Why are there so many strollers?

[twinboysmom]

Personally, I don't care what others do. There are tons of reasons people use strollers. Sure, some kids are too big and really don't need them. However, it's difficult to tell. Disney is one of those places that is known for being very friendly to people with disabilities. On some other forums I read that cater to families with disabled children, a lot of the parents use strollers for their older school age children. Special needs strollers are very expensive and if you don't use them frequently it might be hard to justify the cost.

My twin boys have special needs. I don't know how much longer we will need a stroller. I hope we are finished by 6. But until they no longer need it, I will either bring my own or rent one of those "Cadillac " strollers. My children's comfort is important and I like a stroller that pushes easily and doesn't hurt my back to push.

 

[SashaFarce]

When we go to Disney and take a child we don't have the luxury of staying for more than a few days at a time. A week max. We can't afford to take a half-day everyday and it's a lot of walking for a 40 pound 6 year old, thus we will be using a stroller until we can't fit the kids into one.

 

[Gracie09]

Because back in the day (whenever that was for you for me it's the 80s) people didn't travel as much with their kids. Flights were relatively more expensive and people just waited until their kids were older.
The parks in Florida are larger than the parks in ca
Strollers have higher height and weight limits
You can rent them relatively cheaply from off site so even if you don't use one at home you can use one there and not have to worry about dealing with it in the airport
Disabled children are now out and about more instead of locked away from sight or institutionalized so they use the larger strollers

Etc etc etc etc

I personally would rather a family use a stroller than try to drag a slow lacking kid around. I have the world slowest kid. Seriously she takes ten minutes to get to the end of the block. It would take me all day to get down Main Street and I pity the people behind me so we will use a stroller next time.

 

[Gracie09]

Because back in the day (whenever that was for you for me it's the 80s) people didn't travel as much with their kids. Flights were relatively more expensive and people just waited until their kids were older.
The parks in Florida are larger than the parks in ca
Strollers have higher height and weight limits
You can rent them relatively cheaply from off site so even if you don't use one at home you can use one there and not have to worry about dealing with it in the airport
Disabled children are now out and about more instead of locked away from sight or institutionalized so they use the larger strollers

Etc etc etc etc

I personally would rather a family use a stroller than try to drag a slow lacking kid around. I have the world slowest kid. Seriously she takes ten minutes to get to the end of the block. It would take me all day to get down Main Street and I pity the people behind me so we will use a stroller next time.

 

[Talking Hands]

my older grandsons,5 & 6, got to ride is stroller part of the time but it was not so much for them as me. if I had stroller to lean on as I walked I did not need an ECV. I can walk a lot more when I have a lean on. does that make me a bad grandma for wanting to walk? just a different reason to be looked at

You go grandma. I use my grandson's stroller to help me walk and get the stroller as a wheelchair sticker. It allows me to get out of my power chair and do some walking and get exercise myself

 

[Minniesgal]

{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}

You forgot to give parents a battering ram to force there way through evening crowds after wishes.....

 

[Minniesgal]

But what if someone was running around pool hopping and got tangled up in it and fell into an ECV?

What was the ECV doing in the pool?

 

[tiggerdad]

What was the ECV doing in the pool?

I plead the Fifth...

 

[sethschroeder]

You forgot to give parents a battering ram to force there way through evening crowds after wishes.....

Sorry but isn't that why they have the strollers? Seriously quite a few strollers are pushed in a direction or turned and the person doing the maneuvering doesn't have a care when they almost run you over.

Strollers for people with no little kids is probably one of the biggest issues to overcome at the parks. Get three or four lined up and its like being on a football field against the steel curtain....

People need strollers an that's fine but be courteous and in the end it wont matter to anyone.

 

[nooneshome]

There are more strollers because Disney makes tons of money off them. If they could make money by renting stadium seats during Fantasmic then you would see more of them. Or maybe lawn chairs for Illuminations. No recliners, with beer and nachos...

 

[kristinradico]

For me personally, I will only be bringing a stroller for my 2 year old. My 6 and 8 year old will be fine and if they get tired we will sit down for a break.

Every parents does what they think is best for their family/vacation. If a parent knows their 8 year old needs a stroller then so be it. I would rather see that 8 year old in a stroller than running wild in the streets causing issues or being ignored by said parent!

Kristin

 

[fla4fun]

I think the funniest thing I've ever seen in regard to strollers was a tie between the family that was carting around their four foot aluminum cooler in one (barely keeping it in - it kept starting to topple forward out of it) and the family where the dad was pushing the double stroller with the mom riding in it, and the child walking along side. I'm still not sure how the cooler family got it into MK to begin with, but with a cooler that big, I'd want wheels too.

Since there's no way to know why most people are using a stroller, I'll stay out of that debate. I do wish that some of the parking areas were a little more out of the way (especially the Animation Courtyard at DHS and the Norway pavilion at Epcot, both of which have a lot of traffic and not a lot of space).

 

[HookdonWDW]

Since there's no way to know why most people are using a stroller, I'll stay out of that debate. I do wish that some of the parking areas were a little more out of the way (especially the Animation Courtyard at DHS and the Norway pavilion at Epcot, both of which have a lot of traffic and not a lot of space).

We've commented a few times that it would be nice if the parks had a stroller lane/ECV lane. Something on the same vein as a bike lane. I think it would make things more pleasant for everyone. No one jumping in front of a stroller/wheelchair/ECV at the last minute, and no one crashing into ankles.

As far as parking, I don't know how people use to find their own stroller in the five deep parking in Fantasyland when it's busy... especially since the CMs had to keep moving them out of the way.

 

[tlwfun89]

I think its become like when the autograph of characters craze took hold. The strollers became an accepted thing for even older kids. My kids went at 8 and 9 and for their first time and I personally was thinking glad I did not bring them before they could walk and handle the rigor. Thinking back I remember being glad not to have to deal with strollers it seemed such a big hassle looking onward to those who had to break down those gigantic beast to get on and off busses to eat to stand in line at rides etc. and I mean they are like extended buses but stroller style with cup holders, bag holders, baskets, you name it. Seems like many create their own obstacles too.

 

[DumboDash2006]

My dd rode in a stroller at WDW when she was six. We went in August and it was in the upper 90's the entire time. She has Type 1 diabetes and exercise and heat both do a real number on blood sugar. She as also at that time fairly newly diagnosed and still not real good at feeling her low blood sugars. Using the stroller helped reduce the number of low blood sugar incidents and when she was low, let us continue walking on to the next attraction etc while she sat in the stroller and ate her glucose tabs/drank juice. Walking around with a low blood sugar is never a good idea!

I'm sure some thought I was an indulgent parent of a lazy child (especially since she was very tall as a young child) but oh well.

We're going again in June and she'll be fourteen. Obviously no stroller will be used. I anticipate more low blood sugars and more time needed for breaks. Thankfully she's now had many years of feeling low blood sugars and can *usually* tell when they are happening.

Now to figure out how to carry all her supplies and water bottles without feeling like pack mules. Sigh, I wish we could use a stroller just to put all that crap.

 

[Gracie09]

My dd rode in a stroller at WDW when she was six. We went in August and it was in the upper 90's the entire time. She has Type 1 diabetes and exercise and heat both do a real number on blood sugar. She as also at that time fairly newly diagnosed and still not real good at feeling her low blood sugars. Using the stroller helped reduce the number of low blood sugar incidents and when she was low, let us continue walking on to the next attraction etc while she sat in the stroller and ate her glucose tabs/drank juice. Walking around with a low blood sugar is never a good idea!

I'm sure some thought I was an indulgent parent of a lazy child (especially since she was very tall as a young child) but oh well.

We're going again in June and she'll be fourteen. Obviously no stroller will be used. I anticipate more low blood sugars and more time needed for breaks. Thankfully she's now had many years of feeling low blood sugars and can *usually* tell when they are happening.

Now to figure out how to carry all her supplies and water bottles without feeling like pack mules. Sigh, I wish we could use a stroller just to put all that crap.

You may be able to leave some of her supplies at the first aid station. However you may be across the park from it if she needs it.

 

[NYDisneyKid]

Please don't flame me. This is a serious question.

Years ago it was considered only for toddlers.

What got me to thinking about this, was One Man's Dream. As I walked through it the other day, in all the pictures of Disneyland, I never saw one stroller. I sat through the movie, and all the children were walking with their parents or running to their favourite things to do.

They photoshopped them out?

 

[Spork24]

My dd rode in a stroller at WDW when she was six. We went in August and it was in the upper 90's the entire time. She has Type 1 diabetes and exercise and heat both do a real number on blood sugar. She as also at that time fairly newly diagnosed and still not real good at feeling her low blood sugars. Using the stroller helped reduce the number of low blood sugar incidents and when she was low, let us continue walking on to the next attraction etc while she sat in the stroller and ate her glucose tabs/drank juice. Walking around with a low blood sugar is never a good idea! I'm sure some thought I was an indulgent parent of a lazy child (especially since she was very tall as a young child) but oh well. We're going again in June and she'll be fourteen. Obviously no stroller will be used. I anticipate more low blood sugars and more time needed for breaks. Thankfully she's now had many years of feeling low blood sugars and can *usually* tell when they are happening. Now to figure out how to carry all her supplies and water bottles without feeling like pack mules. Sigh, I wish we could use a stroller just to put all that crap.

I don't think they check strollers to make sure a child is inside. When I wend with my brother and his 18 mo old a couple years ago, they brought their double stroller because it was nicer (number 2 was on the way but had not arrived) it was great having the other seat to store a backpack full of all the stuff we needed. I know this is different because no one would ever ride in the stroller, but if you really wanted to bring a stroller for your child's medical supplies, I don't see anything wrong with it.

 

[Izzy&LiamsMomma]

Like others have said, you can't always tell a child's needs just by looking at them. My middle son will be 7 when we go and he will need a stroller due to his genetic condition that affects his leg that he's had surgery for once already this year. I don't understand why seeing my lovely boy in a stroller, enjoying the magic that is WDW and being able to do so without pain by being in that said stroller, would be a bother to anyone...

 

[RubyV]

Is it your child?

Are you paying for the stroller?

Are you pushing it?

Do you have some kind of magical vision that lets you accurately diagnose disabilities and ages?

If the answer the any of the above is "No" then really, let it go.

My now ten year old was walking everywhere early because we lived in urban areas with public transportation, and I wore her in carriers, so she was a serious walker, and didn't like strollers. I would have LOVED a kid who loved the stroller on outings.

My nephew, OTOH, at age two was bigger than my 4 year old, and we were judged by people who didn't realize that 1. he was only two and that 2. he had issues with his motor skills and muscle tone, making walking exhausting very fast.

Every family does what it needs to function best. I'm too busy watching my own kid to stick my nose in the stroller of others.