How Old Were You When The Parents Kicked The Stroller To The Curb

rsoxguy

Well-Known Member
Certainly seems that way.

Lazy parents breeding even lazier kids.

Pathetic.



Hey, I resent that statement. Why, just the other day me and my Dad took a father and son trip to WDW. Oh, the fun we had as I yelled the words, “faster Daddy, faster”, while Dad rushed through the park to buy me an ice cream cone. “Son, you’ll always be my little man”, he said, as I licked at the cone and waited for Dad to stop wheezing. Yes, the stroller is one of the things that keeps us together, and helps us to share special days at Disney World. I have no shame in being carried through the parks in my wonderful, magical stroller. In fact, I’ll post a picture bellow of us in the Magic Kingdom parking lot to prove what a great thing the stroller can be:


adult-stroller.jpg
 

jjnshane

Active Member
The first Disney trip I remember my cousin and I were both 4 -- there was no stroller for either one of us -- I do remember sitting on a lot of planters though!

Now We live locally and have been annual passholders since my daughter (now 9) was 2 years old. Our viewpoint is a little skewed since we never tried to fit all of the World into one vacation -- we would pick one park and spend about four hours there then go home and come back and do it again in a week or two.

I learned very quickly what a pain in the patootie lugging a stroller around really was -- especially since my daughter wanted to walk everywhere to experience it all, so it was really me driving an empty stroller from one parking lot to another -- not to mention folding it up and fitting it on the trams!

By the time my daughter was 3 1/2 the stroller stayed at home (in the attic) and when she was tired of walking, we went home. Now she will walk, skip and dance all over the parks almost all day long.
 

mrerk

Premium Member
The last trip that we used a stroller my son was just shy of 4. By the next trip a year later he was done with the stroller.
 

riogirl

Active Member
I think it depends on your child. Everyone knows how far and long your child could walk. My son is 6 when we go in August and I will for sure use a stroller. It makes it easier for us when he does get tired because who is going to carry a 35 lb kid in Florida heat? He will probably only use it when he is tired anyway. Do you realize how much walking Disney is for an adult, let alone a child? I am not saying that 10 year olds should be in strollers, but 5,6,7, I think is fine.

I don't think it's nice to talk about the laziness of children on here and blame parents for using strollers. If you pay good money to go on a vacation, just do what YOU want and do NOT listen to some of these people on this forum, you know your child and judge from that. Good luck!:)
 

njDizFan

Well-Known Member
35 lb 6 year old?? I know there are some extremes examples...but??

Why would you carry a six year old anyway, what about sitting for a few minutes??

I know these threads can get ugly fast, so I'm sorry if I started with the flame war.
 

Tomi-Rocket

Well-Known Member
too much pampering.....

On our first family trip back in '05 my younger son was 4. No stroller. My idea is - at the end of the day the kids are supposed to be as worn out as I am!

I do have a friend who got strollers for her girls who were either 7 & 9 or 6 & 8 at the time of that trip. I figured they (both the kids and the parents) looked absolutely ridiculous with kids that big actually being pushed by their parents in the strollers.

People "baby" and or pamper their kids much too much these days.
 

becanya

New Member
I think it depends on your child. Everyone knows how far and long your child could walk. My son is 6 when we go in August and I will for sure use a stroller. It makes it easier for us when he does get tired because who is going to carry a 35 lb kid in Florida heat? He will probably only use it when he is tired anyway. Do you realize how much walking Disney is for an adult, let alone a child? I am not saying that 10 year olds should be in strollers, but 5,6,7, I think is fine.

I don't think it's nice to talk about the laziness of children on here and blame parents for using strollers. If you pay good money to go on a vacation, just do what YOU want and do NOT listen to some of these people on this forum, you know your child and judge from that. Good luck!:)


I have to agree with this. We have two kids...2 and 5 on the last trip. We never do a double stroller, but we do take two umbrella strollers that fold up tiny in our hotel room. The only time we use them are for our long days at the parks. This is the way I think of it personally. We get the deluxe dining plan and even eating that much food I still lost weight on the last trip because we walked so much. Now I am a very short 5 ft 2 inch gal...but my five year old's legs are way way shorter than my mini legs. He walks a lot, and we take frequent breaks, but if he needs to rest in the stroller while we are walking from the entrance of Epcot to Tutto Italia, no one should judge us for using a stroller. WDW is super hot, super big, and super crowded. I like knowing where my children are instead of having a panic attack every 2 seconds thinking I have lost them. There are times walking through that crowd that it's easy to get separated. When it gets crazy, I park the kids in the strollers and navigate knowing where they are. I applaud the parents who have marathon kids that can walk 7 miles a day and make it! :sohappy: But I don't have anything to prove on my Disney trip except that I'm there to have fun. If I need a stroller to do it, that's what I'll be using...regardless of the mean comments.

And in answer to the original poster...I don't remember EVER riding in a stroller. In fact...I remember as a 10 year old carrying my 1 year old brother on vacations cause my parents didn't believe in strollers. Different strokes for different folks.
 

Dwarful

Well-Known Member
Well, we just got back from our trip on Sunday. Our girls are way beyond the stroller stage...but I felt the need to add my two cents. Personally, I'd rather see the toddlers in the stroller than getting knocked over and hurt by people rushing here and there. Seems to me that the human race has lost all common courtesy...pushing, shoving, etc., As far as the older kids are concerned...I have no concern what others do on their vacation...if they get pleasure from pushing a 6 yr old in a stroller so they know where that child is and they can see more of the parks during their visit good for them. The one thing I'd like to see Disney really get rid of is the rolling coolers. I thought they weren't allowed but this trip they were everywhere...which made it hard to navigate in crowded areas.
 
I think my youngest was in Kindergarten, so she must have been 5 when we stopped taking it. We had stopped using it at home a long before that. We were really worried how she would do without it, and she did fine. We never had a problem. If she got tired, we would carry her a little. I think that is some of the problem - some parents think the kids can go at their pace and last all day. You have to slow down for little kids. They won't tire out nearly as fast when you slow down and take breaks.

We even commented on our last trip how glad we are not to have to load the stoller up anymore.

Before we stopped using the stoller, my older son and neice would climb in to be silly when she wasn't using it. So you may have saw them acting like goof balls.
 

LilSuzy

Member
My kiddos were 7,5, and 2 last June. The only one in the stoller was my 2 year old. The girls are old enough to walk, if they complained they were tired we'd ride the dark rides or stop and have ice cream , even let them play in the water where the tiki's spew water out by aladdin's magic carpets :). If it got too bad we left and went swimming....maybe thats what they really wanted...:lookaroun
 

accord99cutie

Premium Member
My DD used the stroller every day on the trip when she was 3 1/2, then the trip a year later (4 1/2 yrs old) we purchased length of stay stroller rentals and we only used a stroller 3 out of 7 days. This trip our DD will be over 6, and we will have a 1yr old with us. He will obviously be in a stroller, and we will take the left over stroller rental tickets from last trip incase DD feels the need to have a stroller on a few days. We take long walks here at home, but walking at home is completely different than touring the parks day after day for 7-10+ days at a time. If she needs one this trip a few evenings then we will get her one. We would way rather let her get a little rest in as we cross the park than have her dragging herself and whining about how her feet hurt. A happy child is a happy parent, which in turn makes a happy vacation! (Also less whining for other vacationers to hear!)
 

riogirl

Active Member
35 lb 6 year old?? I know there are some extremes examples...but??

Why would you carry a six year old anyway, what about sitting for a few minutes??

I know these threads can get ugly fast, so I'm sorry if I started with the flame war.

Excuse me??? What kind of comment is this?? Why is a 35 lb 6 year old an extreme example? You made this thread ugly. If a 6 year old ( who actually is a CHILD) gets tired from walking miles in Disney wants to be carried at the end of the day, etc...is this an extreme situation? I see adults who are beyond worn out when they are walking around in 95 degree heat no matter how many "breaks" People need to stop being so judgmental on this forum and let people be...I am on vacation and I can give a hoot about who likes it if my 6 year old is in a stroller....and by the way...you never saw parents leaving the park at night carrying a sleeping kid???? 6 years old is a CHILD!
 

ScoutN

OV 104
Premium Member
Original Poster
I am actually regretting no submitting a poll with the conception of this thread. Interesting replies nonetheless. Seems to be a sensitive area with a few people. When my siblings and I grew worn on the trips back in my youngin' years (yes I said youngin' years and I am 21) my father just put us on his shoulder and we were good to go. Viewing some home videos of the trips it seems as if we never had any issues. If any of the three of us would have had trouble it would have been I; as I am 4+ inches shorter than my siblings.

Dare I ask though to those of you whose children are successful out of a stroller at 4-6. Do you frequently go on walks or visit other theme parks on a regular basis? I remember nightly my entire family going on walks down my street and eventually around the entire neighborhood (~2.5/3 miles). I feel as I can attribute that as well as beyond regular visits to Busch Va as the reasoning to our freedom of the four-wheeled ankle biter.

I bet a "how many ECV's do you spot on a trip" thread would be real interesting.
 

Bri1121

New Member
I dont know -strollers never bothered me or who was in them. I now have kids and last trip we had a double stroller. Kids were 15 months and 4. The baby used it almost always and the 4 yr old sometimes. The 4 yr old napped in it once. This time the youngest is 3 and we are bringing one for him. And if it happens that my 6 yr old wants to sit in then so be it.

Next trip we will probably be without a stroller and I will miss it for carrying my stuff!! Ha!

I agree my 6 yr old is still a child!! We will carry her if needed. We are going in August and it will be hot. And although we all walk together most nights, its cool and we have not been walking for days!! We do about 2 miles. She at 5 yrs old almost walked the whole March of Dimes walk with us!! But again it was one day!!
 

graphite1326

Well-Known Member
I think it depends on your child. Everyone knows how far and long your child could walk. My son is 6 when we go in August and I will for sure use a stroller. It makes it easier for us when he does get tired because who is going to carry a 35 lb kid in Florida heat? He will probably only use it when he is tired anyway. Do you realize how much walking Disney is for an adult, let alone a child? I am not saying that 10 year olds should be in strollers, but 5,6,7, I think is fine.

I don't think it's nice to talk about the laziness of children on here and blame parents for using strollers. If you pay good money to go on a vacation, just do what YOU want and do NOT listen to some of these people on this forum, you know your child and judge from that. Good luck!:)

So you are one of THOSE parents. GREAT.
 

graphite1326

Well-Known Member
I got kicked out of the stroller around 2 1/2? It's been a few years (I'm 59).
I honestly don't think the children are lazy... I believe it's a combination of parents that are over protective, and really FAT (read "Sumo Toddler") children. Fortunately, Nature has it's own way of dealing with this problem....

54 year old here. Never had a stroller when I was a kid. I remember going to NY worlds fair (ya know the one Walt brought out CoP, and SW). Walked all day for week. Never needed a stroller. I took my kids t WDW when my youngest was 6. NO STROLLER. We didn't take breaks and had a great time. I did, however, have to carry my youngest back to our resort a few evenings. He fell asleep in my arms. It was great.
 

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