Why does everyone seem to rent strollers?

[pixiedust33]

I'm planning a trip with my 2.5 year old for March and it seems like all the trip planning steps for young kids includes stroller rentals. I'm just curious why people seem to prefer renting over bringing their own stroller? Is it a fear of theft? Just not wanting to travel with your own? Is this Baby Jogger city mini that everyone seems to recommend just the perfect stroller for the parks and my regular stroller won't stand up to it?

We have a larger every day stroller that I would leave at home, but was planning to bring our Colugo compact travel stroller. It theoretically fits into an airplane overhead bin (I know it will depend how large the plane is), is lightweight and easy to fold, and fully reclines. I like this bc then I also have a way to contain him a bit at the airport, if needed. Is there any reason I should plan to rent a stroller rather than bringing my own that I'm missing though?

 

[voxparse]

We always rented a park stroller so that we didn’t have to take the stroller on the busses.

 

[sponica]

We brought our own the first time, it was a Bob Motion. It was a non jogging stroller but had rubber tires and a reasonably small footprint, along with a onehanded fold. We opted against our umbrella stroller because we've used it locally at local attractions and didn't like the feel of it. It also wasn't large enough to hold our diaper bag without the kiddo in the stroller or it would tip over. And the plastic tires were terrible on anything that wasn't flat pavement.

The second time, we rented a double because we didn't own a double stroller at home but used the umbrella stroller for the airport.

People tend to rent strollers at WDW because they have a kid old enough who doesn't use one at home anymore but walking miles a day every day isn't feasible or it's one less hassle to deal with en route.

The best stroller is the one you feel comfortable using and comfortable folding up on the bus, but can also hold your diaper bag or whatever souvenirs you buy.

 

[fumanchu2488]

We have done both. We rented a stroller mainly because we were worried about the wear and tear on it in the airplane and in the parks/buses. It also saves a bit with getting it through the airport and into your hotel. Also, the citymini is a really good stroller for pushing around the park all day.

Our more recent trip we just brought our double because the rental was pretty expensive and our oldest is to a point where we don't need it for years to come. It did get a small tear in it from the airplane and all the rough handling. Also, we stayed at RIV and you need to fold up a side by side every time you are on and off which is a pain.

To each their own.

 

[SheSingsAlong]

A lot of people do rent, but a lot of people also bring their own, just depends on what they own. As the previous poster said, some kids are totally done with strollers for daily life, but need one at Disney. We bought the Summer Infant 3DLite specifically for travel use and it came with us to Disney for 3 trips. Would still be using it, but DD has finally outgrown it. Our regular stroller for home was a big jogger - no way was I taking that to Disney.

Best advice, make sure you have thoroughly read the current stroller restrictions for Disney World. Then, assess what you own to determine if it is even permissible at Disney. If yes, is it a stroller that will fit your needs at Disney? Some people get by with a simple umbrella stroller, but there is no where to put anything, no cover for shade, does not recline if your child gets tired. If you do not own a stroller that will work for Disney, that's when you need to start price comparing: Is it better to just rent something in Orlando or should you purchase a stroller that is specifically for Disney/travel in general (and would you get multiple trip uses out of it)?

I got the 3DLite stroller on sale at Target and had a $50 gift certificate, so the answer was pretty clear to me. Now that DD has outgrown it, we think the next trip will be our last with a stroller. So I'm renting one we can pick up at the Orlando airport. DD is perfectly capable of walking in the airports as well as short distances inside the parks.

 

[pixiedust33]

Thanks all! This is helpful. The double stroller to have a spot for an older sibling who doesn’t need a regular stroller anymore makes sense and maybe that’s why I see it talked about so frequently. It’s seeming like in our case, it does make sense to bring our own. Unless people think I should be worried about theft? Anyone heard of a stroller being stolen at WDW?

 

[SheSingsAlong]

It’s seeming like in our case, it does make sense to bring our own. Unless people think I should be worried about theft? Anyone heard of a stroller being stolen at WDW?

I've heard of items being stolen out of strollers frequently (don't leave bags in your stroller, take all that stuff with you if you can). I've never heard of a stroller itself being stolen although I suppose it's possible?

 

[Scalemaster34]

Thanks all! This is helpful. The double stroller to have a spot for an older sibling who doesn’t need a regular stroller anymore makes sense and maybe that’s why I see it talked about so frequently. It’s seeming like in our case, it does make sense to bring our own. Unless people think I should be worried about theft? Anyone heard of a stroller being stolen at WDW?

It's always been where we left it, unless a cast member was consolidating them and moved it around, Good to have some ribbon or a balloon to identify it. And never had issue with items left on a stroller, a double stroller is nice in winter months when there are layers that need to be shed. But care should always be taken.

But I agree that having one for the older kids is great as well. A seven or eight year old might have a lot of energy, but they don't have the endurance for 26K+ steps at WDW. Heck there have been times I looked at it real close to see if I'd fit.....

 

[sponica]

A lot of people do rent, but a lot of people also bring their own, just depends on what they own. As the previous poster said, some kids are totally done with strollers for daily life, but need one at Disney. We bought the Summer Infant 3DLite specifically for travel use and it came with us to Disney for 3 trips. Would still be using it, but DD has finally outgrown it. Our regular stroller for home was a big jogger - no way was I taking that to Disney.

Best advice, make sure you have thoroughly read the current stroller restrictions for Disney World. Then, assess what you own to determine if it is even permissible at Disney. If yes, is it a stroller that will fit your needs at Disney? Some people get by with a simple umbrella stroller, but there is no where to put anything, no cover for shade, does not recline if your child gets tired. If you do not own a stroller that will work for Disney, that's when you need to start price comparing: Is it better to just rent something in Orlando or should you purchase a stroller that is specifically for Disney/travel in general (and would you get multiple trip uses out of it)?

I got the 3DLite stroller on sale at Target and had a $50 gift certificate, so the answer was pretty clear to me. Now that DD has outgrown it, we think the next trip will be our last with a stroller. So I'm renting one we can pick up at the Orlando airport. DD is perfectly capable of walking in the airports as well as short distances inside the parks.

Oddly the summer infant 3D lite is the one we absolutely refused to take with us the first time . But it wasn't our daily driver and our oldest wouldn't have tolerated it for the parks.

 

[fla4fun]

Thanks all! This is helpful. The double stroller to have a spot for an older sibling who doesn’t need a regular stroller anymore makes sense and maybe that’s why I see it talked about so frequently. It’s seeming like in our case, it does make sense to bring our own. Unless people think I should be worried about theft? Anyone heard of a stroller being stolen at WDW?

There are lots of people who have posted online about their strollers being stolen at WDW. A quick online search will give you some interesting reads. Yes, a lot of times it is simply the items in the stroller which have been stolen (I was just reading this morning about a guy who left his wallet on a stroller while on an attraction at AK and it was stolen) but people can sell strollers online for a few quick bucks and they know the odds of getting caught are slim since it is difficult to prove a stroller belongs to a particular person. There have occasionally been rings of these thieves going around to theme parks and stealing them.

Considering how many strollers are in the park on any given day, the odds of your stroller being stolen are low, but it can happen. The one thing I haven’t read is anything about a rented stroller being stolen. I wonder if there is insurance people buy, or what the consequences would be if a rental stroller (other than the Disney rentals) was stolen?

 

[LoveDaisy]

I’m not sure about stealing the actual stroller but things in them, have been stolen. The article is from yesterday but the thefts were earlier this year.

https://wdwnt.com/2023/10/walt-disney-world-guests-leave-avatar-banshees-wallets-and-bundles-of-cash-in-their-strollers-become-victims-in-large-string-of-thefts-at-epcot-animal-kingdom/#:~:text=Law enforcement investigated a wave,report recently obtained by WDWNT.

 

[pixiedust33]

but people can sell strollers online for a few quick bucks and they know the odds of getting caught are slim since it is difficult to prove a stroller belongs to a particular person. There have occasionally been rings of these thieves going around to theme parks and stealing them.

You’re inspiring me to think up ways to obnoxiously personalize my stroller! I do usually drop an air tag in it in a hidden pocket when we fly so I may just keep it tucked in there at the parks so I have some ability to monitor. But I guess a rental could also be stolen and it would be a nuisance either way so maybe it doesn’t matter.

 

[WeDontTalkAboutBruno]

We recently went with our 2 and 5 year old and brought our own. We found a cheapy double umbrella stroller on fb marketplace so we didnt care much if it got banged up or lost there, but it seriously was so helpful having the stroller in the airport! We took a later flight and the kids fell asleep on the plane, so we were able to let them continue sleeping in the stroller while my husband handled the luggage which saved us from a meltdown. So my advice would be to see if you can find a cheap/free one on marketplace or craig’s list!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

It's always been where we left it, unless a cast member was consolidating them and moved it around, Good to have some ribbon or a balloon to identify it. And never had issue with items left on a stroller, a double stroller is nice in winter months when there are layers that need to be shed. But care should always be taken.

But I agree that having one for the older kids is great as well. A seven or eight year old might have a lot of energy, but they don't have the endurance for 26K+ steps at WDW. Heck there have been times I looked at it real close to see if I'd fit.....

just remember no balloons are allowed at Animal Kingdom

 

[SheSingsAlong]

Oddly the summer infant 3D lite is the one we absolutely refused to take with us the first time . But it wasn't our daily driver and our oldest wouldn't have tolerated it for the parks.

It definitely depends on the kid and the needs of the family, that's why this can be such a tough question to help answer!

 

[LordVader]

This will be our first trip to WDW and we're absolutely renting. My oldest daughter at 5 doesn't use a stroller at home and my near 3yr old daughter does. But since we're coming from WA state, we don't want to bring a stroller through airports, lug it around the resort, busses, minnie van, skyliner, etc lol.

Plus we figured our oldest is going to get tired and absolutely won't walk the entire time lol. The cool thing is we can show our receipt at a new park (park hopping) and we can pick one up and not have to worry about bringing one around all the parks.

 

[Anna131517]

Our strollers at home were larger and hard to fold for transportation. Our first trip with 2 kids we took our double BOB - talk about a pain to get on a bus! So after that we rented for WDW. I also liked how the rental strollers came with rain covers. In retrospect I wish we had just bought a double citi mini.

 

[sponica]

Our strollers at home were larger and hard to fold for transportation. Our first trip with 2 kids we took our double BOB - talk about a pain to get on a bus! So after that we rented for WDW. I also liked how the rental strollers came with rain covers. In retrospect I wish we had just bought a double citi mini.

Ugh we rented a double Bob the the first time (i recommended the citi mini but hubby had other ideas), we instantly regretted it....

 

[danceintherain]

We have always brought our own, but I've always bought strollers with Disney in mind.
The City Mini is fantastic for Disney, and I kind of wish I was bringing ours, except we probably want a second seat.

My concern with the airplane friendly strollers is that the seat tends to be shallow. This can make it difficult for a child to actually sleep. The full recline is less of an issue, in my experience, because my kids tend to fall asleep with the back upright, and adjusting it wakes them up.

I like having a stroller in the airport too. I'm going to be a little sad once we don't have a good reason to travel with one anymore, because then we'll have to carry everything ourselves.

Strollers definitely get stolen, but that's a risk everywhere. When my strollers are new, I have taken the wheel off to take with me into queues. At this point, my strollers are old, and my kids are old. If the stroller doesn't make it through, then I wouldn't be too upset. We gate checked a stroller last year and they wouldn't give it back to us during an unplanned overnight layover, and that was a ton less convenient than it would be to lose one at Disney.

 

[maxiesmom]

Thanks all! This is helpful. The double stroller to have a spot for an older sibling who doesn’t need a regular stroller anymore makes sense and maybe that’s why I see it talked about so frequently. It’s seeming like in our case, it does make sense to bring our own. Unless people think I should be worried about theft? Anyone heard of a stroller being stolen at WDW?

A while back they caught someone who was stealing strollers to sell them on line. Had a bunch in the back of his vehicle. It does happen, though the odds are not to you. If you worry you can always lock the back wheels together. What you can't do is make it immovable. The CMs must be able to roll it around to straighten up the area.