The Stroller Debate

[smiths02]

Now I'll try to choose my words carefully. Previously, I was set up in a previous thread sometime back in reference to the "great stroller debate" and slapped on the wrist for something that was considered "a minor personal attack". I feel that those ages are approaching the age that is too old for strollers. This is based on our personal experiences with "Kamikaze" stroller pushers who use them as battering rams to make their way through crowds! Nine times out of ten, the stroller was occupied by children that could have well walked, or even unoccupied. Yes, children get tired, but they are in the best place in the world, and should be disciplined enough to act accordingly. Midday breaks are highly recommended, and are best taken advantage of back at resorts. I have no problem with strollers, per say, but rather how inconsiderate many people are when using them unnecessarily! And before anyone tries to say otherwise, we have been going since my daughter was very young, and have never used a stroller. Anyway, my $0.02.

It is not always a matter of "suck it up." We have gone in June/July. It is HOT. Even a kid who is in great shape is at a MUCH greater risk for dehydration and heat exhaustion than an adult.

We took a small one when my son had just turned 5. I also liked being able to have a soft sided cooler with cold drinks in the heat. But we mainly used it for storage and long treks (think needing to get from Future World to an ADR in France or from one end of AK to another). Of course, it is best to avoid crossing the park, but with FP+ and ADRs, sometimes that gets difficult.

For those ages, I would probably bring a small something with storage and a canopy. Definitely not a double or sit and stand. They kids can take turns.

 

[MomofIndigo]

I have 4 yr old twins and we just got back from another trip. We bring our strollers mostly for the walk to the bus, walk to the theme park entrance and to hold all of the crap we bring, buy and randomly somehow end up with. I would never want to carry our drinks, snacks, suntan lotion, hats, sunglasses, souvenirs, etc.... Personally that's way worse than pushing a stroller. Typically once were in the park, we end up parking the strollers and exploring the surrounding area, then move on to the next place.

Sometimes we leave the strollers if its just a few hours at a park, but for us, it's the easiest way!

Worse comes to worse, rent a stroller in the park or have one delivered to your hotel.

Enjoy!

We sent our stroller via UPS this time. DD turned 5 in the middle of the trip and we debated about the stroller. It stayed in the box until day 5. But at the end of day 4 we knew it was coming out. She was so tired and it took us a very long time to get to the bus because we kept stopping. We used it just like robndani. For entrances, to hold backpacks, and to move from land to land or area to area during the day. It was really needed in the afternoons and in the evenings. It also helped just keeping her near us. Little things like that made it worth it to have it around.

To each his own on their vacation. But I rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[DaniMoon]

My son had just turned 5 when we went and my daughter was 6 1/2. I had the great debate with myself. I was pretty sure my daughter would be ok, but my son was constantly asking us to carry him when we would be shopping or out and about. Well, I debated so long that I decided not to do anything and play it by ear when we got there. I figured I could contact an offsite stroller rental place once there, or if on an occasional day he needed something get one at Disney.

Well, he shocked us. The only time he asked to be carried was after the Electric Parade, and to be honest, with the masses leaving, it was easier to carry him (and he fell asleep). We had no whining at all, which is saying something cause he can be a whiner. My daughter was in heaven and I don't know if her feet ever touched the ground.

I will say we never spent an entire day in the park. We are early birds, so we did rope drop, back to the hotel in the afternoon for pool time, and then different things in the evening. We were there 10 days.

I am glad we waited, instead of spending that money up front and then not needing a stroller.

 

[capeseal]

I am going to say that it would depend upun three factors at those ages:

1. Touring style- We get up to open the parks, do a few rides, maybe have lunch or a snack, and head back to our room after 4-6 hours. We then rest and swim and head back for a few hours in the evening, if we are up to it. When DD was three, we barely used the stroller using this touring style, literally skipping down the path between the Poly and Shades of Green after a park day. We also managed MVMCP with a 5 and 2 year old without a stroller because we rested all day and then the kids only had to walk a few hours in the evening. So, if your touring plan is laid-back with time for big breaks, your kiddos may do very well without a stroller at all.

2. Weather- If you are going during the hottest months, it saps even the strongest kids. At 4, visiting in September, DD needed many more rests and piggy-back rides than she did at 3 and this was due to the weather. Luckily, she's a very petite kid, because we only took a single stroller for her 18-month-old brother and ended up carrying one kiddo or the other as we were exiting the parks each day.

3. Your kid(s)- If your child needs a place to retreat from the stimulation or tires easily, than a stroller is not going to look out of place in Disney. I've seen kids of all ages being pushed. It really seems to be a personal decision. Our next trip is in November and DD will be 6.5 and I don't see her using the stroller at all. She's still small enough to fit in one but she's super active and we take breaks when she needs them. If we need to keep her safe in the press of a crowd exiting a park, DH or I will carry her. (She only weighs about 39lbs at almost 6.) I expect we will take the stroller to the parks about half of the time for her brother, who will be 3.5.

 

[mslhb]

We took a Maclaren umbrella stroller with us when DD was 4.5. Definitely glad we had it. Was a nice quick way to maneuver DD through the crowds, place for her to sit, and place to keep our stuff. Didn't take a Disney trip when she was 5 but that would have been my grey area. We are going again this June when she will be 6. This is a totally personal decision but for us 6 is our limit and there will be NO stroller! We just plan on taking breaks as needed. So in your situation yes I would bring a stroller.

 

[Julie1374]

Sit and stands are awful with bigger kids, too heavy to navigate well!!
We are bringing a stroller for our 4 year old this year, last year we rented one,at the bigger parks only,for my then 6 year old. I like having a stroller to put my drinks and such in, but that's just me. . They are a pain on the buses though and always parking them.

 

[Totoro]

I was talking with a family on my last visit where they had two girls who looked to be about 4 and 5 years old. They mentioned that they had to borrow a double stroller for the trip because they no longer owned stroller. We were waiting in the FP plus area for the Main Street Electrical Parade and theses two little girls were spent. The family said they were so glad to borrow it.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I am going to say that it would depend upun three factors at those ages:

1. Touring style- We get up to open the parks, do a few rides, maybe have lunch or a snack, and head back to our room after 4-6 hours. We then rest and swim and head back for a few hours in the evening, if we are up to it. When DD was three, we barely used the stroller using this touring style, literally skipping down the path between the Poly and Shades of Green after a park day. We also managed MVMCP with a 5 and 2 year old without a stroller because we rested all day and then the kids only had to walk a few hours in the evening. So, if your touring plan is laid-back with time for big breaks, your kiddos may do very well without a stroller at all.

2. Weather- If you are going during the hottest months, it saps even the strongest kids. At 4, visiting in September, DD needed many more rests and piggy-back rides than she did at 3 and this was due to the weather. Luckily, she's a very petite kid, because we only took a single stroller for her 18-month-old brother and ended up carrying one kiddo or the other as we were exiting the parks each day.

3. Your kid(s)- If your child needs a place to retreat from the stimulation or tires easily, than a stroller is not going to look out of place in Disney. I've seen kids of all ages being pushed. It really seems to be a personal decision. Our next trip is in November and DD will be 6.5 and I don't see her using the stroller at all. She's still small enough to fit in one but she's super active and we take breaks when she needs them. If we need to keep her safe in the press of a crowd exiting a park, DH or I will carry her. (She only weighs about 39lbs at almost 6.) I expect we will take the stroller to the parks about half of the time for her brother, who will be 3.5.

This. IME, whether or not you need a stroller at WDW has very little to do with what "type" of child you have or what "type" of parent you are. In other words, there is almost no correlation to what happens regularly at home.

To me, the biggest factors are touring style and weather.

I see so many posts where people say that their child didn't need a stroller, they just took a break when the child was tired. How is that really any different? If the child in question is an only child, or an oldest child, then fine - take the break. But, what do you do in a family where there are mixed ages/ older kids to keep up with? You take a stroller so the little one can get a break from trying to keep up with all the longer legs.

Also, if you never been in summer, you have no idea how the heat and brutal humidity can sap your energy. I'd be happy if someone would push me in a stroller in August!

I will also add that if you are using Disney transportation and your child is likely to fall asleep on the way back to the resort, then a stroller can be a godsend. When DD was younger, she did this without fail. The walk back to the room can seem like a mile when you are carrying a sleeping preschooler.

 

[Suziannie]

I was on a trip with a 4 year old, for her 4th birthday actually so she was barely 4. We didn't even consider a stroller. We were there for a week and really just tried to be relaxed about it. We did plan on sit down meals for every meal though so there was a built in break each day of at least an hour. We also always went back to the room. But on many nights we were out until the park closed.

It was a great trip. Just like an adult we made sure she had comfortable clothing and shoes and socks on every day. Even on the day when we did the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique we bought the cute shoes but kept her real shoes handy. It wasn't long before her feet hurt and she wanted to stop. We changed shoes, had an ice cream and she wanted to keep going.

We're also from Houston Texas so the weather and humidity wasn't really a factor for us, that may have been a factor too. I can't really say.

It also helped to keep us from getting too tired or stressed out. It was a fun, happy trip filled with great memories. Having dealt with a stroller in lines, and on the buses on my most recent trip I have to say that I'm looking forward to our next stroller free trip!

 

[kiramay]

I know that this has been debated a lot here, but I'm curious as to the current thinking.

DD will be 4 years, 8 months. I can't remember the last time she was in the stroller, but am I correct that a week in Disney World will tire her out? If yes, and we rent a stroller, do I need to get some sit and stand combo so her brother--who will be 7 and 1/2--can jump on? Part of me think letting her have a stroller will open a can of worms and DH and I will be pushing these kids through the parks. That doesn't sound like a vacation to me.

My youngest will be 4 years 8 months on our next trip too, and I'm absolutely bringing our stroller. I haven't used it in a long time, but I've been saving it for this trip. We walk fast and his little legs won't be able to keep up. Plus, I like having the basket to hold snacks, water, ponchos, etc, so I don't have to carry it all. If he wants to walk some times, that's fine too, but this he can sit when he's tired.

 

[sunkissed4]

OP I'd bring a cheap umbrella stroller from home and if she gets tired you'll have it, if she doesn't use it, no biggie.

My son will be 5 in June and we use an umbrella stroller for him. He doesn't use it all day, but I really like having him in it during rope drop or when leaving at closing. My son is active, plays sports, and runs around all day. Oh and we live in Florida, so he's used to humidity and heat and he still gets worn out there.

Do whatever will make your trip easier. Personally I don't understand why anyone has an opinion on this topic. No stroller works for some kids, that's great. Some families use a stroller, that's ok too. End the Mommy wars and judgment please!!

 

[goofymoma]

OP I'd bring a cheap umbrella stroller from home and if she gets tired you'll have it, if she doesn't use it, no biggie. My son will be 5 in June and we use an umbrella stroller for him. He doesn't use it all day, but I really like having him in it during rope drop or when leaving at closing. My son is active, plays sports, and runs around all day. Oh and we live in Florida, so he's used to humidity and heat and he still gets worn out there. Do whatever will make your trip easier. Personally I don't understand why anyone has an opinion on this topic. No stroller works for some kids, that's great. Some families use a stroller, that's ok too. End the Mommy wars and judgment please!!

Agreed! Last time we were in disney was 4 1/2yrs ago and at the time our DS1 turned 5 down there and DS2 was 18mons. and we took our double stroller (sit n stand), we stayed OP so we didn't have to deal with the buses. We are leaving for WDW in 68 days!!!! And our boys will be 9 and 6, and I will most definitely be taking the stroller again. DS1 has Aspergers and I remember what a godsend it was for him to sit in the back pull the canopy over him and take a break from the over stimulation. We actually gave the stroller away over a year ago because we never used it but for disney I am borrowing it!! I will gladly endure any 'hassles' of the buses and pushing it for what it will provide me while on the trip. And not to mention my DH is a photography nut and carries - not exaggerating - a backpack that is easily 15+lbs, so when there is an open seat, which there usually is, the camera bag goes in it and even though we haven't used a stroller for years I, like a pp, would not know how to pack for the park without it

IMO I wouldn't worry about 'opening a can of worms' with your older child - I think you would definitely need it for your daughter and if your son hops in every now and then no biggie. An umbrella stroller is light enough that it wouldn't be a hassle to have, but I wouldn't think you would need a double/ sit n stand, I feel I need it to prevent meltdowns, having to end our day early due to meltdowns & overstimulation, etc. but that's my family. Every family' needs are different and you need to decide what is the best way for both you and the kids to enjoy your vacation.

Yes it is the happiest place but it's no place is happy when you are hot, tired and grumpy - and that includes both kids and adults, it doesn't matter where you are your still hot, tired and grumpy And a child getting grumpy because they are hot or tired does not make them undisciplined, bad or ungrateful but just a kid that's tired after walking all day in the hot Florida sun. Derogatory comments on either side of the argument do not help answer the OP's question. I came on this thread wanting to see what other peoples' experiences where for my own trip and dealing with stroller & ME and maybe to be of help, not to read comments that are insulting to a mother who has chosen to bring a stroller for older kids......sorry for the rant.