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We will be visiting WDW in June with our Son who will be 4 in July. I know there will be parks and times where we'll want/need a stroller
What are your stroller suggestions? Bring your own? Rent one at parks when needed? Do they have a top on then to help with rays? Are they hard to identify when getting off rides?
I know this is tidious to some, but trying to plan as many things correctly as possible.
Thanks in advance!
69 days and counting!
I think it's so much easier to rent them at the parks. They do have tops that help with the sun. :cool: The cost last time I checked is $7.00 a day.With a Disney Dollar refund($1.00) when you return it. If your park hopping just retain your stroller receipt and give it to the attendent at the next parks rental center for another stroller at no additional charge. ;)
I suggest you bring your own. But instead of bringing a big heavy stroller, buy a cheap (about $20) umbrella type stroller (some of these have sun shades).
[img]smile.gif[/img] You will have it to use at the airport.
[img]smile.gif[/img] Your son can sit in it while you wait for the bus or tram. If he's sleepy when you turn in the rental you may have to carry him. This can be tough when your own feet need to rest.
[img]smile.gif[/img] You can take it on the MK train (you can't do that with rentals).
At the end of your stay, if you don't want to take it back home you can toss it or give it to someone else.
I don't have kids, so I'm just passing on suggestions from others, but ALL strollers are tough to identify when you get off rides or out of attractions. The CMs sometimes will move strollers to make more space for others, so even if you know where you put it, it may not be exactly there. The general recommendation is to tie a brightly colored scarf to the handle to make your stroller easier to spot - the wilder, the better!Quote:
Originally posted by JCamp11470:
Are they hard to identify when getting off rides?
Hope this helps! :D
Bring your own lightweight one-with a BASKET!
This will be our third trip (first was with a four year old, second a six year old) with our own stroller and I HIGHLY recommend it if you'll be there more than a few days. This is how strongly we feel about your own stroller...I bought a new one (we'd already gotten rid of our old one, and I'm giving it to my little sister who's having a baby this summer) just for this upcoming trip, and for a six year old (we'll be there 10 days- costs less to buy than rent). I bought a lightweight one (only 13 pounds- not much more than an umbrella one-but half the weight of most; it also folds with one hand and stands up on it's own- EASY to get on/off buses) but a fullsize NOT umbrella one (if you put any "stuff" hanging on these, they'll break- trust me, I know.
OK, besides the obvious- place for your child to not to have to walk those 10 miles a day; You need one that reclines if your child might nap, and most of all...bring one that has a LARGE BASKET underneath (which most umbrella strollers don't have). You'll have somewhere to put all the kid/family stuff, you can hang your water bottles and camera bags off the handle. When entering a ride, we just leave the water bottles/non-critical stuff on the stroller and grab our camera and small backpack with "stuff" that we leave in the basket. Nothing's ever been bothered.
We've rented strollers at other amusement parks, and I've seen the ones at Disney- you won't get all these features. BIG PLUS- as mentioned, use of it at the airport (gate check it right at the door to the plane and it will be waiting for you when you get off), at you resort, water parks, shopping. And definately mark it, pretend all you can see (in the sea of strollers) is the handle.
26 Days to Go [img]graemlins/muscles.gif[/img]
I agree 100% with Roo'sMomKanga. This is our third trip to DW with our DS, and we feel as strongly as the above Intercotee. This is the last trip we're going to be able to use this particular stroller since it has so many Disney miles on it!!!
We attach a battery-operated spray bottle fan (Wal-Mart) to the cross bar, and DS naps right in the stroller. NOT to mention there is a place to put the Camcorder bag, camera bag, carryall bag with snacks, change of clothes, souvenirs, suntan lotion, etcetera. If you are flying, it is also ULTRA convenient to get through the airport with your children in strollers - gate check them right before you board the plane, and they are waiting for you when you step off the plane in Orlando.
We had been told not to bring our stroller the first trip by some friends, and we were SO glad we did! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] Just attach something to your strollers to recognize them . . . for us, it is White Sox stickers and unusual fabric placed in the seat. [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img]
OK - here's my spin...
Been to WDW 3x with our son (now 3 1/2). Last trip he was 2 1/2 - before that 11 months and 18 months old. Each time we used the umbrella stroller - it's lightweight and very maneuverable in the parks. You can use it at the resort, airport, DD, etc. It's very convenient having your own therefore I would recommend bringing vs. renting every time.
Having said all that... this is where the spin comes in. On our third trip, we found that our son really didn't want to use it and it became more of a pain than anything else. We typically left it in the room when we visited the parks in the morning. When he got tired - back to the hotel for rest/swimming/nap. We used it in the evening to go back to the parks because more often than not he fell asleep at around 8:30ish (even slept through Illuminations! :D ).
I guess my point is... strollers can be a pain if they are randomly used (and I hate to bring up a sore subject, but there are a lot of people out there who complain about strollers and people who use them as battering rams), but can be very useful if the child actually wants to sit in it. Do you really anticipate your child sitting in it - or will it be something that you just use to carry around stuff? If you think it may just be a place for him to rest when he gets tired, maybe consider going back to the hotel for a rest. WDW with kids requires a lot of patience - just remember to go at your child's pace. Also - a 4-yr old may be too big for an umbrella stroller. If you do bring your own full-size stroller it could be a real pain loading and unloading on buses, etc...
My suggestion - for a 4-yr old just skip the stroller entirely. If he does get tired and cranky, then that's your queue to go to the hotel and rest for a bit or take them into a nice, long air-conditioned attraction like the American Adventure in Epcot or HoP in MK where they can rest for 20-30 minutes....
Just returned from WDW (miss it already), but my suggestion would be to bring your own stroller. The ones at the park all look exactly alike. Also, good idea to get thru the airport with your own stroller and back and forth to the park. We found the kids were most tired at the end of the day (age 7 and 5), going back to the park. Also agree, when they're tired it's time for a break. We went back to the hotel almost every afternoon for a swim or boat rental or to play in the arcade for a little while. I needed the break as much as they did!
Have a great time! Move at the kids' pace, let them be your clue.
I agree - bring one. $20, having it with you everywhere vs $7 per day (okay $6 with the refund, but that's still $24 for 4 days).
Most of the strollers for rent are hard plastic and don't look so comfortable, while an umbrella is a nice fabric seat.
They are easy to identify with your name on them, and you don't have to worry about something happening to it; unlike with your own. But, to me that's not enough to offset the convenience/comfort of having our own.
I would rent one. It is all about the convenience. We rented one each day for 15 days. I saw people lugging their own on the buses and it was not easy for them. Also MGM has the worst strollers as far as comfort and easy to push. Good luck.
We took our own on our last trip in October. We found an umbrella stroller with a canopy, a basket AND it reclines - very unusual for an umbrella stroller. We found it at Burlington Coat Factory where we also found a shoulder strap that we could hook on it. This made it easy to tote around when our DD didn't want to ride. We also gate checked ours at the airport so that we could use it until the last minute and it wouldn't get thrown below with all the luggage.
I have mixed views on the stroller issue, so I'll give you my thoughts on both...
Renting - no support for infants, great for older kids (spacious...esp. the double strollers). Yes, there are tops to them as well as convenient pouches in the back. You're given a name tag to put in the back of the stroller. Still kind of a pain to locate, but nothing extreme. You could also tie a balloon to the handle or something else to make it easier to spot.
Bringing your own - Costs less $. Umbrella strollers are convenient for this trip, but not too protective. Easier to locate, but possibly more difficult to lug around (that's all up to opinion). Much better for infants & babies.
Hope that helps! Have fun!!!!
Any chance anyone has a picture of the strollers for rent?
Thanks in advance!
Yep...I have a pic of an MK stroller...just picture it without the kids in it! [img]graemlins/laughing.gif[/img]
A double stroller