we did it-no strollers

[disney funseeker]

No strollers this year or ever again for us.

We all managed just fine without them. dd's are 3.5 and 5. Our 5 y.o is very petite. She's the size of a 3 y.o. Actually she's smaller than her little sister. There were no complaints from them.

There was no wasted time getting in and out of strollers and buckling up. No parking strollers and doing the stroller search. No fighting about who gets to sit in which stroller. It was easier to manouver around people.

Much easier getting on and off the buses and monorails. No folding up of strollers.

Amazing the burst of energy they get when we say that a show is starting and we might miss it. dd's can run faster than us.

When a bus or boat was loading, we picked them up and made a mad dash. That was basically the only time we carried them. I don't think we ever carried them for more than 2 minutes.

 

[caseylouandtyler2]

Your very fortunate. I can't wait for the day where a stroller will no longer be needed.


_______________________
Denise

 

[chirsty'smom]

Glad to hear it worked, I'm planning on NOT doing the stroller thing. We'll be there from 12/25 -12/28 and I am NOT going to deal w/the hassels of a stroller. Our DS is 4 1/2 and like you said the amount of energy they can muster up at WDW is amazing!
We'll stop each afternoon for a nap/down time to reenergize but NO stroller for us!

Glad to hear someone has recently tried it and it works.

 

[clori]

I'm glad it worked out. We are going the first week of February with a 3.5 year old. Last year we found the stroller to be a complete waste so there is no way we are bringing one this time. Dd is under 30 pounds so we can hold her if necessary and the park hours are short plus this kid can easily walk a mile.

 

[bkcwilliams]

We went with our 4 yo last Thanksgiving and planned on renting a stroller. Well, our first day at MK, we figured we would take the train around and get the stroller after that (the crowds were non-existant!). Well, we kind of forgot about it and he walked everywhere for 6 days. Guess there is something about being at the Happiest Place on Earth that makes a 4 yo forget about being tired!

 

[BrerMama]

We'll probably take our stroller for our 4 1/2 year old in June and then try not to use it. The thing is, if it's there, she'll want to be in it. We're planning to go to a park as soon as we check in and I think we'll leave the stroller in the room. If she does OK that night, we'll try a full day the next day. Our only problem is that she's a big girl -- she's not even 4 yet and she already wears a size 6 because she's so tall. I'm not particularly wanting to carry her anywhere.

Thanks for letting us know it can be done!

 

[MELSMICE]

Our DD's are older now, but I think our 2 youngest were 4 (twins) the 1st time we did stroller-less. It was great! You're right, you can get around the parks soooooooooo much quicker.

My SIL & BIL insisted they needed a stroller until their kids were 6 & 8!!! They said the kids just got too tired & they had too much stuff to carry.

My answer - if you bring it in, you carry it. Everyone gets a fanny pack, if you want a sweatshirt it goes around your waist & we all have a water bottler holder! If the kids are that tired that they can't walk it's time to head back to the resort.

We love stroller-less. Glad you find it as great as I did a few years back!

 

[crisi]

My son would do great....

My daughter is four and to quote "my little legs are so tired, Mommy, I can't keep up." She is a dwadler, so even with the hassle of a stroller, we move faster when she is in it.

We won't go again until she is six. No stroller next trip.

 

[TerriBelle]

We went with out the strollers last year and LOVED IT!!!!!!

Our twins were 4 (almost 5) when we went and they did great!

We are looking forward to another Stroller-Free trip in January.

 

[pjlla]

even though my youngest will turn 6 two days after we return from WDW, I was still planning on using a stroller. BUT mostly to have a place to put our backpack while we are on rides! What do you do with a backpack while you are Kali River or Splash Mtn?? I don't want to put it in a locker, as it will have our camcorder in it most of the time. Also, I'm sure my DS will get tired near the end of the day and that walk to the car can be really long when you are carrying 52 pounds!! Park hours are shorter while we are there so we don't feel we have the time during the day for "return to room rest", so the stroller gives his legs a nice rest. Oh well.... just my opinion!!...P

 

[BrerMama]

I sure wouldn't leave my camcorder in a backpack in the stroller. I'm sure that others will say it's fine and they do it all the time, but I'm just not that trusting. This is the main reason I'm not taking a camcorder and not taking a backpack. It will be multiple fanny packs and if it doesn't fit in a fanny pack, it ain't going. DH and I talked last night and we're probably not even going to take a stroller at all. We'll be walking 1-2 miles a day in the months leading up to the trip, however. Always a nice family bonding time!

 

[MKFan-PR]

Thanks for the encouragement, disney funseeker!

We are planning on going stroller-less on this trip, since our DD (she'll be 5 in Jan.) has been doing pretty well without it for the past 4 or 5 months. Whenever we tried to use it, she was only in it for a couple minutes, then she would get out and keep walking. That's why we stopped using it. She's looking forward to the trip without the stroller, and frankly, so are we!

 

[Chim Chiminy]

We'll probably take our stroller for our 4 1/2 year old in June and then try not to use it. The thing is, if it's there, she'll want to be in it. We're planning to go to a park as soon as we check in and I think we'll leave the stroller in the room. If she does OK that night, we'll try a full day the next day. Our only problem is that she's a big girl -- she's not even 4 yet and she already wears a size 6 because she's so tall. I'm not particularly wanting to carry her anywhere.

I am thinking about trying to go stroller less, but like BrerMama's daughter, our 4 1/2 year old is a big girl. She is very tall, weighs 50 lbs., is wearing a 6x! Her older brother, 10 1/2, didn't reach 50 lbs until he was almost eight!!!!
I can't imagine carrying her, so keeping the stroller handy sounds like a good idea.
She used it a lot during our August trip, and even our then 10yr old DS requested a stroller rental at AK. All the walking and the heat just overwhelmed him. We were glad to have the options.
I will just dream of a strollerless trip in the meantime!

 

[CALaurieA]

I was just talking with a friend's husband the other day about our trip. He was saying that it would be a "good idea" to bring a stroller to carry our stuff! No way! My boys are 10 and 13 and we will not take a stroller! He thought it would be a great idea to use to carry a cooler with snacks or lunch. I don't think so and my family would die if I brought a stroller, He he!

 

[lovin'DVC]

We found a double stroller helpful at AK and Epcot just to cross long distances, especially since the parks were pretty crowded and we have more kids than adults. The other time we used it was for the last thing each night, as they were exhausted coming back from the fireworks and the kids are too heavy to carry. The rest of the time the stroller stayed in the room. Our kids are 6, 4, 2 & 2.

 

[sdamico71]

That's all I can say. I am so envious of you. Can't wait until I am able to be strollerless.

 

[debster812]

This, like everything else is very subjective. Only you know your kids best, and know how they react to all these different external issues.

We went stroller-less last January (DS was 5) and will do the same this January. I think (just my humble opinion) that this is easier to pull off in the cooler months. Without all the excessive heat and humidity to sap your energy. I know I feel a lot perkier when it is 70, that when it is 90.

The right choice is the one you make for your family, I don't think there are any wrong choices here.

Everyone have fun, and great trips!!!!!!

Off to look at my countdown when this post goes through!

 

[dimimi]

Hello. I guess once you are used to going stroller-less you can't imagine using one. The last time we went to Disney our son had just turned 5. He had not used the stroller for about 9 months before he turned 5. Anyway, we loved having the stroller. My husband wants us to bring it this year when we go to Disney. We did decide this year would be our last year using the stroller. We liked putting our coats in the bottom and our packages in the bottom. When we were in a hurry, it was much easier to push our son in the stroller and he loved using it. We pack a lot into our day and are very busy. I think when we stop using the stroller, we'll have to slow down!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

 

[Karibeth19]

My DD is a small 6 yrs. old (barely 40 pounds) and we will definitely be using a stroller again this January! We did it last February when she was five, and not only was it good for her to ride some of the time, my husband, parents,and I were able to store jackets, shopping bags, and snacks in the bottom. We also have cup holders that attach to the sides to hold drinks, and that was very convenient! We were also able to attach a tote bag to the back, behind the pouch it already has, and we had room for even more stuff! And, since it is a small, lightweight umbrella stroller, it wasn't too difficult to park, or to fold up for monorail or tram rides. We loved having it and will use it again for this trip. None of us want to carry her, and I don't want to spend a whole day listening to, "My feet hurt!"

 

[houseofmouse]

We are attempting this in March with our DD6. She managed just fine at Disneyland last May. However, WDW does not compare to Disneyland so I am a bit scared. I guess we can always try it for a couple days and if it doesn't work out we can rent a stroller.
OK I feel better now that I remembered you can rent them there!