Stroller Dilemma: WDW w/ 3 mo & 17 mo old

[taylorfamily816]

Hey all! My DH and I are taking our two sons who are (just turned) 3 months and 17 months to WDW in 10 days. My older son went at 5 months, so we have experience with taking a little, tiny one, but this is our first time with two - especially two who are so young! SO our dilemma is this: We have a double stroller and we have a single stroller. Our double stroller is one that stacks and it is SO bulky! I've been to WDW 6x and DH has been 20+x so I know how tight things can be (they generally aren't because Disney is so family friendly, but there are moments) and steering that huge stroller through a gift shop sounds less than appealing, and to be honest, I also hate not being able to see my toddler in front while the baby is sleeping in his carseat in back AND it's hard to see past - I'm afraid I'll hit another kid! I baby wear some and my son enjoys it. I have a Moby and a sling and my DH has a front backpack carrier. We're debating taking our single stroller and wearing our baby all day. I'm thinking this will keep my son sleeping more and happier than being in his car seat and I'm liking the idea of my toddler being in a smaller stroller. My fears in leaving the double behind are... when we're solo with both kids (bathroom trips or if we ride a ride on our own briefly) and when we're in restaurants (like if the baby wants independence and to look around... but we can't bring the stroller in and there's not a reclining high chair).

So does anyone have experience with this great to bring or to not bring my double stroller debate? I mentioned to DH we could check the single stroller (flying SW so it's free) and take the double through the airport and then we'd have both. He's afraid the stroller would get seriously jacked up in the transit and would useless or damaged by the time it made it to our room at Disney. That scenario would be perfect though because then we could play it by ear when we got there!

Thanks for the tips you have!

 

[erstwo]

I think I would go with option #3 - a rental stroller. That just complicates things more doesn't it? Sorry!

I'm telling you, I never would have had a side by side stroller 'in real life.' I mean, you can't even push the thing between the clothing racks at the mall. But once I rented one for a WDW trip, there was no looking back. Those long front/ back doubles are for the birds. They are impossible to steer and like you said, total ankle bashers. :lol: Those City Strollers that are rented by Orlando Stroller rentals and/ or Kingdom Strollers are amazing and worth every penny. Seriously, they steer like a dream, have huge shade covers. Babies sleep in them for hours. I could go on and on.

But I realize that might not even be something you want to consider, so I did want to say this: I think if you needed to bring in the single stroller to keep your younger one happy, most places will let you. I know you can't always count on it, and I know there are some cases where it could be dangerous (blocks the aisle, fire hazard type things) but I can't tell you how many times I've seen passed out babies/ young kids still sleeping in their strollers at Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace, etc. Where the host/ hostess just let them bring the stroller in for the sake of the parents. So, if a high chair wouldn't work, and you really needed the stroller, I bet they'd work with you.

I hope you have a fantastic trip!!!

 

[bmarkelon]

I definitely agree with the above suggestion. The rental will be your absolute best solution. I brought a carrier for our then 7 month old on an October trip and didn't end up using it much. She was a little heavier and the weather was warmer than you have going down so it could work better for you guys especially with your husband sharing the task.
If you search back I know I have seen lots of stroller debate threads. Have a magical trip!

 

[santo38035]

I agree with the comments thus far. However, please becareful if you plan on keeping the baby in a carrier (i.e., Baby Bjorn) on yuor chest. It will be a tough job keeping the baby out of the sun.

Have fun and enjoy the trip!

 

[MichWolv]

Your husband is worried about the single stroller getting damaged if you check it. My war story is that the only stroller I've ever had damaged in transit was when I didn't check it, but just dropped it at the plane like normal. The stroller you drop at the end of the jetway still wind up in the cargo hold, and the idiot baggage handlers can still toss them around and break them. That happened to us on a trip to WDW, and we did NOT have a backup plan. Getting through MCO was almost impossible with no stroller, but the trip was fine after we bought a new stroller the next day.

Given that, you might guess that I vote for bringing both -- one checked and the other left at the jetway. That way you have a backup if goofball baggage handlers damage one. And if they don't, you have the ability to be flexible.

When I took my son at 3 months, we did some baby bjorning from time to time, but it was critical to have the bucket seat available so that we could put him down and eat in restaurants, and transfer him from car to stroller without waking him up. I wouldn't want to try it without that available for him.

 

[Laura]

Having used an assortment of strollers back in the day, I found the easiest way to roam the parks with 2 little ones is to have 2 small strollers PLUS a snugli/bjorn type thing for the times when 1 parent has both kids at once (if the other is on a ride, in the bathroom, etc). A lightweight, reclining, shaded, umbrella stroller would be ideal. The red and black ones they sell for $40 or so right at WDW are awesome (my sister bought one in November for her baby). For the infant I see people all the time with those wheeled carts that snap onto the bottom of the carseat and take up no space at all. Kinda like this: http://www.akidplace.com/v/vspfiles/photos/101303MB-2.jpg I think that would be great at the parks (though a pain to fold/unfold for trams/buses).

 

[docdebbi]

i sooo agree with 2 single strollers. we do lots of different parks- not just WDW- with 2 kids under 3 all the time. we have tried both ways. forget getting it there, as you said, moving that thing through a crowd/store/monorail is a nightmare. we have stopped trying, and take 2 regular strollers. that way you can split up more easily too. one take the small one to get a nap/diaper change, the other get the bigger one on a ride, etc
the only time it is difficult is in the airport trying to get your luggage out to the car because 2 people can't push 2 strollers and pull luggage. so one takes luggage out while the other entertains the little ones. or you baby bjorn the little one, while dad puts the strollers AND luggage on a luggage cart. other than airport we find it much easier. as far as breakage, agree with above poster, you never know when or where the airline will damage your property. it's a crapshot either way! fact of life

 

[journ116]

I feel your plight and my little family and I have tried all three scenarios. But here's one more suggestion:
Option #4: Bring your single and gate check it, AND rent a double from one of the many reputable stroller rentals, AND bring your Moby wrap or Bjorn. This way, you'll have your travel thru the airports covered and for times that you really only need that single stroller (i.e. an evening at Downtown Disney, a stroll thru your resort, etc.).

Echoing one of the previous posters, a side-by-side City Mini stroller (which we rented from Magic Strollers), was SOOOO much nicer than pushing our tandem Gracco stroller, hands down! Granted we had more storage space in our tandem, but we'll take sanity over space any day of the week! We experienced option #4 when our daughters were 4 & 1, which worked out just fine (I pushed the stroller and carried our youngest in the Moby wrap, while my husband took care of the luggage and diaper bag).

One last option: I've seen many people bring 2 single umbrella strollers and then tie them together while walking thru the parks, etc. I haven't tried it, and probably won't get a chance to since my oldest can now walk most of the time, but thought it was a good idea.

I'm sure whatever you and your family come up with will work, and if it doesn't, you can cross that off your list and try something new the next time! It's all about trial and error! Enjoy the adventure and have a magical vacation!:wave:

 

[EcstaticMom]

Renting a stroller is the wisest thing you can do. This eliminates all the hassles of carrying and hauling your own strollers. When we visited Orlando to take the kids to the theme parks, we rented our strollers at Baby Wheels Orlando. They are super accommodating and even gave us a discount for a 7-day rent. The best thing is that delivered and picked them up upon arriving and when we were leaving. Also in terms of the functionality and ease of use, their strollers works pretty well. We didn't had a hard time pushing it around the crowd. I recommend it.

 

[EcstaticMom]

Stroller rental in Orlando

Renting a stroller is the wisest thing you can do. This eliminates all the hassles of carrying and hauling your own strollers. When we visited Orlando to take the kids to the theme parks, we rented our strollers at Baby Wheels Orlando. They are super accommodating and even gave us a discount for a 7-day rent. The best thing is that delivered and picked them up upon arriving and when we were leaving. Also in terms of the functionality and ease of use, their strollers works pretty well. We didn't had a hard time pushing it around the crowd. I recommend it.