Stroller question for 4 1/2 yr old...

[hcarr]

I've read various posts recommending strollers for this age b/c of all the walking and I think it is a good idea. I know they rent strollers at the parks but I was thinking of buying a relatively cheap umbrella stroller to have outside of parks, etc. and so I wouldn't have to deal with the rental. But my daughter is about 43 in and 42 lbs and I'm wondering what kind of umbrella stroller she'll fit in. Any advice from those of you with older children in strollers?
Thanks!

 

[CarrieAP]

My daughter will be around same age when we go in May! She is bit more on the petite side though. Yes, I highly recommend taking an umbrella stroller. It will be a bit cramped, but she should not need to be in it for long periods of time and it will be easy to get on and off buses. Best bet is to take her with you to stores to check out the fit. Try to stay cheap, but be sure it has a canopy (bright sun!) and some type of small storage basket. Won't be heavy duty, but will get you through the trip.

Yes, there is a lot of walking to and from parks and around resorts and it can get heavy carrying a sleeping child. The stroller is also handy storing your gear and belongings; saves wear and tear on your arms and back. We always take a small soft sided cooler for juice boxes and such to save money. Also, as long as you carry camera and valuable you can safely keep your other belongings in the stroller while you enjoy the attractions. Just park it and retrieve it later. This will probably be our last year with a stroller and I sure will miss it for the convenience. You can of course rent, but that money does add up after a few days.

 

[Suedrews]

our 5 year old daughter was so well rested all the time because of the stroller........we never had to deal with her wanting to be carried....renting a stroller in the parks is time consuming, since in many cases there is a wait to get one & then you have to turn it in with a wait as well....once you leave the park, there is the issue of getting to whatever transportation you use & then getting from the front of the hotel to the room.....& it is a good holder of all things.....have fun!!!

 

[PixieTink]

We bought a Chicco Caddy for our trip this past Dec. Our son is 4, weighs 41 lbs, and just made the 40 inch height requirement for Splash Mountain.

The stroller cost around $40-50 at Babies are Us. It is very lightweight aluminum, folds into a caddy bag, similar to the nylon camp chairs, and had a shoulder strap to carry it by. It also had a canopy, reclined a small bit by undoing a zipper on the back (it was enough for our son to settle in for a good nap!), and came with a RAIN COVER!!!! It came in very handy a few cold wet days we had, for sure. We added a mesh bag to the back, large enough for an insulated lunch bag full of juice boxes and peanut butter crackers and our rain ponchos, a sweatshirt, and a change of clothes for our son.

Stroller rentals are about $8 per day, I think. Our 7 day trip would have cost $56 in rentals. So we actually saved, and were able to wheel in the sleepy boy from the bus to the hotel room each night. Oh, and our son does not nap at home, but always does in the parks, so it was a great place for him to have quiet time and rest, or sit for the parade, etc. It was totally worth it.

We are buying a second one for our younger son, so we don't have to lug the full size stroller for the next trip!

 

[gepetto]

If she's 43#, an umbrella stroller may not be designed to hold that much weight safely. Read the labels before you spend the money on it.

 

[Clover9990]

I'd advise against the umbrella stroller. Our 2 year old DD is 36 inches and 36 pounds and that sucker (the stroller, not our DD! ) is TOUGH to steer. I can't imagine how it'd be with an older child who is obviously larger. My advice would be to either buy one of those lightweight Graco strollers- Target has all of their baby items on clearance right now if you have one by you- or just bite the bullet and rent one. The ones at Disney are great, because they are very easy to manuever.

 

[slp87]

I agree with Clover9990, be careful about going too cheap. We had the same problem with steering. I would try a resale shop. We bought one there and took it right back and resold it when we returned. While we didn't get our full return on it, it made the price fairly cheap.

 

[jel0511]

I also wouldn't buy a cheap umbrella stroller. Your daughter will be uncomfortable, since they are very small, and most likely will be WAY over the weight limit. My DD at 3 was way too small for those little things. My only advice would to be either rent in the parks and let your DD walk outside, or rent from an outside company in Orlando. The Family Board has some good recommendations on rental companies. My DD will be 5 in May and I don't intend on renting or using a stroller for her on our Feb trip. We also don't plan on going all day, and taking a break in the afternoon, since I know DD and I as well, will need it. The only strollers I know of that have such a high weight limit, are the Peg Perego Pliko and the Maclarren. My Combi double had a weight limit of 45 lbs per side, so maybe a Combi will also have a high weight limit.

 

[tjkatie]

We purchased a Graco Breeze Lite Rider from target in October for our trip to WDW. I think it was about $35. It had a basket on the bottom....which a lot of umbrella stollers don't, which was very helpful holding all the "stuff", it folded up easily and it wasn't very heavy.

I think the weight limit was 40 lbs. We have a 4 year old (42 lbs) and an 8 year old (75 lbs) and I must say the 4 year old rode in it most of the time.....but over the eight days....the 8 year old did his share of riding. One of the wheels ended up losing some rubber towards the end of the week....but it was well worth the investment. The lines were long for the rentals and they didn't look that comfortable or easy to manuver. Plus it was nice to have outside the parks. We were able to gate check it at the airport and I felt good knowing she was buckled in and safe.

 

[tricia]

I think a cheap umbrella stoller is the way to go. My son was 41 inches and 41 lbs the last time we brought him, and he loved the umbrella stroller. I liked not having to carry a whiny child at the end of the day. He did look a little big in it, but he never complained, so he was either comfortable or realized that it was better than walking.

 

[catwho]

You may want to look into renting a stroller while you are there if you don't feel you will use it once you get home. You may find that the rental will balance out between what you would be willing to pay for a "workable" stoller purchase and renting one each day at WDW.

 

[sha_lyn]

I tried to find a cheap umbrella stroller for our trip last yr. DD wasjust over 35lb and I was unable to find an unbrella stroller that was safe for her weight.

I did however buy a combi SUBV for www.combistrollerstore.com
It is a great stroller that is very light weight and folds compact and has a shoulder strap built in for carrying. It reclines and has a large basket and canopy. It took me a little while to figure out how to acces the basket when she is in it. because there is a bar in the way. There are actually plastic snaps on the straps so you can lower the back of the basket.

 

[hygienejean]

Do you think the Combi SUV would be comfortable for an 11 month old? I think I will get it for my 3 year old but I am on the fence about whether or not I should bring or heavier, bigger stroller for her or go for the lightweight convenience of the umbrella type. I do have a double but it is so huge and heavy I can't imagine pushing it all over WDW!!! Any ideas??????

 

[crisi]

My kids don't do well in umbrella strollers (they are 3 and 4), but others kids do fine. See if you can't find a friend to borrow one from and see. We didn't bother to haul down the umbrellas because we knew the kids couldn't last the long days in them.

We rented, and never had a hassle - it never took more than two or three minutes to rent a stroller, and returning it was always fast. However, rentals are pricey, and good for in the park only - (though a receipt from one park will get you another stroller in a different park on the same day for no charge) so you may end up hauling a sleepy four year old back to the hotel.

The rentals (except at MGM, where they are basically umbrella strollers) are very nice for larger kids - and you could fit a much larger child in them than pretty much any standard stroller.

 

[sha_lyn]

Do you think the Combi SUV would be comfortable for an 11 month old?

I don't see any reason why a baby wouldn't be comfortable in one. If taking a very small baby I might get one of those removable stroller cushions. The stroller is padded but not with very thick padding like our expensive stroller that came with the baby seat and all the "bells and whistles"

A little word of "caution" on the SUBV ... it is designed to go over rough, bumpy areas so the frame isn't rigid like standard strollers. I heard of several people complaining about the stroller being cheaply made, because they didn't understand the design. On rough surfaces or in a sharp turn you'll get a little side movement in the handle. It take gettign a little use to, but once you get the hang of it is is very easy to push around.

Oh and the site I posted above has the stroller on sale for 34.99. Ithink I gave 49 for mine, and I've see it as high as 59 in stores.