To stroller or not to stroller

[disneycountrygirl]

I dread the day my youngest is too old to justify a stroller. We have always let our kids ride in one till about 7. I like a place to carry water bottles, sweatshirts, small first aid kit, sanitizer, wipes, flip flops, rain poncho, etc. Having to go travel to a locker for every need sounds like a pain. Plus, I don't want to hear any whining at all about being tired. WDW vacations need to be whine free. lol.

 

[BLAZEY]

A bit presumptuous, no? We had our kids using strollers until they were 8 years old. Our kids are plenty fit, play sports year round...and the parents...well, we're more fit than 99% of adults, especially DW (well...OK, I'm probably 95%, but DW is 99.99%, so it averages out. ) . It was just a personal decision for us. WDW, as you know, is incredibly huge. We decided that we'd rather push them (and get our own exercise in) and keep them fresh than having them walking around in the heat and get tired/cranky. After all, as much as I passionately love WDW, the trips are really for them to make memories. We didn't want their memory to be how tired they were by the end of the 3rd day and how cranky they got. Worked great for us, and I wouldn't change it for anything.

We had a stroller for DD during our Nov 2015 trip at 6.5 years old as i was our first WDW trip and with the heat and humidity being a huge contrast to home (we had snow on the ground when we left). This past March when she turned 8 SHE didn't want one. We can't go at a really fast pace as I have mild CP and don't walk quickly but I am fit as I walk daily. My doctor says walking and swimming are great for keeping me fit without injury issues. We were glad to have the stroller for that first day. We used it mainly from travelling between lands and to/from bus depots.

 

[roseaster]

That is the question. We had rented a stroller for our 7 and 5 year old in August. My 7 year old was a little big for it but she made it work.

We head back next August and my husband is dead set against renting one. With the humidity, the walking, and the early morning and late nights I think it may cost us our sanity.

How did you all transistion from stroller to no stroller with your kids? Did you take them walking before your trip?

We transitioned easily. Our cut off was kindergarten (once you started kindergarten, no stroller) the transition was, "kindergarteners are too big for a stroller."

I never understood how all these children are super elite athletes, but can't walk on a flat surface with lots of stops to sit and rest. Even my most unathletic kid (and none of mine are terribly athletic, mostly rec team level players) had no trouble walking after the age of 4 or 5.

Given the choice of walking and not whining or not going to Disney, mine always chose Disney.

Strollers are a pain. It's more walking on the adult. Park the stroller, ride the ride(s) or see the show, back track to where the stroller was parked, find it, back track to where you were dumped out of the ride(s) show.

 

[goodeats]

We are travelling with a 9 year old and a 6 year old next August. I will most definitely not be renting a stroller for the week. The thought of having to drag a stroller on buses is a nightmare to me. I'm open to renting one for the day at Epcot or something, but we are in the no stroller camp for sure!

 

[ConvenientTruth]

We stopped when our youngest hit 4...old enough to play a sport, old enough to walk around the park.

 

[AllthingsDisMom]

My children are 12, 9 and 3, and I always bring my double stroller. It comes in handy! Once we did a Disney park day without one and man let me tell ya, not worth it!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Unless your children have some kind of medical issue, you really shouldn't need any training. You walk to a ride, ride the ride, walk to another ride, ride the ride. You might walk 25,000 steps in a day, but it's not like it's all in one go.

 

[TwinkleKS]

I've always thought people overthink this one In most cases (baring medical issues, etc.) if a kid wants to be there they will manage to make it from ride to ride just fine without a stroller after age 5 or 6. This year we will be 9,9, and 7 - so no stroller, last year 8,8, and 6 no stroller, the year before 7,7, and 5 only had a stroller for a couple of days when 5 was sick. 6,6, and 4 only for the four year old, everything before that was strollers for all three.

I personally think if you offer a stroller they will use the stroller ... if you tell them they have to walk and that's it, they will walk. Let's be serious ... I'm in worse physical shape than the kids and I make it through the day. We don't go at a super fast speed and we take breaks to eat, etc.