strollers and age

[Zeike]

Hi!!!! Just wondering at what age do you stop taking the kids strollers to the parks and just let them walk....we have 5 1/2 year old twins who locally dont use strollers anymore...any experience with this? Thanks...:mickey:

[Strmchsr]

It really depends on the child and how used to walking they are. My oldest son never used a stroller after he was 4, but my youngest did until he was 6. Some kids need the break and it keeps you and them happier. We get our kids to walk/run all the time, usually 2-3 miles a day. But they walk a lot more than that at a typical day at WDW. Having them do that keeps them much more prepared, but they still get tired. So, if you little ones don't do a lot of walking on a regular basis, take the stroller. I doubt you'll regret it.

[Patricia]

Depends on the kids endurance and how long your days will be. Are you taking a mid day break? They will probably be just fine without but I see kids of all sizes in strollers and some are in there because they are getting blisters, sore legs or are just need a seat. You could try without it and if you find them getting too tired or sore feet you can always rent a stroller for part of the day when needed. You might find them only tiring near the end of an extended trip. I know 5 year olds that can out walk most adults and some that 'won't' walk for an hour. Personally, I wouldn't want to have to carry a 5 year old for very long though.

Don't let others make you feel you're an inadequate parent if you choose to use a stroller. Only you know what your kids can handle.

[greengeen]

Ours started walking the parks at 3 and never looked back. I couldn't imagine them in strollers at 5. They'd never sit still for it, so to speak.

[BrerGnat]

By 5 ours were both done with them. Neither is known for his endurance. :rolleyes:

We just slowed way down, and took lots of breaks. They both did fine over the course of a week.

Sure, they got blisters and sore feet. Part of life, as far as I'm concerned. ;) They dealt with it and soldiered on.

[SBETigg]

I think it really depends on you and on your kids, and no one can answer this for you. I've seen kids in strollers that look way too old to be in strollers at WDW, but if that's what makes for a happier family experience, go for it. Maybe try without one but know that you can rent one if you need one once you're there. I think Patricia said it very well.

[disneydeb]

We are taking a 5 1/2 year old and a three year old. We are renting a stroller from Magic Strollers, mainly for the three year old, knowing that the older may need a bit of a break and the three year old may need to walk some...

hoping this will work! :)

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

We take our 8 year old, 5 year old and 2 year old and bring a double and a single stroller. the 8 year old will walk a lot of the time, but at the end of the night, when we are walking back to Board walk from EPCOT or DHS, she is more than happy to be pushed and relax. Same with when we are going from one "big area" to another in a crowd. it is just easier for us to know where all three are. Next year we will only take the double for the two little ones. But this year, we know she is still too pokey, and tends to just stop... and practically get run over... by US! She is also happy at the end of a day at MK or AK or sit in it on the way back to the bus... and yes, we even bring the strollers on the bus... we have it all down... husband stands with strollers near the back doors, I handle the three kids... If you think a stroller wil make your like easier... do it. It is your vacation. You will never see these people again. :thumbsup:

[AgentC]

My kids are 4 and 7. Technically we have a rule of no strollers after 5 but I have broken it lots of times. You really need to judge based on your kids and the situation.

My 4 year old hasn't used a stroller outside of parks since she was 3 and she is a great walker, but I bring one every time for her. She is sometimes still naps and since we are sometimes in the parks late she has fallen asleep while we were there. Having the stroller makes my life easier since I don't have to carry her.

My son was 6 when we visited this summer. I did not bring a stroller, but it was hot. He got a little whiny and I did rent a stroller because it was worth it to be able to move through the park at the speed I wanted with a happy kid.

If you think you will need a stroller I would recommend renting one in advance. I rented a stroller from our sponsor Strollers and Groceries for 4 days for the same price a Disney stroller would cost for 2 days. And it was way nicer.

Either way do what works for you and don't worry about what people in the park are thinking.

[MNNHFLTX]

Okay, I can't believe this myself, but we never even used strollers at WDW when my son was little--we just went slow and my husband carried him on his shoulders when he got tired. But that was easy to do since we only lived an hour's drive away and could go whenever we wanted. As far as using a stroller in other venues, by the time he was five he was done with them and wouldn't have used them even if I wanted him to.

[Georgesgirl1]

Our boys are almost 4 and almost 2 and this coming trip will be the last time we take the sit and stand stroller. On the past 2 trips, ODS has only used the "stand" part of the stroller and YDS wants to walk a lot too. Sometimes the stroller is just a hassle. We actually did one short day in the parks in September with no stroller and it went fine. Next trip we will just bring a single lightweight stroller and they can take turns riding.

[Janmac]

When our youngest two grandkids were 5 and 6 we figured we would not need strollers. The first couple of days they did fine but by day 3 or 4 we were renting a Disney stroller for evenings at Epcot. During the day, they were fine but even after a mid afternoon break, they were a bit tired, more so after supper. Our youngest granddaughter was an especially heavy kid - not to look at but she must have had solid lead bones, or something. Even her 6'5" tall dad wore out quickly, carrying her on his shoulders.

An upside to the evening stroller rental is that we all piled our sweaters/light jackets and purchases on the stroller too, especially if the evening wound up being warmer than we anticipated.

Jan

[Gator]

I'll be bringing a stroller for my one year old on my next trip, of course. But I'll also bring a double for my 5yo and 7yo. I may consolidate down to just the double and make the two older one alternate. But those are really long days and lots of miles. I'd rather push them and haul it on the bus than hear one of them crying in pain for walking out at the end of the day.

[Mary Chase]

My oldest was 7 the first time we decided to go without a stroller. We're debating going without one at DLR for the first time with my youngest - 6 year old. We don't have a stroller that would accommodate his size at this point, so it will mean renting if we have to. I'm thinking for some of our longer days we will just rent one. But when the parks open at 10 and close by 8, I think he can manage the walk. I think the amount of time you will spend in the parks, the weather at the time of year you are going and the crowd levels are all important factors to consider. I think the crowds is a big factor for us because we usually go when the weather is cooler - but if it's crowded, my son already spends a good amount of time in lines where he can't be in a stroller, so that tires him out. I guess just be prepared to rent a stroller if it is too soon. The first year my older one went without a stroller, I ended up being really surprised by his endurance - I thought for sure we'd be carrying him a little bit.

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

I forgot to say actually the double we are renting from a company in Orlando (which I dont think I can name because it is not a sponsor) But a friend used them and said it worked out great, and the prices were really good. The single is ours, and that will be good to keep the 2 year old confined at the airports. The two older ones can walk in the airport to Magic Express. (Probably blindfolded by now! :mickey::thumbsup:)

[g8rgirl29]

I am also in favor of bringing the stroller. We usually park it in an area, check out everything in that area and then grab it and move along to the next section. DD, now 8, has fallen asleep in it, sat in it cool as a cucumber as I am sweating to death and has never had the big break down in the park cuz she isn't overly tired from walking all over, many times at a brisk rate for an adult. She has also never gotten separated from us or stepped on(wish I could say the same) as the crowds get so thick at the end of parades or fireworks because she is safely in that stroller. We have also never had to carry her out of the park while she is out cold, we are fine just pushing her. All that being said, you know your children and make the choice that will work for you. Who cares what anyone else thinks about it, if it works for your family go for it!!! You didn't say if you still have a stroller, if you do, I would bring it, even if it sits in the hotel room the whole time as a safety net. Have a great trip!!

[BigRedDad]

My DD will be 7 when we go again. We are not taking the stroller and I am worried about missing the "cargo space". With the stroller, we could put my camera bag on it, have our drinks on it, and put all of the other junk in it. This trip, we will have to plan accordingly because I am not lugging bags of junk around all day. I will carry my camera bag and that will be it. When we need a snack and drink, we will sit, relax, take in the sites, and enjoy.

[ginger19]

I would take one for that age. They may not start off in it but it's great for navigating through busy parks and for when tired legs and feet kick in. At that age I just brought a single one and let them take turns which seemed to work out just fine.

[rnin02]

We haven't taken him to Disney (yet;) 26 days!) but we have been "practicing" at our local amusement park with almost 4 year old DS all summer. We discovered pretty quickly as busy and active as he is, a light weight stroller makes the day so much easier for everyone. if he wants to run/walk its easy to push but when he gets tired, wants a snack while we want to keep moving, etc, its just such a handy tool. So we are hauling our stroller on the plane and down to FL with us.

[IloveJack]

It is just easier for us to know where all three are.

I actually make this comment often. Our 4 year old is tiny (32 lbs/38 in), and she loves to walk. However, when we go to the mall, zoo, or other crowded places (such as WDW), she rides in the stroller, as it's just easier to keep up with where she is (and keep her from wandering off).

[AgentC]

My DD will be 7 when we go again. We are not taking the stroller and I am worried about missing the "cargo space". With the stroller, we could put my camera bag on it, have our drinks on it, and put all of the other junk in it. This trip, we will have to plan accordingly because I am not lugging bags of junk around all day. I will carry my camera bag and that will be it. When we need a snack and drink, we will sit, relax, take in the sites, and enjoy.

You do get used to the space. I went to WDW without my kids in Sept. It was very weird not to have a drink holder or a place to store purchases.

[kohlby]

The plan was for my daughter not to use one at 5.5 years old. She's tiny but has great endurance. We took a single stroller due to having a 2.5 year old. But he refused to sit in the stroller, meaning he needed the sling. We gave up trying after a while and let the 5 year old sit in it whenever she wanted. We figured that if we were pushing a stroller anyway, we might as well get some used out of it! Our oldest did a great job walking at 6 years old. (His previous trip was at 3, so no 5 year old trip to compare). We worked him hard and he normally complains about any walking but did awesome! And since he was well over 50 lbs, he couldn't take any breaks in our stroller.

In general, I'd recommend a stroller at Disney for those with kids 4 and under. At 5, it can go either way. If you're travelling in the summer then you may be more likely to need one. The trip length also makes a difference. At 3 years old, my oldest did not use it the first two days. By the 7th park day, he was in it all the time.

*My kids did not use the stroller at home - even as toddlers. They did a sling until they were walking well. We tried a stroller at places like the zoo or Six Flags only to have no one sit in them. However, my oldest did use one by the end in Disney. My middle child loved the security of the stroller so she used one. (And I desperately hope my third will use one this trip. He's too heavy for me to carry and refuses to walk and refuses the stroller!)

[BigRedDad]

This will be the first for us without a stroller. DD was 5 1/2 the last time I went with her. The greatest part of a stroller is it is cart to carry all of our junk too. This trip, not so. She will be 7. We will have to adjust our touring plans and schedule around her fatigue. Looking at it another way, we can take it at a much slower pace and see more than we would normally see.

My biggest concern at this point though is blisters. I am thinking of Crocs for the trip for her.

[Aurora]

You do get used to the space. I went to WDW without my kids in Sept. It was very weird not to have a drink holder or a place to store purchases.

After years of rolling kids and stuff in strollers, it was definitely a big mental adjustment for me too. But on our last trip, our first one without a stroller in 14 years :eek:, it was also awesome not to have to keep track of a piece of equipment before and after every ride, and to be able to maneuver through crowds without pushing a "cart." Thinking back, I couldn't believe how much it slowed us down every time we had to retrieve the stroller.

That said, our previous trips wouldn't have gone as smoothly as they did without one. :D

[Trev&Ev Mom]

Honestly, I wish they had adult strollers and someone could push me!!

I used strollers for my boys until the youngest was about 6. Even then, my oldest (who was 10 at the time), used to jump in at the end of the night for the ride back to the bus. Walking just tires them out and there's nothing worse than a cranky child in Disney!!

[Chaos]

DD, who will be turning 5 on our trip, hasn't used a stroller since she was about 2. But we are considering getting a stroller for Disney.

My husband and I are trying to decide if we want to get a cheap umbrella stroller or rent one from Disney.

[IloveJack]

My husband and I are trying to decide if we want to get a cheap umbrella stroller or rent one from Disney.

I vote cheap umbrella. You can get a "disney" one at Walmart for $20. Those long walks back to the car/bus after turning in the rental, and those sleepy morning walks are hard without a stroller. Plus, there are no rentals for Downtown Disney.