The Great Stroller Debate

[Heatherly30]

Going in Sept with our 53 lb. 5 yr old son, and 3 yr old daughter(not sure of her weight). I will most definitely buy at least 1 nice umbrella stroller, she'll use it. He is questionable. Mid day he'll start getting tired, so I assume we'll go back to our room.

I thought about just renting one for him, but those of you who have traveled with similar aged children, what do you recommend?

 

[happymom52003]

We have always brought one for each child. We have two lightweight travel strollers (umbrella style, but much sturdier than the cheapo ones...the brand we have is Combi).

Our oldest would walk most of the time, but the stroller came in handy for him at certain times, especially in the evening. Even though we took afternoon breaks at our resort, he would still be very tired in the evenings. It was also nice when we had to wait for parades....gave him a comfy place to sit.

Our oldest was 7 on our last trip, and we still brought his stroller. He did not use it often, but like I said....we were very grateful to have it for the times he needed it. However, that was most likely the last trip we will bring the stroller for him.

The reason we brought our own vs. renting one for our oldest was because we liked having the stroller outside of the parks, plus our own stroller is smaller and more comfortable than the rentals, and very easy to maneuver.

Hopefully this thread won't turn into an ugly "you are selfish and your kid is lazy and will be obese because he uses a stroller a few days a year at WDW" debate, but don't be surprised if you see those type of comments! It usually happens in these threads.

Just do whatever you think will work best for YOUR family....what works for one does not work for another.

Whatever you choose to do, have a great trip!

 

[kadesha]

I'd definetly recommend a stroller for your 5 year old. There is no way that I would expect my DD to do all the walking that I want to do. We do like the rented strollers. They are sturdy and easy to push.

 

[Dwarful]

In 1999 my husband and I took our daughter to WDW, we took our niece with us. My niece was 5, our daughter was soon to be 3 and I was 4 months prgnt. We had a stroller for the 3 yr old, but not for the 5 yr old. At the end of the night at MK after the fireworks, the crowd was pushing through and our hands became undone. Those few minutes were pure terror for me! We were reunitied within about 3 minutes but by that time she was bawling and I was near hysterics. From that night on for the rest of the trip we rented a double stroller. Simply having the peace of mind knowing where the girls were at all times was worth the cost.

Trust me, after spending every day with Kindergartners I know the maturity level and stamina of 5 yr olds varies greatly. Some kids keep going and going and going. Others are wiped out by mid day. As the other poster mentioned, only you know whats best for you.

 

[Monty]

Our first trip my son was 5. He walked pretty much everywhere and when he got tired I carried him. The walking was at his pace, not mine and we had an absolutely wonderful week-long vacation.

Of course he was a skinny little thing :animwink: [Still is, just a lot longer at 13]

 

[mwbrown]

The only real downside of the rental strollers (aside from the huge price increase last year) is the lack of good storage.

We like having our regular stroller (not umbrella but full-size stroller) not only for our 4 year old but all our stuff.

It means I am not taking a backpack or diaper bag full of snacks, drinks, lunches, wipes, sunscreen, etc...weighing as much as my 4 year old on all the rides.

My oldest is now 7 1/2 and she hasn't had a stroller at Disney since she was 3. We went when she was 5, and all we did was every now and then give her a turn riding in the stroller for my younger daughter. It gave her a break, but meant we didn't have two strollers.

As the other replies have said, you know your kids best. My DD7 has pretty good stamina even in the heat, but it is a lot of walking. Even in Sept, the days can be really hot, so walking long days is harder than at home.

We started months before our trip going for family walks of increasing length to get my daughter (and me...) ready for the walking. Of course, at WDW you cover a lot of ground in short bursts between rides rather than a long single walk, but I would still recommend this for the whole family as well.

And remember, you can always change once down there and decide on a really hot day at the Animal Kingdom to get a rental stroller for your oldest, and pass on it the next day at Hollywood Studios.

 

[Jessie&Buzz]

We went to Washington DC last summer with our kids. Our son was 5 1/2. I bought an umbrella stroller at Walmart before we went. He rode in it almost the whole time. We did tons of walking plus with the summer crowds there I knew exactly where he was. I doubt he'll use it in Oct when we go but I've thought about throwing it in the car.

In 2006 I rented a double stroller for my dd (8 at the time) and my niece (7 at the time). My dd wasn't feeling well and couldn't walk all day long. I know most will say that it wasn't right but I don't care what they say. She needed it. It was also nice knowing where they were too. We were a group of 11 so we always were watching out for the kids.

I say that if you think your child will need a stroller then rent one. I see nothing wrong with it if it's going to make your trip more enjoyable. Who wants to listen to a child whine about being tired all day when it can be prevented? Have a great time!

 

[marcriss]

My son has always been tall for his age so he out grew his last stroller when he turned four. We went to WDW just before he turned 5 and did not get another stroller. We started him walking for 45 minutes every few days. He complained all the time. When we got to Disney we figured we could always get a stroller for the late nights/xmas parties. We never had too. He surprised us and walked everywhere, without complaints. We realized that having a destination that he had a vested interest in held his attention and he was able to keep up. There were nights that my husband carried him on his shoulders, particularly leaving the parks, but it was fine.

We found the nap/quiet time in the afternoon to work. And we always had the option of renting one if he was too tired. As everyone said, do what works best for you. Every kid is different, ignore the criticizers and do what's best for your child.

 

[erstwo]

I have a "giant" 5 year old too 52 - 55 lbs always in the 95% at the pediatrician - so I feel your pain!

I think others can weigh the pros and cons of strollers for your son, but I just wanted to mention another option, which is the $40 red "umbrella" stroller that they sell at all WDW stroller rental locations and most gift shops. It is sturdier than a standard umbrella stroller and MUCH cheaper than renting a stroller. If the stroller has any life left at the end of your trip you can simply give it to another vacationer or take it home with you!

 

[Craig & Lisa]

If you don't feel like carring around the 2 strollers they have double strollers that you can rent, and when you go back to your room for a rest, ( YOU WILL GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM FOR A REST!! ) do not do a commando day, but you just hold onto the receipt and use it at the next park that same day and you won't have to pay twice a day. Works for me. :wave::animwink:

 

[disneygirl1]

This is such a debate... I would bring the stroller for the 5 year old... It is a lot of walking for a little guy!!! My son was a pretty big 5 year old when we were there and I am sure glad that I bought his stroller b/c as the day went on see sure did get tired. If you are looking to buy a new light weight stroller, my I recommend the Chico light weight stroller. That's what I had and it was a great deal. Think I paid like $60 for it and it was big enough that my son was comfortable in it and it only weighted like 8 lbs so it was easy to manage when getting on and off the Disney buses.

 

[KC82271]

Haven taken my godson from 4 -8, I think the only year we didn't rent a stroller was the last one.

The stroller was more of a "baggage" carrier for the most part of the day. It was when his legs got tired and couldn't keep up with us, we put him in it (and he had no problem with it.)

The cost of renting these days, it may be worth it to buy a cheap one - and with his weight, you are going to kill it in a few days - but it's cheaper than renting.

 

[Heatherly30]

Thanks for all of the replies! I will definitely do a stroller, and I guess I'll probably be better off buying one. My son is 48" and about 53 lbs...tall and lean. He has no risk of becoming obese...the stroller will also provide peace of mind in regards to security. Yes, he is one of those that will run off in excitement!

So, thanks for the recommendation of the Chico stroller, I will have to look into those. I've heard good things about Maclaren Volo for bigger kids, but $$$. I'll probably buy a cheaper one for my daughter, and make some handle extenders. Those cheap ones are too short and cause me a sore back.

If anyone else has brand recommendations, throw them my way!

 

[wdweric2.0]

I have a "giant" 5 year old too 52 - 55 lbs always in the 95% at the pediatrician - so I feel your pain!

I think others can weigh the pros and cons of strollers for your son, but I just wanted to mention another option, which is the $40 red "umbrella" stroller that they sell at all WDW stroller rental locations and most gift shops. It is sturdier than a standard umbrella stroller and MUCH cheaper than renting a stroller. If the stroller has any life left at the end of your trip you can simply give it to another vacationer or take it home with you!

i agree with this poster, these strollers are pretty nice and if they are only $40 then i say go for one of these instead of renting!

 

[coltow]

My 5yo would hate it if I brought a stroller for him. I have one for my 2yo and from time to time 5yo would take a ride. He does very good with the walking. We have had occassions where he asked for a ride if he knew we had a long walk. We would either let 2yo walk or we'd carry him.

After being out late at MVMCP and spending the entire next day at EPCOT we just rented one. He thought it was cool to use one of their strollers and stayed in it almost that whole day. We loved having that option. There's no way DH and I could manage the busses with 2 kids and 2 strollers. Especially where most of the time one of ends up having to stand.

 

[Jessie&Buzz]

This is the stroller I got at Walmart. It sells for $40.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8072091

My husband is 6'2" and had no problems pushing it. Like I said earlier our son was 5 1/2. He weighed probably around 48 lbs and we had no problems with it.

 

[disneychic71]

Hi! My kids are 12 and 15 now, but back in the day I LOVED having my own stroller/strollers with us! Our first trip with both kids along DS was 5 and DD was 2. We took our regular stroller which had a large basket underneath, then bought a cheap umbrella stroller and attached it to the big stroller with a small bungee cord (folded up, with wheels in the basket of the big stroller and handles bungeed to the big handle.) That way when it got too hot or he got tired, our son could sit down and rest for awhile. It was a godsend to have while waiting for the bus or monorail, too, instead of lugging that heavy kid out of the park, etc.! Don't forget, you'll be tired, too, at the end of the day! BTW, I never liked the rentals--they are very large and cumbersome and have little storage. Plus, you have to leave them at the gate. Also, the two single strollers were much easier to move around with than a double.

Good luck!

 

[Raven66]

The first year we went our DD was 5 (she is now 12). We debated bringing one and decided we would rent one there. That kid of ours wanted nothing to do with a stroller. We would ask her if she wanted to get one and she said very firmly NO, I'm not a baby. Well ok then. I was the one begging her to take a rest. She wanted to go go go. As for the safety issue, I was very nervous and I thought about getting one of those "leashes" as they call them. I had people tell me not to do that because it humiliated the child. And of course I said I would rather have her humilitated then kidnapped. But in the end we did not get it. We just made sure that she held one of my hands and one of her dads. There was a couple of times people thought they would be cute and try to walk in between us. But you should do what you think is best in this situation. Whatever you choose, have a great time.!:wave:

 

[dixiegirl]

Speaking of strollers, has anyone seen the new ones they have now at MK? They look much smaller than the previously used ones.....We were just there in Jan and I believe it was MK that had the newer ones...Someone correct me if I'm wrong here....

 

[NewfieFan]

Just another stroller suggestion here...

The Combi Flare goes up to 55lbs (I'm pretty sure). I have one Combi Flare and I have an older vesion as well (Combi ST, I think?). The older one only goes to 45lbs but as I said the new Flare has a weight limit of 55lbs! This will be my third trip coming up in Aug. and I will be bringing the stroller for my 5 year old (this may the last year). I love both of my Combis and can't imagine a trip to WDW without them.