Old metal strollers at WDW

[FatBoy976]

I was reading the thread about double strollers when I had a memory. Does anyone remember the strollers at the parks in the early '80s? They had what my parents called ankle killers, these metal foot rests for the kids that stuck out about a foot from the stroller and about 6" off the ground? I remember being a kid in those strollers and seeing some people get clocked pretty good with those things. I think I thought it was pretty funny at the time.

On a side note to that, the whole stroller was blue cloth and metal. When you went over the bridge from Main Street to Adventureland, you would build up a ton of static electricity and the metal would shock the heck out of you. Ahh, the good old days... Anyone else remember this stuff or ride in these strollers?

 

[TimeTrip]

They had a top that would flip onto itself halfway too.. right?

 

[tigsmom]

I remember them well...I have a 2 inch scar on my right ankle that I received courtesy of a women who tried to beat me to the checkout in one of the shops in EPCOT.

 

[The Mom]

Yes! They were made of blue leatherette...waterproof, but got hot as hell when left in the sun! I always put a receiving blanket over the seat, and had me own system for clipping a lightweight sheet to drape over the front in hot weather, and drapped a poncho (with clips) in the rain. You also had to remember to flip the seat forward when you parked it, to keep it cool, and also to keep the seat dry if it rained while you were indoors. I used a light blanket in wintertime. Not only did it shield The Daughter from the elements, but it made a nice place for her to nap.

The back had a rectangular basket; the Magic Kingdom Club sent me a tote that fit perfectly inside it! I used it as a diaper bag. The top was strong enough to support a couple of light shopping bags.

I agree that they were killers, though! Got a few nicked ankles myself from others, and I suspect I may have given a few out! Sorry.

 

[The Mom]

I remember them well...I have a 2 inch scar on my right ankle that I received courtesy of a women who tried to beat me to the checkout in one of the shops in EPCOT.

Was that you? Just joking; I didn't bring it into the shops. I didn't do much shopping, period...not with a toddler. :lol:

 

[FatBoy976]

I forgot about the flip tops and the fact that the things got ridiculously hot in the sun. I wonder what they did with all those things when they retired them.

 

[Atta83]

Yeah, we got one on my trip in '87 and my parents took it back, they hated it. It was too hot for me to sit in and I walked around.

 

[rosebud's mom]

Somewhere out there is an army of blue 4-wheeled leg bruisers ! I seemed to always get the one with the defective flip-top ! Down when you wanted it up, up when you wanted it down.:lol:

 

[winterparkbaby]

I was a little sad this first time I showed up at the world and saw the old school blue faux leather strollers were gone. however, as a mother i was glad to see the new ones. only wished they had places for more storage. oh well.

 

[Tramp]

I'm not exactly sure of the date when they disappeared, but those strollers were still around in the mid 90s. My daughter recently confessed to me that she was traumatized by the sound and vibration they made as we passed over that little wood bridge going into Adventureland. :lol: Who da thunk it, right?

I have to say this about those strollers...they were built like tanks. :wave:

 

[diddy_mouse]

ah yes...the old metal strollers baking in the FL sun...dang those thing were hot! and also quite loud when cruising around the park, i remember sitting in one and couldn't really hear anything except the noise coming from the stroller. i think after that, my parents ended up bringing our own after my brother was born.

 

[signerdreams]

does anyone have any pictures of these strollers?

 

[SewIn2Disney]

I have quite a few pictures of me sitting in one back in Nov 87. Give me a bit and I'll get them online for you.

 

[figmentmom]

You can add me to the list of those scarred for life by those darned strollers! My ankles will never be the same :lol: . My kids were both in elementary school when we first started spending our vacations at WDW, so I never rented one myself. However, I learned rapidly to give every stroller a wide berth, especially if the parent pushing it had a homicidal glint in his or her eye...

 

[SewIn2Disney]

OK got them. Sorry in advance for the poor quality.
My scanner isn't working, so I used my digital camera to take a picture of a picture, and I turned off the flash, but my tripod wasn't handy blah blah blah...sorry if they are a little blurry/grainy.
This is the better of the two:
It's me and Donald, and a front view of the stroller. Kindly ignore my lady-like position.
http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/sho...07811050e5f0bb3ab23fffc&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

And this one is real bad. It's my mom and I in epcot, except in the picture, we are pinpoints so I zoomed in, but you get the basic shape of the stroller:

http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/sho...bb3ab23fffc&sort=1&size=medium&cat=500&page=1

Both of these were taken November 14, 1987.
I hope this helps!

 

[WDWScottieBoy]

Wow, those look like they could kill someone. Maybe the ones at WDW right now should have a huge foam pad around them so they don't hurt when you get hit. :lol:

 

[DisneyPhD]

I remember them. They were still using them when hubby and I started going to WDW (1996). I don't think I ever used one as a kid since I the one time we went whe I was 3 years old my 3 older brother's carried me around most of the time (actually swung me by there pinky fingers, ah fond memories.) Of course that would of been 1974. Do you think they had the same strollers from 1971 to 1997 or 98? Talk about making your money with them.

I wonder how much Disney researched them before coming up with that model. They do have there drawbacks.

 

[Atta83]

The strollers now should come with lights and horns.........o wait maybe they shouldnt ....LOL

 

[WDWScottieBoy]

The strollers now should come with lights and horns.........o wait maybe they shouldnt ....LOL

Ah yes, one more thing to bug the heck out of everyone. :lol: I can see some dumb parents turning their lights on during Wishes or Spectro. The horn, oh man, next time I'm at WDW, I'd need to take earplugs with me, especially when the kid isn't in the stroller, you know they'd be pressing that the WHOLE time.

Maybe a ban on strollers would be better, or the foam I mentioned earlier. :wave: :lol: