The great "stroller" conspiracy.

[wendysue]

Perhaps they should just implement airline rules and limit everyone coming into the park to one "carry-on bag" that is capable of fitting in roughly the space under an airline seat. They could install the little cubby boxes the airlines use to test whether your bag will fit before you board at all of the turnstyles. I am sure some airline will go out of business sometime in the next six months so they could probably by the boxes cheap, second hand and repaint them with a smiling picture of the mouse telling you to loose your oversized luggage.

Excellent idea! Better yet, start charging a bag fee at the gate like the airlines.

 

[ZuzuPetals]

Somehow my parents managed to take both my brother and myself to the parks without the use of strollers. I remember them having one medium sized backpack for necessary items. But they also didn't take either of us to the parks until we were 4 years old so we probably had fewer "necessary items." Somehow we all managed to survive....

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Having looked at some of the listed supplies especially the snacks some of you say you must have, I now wonder how I managed on my hill walking trips around Europes mountains.

Eat proper meals you get a rest and you wont need to fill up on crap . Just a thought. And as for security of your kids, get a wrist strap and lead, or for a bit of fun one of those retractable ones but do a Tim Taylor stylee upgrade of the mechanism and watch the rug rat fly.

 

[blackthidot]

There was nothing wrong with this kid. He was up and chasing his sister around, and whining and crying the whole time that he couldnt see the stage over people in front of him. Pretty sweet...

 

[marcriss]

People with strollers don't have a monopoly on stupidity. I've had plenty of problems with stroller-less people just stopping in the middle of a busy walk way, or better yet sitting in a big group in a walk way.

 

[Martian Crab]

People with strollers don't have a monopoly on stupidity.

...but they do have the biggest franchise.

I like strollers!

 

[Laura]

Ooh cool. Gotta love when a big old heated thread resurrects! Especially one I haven't had a chance to jump into yet. :lookaroun

The first time I took my kids to WDW they were ages 1 & 2. I bought a side by side double umbrella stroller (much smaller than the ones that have been pictured earlier in this thread) for the trip and stowed the diaper bag underneath. I tell you what - as soon as we got home from that trip I sold that stupid thing! It was so bulky I could not maneuver it through the parks at all. It was impossible to get on and off the monorails. We couldn't use the trams. We couldn't go into any stores. I just hated that thing!

From there on out we used very small, lightweight strollers. One for each kid. Usually $10 umbrella strollers. We'd hang a mesh bag off the back of each one with their little toddler snacks and diapers and that was much easier.

When the oldest child turned 4 we moved to having 1 stroller. The older child would hold the stroller handle and the younger one would ride. If the older one got tired, we'd take the younger one out for a bit and give him a short ride to rest his feet.

When the youngest child turned 4, we stopped using strollers and began going to the parks completely empty handed and that's what we've done ever since. I keep all my passes and credit cards and ID cards in my pocket and wear my camera around my neck and hold my kids' hands. Or if I'm lucky enough that my husband is actually in the country, he takes one kid's hand and I take the other. But usually it's just me and the kids (who are now 6 & 8, but I've been doing this since they were 4 & 6).

Short of some sort of disability, I cannot think of any reason to bring a stroller or even a bag into the parks if everyone in your party is over the age of 4.

 

[jakeman]

There was nothing wrong with this kid. He was up and chasing his sister around, and whining and crying the whole time that he couldnt see the stage over people in front of him. Pretty sweet...

Hey that's my kid...:lookaroun

 

[DMC-12]

There was nothing wrong with this kid. He was up and chasing his sister around, and whining and crying the whole time that he couldnt see the stage over people in front of him. Pretty sweet...

:ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL:

This thread just became much more EPIC!! :sohappy: :sohappy:

People... post your pics!

 

[blackthidot]

Hey that's my kid...:lookaroun

Make him walk. Also, pick up all the food wrappers around him.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

There are hardly any strollers or ECV's in Paris or Tokyo. Nor where there a whole lot of them in the American parks until some two decades ago.

So apparantly, huge numbers of enormous strollers/vehicles are not at all a necessity. More a sign of the times, a sign of contemporary American society. :lookaroun

 

[wdwaddict71]

My beef is when people act surprised that they can't bring these monstrosities on the bus fully open. A couple of people got peeved at this last trip and one got mad because the driver was loading a person in a wheelchair and wouldn't let a stroller in behind it.

A decent sizd stroller is fine, but these things are getting ridiculous now. Have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised that most people here aren't screaming for the OP to be tarred and feathered. I frequent another Disney forum and the "stroller mafia" is in full force over there.

 

[wdwaddict71]

I kind of skipped ahead thru most of the posts, I've shared this story a few times on these boards, and it's one of those "had to have been there to appreciate it" moments....Anywho, long story short, a mother was pushing one of the park issued SUV storllers at a rate of speed like she needed to be somewhere reeaallllyy quick. The rest of her party had stopped at a souvenier stand and yelled to her, she stopped on a dime, and in the process, launched her daughter out of it like a human missle without knowing otherwise, then continued on, and ran over her like a human speed bump, and preceeded to chastise her for "not staying in her stroller"....It even got worse after that

I got a pretty funny visual from this post.:lol: Poor kid, though.

My sibilings and I would have rather have walked until our feet were stumps rather than sit in a stroller past the age of 3 or 4. So, I think it's like a PP said..kids these days just aren't used to physical exercise and they're coddled way too much. No reason for that kid in the above photo to be in that stroller..and the mom pushed his overaged butt in that thing?!

 

[wdwaddict71]

My parents did it with three boys back in the 70's, and we did the same with ours twenty years later.

Get tired? Take a break.

Can't carry your child? Hit the gym.

LOL, I think you're my new hero.:wave:

 

[DisneyMusician2]

There are hardly any strollers or ECV's in Paris or Tokyo. Nor where there a whole lot of them in the American parks until some two decades ago.

So apparantly, huge numbers of enormous strollers/vehicles are not at all a necessity. More a sign of the times, a sign of contemporary American society. :lookaroun

I agree. It's like an indictment of the laziness infesting American society in many areas.

 

[jakeman]

Make him walk. Also, pick up all the food wrappers around him.

He's got a gland problem...:lookaroun

(not my kid...FYI)

 

[scpergj]

Just got back about three hours ago, and the strollers were out in full force this weekend. While waiting for Spectro my wife had her feet run over several times - ALWAYS by double width strollers that were usually empty - and I counted 10...that's 10 times my feet were run over by VERY rude people, including one particular IDIOT that told me to "get over it"...after running over BOTH of my feet!

Additionally, there is a new (at least new to us) parking area near Pirates that SERIOUSLY narrows the path, making it really hard to get by.

My wife and I did notice more larger strollers this trip, and they were usually empty, except for carrying 'stuff'. We carry everything we need in my camera backpack - which is mostly for my camera and lenses. That, sunscreen, and if we may need raingear, then that too. Pretty much all we need. When we did use a stroller, it was an umbrella type, just carrying necessary stuff for a small child - diaper stuff, small snacks, and juice. No portable refrigerator for us!

 

[blackthidot]

He's got a gland problem...:lookaroun

(not my kid...FYI)

Dude I know...lol

 

[jakeman]

Dude I know...lol

Then you understand gland problems? If so you understand why my 18 year old needs a stroller. :ROFLOL:

The wife and I always make the joke that the kid is about to send the parents out for cigarettes next. "MOM! WHERE ARE MY SMOKES!"

 

[blackthidot]

Yeah, it was crazy this kid was like 5ft 4in or something and pushing 200 pounds and was jammed into the stroller. Even if there WAS something wrong with him to where he couldnt walk...jamming his in that stroller wasnt ideal.

Someone should slap the ish out of his mom and dad for pushing him around in that thing.