We decided to buy a stroller for DD4 turning 5 even though she does ballet and gymnastics and hikes with us (aka pretty active) for our upcoming trip.
We are planning rope drop most mornings, long afternoon breaks/naps and then return for late evenings, so we're planning to just bring the stroller out for the evening half of the day and for Epcot. We're going 5 days straight so if she seems tired our last day, we'll let her use it the entire day. Except for our very first day, we're taking the rest of the trip slowly, and we'll rest as often as needed, but she still is not conditioned for 5 long days of walking in a row. We decided to buy because we calculated that its cheaper than renting one, especially if we're wanting one every evening, and we can sell the stroller when she outgrows it.
She's 44 lbs and tall for her age. We bought a nice heavy-duty "umbrella stroller" that goes up to 50 lbs, reclines, folds easily and has a carrying strap, and has a small storage basket and pouch. It was $85 at Bed Bath and Beyond, had a 20% off coupon, and I bought a $60 gift card for $50.80 from raise.com (7% off plus had a $5 off referral bonus) so ended up paying $58 for a $85 stroller, free shipping.
I've pushed her around a bit to see how it feels. Moves easily, even over uneven surfaces. Overall I really like it a lot, and wish I had it when she was younger---even though she barely used a stroller and was walking before 10 months. She is a little too long/tall to comfortably sleep in it, unless she bends her knees and twists to tuck them in to the side, though.
We bought:
Summer Infant® 3D lite™ Convenience Stroller in Greenwich Green
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...-in-greenwich-green/1043850068?skuId=43850068 (unfortunately no longer for sale online, but similarly priced on
amazon, also at Babies R Us with use of coupon/giftcards)
Anyway, do whatever is right for your family.