Stroller question: Do you still use a stroller for kids and if not-when did you stop

[ILoveLegos]

Didn't you take any pictures that you could post? That's a picture that I'd like to see.

No I'd be snaping pictures too often & I'd miss the Disney magic myself!

[sydzach]

My kids are 11 and 6, well, when we go in November, more like 11 and half and 6 and half. This is going to be our first trip ever without our stroller-we sold it at our last garage sale. Our daughter, 11, has been walking the parks for years now, but our son, this will be a first for him. It will also be a transition for us because we loved having the stroller to put all our stuff. But, fact is, we are going this time in a cooler month, will be there 5 days which is a long visit for us, we have the dining plan which will force a couple breaks that we normally would not take, and quite honestly, I think by 6 most kids SHOULD be able to walk most of the time. I think if you can slow down and let them dictate the pace and the ride selection, it should be fine. Of course your 6 year old son is MUCH bigger than mine, I already figure if he gets tired(which I am sure he will at given times) I will just put him on my shoulders to help out. He weighs probably 50-55lbs at most. My daughter is MUCH heavier at probably 70-80lbs but again, she is in good shape and has no problem walking.

Either way you go, to me it is not a biggie. If you bring a stroller, so be it. If you don't , that is fine too. Only you know your kids and to me, better safe than sorry. There is something to be said though for your kids walking and therefore being VERY tired and actually ready to fall asleep when you get back to your room. I sure know I will be ready to fall over when I get back.

[crazypoohbear]

My personal opinion is that at 9 years old she is too old for the stroller if she does't have any medical condition to warrant her riding.

Six is pushing the limits but I understand wanted to ride at that age. Again, my personal opinion and I am guilty of this also, is that we as a culture tend to baby our children far too long. (example, I think of WWII and all the men who fought for this country, then in reality I know those "MEN" were teens and close to my son's ages!)
I would bring an umbrella stroller and if need be make them share, it's a good life lesson for them to learn anyway and it will save your back from pushing around 150 pounds in the heat.

[g8rgirl29]

My friend had a great suggestion. Bring one stroller and tell them if they are going to ride then they will have to take turns pushing each other. You can bet that by the third day that stroller will be left in the room and there will be no complaints about walking.

[BrerGnat]

My personal opinion is that at 9 years old she is too old for the stroller if she does't have any medical condition to warrant her riding.

Six is pushing the limits but I understand wanted to ride at that age. Again, my personal opinion and I am guilty of this also, is that we as a culture tend to baby our children far too long. (example, I think of WWII and all the men who fought for this country, then in reality I know those "MEN" were teens and close to my son's ages!)
I would bring an umbrella stroller and if need be make them share, it's a good life lesson for them to learn anyway and it will save your back from pushing around 150 pounds in the heat.

I totally agree with everything you said.

When my younger sister was 3, my parents got rid of the stroller and I was 5 at the time, and had been without a stroller since my younger sis was born (I was 3 when she was born)...

I personally HATE strollers. I am slowly weaning my (usually lazy) 4 year old off the stroller for our daytime Disneyland visits. So far, he is up to 4 hours of nonstop walking/standing. I am hoping to visit WDW stroller free next time.

Kids ARE capable of walking. They have endless energy usually. They ride in the strollers because we make it an option for them, and of course it's appealing. Heck, I'D ride in a stroller if someone would push me around all day!

[Goofster]

My DD is 7 and she'd probably be embarassed to be seen in a stroller at this point. I'm surprised a 9 year old is fighting to get in it.

We just went to Cedar Point (which involves a lot of walking and standing) and we took our wagon. My DS 3.5 and DS 5.5 (who broke his leg in April) were the only ones who rode around in it. In fact, a lot of the time, I was pulling around an empty wagon because both my sons were walking. We're hoping that our 2011 trip we won't need a single stroller at all. We'll bring it, but leave it in the room.

[Mickey'sGirl]

When my younger sister was 3, my parents got rid of the stroller and I was 5 at the time, and had been without a stroller since my younger sis was born (I was 3 when she was born)...

This made me laugh because my parents told me that there were no such thing as strollers when we were kids! Make me feel old or what Nat!!

I agree with you though. If you don't present a stroller as an option, then it shouldn't be an issue.

[BrerGnat]

This made me laugh because my parents told me that there were no such thing as strollers when we were kids! Make me feel old or what Nat!!

I agree with you though. If you don't present a stroller as an option, then it shouldn't be an issue.

Strollers were brand new, apparently, when I was a toddler. My older sister never got one.

[crazypoohbear]

This made me laugh because my parents told me that there were no such thing as strollers when we were kids! Make me feel old or what Nat!!

I agree with you though. If you don't present a stroller as an option, then it shouldn't be an issue.

I am one of 8 kids YES 8!
I don't recall my mom ever having a stroller for any of us ever.
I did see a picture of my oldest brother in a huge pram when he was a baby (62 years ago)
We were carried as infants and walked or carried by siblings ( let me tell you THAT did NOT last long)
So I don't think that we did have strollers, the ones that existed were huge, heavy and not practical.
we were made to walk period!

[mrmcgiv]

haha, that is one of the best replies I got! That would teach them!

My friend had a great suggestion. Bring one stroller and tell them if they are going to ride then they will have to take turns pushing each other. You can bet that by the third day that stroller will be left in the room and there will be no complaints about walking.

[thumperbug]

Its a personal decision. I had a great travel stroller with canopy, organizer etc that folded up small and held my son until he bypassed the 55 lb limit. He is very small for his age and his legs and feet do get tired quite quickly. Now that he is too big for the stroller we had...we didn't know what to do for our last minute trip July 4 weekend. There is an offsite stroller rental company that rocks (send me a PM if you want the name) and we got their stroller measurements off the web, showed the pic to my son and gave him the choice of the stroller or not. He thought about it and said he thought having the stroller would be a good thing in case he got hot and tired. He did walk most of the time but he definitely needed the stroller at times. I am not sure what to do when our Oct trip comes up since he is probably not going to fit in anything except a Disney Double. Does anyone know the weight limits on the disney strollers?

[rt207]

I would just take one stroller, or none at all, and play it by ear. If you take one, then I would make them share and take turns if they both insist on riding in it. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[TheVBs]

We went stroller-less for the first time last year, when our DDs were 4 & 8. Our oldest is a total power-walker and has no issues. Our youngest will beg to be carried if she can get away with it. Although, two real issues with her are that she often gets blisters and overheats. We discovered Crocs won't give her blisters and we just made sure to get lots of water in her, take breaks in the shade and have a frozen treat once in awhile and she did fine. However, like others have said, you know your kids and their needs better than anyone. Figure out what will make your trip more enjoyable and run with it. You can always start out without a stroller and see how it goes, then pick one up or rent one if it's just not working out. And definitely do not let what anyone else would think of you using a stroller dictate how you plan your vacation!

[MickeysEars]

Since I have joined Intercot this has ALWAYS been a hot button topic...I don't understand why. (this and the "leash" topic, I am amazed at how degrading and insulting some people can be about that one) If you think your children need a stroller, use it, if you don't, then don't. I know my children, and everyone is happier when they are happy. Honestly, if I could get pushed around all day I would. I do, however, like the idea of only one and letting them share. My children like time limits when sharing, so maybe 20 min on 20 min off. I do look forward to the day when we don;t have to go looking for where it was moved to while we were on a ride...

[PinKy]

You would obviously know your kids the best - so choose what would be most comfortable for all of you.

I think if you can do some 'walking training' maybe after dinner, etc your kids will get used to it and at Disney it won't be such a big deal. My 3 year old walked 90% of the time at Disney this past spring - but he's used to walking a lot. (we live in the Chicago area - a walking town) Just a thought. My 2 year old still needs the stroller most of the time. (but he sure is stubborn about it!!)

A couple of things that work for us:

1) if the stroller is a must-have you might think about a "large sized" wheel chair. We had one for my MIL this past year and when she felt up to walking the kids would pile in the stroller for a break. You may have to ask for the extra-large sized wheel chair at the rental stand though - they keep them in the back sometimes. (I think they're $20/day)

3) Take lots of breaks - keep hydrated - maybe plan in time to head back to the resort in the middle of the day for relaxation/pool time, etc? My kids take naps - and I'm sure yours don't of course - but the down time might energize them to go out again in the evening. (I'm sure you know that .... thought it was worth mentioning)

good luck!!

[RaRaRoundTheWorld]

I'm sure you know what's best for your kids - but I suspect you're asking to gauge opinions. People might snicker, but at Disney, you have a lot of adults acting and dressing like kids, so why not let the kids actually be kids?

If you bring a stroller and the kids refuse to sit, at least you'll have the comfort of having prepared? Perhaps since this is your first stroller-free trip, build in more breaks and take on less walking? Focus your time on one area of a certain park at a time?

In the end, isn't it about being together and being happy and not about forced marches to as many rides as possible?

[mrmcgiv]

We solved the dilemma! Our solution is we will take one stroller. I looked on craigslist for a jogger but nothing was closeby and reasonable. So we broke out the very old graco standard stroller that I had packed away from when my kids were little. It was not bad to push with one kid - so we are going with that. The kids were told they are going to have to take times turns and often times neither of them will be in it! I am so happy to be planning ot have it to keep the backpack and 'stuff' in!

The stroller looks like it has been around the block MANY times, b/c it has - but it will work! My sons looks a little big in it bit not huge, but my daughter looks pretty tall. Still, it will work and if people do not like it they can look away! Too bad for them! I would rather have a haooy family and also not be caught paying the outrageous disney rental prices!

Thanks for the feedback. Did not realize what a hot topic this was

[TheVBs]

So great that you found a solution! Have a fabulous trip!

[JenniferS.]

I think kids in strollers at Disney are an exception. My kids are 22 mo, 4, 6 and 6. We are going next Nov or Dec and I'm wondering what to do myself. I KNOW the 22 mo and 4 yr old will prob. need it (will be 3 & 5 then). I'm thinking of using our jogging stroller and hoping the older ones will walk. We decided to go in a cooler month which should help. Yes, though, there are jogging strollers to accomadate. I would try Craigs List or Yard Sales before going out and spending the money on a brand new one. Have fun!

[BrerGnat]

So we broke out the very old graco standard stroller that I had packed away from when my kids were little. It was not bad to push with one kid - so we are going with that.

Be fully prepared for the possibility of that stroller breaking during your trip. Those old Gracos only accommodate 45 lbs TOTAL (child + "stuff") weight. Eventually, it will give out.

I've literally witnessed strollers collapsing mid-push at least 5 times at Disneyland...because the kids in them were WAY too big to fit. On one occasion, a little girl about 7 had the back of her thigh slashed open by a sharp piece of broken plastic on her way down. She was bleeding horribly right in the middle of Main Street...it was a terrible thing to witness.

Your kids (regardless of age) are too heavy to be riding safely in stroller like that. Your SAFEST bet is to use the Disney rentals. They are far more sturdy, and made for heavier weights.