Bringing a stroller

[Goofy Pluto]

Hi everyone.

So my wife brought up the point last night that it's going to be kind of expensive to rent a double stroller every day of our 8 day trip. We think we are going to bring one. It's a double stroller for our two youngest. That's probably going to be the most convenient thing for us for going to DTD, too.

My concern is taking it with us on the buses. Do they have somewhere to keep them on the buses? It's rather large and I'm afraid of inconveniencing other people with it. Anyone have experience with this or advice?

Also Disney doesn't restrict you from bringing in your own stroller to the parks, do they?

Thanks.

[faline]

There is no specific place to put stolllers on the buses. You will need to fold your stoller before you board and you will need to cart it with you. You can certainly use your personal strollers in the parks!

[sleepingbooty]

You are right to be concerned about bringing it on the buses, it is a huge hassle. There is no where for you to put it, you have to keep it with you. I've even seen people struggle to hold big old strollers up on their laps because the bus is standing room only. Our first trip we brought our own stroller. Only a single, but it was just such a pain going through the bus line with it, then trying to get everything and the baby out of it and get it folded up when it was our turn to get on the bus. To me it is worth the money to rent, as we did last year. The only way I'd bring my own is if we were staying at a monorail resort or planning on driving a car to the parks.

By the way, strollers can be rented at DTD too.

[mdricks]

Im a rent-a-stroller guy too. We took our own, once.... Never again.

Remember you can buy all your stroller tickets at oonce and then you get to skip the lines next time. (gets a small break on price too)

[pooh's pal eeyore]

We have rented a stroller twice. The last time we packed along our own and did just fine. To me it was worth the amount of money saved. It probably is easier if you stay at a monorail hotel. But you shoudl figure the cost of the double stroller times the days you are staying and decide if it is worth a little hassle for the amount.:mickey:

[Maleficent's Dad]

We always brought our own strollers for the comfort rather than convenience.

The double strollers can be a pain when riding the buses, but in the long run, it was worth it for us. Our kids were much more comfortable in the strollers we had than in the plastic things Disney rents out. The rentals are great for older kids, but for real young children, they're not so great...

There's really no way to avoid buses in WDW if you visit all the parks. It's a minor inconvenience (to me) overall, but everyone has to make their own decisions. For us, we looked at it as hours of child comfort and (no more than) 20 minutes of hassle for us, versus all day discomfort for the kids...

Just the way we did it - and it always worked out fine. You do have to fold them up on the buses - and for doubles, we had to fold them up most of the time on monorails and ferries as well. :(

Guess you have to decide what works best for you! :mickey:

[crazeedizneefinatic]

The believe the 1st and 2nd time we brought our own stoller (my son was small). I vowed never to do it again. Getting on the bus was terrible (it was a single too). I worry about other people too and I am sure I bumped everyone getting on and off. (Not to mention black and blue marks trying to hold the thing on your lap.) I did not mean to but sometimes the busses are sooooo packed you cannot help it. We rented from that time on. I found that if you rent consecutive days you get a discount. Also I think the stollers are nicer than a lightweight on you can bring. The stollers in MK and AK are large and allow your kids to put their feet up. THink of it as a flatbed with a seat! We always carry a small travel pillow so my son can doze off if something is not interesting or he needs a few zzzz's. Now MGM also has stollers that are a bit reclined and kids can put their feet on the foot rest. THey are different than MK and AK but none the less comfortable. All the stollers have great sun shades and pockets on the back to stuff some things. Stoller rental stations are in convenient places and all you have to do is show your stub, if you are park hopping. I believe now DTD is included with the stroller rental program.(someone correct me if I am wrong) So you are able to get one wherever you visit. I thought we were able to get one last year there with the stub from the parks.

[imaprincess!]

I think you should investigate both options and go with what works best for you. We have done both; rented and brought our own. Yes, you do feel some pressure trying to get your stroller unloaded and folded up in time to get on the tram or monorail (don't forget, you can use the boat to get back and forth from the MK and won't have to fold it up). I don't remember the cost of stroller rental at WDW, but the two things I didn't like were wasting time waiting in line to rent it and (and I always say this) I remember that the strollers at MGM smelled sweaty! I don't know if they've gotten new ones since my last trip, but the type of plastic used on their strollers seemed to retain odor. If you do rent, I recommend bringing a beach towel or lightweight blanket for your child to sit on. The rental strollers are very sturdy and easy to steer.

:wishes:

[Olga]

We always bring our own stroller because it is more convenient for us and our DD5 while walking around the resort and to/from bus stop. Waiting for bus is also more comfortable in the stroller (she can nap, for example ;) ).

[onjbj]

We brought 2 umbrella strollers with us last time. We thought our regular double stroller would be too much to lug around. We liked 2 single strollers so that we could separate if we needed to for some reason. The strollers to rent are hard plastic and look so uncomfortable. Also, we were able to pack the strollers up each night with whatever we needed for the next day so we could just get up and go. It's really a personal preference, I think.

[pshokie]

There are so many stroller threads, I just thought I would tack onto this one, instead adding yet another.

Regarding transporting via the busses (doing the "stoller dance", holding on laps, etc.) can someone shed some light upon this whole process for me?

DW is dead-set on bringing our DS1 stroller since that is what he is used to. Since ours is not an umbrella, I am concerned about how the size will affect us on the busses. I realize it will be "tight", but what does that mean exactly?

Example, will I have to hold the stoller over my head as I walk up the rows to a seat? Can/will/should it fit in the aisle? So on and so on....

[BrerGnat]

pshokie:

The bus aisles are pretty wide. I'm not really sure why taking a folded stroller onto a bus is such a huge issue for some people. I guess maybe they have very large/awkward/heavy strollers that are difficult to carry. I have two toddlers (2.5 and 1) and we have about 4 strollers. :) EVERY time I have gone to purchase a stroller, the MAJOR considerations were weight and ease of fold. Huge, heavy, awkward strollers are no fun! :thedolls:

With that said, what kind of stroller do you have? Does it fold down quickly? Can you roll it folded? Does it have a carry handle or strap? All these play into how difficult it will be to handle it on the bus.

The aisles on all the buses are very wide.

You always have the option of waiting for the next bus if it's standing room only.

I would NOT get on a bus unless you can be seated near the very back or very front. In the back and front, there's more "floor space" for a stroller, especially in the back.

Treat your stroller like a person. That is, stand it up in the aisle. There is NO reason to carry a stroller on your lap! That is very dangerous for the people in front and in back of you. I can't believe some people have done that.

If your stroller is THAT difficult to handle, you should seriously consider getting a new one for WDW. Go to a local baby store and try a few out. My personal favorite for a baby over about 1 year old is the Maclaren Quest. It is a full featured umbrella style stroller, but it is SUPER comfy for kids, reclines, and has a very quick one handed fold in addition to a carry handle. It is pricey, but worth every penny, in my opinion. If you want a more "traditional" style stroller with a front bar and bigger under storage basket, look at Combi strollers. They are great and have a very neat tri-fold mechanism that collapses them very small and they have a carry strap that you can use to carry it on your shoulder.

Try googling "Combi International" and "Maclaren USA". Each of the company websites have good pages dedicated to their product line and it's a great way to check out the features.

[kakn7294]

There is no where on the bus to store the stroller (although that would be nice!). Be prepared to keep it with you in a seat or stand and hold it if the bus is full. There is plenty of room to get up and down the aisles if other guests co-operate. Traveling to the parks is usually better than traveling back to the resorts at the end of the day when the buses are much more crowded. Planning to travel at off-peak times can save you a bit of hassle. Get yourselves into a routine - for example, Mom wrestles with all the kiddos and Dad wrestles with the stroller. Pack as light as possible too since it will likely have to be taken out for the stroller to be folded - every little bit helps! For us, we've always felt it was worth the hassle on the buses to have the convenience of our own strollers. You could also consider a combination of renting and bringing your own. Consider when each would be the better option - for example, if you are going to MK all day and don't plan to leave for any reason, maybe rent. If you plan to park hop or leave for a resort meal ADR, take your own to have a the outside-the-park locations.

[faline]

I realize it will be "tight", but what does that mean exactly?

Example, will I have to hold the stoller over my head as I walk up the rows to a seat? Can/will/should it fit in the aisle? So on and so on....

Disney has buses that come in several different configurations. The newest buses have less seating than older buses but have much wider aisles and more standing room. In the newer buses the seating, for the most part has you facing other passengers across the bus from you rather than facing the front of the bus. In these buses, most of the time, you will have plenty of room to maneuver your stroller and won't have to worry about lifting it up. It will fit comfortably in the aisles.

The times you will have the biggest problem is at the beginning of the day and at park closing when most buses will be filled to capacity. If you end up having to stand while juggling your stroller and a sleepy child, it will be more of a hassle than when the bus is not as crowded.

[cvzdesign]

We've never had a problem taking our stroller on the bus. It's a folding stroller, but it is very small, like just a step up from an umbrella stroller.

It folds flat and has an awning and a basket to hold our stuff. I believe it came from Toys R Us. You can go online to the Babies R Us webpage and see lots of these different strollers to see what you like.

I wouldn't take a big heavy deluxe stroller to DW.
We take the cheap one. It's going to get a lot of mileage during that week, and if something happens to it, we don't care if we lose our $20 stroller due to theft or if it breaks, or got lost on the plane. It would still be cheaper than renting one.
We wouldn't want to take a $200 stroller with us.

It was always nice to have the stroller to the bus stops. Rolling your child is much easier than carrying them all the way. Then once the bus comes, we fold it up and carry the sleeping child onto the bus.

To each their own.

[vamaggie]

There are so many stroller threads, I just thought I would tack onto this one, instead adding yet another.

Regarding transporting via the busses (doing the "stoller dance", holding on laps, etc.) can someone shed some light upon this whole process for me?

DW is dead-set on bringing our DS1 stroller since that is what he is used to. Since ours is not an umbrella, I am concerned about how the size will affect us on the busses. I realize it will be "tight", but what does that mean exactly?

Example, will I have to hold the stoller over my head as I walk up the rows to a seat? Can/will/should it fit in the aisle? So on and so on....

I have to side with your DW re: bringing your own stroller for your 1 yr old. The strollers at WDW seem to be better for older kids/toddlers (but may be fine for littler ones depending on the child--ours always wanted to climb out of the WDW ones) Last time we went our DD was 18 mos and we brought her stroller. It was much easier for her to be in a familiar seat/belt/tray etc. I also saw you are staying at Poly so you may not be using the busses too much anyway (monorail to MK, & Epcot, Epcot boat to MGM?). If your stroller is really big, I would also say invest in a smaller, lighter one and get your little one used to it before your trip. Good Luck!! (p.s. our prayers to all the Hokie Nation during this horrible time)

[pshokie]

vamaggie - thank you very much. Short and off-topic, as I posted in the Water cooler, I am here as a refuge, to "get away".

I go to another site to cry.

[Goofy Pluto]

I'll have to discuss this with my wife, but what I'm thinking is, since we are driving to WDW...

Chances are, since we have young children, we are not going to be commandos the entire trip. At the very least, our youngest (who will be just turned 1 when we go) will need to go back to the hotel for naps. Maybe we can take the busses in the morning if we have breakfast ressies, then take the bus back later, and then drive back in our car to make things easier on ourselves leaving the parks. That might be a plan.

[Dyanna]

As we will be flying to Disney we will also be bringing our daughters Graco Travel System Stroller. She will be 10 months old when we go. Has anyone ever traveled on the busses with this type of stroller & did it work out for you?

[magicofdisney]

As we will be flying to Disney we will also be bringing our daughters Graco Travel System Stroller. She will be 10 months old when we go. Has anyone ever traveled on the busses with this type of stroller & did it work out for you?
Are you referring to a car seat attaching to a stroller? If so, you'll still be required to fold up the stroller. The use of the car seat may become cantankerous. When my son was 10mos (his first trip to Disney :mickey: ) we used the stroller only. It worked well and he could take naps in it.

On a side note, the little bit of time you spend on the busses compared to how much time you spend in the parks makes up for the hassle you may incur taking your own stroller. As previously mentioned, it's GREAT to have a sleeping child in their own stroller as you walk back to the busses, which can be quite a trek. Additionally, you do not need to fold up strollers for the monorail.

[floridamom]

On a side note, the little bit of time you spend on the busses compared to how much time you spend in the parks makes up for the hassle you may incur taking your own stroller. As previously mentioned, it's GREAT to have a sleeping child in their own stroller as you walk back to the busses, which can be quite a trek. Additionally, you do not need to fold up strollers for the monorail.

Before you make your decision, I think it's important to consider the point above. Will your two youngest only be using the strollers in the parks, or are they young enough that it would be greatly helpful to have their strollers at other times? (Getting to buses, DTD, exploring your resort, etc.) ALso, I noticed you said, "Two youngest." Depending on how many other children you are traveling with and their ages, are they able to assist with the youngest ones, OR would they also benefit from the use of a stroller here and there in the parks? While the rental strollers are not great for infants, they do frequently accomodate much older children. (I am convinced that some of the kids I see riding around in the rented strollers appear to be up to 12 years old!)

Finally, if you do feel that taking your own double stroller is the best option, I would highly recommend a double umbrella-style. They are easier to deal with on the buses, plus the monorail attendants will usually direct you to the wheelchair access cars, which frequently allows you to sidestep much of the crowd. We have one that is narrow enough to fit through standard doorways, even throughout the resorts.

Good luck with your decision!:mickey: