So why weren't there many strollers back in the day?

[xdan0920]

I think the appropriate age for the bolded description is probably 4 though YMMV. At age 4, my kid was doing 10-12 hour days at the park without any breakdowns. Honestly, if character meets are a priority, ages 4-5 are an ideal time to go. That is also an age where most kids have reached 40’ and thus can do most rides. Perhaps I’m just biased since I first took my daughter to Disney when she was 4 and she had a wonderful time with no issues... maybe other parents aren’t so lucky? Now, I can see how taking a 2 or 3 year old may be counterproductive. At the same time, waiting until your kid is almost a tween to go is just silly. There’s something to be said for going when your kid is still young enough to “believe in the magic,” so to speak.

I have taken my oldest son 3x, 7 months/3y/4y. I have taken my youngest once 9m. Every trip was fantastic. It's almost like people are different, and different things work for different people.

 

[NickMaio]

Kids are too protected now. Alot of parents won't let them outside on their own so these kids become like domesticated pets that don't know how to fend for themselves in the wild. As a result they stay inside watching TV, playing video games and hanging on the internet.

Back in the day even young young kids were outside playing everywhere and walking around Disneyland. If they became tired then the parent would pick them up. No stroller necessary.

Honestly - - I think that the reason is because of the kids not their parents. A very small group of paranoid parents - but mostly kids choose to stay in.
If homes shut down their wi-fi between the hours of 3 and 6 - - - the streets would be filled with kids again.

 

[xdan0920]

Honestly - - I think that the reason is because of the kids not their parents. A very small group of paranoid parents - but mostly kids choose to stay in.
If homes shut down their wi-fi between the hours of 3 and 6 - - - the streets would be filled with kids again.

I wish this were true.

 

[NormC]

Back in the day once kids entered grade school they no longer used strollers. Now you see 8-9 year old kids in strollers. Some may even be older. Mollycoddled children.

 

[LaughingGravy]

I know a family who goes multiple times a year and has since the kids were infants, but they bring their own parents and siblings with kids as well, so there is some switching off. They are teacher in NJ, so are now also limited to when NJ schools are out. I think they're nuts, but they have extended family and they do coordinate their vacations, so more power to them.
We have never taken a Disney vacation with other than our stereotypical 4 person"nuclear" family, aside from the marching band trip when they were older.
Sometimes I wish it happened with family members, but it didn't. I did meet my brother's family for a day once, when a business trip coincided. That was kind of cool.

We waited until both were able to walk all day. We stayed at value resorts, so the time to go back to the resort for a nap or whatever was simply not worth it, thus commando style. Getting a car was the best decision for the evenings, but that was before they started charging resort guests for parking. No other people, car a/c, our own music ( or just quiet!), no waiting for a bus...it was lovely.

Do an internet picture search for "huge kids disney strollers", then try not to come back here and rant about it. ( I struggle )
A lot of the problem comes from the footwear the kids are wearing. Flip flops, crocs, no socks. Another part is all of what I would call enablers in videos and other "tipster" web sites and books touting the best way to do Disney is to rent a stroller for your kid.
IMO, if the kid needs to bend their knees so their knees are higher than their hips for their feet to be on the stroller footrest, that's way too big, barring of course a legitimate disability.

 

[Andrew C]

Stop blaming the babies! It is the 12 year olds in strollers that is the issue.

 

[Kingoglow]

...We bought a home in a safe neighborhood... [/snip]This is actually one of the "better neighborhoods" in town.

The part that I snipped out makes the rest of this seem untrue. I think that you got sold a line.

My first trip I was eight years old, my brother was six. No strollers back then, we wore our Kangaroo shoes and socks up to the top of our shins. We both had a few dollars in the niffy pockets in our shoes and we were allowed to go off on our own, away from our parents, to explore the park for the day.

We had agreed upon meeting times and places. Neither my brother nor I wore watches. We just asked people what time it was. And we didn't know our way around, or know exactly where the selected meeting spots were. We just asked people that as well. No phones or nothing.

And as such, a 6-8 years old being pushed around in a stroller has an extreme negative response from me.

 

[Patcheslee]

The part that I snipped out makes the rest of this seem untrue. I think that you got sold a line.

I would think that too but I grew up in this neighborhood as well. Part of the reason we bought a place here. Unless I want a 250K McMansion. Meth heroin is now epidemic in this town.

 

[Paper straw fan]

I think the appropriate age for the bolded description is probably 4 though YMMV. At age 4, my kid was doing 10-12 hour days at the park without any breakdowns. Honestly, if character meets are a priority, ages 4-5 are an ideal time to go. That is also an age where most kids have reached 40’ and thus can do most rides. Perhaps I’m just biased since I first took my daughter to Disney when she was 4 and she had a wonderful time with no issues... maybe other parents aren’t so lucky? Now, I can see how taking a 2 or 3 year old may be counterproductive. At the same time, waiting until your kid is almost a tween to go is just silly. There’s something to be said for going when your kid is still young enough to “believe in the magic,” so to speak.

Oh yeah, now if I said “wait till 11” that would be nuts. There’s only a short window in the grand scheme of things to make some lasting childhood memories there- I get that some will even err on the too young side for this reason- but yeah, no reason to wait in that case!

 

[networkpro]

I was 8 when I first came to the Magic Kingdom. I also never was in a stroller as my parents and grandparents didn't believe in them, if you were old enough to go somewhere public, you did so under your own locomotion. Same generation of parents who made you go outside and play regularly to both burn off excess energy and to build muscle and endurance.

 

[LaughingGravy]

The four-year-olds who are still pushed around in prams

Jayne Warner, 26, left and Laura Cornwall, 31, say keeping their sons buggy-bound makes their lives easier.

www.dailymail.co.uk

This is an example of how it is bad parenting..." 'Something that takes me 20 minutes with him in a pushchair will take 40 minutes if I don’t use it.'


and.....
Laura, from Southampton, admits she did attempt to ditch the pushchair when Oscar was two and she was pregnant with their younger son Lewis. But she gave up after the first attempt.
'I tried to bribe Oscar to our local shops with sweets. He threw a tantrum and it became clear he wasn't going to do it.
'I decided never to try to force him again. He was upset and it's my job as a parent to protect him.'

Then DON'T HAVE KIDS!!!

Just reminds me of a certain Roald Dahl story and a candy making factory.

 

[xdan0920]

I was 8 when I first came to the Magic Kingdom. I also never was in a stroller as my parents and grandparents didn't believe in them, if you were old enough to go somewhere public, you did so under your own locomotion. Same generation of parents who made you go outside and play regularly to both burn off excess energy and to build muscle and endurance.

Didn’t believe in strollers huh? Well, I hate to break it to you and them, but they surely do exist. I have seen them.

 

[Astro_Digital]

People are lazy and bad parents today. Give the kid a cell phone, game console and ignore the kid.
When we were kids we walked or Mom carried us.

 

[drizgirl]

People are lazy and bad parents today. Give the kid a cell phone, game console and ignore the kid.
When we were kids we walked or Mom carried us.

So your mom carried you around Disney?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I was 8 when I first came to the Magic Kingdom. I also never was in a stroller as my parents and grandparents didn't believe in them, if you were old enough to go somewhere public, you did so under your own locomotion. Same generation of parents who made you go outside and play regularly to both burn off excess energy and to build muscle and endurance.

Per your profile, you're 55 years old. The reason you weren't in a stroller wasn't because of any defiant stand by your parents and grandparents. It's because modern compact strollers didn't exist when you were a baby. Strollers then were expensive, heavy, and bulky.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Oh yeah, now if I said “wait till 11” that would be nuts. There’s only a short window in the grand scheme of things to make some lasting childhood memories there- I get that some will even err on the top young side for this reason- but yeah, no reason to wait in that case!

We've been bringing my daughter since she was six months old. I know she doesn't remember it but Mom and I had fun and we can afford it so who cares?

If you're only going to go to WDW once, I agree you should wait until the kids are older. But if you go often, take the kids when they're a baby AND when they're a toddler AND when they're a preschooler and on and on.

 

[OneofThree]

Per your profile, you're 55 years old. The reason you weren't in a stroller wasn't because of any defiant stand by your parents and grandparents. It's because modern compact strollers didn't exist when you were a baby. Strollers then were expensive, heavy, and bulky.

Not so much. My sister and I were 8 and 9 when we started going, and a stroller was as unwanted and needless at that age then as it is now. Commando every day no problem. Loved it. We did have one for my 1 year old sibling, howevern but I don't think such a thing is in question here.

 

[networkpro]

Per your profile, you're 55 years old. The reason you weren't in a stroller wasn't because of any defiant stand by your parents and grandparents. It's because modern compact strollers didn't exist when you were a baby. Strollers then were expensive, heavy, and bulky.

Umm no. Dad was a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and a Korean War veteran. You will have a purpose and you will not slack

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Not so much. My sister and I were 8 and 9 when we started going, and a stroller was as unwanted and needless at that age then as it is now. Commando every day no problem. Loved it. We did have one for my 1 year old sibling, howevern but I don't think such a thing is in question here.

Who puts an 8 or 9 year old in a stroller? They don't even come that large unless they're specially designed for special needs children.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Umm no. Dad was a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and a Korean War veteran. You will have a purpose and you will not slack

Umm no. Dad was a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and a Korean War veteran. You will have a purpose and you will not slack

At age 2? That seems... excessive haha.