks four miles and the four year old walks three, you'd be golden.

I don't have an issue with a six year old in a stroller, I just thing pushing 80 lbs of kid in a double stroller without help is going to harder than just having one stroller.

It probably is, but I can see he appeal in not having to referee the fight over the stroller.

 

[3pletprincesses]

Wow, lots of opinions !
If you feel the need for a double stroller go ahead. I have a double stroller that we bought and only use for Disney trip. My triplets are 4 and involved in many sport to keep them busy as they have lots of energy and yet they find it really hard at Disney after a couple of days. The best thing I did last fall was to buy my double city micro. It's easy to push, fold and light. they get to ride in it when they are tired and most evening on our way back to the resort, I end up with the 3 of them somehow sitting in/on it as 2 will st in the seats and the 3rd on the handle bar. I couldn't care less about what people have to say. I do what is best for my kids and we are all in vacation. I don't see why my girls can't watch the fireworks just because they are tired and shouldn't be using a stroller. If a stroller is what is needed to keep everyone happy, so be it.

 

[cel_disney]

My DS4.5 has been to WDW 4 times with 2 additional trips planned for this year. We also have a 10 month old. When we went in December - we brought our single stroller and rented a double stroller - the idea being - single stroller in the morning and double in the evening.

We ended up using the double all the time and have already rented one for our upcoming trips. The weeks are just too long for him to walk everywhere without becoming cranky and its just not always possible to take a break and wait for him to be able to finish the walk (on the way to a TS Ressie or meeting our group etc).

He was 46lbs when I was looking to buy a double stroller - we tried out the Graco IPO Twin, all of the Maclaren Twins, the Peg Perego Twins, the Jeep Umbrella Twin, the Combi Twin, Baby Jogger Citi Mini and Micro Doubles, Baby Planet Double etc...

He weighs much more than your girls which will give you more options and he was also a stroller napper (the day my DD was born, he had taken a 2 hour nap in the stroller at the mall!), so I needed something with a high back to accomodate him napping, but it doesnt sound like you need that. I would suggest that you avoid the Peg Perego Aria doubles...and the Baby Planet is easy to push and has a great weight limit and a compact fold but its hard to unfold...the combi's have a 45lb weight limit...but all the rest should be good for you!!

It was not hard pushing the 30lb BJCMD with a 46lb and a 15lb kid in it...I was not in shape AT ALL (I had a 4 month old!) and it was really fine and made our family vacation a much better trip. He can whine about being tired at home when we are at the mall or whatever but family trips should be about happy memories - not being annoyed with the whiney 4 year old...

 

[*Seanaci*]

My DS4.5 has been to WDW 4 times with 2 additional trips planned for this year. We also have a 10 month old. When we went in December - we brought our single stroller and rented a double stroller - the idea being - single stroller in the morning and double in the evening.

We ended up using the double all the time and have already rented one for our upcoming trips. The weeks are just too long for him to walk everywhere without becoming cranky and its just not always possible to take a break and wait for him to be able to finish the walk (on the way to a TS Ressie or meeting our group etc).

He was 46lbs when I was looking to buy a double stroller - we tried out the Graco IPO Twin, all of the Maclaren Twins, the Peg Perego Twins, the Jeep Umbrella Twin, the Combi Twin, Baby Jogger Citi Mini and Micro Doubles, Baby Planet Double etc...

He weighs much more than your girls which will give you more options and he was also a stroller napper (the day my DD was born, he had taken a 2 hour nap in the stroller at the mall!), so I needed something with a high back to accomodate him napping, but it doesnt sound like you need that. I would suggest that you avoid the Peg Perego Aria doubles...and the Baby Planet is easy to push and has a great weight limit and a compact fold but its hard to unfold...the combi's have a 45lb weight limit...but all the rest should be good for you!!

It was not hard pushing the 30lb BJCMD with a 46lb and a 15lb kid in it...I was not in shape AT ALL (I had a 4 month old!) and it was really fine and made our family vacation a much better trip. He can whine about being tired at home when we are at the mall or whatever but family trips should be about happy memories - not being annoyed with the whiney 4 year old...

AMEN to the bolded!!

 

[starshine514]

I want to thank all of you kind DISers who have offered your opinions without judging!

I also want to thank each of you who have made specific stroller recommendations, as that is exactly what I was looking for! cel_disney especially, thank you for taking the time to let me know about your experiences with specific models!

At this moment in time, I am still not sure what we are going to do, stroller-wise. There will be a stroller, DD4 still has short little legs that don't walk all that fast and I know we will all have a miserable day if she were to not have a stroller. I keep flip-flopping about whether a double is absolutely necessary.

I'm not concerned about myself with the pushing, I know I can do it (despite having the same genetic blood disorder that DD6 does, which makes us anemic and is perhaps one reason that she still wants to ride in the stroller. We take our supplements to help, so most of the time I don't even think about it in day-to-day life. I think she's like my sister and has a worse case of it than I do.)

 

[starshine514]

I bought a Combi Twin Sport off of craigslist. Even counting gas money (it was 90+ miles away), I ended up getting it for about $60 total. It doesn't fold up as compactly as I was hoping, but both my girls are very comfortable in it. I just hope it and the ECV will fit in the trunk of the rental car!

 

[DuckMom]

Do we really have to basically question people's parenting skills over a stroller for an older child? You don't know anyone's situation and all OP was asking for was advice about types of strollers. Stick with that. I cannot believe the nerve of people to judge and say things akin to "if your older child rides in a stroller, he's screwed for life." Apparently I should sign up for the lifetime counseling plan because my 6-year-old will likely ride in the double stroller I am getting for our August trip. He plays sports on a regular basis, we ride bikes all the time and go for family walks (and sometimes get ice cream on them with lots of sugar). Is he perfect, no, but he is physically active. However, he is also going to want to rest at times. In my opinion, it will be easier to have a double stroller and the option for him to ride if he so chooses. If I get nasty looks in the park, I'm going to assume people are just jealous because my husband has a nice butt

Really people, please think about what is important before laying into people. Strollers at Disney are not worth it.

 

[Meshell2002]

Do we really have to basically question people's parenting skills over a stroller for an older child? You don't know anyone's situation and all OP was asking for was advice about types of strollers. Stick with that. I cannot believe the nerve of people to judge and say things akin to "if your older child rides in a stroller, he's screwed for life." Apparently I should sign up for the lifetime counseling plan because my 6-year-old will likely ride in the double stroller I am getting for our August trip. He plays sports on a regular basis, we ride bikes all the time and go for family walks (and sometimes get ice cream on them with lots of sugar). Is he perfect, no, but he is physically active. However, he is also going to want to rest at times. In my opinion, it will be easier to have a double stroller and the option for him to ride if he so chooses. If I get nasty looks in the park, I'm going to assume people are just jealous because my husband has a nice butt

Really people, please think about what is important before laying into people. Strollers at Disney are not worth it.

BTW i don't get why people go off topic SOOOOO fast on the DIS boards......obviously everyone thinks others care what they think

My 5 yo is going to ride in the double with his 2 yo sister..neither one would be caught dead in a stroller anywhere else.

 

[busydaddy]

Congrats on finding a stroller that will work for your family!

BTW, when you visit, please make sure to have your children walk up and down the stairs at the resort. This will conserve energy and everyone else will have more room in the elevator. This will teach your "lazy" children to put everyone's needs before theirs.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

I'm just going to offer a solution not previously suggested. If you don't already own umbrella style strollers they run about $15-20 and should hold your 6 yo just fine. Buy two, then buy an umbrella stroller connector which runs less than $10-$20 and for around $50 you have a solution, cheaper if you own the umbrella strollers or even one already.

Stroller Connector like this: Here on Amazon

But there are many other brands etc. just google search to find what you want/need.

 

[NotUrsula]

Use a lightweight single with a buggy board, if you believe that your 6 yo will need to ride occasionally.

IME, even with kids who are the whiny kind, 6 seems to be a common point of no return for stroller riding. The majority of school-aged kids just won't be caught dead sitting in one. A buggy board is a good compromise for them if there is a need to keep them moving.

That said, pay close attention to the older child's shoes and be sure that you get something supportive and comfortable, and make it a point to check her feet often for signs of blistering. We always go with full-coverage sports sandals in the parks; they can get wet when feet are hot and tired.

PS: As to letting a child ride on an ECV, technically that is forbidden in the parks and the CM's are supposed to call you on it. They don't always, but they are supposed to.

 

[starshine514]

Use a lightweight single with a buggy board, if you believe that your 6 yo will need to ride occasionally.

IME, even with kids who are the whiny kind, 6 seems to be a common point of no return for stroller riding. The majority of school-aged kids just won't be caught dead sitting in one. A buggy board is a good compromise for them if there is a need to keep them moving.

That said, pay close attention to the older child's shoes and be sure that you get something supportive and comfortable, and make it a point to check her feet often for signs of blistering. We always go with full-coverage sports sandals in the parks; they can get wet when feet are hot and tired.

PS: As to letting a child ride on an ECV, technically that is forbidden in the parks and the CM's are supposed to call you on it. They don't always, but they are supposed to.

I've never had anyone get after us for letting a kid on the ECV. In fact, I didn't even know it was frowned upon until I visited the disABILITIES board here (after doing it at all the WDW parks and Sea World)! Maybe they only get after you if you're using one of their ECVs? However, now that I know it's taboo, we try not to do it. I was just thinking about it if we followed everyone's suggestion and didn't get a double stroller.

I'm not so sure about school-aged kids generality, though. We went to the Desert Museum here in town a few weeks back with two other families (one has a 6-yr-old girl, the other a 5-yr-old boy and a 7-yr-old girl). I took a stroller for DD4 and expected DD6 to walk. One family got a stroller there for their 6-yr-old and the other family expected their kids to walk. The 7-yr-old girl gave the 6-yr-old grief about getting a stroller (but the 6-yr-old didn't seem to care - the two are cousins, so she may have been used to the ribbing). Before we were done there (it's several miles of walking), the 7-yr-old was riding in the rental stroller (or whining about the fact that someone else was when she wanted in)! I think all the kids had their moments of wanting a stroller (we were there until about 10 pm) and each of them had some down time in one of the two.

You're right about the shoes. I am very picky about what I wear in the park, but I haven't been as picky as I should be about the girls' footwear. Luckily, DD6 is smart enough to let me know when she starts to have issues so we can get moleskin applied early on.

 

[starshine514]

I'm just going to offer a solution not previously suggested. If you don't already own umbrella style strollers they run about $15-20 and should hold your 6 yo just fine. Buy two, then buy an umbrella stroller connector which runs less than $10-$20 and for around $50 you have a solution, cheaper if you own the umbrella strollers or even one already.

Stroller Connector like this: Here on Amazon

But there are many other brands etc. just google search to find what you want/need.

That's actually a good idea. Have you tried it? Are they hard to push? I'm curious if it would be similiar to pushing a side-by-side, or if it would actually be wider (since side-by-sides try to be narrow enough to fit through a door, but singles have no motivation to be narrow), and if the wheels would get in the way.

I'm actually pretty happy with the Combi I got on craigslist, but I've always wondered about connecting two umbrellas (I think we have one, somewhere in my mom's garage).

 

[starshine514]

Congrats on finding a stroller that will work for your family!

BTW, when you visit, please make sure to have your children walk up and down the stairs at the resort. This will conserve energy and everyone else will have more room in the elevator. This will teach your "lazy" children to put everyone's needs before theirs.

Definitely! We actually did this last time with the single stoller, though DH still had to wait on the elevator with his ECV.

 

[SLK1]

To the OP, I have a 9-year-old and she has been soooo grateful for her younger sister's stroller! We all get tired! Geez, if I could, I'd sit in the thing for a spin when I got tired, hot, and cranky! I just wish people would learn to mind their business. You asked about stroller recommendations, not if it was ok for your child to use it. Hope you guys have a great time!!

 

[TravelAgentJen]

I have 3 kids with about the same height and weights you're talking about and I was wondering the same thing. I purchased for $200 online BedBathBeyond w/coupon the light weight double combi stroller. It's great, I already took it to the mall and a trip to NY and it worked out wonderfully. easy to fold and carry less money the most others, has not been recalled, I love combi products in general, weight limit 50lbs each seat, comfortable although my four year is able to sit/lay comfortably her head is past the back of the seat. But it turns easily and smooth, handles great, has storage although I added accessories, and fits in the back of my minivan without taking up tons of space. It looks like a bulging golf club bag and stands up like that on it's own.

 

[1girln3boys]

I disagree. You would never see kids over the age of 3 in strollers years. Not anywhere, even Disney. I went a lot as a kid and once we were old enough to listen/follow directions, we walked. Same with my oldest daughter. Once she was 4, no more stroller. We did still go back to the hotel for naps/swim daily, eat sit-down dinners and relax more - and she did just fine. I don't believe little kids legs give out and I don't believe that each kid is different (in terms of walking.) I think parents just want to push push push all day long, to get their money's worth and if it means keeping overtired kids content in a stroller, they do. I see so many parents yelling at overtired kids on vacation because they want THEM to keep up with their schedule as opposed to sitting back, relaxing and enjoying their child's speed.

Since the OP has an AP, I think going at the kid's pace and taking frequent breaks is a much better idea than buying a double stroller she may only use a handful of times. It will save her money and her back. If they are whining and tired, give them the option to go back to the hotel.

Plus Disneyland is no where near the size of Disney World. I just personally don't think it is worth the cost. What if no one sits in it? Then she is just going to push or carry a double stroller around half the day. No thanks.

Some kids are different. My almost 6 yo looks healthy. But he can't walk far without his legs giving out. And yes I know this for a fact I've seen it happen. And he will push himself to that point if we let him. The time it happened scared the crap out of me. His little legs just gave up and he almost collapased right there. Luckily there was something there that he could grab a hold of and he didn't fall. And taking frequent breaks wouldn't help him. The only thing that worked was a stroller for him to sit in.

 

[marjs5]

Ok, I never usually reply to these threads, but in this case, I just felt compelled to. First off, I think its ludicrous to call a 5 year child "lazy" if he happens to sit in a stroller. There are some children with illnesses or disabilities that may not be visible. Not to mention the fact that when and if you happen to go in the summer months, it's hot! No matter the number of breaks, cooldowns etc you take, sometimes little kids need a break!
My 2 kids (5 and 2) are neither lazy nor are they"entitled" and they both use the stroller at times. (at the parks)
I would guess that most 5 and ups would probably prefer to walk for the most part, i know mine and his little friends do as many of the kids in that age group I see at the parks do also, but don't judge someone if their child doesn't. There could be other reasons for it or the child is just plain tired! ( In fact, I would rather see a 5 year old in a stroller than a parent frantically searching for a missing 5 year old who has disappeared in the mass crowds at Disney (we ALL know those!))

If you don't want to see masses of strollers and small people (who , wow..shock of all shockers can get CRANKY), don't go to the park that was built for kids and parents to enjoy themselves together! (there are adult only vacations or venues for the more mature traveller)
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, but to call children names is just inappropriate and small minded. If your child walks, great, say so, if not, ok too...but us mamas need to stick together and support each other! These boards are to help, not to make people feel badly about their children, personal situation or decisions they make.