strollers, strollers, strollers

[larryz]

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

I also think a lot of it has to do with the current way people tour the parks. A lot of families are there from rope drop to fireworks. That’s a long time, and a lot of walking, for little legs. We found the walk from the bus to our first attraction the most brutal. We would often use a stroller to get into the park, park it in a certain land, and keep it parked until we moved on to the next land.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I think it's, in some ways, the result of a decline in general health and fitness in the American population. We have a disproportionate number of people (baby boomers) who have now reached an age where ECVs are more often needed. The rest of the population, children included, has become increasingly sedentary, overweight and out of shape over the last many decades. Add to that a global pandemic that's made many of us even more sedentary and unhealthy (in most cases, like my family, working/schooling from home for over a year, stress-eating, and avoiding crowded places like the gym -- and for a small number of others, like some friends of mine, "long-haul COVID" symptoms that have transformed them from healthy adults to people who can barely climb a flight of steps without stopping to rest), and it's a recipe for "strollers and wheelchairs and ECVs, oh my!"

I find the overuse of strollers annoying (by "overuse," I mean "people who are not using their stroller to transport an infant or a disabled child, but instead are just toting around their souvenirs, or their able-bodied fourth grader), but they're clearly here to stay, and the forces that are making guests less mobile won't be diminishing anytime soon. We've just got to, uh, roll with it.

Strollers are easily connected with, not so much health but certainly fitness. But please make it clear that the idea that adults use Scooters at later years are because they were not actively walking when they were younger should be made clearer. I'm one of the current ETV users and the two things, both strollers and ETV's are not the same animal. I'll be 74 (hopefully) in July and up until three years ago I would never had imagined that someday I might need one. But, now I do and it is maddening that the general public is so misinformed and immature and think that we are faking the need. Strollers are different. Even my own daughter was pushing her kid around when they were 10 years old. They are now in their 20's and are unable to work over a 4 hour day without acting like they just ran a marathon. We first went in 1983 when she was 8 years old and her sister was 6 and neither one of them asked for or required a free butt ride around. One went with using a stroller and the other let her kids walk. Guess which one is able to handle 40 hours per week plus overtime and not bleed from the ears.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Strollers are easily connected with, not so much health but certainly fitness. But please make it clear that the idea that adults use them at later years are because they were not actively walking when they were younger. I'm one of them and the two things, both strollers and ETV's are not the same animal. I'll be 74 (hopefully) in July and up until three years ago I would never had imagined that someday I might need one. But, now I do and it is maddening that the general public is so misinformed and immature and think that we are faking the need. Strollers are different. Even my own daughter was pushing her kid around when they were 10 years old. They are now in their 20's and are unable to work over a 4 hour day without acting like they just ran a marathon. We first went in 1983 when she was 8 years old and her sister was 6 and neither one of them asked for or required a free butt ride around. One went with using a stroller and the other let her kids walk. Guess which one is able to handle 40 hours per week plus overtime and not bleed from the ears.

Sorry, I did not mean to suggest that ECVs were being "overused" for older folks, in the way I think strollers are overused by younger people. I was mentioning them only as an example of one reason there are more people "on wheels" in the parks than there used to be.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Sorry, I did not mean to suggest that ECVs were being "overused" for older folks, in the way I think strollers are overused by younger people. I was mentioning them only as an example of one reason there are more people "on wheels" in the parks than there used to be.

Yes, I figured that, but I felt is was important to emphasize it just a little more. Sorry, I didn't want to imply you did.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Strollers are easily connected with, not so much health but certainly fitness. But please make it clear that the idea that adults use them at later years are because they were not actively walking when they were younger. I'm one of them and the two things, both strollers and ETV's are not the same animal. I'll be 74 (hopefully) in July and up until three years ago I would never had imagined that someday I might need one. But, now I do and it is maddening that the general public is so misinformed and immature and think that we are faking the need. Strollers are different. Even my own daughter was pushing her kid around when they were 10 years old. They are now in their 20's and are unable to work over a 4 hour day without acting like they just ran a marathon. We first went in 1983 when she was 8 years old and her sister was 6 and neither one of them asked for or required a free butt ride around. One went with using a stroller and the other let her kids walk. Guess which one is able to handle 40 hours per week plus overtime and not bleed from the ears.

Are you coorelating someone's ability to work a job with if they were in a stroller too much as a kid? Might want to look at other parenting and enabling techniques instead of the inanimate object, which I don't even think was designed to hold a 10 yr old.
As for ECVs you know we aren't talking about older folks when people complain about them. There is a proliferation of them, and it's not just people who have not kept themselves in shape. I will never forget seeing a man's scooter breakdown at the park and then he got up and started to physically drag it behind himself a block. Also have seen entire families on them...makes no sense.

 

[jloucks]

Strollers are relatively light and are not likely to cause major injury if they run into you.

For that reason I don't have a problem with lots of them around. I could almost care less.

I DO have a problem with them rolling 2-3 abreast at a snails pace. I would like passing options if it is not too much to ask.

I think they outlawed the double-wides? If so, that is good.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Not being judgemental but from what I have been seeing, parents are using the strollers for kids that are older. They were never used lke this in the past. Its no longer infants and toddlers being pushed around. I think parents are taking an easier way out by pushing the somewhat older and capable walking child around instead of holding their hands and forcing them to walk the extended distances of a park day. When they tire out its also easier to have them in the stroller than carrying them distances.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I think they outlawed the double-wides? If so, that is good.

I've never understood the appeal of those. They're enormous! My kids are 7, 4, and 1 so the oldest has graduated out of a stroller but we've been using one in some form for over 7 years and a double stroller for 4. The front-and-back double strollers are SO MUCH easier to handle than the double-wides. Mine folds up small enough to fit through the x-ray belt at TSA, and even unfolded its no bigger than most singles.

 

[John park hopper]

Strollers we used back in the the 90's compact folded up took little room on the buses.Modernday

modern-day strollers

Twice as big and a heck of a lot more in the parks easy to see a stroller problem

 

[Goofyernmost]

Are you coorelating someone's ability to work a job with if they were in a stroller too much as a kid? Might want to look at other parenting and enabling techniques instead of the inanimate object, which I don't even think was designed to hold a 10 yr old.
As for ECVs you know we aren't talking about older folks when people complain about them. There is a proliferation of them, and it's not just people who have not kept themselves in shape. I will never forget seeing a man's scooter breakdown at the park and then he got up and started to physically drag it behind himself a block. Also have seen entire families on them...makes no sense.

No it's just a part of expectations of our youth. It follows through, combined with a youth filled with video game baby sitting. It is an extended process but it does send a message to our youth. It says, hey you shouldn't have to work for things jump in here and I will be your legs and your massive safety net.

 

[Myhotdoughnuts]

I think it's, in some ways, the result of a decline in general health and fitness in the American population. We have a disproportionate number of people (baby boomers) who have now reached an age where ECVs are more often needed. The rest of the population, children included, has become increasingly sedentary, overweight and out of shape over the last many decades. Add to that a global pandemic that's made many of us even more sedentary and unhealthy (in most cases, like my family, working/schooling from home for over a year, stress-eating, and avoiding crowded places like the gym -- and for a small number of others, like some friends of mine, "long-haul COVID" symptoms that have transformed them from healthy adults to people who can barely climb a flight of steps without stopping to rest), and it's a recipe for "strollers and wheelchairs and ECVs, oh my!"

I find the overuse of strollers annoying (by "overuse," I mean "people who are not using their stroller to transport an infant or a disabled child, but instead are just toting around their souvenirs, or their able-bodied fourth grader"), but they're clearly here to stay, and the forces that are making guests less mobile won't be diminishing anytime soon. My way of coping is simply to try and, uh, roll with it.

You are correct about the overuse of strollers that has picked up over the past several years. If the child is 3 to 4 years old or has
a medical need, that is totally understandable in the use of a stroller, however, when the childs' feet and legs drag along the asphalt as you journey through the park, it is way past time to boot them out of the seat and let them walk like everyone else.

 

[NelleBelle]

I'm in the camp who made their children give up riding in the stroller after they were 4. The only reason the 4yr old got to ride was after walking a large portion of the day, we had rented a double stroller with the expectation that he might need it for sitting to watch the parade. He did use it for that and then fell asleep, at which point, the 2yr old wanted out to "walk about". All future trips were then done with a single stroller and a trip back to the hotel for a rest/pool break if they got tired. We never rope dropped except one year (never again...too hard coming from the west coast). We did take advantage of evening EMH as it was closer to our "time zone" to be up. But 4 was definitely our cut-off age for stroller use and we were darn glad to be done with them.

Now we are in the phase of either needing a w/c or ECV for my mom who now has chronic congestive heart failure despite having a pace maker and having worked as an ER nurse all her life. She's not even been retired a year and her health has really plummeted. She just can't do the walking anymore. We are more than happy to push her in the w/c but she wants to feel "independent" when we are on rides she doesn't want to do (which I get). At least she's tiny enough that she can take this very compact scooter she has at home that isn't one of the "beasts" WDW rents (or other companies). I don't have any issues with the ECVs other than when people aren't looking behind them and just start backing (in a line for pete's sake, really??) and just back over you without giving you time to get the heck out of the way. Or if you have to stop short because of a stroller jam/phone user cutting you off/etc. Ugh, but I am in favor of their use for those who need them.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

went to MK today, my god there were as many strollers as people,what gives?

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I've never understood the appeal of those. They're enormous! My kids are 7, 4, and 1 so the oldest has graduated out of a stroller but we've been using one in some form for over 7 years and a double stroller for 4. The front-and-back double strollers are SO MUCH easier to handle than the double-wides. Mine folds up small enough to fit through the x-ray belt at TSA, and even unfolded its no bigger than most singles.

I guess options vary, I hated the front and back so much we used it maybe twice and gave it away after getting a double city mini. That stroller could fit through any doorway, folded up in one motion and was light. Our kids liked talking to each.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Strollers we used back in the the 90's compact folded up took little room on the buses.Modernday View attachment 616285modern-day strollers
View attachment 616286View attachment 616287
Twice as big and a heck of a lot more in the parks easy to see a stroller problem

Umbrella stroller. Thats what we used. Great for folding for bus and monorail etc. horrid if you are tall Nd end up hunched over all day long in order to reach the handles.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Strollers we used back in the the 90's compact folded up took little room on the buses.Modernday View attachment 616285modern-day strollers
View attachment 616286View attachment 616287
Twice as big and a heck of a lot more in the parks easy to see a stroller problem

Am umbrella stroller was never suitable for a baby. Apples and oranges. Try folding one of these up and sticking it on a bus.

 

[crawale]

went to MK today, my god there were as many strollers as people,what gives?

Having rented a stroller from Kingdom which was a great stroller but so heavy I could hardly lift it onto the bus and been victim to those folks who bring an enormous double stroller occupying a large amount of space on the bus, I would suggest you either bring, if you are driving, or buy at Disney a cheap umbrella stroller - even if you leave it there. The parking for strollers can be some way away from the attractions - another issue. We used to tie pom poms to our umbrella stroller so we could easily spot it and if we were likely to need to retrieve it after dark a balloon as cast members move the strollers around so make more room in the parking area.

 

[sublimesting]

We used a stroller until our DD was about 8. The last few years it was odd; however, we average roughly 20 miles a day in the parks. Although we had her walk a lot, 20 miles is a lot for little legs-especially over a 10 day period. Too many times people see it as laziness on the parent's part but don't consider the toll it takes on a small child. And to the point that we should just walk slower and do less....why? Why should we do less in a day, ride less, stay less when the only thing holding us back are tiny legs and not a willingness to have fun. We want to ride rides not trudge back to our hotel at 6pm because she was tired from walking.

 

[drizgirl]

We used a stroller until our DD was about 8. The last few years it was odd; however, we average roughly 20 miles a day in the parks. Although we had her walk a lot, 20 miles is a lot for little legs-especially over a 10 day period. Too many times people see it as laziness on the parent's part but don't consider the toll it takes on a small child. And to the point that we should just walk slower and do less....why? Why should we do less in a day, ride less, stay less when the only thing holding us back are tiny legs and not a willingness to have fun. We want to ride rides not trudge back to our hotel at 6pm because she was tired from walking.

20 miles a day? We're hard core and a big day for us is 10 or 11.

But I agree, people will do what they must to max out their days, especially at today's prices.

You have to understand many posting here have APs so don't pay more to come back and try again another day.