How's That High Stroller Treatment?

[MousDad]

After the spring fever that struck the boards this past weekend, I thought the sane thing to do would be to start a new stroller thread.

So - it's been what, 2 or 3 weeks since the hike in stroller prices. How's that treating everyone so far?

CMs and APers: Have you noticed any difference yet? How are the walkways? Stroller parking lots looking any better? Seeing more personal strollers? Anyone renting doublewides anymore? Everyone's shins feeling better?

Family types: Has this impacted anyone's trip yet? Anyone forced to "tough it" because of the price hike? Were you caught off guard? Anyone not bothered by the price hike?

Seriously, I am curious if there's been any noticeable impact yet. I would love to hear anyone's observances.

I myself have to confess that come June, I'll be one of the "going to tough it" crowd. Don't know if I'll make it 7 days having to tote all the stuff and 1 kid at a time through the parks. I'll probably break down on the last day.

So if you see 2 small children pushing a grown man in a doublewide on June 16, stop and say "hi."

 

[coasterphil]

I haven't seen any difference in the number of strollers, but I don't think people would've been prepared for the change anyway. The real test will be how it looks in a few months when people could have prepared for it by bringing their own stroller.

 

[Mrs.PhD]

We go in a week and a half, but we always bring our own stroller.

I wonder if rental stroller theft is going to go up because people don't want to pay for them but still want to use them. :hammer:

 

[NewfieFan]

We go in a week and a half, but we always bring our own stroller.

I wonder if rental stroller theft is going to go up because people don't want to pay for them but still want to use them. :hammer:

Hmmmmm... never thought of that aspect, especially the people who rent them towards the end of the day. $31 is a lot to pay for a full day let alone part of a day!

You'll have to chain the strollers on now...

 

[Mrs.PhD]

Hmmmmm... never thought of that aspect, especially the people who rent them towards the end of the day. $31 is a lot to pay for a full day let alone part of a day!

You'll have to chain the strollers on now...

can't do that. CM really don't like it. Even personal strollers. They want to be able to move them around if they need too (and will often.) If your stroller is not where you left it, don't panic. Look around. They move them a lot.

 

[coasterphil]

Why bother stealing one when you can go to the front of the park and wait for someone who is going to return their's and just take it from them.

 

[havoc]

You'll have to chain the strollers on now...

please no... i dont want comm calling me for another idiot that chained their stroller to a fence.

while you're at it, please don't leave your bags unattended and PLEASE don't leave your 4 year old kid alone outside of space mountain while you ride it.

 

[NewfieFan]

can't do that. CM really don't like it. Even personal strollers. They want to be able to move them around if they need too (and will often.) If your stroller is not where you left it, don't panic. Look around. They move them a lot.

please no... i dont want comm calling me for another idiot that chained their stroller to a fence.

while you're at it, please don't leave your bags unattended and PLEASE don't leave your 4 year old kid alone outside of space mountain while you ride it.

It was a joke actually - I know you can't chain your stroller to anything!:wave:

How about if we leave our bags with the 4 year old (another joke)!:lookaroun

 

[havoc]

How about if we leave our bags with the 4 year old (another joke)!:lookaroun

lol, as long as you leave the bag open so we can see inside of it, and the kid has a cell phone number taped to his forehead.

 

[Erika]

So if you see 2 small children pushing a grown man in a doublewide on June 16, stop and say "hi."

:ROFLOL:

 

[Mrs.PhD]

lol, as long as you leave the bag open so we can see inside of it, and the kid has a cell phone number taped to his forehead.

Havoc, are you security? In my experience it seems like personal stroller theft if pretty rare. You do agree or am I living in a dream world?

 

[lac628]

One of our recent trips, we stayed at Pop. We noticed a small, cheaper stroller parked outside the doors to the check-in/food court building. I thought someone just parked it there, but it was in the same spot for a few days. I believe the owners went to walmart or something, bought a cheap $25-$30 stroller to use on their trip and then left it for someone else to use. They didn't want to cart it on a plane and it was MUCh cheaper than renting one every day. I can't blame them at all! We are lucky to live close, so we always bring our own. It's a pain on the busses, but I would never spend the money to rent one.

 

[MousDad]

I haven't seen any difference in the number of strollers, but I don't think people would've been prepared for the change anyway. The real test will be how it looks in a few months when people could have prepared for it by bringing their own stroller.

Interesting, I'm trying to interpret your statement. You haven't noticed a change, citing that people are not prepared to bring their own yet. So from that I infer that you have not seen a noticeable drop in rental strollers yet? From that I would infer that roughly the same # of people are still renting, therefore paying the new rates. Have I interpreted this correct?

If so, I'm surprised. I would have expected to see an immediate, very noticeable drop in the number of rental strollers, especially doublewides. I could see there being a gradual increase in the number of private strollers.

Thanks for your input. I would love to hear from someone else.

 

[magicmom1]

Well Phd I can tell you first hand that my strollers were stolen the first 10 minutes that I was in the park. We parked our brand new umbrella strollers with the help of the CM's outside of Philharmagic and when we came out they had not been moved they had been stolen!!!! They were replaced by 2 very old and disgusting strollers that someone has switched with theirs. The CM's said they didn't see anything unusual and we were forced to rent a double for the rest of the day. We went to the Contemporary for dinner that night and I had to spend $80 for 2 replacement strollers for the rest of our trip.

I can guarantee you that I WILL BE locking them to a pole on my trip next week!!! We talked to a security person who told us the many stories of this happening a lot more. I am not about to lose 2 more strollers and my father will be traveling with his own personal ECV and he has already bought a bike lock to make sure his $10,000 chair doesnt disappear while it is unattended too!!:brick:

 

[Master Yoda]

Interesting, I'm trying to interpret your statement. You haven't noticed a change, citing that people are not prepared to bring their own yet. So from that I infer that you have not seen a noticeable drop in rental strollers yet? From that I would infer that roughly the same # of people are still renting, therefore paying the new rates. Have I interpreted this correct?

If so, I'm surprised. I would have expected to see an immediate, very noticeable drop in the number of rental strollers, especially doublewides. I could see there being a gradual increase in the number of private strollers.

Thanks for your input. I would love to hear from someone else.

You have to remember that we are a very small minority in the realms of Disney guests. The average Disney guest had no idea that the stroller prices increased and are simply renting what they want or need.

 

[MousDad]

You have to remember that we are a very small minority in the realms of Disney guests. The average Disney guest had no idea that the stroller prices increased and are simply renting what they want or need.

So then all the excitement from the anti-stroller crowd about the price increase was one giant expulsion of hot air?

So far I am to infer that there's been no noticeable change, and the only winner has been Disney. Funny how it always works out that way.

 

[stitch131313]

You'll have to chain the strollers on now...

Somebody did that once. It was there all day.

 

[Master Yoda]

So then all the excitement from the anti-stroller crowd about the price increase was one giant expulsion of hot air?

So far I am to infer that there's been no noticeable change, and the only winner has been Disney. Funny how it always works out that way.

An explosion here generally amounts to nothing more than a snap n' pop in the real world. As a whole highly active members of sights like WDWMagic are better informed about the goings on at WDW then some of the front line CM's and are much more aware of negative changes. We know that chicken fingers changed to chicken chunks, we know that you can no longer find honey mustard at DHS, we know about the $3 surcharge on buffets during holidays, etc but we might only comprise 1% of the guests in the parks on any given day. The average guest is completely ignorant to these things and for the most part could care less.

 

[MousDad]

you mean, we...we...really don't matter?

Bwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!

 

[mbtohill]

Im curious if more rented strollers are being taken inside the park...in other words...if I rent a double and park it...what is to prevent someone else from taking it as their own? If that happens can I go back to the stroller rental location and get another one? I seem to remember getting a stamped recent so that if I leave and return I don't have to re-pay, I assume that would be true if my stroller was "stolen" too?