Best strolling option for a 4 & 6 year old

[DrummerAlly]

We are taking our 4.5 and 6.5 year olds in August. The 4.5 year old is tiny and tires easily and definitely needs a stroller. We took her to the mall last week and she couldn't manage the car to a single store and back. I'm planning on taking our citi mini stroller for her.

My 6.5 year old has high functioning autism and has low muscle tone. She will be very excited and will want to do a lot of walking, but I also know that she'll get tired both physically and emotionally and will need a break to rest her body physically and also a self-contained "quiet" spot where she can re-group herself. We took her to WDW when she was 4 and she did great, but she needed the stroller extensively to give herself some personal space where she could cover herself with a blanket and her headphones to regroup.

I hate to take two single strollers, especially when one would likely be empty a lot of the time. $31 a day to rent a double stroller from Disney sucks. My 4 year old will need a stroller just to get through the airports, so I'd rather bring one for her and we don't own a double.

Best options I can think of:

1. Bring a cheap, small umbrella stroller for 4 year old to get through airports and rent a double stroller at WDW (kingdom strollers, whatever).
2. Bring the citi mini stroller for 4 year old and a cheap umbrella to throw in the pouch under it and switch the girls between strollers when my big kid needs a break. I'm not even sure if the umbrella stroller would fit in the basket of the citi mini.

Other ideas? WWYD?

 

[Schneewittchen]

My kids are also 2 years apart. They're too big for them now, but we used just bring 2 cheap small umbrella strollers for the kids when they were kindergarten age and younger. I would push one kid, DH would push the other. They're easy to fold up for the buses or other transportation. And each kid always had a small backpack with the essentials (pullups, sunblock, water bottle, hand wipes, extra clothes) that we could loop over the handles. When they were tired enough, the kids had no trouble sleeping in them - this was very useful late at night leaving the parks. During the day, we'd often just abandon the strollers for hours at the various stroller lots until we needed them.

Also, make sure your strollers are kind of beat up and gross. No one messes with a dirty scuffed up umbrella stroller.

 

[Rogue1138]

My two oldest boys are 4 and 2 and we used a Zoe Double stroller for them. Folds up fairly easy and only weighs 17 lbs, also it's side by side but fits in any standard door frame. The reason my wife and I liked it was that it reclines and the sunshade comes down quite far. Both boys have taken decent mid-day naps at the parks in it.

 

[MagicalMommy]

I think your best bet would be to rent a double stroller from a third party. Kingdom Strollers is my preference. It’s much less than $31ish a day, too, and what you get is much better quality than renting one in the parks. Plus depending on where your room is located you might need it at the resort anyway. I would bring a small umbrella stroller for the airport then store it in the closet and use the double for the trip.

 

[mmnw]

The city mini double is awesome. Consider making sure they have rain covers available. Sun shade coverage is great. Don’t have to worry about someone stealing your personal one. I always got insurance.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

We are taking our 4.5 and 6.5 year olds in August. The 4.5 year old is tiny and tires easily and definitely needs a stroller. We took her to the mall last week and she couldn't manage the car to a single store and back. I'm planning on taking our citi mini stroller for her.

My 6.5 year old has high functioning autism and has low muscle tone. She will be very excited and will want to do a lot of walking, but I also know that she'll get tired both physically and emotionally and will need a break to rest her body physically and also a self-contained "quiet" spot where she can re-group herself. We took her to WDW when she was 4 and she did great, but she needed the stroller extensively to give herself some personal space where she could cover herself with a blanket and her headphones to regroup.

I hate to take two single strollers, especially when one would likely be empty a lot of the time. $31 a day to rent a double stroller from Disney sucks. My 4 year old will need a stroller just to get through the airports, so I'd rather bring one for her and we don't own a double.

Best options I can think of:

1. Bring a cheap, small umbrella stroller for 4 year old to get through airports and rent a double stroller at WDW (kingdom strollers, whatever).
2. Bring the citi mini stroller for 4 year old and a cheap umbrella to throw in the pouch under it and switch the girls between strollers when my big kid needs a break. I'm not even sure if the umbrella stroller would fit in the basket of the citi mini.

Other ideas? WWYD?

Apple strollers. Get the double city mini. Look even if the older one doesn't use it much you can keep stuff on that side. The great thing about that double is it fits through standard sized doors. They will deliver the stroller to your resort and when you are done with it just leave it at the luggage area. We rented from them twice before we broke down and bought one lol.
https://www.applescooter.com/Reservation.asp

 

[Hatboxer]

I would recommend two strollers instead of one double. We did it this way on my last trip and it ended up being really helpful to be able to split apart based on what each kid wanted to do, who had fallen asleep, etc. Also, this way you can have more flexibility in case your older one ends up not always needing the stroller (for example, if you’re going to another resort for dinner and want to bring your little one in a stroller for the walk or monorail ride, but your oldest can handle the short trip without stroller). I also found it easier to move single strollers through crowds than a double. Probably the biggest downside is that it would be pretty impossible for one of you adults to take both kids at once while the other does something else.

For my next trip, my oldest will be 6.5 and he usually can walk pretty far, so I’m planning on braving it with just one. But am also considering getting a roller board attachment for the younger one’s stroller for when he gets exhausted....but not sure if he’ll be way too big for that. Good luck!

 

[Jenny English]

If you can connect with a cast member. They have a cast member store and they have a sea of abandoned strollers up for sale really cheap usually umbrella strollers. Because apparently a lot of people buy an umbrella stroller once they arrive so they dont have to worry about plane baggage checks.

 

[PartofyourWDWorld]

I would rent a City Mini GT double. I owned one until about a year ago and I loved it. It is a bit heavy and large folded on the bus, but that's the only downside. I will have a newly 5 year old this trip (other kids are 7 & 10) and we're planning on bringing an umbrella stroller. We'll park it when we get to a park and go back for it when needed.

 

[buseegal]

We are taking our 4.5 and 6.5 year olds in August. The 4.5 year old is tiny and tires easily and definitely needs a stroller. We took her to the mall last week and she couldn't manage the car to a single store and back. I'm planning on taking our citi mini stroller for her.

My 6.5 year old has high functioning autism and has low muscle tone. She will be very excited and will want to do a lot of walking, but I also know that she'll get tired both physically and emotionally and will need a break to rest her body physically and also a self-contained "quiet" spot where she can re-group herself. We took her to WDW when she was 4 and she did great, but she needed the stroller extensively to give herself some personal space where she could cover herself with a blanket and her headphones to regroup.

I hate to take two single strollers, especially when one would likely be empty a lot of the time. $31 a day to rent a double stroller from Disney sucks. My 4 year old will need a stroller just to get through the airports, so I'd rather bring one for her and we don't own a double.

Best options I can think of:

1. Bring a cheap, small umbrella stroller for 4 year old to get through airports and rent a double stroller at WDW (kingdom strollers, whatever).
2. Bring the citi mini stroller for 4 year old and a cheap umbrella to throw in the pouch under it and switch the girls between strollers when my big kid needs a break. I'm not even sure if the umbrella stroller would fit in the basket of the citi mini.

Other ideas? WWYD?

I would do number 1 that way you have a place for both kids in crowds leaving park all the way to up to your transportation and then to your room. if you rent a double offsite you have a place to store things when one is riding. check the prices offdite before you decide usually cheaper than Disney park rentals

 

[Agardini51]

We have a cheap double umbrella stroller. Works really well for our almost 5 year old and 3 year old. The only downside to it is the lack of any storage space, but it's super easy to maneuver and use. I think technically our 5 year old himself is over the total weight limit of it, but we've never had an issue.

 

[Minthorne]

Might I suggest leaving the kids at home? It's a well known fact that kids ruin Disney

JK

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Graco Roomfor2 Click Connect Stand and Ride Stroller

 

[DrummerAlly]

Might I suggest leaving the kids at home? It's a well known fact that kids ruin Disney

JK

LOL You and I are on the same page. We are already leaving our 22 month old at home. Can't find a babysitter for 3 kids under the age of 6 for a few days.

 

[DrummerAlly]

I would recommend two strollers instead of one double. We did it this way on my last trip and it ended up being really helpful to be able to split apart based on what each kid wanted to do, who had fallen asleep, etc. Also, this way you can have more flexibility in case your older one ends up not always needing the stroller (for example, if you’re going to another resort for dinner and want to bring your little one in a stroller for the walk or monorail ride, but your oldest can handle the short trip without stroller). I also found it easier to move single strollers through crowds than a double. Probably the biggest downside is that it would be pretty impossible for one of you adults to take both kids at once while the other does something else.

For my next trip, my oldest will be 6.5 and he usually can walk pretty far, so I’m planning on braving it with just one. But am also considering getting a roller board attachment for the younger one’s stroller for when he gets exhausted....but not sure if he’ll be way too big for that. Good luck!

Thanks for commenting that, definitely good food for thought.

 

[awoogala]

We did a lot of time with the strollers in larger sizes. loved using the mountain buggy jogging stroller (weights up past 100 lbs, 360 front wheel- I believe bobs is another that moves like that) this way little could ride/nap, older one could jump in if needed, generous space (but we had slim kids) they could share or take turns, folded in a sec, lightweight, great turn radius.
We also did the sit n stand stroller (which we got for free on a freecycle group /buy nothing group- good option to look at before traveling!). this way the older could "ride" on the back, standing, with mom pressed against him while pushing for physical feedback (if that works for that particular child).
We've also rented the single and double strollers, which were wonderful (if they work financially) - no struggling to put them on or off the buses, just show up to a new park, and get a new one- (with a receipt- cheaper if you prepay for days at the beginning of your week- )
Lots of room. - just have to realize, at the end of the day, kids are pooped, and it is sometimes a nightmare to get them from bus to room- (also suggest paying for a preferred room at any resort, if you can swing it).
I would never suggest umbrella strollers, because they cause awful back pain for a lot of kids with weak cores/lower muscle tone.
Full disclosure- no autism dx- but we have weak core/sensory issues/hypermobility/etc., etc. lots of overlap. good luck.