My husband and I and our kids (7 & 14) will be at WDW on 12/30 - 1/6. I think we need to rent a stroller for my 7 year old just because it will be busy when we go and I will be able to keep track of her. My husband thinks it's waste of money and something we don't need to spend $ on. I have told him the stroller serves multiple purposes such as, holding stuff, saving our spot if we want to watch a parade, 7yr. old can sit and have a quick lunch while were walking to the next ride and I don't have to worry about her keeping up with us. My husband thinks it's a waste of time because he says we have to waste time looking for it after a ride in a sea of strollers. What should I do???? UGH!!!!!
Ah, the great stroller debate! There is no right or wrong answer to this, and frankly, it boils down to you knowing your child best. "Yes," kids have been able to tour WDW in years past sans stroller as young as 4...but let's face it, times they are a changing. The parks are bigger, there's more to see and do, and there's now a sea of people to swim thru.
Here's what we did on our last trip:
-Rented a double stroller for our DD's, 7 and almost 4 y.o. at the time
(June 2013). More often than not, our DD4 really needed the stroller, as she could not keep up our go-go pace & took a mid-day snooze. DD7 on the other hand, really only used the stroller to watch parades and shows from, to get from spot A to spot B faster than her little legs could take her, and to have a portable bench. DD7 is not lazy by any means and is an athletic child...it's just that my DH and I like to tour the parks a certain way, which we've since adapted when our children came along. We knew that she'd need a spot to fall back on, so why not make it moveable?
Here's what we're doing for our upcoming Feb. 2014 trip:
-Renting a single stroller for DD4, because DD7 will be 2 weeks shy of her 8th birthday, and enough is enough with the double for us. I'll be renting a stroller online, and it will be big enough to accommodate the older child should she need
a spot to rest for a moment or two. I foresee another change in our touring habits though...more benches or places to rest for a few. I have been conditioning DD7 for all the walking she'll be doing by incorporating even more exercise into her routine
(i.e. parking farther away from the grocery store, more outdoor play after school, and will add in a 1-2 mile walk on weekends). DD7 should be able to handle the touring, but we have alternatives if she can't.
Might I suggest possibly renting a single stroller when touring MK or EP if you're at all worried at how she'll handle the added walking? AK and DHS are definitely doable sans stroller. Be forewarned though: the rental strollers from Disney are made of a hard, durable plastic and cost $15/day or $13/day for multiple days...if you do the single day rental, but plan on park hopping, save your receipt and present it at the next park you're visiting so you don't have to pay again!
Pace yourselves, take a snack/drink break between meal times, keep your meal times consistent with what you have at home, and don't underestimate an empty bench in the shade!
Based on the dates of your trip, you'll be moving at a slower pace anyways due to crowd levels...send the older child and DH ahead to grab FP's
(if you haven't already scheduled ones <sighs heavily>), have a kung-fu grip on your child when navigating thru the larger crowds, tour early, take a mid-day siesta, and know your child's "I've had enough" signals!
Long of the short of it, you know yourselves and child best! Happy travels!
