stroller question

[lizziewhan]

last time we went to disney my daughter was 5 and nephew was 3 and we rented a double stroller for the entire week. this time my daughter is 7 and my nephew is 5 and we are wondering what is best..is my 7 year old too big for a stroller now? i know that she will not want to do all the walking but im not sure what to do about that. we leave in 6 weeks so i need to get prepared. thanks!!

 

[mesaboy2]

last time we went to disney my daughter was 5 and nephew was 3 and we rented a double stroller for the entire week. this time my daughter is 7 and my nephew is 5 and we are wondering what is best..is my 7 year old too big for a stroller now? i know that she will not want to do all the walking but im not sure what to do about that. we leave in 6 weeks so i need to get prepared. thanks!!

You will get all kinds of opinions here, but ultimately that's a personal decision.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

You will get all kinds of opinions here, but ultimately that's a personal decision.

ITA with this. For me, personally...I have a whiner, especially when she's tired. It's worth any embarrassment/dirty looks that we might get to not have to listen to the whining at the end of the day when we're tired ourselves. Plus, we have a 3 year old so we'd be getting a stroller anyway. Just going ahead with the double makes sense for us even though our oldest will be 7 on the next trip.

 

[ibcrazie4dizney]

I would probably get the double and let the 7yo ride when needed. they get tired too and sometimes that isn't fun for anyone. you see a lot of bigger kids plopped in them that normally you wouldn't see in places where there isn't this much walking. plus, its great to load your bags in, I hate carrying a lot of stuff.

 

[GillianP1301]

I think I would go with a single and let them alternative riding, if they need the rest.

 

[Whatsthegoodword]

If a child no longer takes afternoon naps, then they don't need a stroller. A seven year old in a stroller is m a d n e s s.

 

[Mommytwotwins]

Only you know your children the best. If you think it will be too much for them and it will make your trip easier then get one. It's a lot of walking for an adult forget about a child. Some people's kids are fine and some others are not. And really who cares what others think!

 

[Suzanne74]

If they are school aged and active healthy kids, they do not need a stroller. If they are tired, take a break. It is that simple. If they whine, then one parent takes the whiner to rest while the others go on rides. I guarantee the whining will end. If you are pushing them too hard to get it all done, it won't be a great trip anyway. Slow down and enjoy. Have one adult doing the fast pass runs, get there early and take mid day breaks at the hotel to swim, see shows, eat meals in A/C locations. Make sure they sleep at least 8hrs at night too. Don't push and they should be fine.

 

[humboldthny]

If you have the time, I would start walking at least a few times a week to get in shape and used to walking distances...
We first took our dd when she had just turned 4 and have never used a stroller in the parks - we were there for a week and she did just fine. I agree that a healthy, school age child shouldn't need a stroller.

 

[parkhopping]

You will get all kinds of opinions here, but ultimately that's a personal decision.

This. Do whatever you think is best for your kids, regardless of what anyone on this board or IRL tells you. That's all you can do when it comes to parenting in general, really. This topic tends to be very hot-button on these boards so just be prepared for a lot of strong opinions on both sides.

Here is my experience. I often visit with a couple of families who have kids with a wide range of ages. They bring double strollers and the kids 3 & under nearly always ride, with the 5-7 year olds alternating/riding occasionally. 7 does seem to be the limit for them and the kids that old don't ride very much...maybe just once or twice per day. By that age I think they understand that it's not "cool" to ride in a stroller and only want to do it when they really need a break. The parks are huge and it is a lot of walking after a while, especially for kids on the shorter end of the spectrum. And it is especially nice to have the option for the end of the day, when everyone is exhausted.

I will also add that these are very well-behaved and healthy kids. Whining is not tolerated and there's no issue of them not being active or capable of physical exertion. It is still nice for them to have a break from the walking occasionally.

 

[Mom2six]

It's really your decision. I wouldn't let anyone else tell you what to do. Think about the children and what would work best for them and you. Most of the people at Disney World are not out to judge you. I agree though with the previous poster who said they may be able to share a single. That would give them each some breaks from walking without having to get her a stroller of her own. What does the 7 year old say? A good conversation with her about the pros and cons of having a stroller or sharing a stroller might help you make a decision.

I know a lot of people hate having strollers to lug around, but I love it. It is so convenient to stash items in, and when you are walking (okay, practically crawling) through a crush of people, you don't have to worry about your child getting separated from you.

It's worth any embarrassment/dirty looks that we might get to not have to listen to the whining at the end of the day when we're tired ourselves.

I don't know if I'm just not plugged into other people's looks, but I've never seen a single person look at me funny about the kids being in a stroller. I've seen posters mention that the kids might get made fun of or people will make comments/give you looks, but it never happened to us.

I wouldn't worry about it either way. The only people who matter (opinion wise, of course) are you and your family. Have fun!!

 

[disneyfreak33]

I personally think there is nothing wrong with a 7 year old in a stroller. We just rented a double from a online service for the week for our 3/7 year old.

7 year olds get tired too! It is alot of walking for anyone, especially young ones in humidity and heat on top of a ton of people around making more heat.

As for tantrums and dirty looks from others, I could care less what others think about our oldest being in a stroller. It is not their sanity that is on the line!

As for the tantrums, I for one do not put up with them and she knows it, I only need say one sentence and it usually works...

"If you cannot behave I am more then happy to go back to the room and sit til you figure out how to act like a lady" ....

We have done it before and will continue to do it. She knows mom does what she says she is going to do. I am more then content to sit in a air conditioned room all day and do nothing til they figure out how to behave.

It comes down to personal preference as others have said. Enjoy, do it, and don't worry about how it looks to others. It is YOUR vacation and YOUR sanity at stake not theirs.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[Cancun4]

When our two kids were that age we brought our Sit and Stand stroller and it was perfect! Little one had a normal stroller, big brother could hop on and ride during long stretches and we had a place to stash our stuff!

 

[Reese D]

I'm debating the same thing. Last time our kids were 3 and 5 and needed the stroller. The 5yo, who hadn't napped in years, passed out in the stroller most afternoons/evenings.

This trip, the kids are 5 and 7. I'm sure the 7yo will be fine, but I'm guessing the 5yo will need a stroller and will nap in it some afternoons. However, I only have the double that we brought with us last time. We haven't used a stroller in years, so I really don't want to buy a new single umbrella. If I can't find one to borrow from a friend, I will probably bring the double rather than buy a new single.

I really don't understand the judgment of others on this issue. Parenting is tough. I try not to judge other parents in general. I don't know their situation and we're all just trying to do our best.

 

[BrerNashville]

Since you're there for an extended time -- rent a double stroller for, say, two or three days to get the multi-day discount. Then , if you don't feel you need it, don't get it again. If it's a life saver, go ahead and get another multi-day rental.

Our kids are slow walkers and something of wanderers, particularly our 5 year old, so another reason its worth it to me to get a stroller is that I can go at a faster pace when necessary.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Slightly

This is our main cause for the belief that WDW is a PERFECT family vacation for kids under three, then still a great choice from 3-5 (ish), but then from about age 6-10, it's all about the Disney Cruises.

Once they get to the age where they really don't want to be in strollers, but they aren't big enough to handle the walking, it really limits what you can do. Since there aren't tons of ways to make Disney cheaper, the best thing we can do is maximize the value. For us, A Disney Cruise is a much better value than a park vacation.

 

[grimley1968]

Like others have said, it's a personal decision. Our girls are now 9 and 13 and we haven't used a stroller in a few years now. However, both our girls probably used our stroller (we had a favorite small stroller we used every trip) at the age of 6 or 7, not very much but just enough to give them a rest at times. Our older DD would only use it when her little sister wanted to walk for a few minutes. There were times when neither wanted to ride. At those times the stroller became a nice way to get some bag weight off our shoulders.

I personally see nothing wrong with a 5-7 YO using a stroller for brief rests. My parents had the opposite opinion about it when I was that age, and I won't put my little girls' smaller feet and shorter legs through the extreme crankiness that I exhibited from exhausted little legs.

 

[lizziewhan]

i guess im not on these boards enough to have known that i would open a can of worms with this question. lol but thank you for your replies.

i have an active 7 yr old..she used to be in competitive gymnastics and took a break and did diving and most recently has played soccer. i spoke to her about the park and she has asked for a stroller for when she gets tired. i found one i can rent that will fit her height and weight so we are going with a stroller. i dont want daddy to be stuck carrying her when she is tired. we are going for 7 days so i want her to be able to rest when needed.