What's the oldest age you've used a stroller?

[texasroni75]

Age 5 is the oldest we've brought along a stroller specifically for our child. Our daughter, however, did rest in her little brother's stroller a few times. She was 8 at the time and tiny for her age - not much taller than her 5 year old brother. But, no judgement here. Been a parent for nearly 21 years now, and every kid is different. If you think you need one, bring one. You might find you use it every day, or you might end up leaving it in your resort room after day 1. Do what's best for you, because you can bet that those who might look on and judge aren't going to offer to carry your sleepy 40-pound child from World Showcase to the bus lines at the end of the day!

 

[focusondisney]

Last year my kids were 7 & 10 and after the 1st day of the kids whining that they were tired, I rented a double stroller for the rest of the trip - it made a world of difference....it was our 1st trip and we wanted to go, go, go and knew the kids would tire out way before DH & I. We did 5X more than we could have without it and it was a great trip. The kids loved sitting in the stroller and we never heard a complaint!

We are going back, kids are now 8 & 11....what's the oldest age your kid was in a disney stroller?

I don't think I need it for AK or DHS, but there is so much walking in Epcot and so much ground to cover in MK it would help....

My kids were 8 & 11 the first time we went. We were off site & had full days- no afternoon breaks. A stroller for kids that age never entered my mind. Heck, I'm 5'2-- my son was almost as big as me! Yes, we all got a little slow at times, but the excitement of being on vacation at Disney got us thru!

This was in the 90's-- my kids were outside running & playing for hours on end. Of your kids are more online or couch potato types, you might need to start getting the whole family in better shape before the trip. But this is supposed to be a fun thing, not the Baton Death March. If they get tired, rest up a bit. Stop & smell the roses and give everyone a chance to regroup.

Also, I'm not the type to tolerate whining. My DD is a pretty sensitive to hypoglycemia-- she is a beast when her blood sugar is low. So when we saw she needed to eat, we got something to eat. That's where knowing your kid comes in. Whining just because you're tired or hot & ruin everyone's day?? Nope. Vacation is a privilege. Ruin the trip & you won't be going again til you know how to act.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Both of our boys were big, strong and healthy, so both stopped using a stroller for anything (including WDW) before their 3rd birthday.

 

[larissawbb]

This has got to be from all the cuts in public schools for physical education.

 

[grnflash]

Ya know I don't actually agree with the whole "you know your child best" thing. While yes, the parent certainly does, it is their job to promote positive, healthy actions and traits - not enable neagitive ones. Healthy 9 and 11 yo's should not be pushed in a stroller ever, period, imo. They can and should walk. It's healthy not just physically but also developmentally (learning independence, perseverance, cooperation, etc.) When my kid, who is an excellent student, does very sloppy homework because it's boring and he already has the subject down that's not ok. Sure, he has the quantity of knowledge but quality counts too. I've erased an entire super sloppy sheet and had him redo it because we don't want to enable his careless attitude. When he wants to "debate" a simple task (brush your teeth, eat your broccoli, etc.) it's our job not to enable this and get sucked into the endless, pointless back-and-forth - 'cause he's just working us! So yeah, imo a healthy 9 or 11yo is being negatively enabled if mommy and daddy push him/her around, especially if he/she would whine otherwise.

 

[maxiesmom]

Ya know I don't actually agree with the whole "you know your child best" thing. While yes, the parent certainly does, it is their job to promote positive, healthy actions and traits - not enable neagitive ones. Healthy 9 and 11 yo's should not be pushed in a stroller ever, period, imo. They can and should walk. It's healthy not just physically but also developmentally (learning independence, perseverance, cooperation, etc.) When my kid, who is an excellent student, does very sloppy homework because it's boring and he already has the subject down that's not ok. Sure, he has the quantity of knowledge but quality counts too. I've erased an entire super sloppy sheet and had him redo it because we don't want to enable his careless attitude. When he wants to "debate" a simple task (brush your teeth, eat your broccoli, etc.) it's our job not to enable this and get sucked into the endless, pointless back-and-forth - "cause he's just working us! So yeah, imo a healthy 9 or 11yo is being negatively enabled if mommy and daddy push him/her around, especially if he/she would whine otherwise.

Well I guess how about decide for your own family and let the rest of us decide for ours? Not saying I would push a healthy 9 year old around, and not saying I wouldn't. We each get to decide for our own families.

 

[grnflash]

Well I guess how about decide for your own family and let the rest of us decide for ours? Not saying I would push a healthy 9 year old around, and not saying I wouldn't. We each get to decide for our own families.

Pretty sure I didn't decide for you or anyone. Gave my opinion on a forum, pretty sure that's the point, no?

 

[maxiesmom]

Pretty sure I didn't decide for you or anyone. Gave my opinion on a forum, pretty sure that's the point, no?

Well saying you didn't agree with knowing your own child best sounds a bit like all parents should fall in line and do things a specific way.

 

[ELSA711]

2 years old was the last time we brought it. I hated trying to maneuver it around parks, on and off the bus, etc.
Kid always wanted to walk anyway.

 

[grnflash]

I don't

Well saying you didn't agree with knowing your own child best sounds a bit like all parents should fall in line and do things a specific way.

Nope.

 

[Meldev]

Rented double stroller last year for my 2 year old DS and my 8 year old DD. She had a strained patellar tendon and a brace so she rode in it with him a good deal. DD 6 hopped in and took a break whenever our injured girl needed to move around more.
This year just renting single for DS - he's 3 and will soon be 4 after our trip.
We love having the stroller to carry packages and such, but are looking forward to not having the huge double to log onto the buses. DS resists sitting a good deal I can see my 7 year old hopping in just to take a ride whenever he won't sit.
If your kids are small for their ages, it is a lot of work to keep up with adults if you're going at a quick pace around the parks and don't pace it more for them.

FWIW my 11 year old DD (12 shortly after upcoming trip) is a 5'3" accomplished swimmer, there isn't a stroller that would fit her, and if she asked we all know she'd be joking ;-) but I see some much smaller kids in her grade at school. My guess would be an 11 year old would be embarrassed but maybe not - you know your kids best.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

We took a stroller for DS4 in May, Sept and will again in Dec. Honestly it's as much for us as it is for him. It gives us somewhere to stash the cooler and if he is in the stroller I don't have to worry about him getting run over as he still only weighs 30 lbs. He gets out and walks quite a bit but when he is tired it's great that he can just hop in so I don't have to worry about carrying him or him lagging behind and getting knocked over.

 

[maxiesmom]

I don't


Nope.

Ok. Glad to hear it. But that is what it sounded like to me.

 

[tink9702]

We will be taking a stroller for DD next September. She'll be 5. She's a very slow walker & it will be hot/humid too. I plan on only using it on AK & Epcot days. HS is definitely much less walking & MK drives me crazy with the stroller parking so we'll just take more breaks if she needs them on those days. Plus the attractions are close together so just a bit of walking between each thing. She can definitely handle a single full day walking at an amusement type park/zoo etc. The difference with Disney is multiple days in a row walking that much is much more tiring. I'm hoping to interspace stroller days with non-stroller days.

DS will be 7 on the trip and is a more active child than DD. I wouldn't think of bringing a stroller for him even now at 6 years old because I know he can handle it.

 

[smiths02]

5 is my limit, unless there was a medical issue. My oldest had just turned 9 on our last trip.
We go in June, it's hot, but we just take it a little easier. Honestly, if someone over 5 can't handle it...I would think several things: medical condition, family walks to prep, need better shoes OR maybe we just need to slow down and do less.

The stroller is a PITA, and I can't wait until the day we don't need it.

 

[smellyia]

Just got back from 11 days in Orlando with USO & WDW. After some late nights DD and DS (daily) they would nap in afternoons and we would enjoy adult time with them in the stroller. We did an average of 7-10 miles daily walking foregoing mobile transportation whenever possible.

We contemplated an umbrella and making the 5yo suck it up, but that leads to more fights and honestly we love their stroller time as much as they do. We often parked it in a central location and left non-valuables. Being that there was a daily nap taken in it I will probably bring the double over the next 1-2yrs, but do anticipate both to be out by the time DS is 4-5. If I find I need one then we may do daily rentals on an as needed basis.

So think about your itinerary and late nights, bedtimes, napping needs, etc...I guess weight can be a factor because strollers have restrictions, but I don't think overrall "healthiness" of a child is decided by their ability to sustain heightened activity in weather conditions they may not be used to.

 

[smiths02]

Well I guess how about decide for your own family and let the rest of us decide for ours? Not saying I would push a healthy 9 year old around, and not saying I wouldn't. We each get to decide for our own families.

To me, this post sounds like no one can judge and everything is nebulous. Do you not agree that there is a line somewhere? Should you push a 17 year old (who is otherwise healthy) in a stroller? There has to be a line somewhere.

Personally, I think the line is about 5 years old/school age...others seems to think older elementary school age (8/9), but I think there does need to be a line drawn between pushing a child and pushing a pre-teen/teen.
And I will add that if I saw this in the park, I would withhold judgment because I don't know if there is a medical problem going on.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Echoing others when I say that I can't imagine pushing a 7 & 10 year old around.

Since it seems like you return to Disney frequently (you're going again a year later), I'd worry less about covering tons of ground and more about going at a pace that will be more conducive to your children's needs, with breaks.

When my sister and I were young, our pace was much different than it is now. Although we're going back with a baby this January so we'll be dialing that pace back again.

Vacation is supposed to be fun - if kids are complaining that they're tired or are whining, I'd take that to mean you need to dial back park time. I suppose it depends on if you are staying off site or on site (is it possible to go back to the room to rest, etc.)

Just my thoughts.

 

[qa4ever]

For us the last time was when my oldest was 6.5 but only because she had some gross motor delays and just could not handle that much walking. She was quite embarrassed about it and we did get some looks, and comments.

What gets me is the number of kids I see the same ages as my kids now (11 and 8.5) sitting in the cart at costco, playing on a device, while their parents push them around! If it was a medical condition in day to day life, and they can't walk around costco, they would have a wheelchair I would think. Shocks me everytime. Of course I would never say anything, but my kids always ask me why those kids are in the cart playing games instead of walking.

 

[lustergirl]

My kids were 8 & 11 the first time we went. We were off site & had full days- no afternoon breaks. A stroller for kids that age never entered my mind. Heck, I'm 5'2-- my son was almost as big as me! Yes, we all got a little slow at times, but the excitement of being on vacation at Disney got us thru!

This was in the 90's-- my kids were outside running & playing for hours on end. Of your kids are more online or couch potato types, you might need to start getting the whole family in better shape before the trip. But this is supposed to be a fun thing, not the Baton Death March. If they get tired, rest up a bit. Stop & smell the roses and give everyone a chance to regroup.

Also, I'm not the type to tolerate whining. My DD is a pretty sensitive to hypoglycemia-- she is a beast when her blood sugar is low. So when we saw she needed to eat, we got something to eat. That's where knowing your kid comes in. Whining just because you're tired or hot & ruin everyone's day?? Nope. Vacation is a privilege. Ruin the trip & you won't be going again til you know how to act.

One of the best posts I have ever read on here