I have 2 DD's, who are now 7 y.o. & 3 y.o.
(almost 4), and we have taken our own single Combi, rented a City Mini Double, lugged our tandem Gracco from home, and went back to renting a City Mini Double. And, here's what my DH and I have learned:
-When our oldest DD was little (think 1-3 y.o.), we brought our own stroller. Our Combi was compact, lightweight, and if it had gotten stolen, it wasn't a huge loss. Also, the stroller was well needed in the airport, at least for us.
-When our 2nd DD came along, we invested in a tandem stroller and brought that along to WDW. However, it was heavy and got tossed around by the airline employees, which resulted in 4 lost cup holders
(no worries though, each cup holder was only $6 to replace). In total, we lugged that beast to WDW a total of 4 times
(with a double stroller rental in between)...once our oldest DD hit 40 lbs., we stopped bringing it.
-After stumbling across Kingdom Strollers' & Magic Strollers' websites, we've been renting doubles ever since...BEST DECISION EVER! Even though we'd have a double stroller waiting for us at our resort
(another great perk), we still brought a
cheaper umbrella stroller just for the airport...and then I invested in a Brica Roll n' Go, which attaches to a car seat & makes it a semi-stroller
(our youngest is too little to sit in an actual plane seat, so I've been bringing along her car seat to use on the plane ever since she turned 2...she's even too tiny for the CARES system).
(This was also the BEST DECISION EVER!)
DSC_0190 by journ116, on Flickr
DSC_1383 by journ116, on Flickr
With both stroller rental companies, we received a clean & operational stroller.
DSC_0153 by
journ116, on Flickr
Each came with a complimentary fabric cup holder console, which attaches to the handle. There is no belly bar or with-in-a-child's-reach cup holder available. The only problem I've had
(this is 1 out of 4 rentals), was when our stroller from Kingdom Strollers was delivered to the wrong resort
(that was a crazy trip of last-minute changes anyways). Since we arrived at 8 p.m., we really didn't mind that we didn't have a stroller, and it was re-delivered by 7 a.m. the next morning
(come to think of it, I should've requested a 1-night refund, but that's another story).
If you're at all worried about your stroller getting ruined or stolen, then renting is a much cheaper option. Airline employees are under a time crunch and they don't necessarily handle a passenger's item with care. And, the likelihood of your stroller getting stolen, well, is kind of low, but not completely absent. I would full-heartedly suggest in investing in the rental's insurance ($25), because it not only covers theft, but also damage to said stroller
(which happened to us...somehow I knicked the side of the stroller handle and popped off a button).
Before our first trip when we rented a City Mini Double, I went to a Babies R' Us and tested out a single one. I factored in the cost of buying our own, weighed it against the number of trips we'd be taking, the risk of an airline employee mishandling it, and the possibility of some ya-hoo stealing it (from anywhere), and I came to the conclusion it would just be cheaper to rent, not buy.
Two more things to consider: rent the rain cover & buy a clip on fan. The summer sun can be brutal and it does rain, often.
I know the above info is just shy of being a short novel, but I like to be thorough. I hope y'all have a great trip and enjoy the little moments as your little one sees WDW for the first time!
