When do you stop renting a stroller?

On our last trip my boys were 4 and 6 and we said it would be our last trip with a stroller. On the next trip we might rent a single park stroller day of if we find we need one, but our double stroller days are done for sure.
 
"When do you stop renting a stroller?"

When your child/ren no longer has a need for it.

See that? Simple.
 
Im just saying in ANY school...kids still fight and get picked on..thats part of growing up a boy to man. It is what it is.
I'd hate to be around your school. Or have my kid there. That's not a "good" part of growing up. Getting picked on shouldn't be the norm
 
My kid, my money, and my choice. Simple. My 7 yo not even 50lb DD will be in one for our June trip. Judge away people.

That’s great for you and your daughter. This OP asked for opinions and got all kinds of responses. Some like you use and that’s great.

Mine wouldn’t be caught riding in a stroller at that age and I wouldn’t have rented one

Enjoy your trip—-
 
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That’s great for you and your daughter. This OP asked for opinions and got all kinds of responses. Some like you use and that’s great.

Mine wouldn’t be caught riding in a stroller at that age and I wouldn’t have rented one

Enjoy your trip—-
No video games over here. She's also very active. Thanks, we will.
 
I think there's a distinct difference between "can" and "should". Can most 8 year olds walk? Sure, probably. Should they? That's a personal judgment call for the parents/adults. For us, we would have rather pushed them and helped keep them from wearing down. Plus, frankly we liked the extra exercise. The choice anyone else makes is up to them, no right or wrong.

Doing walks around the neighborhood for a short time (a month, two months) before the trip is going to be mostly placebo effect. Don't get me wrong, all exercise is good exercise. But that's not really going to do a ton for conditioning someone for a week at WDW. WDW gets the best of DW and I after a while.

Kids that age can walk all day in the parks, complain about how tired they are, and then want to go swimming when you get back to the resort, so they can't really be all that tired, And so what if they get a bit tired, it's called exercise and it means that they will sleep better at night. On most of our trips, daddy was the one whose feet hurt the worst. It's funny how kids complain how tired and sore they are but perk up fast when there is something that they want to do.
 
My kid, my money, and my choice. Simple. My 7 yo not even 50lb DD will be in one for our June trip. Judge away people.
Hopefully your child does not attend the kind of school mentioned by an earlier poster in this thread, where 7-year olds are physically assaulted upon their return to school if spotted riding in a stroller at Disney.
 
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Just for giggles I asked my 5, almost 6 year old if she thinks kids should use a stroller. Her answer was no unless they are really tired.
 
I stopped using the stroller after my daughter was 6. Admittedly, she did not really need it then but it was so nice having it to put our bags in.
 
The biggest mistake that is not necessarily confined to the infamous 'stroller debate' is that adults treat young children like 'mini-adults'. This happens in the school system, this happens in youth sports, this happens everywhere! On this board you will see a plethora of opinions ranging from the 'as soon as they can walk, they carry a 50lb backpack' into the parks, to those that rent specialized strollers for older children that have differing needs. The real answer is that do what fits you and your family, it isn't for anyone else to judge. If people are more concerned with someone else's family choices (that are well within the parks rules) than their own Disney vacation then it speaks more about them than it does about you lol.

Genuine question, how many parents on the board take their kids for 10-15mile walks everyday? That's the average distance my family covers, sometimes with and without a stroller.

For context, while this is more relevant to 'running' it puts all the issues with 'mini-adults' into perspective:

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/86/5/799
 
The biggest mistake that is not necessarily confined to the infamous 'stroller debate' is that adults treat young children like 'mini-adults'. This happens in the school system, this happens in youth sports, this happens everywhere! On this board you will see a plethora of opinions ranging from the 'as soon as they can walk, they carry a 50lb backpack' into the parks, to those that rent specialized strollers for older children that have differing needs. The real answer is that do what fits you and your family, it isn't for anyone else to judge. If people are more concerned with someone else's family choices (that are well within the parks rules) than their own Disney vacation then it speaks more about them than it does about you lol.

Genuine question, how many parents on the board take their kids for 10-15mile walks everyday? That's the average distance my family covers, sometimes with and without a stroller.

For context, while this is more relevant to 'running' it puts all the issues with 'mini-adults' into perspective:

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/86/5/799
I don’t think expecting school aged children to walk on their own at an amusement park equals expecting them to be adults. Most people don’t walk 15 miles a day but manage not to need a jazzy at WDW.By the time my kids were in kindergarten they could run circles around us, and I walk 4 miles a day. Now, we did rent a double from Disney when the youngest were 4, 4, and 6, but mostly so we didn’t lose them (we did lose the 6 year old for a bit exiting a ride).
 
The biggest mistake that is not necessarily confined to the infamous 'stroller debate' is that adults treat young children like 'mini-adults'. This happens in the school system, this happens in youth sports, this happens everywhere! On this board you will see a plethora of opinions ranging from the 'as soon as they can walk, they carry a 50lb backpack' into the parks, to those that rent specialized strollers for older children that have differing needs. The real answer is that do what fits you and your family, it isn't for anyone else to judge. If people are more concerned with someone else's family choices (that are well within the parks rules) than their own Disney vacation then it speaks more about them than it does about you lol.

Genuine question, how many parents on the board take their kids for 10-15mile walks everyday? That's the average distance my family covers, sometimes with and without a stroller.

For context, while this is more relevant to 'running' it puts all the issues with 'mini-adults' into perspective:

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/86/5/799

It's not like you are running a marathon. You wake up, walk to get breakfast, sit down and eat, walk to the bus, sit, walk to the first ride, sit, walk to next ride, sit, sit at lunch, etc, etc. It not a continuous military hike. You would be surprised at how much walking you do on a daily basis at home anyway. And why do people keep thinking that you HAVE to do that much every day? We slept in, got to the parks and did a couple of rides, sat down and had a break and a snack, did a couple of other rides, had lunch... You don't have to keep crossing the parks to the next ride. Plan your day out so that you stay in one area at a time. They way some of you talk, it is amazing that people are not dropping dead from exhaustion throughout the parks. Millions of kids have managed walking the parks over the years and lived to tell about it.
 
I don’t think expecting school aged children to walk on their own at an amusement park equals expecting them to be adults. Most people don’t walk 15 miles a day but manage not to need a jazzy at WDW.By the time my kids were in kindergarten they could run circles around us, and I walk 4 miles a day. Now, we did rent a double from Disney when the youngest were 4, 4, and 6, but mostly so we didn’t lose them (we did lose the 6 year old for a bit exiting a ride).

As per my original post, people need to decide what fits them irrespective of what others may 'think' about any given situation. Having capacity to do something is much different than it being beneficial / harmful. Most adolescents have an equal if not greater VO2 capacity than adults, however, they simply do not have the same body temperature regulation as adults. This is the biggest issue that contributes to the 'mini-adult' syndrome that is prevalent in many facets of 'learning', something that is simply exacerbated by the humidity and temperature of Florida, especially for those children who are not accustomed to the heat. No one is saying that walking is wrong, merely redressing the balance from the perspective of having a stroller is non-beneficial for children in the parks.
 
It's not like you are running a marathon. You wake up, walk to get breakfast, sit down and eat, walk to the bus, sit, walk to the first ride, sit, walk to next ride, sit, sit at lunch, etc, etc. It not a continuous military hike. You would be surprised at how much walking you do on a daily basis at home anyway. And why do people keep thinking that you HAVE to do that much every day? We slept in, got to the parks and did a couple of rides, sat down and had a break and a snack, did a couple of other rides, had lunch... You don't have to keep crossing the parks to the next ride. Plan your day out so that you stay in one area at a time. They way some of you talk, it is amazing that people are not dropping dead from exhaustion throughout the parks. Millions of kids have managed walking the parks over the years and lived to tell about it.

Having kids keep up with parents isn't much different than running lol but you are right, there is no real need to do so, but that doesn't mean it isn't the norm. Considering the value of 15 miles per day, after 2 days that is over a marathon in 80-100 degrees in high humidity.

Having a schedule and planned out day is a great way to reduce the burden and of course there are no requirements to walk excessively during the stay. The example proposed simply highlights what I would deem an 'average' experience, I know there are people that do a whole lot more!

Just because millions of people have not 'died' is just like me saying that harking back to the 'good old days' where physical punishment was dished out by parents left right and center was 'fine' because they lived to tell the tale. Ends don't always justify the means ;o)

It's important to differentiate between what is 'good' and what is 'bad' simply based upon what works for you.
 
Having kids keep up with parents isn't much different than running lol but you are right, there is no real need to do so, but that doesn't mean it isn't the norm. Considering the value of 15 miles per day, after 2 days that is over a marathon in 80-100 degrees in high humidity.

Having a schedule and planned out day is a great way to reduce the burden and of course there are no requirements to walk excessively during the stay. The example proposed simply highlights what I would deem an 'average' experience, I know there are people that do a whole lot more!

Just because millions of people have not 'died' is just like me saying that harking back to the 'good old days' where physical punishment was dished out by parents left right and center was 'fine' because they lived to tell the tale. Ends don't always justify the means ;o)

It's important to differentiate between what is 'good' and what is 'bad' simply based upon what works for you.

I didn't say anything about having the kids keep up with the parent's pace? Only the ones that want to put their kids in the stroller because they don't want to slow down are saying that. The rest of us say to moderate the adult's walking pace to the child. We never expected our 6-7-8 year old to "keep up with us," that is nuts. We toured at their pace, took plenty of breaks, and did not go from open to close. We wanted our kids to enjoy their trip too and their comfort and happiness was first in our minds. Healthy kids should do just fine walking, if you don't push them at an unnatural pace for them. That is what we are saying. As others have said, the reason for putting an older child in a stroller has nothing to do with the child, but with the fact that the parents don't want the child to "slow them down." That is fine if that is what your family chooses to do. But don't pretend that it has anything to do with a child not being able to walk in a theme park all day.
 
I didn't say anything about having the kids keep up with the parent's pace? Only the ones that want to put their kids in the stroller because they don't want to slow down are saying that. The rest of us say to moderate the adult's walking pace to the child. We never expected our 6-7-8 year old to "keep up with us," that is nuts. We toured at their pace, took plenty of breaks, and did not go from open to close. We wanted our kids to enjoy their trip too and their comfort and happiness was first in our minds. Healthy kids should do just fine walking, if you don't push them at an unnatural pace for them. That is what we are saying. As others have said, the reason for putting an older child in a stroller has nothing to do with the child, but with the fact that the parents don't want the child to "slow them down." That is fine if that is what your family chooses to do. But don't pretend that it has anything to do with a child not being able to walk in a theme park all day.

You mentioned it wasn't a marathon, I simply responded with a Child keeping pace with an average adult is akin to running. It's an example to highlight the potential issues, it wasn't an assumption that this is what you do nor what you suggest is appropriate. If a Childs 'comfort and happiness was first in your minds' then why would you suggest that having a stroller is simply for the adults benefit? Yet in the same breath you highlight the benefits of taking breaks, sitting down, having a drink etc... All things that can be done in a stroller lol

You are also projecting your own opinion onto others as 'fact'... 'putting an older child in a stroller has nothing to do with the child' .... sweeping generalization at best that is made looking through your own lens.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, kids can handle bouts in the parks for sure, as per my original post, its important to understand that there is very common misconception that children can handle the same stresses as adults, they simply cannot in most cases, ergo the 'commando, carry my 55lb backpack from the second trimester' brigade has an element of context. Don't take it personal.
 
Having kids keep up with parents isn't much different than running lol but you are right, there is no real need to do so, but that doesn't mean it isn't the norm. Considering the value of 15 miles per day, after 2 days that is over a marathon in 80-100 degrees in high humidity.

Having a schedule and planned out day is a great way to reduce the burden and of course there are no requirements to walk excessively during the stay. The example proposed simply highlights what I would deem an 'average' experience, I know there are people that do a whole lot more!

Just because millions of people have not 'died' is just like me saying that harking back to the 'good old days' where physical punishment was dished out by parents left right and center was 'fine' because they lived to tell the tale. Ends don't always justify the means ;o)

It's important to differentiate between what is 'good' and what is 'bad' simply based upon what works for you.
I don’t think 15 miles a day is the average experience. Let’s say you are strolling at 3 mph, it would take 5 hours of continuous walking, no stopping, no sitting, no standing in line, no rides....
 

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