HUGE increase in rental stroller fees [merged threads]

[crazypoohbear]

I agree, the stoller use is out of control. Also I would imagine with so many of the bigger kids using strollers, they are probably being damaged to a greater extent. A co-worker rents a stroller for her son (older than 7 and not small) just because he is lazy. Her words!

Again, a bit off topic, but maybe not really.
I was reading these topics and wondering to myself, Hmmmm,

is this part of the reason we have so many overweight children?

Do we pamper them too much?

I don' t recall my mother ever having a stroller/pram for any of us children, we either walked everywhere or one of the older siblings carried the smallest.
But, then we also played outside all day, running, jumping, climbing, swinging, you get the picture, it was exercise to keep us busy and tire us out for a good nights sleep.
Does anyone remember their mom pushing them is a stroller at 4,5,6,7 because we were "too tired"?
I completely understand ligit medical reasons but... are we keeping them babies too long?

[Disney Doll]

Another good reason to bring your own stroller which IMHO has always been the best option. We use a Combi umbrella. It's light, folds easily, has a storage basket, and has a shade. It maneuvers like a dream and is perfect for navigating tight spaces (like the crowds at Disney). I think it was about $80.00. I too would like to see less strollers in the parks especially those huge plastic monsters Disney rents. We took our nieces ages 3 and 5 without a stroller and they were fine. When they needed a break we rested. I think part of the stroller issue has to do with how much stuff people bring with them to the parks. People need strollers just to push around all the stuff they bring. Really it is so much nicer to pack light. I can't imagine that they actually use all the stuff the cart in.

[ShanPooh]

Too bad our stroller can't earn frequent flyer miles, cuz it looks like we're taking it with us again this year!
One of our goals this summer is to be "Disney-fit" for our trip in September.
That's going to mean taking our kids on several mile hikes and walks to get everyone used to the long distances. It will also help me lose some of the weight I will inevitably gain eating at WDW
Our almost 4 year old daughter will certainly need our stroller for longer days. We bring a Graco one handed stroller, which is lightweight for such a sturdy stroller and at least DH is able to use one hand to collapse it/fold it up.
Our almost 7 year old son will want the stroller sooner than his sister, but that's why we are going to be "in-training" this summer

[GrumpyFan]

While I think that price bump is outrageous, I have to wonder if there's something more behind the reasoning. Are they trying to reduce the amount of how many of those large beasts (strollers) are in the parks? Because they do take up a lot of space, and they tend to get mis-used. I've seen 2 tired teenagers jammed into one, which is clearly not what these are intended or even built for.

The downside to this is that more people will bring their own strollers and then be trying to get on/off the busses with. I pity the parents that have to do this. Personally, we refused to do so. We waited until our kids were old enough to walk on their own. Yeah we carried them a little, and had shorter days than we liked, but we didn't have to hassle with a stroller.

[Jeff G]

Well, there is always the other option of purchasing the strollers they have there. They were $40.00 in August of 2007. I'm not sure if they went up or not.

Because we're staying on-site, (no rental car) where should we look for a stroller to purchase?

The above posted stroller was sold at many of the resorts, we purchased ours at the WIlderness Lodge. If you picked up one of these for $40 your kids could take turns using it and come out way ahead in the long run.

[irish1967]

Do we pamper them too much?

Or is it more of a "we are going to make sure we get every single minute out of this vacation that we possibly can" situation? An older child in a stroller will certainly last longer than one that is walking! Perhaps making it possible to skip the #1 tip - take a break!

ShanPooh We also get "Disneyfit" for our trips. I walk everyday (gotta be able to do 13.1 miles in 3 1/2 hours for the WDW 1/2 marathon ) but once school lets out, my boys start walking with me everyday so that they can enjoy our time at Disney w/out getting tired because of the walking.

Back to the original topic, we continued to rent strollers from Disney for a couple of years beyond everyday stroller use. We stopped when DS2 was 5 (I think) With the increased prices, we would probably bring our own now.

[Emme&TeddysMommy]

I'm not sure how renting a stroller will cut down on the stuff you have to carry out of the parks, you are not allowed to bring the strollers out of the park so you would still have to carry everything out. You would be better off bringing your own stroller from home to lug everything out in.

I was just trying to avoid carrying out 2 strollers along with 2 kids and a backpack filled with the kid’s essentials. I know from previous experience that the buses tend to be packed after Fantasmic and MNSSHP. I know how frustrating it can be for other passengers when a stroller keeps poking them in the leg. I was also just trying to be considerate for my fellow passengers. Thank our lucky stars we are staying on property so what ever we purchase we can just send back to the resort.

[FlaTinkRAMESAM]

Last year we rented a double... this year it looks like it's cheaper to rent 2 singles- why'd they price the singles cheaper? (just curious)

Convenience... What is easier? Pushing 2 smaller strollers or 1 bigger one? Especially for single parents or parents that are coming on a solo trip with their kids, etc. Can't easily manage 2 strollers...

Plus, I have seen a lot of people that have 1 child with a double... maybe for the extra room? I dunno... I don't know them, so I don't judge, but it does make you wonder...

[slpngbty56]

WOW!! I sure am glad my kids are too old for strollers...Like many others have said I don't think I could afford to pay such a high price. DH had suggested renting one this Sept to hold all of our "stuff", but I think we'll be 86'n that idea.

[Buttercup]

Ugh.
We're bringing our Graco (big) stroller from home for our infant daughter. My 3yo son still will need a stroller as well. We were planning on renting but that seems like quite the price hike. Maybe I'll consider trying to bring his umbrella stroller on the plane as well....

[Young@Heart]

is this part of the reason we have so many overweight children?

Do we pamper them too much?

Does anyone remember their mom pushing them is a stroller at 4,5,6,7 because we were "too tired"?
I completely understand ligit medical reasons but... are we keeping them babies too long?

I don't mind keeping my DD 5 a baby for as long as she'll let me. God willing, she won't be our last. But if she is, we're in no desire to rush it.

I can't imagine not having a stroller for her for our Aug. trip. Yeah, she'll be a month over 5 yrs, but it's also going to be extremely hot and extremely crowded. We can only afford a week at WDW, so we try to fit as much as we can into that week. I have all summer off with my DC (it's great to be a teacher!), so our "vacation" at WDW is really an "adventure" to us. If having a stroller allows us to get around easier and more safely for DD, while getting more time in at the parks, there's no question about it.

Last trip, we brought our own, and even though we drive around the World, it's still a pain to bring a stroller into the parks. We had planned on renting this year, but I guess we're back to bringing from home. It's less convenient, and I always worry about it getting stolen, but I guess I'll take my chances over shelling out $100 for a rental.

[BluewaterBrad]

I agree--that is quite a price hike. And while I understand the sentiment about cutting down on some of the stroller use, I think we have to remember that this puts an extra financial burden on the people who really do need the strollers (it would be the same if they increased the rental fee for ECV's too).

Yes, but usually 2% always ruin it for the other 98!

[loopner67]

That's a *lot* of extra money for a stroller. This makes me very glad that my two are finally old enough to not want a stroller anymore, but I really feel for those who have to have one.

[crltkcagle]

!!!!

This price increase is absolutely ridiculous! I loved the big double that could fit all three of my boys in it. Now i am going to have to lug around my stroller! Well I guess with the cost of inflation on gas and groceries disney has the right to increase their prices too. LOL when does it end?

[scootch713]

I completely understand ligit medical reasons but... are we keeping them babies too long?

Using a stroller for my two kids(just turned 8 and 5 1/2 our last trip) had nothing to do with keeping them babies... it had to do with comfort. They were out of the sun and much more refreshed. I push them myself all week, without difficulty. It also keeps them in one spot since I take them alone, easier to know where both are. WDW is an expensive trip, we all do what we feel is best for us to make it a wonderful trip.

[LottaLubes]

At least we know where some of you can use your tax stimulus check! (Just kidding...)

Boy, this is a huge increase and I feel for the parents/grandparents of little ones these days. We only rented a stroller a couple times when our kids were younger and I don't think we paid more than $5 a day. However, we often brought our own stroller and used DHs shoulders.

I have a feeling there will be people who come out of an attraction only to find that their rented stroller has been "borrowed."

Maybe we need an Intercot stroller to be used where families can pass it along to other Intercotees when they have finished their vacation.

[mickeys_princess_mom]

The downside to this is that more people will bring their own strollers and then be trying to get on/off the busses with. I pity the parents that have to do this.

Good point. I don't have to deal with strollers at the moment, but my sister does, and it's going to be hard for her to handle on the trips without DH.
If I recall... Mr. Disney said something about the reason he created Disneyland (World) is so parents would have someplace fun to go spend time with their kids.....This is making it much harder to do that. Remember, we're training the next generation to love the Magic, too! It's hard on families who are scraping up money to take trips as it is. I think it would be much better to hike the prices in another area, if need be.

[just2mickey]

Good point. I don't have to deal with strollers at the moment, but my sister does, and it's going to be hard for her to handle on the trips without DH.
If I recall... Mr. Disney said something about the reason he created Disneyland (World) is so parents would have someplace fun to go spend time with their kids.....This is making it much harder to do that. Remember, we're training the next generation to love the Magic, too! It's hard on families who are scraping up money to take trips as it is. I think it would be much better to hike the prices in another area, if need be.

I could not agree more. While I understand rate increases, I cannot seem to wrap my mind around the fact that I fly my little prince (age 2) round trip on a 747 (with fuel prices up and I live 3 states away mind you )for less than the price of a 5 day stroller rental at WDW. Will it stop me from going? Absolutely not. I just hate it because it forces me to bring my own and have people behind me in the airport roll their eyes when I am trying my best to get both kids through the screening machine, put on and take off my shoes as well as theirs, grab my stuff from the conveyor belt, push the stroller through, keep my eyes on my wallet, and yell at my husband because he isn't helping enough, while all the time looking for suspicious people. Good grief! I can see the headlines now..."Psychotic Disney Mom Takes Out Local Airport Security Screening Machine With One Hand." (because I am pushing the stroller with the other one.) Seriously though, I like a Lapu Lapu every now and then...perhaps they should slip a charge in on the alcoholic beverages. Besides, to all my LAPU friends, after one of those things, who cares how much the second and third one costs, right? That's it for me. Let the attack begin.

[kbean]

Are they gas powered?

[Ian]

Here's a thought ... this is a market economy in the U.S. Free enterprise.

If folks think the prices are too high for stroller rentals, I smell a business opportunity. Why doesn't someone open a stroller rental company in the Orlando Airport and rent them for half the price?

I bet you'd make a fortune! Drive Disney's stroller rental near extinction and they'll lower their prices. That's a free market economy in action.