Strollers with a 6 y/o

rrr0005

New Member
I have been to WDW many times. In fact, I used to be a Cast Member in Frontier Land on Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain. We are planning a trip in March, but this will be much different from other trips. This time, we are taking our daughter! She will turn 6 while we are there, and this will be her first visit.
With this, I am not sure how she will respond to the insane amount of walking and late nights. So I am wondering if getting a stroller would be a wise move. Should we opt for the early rental, or not worry about getting one at all? Should we get one for the whole day, or just the evenings when we know she will be tired? One of my thoughts to plan attractions that will help with resting(i.e. Country Bear, Carousel of Progress, Walt Disney Railroad, Universe of Energy, etc.), but I'm not sure about renting a stroller. Thoughts?

Thanks everyone!
 

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
My sister brings one for her daughter, and while she doesn't sit in it a lot, she does sit in it at night or when she's tired of walking. I say bring one/rent one just in case her legs can't handle. Better to have it than not and wish you had it.

On another note.... We took my step daughter when she was 7 and it didn't even occur to me to bring a stroller for her. I'm sure she whined here and there, but we didn't use a stroller. You know your child better than anyone...
 
Upvote 0

Swissmiss

Premium Member
I too went for my daughter's 6th birthday. We live in Europe and walk ALOT. Despite the fact that she hadn't used a stroller for more than two years at home, I still rented one for our trip, and I was very glad I did. There is no way that I would have been able to carry her the long distances that I would have needed to once she ran out of steam.

Be ready for all the people to jump on this thread and tell you that 6 is too old and that their child was able to walk from morning until night from the age of 3. To that I would answer how lucky to have an extraordinary child but mine is just plain ordinary and I need to make decisions that are best for our needs ;).

Have fun with your little one!
 
Upvote 0

Gerdon

New Member
We bought a cheap stroller from Walmart for our 6yo last year and it just about done but we were glad we did. The way I seen it, we could be bullish about it and just let them walk, leading possibly to tiredness and tantrums and moving slower and getting less done or use the stroller, avoid tiredness and get more done, but you know your kids better than us.
 
Upvote 0

Disney4family

Well-Known Member
We used the nice umbrella strollers from BabiesRUs for many, many years. They were great in the airports, for the walk to the room (when they kids were so tired) and for around the parks.
They come with a hood for protection from the sun. There's also a mesh pocket on the back where we would keep the rain cover. Get the real stroller rain covers that are clear so your daughter can look out and have mesh so she can breathe. I'm sure you saw kids in strollers covered with ponchos. They can't see or breathe.
We loved using them as long as we could. One year the kids pooped out on the monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom to dinner at Epcot (to be fair - it was the first day of our trip and we do get up at the crack of stupid to fly down and get to the parks as soon as possible that day). We were a bit early so my husband and I stopped at France for a nice Grand Marnier Orange Slushie as an "appetizer". Sleeping kids, palm trees, slushie. We had arrived! :joyfull:
 
Upvote 0

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
We used the nice umbrella strollers from BabiesRUs for many, many years. They were great in the airports, for the walk to the room (when they kids were so tired) and for around the parks.
They come with a hood for protection from the sun. There's also a mesh pocket on the back where we would keep the rain cover. Get the real stroller rain covers that are clear so your daughter can look out and have mesh so she can breathe. I'm sure you saw kids in strollers covered with ponchos. They can't see or breathe.
We loved using them as long as we could. One year the kids pooped out on the monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom to dinner at Epcot (to be fair - it was the first day of our trip and we do get up at the crack of stupid to fly down and get to the parks as soon as possible that day). We were a bit early so my husband and I stopped at France for a nice Grand Marnier Orange Slushie as an "appetizer". Sleeping kids, palm trees, slushie. We had arrived! :joyfull:

We just love France! I love when they fall asleep in the stroller (even if it's for a half hour) and we can drink some adult beverages! Good times!
 
Upvote 0

21stamps

Well-Known Member
I'm happy to see this thread!

My child will be 6 on our next trip and I'm still undecided if I'll rent a stroller.

We are very active, also have season passes to a theme park.. And my phone says we walk about 6-7 miles while there. We also walk or ride a bike on a 2 or 5 mile trail at a park a few times per week, and kiddo plays sports year round. The same pretty much applied on our trip this past Fall.. I wasn't going to rent one, but based on friend's recommendations I did., and am soooo glad!! It seriously was a life saver at times!! We left it in each land, and then would use it when running to the next dining reservation or fast pass ride. My big mistake though- left it parked after riding Soarin while we went to WS.. Heat index was 106 that day I think.. And I really should have used it for that as well. After a few hours we made our way around WS and back to our dinner reservation at Garden Grill, My son was done, just wanted to go back and swim instead of staying for illuminations.

This year we are going in winter.. Short park hours.. So I keep going back and forth. I may just pre pay again and pick it up only if we need it.
 
Upvote 0

Rsj88

Well-Known Member
Yes! We brought one for our son when he was 5 1/2. He did not use it a lot but at the end of the day it was really nice to have especially waiting for buses! We also usually go from rope drop to fireworks everyday so he got really tired and even napped in it. If you are not going all day everyday it may not be as neccisary. We did not use it much in MK since there is not much distance between rides but we did use it a lot in Epcot especially towards the end of the day. We also found it helpful to when it's crowded so our son didn't get split up from us or lost.
 
Upvote 0

sublimesting

Well-Known Member
Great news because we're in the same boat. We just want to use it to walk distance like between Epcot and HS or at the end of the night when we are hustling. We know we'll look foolish cause she's so big, but we average 15 miles a day and do open to close that's just too much for a kid.
 
Upvote 0

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
It all depends on your plans for the day, your daughter's health and stamina, and your personal feelings about strollers (whether you see it as a helpful tool, or an annoying bit of extra baggage). You're on the right track though, OP, with planning attractions that will allow for periodic resting!

We're probably in the minority, but our kids have never used or needed at stroller at WDW, even visiting as early as age 4. However, we have several factors in play that others might not, and which might make all the difference as to whether a stroller is needed:
(1) The kids can handle walking. My kids are tall for their ages, energetic and in good physical shape -- at the time of their first WDW visit at ages 4 and 6, my daughter and son were 45" and 50" tall respectively -- too big for most strollers -- and had proven on visits to local festivals and hiking trails that they were able to walk several miles.
(2) We don't play all day. We divide our day into 3 parts with a nap in the middle: a 4-hour morning tour from rope drop to lunch; a 3-4 hour break in which everybody takes a bona fide nap and maybe a swim; and a 4-hour, more relaxed evening tour that includes a TS dinner, so the kids are never on their feet for more than a few hours at a time without a substantial rest.
(3) We do our best to save steps. We use rope drop arrivals, thoughtful touring plans, FP+ and internal park transportation (e.g., WDW RR) to enable us to tour attractions in a fairly straightforward route and minimize unnecessary criss-crossing of the parks and long waits standing up in lines.
(4) We stop when we need to. We visit during lower-crowd seasons and build extra time into our touring plans so we can be flexible and take restroom/snack/ice water breaks as needed without sacrificing our touring efficiency.
(5) We can't stand the heat, so we stay out of the kitchen. We visit during times of year when temperatures are not extremely hot (e.g., October, November, April or May) -- for us, high temperatures combined with high humidity sap our strength like nothing else.
(6) We are able to pack light. I bring a small crossbody park bag with all of our essentials, we don't need any special snacks or medical equipment with us, and we wait until our last day to buy souvenirs, so we don't need to rely on a stroller to haul around any additional supplies, purchases or foodstuffs.
(7) We aim for a full night's sleep. Until our final night, when we stay up late for "Wishes!", we do our best to preserve the kids' normal bedtimes and wake-up times, so they're on their usual schedule and able to get a full night's sleep every night.
(8) We take care of our feet. The kids wear good-quality, broken-in sneakers with moisture-wicking socks for our hectic morning touring, and generally change to waterproof hiking sandals (e.g., Tevas) for the evening. Wearing the right shoes minimizes foot fatigue, and changing footwear mid-day also helps to prevent blisters.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

graphite1326

Well-Known Member
I took my son when he was 6. No stroller. worked out fine. He would fall asleep on the bus home. We stayed all day and didn't go back for breaks. Of course my kids never threw temper tantrums or had meltdowns either.

Looking back on my childhood, I remember going the the Worlds Fair at the age of 7. That place was huge and the first time I got to see CoP. (1964). Having a stroller would not even been a question then. My parents wouldn't have had one and there would have been no way I would have gotten into one.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

MomofPrincessGrace

Well-Known Member
We went last September for my daughters 5th birthday. I brought along our umbrella stroller (cheap) for "just in case" purposes. I am really glad we had it because there were times that her legs were just tired. We walked on average about 10-15 miles per day, so I took her seriously when she said her legs were tired. We will be going back in May (she will be 6 1/2 at this time) and I plan on using a stroller again. I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. This time though, I am going to rent through one of the stroller rental companies that deliver to the resort. This way we can have a stroller that has the storage area underneath to help with carrying begs/backpacks/drinks. Honestly, if it makes YOUR day a little easier, then why not :p
 
Upvote 0

21stamps

Well-Known Member
We went last September for my daughters 5th birthday. I brought along our umbrella stroller (cheap) for "just in case" purposes. I am really glad we had it because there were times that her legs were just tired. We walked on average about 10-15 miles per day, so I took her seriously when she said her legs were tired. We will be going back in May (she will be 6 1/2 at this time) and I plan on using a stroller again. I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. This time though, I am going to rent through one of the stroller rental companies that deliver to the resort. This way we can have a stroller that has the storage area underneath to help with carrying begs/backpacks/drinks. Honestly, if it makes YOUR day a little easier, then why not :p

Yes to the bold text!!!! If you're in a hurry to get from one area of the park to another, a stroller is SOOOOO much easier on YOU.

When I see people post that their kids didn't need them, I'm always curious about the time of year they were there. Every one of our 9 nights had temperatures in the 90s, heat index well over 100. We stayed at Poly so mid day breaks were easy, but our breaks were swimming, not napping. I was near devastated when kiddo fell asleep in his stroller during the Electrical Light Parade, I kept trying to wake him up, but he wasn't having it. Like @MomofPrincessGrace said, better to have it and not need it. No reason to exhaust your child, or yourself!
I took my son when he was 6. No stroller. worked out fine. He would fall asleep on the bus home. We stayed all day and didn't go back for breaks. Of course my kids never threw temper tantrums or had meltdowns either.

Looking back on my childhood, I remember going the the Worlds Fair at the age of 7. That place was huge and the first time I got to see CoP. (1964). Having a stroller would not even been a question then. My parents wouldn't have had one and there would have been no way I would have gotten into one.
I'm seriously impressed!
 
Upvote 0

DisneyFans4Life

Well-Known Member
The issue of age and stroller is always interesting to read and see different views. Right now my wife and I only have a daughter, but are planning on adding in the near future. If it works out, we will have an almost 3 and a half year old and a new born and plan to buy one of those double strollers.

What will be interesting is when our second child starts encroaching on the 3 year mark and our first would be around 6 and a half. Do we bring one stroller? If so, a big one or umbrella? Do we say to heck with it and bring the double stroller because the 6 and a half year old will end up getting tired too?

These are of course rhetorical questions, but interesting to see how it works out and what we decide. For $500 (cost of the double stroller we want), I'd imagine we will use it as much as possible to get our monies worth lol.
 
Upvote 0

UncleFastpass

Active Member
I agree with what "weather_lady" has to say. I understand that a WDW trip is expensive and people want to "get there money's worth" but it is still a vacation right? Ok I know to some it some kind of quest that must be won but the reality is that it is a vacation. I never brought a stroller on any trips with my kids, if they got tired I carried them, I never expected them to do more than I was willing or able to do. So if they got tired and I got tired we took a break until we were ready to due more. I think it is more important to really experience a few things then to sort of experience lots of things. Have you ever given a child a gift and they have more fun with the box than the gift?
 
Upvote 0

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom