when do you stop needing a stroller?

[megs1313]

I *think* my kids will be 7 and 5 the next time we go...i will definitely plan to have a single stroller for my youngest, but i wonder if i should plan to still rent a double at 7 for my oldest??? that seems kinda crazy, but she did use it the last time we went (of course she was 5, though).

how old was your child when they stopped needing a stroller at the parks? TIA!

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

Our DD was 4 the last time we brought one to the park. On long days when there was no real time for a rest we rented one. 17 day trip in 2008 and we rented it twice... well worth the extra room in the mini-van and hotel room!

 

[TxDisFans]

We went when kids were 3 and 5, used strollers for both.

Last trip, they were 7 and 5... no strollers. I was really worried about this but it was totally fine! We are careful to build in long breaks in our plans, and we are back-to-hotel-for-afternoon-rest people, so that helps. No one whined.

 

[bumbershoot]

When do you stop needing it?

When your kids can consistently do all the walking that will be needed.

When you can manage the touring plan to give short legs break when they need it (I struggled with that one for our Disneyland trips and finally had to start taking solo trips to get my "commando" type touring out of my system).

When no one is falling asleep so hard on the buses or in the car that they have to be carried to the room...unless you have an adult in your group that can *easily*, and without hurting themselves, carry them.

That's when you're ready to drop the stroller.



DS still needed a stroller at DLR at 5... We brought the volo, even though his head is waaaaaay over the top of the back of it, just in case, for our WDW trip in December. He was 6. We never used it. Yay! I was really surprised, as he has a tendency to the same ghastly leg aches I am prone to, and they show up around 1am usually after he walks a lot, but no leg aches happened!

Since you are planning to rent one anyway, I'd just delay the rental for them. See how they do. If one or both show they need it...rent it. If they don't, then don't.

 

[RMulieri]

We NEVER used one.Our daughter was 4y/o thefirst trip we took her, and we didn't need one.We took breaks when we needed to( sometimes all it took was a 1 minute break on a bench).We made it the expectation that since she walked so much at home( no stroller past age 3 at home) she wouldn't be using one in Disney.We had no problems,meltdowns,whining or anything of the sort.Now to be fair, she is an only child, and we are willing to stop and "smell the roses" to recharge our batteries.

 

[Keishag]

This question usually heats people up quite a bit and I don't really understand why. Everyone knows their own kids and their capabilities. For me personally, my kids are very petite. My 7 year old is not much bigger than my 5 year old and they were the same ages as yours last October when we went. We took a double stroller and we're so glad we did. We are even *gasp* going to rent one AGAIN this coming October when my oldest will be 8 and my daughter 6. I know my kids, and I know that their legs are no longer than most 5 or 6 year olds and that is just too much walking for them. It may be different for you and I know it varies greatly on these boards.

 

[Minnie824]

At 7 & 5, I had planned to not use a stroller. Then we got down there and ended up renting a double about 1/2 of the time. It was more of a pain though, because they were bigger and just fought more in the stroller. At 8 & 6, last year, it was our first year stroller free and it was SO nice! Being able to move quickly thru crowds, and look around in all the gift shops was great. This year, 9 & 7 and we're obviously stroller free again. I would try to start preparing them and say you're going to try to not have a stroller this year. If they really get tired and whiny, just rent one. We always seemed to need it more in Epcot. But don't tell the kids you'll rent one if needed. Just prepare them to walk and see how it goes.

 

[Iwant2BAprincess]

We are finally stroller free. Last year we took both the umbrella strollers, and weren't sure if we would need them-our boys were 6 and 8. We used them 1 day and determined it was finally time-the kids wanted to walk and hung in there for our commando schedule just fine. I will say I think it was harder on us-loved having somewhere to stash cups and stuff, and knowing the kids were confined as we navigated the park was great but the trip went great without the strollers. I know we used strollers longer than most but I wouldn't have done it differently to plese others, it worked for us.

 

[Andyjo0930]

Last year we went and my kids were 6 and 8 and that was our first trip without the stroller. The year before at 5 and 7, we rented the double one for them. Mostly because my 7 year old son is Autistic and has sensory issues with his feet. He always yells that his feet are going to explode. At 8, he was just too big for the stroller. They did well, my daughter better than my son. It was much easier without the stroller though. It was always hard to get through the crowds with the stroller and of course you always had to go on a scavenger hunt after you get off a ride to find it because the CM's move them around. If you can do it without the stroller, I would.

 

[The 6 J's]

I *think* my kids will be 7 and 5 the next time we go...i will definitely plan to have a single stroller for my youngest, but i wonder if i should plan to still rent a double at 7 for my oldest??? that seems kinda crazy, but she did use it the last time we went (of course she was 5, though).

how old was your child when they stopped needing a stroller at the parks? TIA!

I have kids 11,9,5 and 2. At age 7 - no stroller needed (or offered, for that matter, one double stroller at a time is enough work!) We were there a couple months ago and the almost 5 yo spent about 1/3 of the time walking (7 days, almost full-commando style touring). Your results may vary.

 

[twoplustwins]

going stroller free for our next trip - kids will be 9,6, and the twins almost 5.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

DD did not use a stroller at 8, we didn't go when she was 7 but she had one at 6 a double with DS who was 3 at the time.

DS we will consider putting him in a stroller at 6 or 7 b/c he is insanely slow and tends to wander off, so it's really for our sanity more than for him. He did have single at 5, but we bring an umbrella for him b/c it's so much easier to deal with than the rented strollers.

 

[kirsangel]

Once my kids were past the age of 3 we stopped bringing the strollers. I guess I'm in the minority here but it is easier without having to deal with folding it to get into the buses, getting thru crowds, parking and retrieving it, etc. Our kids were fine with walking everywhere at ages 4 and 5. Just take breaks when needed.

 

[shburks]

Going stroller free for the first time at our next trip in Oct. DS will be turning 7 that week! We had one the last two times we went (ds was 5 and nearly 6).

 

[TaraBara]

We took two single strollers last year for our 7 and 4 year old boys. The 7 year old walked the first day, but complained about being extremely tired. The 2nd day through the end of our trip, they both used strollers. They just couldn't handle all the walking.

This year we are going and we will be taking our 2 year old as well (he stayed with the grandparents last year). We are planning on just having the youngest in a stroller and we don't plan on offering a stroller to our older boys. I'm hoping we are making the right choice.

The one problem we had after we came home was that our 4 year old suddenly thought that he always had to ride in a stroller. Before WDW, he hadn't ridden in a stroller for 1 1/2 years.

One thing we are trying to do to get the kids ready is take them on a hike every weekend. Once we get closer to our trip, we will probably need to start walking everyday instead of just once a week.

 

[Finally08]

DS's first trip was when he was 6 and I never even considered a stroller. He hadn't been in one since he was about 2. DD on the other hand just turned 7 and I will definitely be using our stroller this trip (we leave tomorrow...wohoo!).

But she has muscle issues (abnormally low muscle tone), is a serious toe walker, and has spent months in physical therapy and orthotic boots when she was a little younger trying to correct and improve all this (with pretty much no luck). We usually park the stroller in an area of the park then walk for an hour or two and just grab it again when we need to cover some major distance (getting to and from the parks is usually the most walking!). I don't know when she'll be ready to go without one....I have a feeling it will mean very little touring when that day comes because of how slow, clumsy, and tired she becomes.

So I think each kid has their own set of rules. Don't worry about anyone else's.

 

[Scrock]

Taking our first trip in July and will be going stroller free with lots of breaks.

 

[sukhakuli]

I think if you are renting a stroller anyway, then you might as well get a double. At the very least the extra storage room is nice, and it will give your 5 year old more room to spread out. And then you have it if you need it.

 

[ccgirl]

I *think* my kids will be 7 and 5 the next time we go...i will definitely plan to have a single stroller for my youngest, but i wonder if i should plan to still rent a double at 7 for my oldest??? that seems kinda crazy, but she did use it the last time we went (of course she was 5, though).

how old was your child when they stopped needing a stroller at the parks? TIA!

We will not be bringing one for our next trip and our DS will be 4 and our DD will be 9. My children are used to exercise and walking. It is personal preference. Personally, I would not have let my DD use when once she passed 5. She is healthy and there is no medical need for one. i am so excited to be stroller free this next trip. No more worrying about getting it thru security, lugging it thru the airport, on buses, trams, or finding a parking spot for it. For some, it is more convenient for them to bring it. You know your child best.

 

[mill4023]

I would say that 7 is an age where most kids won't need a stroller, but it could still be useful for some kids. When our oldest daughter was 7 on our first trip, she didn't need it. But when our middle daughter was 7 on our last trip, we did bring a stroller for her because she is very petite and her legs tired easily.

Every kid is different and of course, it depends on how you tour the parks.
Lots of people say they don't bring a stroller and they just take breaks when they need to. But we've had times when our kids didn't really need a break from the park. They just needed a break from walking for a little while. So having a stroller meant we could keep everyone happy without having to leave the park.