to bring or not to bring - stroller for preschooler

[septembergirl]

Do you find it easier for your toddler/preschooler to rent from the parks or bring your own umbrella stroller? (Infants are a different story altogether!)

[TiggerRPh]

By all means bring your own...

1. You'll be used to it.
2. You will have it from the transportation to the gates and from the gates to transportation. At the end of the day...this is very convenient.
3. Your stroller won't look like a 100 others.

I would also suggest using an umbrella stroller since they fold up easier and into small sizes on the buses.

[Tigerlilly]

We brought our own Umbrella stroller from home. When we needed to park it, we folded it up and gave it to a cast member. Our stroller was generally hung on the entrance to the parking area and was SUPER easy to find and get too when we needed it back. Was SUPER easy on the busses

[PrincessEmmasMommy]

My child doesn't use a stroller any more at home as she is 4 and is tall. She has outgrown both the regular and umbrella strollers. She fits comfortably in the rentals. We plan to get them for some days but not all. We're going for 11 days and will probably get 3 days at a time on the rental pass. I have been trying to build up her endurance for walking by taking her places and allowing her to walk.
Good luck!
Jen

[biodtl]

We brought our own last time (DD was a few weeks shy of 3) and I was really glad we did. It can sometimes be a challenge on a crowded bus (much easier if it locks shut), but totally worth it to have the reclining seat for naps, ample storage, cup holders, shade, etc. As as a previous poster pointed out, it's great for the long walks to and from the bus stops. There's nothing like being exhausted at the end of the day and hearing, "carry me mommy".

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

We have always brought our own from home. My kids are more comfy in their own, no stroller lines, easier to find since it does not look like 150 others around and a life saver going to and from the busses, especially after fireworks and parades.

We have a Perego P3. It is very light and folds like an umbrella. It also reclines which makes all the difference in the world to a sleeping child. Any stroller that is not heavy or really large works great.

Have a great trip!!

[kathiep]

I always recommend bringing your own.

It's worth it to have it for the walk after you exit the parks, after a long day, just for the walk to your car or other transporation.

We also used it last year when we were exploring our resort. I had my DS who was 3 who spent a lot of time walking the resort but would end up getting tired before we got back to our room.

[biodtl]

Another thing I liked about having my own stroller was the plastic rain cover that we brought. It came in handy one day.

[crazypoohbear]

It's been a LOOOONG time since I needed a stroller for my youngest. ( He's turning 13 this trip)
But, I would bring his own stroller because waya back then we had the umbrella type stroller that you could also lay back so he could sleep. It had the canopy and a big storage bag underneath. I loved it. To me the rental strollers just don't seem comfy for the kiddies.
With #2 son if he didn't get enough sleep he gets nasty.
He didn't like just riding in the stroller, he preferred to walk.
#1 son would still like to be pushed in a stoller if possible and HE is turning 18!!!! this trip

How these kids keep getting older and I keep staying 29 I'll never know

[vamaggie]

We always bring our own. DD will be 4 next trip and even though she likes to walk sometimes she also just likes to ride (and it makes it easier to get out of the parks with her in the stroller vs. her walking at toddler pace) It's also nice to have outside the parks, at the resort and in the airports. Besides, 1) it's already paid for 2) it folds easily 3) it can carry stuff if DD is not in it too.

[disney100%]

Any advice from anyone out there on a particular stroller for a very large toddler? My son will be three on our next trip which isn't until February. At 2 and a half, he is already 41 inches and 41 pounds. He has outgrown all the stollers we have bought or he has bent the wheels because we still used it when he was over the weight limit. I haven't found a stoller that folds down small that will fit his size. Anyone out there have a very large toddler and a stroller that works well for Disney?

[emmatink]

My daughter is very tall for her age too. She just turned 2 and is 38 inches tall but only about 30 pounds. She is just too tall for the stroller we have now and I am looking for something better for her to ride in too. Something that will recline so that she can take a little cat nap in and still be comfortable. Her head is WAY above the top of the stoller we have now! Thanks for any advice

[pshokie]

Look at the Maclaren Strollers. The volo is super lightweight mesh but does not recline. The triumph is more of a "cloth based" stroller but it does recline (bonus). Either way, Maclaren makes these umbrella strollers so that they can hold up to 55 pounds.

[JCDarzi]

I agree with previous posters...by all means bring your own stroller. Traveling with infant and toddler has taught us a few lessons about strollers at Disney World and airports.

1) Get an umbrella stroller but don't get a cheap one. One of the worse things is wanting to hang stuff from the back of a stroller such as diaper bag, shopping bags, etc.. and finding that as soon as your child gets out of stroller, the stroller tips over. We bought two (McClaren Triumph for DD3 and Chicco for DS1) for our last trip to Disney. For an older child, I would wholeheartedly say the McClaren is the best. Folds up very tight, great for the buses. The first trip we made with baby, we took our bells and whistles stroller from home, bad idea...Folding the thing and getting through airport security and on and off buses was horrible. My husband threatened to throw it away.

2) We found that we traveled much faster with our children in strollers even though our DD was a good walker. We had a princess breakfast early at Epcot and arrived at the park entrance at the same time as several other families going to the same breakfast. We were amazed at how much quicker we got there to everyone else just because we put our kids in strollers and walked at our pace instead of toddler pace. So put your child in a stroller even if they are good walkers. You will cover more ground.

3) My discouragement from renting a stroller is that a) the Disney hotels are huge and a stroller is very handy and b) from the check-in point to the bus pickup or parking lot is a long way. Tired kids at the end of a Disney day will not want to walk such far distances.

[Mary Chase]

I have a similar issue with my 5 year old. I am thinking that he is probably getting too big for the umbrella stroller or our other stroller, and the disney strollers seem to accommodate much bigger kids, so we are renting. I guess we'll deal with getting him in and out of the park, etc. The only part that will be hard will be at the end of the day when we're all tired. We have to take a stroller for our baby (will be almost a year by then) b/c he'll really need to nap more in it and I know the disney strollers really aren't conducive to napping. So we don't really want to carry two strollers on the bus. One is bad enough. But if you take yours, I'd definitely make it a small one.

[KAT1811]

:QUOTE=biodtl;1302865]We brought our own last time (DD was a few weeks shy of 3) and I was really glad we did. It can sometimes be a challenge on a crowded bus (much easier if it locks shut), but totally worth it to have the reclining seat for naps, ample storage, cup holders, shade, etc. As as a previous poster pointed out, it's great for the long walks to and from the bus stops. There's nothing like being exhausted at the end of the day and hearing, "carry me mommy".[/QUOTE]

[KAT1811]

Originally Posted by disney100%

Any advice from anyone out there on a particular stroller for a very large toddler? My son will be three on our next trip which isn't until February. At 2 and a half, he is already 41 inches and 41 pounds. He has outgrown all the stollers we have bought or he has bent the wheels because we still used it when he was over the weight limit. I haven't found a stoller that folds down small that will fit his size. Anyone out there have a very large toddler and a stroller that works well for Disney?

Combi makes a great stroller that is both lightweight and can handle larger children. I checked the site and the Urban ST can hold a child up to 55 lbs. and is approx. $120.00. Good luck!!!

[vamaggie]

Originally Posted by Mary Chase

I have a similar issue with my 5 year old. I am thinking that he is probably getting too big for the umbrella stroller or our other stroller, and the disney strollers seem to accommodate much bigger kids, so we are renting. I guess we'll deal with getting him in and out of the park, etc. The only part that will be hard will be at the end of the day when we're all tired. We have to take a stroller for our baby (will be almost a year by then) b/c he'll really need to nap more in it and I know the disney strollers really aren't conducive to napping. So we don't really want to carry two strollers on the bus. One is bad enough. But if you take yours, I'd definitely make it a small one.

You may want to look into a Buggy Board--it attaches to the back of a stroller and the older child can stand and ride(I tihnk it holds up to about 60 lbs). We did this when DD was 18 mos and DS was 7. He only really used it at the end of the day when he was really tired of walking. It folds up and can velcro to the stroller when you don't need it. The only downside is it makes a lot of weight to push but I did not find it too bad.

[tinksmom02]

I'm in the minority here, but in Sept we're leaving our stroller home and renting. DD will be 5 then, and she doesn't use her stroller at all anymore. We took it in Jan and she got really spoiled with it. She wouldn't walk at all, even from our room to the car. I know there are times when it's easier to have a child in a stroller (to cover distances quickly), but she was really too big for ours. So we'll rent from the parks this time, and encourage her to walk more (grandma and grandpa aren't coming this time, so the she won't be AS spoiled as last time LOL)

The only day I was actually glad to have it was the night we did EMH at MK and she fell asleep in Adventureland, and slept through the park, monorail, and car ride back to the room. BUT, DH says "no stroller," so DH can carry her!

[GrmGrninGost]

It's worth the few extra dollars not to have to deal with the stroller on the bus, monorail, boat, tram, etc.