Another Stroller Thread - Not what to Bring - but what to Buy!

[SuzGM84]

DH and I are expecting our first baby next spring. We are also about to book a trip to WDW for next Sep. LO will be between 4-5 months for this trip. Since this is our first child, we obviously have NO baby gear. Based on our current living situation, we have a feeling that WDW will be the only place we ever use a stroller on a consistent basis (we live in the 'burbs, are a 2 car household, live on a dead end hilly street with no sidewalks or lights - you get the picture).

Given that, we wanted to turn to the DIS experts on what kind of stroller we should purchase. Is there something that we can get that the baby can grow into (and is still lightweight/easy to fold)? Or are we going to need something for when the baby is that small/can't hold its neck up and then another one when the baby is older? I know I could do a ton of googling but I trust the DIS experts

 

[MNDisneyMommy]

My advice is - at that age, the carseat is king. Get a stroller that is as lightweight as possible that fits the carseat ("stroller frame")

When they are older, a city mini is awesome. (There is a reason most of the rental companies rent them out!)

 

[pl71]

For a 4 month old at Disney you’ll need a stroller that can recline flat and that has a good sunshade. City mini is a great choice, it meets both those requirements plus it’s easy to fold and will last a long time since it’s great for toddlers too.

 

[LoBo427]

DH and I are expecting our first baby next spring. We are also about to book a trip to WDW for next Sep. LO will be between 4-5 months for this trip. Since this is our first child, we obviously have NO baby gear. Based on our current living situation, we have a feeling that WDW will be the only place we ever use a stroller on a consistent basis (we live in the 'burbs, are a 2 car household, live on a dead end hilly street with no sidewalks or lights - you get the picture).

Given that, we wanted to turn to the DIS experts on what kind of stroller we should purchase. Is there something that we can get that the baby can grow into (and is still lightweight/easy to fold)? Or are we going to need something for when the baby is that small/can't hold its neck up and then another one when the baby is older? I know I could do a ton of googling but I trust the DIS experts

 

[JK World]

I love babywearing, and at 4-5 months could just wear the baby in a carrier and a backpack with supplies. At that age they nap in the carrier easily.

America is much more stroller-focused though, so that's what you'll see more of. Google babywearing at Disney for examples though!

 

[SuzGM84]

I love babywearing, and at 4-5 months could just wear the baby in a carrier and a backpack with supplies. At that age they nap in the carrier easily.

America is much more stroller-focused though, so that's what you'll see more of. Google babywearing at Disney for examples though!

Thanks for the tip! We plan to do both. Its going to be hot in September. No way will either DH or I want to baby wear the whole time we're there. And of course, the LO may not even like to baby wear, etc. We just want to have all options available to us

 

[JK World]

I have a Britax B-agile, very similar to the City Mini, which works great at Disney. It reclines quite a bit, and would probably work well even without the carseat at that age.

 

[momto3pirates]

If you think you will only use it at Disney I would look into a rental. There are several companies that will drop the stroller off at your hotel.

 

[BLAZEY]

I love babywearing, and at 4-5 months could just wear the baby in a carrier and a backpack with supplies. At that age they nap in the carrier easily.

America is much more stroller-focused though, so that's what you'll see more of. Google babywearing at Disney for examples though!

Or you could have a baby that HATES to be worn. I tried about 8 different carriers she screamed every time I put her in one. Loved to be held in my arms but hated all the carriers. And yes it tried all the fancy ones and the classic ones all in different positions. She would sleep in her stroller fully reclined.

 

[JK World]

Or you could have a baby that HATES to be worn. I tried about 8 different carriers she screamed every time I put her in one. Loved to be held in my arms but hated all the carriers. And yes it tried all the fancy ones and the classic ones all in different positions. She would sleep in her stroller fully reclined.

I've heard of people who had that issue. Mine hated to be laid in any contraption (car seat, stroller, bouncer, etc.) but was happy to be against my body in all the various carrier types, so I can't relate. But I'm glad there are many options available so that everyone can find what works for them!

I probably use the stroller more in the past 2 years (he's almost 4) than in the first year, as he's too heavy to carry for long periods and sometimes I need/want to go do things during nap time (stroller naps for the win!), so I think a stroller is a useful investment so long as it is sized to last.

 

[SuzGM84]

I have a Britax B-agile, very similar to the City Mini, which works great at Disney. It reclines quite a bit, and would probably work well even without the carseat at that age.

My initial google searching brought that one up! And it has the travel system, so a britax carseat would fit without an adapter. Will need to "test drive" it though as my googling indicated the handle bar is not adjustable. With DH being a foot taller than me, hopefully we can find something we're both comfortable using.

If you think you will only use it at Disney I would look into a rental. There are several companies that will drop the stroller off at your hotel.

That's a great idea - but ideally we'd want it for the airport too. And I'm sure there will be instances where its needed at home. I just think that given our location and current lifestyle, I don't foresee it being used on a daily basis.

Or you could have a baby that HATES to be worn. I tried about 8 different carriers she screamed every time I put her in one. Loved to be held in my arms but hated all the carriers. And yes it tried all the fancy ones and the classic ones all in different positions. She would sleep in her stroller fully reclined.

Yikes - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a baby that likes to be worn! It just seems SO easy (from what all my friends tell me at least!)

 

[jacknsally19]

So I had a big stroller system - Uppa Baby.... which was great for city streets and managing snow and ice. But we also bought a MacLaren for our disney trips. If you aren't navigating difficult city streets w/ snow & ice (that require big wheels) - the Maclaren is AWESOME. Folds up nice and small, very lightweight so really easy to travel with.... If you goal is easy travel, I would highly recommend the Maclaren. They are a little pricey but awesome IMHO.

 

[sponica]

DH and I are expecting our first baby next spring. We are also about to book a trip to WDW for next Sep. LO will be between 4-5 months for this trip. Since this is our first child, we obviously have NO baby gear. Based on our current living situation, we have a feeling that WDW will be the only place we ever use a stroller on a consistent basis (we live in the 'burbs, are a 2 car household, live on a dead end hilly street with no sidewalks or lights - you get the picture).

Given that, we wanted to turn to the DIS experts on what kind of stroller we should purchase. Is there something that we can get that the baby can grow into (and is still lightweight/easy to fold)? Or are we going to need something for when the baby is that small/can't hold its neck up and then another one when the baby is older? I know I could do a ton of googling but I trust the DIS experts

I'd invest in a stroller travel system like Britax (or look into other travel systems). The click and go makes life easy and the strollers are pretty durable you can use them in toddlerhood (when the stroller acts as a way to keep your kid contained). Unfortunately my stroller was discontinued (Bob Motion) but it's pretty similar to the Britax strollers. one handed fold, click and go. We actually use it more than the umbrella stroller we bought.

 

[BLAZEY]

Yeah I was kindo of envious of the parents that could wear their babies. But all babies are different. They were likely envious of mine that slept 12 hours straight from a month old and 6-8 hour chunks before that. You'll find something that works for you and your baby.

 

[leahgoogle]

I'd invest in a stroller travel system like Britax (or look into other travel systems). The click and go makes life easy and the strollers are pretty durable you can use them in toddlerhood (when the stroller acts as a way to keep your kid contained). Unfortunately my stroller was discontinued (Bob Motion) but it's pretty similar to the Britax strollers. one handed fold, click and go. We actually use it more than the umbrella stroller we bought.

I agree with a stroller travel system that accomodates an infant car seat. Britax is good. DD is eight now, but we had a Graco stroller system. It was more economical and worked well. Not sure if they have the same quality these days.

 

[LMLFlorida]

I just recently purchased the Britax B-Free for my 2.5 year old. It reclines nearly flat, has a TON of storage (the storage basket is 10x more easily accessible than the Baby Jogger strollers), has an amazingly large full-coverage canopy, and stands upright on it's own after folding. I will admit, I purchased it specifically to use on our Disney trips, but it has proven to be a great everyday option. It also has a weight limit of 65 lbs, which is pretty high for a regular stroller, so we will get many more years of usage from it. This is the 5th stroller we have used for her and is by far my favorite!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thanks for the tip! We plan to do both. Its going to be hot in September. No way will either DH or I want to baby wear the whole time we're there. And of course, the LO may not even like to baby wear, etc. We just want to have all options available to us

granted we were there mid August but not that much difference in temp but neither my daughter or baby granddaughter liked baby wearing in heat. biggest problem we had on that trip was not stroller but lack of baby highchairs. most places both table serve and counter serve had only highchairs that baby had to be able to sit up by self. granted we were a big group so we just passed her around at meals even though we had to count her in count and still had to hold her at most meals

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My initial google searching brought that one up! And it has the travel system, so a britax carseat would fit without an adapter. Will need to "test drive" it though as my googling indicated the handle bar is not adjustable. With DH being a foot taller than me, hopefully we can find something we're both comfortable using.



That's a great idea - but ideally we'd want it for the airport too. And I'm sure there will be instances where its needed at home. I just think that given our location and current lifestyle, I don't foresee it being used on a daily basis.



Yikes - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a baby that likes to be worn! It just seems SO easy (from what all my friends tell me at least!)

younger granddaughter liked her carrier more after she was old enough to turn facing forward so she could see out. she hated facing her mom/dad. think you will find you will use stroller more than you think. what about times you take car somewhere where you guys are going to be walking around like the mall or park the stroller could be used at places like that

 

[Chrislovesdisney]

My dds were small babies and could not handle the b-Agile (which is in essence the same as the city mini) at that age. There is nothing for a baby to lean against or be supported against if you want to raise them up a little bit to see the world (or in this case, the World). They end up looking like slumping sacks of potatoes. I think the car seat clicked into a frame or stroller (we clicked it into the b-agile) is best unless you want to get a traditional stroller with side wings for baby to lean against. And baby wear within park sections/on lines. Congratulations and have a great time!

 

[LSUmiss]

Or you could have a baby that HATES to be worn. I tried about 8 different carriers she screamed every time I put her in one. Loved to be held in my arms but hated all the carriers. And yes it tried all the fancy ones and the classic ones all in different positions. She would sleep in her stroller fully reclined.

I’m dealing with this right now. DS doesn’t scream, but he he is just over it in about 20 min. I’m still going to try in WDW b/c maybe he’ll be distracted by everything there, but who knows!