Stroller vs Carrier?

Stroller vs carrier

  • Stroller

    Votes: 6 85.7%
  • Carrier

    Votes: 1 14.3%

  • Total voters
    7

Lovinlife99

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jul 14, 2018
Best way to travel around Disney (or any other large theme park) with 2yr old and 5yr old? I know my 2yr old won't walk the whole time so debating between carrier and backpack (husband can carry one) or a small stroller (little storage underneath). Will the stroller get in the way? Limit where we can go? Parking during rides?

It will be August so carrier might be super hot.

Thanks for the advice!
 
Your 5 year old may not want to walk the whole time either. I would go for a double stroller. As you say, August will be hot and then so will the person wearing the backpack.

Parking during rides is easy, you can't miss the parking areas. You may want to put a ribbon on the handle so you can easily spot yours when you go back for it. Many people park them, and then see a whole area, they don't go for them after each ride. Plus you could stash a spray bottle and a little cooler on the bottom.
 
Many baby carrier manufacturers make front and back carriers specifically for hot and humid weather so I think it's just a matter of deciding what type of transport you prefer for your child: stroller or baby carrier. You've already noted many of the pros and cons of both systems sooooooo choose:).

Keep in mind that the true need to carry purchases around the parks in a stroller has become limited since if you are staying on property they can be delivered to your resort free of cost.

I'm a bit amazed by the amount of goods found in the strollers and backpacks many parents carry whilst waiting at the security lines. Since Disney offers free water at most if not all QS restaurants (that's right they don't want their guests to be dehydrated or suffer from heat prostration) the need to carry water containers is pretty minimal unless you prefer the $3.00 bottles. As for snacks...goldfish, trail mix, and dried fruit don't weigh much and can readily be squirreled away in Ziploc snack bags in a normal sized pocketbook or small backpack. Looking at some of the backpacks carried by many I wonder if they are going on a week-long hike, LOL.

I'm a minimalist and have spent decades hiking and camping so this may color my view.
 
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Both. Last time we went, my girls were 2.5 and 5.5. We just brought our Maclaren for the younger one to ride in most of the time but when the older one really needed/wanted to be in the stroller (usually at the end of the night on the way to the buses, so she wouldn’t get lost in the crowds), I threw the younger one on my back in the Lillebaby. We went in December but we probably would have still done the same thing any other time. There are several carriers that are meant for warmer weather (I have an Ergo sport that I used for 4th of July in D.C. for my youngest when she was 1 but my Lillebaby All Seasons is also meant for warmer weather, with a zip down mesh panel). I wouldn’t go without a stroller.
 
I’d go with the stroller. 30+ lbs on your back is going to be hot in August.

Stroller parking is very easy to find. As pp said, tie something bright to the handle so you can find it easily.

I was concerned about using the stroller before our trip with our then-18 month old last year. But Disney is well prepared for strollers everywhere. And I wasn’t strapping 30 lbs to my back, even in May. No thank you!
 
Both!!! We have an almost 2 and a 4 year old. The stroller gets us from land to land and the carrier gets us between attractions. The carrier is also very nice to have in line either when they get tired of standing or you need containment. It’s also nice at the end of the night that the 4 year old can hop in the stroller and I can wear the 2 year old and it’s easier to get through the crowds.
 
Both!!! We have an almost 2 and a 4 year old. The stroller gets us from land to land and the carrier gets us between attractions. The carrier is also very nice to have in line either when they get tired of standing or you need containment. It’s also nice at the end of the night that the 4 year old can hop in the stroller and I can wear the 2 year old and it’s easier to get through the crowds.

Pretty much this.... saved me a lot of typing!
 


Stroller for sure. I don’t even wanna think about what it would be like carrying around a two year old in August in WDW. There’s so much stroller parking that that’s not a huge issue. I love my stroller...just not having to worry about carrying backpacks and having cup holders is great. I can’t imagine using a carrier all day.
 
Stroller for the 2 year old. Don't make it so "small" you are bending over all the time to push it! Lots of folks rent from the stroller companies in Orlando as those are nicer than Disney's. And don't get a double - the 5 year old can walk.
 
I would use a stroller. I would not want to carry a 2 yo in that heat....especially my youngest who was close to 30 lbs where as my older 2 were maybe 15 lbs at that age.

Since it is summer now, I would go on long walks at various times during the day just to see how sweaty hot you guys get.
 
We did a double stroller for a few years. It had a regular seat in the front, and a sliding seat on the back to allow for either sitting or standing. So, my daughter sat in the front, and my son stood on the back. The storage underneath was a plus. Stroller parking is plentiful and it's not terribly inconvenient.
 
I would go with a double stroller as the 5 year old is likely to need to sit sometimes as well. We still take a stroller with our 6 year olds and it's so much easier. Did it once with without when my older son was 5 and it made for a lot more crankiness. It's a TON of walking at Disney. We average 11-12 miles a day and it can be a fast paced at times. You can bring the carrier as well. I had one with my 1 year old twins but tbh we didn't use it much. It's hot and uncomfortable to hold them that long in the heat.
 
Tripple whammy... get a double stroller and take a carrier if you need it. The good double strollers are 5 inches or so wider than a single so not exactly a behemoth to push around. If you don't use it one night leave it at the hotel or in the car and take the carrier. Disney is designed for high volume and pitched to cater for families with young children. So you will be perfectly fine with a double stroller should you choose. From my perspective it is always better having the choice and being able to leave it in the hotel rather than wish you had something and have to rent one of the bone shakers from the park!

Just remember that children do not regulate their body temperature as well as adults, keeping a small child so close to your body for prolonged periods in the heat isn't good for them or for you. At least in a stroller you remove the issue of body heat to body heat transfer and add shade and a fan.
 

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