Why are there so many strollers?

[ilovebassets]

{FLAME PROOF CAPE FROM DRAWER TO SHOULDERS}
1) There are two reasons.
. . . There are a lot of YOUNG kids.
. . . Too many parents coddle their OLDER kids.
2) Far too many parents want 7-10 years-olds to to ride.
. . . Our kids walked the parks at age 5-6 and did fine.
. . . If they got tired, we went for a rest or a nap.
. . . A month before Disney we went on daily walks to make sure they were in shape.
3) Today, the kids are out-of-shape AND THE PARENTS PERMIT IT.
4) Or Daddy/Mommy want to pamper their "entitled" kids.
5) Even CM's complain about the added strollers with older kids.
{FLAME PROOF SUIT BACK TO DRAWER}

Totally true. We've been with our one and three year olds. We bring one good single stroller for a child to nap and to hold our stuff and one crappy umbrella stroller. If the three year old just can't take it anymore, he can sit in the umbrella stroller and rest his legs, but it isn't so comfortable so he wants to sit in it all the time. We often go hours without using it and forget where we left it! (Luckily its cheap.)

But we live in an urban area where children WALK ALL THE TIME. They walk to school (elementary, middle, and high). We walk to restaurants. We walk to the post office. We walk to coffee shops. We walk to the park (many of them). Occasionally we walk to daycare even. It saddens me how many people say their feet get beat up and blistered when they go to WDW because of all the walking they do. My feet quite frankly never feel any different at WDW than they do at home. My husband is the same way. I don't look down on people who have to buy new shoes and end up with sore feet...I feel sorry for them that they live in areas that limits their ability to walk all the time.

When my sister took her 2 and 4 yr olds to WDW, they brought one single stroller and made the 4 year old walk. She said there was the occasional whining and occasional carrying of the 2 yr old but that overall it was fine. But again, they live in the same area and walk all the time, too.

Barring a disability or chronic illness, I simply cannot imagine having a school aged child in a stroller.

I also do believe more people bring infants and toddlers to WDW than they used to. People are starting families later in life and have more resources to vacation with their younger ones than they did 20 or 30 years ago.

 

[Mitzicat]

I grew up going to WDW. We would drive over from Daytona Beach, sometimes leaving the house at 6 am to get to WDW by opening at 8. we would go commando...no breaks back at the resort...we rested during meals and the Hall of Presidents. lol. When I was old enough...no stroller. Some visits we wouldn't get back to the house until 1 or 2 in the morning. This was usually in July or August.

Too each family their own and what works for them should not be poo pooed by others. But I agree...that older children should not be in strollers. I've seen so many older kids whine about walking when their little sibling is walking, skipping, and singing. so happy to be at WDW

 

[prudence64]

We put our 4 1/2 year old in a stroller and it made for a much more enjoyable time for all and she even napped a bit. I wouldn't use one past the age of 5 though. I will miss it as bag storage though.

 

[brockash]

Disneyland is also a LOT smaller than WDW and doesn't get as hot and humid.

Yes, when we go to Disneyland we don't usually bring a stroller past age 3, but Disney World is totally different. It's much bigger, much hotter/humid for a good part of the yr, and we go for a longer time. We usually only do Disneyland for a couple days, but we do World for a week.

We also don't like touring around our youngest childs schedule/stamina etc. We'd much rather just have somewhere for them to rest while we keep going and others in our party (older kids and adults) can still enjoy their time. We don't really like splitting up etc. We'd generally rather all be able to experience the vacation and attractions/shows together.

 

[superdiz]

The strollers could have been removed for the shots you are referring to.

I bought a double stroller thinking solely for Disney in December, my son will be 3 turning 4, that to me is just too much hoofing it for a little guy. Disney is huge to little legs. There were only 1-2 parks back then, now there are 4 and the 1-2 parks are larger than they were, so it's a lot more walking. Especially when Mom is more excited to get to the next ride than he is

 

[Axel]

I was 5 for my first trip in a hot and rainy September. I never had a stroller at WDW (and rarely outside of it. I gave up my stroller when I was about 2 or 3 according to my parents. I survived just fine. Now, it amazes me to see kids who are 8 and older crammed into rented strollers at Disney! I highly doubt the ones we see in rented strollers are special needs as most parents of special needs children have specialty strollers or chairs for them. I know that we would never dream of putting my special needs cousin in any stroller that was not her own or that she was unfamiliar with.

 

[JenniferinFL]

With how much people spend to go to Disney, one really can't afford to have anything go wrong with their vacation.

Strollers give you the space to pack all the things you could need when out for the day with a small child. If my 3 year old gets overexcited back in new fantasyland and throws up on herself while the afternoon parade is going on, it could easily take an hour to get back to our car. With the stroller, I have the space to bring spare outfits, paper towels and so on. I can bring her into the companion restroom and salvage our day out and probably only lose about a half hour instead of 2 hours+.

From what I understand, Disneyland has easier access to the parking lot than WDW does. If we were local to Disneyland instead, there would probably be some days that we would forgo the stroller. We've done it once at WDW and the results were disastrous. Our 3 year old threw up on herself in the monorail at Epcot that we were stuck on and overall it took us an hour and a half to get back to our car at the Magic Kingdom with a crying toddler covered in vomit. Not fun. If we would have had the stroller along, I probably would have just covered the canopy with a blanket and changed her shirt right in the monorail we were stuck in.

Maybe some people don't have any mishaps like that with their children. But, we've always found it better to be prepared for the little things like that.

She does walk a lot now, the stroller is pretty much just used when we're going from say fantasyland to tomorrowland or for that last commute to the car at the end of the day. In between rides she just walks.

Realistically we still have another couple years with a stroller. Flame all you want. Honestly, anyone flaming for someone having a stroller is also going to flame me for not being prepared for incidences, so, as a parent of a small child I'm going to get flamed no matter what I do.. lol

 

[superdiz]

There are a lot of judgemental curmudgeons on this thread. I'm not sure why others care what someone you are never going to have a conversation with does with their kids. As long as no one is getting beaten in front of me, I'm going to mind my own business and enjoy my family's vacation.

 

[kellyjeanie]

Strollers may be a lot cheaper and more portable than they were back then.

 

[Michigan]

Last night a 20 something woman was being pushed in an stroller while the kid walked next to her.

I always think to myself being pushed in a stroller over toddler age is where school bullying starts. Imagine if you school friends see you being pushed in a stroller.

My youngest daughter has been pushing herself in her wheelchair through Disney since she was 3.

 

[AmyB2006]

There are a lot of judgemental curmudgeons on this thread. I'm not sure why others care what someone you are never going to have a conversation with does with their kids. As long as no one is getting beaten in front of me, I'm going to mind my own business and enjoy my family's vacation.

Uuummmm.... on this thread?

Last night a 20 something woman was being pushed in an stroller while the kid walked next to her.

Really? This is getting to the point of ridiculousness now. The only thing you could have said that would make this even more outlandish is if you would have said that the 20 year old woman was being pushed in the stroller BY the 2 year old child. ROFL

 

[kellyjeanie]

Realistically we still have another couple years with a stroller. Flame all you want. Honestly, anyone flaming for someone having a stroller is also going to flame me for not being prepared for incidences, so, as a parent of a small child I'm going to get flamed no matter what I do.. lol

Please don't feel like you have to explain yourself. People like those on this thread just like to feel superior, all the better if they can do it where other people can hear them so they can all pat each other's backs. It's a mindset I've never understood, trying to make others feel small so they can feel bigger, but it happens all the time on message boards. Maybe it's easier when you don't have to look someone in the face.

 

[MsMagical]

There are a lot of judgemental curmudgeons on this thread. I'm not sure why others care what someone you are never going to have a conversation with does with their kids. As long as no one is getting beaten in front of me, I'm going to mind my own business and enjoy my family's vacation.

Yes, my thoughts exactly. I am sincerely confused about why anyone else cares about who is riding in what stroller.

 

[dissupermom]

my "baby" was 5 on our first trip to the world in 1997. I initially did not get a stroller, but in the middle of the day, I found it was necessary. we were staying offsite and when she got tired, the stroller was her resting place while I leisurely walked the parks. then I learned the magic of the railroad- we both can take a snooze and they don't put you off!!
however, at age 5 or 6, I get it. at 7,8,9,10.. that's ridiculous! they are old enough to walk! let them walk off those Mickey bars, popcorn and the great goofy lollipops!! they'll be ok! I can't stand seeing a big behind kid in a stroller so big that his feet are dragging on the ground, or that she controls the direction and usage of the stroller!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Dare I suggest that this is a result of the same problem that has Americans getting fatter with every generation? You don't see many WDW patrons from parts of the world like South America pushing around older toddlers in strollers.

 

[nkereina]

There are a lot of judgemental curmudgeons on this thread. I'm not sure why others care what someone you are never going to have a conversation with does with their kids. As long as no one is getting beaten in front of me, I'm going to mind my own business and enjoy my family's vacation.

Yes, but when the number of families who are bringing strollers for their older kids (who wouldn't use strollers in "the real world") are noticeably increasing, it starts to get in the way of other people's vacations. I was hit in the ankle by two different strollers last trip, one drawing blood. Buses were delayed on at least 5-6 occasions because families were too preoccupied to fold up their strollers in advance of boarding. And additionally, extra strollers just take up extra space. Everywhere. I think the point is that if you have a child who doesn't use a stroller normally, heed the fact that they need a break in Disney World rather than plopping them in a stroller to carry on and maximize your time.

 

[china mom]

My nine year old, stroller riding girl still wears size 3T underwear. Let me worry about her physical fitness

 

[AmyB2006]

Yes, but when the number of families who are bringing strollers for their older kids (who wouldn't use strollers in "the real world") are noticeably increasing, it starts to get in the way of other people's vacations. I was hit in the ankle by two different strollers last trip, one drawing blood. Buses were delayed on at least 5-6 occasions because families were too preoccupied to fold up their strollers in advance of boarding. And additionally, extra strollers just take up extra space. Everywhere. I think the point is that if you have a child who doesn't use a stroller normally, heed the fact that they need a break in Disney World rather than plopping them in a stroller to carry on and maximize your time.

Now here come the complaints that it's affecting YOUR vacation. If it wasn't my stroller, it would be someone else's, or an ECV or a wheelchair. Every bus we took on our last trip had some type of wheelchair or ECV or stroller that had to board. How about with the sheer numbers of people Disney attracts and the more and more packed with people the parks are, you're bound to have more of everything including strollers and wheelchairs and ECVs.

A 2 year old may not use a stroller "normally" but in Disney I would expect a 2 year old to need a stroller. There are tons of reasons why older kids might need a stroller.

 

[superdiz]

Really? A stroller ruins your vacation? :/ I've been accidentally hit several times but it did not ruin my vacation. Perhaps it's more of a glass half empty, glass half full scenario for us then.

My 3 year old doesn't need a stroller. When I'm in Disney, I am going to allow him to use it if/when he gets tired. We also DO go back to the hotel each day for naps, so that isn't a good argument for our family either, there is no pushing him too much. And by the way, our entire family has BMIs in the medically recommended ranges. So... we aren't the fat Americans utilizing strollers to encourage our little fatties to become fatter.

Next time, take a deep breath and eat a turkey leg. This too shall pass. lol

 

[tiggerdad]

Oh boy...a stroller thread.

These always get ugly.

For the record, I took a stroller for our oldest daughter when she was 4. We parked it and walked for most of the time, came back around and got it if it was needed. We usdd it all day when we returned and our second daughter was 1.

To be honest I felt it was more of a pain. However, I can see carrying a child can get pretty exhausting. After mine pass 4, they are walking and we can just stop and rest a little when they get tired.