Wow...Outrage over Stroller Rental Price Increase...What's that About?

[sandyh67]

Just make sure it meets the minimum. Oversized jogger strollers aren't allowed.

Hmmm What is oversized, and how do I find this out???

 

[BuzzKid]

I am not totally opposed to this stroller price increase. If individuals are forced to bring smaller strollers that they actually have control over maybe my ankles will feel better at the end of a trip. I would just assume buy one of the strollers they have for sale and either ditch it or find someone to sell it to or even give it too when my trip is over. The smaller strollers will also help with congestion in various parts of the parks, those DIS strollers are too large anyway. I think that they have thought this through and it is probably more beneficial then you might at first think.

 

[pink223]

Like most people I was suprised at such a huge price increase of the Disney strollers. We just returned from Disney last Sunday and after 10 days I can say there is a remarkable difference in stroller usage. I think if Disney was trying to get parents with older children to stop using the strollers they accomplished it. But wouldn't be easier to just put a age restriction, so as not to hurt the parents traveling with small children? My kids are older, but I can't even begin to tell how invaulable the strollers were when my 3 were younger. Really the best thing parents can do is bring your own. Most times we brought ours anyway, it helped in the airport when we had a delay, or just waiting for our flight. We also liked having it to walk around the resort. But when we would get to the park we would rent one so we would not have to drag a stoller on and of a bus. If my kids were still stroller age, I would just bring one with me and save the $$ for more Disney pins. (lol) No matter what they are going to get your money some way. But it's Disney you either love it or you don't.

 

[DAD AT DISNEY]

If we do the pre-pay plan, can we pay $27.00 per day and have access to a stroller at different parks in the same day? Thanks.

 

[SamIAm21]

Yes. The price is "per day" so it doesn't matter what park you start at or if you switch to a different park later that day. I've done that in the past and there was no problem getting a stroller at MK or Epcot.

 

[Tonya2426]

Like most people I was suprised at such a huge price increase of the Disney strollers. We just returned from Disney last Sunday and after 10 days I can say there is a remarkable difference in stroller usage. I think if Disney was trying to get parents with older children to stop using the strollers they accomplished it. But wouldn't be easier to just put a age restriction, so as not to hurt the parents traveling with small children? My kids are older, but I can't even begin to tell how invaulable the strollers were when my 3 were younger. Really the best thing parents can do is bring your own. Most times we brought ours anyway, it helped in the airport when we had a delay, or just waiting for our flight. We also liked having it to walk around the resort. But when we would get to the park we would rent one so we would not have to drag a stoller on and of a bus. If my kids were still stroller age, I would just bring one with me and save the $$ for more Disney pins. (lol) No matter what they are going to get your money some way. But it's Disney you either love it or you don't.

We were there a week ago and I noticed a decrease in the amount of strollers also.

There sure were alot of the red and black strollers around though. I am thinking there is going to be alot of confusion with people taking other people's newly purchased red and black stollers since they don't have a slot in the back for your name card.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I'm sorry, but if the real reason for the price increase is really to reduce the amount of them in the parks, then they should have just taken away 1/2 the strollers available to rent instead of jacking up the price.

 

[DAD AT DISNEY]

Yes. The price is "per day" so it doesn't matter what park you start at or if you switch to a different park later that day. I've done that in the past and there was no problem getting a stroller at MK or Epcot.

Thanks, that is the answer I was looking for.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I read the Woo article, and I think it makes some good points, but I also think that perhaps there is a benefit to more folks using the smaller strollers. Those big Disney strollers are pretty ugly and they take up a lot of room.

They really do detract from the visual aspect of the park, particularly the Magic Kingdom. The space consumed by the strollers also diminishes the customer experience. Just one walk through the area between BTMRR and Splash on a busy day and you get the picture. Think about how much less conjested that area would be if there were no strollers in there. The same could be said for fantasyland by the Philarmagic. Has Woo considered that WDW shut down the Sword in the Stone ceremony - probably in part because the area was simply TOO CONJESTED! It wasn't always this way at WDW, but every year the problem seems to be getting worse!

If WDW could actually convince folks not just to use smaller strollers, but to FOLD THEM up when JR isn't in them, then WDW can accomodate many more strollers.

And what of the recent trend toward more scooters? As the baby boomers get older isn't there likely be be MORE, not less, scooters in the near future at WDW?

Where are they going to put all these strollers and scooters?

 

[polineedyan]

I'm sorry, but if the real reason for the price increase is really to reduce the amount of them in the parks, then they should have just taken away 1/2 the strollers available to rent instead of jacking up the price.

I would think that if they were trying to reduce the number of strollers in the park, they would stop selling them in conjunction with renting.

I dont know what the motive is.(aside from money..)

 

[polineedyan]

I read the Woo article, and I think it makes some good points, but I also think that perhaps there is a benefit to more folks using the smaller strollers. Those big Disney strollers are pretty ugly and they take up a lot of room.

They really do detract from the visual aspect of the park, particularly the Magic Kingdom. The space consumed by the strollers also diminishes the customer experience. Just one walk through the area between BTMRR and Splash on a busy day and you get the picture. Think about how much less conjested that area would be if there were no strollers in there. The same could be said for fantasyland by the Philarmagic. Has Woo considered that WDW shut down the Sword in the Stone ceremony - probably in part because the area was simply TOO CONJESTED! It wasn't always this way at WDW, but every year the problem seems to be getting worse!

If WDW could actually convince folks not just to use smaller strollers, but to FOLD THEM up when JR isn't in them, then WDW can accomodate many more strollers.

And what of the recent trend toward more scooters? As the baby boomers get older isn't there likely be be MORE, not less, scooters in the near future at WDW?

Where are they going to put all these strollers and scooters?

Why dont they just motorize the entire place..Like, moving sidewalks..

 

[WaltD4Me]

Why dont they just motorize the entire place..Like, moving sidewalks..

Because people wouldn't be as likely to stop in one of the shops for something they saw in the window while walking by!

Seriously, you'd think that a place that caters to children and has as many creative minds as Disney, that they
could figure something out.

 

[Ka-chow!]

I have a triplet stroller that I've always taken to the parks since the kids were born. The cast members and Universal members are always taken aback with it. If I can put some signs on it, it would make a great protest stroller on my next visit.

 

[musclemouse]

I just sent an email to the link posted on this thread. I mentioned that I would probably buy a new stoller, use it on our trip and then sell it to another guest who would be able to use it after us.

 

[SamIAm21]

I will need to rent a stroller one day in WDW this summer, for Epcot. Epcot is just tooooo big and I don't want to risk my DD getting heat stroke out there. Besides where would I put my guacamole & chips with my margarita!

Getting back to my point. I have every intention of passing that stroller along to the first weary looking family I see who didn't get a stroller because they couldn't afford it. If I leave the park early, I will pass my stroller on to someone else.

 

[raidermatt]

I read the Woo article, and I think it makes some good points, but I also think that perhaps there is a benefit to more folks using the smaller strollers. Those big Disney strollers are pretty ugly and they take up a lot of room.

They really do detract from the visual aspect of the park, particularly the Magic Kingdom. The space consumed by the strollers also diminishes the customer experience. Just one walk through the area between BTMRR and Splash on a busy day and you get the picture. Think about how much less conjested that area would be if there were no strollers in there. The same could be said for fantasyland by the Philarmagic. Has Woo considered that WDW shut down the Sword in the Stone ceremony - probably in part because the area was simply TOO CONJESTED! It wasn't always this way at WDW, but every year the problem seems to be getting worse!

If WDW could actually convince folks not just to use smaller strollers, but to FOLD THEM up when JR isn't in them, then WDW can accomodate many more strollers.

And what of the recent trend toward more scooters? As the baby boomers get older isn't there likely be be MORE, not less, scooters in the near future at WDW?

Where are they going to put all these strollers and scooters?

If the goal was to beautify the parks by having smaller strollers, Disney could have just started renting smaller strollers. (Slight tangent, encouraging people to fold up strollers would be a logistical nightmare. Among other things, it would make the strollers much more difficult to find.)

The goal is to increase revenue, and when possible, decrease costs. Disney says as much when they talk to investors. They are constantly looking for ways to "enhance guest spending", and they are not shy about saying so.

They just don't say it in the marketing materials.

 

[DAD AT DISNEY]

For anyone renting a stroller for more than one day I would buy the daily pass (31.00 double) and keep your name card for the future days. They have plenty of empty strollers at the train station for you to put your card in from the day before.

 

[dpuck1998]

For anyone renting a stroller for more than one day I would buy the daily pass (31.00 double) and keep your name card for the future days. They have plenty of empty strollers at the train station for you to put your card in from the day before.

Are you recommending stealing a stroller each day after the first day?

 

[SamIAm21]

Who's Woo?

 

[LilGMom]

We are here now (have been all week) and I noticed a pretty good sized reduction in WDW strollers at all of the parks except Epcot. I did notice a bigger increase in the number of the red/black Kolcraft stroller that WDW sells and many more people with the Sit-N-Stand strollers (we were one of those families ) so I don't think that the increase is doing much in reducing the overall number of strollers in the parks.