Stroller regrets?

Hi everyone, planning a trip for April and we're undecided about a stroller. Kids will be 9 and 7, but both are on the small side. I was all set not to rent a double for this trip as we have on our last 2 trips, but then I thought about back packs and water bottles and everything else. A single stroller won't work because I know they would argue over it. We haven't used a stroller at home for years, not since the youngest was walking and never used a double, it's only a Disney thing for us. When did you give up on a stroller? Did you regret going without one? Thanks!!!

My kids have been out of strollers for a long time, so as someone who used to go with a stroller and has made the transition, I say ditch the stroller. Also, ditch all the "stuff" you're tempted to bring and store in the stroller. Get the free water at the QS places in the parks-if the kids don't like the taste of it, bring a tiny squeezer of Kool-aid or similar.

If the kids get tired mid-trip and you really find they are dragging, you could always rent a stroller for a day (we did this at EPCOT once, and AK once after DD was sick the previous day).

I bring a tiny sling bag and that's it now. If anyone wants to bring a ton of stuff, they can carry it themselves (your kids are much younger than mine, but I can't imagine they need much).

Anyway, no judging, just my opinion. Life got MUCH easier without the stroller.
 
I still remember our first trip without strollers.. what a relief it was to no longer use a stroller... i think we kept the twins in strollers to around 6 or 7. But we brought our own and they were singles.. we took a double stroller once but it was simply too much of pain to get in and off busses, trams, trains.. ugh! We never rented on site... but our theory was on our first trip without the strollers that if we needed it we could rent one at the park.. but we didn't need one or at least by the time we did, it was too late in the day so we simply went back to the resort.

Aside from quickly existing busses, trams, trains and even the rides, One of the benefits of not having a stroller is that it does wear the kids out.. so by then end of the day when i am pooped they are as well. When they were in strollers, the frequent breaks and occasional naps allowed them to be fresh near the end of the day when i was pooped. Momma is never pooped, energizer bunny type... so if the kids were willing, momma was willing, we stayed past fireworks regardless of how pooped i was.. now even though momma is willing, the kiddos are pooped so we get to head back to the resort even before fireworks on many nights!
 
so if the kids were willing, momma was willing, we stayed past fireworks regardless of how pooped i was.. now even though momma is willing, the kiddos are pooped so we get to head back to the resort even before fireworks on many nights!

Laughing!! Laughing some more!

Love your equation: Kids pooped + Momma willing = You finally get to rest

(By the way ... I'm the Momma in the above equation but I'm laughing because I think your equation is bang on!!) :-)
 
I took my then 2 year old daughter (now 3) and 1 year old son and brought 2 strollers. We decided on taking 2 strollers because doubles are pretty bulky to carry around and maneuver in a busy park. Also, it kept the kids separated so they wouldn't get on each others nerves. If you are worried about bulky strollers, get a good umbrella stroller, not a jogger.
 
We have always taken strollers for my two.

My dd will be 6 when we travel and my ds will be 10 but has hypermobility and is on the Autistic spectrum so finds his special needs stroller useful in these circumstances. It's lots of walking, it's hot and it's great for storing stuff. One of the best tips I read on this board was getting a small IKEA bag and putting it under the stroller. Putting everything in there. When it's time to get on the tram and fold your stroller you just grab the whole bag out no messing! Invaluable advice and so easy. You can always leave you stroller at any stroller park and come back to it later ( we sometimes do this if we head out for a few hours to have a break) Be warned it will be moved though but if you stick a big bow or something that stands out on it it will be easier to find.
 
We got one for our last trip with a 5 and 8 year old and used it only a couple of times. It was so heavy and we found that the kids were perfectly fine to walk. We needed extra breaks and took it slow at times but it was so much better without.
 
My son will be 4.5 years old and hasn't used a stroller for a while now. We'll be going to WDW for 6 days starting this Sunday. My wife and I discussed whether to rent a stroller from an outside company for the entire 6 days, for just part of the stay, etc. I think he will be fine for the first 3-4 days, but might be tired and dragging a bit towards the end of the week. We decided to forgo the stroller (definitely weren't bringing one from home and dealing with it through the airport and planes and buses) in advance, and if we need to rent one towards the end of the week, we'll just get one for the day at the park. Hopefully things work out that way and he won't need it everyday of the week!
 


It's a personal decision, you'll get plenty of opinions on both sides. We used them until our kids were 9, and have zero regrets whatsoever. I know we did the right thing for us.

The only other opinion I'll give you is that renting strollers from WDW is a gigantic money waste. It's ridiculous what they charge. Buy one, it's cheaper. Then sell it on Craigslist when you're done, or donate it if you really want.
This:thumbsup2
Our youngest DD will be 8 on our next trip and we are still planning on taking one, she's a "meander-er":laughing: and when we need to get somewhere quickly I can have her hop in the stroller and off we go. Plus; if she gets tired we do not have to stop:) Truthfully, DW and I are not looking forward to "not" having one. We love having it for our stuff and both of us dislike using backpacks. We never have an issue having a stroller in the parks or on buses etc.
 
How do you even get a 9 year old to go in a stroller? Mine would have looked at me like I had 10 heads lol. Thousands upon thousands of children that age walk amusement parks everyday - yours can too.

I think it is important to remember a trip an amusement park is not the same as a week's vacation in the parks at WDW. My 7 year old would not be in a stroller at home for a day at Six Flags or the zoo...because at the end of the day she's going home usually at a reasonable hour to bed and the next day is a normal day. At WDW we are waking our kids up earlier and staying out later, day after day. If my legs are tired then I can only imagine how they feel.

And to the poster who suggested taking a swim break if they are tired....I do not know any mom who would agree a swim break is resting! LOL! Mine are more tired after pool time from swimming and going down the slides.

For us, stroller all the way until we feel they can handle it. Would rather get where we want to go with happy kids than stopping to rest legs (which in my opinion makes no difference), carrying or making everyone miserable. Haha
Have fun and do whats best for your family!
 
We were in that situation our last trip and we got a sit and stand stroller of our own. One sat in the stroller, one sat or stood in the back. That way we had our own stroller but didn’t have to cart around two strollers or a double. We have NEVER regretted having a stroller though.
 
Every kid is different; personality, sizes and maturity. Do what you think is best for you, but I will say one of the hardest parts when we stopped using was having to carry everything.

And I will say every trip I chuckle (because my youngest two fought it) a few times because there is always a stroller with a 10+ year old twisted up in one looking exhausted. Disney is a different animal.
 
Can you try without and if you need one then rent for the subsequent days. Why does it need to be all in or all out? I've never rented but I'm sure someone cam tel you the timeline from rental to delivery if you use a non Disney stroller company
 
Actually, I think the reason a lot of people don't want to give up the strollers is not because their children need to ride, but that they can pile all their stuff on, that they 'think' they need in the parks every day.

Recently, when passing through bag check, one of the guards (cast members, whatever they are) remarked to us they wished everyone went light, as lots of people act like they're spending a week in the parks instead of a day.

No need to ask other's advice, just do what you are comfortable with.
We were so happy to be without strollers, and from age 4 on our children walked. Actually, they had more energy than we did, and never complained. They were too happy and excited to be there.
 
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My kids have been out of strollers for a long time, so as someone who used to go with a stroller and has made the transition, I say ditch the stroller. Also, ditch all the "stuff" you're tempted to bring and store in the stroller. Get the free water at the QS places in the parks-if the kids don't like the taste of it, bring a tiny squeezer of Kool-aid or similar.

If the kids get tired mid-trip and you really find they are dragging, you could always rent a stroller for a day (we did this at EPCOT once, and AK once after DD was sick the previous day).

I bring a tiny sling bag and that's it now. If anyone wants to bring a ton of stuff, they can carry it themselves (your kids are much younger than mine, but I can't imagine they need much).

Anyway, no judging, just my opinion. Life got MUCH easier without the stroller.
Thanks for the input! I think we're ready to ditch the stroller!!!
 
Hi everyone, planning a trip for April and we're undecided about a stroller. Kids will be 9 and 7, but both are on the small side. I was all set not to rent a double for this trip as we have on our last 2 trips, but then I thought about back packs and water bottles and everything else. A single stroller won't work because I know they would argue over it. We haven't used a stroller at home for years, not since the youngest was walking and never used a double, it's only a Disney thing for us. When did you give up on a stroller? Did you regret going without one? Thanks!!!
At that age no stroller is needed. They can walk very well. They don't need to carry backpacks or water, either. You can get water and snacks in the parks, and there is really nothing that a child needs to carry at the parks. Pack light, pay attention to the kids' energy levels, and it'll be more fun.

My son's first trip was at age 5, and he walked quite happily. It never occurred to me that people would ever use a stroller for kids past toddler-age until I started reading these boards. Most children at WDW walk.
 
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Do what you think is best. We went to WDW when ours were 9 and 7 as well but ours are on the tall side. Would they both have ridden if a stroller was available? duh, yes. They aren't ones to turn down a free ride. But we decided that we didn't want to hassle with getting a stroller on and off the various transportation, parking it and retrieving it, etc.. We carried one backpack and that worked well for us. First, I got mine walking before we went so I knew they were at least able to walk a good distance without issue. We made sure they had good walking shoes (keens and tennis shoes). We did have to factor in breaks for tired legs so I tried to plan on meal stops and shows to break it up. I also planned for afternoon swim time which helped a ton. So I'd just sit down and think of how your family likes to go and vacation and what the kids will want to do. Good luck!
 
We brought an umbrella stroller for our oldest when we took him at 2.5. He stopped riding in a stroller by his own choice around 18 months. It was such a waste---and sat in the room the entire week we were there. I will say it was AMAZING not having it. We could navigate crowds easier without a stroller. And it was great not having to back track from a ride exit to where the stroller parking was to have to dig out and retrieve our stroller in admist all the other strollers. DH did have to carry DS a few times---but overall he walked. We did set our days to get up early for rope drops and then headed out of the parks before or right after lunch for an afternoon nap before heading back out in the late afternoon/evening. Next time we go back DS2 will likely be around 2.5 while DS1 will be 5.5. We have no intentions of bringing our stroller even though DS2 still does ride in his at times because we had such a great experience not using one last time. I think it all depends on your kid. Disney can make for long days---but we prep by taking some long walks a few times a week at home. In the end it all depends on your kid(s) and you can be the best at making that decision. We loves the freedom not having one and being able to go whichever direction we wanted after rides.
 
We rented a stroller last June for my son who was 6. We never used it! It sat in the room the whole time! He never wanted to use it.
 
Unless the child has health issues a 9 should not be in a stroller. Sorry, but where we live a 9 year old is in 4th grade and VERY capable of walking at Disneyworld. I guess we are "mean" parents but when our youngest turned 5(not to long ago)we ditched the stroller. She may slow us down a little but we are willing to take more breaks and tour at our kids pace. We actually enjoy taking our time and watching the crowds rush around. Funny thing, at the end we usually end up seeing as much and have happier children. I know WDW is expensive but I've never understood people who feel their trip isn't a success unless they see and do it all....but I guess I'm a little off topic. I also don't think its a good idea to have a 9 yr old push a younger sibling through a crowded park. I guess I see too many hurt ankles.
 

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