Strollers for theme parks?

[Momto3littlemice]

Hi all,

We are trying to determine what strollers to take on our trip next year. We will have 4 kids and 6 adults (children will be ages 5, 4, 10 mos, 11 mos).

Would you take 4 separate single strollers or try to take a double? And, if you think a double is a good idea - we have a double jogger but it is NOT small when we fold it up and it is worth about $300. I am a bit worried about it logistically as well as potentially getting stollen.

We are still up in the air as far as where we will stay but might be POFQ and using the buses a good bit (although we will have a car there).

[RockinRollerMom]

I would not suggest bring your big double stroller. It will be a big pain trying to fold it up to get on the buses, monorail etc. 4 small umbrella strollers (I think they still sell pretty cheap ones at Walmart that have a cover over the top for shade) are a good idea. The key to what ever you pick is to find something that folds up quick and easy. Some people may try to tell you to skip the stroller for your 5 year old, but I am a strong supporter of bringing a stroller for children as long as you can. It doesn't mean that your 5 year old won't walk at all, but you will be so thankful when he/she loses steam that you have it. :mickey:

[g8rgirl29]

I also vote for the 4 separate strollers. You might want to consider the clamp on umbrellas for the little ones. They sell for about $9 and you can move/angle them around to make sure the sun isn't hitting them. The flat covers that come with many umbrella strollers leave them in the sun quite often. We were able to leave our clamp on umbrella on ours when it folded too. Another thing to make life easier is to attach a shoulder strap with some D clips/carbiners to the stroller so you can just throw it over your shoulder going on and off the bus, freeing up your hands for little ones.

[Jasper]

I would be another who would suggest individual strollers. I would not be worried about the stroller getting stolen because even though that question gets asked a lot here at Intercot the general consensus is that it is very rare for a stroller to actually get stolen, normally it is just misplaced when a CM moves it to organize the stroller parking area. However, the double stroller is just too large and bulky to deal with both inside the parks and when you are moving from one place to another.

Since you say you have six adults and I assume they are all capable of pushing a stroller then I would go with individual strollers and take turns pushing them.

[elmjimmlm]

I wouldnt take an expensive one just to be on the safe side...Theres nothing like having something like that to happen to damper "the magic"...:tink:

[wire0monkey]

I hate trying to carry the huge strollers on buses and airplanes, so if it were me I would take two small umbrella strollers with me and rent a double-stroller at the park.

You can use the umbrella strollers to get the littlest kids through the airport and into and out of the parks. At the parks, I'd fold the umbrella strollers up and put them in the big stroller in the morning. The littlest kids can ride in the big stroller during the morning while the bigger kids walk. When the bigger kids get tired, I'd break out the umbrella strollers and let everybody ride.

Alternatively, I'd rent two double strollers at the parks and carry the two littlest kids in from the parking lot.

Strollers are really worth it for the end of the day, even for bigger kids. 42 pounds of 5 year boy feels like 200 pounds of rocks after the fireworks after a long day, and trying to force a kid to walk at that point is cruel and pointless.

[Tick-Tock]

Check the stroller rental prices before you make your final decision. They just increased dramatically.

[Momto3littlemice]

I definitely think I am going to try to stay away from stroller rental for $$$ reasons. (We are driving so we can take what we need) But, it seems there is a consensus to leave the double at home and so we shall. I also love the idea of the shoulder strap. I think I may also consider getting those things that tether two umbrella strollers together that we can take just in case. Thanks for all the advice!

[teambricker04]

My suggestion... Forget the double... such a pain on buses etc.

If the older kids can walk through the airport, why not just buy the umbrella strollers they sell at the park when you get there? Just an idea... they are cheaper than renting for an extended amount of time but then you don't have to lug them through the airport.

We are going next week and our 3yo will be walking through the airport. He never sits in a stroller on a regular basis and at the parks, only when he is tired. So we are doing more breaks this time, and also bringing the backpack for the baby to ride in some of the time. It doesn't hurt that we are going for nearly two weeks and have all the time in the World (har har).

[katzctkpt]

Check the prices on the rentals they are very easy to maneuver and you don't have to worry about lugging it around the whole trip. Otherwise I'd do the umbrella ones a lot easier to get on & off the bus especially, when they're packed.

[crazypoohbear]

You could always bring three strollers and hve the 2 older kids share. At that age they will be doing alot of running around and walking to see and get to everything. Do they use a stroller all the time now?

[MickeyChick]

We brought a sit-and-stand stroller and that worked for us, but, I agree with most here that said to get umbrella type strollers for the two smallest. They sell a set of connectors at Babies R Us that lets you connect 2 umbrella strollers to function as a double. I think that would be great for you to keep your stuff together.

I wouldn't worry too much about theft at The World. We left my husband's $800 camera in our stroller (and visible) by accident and never had any problems.

[wdw_bound]

For the tiny ones, I'd suggest a Baby Bjorn or similar carrier. We used it when DS was 10 mos, and it was wonderful. I felt so much more secure on the rides we took him on, and it left my hands free to help DD. Also, you will not be able to take the strollers in lines, so having the little ones in the carrier makes it easier.

We also bought a $25 stroller from Target near WDW (not enough room in the car) that reclines slightly, which at his age was also important. But we still used the carrier much more than the stroller.

Have a great trip!

[TheMartellFamily]

Renting would be quite expensive for the time you are there. Umbrella strollers fold up small and are light to carry. That is probablly your best bet. They can be found just about anywhere they sell baby stuff.

[tys_mommy]

I’d vote for the separate strollers as well. We took a double stroller that I bought used for only $20 so no loss if it went missing – and even though it folded small for what it was – it was still much bigger and bulkier than what 2 umbrellas would have been.

What ever you decide, I suggest making a name tag at home that’s large enough to be read but small enough to not get in the way. We had the double stroller mention above and a single umbrella stroller with us last week with matching handmade tags on both = when the CMs would move them they always ended up together – I doubt it was a coincidence but maybe it was. It was also easy to spot our strollers in a crowd b/c we could just look for the tags on the back – no other personal stroller had a name tag so it was really easy to find them.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

I just wanted to mention that if you were going with umbrella strollers for the younger ones, I would make sure they recline. At their ages I am sure they are going to be catching naps, even if they are getting out of them at home.

I also second the suggestion of only bringing three strollers. I bet the 5 and 4 year olds will do more walking then you think.;)