Umbrella Stroller without baby!

[Happy2behere]

Thanks to everyone for your opinions. This was really lovely. Everyone shared their point of view & everyone was nice! So I'm taking our little umbrella stroller with us to Epcot & see how it goes. I don't intend to push it all over the parks. I intend to park it in stroller parking by Test Track & then tour that section of the park until lunch time. We will eat & then head to the countries section of Epcot. I plan on parking the stroller in stroller parking perhaps next to Mexico. I won't keep anything but food, water bottles, sunscreen & rain ponchos in there so I'm not concerned with theft.

If it's a bad plan then I will ditch the stroller on the following days. If it works well, I'll stay with the plan the other two days. I'll let ya know how it went when I get back. Thanks again.

 

[LuvGoofy6]

Another vote for the locker. When we go we always rent a locker and put our jackets and anything else we may need for the day in there. We close the parks and don't want our jackets (December) until evening. Here would be your cost:

Large
7.5"h x 12"w x 16" deep
$10/day + key deposit

Small
11"h x 9"w x 16" deep
$8/day + key deposit

 

[smidgy]

just playing devil's advocate here. we all know strollers are necessary for families with little children.. when there are threads about strollers for older kids, the thread poster usually says "and if they don't use it, we can still use it to carry our stuff! we are used to that!"
well my (probably) unpopular opinon (not arguing, JMHO) is that there are enough strollers in the parks there for the purpose for which they were intended. if every group in the park pushed a stroller with all their stuff? crazy! not much better than everyone dragging a rolled suitcase, backpack, or cooler. or pulling a wagon.

 

[Lilliputian]

If the stroller ends up being more trouble than it's worth (and it would be to me, but we all have different tolerance levels), remember that you can get cups of water for free. I can understand why you wouldn't want to drag around enough water bottles for everyone all day, but if you just put your lunch in a backpack, it won't be that bad. Sunscreen can be put in smaller bottles so that it's not so heavy (but I'd put the bottle in a ziplock bag since your lunch will be there to prevent the bottle from leaking on your food).

 

[NavyDad]

just playing devil's advocate here. we all know strollers are necessary for families with little children.. when there are threads about strollers for older kids, the thread poster usually says "and if they don't use it, we can still use it to carry our stuff! we are used to that!"
well my (probably) unpopular opinon (not arguing, JMHO) is that there are enough strollers in the parks there for the purpose for which they were intended. if every group in the park pushed a stroller with all their stuff? crazy! not much better than everyone dragging a rolled suitcase, backpack, or cooler. or pulling a wagon.

I fully and strongly agree with this.

The ironic part of this thread for me is: when there is an unrelated conflict in another thread my standard response is: "I blame strollers"

 

[wgeo]

Thanks to everyone for your opinions. This was really lovely. Everyone shared their point of view & everyone was nice! So I'm taking our little umbrella stroller with us to Epcot & see how it goes. I don't intend to push it all over the parks. I intend to park it in stroller parking by Test Track & then tour that section of the park until lunch time. We will eat & then head to the countries section of Epcot. I plan on parking the stroller in stroller parking perhaps next to Mexico. I won't keep anything but food, water bottles, sunscreen & rain ponchos in there so I'm not concerned with theft.

If it's a bad plan then I will ditch the stroller on the following days. If it works well, I'll stay with the plan the other two days. I'll let ya know how it went when I get back. Thanks again.

Sounds like you've got a nice plan. We also take "budget" trips and always bring in our own food. Personally, I didn't like having the stroller, and I'm too cheap to get a locker, so we've always done the cooler that is a backpack option. I thought I would hate carrying the weight around, but surprisingly, it doesn't bother us at all. My kids are tweens, and we take turns wearing it if someone gets to warm, and it's only heavy until we take the first of the water bottles out.

 

[NewRVLady]

Well my mom wanted to push the stroller and kept using it after she was feeling well and walked; it was empty. I made walking easier for her. She is not old for a walker, but with the heat/humidty etc.. having something to hold onto made her steps more secure. .

Also a GREAT idea! My MIL uses a basket to walk into Walmart where she gets an electric scooter

OP-go for it . Who knows...you may have invented a new thing...Traveling locker at WDW!

 

[smidgy]

Who knows...you may have invented a new thing...Traveling locker at WDW!

and this is my point (and fear? lol). that everyone will begin using umbrella stroller just to push their stuff around. " we want to bring a lot of stuff. we want to bring our own food. but we don't want the hassle and expense of a locker. and we don't want to carry it around in a backpack.. too hot and heavy."
there won't be any room for anyone to walk!

 

[andiraye]

I actually do what the OP is asking about all the time. We live in a big city and don't drive so I use the stroller to transport groceries, our supplies for a day in the park, etc. I had to bring about six boxes of books to my kids' school this week. I did it in three trips using the stroller. I couldn't have done it any other way. I've never given a thought to what anyone else thinks of it. To me, a stroller is a great benefit in WDW, but I also agree best not to store anything too valuable in it.

 

[smidgy]

I actually do what the OP is asking about all the time. We live in a big city and don't drive so I use the stroller to transport groceries, our supplies for a day in the park, etc. I had to bring about six boxes of books to my kids' school this week. I did it in three trips using the stroller. I couldn't have done it any other way. I've never given a thought to what anyone else thinks of it. To me, a stroller is a great benefit in WDW, but I also agree best not to store anything too valuable in it.

that is a very wise way for you to transport things in your day to day life.!! even at WDW, it took me 7 minutes to walk from the boardwalk with an empty rolling suitcase to the Hess station, to buy beer, wine, bread, snacks, etc.!

big dif. between these scenarios and the idea that it is ok for everyone in the theme parks to push around a stroller just to carry their stuff. there would just be way too many strollers! no room for the poor little kids that need the strollers!

(oh, you guys don't mean "everyone"? you mean.. just you?...)

 

[kaytieeldr]

I actually do what the OP is asking about all the time. We live in a big city and don't drive so I use the stroller to transport groceries, our supplies for a day in the park, etc. I had to bring about six boxes of books to my kids' school this week. I did it in three trips using the stroller. I couldn't have done it any other way. I've never given a thought to what anyone else thinks of it. To me, a stroller is a great benefit in WDW, but I also agree best not to store anything too valuable in it.

Do you know about the existence of wire shopping/utility carts for personal use? This one http://www.amazon.com/Folding-Shopp...qid=1431913475&sr=1-39&keywords=shopping+cart holds up to 150 pounds; you might have been able to move the books in one trip.

 

[Isatricia]

I took my "good" umbrella stroller to DL in 2012 to carry our stuff. It dd not feel weird and I do not feel bad about doing it. No-one said anything nor did anyone look at me funny. I still use my stroller when we go to the zoo to carry water and a picnic lunch.

When I posted my trip report and mentioned my stroller, everyone came out of the woodwork to tell me how inconsiderate I was to take up their space at DL with my stroller. They told me that I ran over everyone with my stroller even though I never even touched anyone else with my stroller. I had lots of people run me over though - one person even knocked my DD to the ground and didn't even apologize.

I'm not going to take my stroller to WDW, but I'm afraid that I will miss having it.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Is there a good reason not to just have everyone carry their own "stuff"--especially since the youngest is 10??? Just have everyone decide what they will need for the day and how big a backpack they'll need to schlep around. It will be amazing how little everyone needs when they have to carry it themselves.

I'm also thinking how inconvenient and basically useless a backpack full of stuff parked on the other side of the park will be! You get the summer downpour out of nowhere. Great, you have ponchos! BUT they're over by Test Track and you just rode Soarin'. Kids get thirsty between rides. Great, you have water bottles! BUT they're in one country in WS and you're on the complete other side. What good is that doing anybody? And if you have to carry half the stuff with you anyway, why not just take it all?

Guess to each their own, but just seems like a lot of unnecessary hassle!

 

[goofyernmost]

How about leaving food in the sunshine of Florida for hours on end. By chance, some might be shaded, but mostly they are going to be in the sunshine. The water will probably be warm enough to brew coffee after that time as well.

There is nothing wrong with using the stroller if you want, but, that split backpack idea will be much more user friendly and a whole lot less hassle. I don't remember if you said if you have been to WDW before, but, if you haven't, it is a long way around. Going back to get something out of it may take up a lot of time and energy. And what if you or one of the kids decides while in line at 7DMT that they are thirsty. Do you leave the line to go get a water and then have to beg your way back into your place in line. That isn't a pleasant experience either. Your choice, but, as simple as it may sound, unless you are going to bring it with you as you go, I don't see how it is going to be to your benefit. Honest!

 

[andiraye]

Do you know about the existence of wire shopping/utility carts for personal use? This one http://www.amazon.com/Folding-Shopp...qid=1431913475&sr=1-39&keywords=shopping+cart holds up to 150 pounds; you might have been able to move the books in one trip.

Yes, thanks! I also have a four year old so we have a stroller in the closet. Crazy as it sounds, we don't have space for the cart AND the stroller. So the stroller wins.

 

[Disneyhayes]

I do understand wanting to do that, because we always bring in a backpack with water, snacks, etc. I probably wouldn't do it though. If you reallly don't want to rent a locker, I suppose you could just set your backpack down in the stroller area and hope that no one takes anything from it.

Setting a random backpack down in the stroller area is a no no. Security would come out of the woodworks with a K-9 to make sure it is safe.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Setting a random backpack down in the stroller area is a no no. Security would come out of the woodworks with a K-9 to make sure it is safe.

CMs could call security for an unattended stroller with a backpack on it for hours too. I think it's a foolish idea for many reasons, this one being the main one and the food sitting out in the heat. I don't get why everyone can't carry a small bag with food, drink, snack, like has been suggested.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

don't leave anything valuable sitting around in a stroller. And if you are going to leave food in one, make sure it is kept sealed and hidden under something or it'll go to feed the squirrels and birds. and squirrels apparently know what a Doritos bag looks like.

And, it is NOT a good idea in this day and age to leave a random backpack just sitting around on the ground somewhere unless you want to see the park evacuated and the bomb squad come to blow it up.

Lockers are not $15. last December paid $12 and 5 of that was a refundable deposit that was returned when the key was brought back.

 

[smitch425]

Setting a random backpack down in the stroller area is a no no. Security would come out of the woodworks with a K-9 to make sure it is safe.

In a normal public setting, perhaps, but that backpack would have already gone through bag check at entry. Either way, stroller parking is for strollers, not for backpacks. Lol

 

[Love Tink]

that is a very wise way for you to transport things in your day to day life.!! even at WDW, it took me 7 minutes to walk from the boardwalk with an empty rolling suitcase to the Hess station, to buy beer, wine, bread, snacks, etc.!

big dif. between these scenarios and the idea that it is ok for everyone in the theme parks to push around a stroller just to carry their stuff. there would just be way too many strollers! no room for the poor little kids that need the strollers!

(oh, you guys don't mean "everyone"? you mean.. just you?...)

I think it's pretty clear from the replies on this board that the vast majority of people would not think bringing a stroller for this purpose is a useful/convenient/necessary thing to do.

So why are we pretending that there is an imminent threat of this becoming so popular that children will no longer have room to walk?