stroller or no stroller?

[JeffnPa]

We are going back to WDW 3rd time since 2004. We now have 3 kids ages 9,7,5. We are choosing not to do the stroller thing this year for now. We have left the idea open to renting one in the middle of the week depending on how the kids are reacting. we are also renting a locker for items and hope to not have to rent a stroller. Thoughts by anyone as to this plan???

 

[dopeylover]

3 is still pretty young to walk an entire park daily, even with a break! I have an extremely social, energetic 3 year old myself, but I know that at some point in the day she'd want a stroller, and I am certainly not carrying her through the parks! Personally, I think you may be setting yourself up for a tantrum and/or a LONG walk to Guest Services to reserve one after a long day. Plus, it's less expensive to rent outside of WDW. I'd go ahead and rent the stroller, Magic Strollers is great, they have free delivery to the resorts, and you can even get a double in case the 5 year old gets too tired as well. In 'real' life I wouldn't have a 4 or 5 year old in a stroller, but WDW is a totally different story. When we go next Dec. our kids will be 4 1/2 and 14 months, and we're bringing our double stroller. Have a great time whatever you do!

 

[flynnibus]

We are going back to WDW 3rd time since 2004. We now have 3 kids ages 9,7,5. We are choosing not to do the stroller thing this year for now. We have left the idea open to renting one in the middle of the week depending on how the kids are reacting. we are also renting a locker for items and hope to not have to rent a stroller. Thoughts by anyone as to this plan???

5 should be fine... it's right at the line where they will likely tire out from the full days, but you are probably going to just require some adjustments for breaks (sitting vs walking) vs subcuming to the stroller. The freedom is worth the times you will need to sit for a bit.

Bring a small backpack or oversided handbag for storage.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

While every child is different, I'm leaning towards no stroller. My girls were 4 and 7 on their last trip and it was our first totally stroller free trip to WDW. Our 7 yr old is almost the same size as our then 4 year old and the 4 year old is a really wiry build...so I was a bit worried...but all was good. The girls were definitely beat at the end of the night and complained a little, but they made it. Honestly, it was so liberating to be stroller free.

 

[RandomPrincess]

We did no stroller for 2 mornings with our kids at 2 and 4 years. But they need it in the afternoon and later into the week.

 

[Uncle Orville]

My mom wasn't going to rent a stroller when we went our first time. I was 5 and my sister was 7. She was not going to push us around. She made us walk which was fine, we didn't complain at all, says my mom. She said it creates more problems than its worth. If we needed a break then we would just sit for a little bit.

 

[kma71677]

No stroller!! You can do so much more without it, and will be happy you ditched it by the end of the week. Backpacks are the way to go!

 

[3Caballeros]

Stroller. Not only does it rest weary little legs but if you will need jackets, it can hold them while you ride. We have a small stroller with a basket underneath and it holds a small cooler for drinks. And if our daughter is walking, we can put the backpack in the stroller to give our backs a rest.

 

[MaryJaneP]

No Stroller. Imagine the liberation that goes without having to navigate the walkways with one, or having to try to find one after riding that ride, only to find that the CMs have moved it in the stroller parking area? Incalculably better.

One of the greater things that go along with your kids getting older is being stroller free. I think the youngest (5) should be able to do it but you may need to slow down and take breaks to accommodate the kids. Heck, we enjoy a break from traversing the parks every so often and we are rapidly approaching grandparenthood.

 

[HRHPrincessAriel]

Our kiddo will 3.5 when we go. I think we will take a small umbrella stroller with us and go from there. When we go to our zoo she just wants to walk so we've started leaving it in the car. We probably will leave in room the 1st day and let that be our gage.

 

[flynnibus]

Our kiddo will 3.5 when we go. I think we will take a small umbrella stroller with us and go from there. When we go to our zoo she just wants to walk so we've started leaving it in the car. We probably will leave in room the 1st day and let that be our gage.

Umbrella is the way to go for those who are mobile. It's smaller footprint makes moving with it easy, and it's lightweight and easy storage make it suitable for on the bus, in the car, etc. Plus, no worries if it disappears because it's not some $200 eddie bauer thing. The stroller is there for when the small one needs a break.. and you can make it go away when you want it to.

 

[rnese]

We went with a 4 1/2 year-old and an 8 year-old. It just depends on how long you plan on being in the parks. When we went to the MK, the boys wanted to be there for the rope drop in the morning until the fireworks. We brought a stroller. Even though the 4 1/2 year-old is a trooper and is determined to keep up with his older brother, he needed the stroller from time to time just to unwind. Plus, it's a great place to store purchases, water bottles, ponchos, cameras, etc. As much as I hated getting that thing on and off the bus, it came in handy while in the parks.

 

[G8rchamps]

We are still stroller people for the storage and because we do long park days.

 

[HRHPrincessAriel]

Umbrella is the way to go for those who are mobile. It's smaller footprint makes moving with it easy, and it's lightweight and easy storage make it suitable for on the bus, in the car, etc. Plus, no worries if it disappears because it's not some $200 eddie bauer thing. The stroller is there for when the small one needs a break.. and you can make it go away when you want it to.

thats our exact reasoning!

 

[Gomer]

You can always hedge your bets. My youngest is three. On our last trip we brought an umbrella stroller and used it for MK, DAK, and Epcot but skipped it at DHS. Sort of working him up to the task at the smallest park.

On our next trip he will be 4 ½. My intent is to bring the umbrella stroller and try leaving it in the hotel room unless we are going to DAK (with the long walking trails) or doing World Showcase ( I mean even I wish I had a stroller there from time to time). Maybe if he’s looking tired, we’ll bring the stroller into MK for the long walk form the bus stop but stash at the Tangled bathrooms and tour the parks without it for a few hours. (The bathroom stroller parking in Fantasyland always seems the most secure to me since it has a dedicated area. The parking between the Land and the Seas at Epcot also works for stashing) I hope to eliminate the stroller completely by the time he is 5-6 yrs old.

Long story short…no reason it has to be all or nothing.

 

[6laurac]

We took our mini city in May for our almost three year old and she used it far more than we thought. Because it is her regular one, it was like her area of retreat. I'd take one for the youngest child for sure, can't hurt. I would take one you already have, if you have one.

 

[Minnie1976]

We are going back to WDW 3rd time since 2004. We now have 3 kids ages 9,7,5. We are choosing not to do the stroller thing this year for now. We have left the idea open to renting one in the middle of the week depending on how the kids are reacting. we are also renting a locker for items and hope to not have to rent a stroller. Thoughts by anyone as to this plan???

I'd get one for the 5 year old. I went with my 3 grandchildren ages 2 4's and 5. The older children could do without one, but I would recommend one for the 5 year old. My son rented one from somewhere in Orlando and it was delivered to the hotel. I never saw stroller fold up so easy or quickly. This is funny but they struggled at first closing it in the room before they used it in public. Then they realized all they had to do was pull the middle strap and the whole thing collapsed.

 

[JeffnPa]

thanks all, it is going to be a judgement call by the middle of the week. we are staying for 9 day but also plan a mid week break in between , stay at the pool relax, so this may help.

 

[Todd L]

We stopped using the stroller a few year back...I Think My son was 6 when we stopped. It was nice to have it in case he got tired and we also use it to carry our stuff.

The issue with us was that Our Daughter is 11 years older than My son..she would be wide awake and ready to go and the little guy would be exhausted.

Now that hes a little older its become easier. We take frequent breaks and spend plenty of time In the Pool . Good luck.

 

[Weather_Lady]

We are going back to WDW 3rd time since 2004. We now have 3 kids ages 9,7,5. We are choosing not to do the stroller thing this year for now. We have left the idea open to renting one in the middle of the week depending on how the kids are reacting. we are also renting a locker for items and hope to not have to rent a stroller. Thoughts by anyone as to this plan???

It's a great plan and I hope it works for you! Not being tied to a stroller is a blessed relief.

We went with our 4 and 6-year-olds in 2012. We purposely waited until they were old enough that they did NOT need a stroller! We also started taking family walks after dinner in the weeks before we left, so they could get used to a little more time on their feet.

After getting to WDW, the daily schedule was: tour a park from rope drop to noon, have lunch, go back to our resort for a long nap, and then return to a park from about 4pm - 8:30pm. (They don't nap at home anymore, but nobody complained about taking a nap on our vacation -- all four of us got one every day!) This meant that our kids' usual wake-up and bedtimes were not significantly altered, and they got a good rest in the afternoon. (We saved the fireworks for our last night, when we all stayed up late.)

Although our touring pace while in the parks was quite fast, the kids walked/ran/skipped through the parks every day with no problems and we didn't regret our decision not to bring a stroller for a second. To the contrary, we felt much more free and relaxed.