What do you do with your stroller when flying?

[rapunzal]

Do you check the stroller with the rest of luggage or ?

 

[beattyfamily]

I check mine at the gate. Then it's there waiting for me when I get off.

Once, last year on a flight to Paris, they had room in a closet so they put it there for me.

You get a ticket to claim it and they also put a tag on your stroller to identify it.

 

[Claudia1]

Another gate-checker here. I love having it with me while we're at the ariport.

 

[NotUrsula]

It isn't really a good idea to check a stroller as luggage, unless you put it in a padded box. It could easily get bent from being stacked with heavy suitcases on top of it.

When you gate-check, those pieces end up on top, and sometimes in a smaller, segregated compartment. It's not guaranteed not to get crushed there, but the odds are much better than if it goes to the main handling rooms.

If you want to keep it clean and prevent breakage, a fabric sleeve, or at least a bungy cord (to keep it from opening during handling) is always a good idea. I have a simple rip-stop nylon sleeve that I made, that wraps around and closes with velcro. It keeps the upholstery dry and clean, and makes the stroller easy to ID for the baggage handlers, as it is blaze yellow.

 

[zurgswife]

Gate checker here..

 

[SueM in MN]

We gate check a wheelchair all the time, so I wanted to add a little bit.
Mention when you are checking in that you want to gate check - sometimes they will give you a gate chck tag right then. Sometimes they will tell you to get one at the gate. If it's at the gate, you should ask the gate agent before boarding starts. They have to mark the destination on the tag and often there are choices about where you want to have the item brought (the gate or baggage claim at your final destination or a city where you are changing flights). Chances of getting it filled out correctly are better if it's not being done during boarding.
Fold it and fasten everything securely (or have a cover as NotUrsula suggested).
Last thing: Don't forget to pick it up. We're usually the very last people off the plane and we often see a stroller waiting there for someone who forgot that it would be waiting for them.

 

[Disneyolic]

We check ours at the gate too. Also, if you get off the plane quicker than normal, your stroller may not be there yet. They are usually pretty quick in getting them up there, but we had to wait a couple minutes on our last trip. I was a little worried when this happened to us as it was our first time checking it at the gate. I thought, "Oh great, it's gone." But then a baggage handler came up with it and said sorry it wasn't there sooner.

 

[sgtdisney]

We check it at the gate. We use it to and from the gate, so for us it is the only way to go..

 

[NomadFamily]

I was wondering about the stroller thing too. I never take mine anywhere since I decided to be "fancy" (always a mistake) and buy this huge Perego with the old fashioned looking big wheels and seat that comes off so you can switch off with a bassinette.
I am thinking of not taking it and just renting one as my daughter is almost too big for it anyway. But, I also know she will want/need to sit and ride throughout the day and my stroller (though very impractical) is really comfortable compared to the Disney rentals. How much are the Disney strollers and are kids comfy in them? Do they have any padding? Places to rest cups, etc? Hmmmm...maybe I'll borrow normal a stroller from a friend with a child who doesn't use it any longer and take that.

 

[beattyfamily]

Originally posted by NomadFamily
How much are the Disney strollers and are kids comfy in them? Do they have any padding? Places to rest cups, etc? Hmmmm...maybe I'll borrow normal a stroller from a friend with a child who doesn't use it any longer and take that.

I believe they are $7 a day. They are hard plastic. They have a netting for storage and possibly a cup holder but I'm not certain about that. They also have a hood from the sun.

Depending on your child's age, they would be fine...not good for a baby. No padding.

The best kinds of strollers at WDW are lightweight, fold down small, canopy and storage. An umbrella stroller or similar.

We bring our own every year to save on the rental fees and not to stand in the rental lines and to have a stroller for outside the parks.

Good luck.

 

[sgtdisney]

Originally posted by NomadFamily

I am thinking of not taking it and just renting one as my daughter is almost too big for it anyway. But, I also know she will want/need to sit and ride throughout the day and my stroller (though very impractical) is really comfortable compared to the Disney rentals.

Depending on how long you will be in the parks, it may actually be cheaper to buy a stroller for the trip. I know Target and sometimes Toys R Us have strollers on clearance or lower end strollers that cost less than 40.00. It is just a thought. That is what we did before. Our stroller was so large we purchased a smaller one for the trip. The idea about the umbrella stoller is good too, those are really lightweight and easy to travel with. However our kids never sat in those right, and the one we had didn't recline so it didn't work well for us so we got one a little larger but still lightweight.

 

[NotUrsula]

There are several companies in Orlando that will bring you a stroller for the duration of your trip, and deliver it to your hotel on your arrival. The daily charge is less than in-park rental, and you have the stroller for use no matter where you are. These are not institutional strollers, they are the normal foldable type that an individual might own. This board's favorite of those companies seems to be "A Baby's Best Friend", but there are several others.

 

[frannn]

I have a new Graco stroller (liteweight-25 lbs), a snap-N-go (fits infant car seats), a Sesamie Street umbrella stroller (non-reclining), and an old Peg Perego (heavy!). None of these strollers would have worked as the advice given on these boards is that the stroller should be very liteweight, have a canopy, basket, and recline. I did not want to defeat my purpose of budgeting and buy a new stroller for at least 70, but did want to make my trip as comfortable as possible. I tried the flea markets and would have tried garage sales, but in the end I bought an 11 lb Graco Citisport from Ebay. It cost me just under 35. with delivery. It is a few years old, but has good reviews online. I haven't received it yet, and our trip is not for another few months, but it sure beats spending 70-100 on a rental stroller in WDW!

 

[beattyfamily]

Originally posted by frannn
I have a new Graco stroller (liteweight-25 lbs), a snap-N-go (fits infant car seats), a Sesamie Street umbrella stroller (non-reclining), and an old Peg Perego (heavy!). None of these strollers would have worked as the advice given on these boards is that the stroller should be very liteweight, have a canopy, basket, and recline. I did not want to defeat my purpose of budgeting and buy a new stroller for at least 70, but did want to make my trip as comfortable as possible. I tried the flea markets and would have tried garage sales, but in the end I bought an 11 lb Graco Citisport from Ebay. It cost me just under 35. with delivery. It is a few years old, but has good reviews online. I haven't received it yet, and our trip is not for another few months, but it sure beats spending 70-100 on a rental stroller in WDW!

That is a GREAT price! And I wanted to thank you for pointing this stroller out to me! I LOVE it!!! I went and reseearched it and also checked it out at Babies R Us. Against my DH's wishes (we have a few strollers already) I bought it!!!!

It's lightweight aluminum, it has a cup holder and tray for the parents, a very nice canopy and large basket, it's under 11lbs. It folds VERY easily, it locks itself and then you just push a button to open it again, and it can stand by itself when closed too!

Granted I had to pay more than your used one, $79, but I love it!

Thank you!

 

[crazyforgoofy]

We just bought one of the lightweight umbrella strollers with the small net behind the handle, the storage area underneath and a sunshade today at Wal-Mart for less than $20. We plan to leave it in the box, tag it as luggage on the flight and open it when we get to WDW. Isabella will be 5 a couple of days before this trip and it fit her fine when we tried it at the store. We'll be there 8 days and the savings over rental at WDW are enough to make it worth our while. We're betting we won't need the stroller in the airports and think packing it in the box will protect it. Hope we're right.

 

[smart cookie]

I've gate checked mine, once they even let me take it on (it is a smaller one that actually fit in the overhead compartment).