Eating Crow

[tonilea]

I never, ever thought it would happen to me..... but we ended up using a stroller for my (very small) 7 yo nephew, during our May trip to the world. I have to say it was a big plus! except that our backpack on the handle made it top heavy and DN would tip over if we let go!

 

[zurgswife]

I agree that if you have an older young child 7, 8, sometimes a stroller can be a godsend.....Someone once told me that if you expect a child to walk the entire way they will rise to the occation....The way I see it I'm exhausted by the end of the day from all the walking so, I think a 7 or 8 yrold would be extremely exhausted and tired...and if this also makes them cranky and tired whats wrong with using a stroller if it makes the day easier on everybody....IMHO

That don't use it at home but they don't walk the amount of miles at home on a daily basis that we walk in the time we are at WDW. If my older kids want a turn in the stroller at WDW I letem have a break....

 

[Chance's Mom]

I'm all for anything that makes the trip more enjoyable!!!!

My soon to be 6 year old wouldn't be caught dead in a stroller anywhere else , however Disney is the exception. You can cover a lot more territory in a much more enjoyable way if everyone is content!

I say:

Anyone under 8 (who still fits in a stroller)+ stroller= Happier time at Disney!

 

[Ityldu]

My 4.5 YO DS had a fit when he saw us packing the stroller. He hasn't used it in over 2 years and swore he would not use it at Disney. Within 10 min. he was in the stroller and never came out, except to sleep, for the entire 9 days we were there. His 8YO brother kept begging for a chance to sit, but that wasn't happening.

Our trip would have been miserable without it. I'm so glad we decided to bring it "just in case".

 

[tink2dw]

His 8YO brother kept begging for a chance to sit, but that wasn't happening.

I saw this same situation acted out at every turn when we were at WDW. I just don't get it?? You still have 1 miserable cranky kid.

I guess it's a good thing I'm the parent of only 1. Cuz there would have been many lessons in sharing the Stroller or both could walk!!

I don't see the reason in making one walk, while the other rides??

Can you explain??

 

[dhcoffey]

I know I can explain this one. I have a 4 year old DD and at that time an 8 year old DD. We rented a stroller for both at MGM because the 8 yo was complaining about not being fair. But when your 8 yo weighs more than the 50 lb stroller limit (she was about 90 lbs), there's no way that she was comfortable and I was uncomfortable trying to push her. Much too heavy. I told her that I'm sorry but she's growing up and this is just one of the things that will happen that she doesn't think is fair for her little sister to be able to do that she can't. Doesn't have anything to do with parents not being fair; it's just the way it is. She's old enough to understand that. Once she got over her pouting, she was fine and able to walk all day with breaks for rests and lunch and so on.


Heather

 

[jldriscoll]

I too believe.....no matter what the age....MAKE THEM COMFORTABLE if you can!!!!

Vacation is NOT the time to teach 7&8 year olds that they are too old for anything (It's disney after all you're suppose to be a kid )

I will say, I understand the parents dilema where their daughter is too big for the stroller. That's a tough one!!! Occasionally my 8 year old will ask to hop in our regular stroller at home if we've been shopping for a long time. There I have to tell her no.

At disney I think we will rent a double so she can ride when we want to get from one "land" to another to keep her fresh.

My only concern is what we will do outside the park. Getting tired kids on the monorail and walk back to the hotel room w/o a stroller will be interesting

 

[Ityldu]

Believe me, I totally agree with the attitude of whatever makes everyone more comfortable then do it. But I'm in the same situation as DhCoffey - our DS is a VERY big kid and it just wouldn't be possible to push him. Trust me, I have no problem taking breaks, we spend a lot more time by the pool and squirting sidewalks then walking the parks.

Plus, he was never miserable, just would have liked the ride. Who wouldn't? Trust me, as soon as he was getting too tired, we took a break. He did fantastic, as a matter-of-fact, probably better them mom or dad.

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

My oldest one is 5 and is a waif at 34 pounds. I agree, anything to help make the trip comfortable! When the kid is miserable, everyone is miserable! Adding to this is that we have to watch her so closely when we are down there as she will go all day without eating or drinking if we let her. She will go and go until she drops (and we have wound up in er). I just don't look at people's faces as I push her in the stoller. They have not spent time with me in the hospital nursing her back to health. Now I carry a bottled water around on those necklace type things and make a point to give her a drink every couple of minutes.

As for the trip back to the hotel, what we've done is bring an umbrella stoller and then rent a double stoller (we have two kids). That way, for the trip back to the hotel, there is at least one seat for someone, usually the little one, although she is two and weighs 35 pounds and is hardier than her older sister.

I've thought about maybe taking the umbrella, renting a double, and putting the umbrella in a locker. Can you do that???? The umbrella is just not to comfortable for naps.

 

[Snow Brite]

and it was a godsend. He has two younger brothers (they weren't with us) so he has been out of a stroller for three years. We called it a "cart" and I don't think we would have made it all the way around the WS in the heat without it. He was in and out alot, but it made for a great place to rest while we waited for things and made the day better.

I will say that we didn't get one in other places as they were annoying me greatly. There were just way too many strollers in MK for instance and I was very tired of bruised calves. I couldn't see fighting my way through with a stroller and enjoying it. But the other parks were much easier to take in smaller chunks with lots of breaks, so it wasn't neccessary.

Jennifer

 

[pwoodham]

We also have a crowd going with us this time, 7 kids ages 1-11. We're using every possible method to get them around. I'm buying a semi-inexpensive side-by-side for the 1 & 2 yo, we'll rent a double for the 4 & 5 yo, and we'll let our 7 yo alternate with the 4&5 yo when he needs to. We thought we would get a wheelchair for my MIL, but I'm going for the scooter instead. Too many things to push!!
My 10yo also tires easily, but my plan is to let him sit down whenever we stop somewhere. I may even let him get in the stroller once in awhile if the littler ones don't need it. I'm glad my 11yods will probably be able to make it through the day!!
I still remember how tired I was at the Seattle World's fair (I was 5) and I was totally miserable. I don't want to do that to my kids. It's made me much more sympathetic to my children's cries of "I'm tired!!"

 

[disboo]

At the other end of the spectrum - we were traveling with my father who was in his 70's at the time. He had also recently finished rounds of chemo, and therefore tired at times. Thank God he agreed to use a wheelchair after struggling through his first day. I never thought he would agree, but he did and it made everyone enjoy things a bit more. And after pushing the manual wheelchair up the hills (never noticed them before) in AK, he rented the electric wheelchair and didn't need us any more!

Dad turns 80 in a couple of days - still kickin'! He says he would have taken better care of himself if he knew he was going to live this long, but I thinks he's doing great!

 

[kileybeth]

just have to post this one. . . we've been to Disney with little ones and have always appreciated having a stroller, however, this time our youngest 2 children were 6 and 9 years old! I couldn't help myself, I didn't know if it would work or not but I figured I'd toss it in the car just in case. I had to pick a stroller up since ours had long since gone the garage sale route but goodwill had a lovely model with a sun shade and large basket underneath for all of $4.00! 1st day in the park, both kids rode but walked too, it was great for holding spots in line and for parade routes without others crowding you out, by end of week, kids were taking turns in stroller nearly all day. I'm just wondering what I will look like pushing a stroller in a couple more years when I have no little one to go in it? I must have it for my bags, backpack w/ snacks, etc! by the way, my 6 yr old was 44inches (yeah! she passed the hieght requirement for all she wanted to ride! and 44lbs and my 9 year old was 56 inches and 60 lbs, so long as they kept their feet on the foot rest and didn't drag them, we did fine) gotta have a stroller. one year we even made a last minute dash to wal mart for a $9.00 model becasue we thought our youngest, then 5yrs. old, wouldn't need one but we chickened out at last minute and he used it whole time. and at $4 and $9 you can even leave it behind if you want at end of trip. rental ones in park are at least $8 a day and all look a like. . .