Stroller Question...Please Help!

[artvandelay]

We're taking our 22 month old son to WDW May 4 thru the 10th and had some questions about stroller rentals:

1 Can you rent a stroller at the Poly and use it all week?
2 If I can't rent a stroller at the Poly, can I rent one at the park, take it back to the Poly for naps, and bring it back to the park?
3 Are the strollers of good quality?
4 Do the strollers have storage space?
5 How common is the 'stroller borrowing' that is discussed in the Unofficial Guide?

Thanks in advance for your answers. This board has been a Godsend for our planning and I look forward to posting our trip report and comments when we get back.

 

[Becky]

Can't answer the Poly part.

Stollers at the Parks are $10 a day. Buy an umbrella stoller (less than $20). Take it to Walt Disney World. When you are leaving the parks on your last day give it away to someone you see coming in with a toddler. If you are there a week you have saved $50 in rental, made someone happy and don't have to drag the thing back with you on the plane or stuff it in a car.

There are a couple of similar posts. Do a search. A few people have suggested the above and there is additional info that will be of help to you.:wave:

 

[dizneykev]

First of all, you cannot get a stroller at any hotel. The strollers you get are for each park and they differ from park to park. I once took a stroller out to the Magic Kingdom parking lot and was told by security that I risked being arrested for theft just by taking it outside the gates of the magic kingdom. We have always taken our large stroller with us. We fly and the airline does not count this as baggage and since we gate check it we have never had an issue of it being lost. Also, it was a familiar place for our little one to take a nap. Plus, it was more comfortable to push and gave us lots of storage like we were used to. My opinion is that if I put so much thought into the stroller for mall trips, trips to grandma's, etc. why wouldn't I want this stroller when we are goiong to be using it all day every day at Disney. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but that's my opinion. Either way, I think things will work out, if worse comes to worse, buy yourself a nice stroller at a Wal-mart in orlando and "donate" it to a family at the parks on your last day there, at least then you can feel like you passed on a little bit of magic yourself.


Dizneykev

 

[Dwarful]

I agree with Disneykev and Becky on this one. Actually this is what we have done on more than one occasion. I have taken the good Peg Perego w/us before. But I have on the last few trips bought an inexpensive stroller..NOT an umbrella stroller, esp for a 22 month old. I have paid about $35 for an inexpensive Graco at the local Florida wal-mart, one that was easy to fold, had a basket and a sun shade/cover (all things you will want for your child). we have also secured a backpack to the handle of the stroller to hold diapers, wipes, camera, film, autograph book, ink pen, handi wipes, fruit snacks, crackers etc! Never once have we had anything walk off w/o us. The CM's will repark strollers while you are inside shows/rides etc. but other than that no one has ever bothered our stroller. Its worth it just to see the look on someones face when you ask them if they want the stroller! we have never had a hard time finding someone to take it from us. We also gave the housekeeper our beach towels, cheap ones we bought for Cocoa Beach, i already bought one bag at the gift shop because we over bought, i wasn't about to pay another $25 to haul back 4 beach towels that were only $20~ its amazing how little things like that will totally make someones day...mostly yours~

 

[DisneyPhD]

Don't rent, bring your own. As said before it is not that much harder since they gate check it and then you have it for the airport, (always good when you don't want to carry your kid and the luggage, we even used it to help us with the carry ons!) It is much better to have your own comfortable stroller. I think renting is only good for people with kids 4 or older that won't need the stroller at any other time then in the parks and place to put your bags ect....


A place called a baby's best friend rents strollers, cribs, high chairs even toys for the whole week. I have never done it, but heard about it on the disboards.

We had some time last winter so I researched what was the best travel stroller for our 23 month old to go to WDW in March. We bought a Combi Travel Savy DX for 100$ at Strollers4less.com That is half the price it is in the stores, but it took a few weeks to get to us. We are really happy with this light small stroller that has a basket, canapy and tray that comes off with 2 cup holders, it also reclines. In additions it has a pack on the back that holds things for the adults and bottles of water. (we found you can hang bags off it well too.) The basket under it was a tad small, but we got by. We are really happy with, it folded down well for the buses, it was our DD "home base". She wouldn't go anywere with out it, would often get in it when we were in the room and say "let's go!" One time we tried to use it to help us move our food when moving from a Stuido to one bedroom and she would have nothing to do with us taking it with our her!

It is important for a child that age to have something familiar with him or her when on vacation. (in addtion we also had 3 blankets, at least one was with us at all times!)

Have a great trip!!!!

Mrs. PhD

 

[WDWspider]

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16232&highlight=sTROLLERS+spiderman

Excellent thread on lots of different stroller questions.

 

[artvandelay]

Thanks for the help and the link. We're bringing our own stroller.

 

[DisneyCP2000]

Don't forget to bring a plastic cover to keep you stroller covered in case it rains, which it usually does in FL :animwink:. I've seen a couple of strollers get soaked after a downpour

 

[DisneyPhD]

Originally posted by DisneyCP2000
Don't forget to bring a plastic cover to keep you stroller covered in case it rains, which it usually does in FL :animwink:. I've seen a couple of strollers get soaked after a downpour

Oh, REALLY GOOD advice. We borrowed one last minuite from a neighbor and boy are we glad we did. That rain cover saved our trip. Don't leave home with out one (they are around 10 to 15$ can be bought at most baby stores or on line.) They help more in long rainy days then down pours (when you have to stop and put it on.) But a lot of rain bounces back up and they kid gets wet all over, everyone knows when the child isn't happy, no one is happy.

 

[Momx3]

I have 2 four year olds and we are planning to rent at the park. We don't want to drag one on the plane or onto the busses or monorail. I read too that if you park hop just return it get a receipt and then you can get another at the next park. We will only need it for my one who poops out easily. Thanks for how much they are I hadn't read that anywhere else. When my oldest was two we brought his stroller and although it was a pain on the bus it was worth it in the long run for the familarity and storage space. I wouldn't recommend an umbrella stroller however because most don't recline and finding one with a basket and canopy is difficult. On a side note we found out that my son's stroller had a defect that hadn't been announced after it collapsed in front of Cinderella's castle and flung him face first on the concrete. Other than a road rash on his face he was fine. We were nervous using it the rest of our trip and when we called the company when we returned they told us about the problem.:veryconfu