Stroller Question

[MaxPower]

I will be going to WDW for the first time ever with a 3 year old next month. Can anyone tell me about how stroller rental works at the parks? I have heard that you can basically just take any stroller after exiting an attraction. If anyone can give me detailed information including prices and how it all works, I'd appreciate it.

[Piglet822]

:welcome: to INTERCOT!

When first arriving at the parks in the morning you'll find the stroller rental areas just beyond the turnstiles. You'll pay for the use of a stroller for the day (I'm sorry, I don't know the cost). They will give you a fair sized card with your name on it and there's a place for you to put it with your name showing so when you park it at attractions you'll be able to find it easily upon exiting. If you choose to park hop you'll receive a receipt when you turn the stroller in to bring with you to show the CM at the 2nd park. This way you only pay once.
Since people tend to leave personal items in the strollers when they're inside an attraction, I don't recommend just taking one when exiting.

[tennantsrwe]

Hi!
Just a reccommendation from a fellow toddler mom...take your own stroller. IMHO it just works out better. My complaints with the Disney strollers are: 1)They are hard plastic and don't recline & I just can't see how they would be comfortable to ride in all day. 2)They sit very low to the ground so the view can't be great, the child's head is literally about calf/knee level. 3)Who knows how well they are cleaned at the end of each day. 4)There isn't too much room for storing personal belongings, other than a medium sized mesh bag on the back. 5)For the $ you spend on rentals you can buy a nice umbrella stoller that is WAY more comfortable and easier to manuver. I also noticed that in MK if you want to board the train at the front of the park to go to Toon Town, Frontier Land, etc you HAVE to leave the Disney stroller where you board. It does not fold, so I assume (which I might not be correct) that you end up with no stroller unless you want to walk to the other 'lands.' Overall I just don't like them, just my opinon though. We have a 2 1/2 year old and took our own stroller on our Dec trip. Next trip in 09 we'll be taking a scaled down version...like an umbrella stroller. They are easy to identify mainly because they aren't a Disney stroller, which there will be hundreds of, they fold up fast & don't take up much room. Ours is made by Jeep and acutally reclines a little. Plus it has a way to roll up the back fabric to reveal a mesh seat back for ventalation if it's hot. Also if you decide to go to DTD or a water park you'll have a stroller if your little one gets tuckered out. Carrying a small child after a long day gets very diffcult. Just some suggestions, hope this helps. :mickey:

[kakn7294]

You will be "assigned" a stroller to use for the day. You will be asked to write your name on a card that goes into a slot in the top of the stroller and expected to use only that stroller all day. The stroller page (http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/children/strollers.asp)on Intercot's Info Central should be able to explain it well and answer all your questions. Check it out!

[Imagineer1981]

Whoever told you to just take one at an attraction exit is WRONG!!! that is the biggest headache ever for parents who come out and say...hey where's our stroller!

[javamama]

I took my 3 year old last year, and I looked at the rentals. Honestly take your own, besides throwing away 18 bucks per day--for a double if you need the room for a bigger toddler. It's hard plastic, think little tykes toys plastic. Figure if your flying you can use your stroller in the airport, since walks can be far and gate check the stroller with the airline. I'd take your own.

[scootch713]

I am an oddball out here.. but I think renting one is the way to go. No worry about folding it to get on a crowded bus. You can buy a multiday tickets and each day you just stop at the stroller rental, flash a ticket and grab your stroller. I keep the name tag from the beginning, so I dont 'have to write out a new one. When you are done, just drop off outside the stroller rental place... you don't have to show it to anyone, check it in or anything, just drop off... an attendent is usually standing there and will just grab it. Depending on the size of your child, you may want to get a double. The are extremely easy to push(i push and 8 year old and 5 year old by myself) for an entire week. I will bring a small blanket or pillow sometimes if we are planning a long day(we usually take midday break).

[oilergirl]

We just got back a week and a half ago and the strollers at the park were fine. Easy for the kids to get in and out of and they handle really nice, the brakes are super easy and the fact that they are flat on the bottom made it easy for our daughter just to lay down if she was tired.

My suggestion though would be to get a multi-day rental the first time you go to save money and then when you go every day you don't have to stand in the stroller line - you just go show them your rental ticket and they wheel you out a stroller.

If you do come off a ride or out of a restaurant and can't find your stroller though - don't worry - there are CM's who are constantly re-arranging and parking the strollers in the proper areas... you just have to check for your name and you're off. We always liked to put a towel or something noticeable on the push bar/handle so that it made the stroller easier to spot - I can't believe how many strollers were out there!!! Have fun on your trip!

[LarryBoy]

I am an oddball out here.. but I think renting one is the way to go. No worry about folding it to get on a crowded bus. You can buy a multiday tickets and each day you just stop at the stroller rental, flash a ticket and grab your stroller. I keep the name tag from the beginning, so I dont 'have to write out a new one. When you are done, just drop off outside the stroller rental place... you don't have to show it to anyone, check it in or anything, just drop off... an attendent is usually standing there and will just grab it. Depending on the size of your child, you may want to get a double. The are extremely easy to push(i push and 8 year old and 5 year old by myself) for an entire week. I will bring a small blanket or pillow sometimes if we are planning a long day(we usually take midday break).

I agree! :thumbsup: I'm a big fan of the WDW strollers. I just hate having to fold up and deal with a stroller on the buses or other places. Once a child is old enough to walk, I recommend the Disney strollers. Our DS was 6 on the last trip and I still got him one. They're easy to push, and it's much better than having a worn out kid. Our DS is autistic and it gives him a great little place to chill out and relax between rides. The crowds don't bother him when he's riding but they do if he has to walk through them.

[Gooftroop5]

I am with everyone on the bringing your own. It is expensive to rent one and as everyone says for outside the park you can put/leave your child into it. Even waiting for buses or getting on the monorail. It is easier than carrying a tired child. Also if they are asleep you don't have to disturb them too much until you actually get on the transportation.

[Von-Drake]

I know we have great success with bringing our own stroller. A little fold up umbrella stroller that works like a champ. Admittedly, I have never rented one, but cannot imagine it being easier or more convenient than bringing our own.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I agree with bringing your own umbrella type stroller. The walk to and from the parks to the buses or to and from your hotel room can be very long carrying a child, even an infant.

[adoptionislove]

I agree with bringing your own umbrella stroller. Have you ever had to chase a WILD 2 year old thru the airport?!! LOL

I just think it is easier to travel with one, they fold up easily on the ME to the hotel and ours is uniquely different from all the Disney ones PLUS you don't have to wait in the DREADED stroller line. :cloud9:

[Buttercup]

Please please please don't just grab any stroller when you exit a ride! You need to take the one that was assigned to you! :)

TIP: bring a bright ribbon or bandana to tie onto the handlebars of your rental stroller so you can pick it out of a crowd easily. Sometimes you come out of a ride, your stroller has been moved by a CM, and it's in a sea of 500 other strollers that are exactly the same!

[oilergirl]

We paid 40 dollars for a 4 day stroller rental. I didn't think that was too unreasonable.

[Kurtoon]

We have taken our own stroller to WDW 4 times [and once to DLR]
It is not an umbrella stroller, but a full size, off-road, Jeep stroller with plenty of closet space.
When we ride IASW or go see the Festival of the Lion King, we take our cameras with us.... but leave everything else in the bin under the seat, in the saddle bags, and the overhead storage.
Umbrellas, ponchos, water bottles, coke bottles, antibacterial gel, napkins, snacks, last years park map and show schedule, this years park map and show schedule, autograph books and mickey pens, ect....
We have never had any problems in the parks.
The CM's will move the strollers from the entrance of the attraction over to the exit.
Nothing has ever been taken from the stroller!!! ( frankly, if any thing were to turn up missing, it would be replaceable and would not ruin our vacation)
I like the idea of marking the stroller handle with ribbon, streamers, bandana, or a balloon.
The next time we go ( Nov. '08) DD will be 6yr. old and we will take the Jeep with us.
I have a fear of the day we go to WDW without the stroller....how will I carry all that stuff?
Have fun with your vacation:mickey:

[Main Street Jim]

For rental strollers:
I have heard that you can basically just take any *rental* stroller after exiting an attraction.The *ONLY* attraction that this works, is the Walt Disney World Railroad :) You cannot take the rentals on board the train (they don't fold up), so you leave your current stroller at the station you're departing, take your nametag and personal belongings with you, and then pick up another one at your next stop - if you're getting off at another station.

For taking personal strollers, just fold it up BEFORE you get to the turnstiles at the train station(s), and put it in the seat with you (NOT between the cars, please! ;) Thanks!).

[MickeyChick]

The other downside to Disney strollers that I didn't see anyone mention yet, is that they're only for use at the parks-- meaning, you're dealing with walking with the child from the hotel room to the buses and back. At the end of the day, you're going to want your own stroller to get back to your room.

[CleveRocks]

At the end of the day, you're going to want your own stroller to get back to your room.
Some people do, some people don't. My wife and I are firmly in the "don't" category.

When our youngest was 2.5 and again when she was 4, we had no want for a stroller outside the park gates. She was perfectly capable of walking outside of the miles and miles we put in in the parks. And at night when she fell asleep waiting for a bus, it was sweet that she fell asleep with one of us holding her.

It's all a matter of opinion.:mickey:

[thumperbug]

Bring your own. Check out One Step Ahead...for about $50 you can get a very lightweight stroller with 1 hand close with canapy and bins for storage. We bought one for our son's first trip and take it with us every time. Its sturdy but very light, folds up small and worth every penny. Regardless if you bring your own or rent, make sure you have something to cover the stroller in case of rain.