Bring a stroller for all kids under what age?

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lincolnryan

Member
Original Poster
Originally we were planning on bringing a stroller for our 4 year old twins (very recent 4 year olds), but decided to rent a disney one so we don't have to hassle with it.

Then I was talking with someone else and they said we might want to consider something for our 6.5 year old. I thought he would be ok, but they said that it'll be a lot of walking and it's nice to have the option. If that was the case, we'd probably bring a single stroller and let someone go in there if all 3 want to get pushed at the same time.

Thoughts? Is this overkill? The way my kids are, all of them want to ride at the same time. So if 2 of them are in the stroller, the other one will want to get in.
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
What is a normal amount of walking in the real world tends to pale in comparison a normal amount of walking in WDW. Walking 5-10 miles per day in WDW is pretty common.

Let him try it at first, but be prepared to grab a stroller if he taps out early.

Nothing will suck the fun out of a WDW trip faster than an exhausted, cranky kid. Remember, this is a fun vacation, not an episode of Survivorman.;)
 
Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
It depends on a number of factors, including your touring style and the health, size and personality of your kids. Are you touring all day, every day, rope drop to park closing? Are the kids small for their age or easily tired? If so, you'll need a stroller for the 4-year-olds, at the very least.

However, if you return to the resorts for a nap in the afternoon (which is what I would suggest, to parents of children of any age -- trying to go all day is a recipe for exhaustion-induced meltdowns, and I don't just mean from the little ones! ;) ), you may not need a stroller at all.

My son had just turned 6 and my daughter was 4 yrs 5 mos. the first time they visited WDW. (In the interest of full disclosure, both are athletic and on the "hyper" side.) We walked a lot, but only in 4 or 5-hour increments -- rope drop to lunchtime, and 4pm to 9pm, with at least a 1-2 hour nap every afternoon (which DH and I needed just as much as the kids did!). Because we all were getting a mid-day "recharge," were able to preserve the kids' usual bedtime and get plenty of sleep at night, had proper footwear for all that walking, and had frequent meal/snack/rest breaks built into our touring plan, neither child ever needed a stroller, and we were grateful not to be encumbered with one.
 
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buseegal

Active Member
to OP remember if you rent Disney stroller at the end of night that stroller has to be left before you leave. your twins will have to walk to bus, tram or car. esp if you are using buses. you could have to wait for second or third bus with them having to stand or be carried. even if they are sleeping the stroller will not be allowed out the gate
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
No stroller, just the "Disney Carry":

image.jpg


Disclaimer: That's not me.
 
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dadddio

Well-Known Member
buseegal said:
to OP remember if you rent Disney stroller at the end of night that stroller has to be left before you leave. your twins will have to walk to bus, tram or car. esp if you are using buses. you could have to wait for second or third bus with them having to stand or be carried. even if they are sleeping the stroller will not be allowed out the gate
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Renting a stroller from an off-site compeny is a better plan, in my opinion. The stroller is delivered to and picked up from the hotel, can be taken anywhere, is more comfortable than the Disney one, and costs less.
 
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Figaro928

Well-Known Member
The double strollers for the rental off site companies have a standing board attachment as an add on feature. Your 6yo could hop on and at least it would save him a couple of steps.

Golden rule: If you bring it, they'll never use it, If you don't bring it, you'll curse yourself for not bringing it. ahh parenting....:rolleyes:
 
daisyduckie

daisyduckie

Well-Known Member
OP, are you using the buses? If so, keep in mind that if your bring a stroller, you more than likely will end up holding it while standing on a bus. The buses are designed to have more people standing than sitting, so odds are good you will do some standing. If you drive and need to use a tram to get to or from the parking lot, you will have to fold up the stroller and hang on to it then too.
 
fiercekittenz

fiercekittenz

Member
Not gonna lie, my 6 year old needed a stroller. She's little, so it was passable from the judgment standpoint. She desperately needed the rest and we couldn't leave the park due to being blocked in by dinner and lunch reservations. I'll never do *that* again.
 
Scott10

Scott10

Active Member
Master Yoda said:
Nothing will suck the fun out of a WDW trip faster than an exhausted, cranky kid. Remember, this is a fun vacation, not an episode of Survivorman.;)
Click to expand...

This times 1000! Each child and family is different. I have always felt terrible for those families that are dealing with meltdowns due to milking every penny out of their Disney dollar when a child just can't go anymore. However, a little bit of compassion for those feet and ankles around your stroller during high crowd times is much appreciated.....the stroller is used to rest and transport children, not as a battering ram to get to the bus station or particular attraction first!!!
With an 8 year difference in age for out daughters, we have taken a stroller on each of our 10 visits to Disney to accommodate one or both of them. Many times we used the stroller only while entering and exiting the parks and going from one area of a park to another. The other time that it came in very handy was on the curb waiting for a parade to start....not gonna lie, even Dad enjoys sitting for a few minutes on something other than the curb during that time!:banghead:
 
Myamos

Myamos

Member
My5 year old walked last year from morning til late night. No nap, but lots of breaks. Any excuse for a snack:) that being said, we have ONE. The odds of 3 kids all feeling energetic at the same time, or all day are slim to none. Maybe if your 6 yr old is smallish you can just rotate Stroller rides among the three. No one knows your kids better than you and I'm sure you'll plan accordingly. Have a great trip!
 
BuzzKillington

BuzzKillington

Active Member
Our 5 1/2 year old did just fine but we only go to the parks for 5 to 6 hours at a time. The issue you are going to have is that you already have one parent tied up with the twin's stroller and then if the other parent has the 6 year old's stroller, how will you be able to keep up with him and/or the twins if they want to run around (and they will)? Trying to keep up with kids while pushing a stroller is not fun in a Disney crowd!
 
prettythings03

prettythings03

New Member
On our last trip, we brought our Joovy single with us for my then 5 year old son. I know he couldn't handle the roughly 5 to 7 mile walks each day and staying at AK, we were IMO too far away from MK and Epcot to go back to the room for naps each day. Plus, if he was over tired that could be a bigger pain since he is not a napper usually. SO GLAD WE BROUGHT IT!!! He ended up sick most of the week and slept a good hour each day as we walked around. The little he was out of it, my then 10 year old would sit in it to rest her feet too.
Skip forward.. that stroller got broken on the trip home by the airline. What to do... I didn't want to dish the money for a new one that we would really only use for the trip, especially one that holds up to 65lbs or more. Started asking my Disney addict friends what they suggest.. all said the same thing. YOU know your child best, rent one if you truly feel that he/she can not walk that far each day. So, at 6 he will be in a City Mini GT from one of the stroller rental places that delivers to the WDW hotel you are staying in. ONly about $85 for the week with insurance.
 

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