Anyone NOT used a stroller for a five year old?

[disneynarula]

I see a lot of posts here about people putting 5-10 year olds in a stroller. Has anyone had any trouble making a child walk? We have two DSs (2 and 5) and I was hoping to get by with just a nice umbrella stroller rather than our sit and stand. Since I am driving I might bring both but the double takes up a ton of trunk room. Renting is out of the question. I can't believe what they can charge to rent a stroller.

We are probably only doing half days at the parks with naps in the middle of the day.

[Strmchsr]

When I took DS5 I went without a stroller every day but 1. Several days of all that walking takes a cumulative toll on the kids (heck, I want a stroller after a couple of days). So, if you take lots of breaks, maybe take the afternoons off, you should be fine, but if you go all day every day then your 5 yr old will eventually wear out.

[Bethis26fan]

We took my 4 year old nephew this past sept and we didn't have a stroller at all. He was fine. We just took a mid day break and if he said he was tired we sat. He has so much to see and do that he wanted to keep going even when we were ready for a break. :)

[Cheloconnell]

When my DS turned 4 we no longer used a stroller. He is now 6 and we have heard no complaints. You sit quite frequently on rides etc., I don't think it is a big deal. We still use a stroller for the 3 year old and hope to give that up when he turns 4 as well. The only question left - where do I put all my cups and bags without the stoller :secret:

[GoofyforFun]

When we went we just took one and try to take turns. Sometimes the older ones get tired. It seems to work out for the most part.

[kakn7294]

DD has not used a stroller since she was 3 except for the trip when she was sick and she and my niece shared a double for most of the trip. She's done fine without one.

[doodleboy]

I think it depends on the length of your trip and activity level. We are full steam ahead:train: for 11 days straight. We usually visit park, go to pool, and visit second park in evening almost everyday. Usually never there for opening, but almost always for closing. This year my kids are 7 and 3 and I was thinking of not bringing stroller for 7 year old, but it has to come along at the pace we run the kids. Both usually pass out just as we are leaving the park at closing. I also rent a car for the same reason. I can't see myself carrying both of them onto bus after park closes. But if your trip is a shorter one and at a slower pace I believe it is doable.

BTW - I think it is great exercise pushing all of that weight around. I eat for two people on my trips to WDW, and never gain weight. I also sleep like a rock.

[Disney Doll]

We took out neices then ages 4 & 6 for 4 days with no stroller. Since we only had 4 days we pretty much went all day long, no naps (they weren't taking naps at home by that age) and no mid day breaks. I did end up carrying the 4 year old half way around World Showcase, but she was a great walker most of the time. They both fell asleep at the bus stop the night we stayed late for the MK fireworks and holding them both while we waited in a loooong line was a bit tiring. All in all I think it worked out well and I'd do it again except that we now prefer to rent a car so the long bus lines aren't an issue.

[scootch713]

One benefit of a stroller that has nothing to do with their legs is keeping the sun from beating down on them and keeping them safe in crowds. Those two reasons are more important to me than "if" the kid can walk it. Yes, I think they all probably could walk it.... but it is much more enjoyable having them in a stroller and much healthier not being in the direct sun so much and safer too. To me, rental is worth every penny, even if it is expensive.

[joonyer]

First took our kids when they were 6 & 9. Our 6 year old was fine walking, in fact we needed a leash more than a stroller; he never really got too tired (too much excitement):yay::mjump:
but he did sleep good at night.:sleepin:

On the other hand, one trip my DW twisted her ankle unloading the car on our first day at the resort, and we rented a wheelchair for her for a few days until she could walk on it without pain. She thought it was great, and actually enjoyed the parks a lot more because she wasn't so tired. :yes:
The rest of us were a little more exhausted from pushing her around all day though. :whew:

[RedSoxFan]

Our first trip to WDW, DD12 had just turned 6. We did not have a stroller and she did just fine.

[Kenny1113]

We did not use a stroller for DS5 on our last trip (he was 4). He did fine at MK. WS at Epcot was a little (only a little)much, but we hit it hard and didn't stop much. I would do our next trip without one again.

[DisneyWFan]

We took our 5 yr old dd last August for 7 days (it was her 1st trip). I think you would be fine without a stroller.:mickey:

[angyl15]

I was 5 for my first trip (many years ago ):secret: and did not use a stroller. My brother was 16 at the time, so him and my dad alternated putting me on their shoulders if i got really tired or at park closings when it was crowded.

[gmgdisneymom]

when we went in 2007 my DD was 5 (just) we went with another family who had a DD9 since she didn't have a stroller - my DD wasn't about to use one - all went well - she did better than the rest of us - we were there a week

[offwego]

Our first trip with DS he was 5.5 and had no stroller, we normally went morning till about dinner time and than a swim no parks at night (I know what rookies!) and we never used one for him>

DN was turning 6 on the trip we didn't have a stroller either, normally took an afternoon break and if was tuckered out (happened I think one time the kid's an energizer bunny) my brother put him on his shoulders>

We liked not having to look for the stroller afterwards but I would guess that it's not to everyone's taste.

[iheartdisney]

One benefit of a stroller that has nothing to do with their legs is keeping the sun from beating down on them and keeping them safe in crowds. Those two reasons are more important to me than "if" the kid can walk it. Yes, I think they all probably could walk it.... but it is much more enjoyable having them in a stroller and much healthier not being in the direct sun so much and safer too. To me, rental is worth every penny, even if it is expensive.

Good point! I never thought of this during our quandry of whether to give our arm and leg for stroller rental.

But thanks to the OP for asking this question. We're wondering too whether to take out the small loan to rent a stroller for our "just turned 5 yr. old" on our upcoming trip. Unfortunately, we don't own a stoller anymore and even his average size (40lbs) prohibits use of a cheap umbrella stoller.

[wire0monkey]

In the fall of 2007, we took a 5 year old and a 2.5 year old to WDW. We used a single stroller for the 2.5 year old and the 5 year old walked mostly. A few times,at the end of the day, we carried the 2.5 year old and pushed the 5 year old. The 2.5 year walked some, too. (If big brother is doing it, little brother has to do it, too.)

We train for walking, though. We take the kids on long walks 3 times a week for about 4-6 weeks before we go to WDW. This makes sure they're up to the exercise. We also bring pretty of children's Motrin with us, in case their feet hurt.

Our stroller is a four wheeled stroller that collapses. It was totally worth taking with us.

For the prices that Disney is charging you could buy a good four wheel stroller for the cost of renting a Disney stroller for a week, especially if you get a used one at a store like "Once Upon a Toy."

[wire0monkey]

One benefit of a stroller that has nothing to do with their legs is keeping the sun from beating down on them and keeping them safe in crowds. Those two reasons are more important to me than "if" the kid can walk it. Yes, I think they all probably could walk it.... but it is much more enjoyable having them in a stroller and much healthier not being in the direct sun so much and safer too. To me, rental is worth every penny, even if it is expensive.

*shrug* We do just fine with lots of heavy duty sunblock and good hydration.

[disneyers]

Good point! I never thought of this during our quandry of whether to give our arm and leg for stroller rental.

But thanks to the OP for asking this question. We're wondering too whether to take out the small loan to rent a stroller for our "just turned 5 yr. old" on our upcoming trip. Unfortunately, we don't own a stoller anymore and even his average size (40lbs) prohibits use of a cheap umbrella stoller.

My DS (5) is somewhere between 52 and 55 lbs now (haven't weighed him in a while) and he does just fine in our two strollers. He's also tall, so his biggest problem is his feet dragging.

I think you will do just fine with one of the $40 red strollers sold at all WDW stroller rental locations and at most WDW gift shops/ resorts. Buy it at WDW and if it is still usable by the end of your trip, simply "gift" it to another lucky traveler OR take it home! (And save a ton of $$ in the process :mickey:)

[crazypoohbear]

I think you will do fine with the one stroller, the kids can take turns. the 2 year old might want to run to see everything!
The biggest benefit of the stroller is having a place to keep everything!
It's good to have them walking, it gets them exercise, and independence, teaches them to stay close to you (if you don't practice how do they know the rules)

[MNNHFLTX]

We brought our son (now 16) to Disney World for the first time when he was 3, and to be honest we have never used a stroller. Sounds funny, but it just never occurred to us way back when--we just walked and experienced everything at a slower pace and when he got tired he rode on my husband's shoulders. We lived in Florida near WDW at the time and could go fairly often, so I'm sure we never felt as rushed as some families might feel if they could only vacation there every so often.

Anyway, by the time DS was 5 he was an old pro at the parks and did fine without a stroller. If you do decide to just get the one stroller for the 2-year-old you will probably have to take a more relaxed pace, but the kids won't know the difference. :mickey:

[irish1967]

We train for walking, though. We take the kids on long walks 3 times a week for about 4-6 weeks before we go to WDW. This makes sure they're up to the exercise.

We do the same - it definitely makes a huge difference.

Also, we make sure to walk at their pace, take plenty of breaks and LISTEN to what they are saying. And we also make sure we go back to the resort for several hours in the middle of the day so that they can rest (in the pool) before hitting the parks again.

[javamama]

Iheartdisney---"But thanks to the OP for asking this question. We're wondering too whether to take out the small loan to rent a stroller for our "just turned 5 yr. old" on our upcoming trip. Unfortunately, we don't own a stoller anymore and even his average size (40lbs) prohibits use of a cheap umbrella stoller."

Can you try one of those Once upon a Child "type" stores and buy a gently used one? I know MacLaren has they're Volo one on some sites for around $60-80 brand new, I have some links if you want them--pm me--or could you borrow a friends/family members to use for the trip as a just in case.

[Aurora]

We bit the bullet last year and bought a collapsible stroller for our then 3-year-old -- I did lots of comparison shopping to find one that was light and relatively inexpensive yet roomy enough to hold our stuff on the bottom.

We didn't use it every day but were very glad to have it when we did nighttime EMH at the Magic Kingdom and the few times when we knew we would be going all day without a hotel break.

As the above poster said, it was also nice to have in larger crowds to keep him in tow and lessen the stress (we have two other kids so we had to keep eyeballs on all three). We also found it helpful going through the airport both ways with all of our stuff for five people.

[kathiep]

Last year, our DS had recently turned 5 and DD was almost 4. We decided that we were done with 2 stollers or the sit and stand. We brought one small stroller and they had to split it. It worked really well. We explained that they had to take turns and they both ended up enjoying walking and having some more freedom to explore. There were occasional tired moments where they both wanted to be in it but DD is small and easy to carry when necessary. It was much easier than lugging around anything larger. We also enjoyed some new-found freedom in moving around. We actually even explored with leaving it and venturing pretty far away from it before swinging around to pick it up.

[Young@Heart]

We didn't use a stroller last year. DD had just turned 5, and is small for her age, so with the August heat, walking became hard at times. However, most days we worked around it. DH and I often took turns giving piggy-back rides, or we just stopped and took a break. Twice (once at Epcot, then again at AK) we rented a stroller about halfway through the day. The heat was just too much to deal with, and there was just too much walking for her.

I think the cost of stroller rental is crazy since the increase last year, but I know if we really need to, we can rent one.

[EmmMOM2]

I took my 4 year old in September and didnt need a stroller, he walked the whole time and was fine.

I'd say just bring a single stroller for the 2 year old and you should be good.

[mudpuppysmom]

We "shed" our stroller when DS#1 was 4 and we have noth looked back. When we went we did TAKE the stroller with us in case we needed it, but left it in the room.

That said, you know your child better than any of us here on Icot do, so you will be the final judge of whether you will need one or not. If your child is active and goes and goes and goes you will probably make it ok, but have a tired kiddo at the end of the night! We walk SEVERAL MILES when we go and there have been times when DS asks when we are going "home" and once we hit our room, he's O -U-T like a light!!! When he asks to take a break, we often do and get a drink/treat and sit for a spell then we are off again!

Now that we have DS#2 though, we are once again stroller people.....

[DisneyDog]

My DS was so excited to be there that he never once complained about having to walk. This is a kid who doesn't want to walk around the block at home, which takes 15 minutes (with him it takes more like 45 minutes because he complains so much about walking). At WDW, he was all about seeing everything.:mickey:

[scootch713]

*shrug* We do just fine with lots of heavy duty sunblock and good hydration.


Don't knock it if you haven't had skin cancer and taken children alone to wdw... then you probably can't relate. Not sure why some people just have to be nasty.

[GrumpyFan]

We intentionally waited until our youngest was old enough to go and us not have to carry a stroller. He was 4, and truthfully, we probably pushed him just a bit hard. But, then I did have to carry him quite a bit as well. We joke about how at one point in the trip, we were walking back to the Yacht Club from Epcot and he said (in his cute little 4 yr old voice), "man dis' pwace is kilwin' me".

[DANAM]

My DD is 7 and my DS is 4. Our first trip DD4 and DS 1 almost 2 they both rode in the stroller the whole time. Our second trip DD5 and DS just 3 he rode the whole time and she rode must of the time but we left our stroller at home so we had to rent and I think she wanted to ride in Mickey's stroller. I insisted on taking my stroller for our trip in May DD 6 DS 3 but my husband said she needed to walk. I am a speed walker by nature and I just can't walk at a slower speed. On our 8th day a man stopped my poor husband about to die and said it must be your first day she won't be walking like that in a couple of days. He said not it's our 8th. The man couldn't believe it. With that being said she walked the whole time and kept up with us. I was more concerned for safety because she really ADHD and walks off but she really didn't. There was the occation where she would sit in his stroller for a few min when he was walking around but she did great and it's so much easier with an umbrella stroller. But make sure its a comfortable walking height. The one I bought I had to hunch over when I strolled it so luckly I realized it before the trip.

[DisneyMiMi]

We were there in Jan with my 5 year old granddaughter. We rented the stroller and she walked the entire time we were in Magic Kingdom. Too much to look at and see - we ended up putting our coats and backpacks inthe storller - parked it in the designated areas in each section and when through riding everything, went and pushed it to the next section. She did fine and only complained of being tired when we were riding the ferry back across to the TTC. A BIG waste of money for us. Hope this helped. Oh, we were there from about 5 to midnight.