Stroller - Rent, Buy or Other

[Sleepeeyoyo]

Hi,
I am traveling with my infant for the first time to WDW. My 11 month old. We're trying to decide whether we should:
1) Rent the City Mini
2) Buy a City Mini or other umbrella stroller (Maclaren Triump, Baby Jogger City Tour or other suggestions)
3) Take our Bugaboo Bee 3.

So here are the issues. Renting is an option but we plan on going to WDW every year so I feel like purchasing our own might be better. The last time we traveled to Orlando we had a 3 hour flight delay and I think it might be good to have a stroller for the airport. I really want/need a stoller under 13/14 lbs, I am short (4"11) and the City Mini looks really big & bulky to me even when folded.

Any suggestions on experiences with the City Mini, other good lightweight strollers that ride smooth? Should we just bring our 18lb Bugaboo??

 

[McMonsters]

I suggest the Recaro Easy Life if looking for new, light weight. It folds super easy and will last you a few years, my son loves it. Th City Mini isn't as big as it looks so you might want to try one at the store before deciding. I strongly suggest a stroller for flights, it has been a life saver to have one when between flights.

 

[Valstew]

We rent but our guy is older. We get the city mini gt and I have no problem lifting it I'm 5'3 and don't find it bad at all, it looks bigger and heavier than it is. However we do not need one in the airport when we did we brought ours from home his first 2 vists at age 2

 

[Klayfish]

Strollers are a hot topic around here. Lots of different opinions. At the end of the day, the only right answer is whatever will work best for you.

Just my own $.02 is that unless you're taking a really short weekend trip, stroller rentals are a total waste of money. For the price of a few days rental, you can own one forever and then sell it when you don't need it anymore...or even gift it to someone at WDW. As for which one, that'll really depend. If you're going to go yearly, then yeah, I'd suggest finding a lightweight one. Probably one that your child can grow with too, so that it can last you many years. It's another "hot" topic here, but maybe the child will use the stroller until he/she is 6, 7+ years old (tons of older kids in strollers in WDW). Once our kids were past baby age, we used small umbrella strollers...well, we had a double wide and a single since we have three kids, including a set of twins. The double wide was a step up from the most basic umbrella stroller in that it had storage underneath. However, one thing I would suggest is something with larger wheels. They're easier to push than tiny wheels. Not an issue when you have a baby, but when the stroller gets heavy, it gets harder.

 

[Smittolis]

Depends on many variables...

Are you going to use it when you get home?
Do you use one at home?
Double, single, storage?
Where are you staying and how are you getting to the parks etc..

The 'best' strollers are not cheap, $500-$650 is not an insignificant amount when looking at the likes of a City Mini GT double stroller, so paying $120 for a week or so is very cost effective and takes away some of the issues of transportation. However, if you think you will use it at home and potentially on other trips then purchasing one now (new or used) would be a worthwhile investment. If this is just for the one trip, i'd be tempted to try and get one used on craigslist or the like or rent the one that I want for a good rate.

There is a reason most stroller companies rent the City Mini or the City Mini GT, they are robust, well designed, fold excellently and fit in every doorway. The double is only 5inches or so wider than the single... its like the 'Tardis'! lol The GT would be my suggestion, the bigger foam filled wheels are much better for using around the parks, the city mini has smaller solid plastic wheels that tend to 'track' with the grooves or undulations in the sidewalk etc.. Besides, the GT has slightly wider seats (depending on year) and so will accommodate kids easier and more comfortably.

 

[Klayfish]

The 'best' strollers are not cheap, $500-$650 is not an insignificant amount when looking at the likes of a City Mini GT double stroller, so paying $120 for a week or so is very cost effective and takes away some of the issues of transportation.

Yeah, I guess if you spend that much on a stroller, then a rental could have some value. But I guess that depends on what you're willing to spend on a stroller. The most we ever spent on one was about $100, maybe a bit less. Actually, I should take that back. We once bought this monstrosity called the Joovy Big Caboose. This was probably 9 years ago. It was about $250 at the time. DW and I hated it, it was horrid. We sold it for just about what we paid for it and went back to our cheap double wide. If I were buying a single stroller, this is about the most fancy thing I'd buy... https://www.walmart.com/ip/Baby-Trend-XCEL-Jogging-Stroller-Tiger-Lily/46142603 I couldn't see paying $500 for a stroller in any circumstance, but I'm super cheap that way.

 

[shellyj]

Have you consider a second hand stroller? If you change your mind and decide you want to use and store it between trips you won't be out the retail cost. And if it's still in good condition, you can resell or donate it. If you end up loving it and want to upgrade, you'll have some first hand experience to guide your next purchase. If you travel often, Disney and other, it's nice to have a stroller you really like. Our favorite stroller was the BOB revolution which was a little more cumbersome on the Disney buses because the front wheel doesn't fold flat like some smaller joggers, but that was worth the small hassle because it made life so much easier all the rest of the time!

 

[jessiegirl1982]

We bring our umbrella type stroller for the airport/short Disney trips to dinner, the mall, etc (the Qbit)
https://www.toysrus.com/product?productId=103945816
We are still going to rent a City Mini GT for the longer Disney visits. The Qbit is awesome for the airport. It has it's own bag and folds up into a nice little square.

 

[shairpdrh]

We went with your option 2 and bought a City Mini. Our reasoning was that it is clearly a good Disney stroller since all the rental companies seem to use them. My husband and I are pretty tall (6'5" and 5'10") and so we didn't like most of the umbrella strollers we saw. The City Mini has pretty good storage and also reclines nicely for naps in the parks (we skipped afternoon breaks). We also bought a cheap stroller bag for gate checking the stroller and I would recommend it if you buy a stroller because our bag is almost ruined after 3 trips and I hate to think what might have happened to the stroller.

 

[Sleepeeyoyo]

Thanks for all the replies. I definitely have a lot to think about. One of my friends recommended a Baby Jogger City Tour which is lighter than the City Mini so I may check that out. It supposedly folds small enough to be a carry on. We'll see! Thanks again.