Strollers for big kids, really???
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| Mon, 01-29-2007 - 1:39pm |
I read something on one of the web sites (can't remember if it was allears or another) that highly suggested using a stroller for kids up to age 9 or something. That just blew me out of the water so I wanted to get some real life perspective on this. My boys will be 6 and 3 by the time we go and are both super high energy. The big one hasn't sat in a stroller since he was 12 months old and the little one not since he was 14 or 15 months. They both always hated the stroller and much preferred to walk wherever we went.
Right now, we don't even own a stroller either of them could fit into. We are planning on borrowing a Sit & Stroll from a friend to use as a convenient car seat option that's easy to wheel through the airport. I know there are rentals at the parks but $10/day for a single and $18/day for a double seems pretty pricey for an uncomfortable plastic thing. Also, there is ZERO chance of the 3yo napping in a stroller, any kind.

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We went in 2005 -- my kids were 10, 8, 5 (just turned in May - we went in July)
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Whew! It's a relief to find someone who did ok without a stroller! Honestly, I don't know if my kids would tolerate them at all. They are seriously never tired and have WAY more energy than me. Both of them fought getting into a stroller big time shortly after their 1st birthdays (would arch their backs and scream, couldn't even force them in). The 2yo can tolerate a shopping cart for a short period of time, the big one has walked everywhere since his brother was born when he was 3.
And just for the record, what I'm borrowing isn't a Sit & Stand (a kind of stroller, I believe?) but a Sit & Stroll. It's a regular carseat that has retractable wheels and a retractable handle. We'll use it as his carseat on the plane and in the rental car but it's easy to wheel through the airport, presumably with all our other junk stacked on top. You could use it as a stroller but it's doesn't look it would be a great stroller option. Here's a link: http://babyproducts.about.com/od/travel/gr/sitnstroll.htm.
I think what we're going to do is just play it by ear. We won't buy a new stroller here certainly. We'll try to get by without one but if we really need one, say at Epcot, we'll rent for the day. Honestly, I can't see either kid sitting in it for more than 30 seconds but I may be surprised. It just baffles me when I see other children who WANT to sit in a stroller.
Dana, mom to Kevin (10/24/01) and Jason (10/15/04)
Playing it by ear sounds like a plan! If you need a place to store your things (warm nighttime clothes, souveniers, etc.), the lockers at the front of the parks are quite big, and I feel more secure with everything stored in there anyway.
The umbrella stroller that we purchased at Epcot (which can be found at all the parks as well as downtown) doesn't have a basket underneath, but it does have a nice sized bag in the back and a cupholder.
Laurie in OH, mom to
Alex, 12 years old
Julianne and Leah, 10.5 years old
Audrey, 3 years old
WDW visits in 1973, 1986, 1987, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006!
LAURIE IN OH, Mom to:
Alex, 1
My daughter is 7 and we still get a stroller for her for long days.
Well, I have to tell you that my almost 9 yr old DD (in May) was reading your post earlier and said that you should definitely get a stroller LOL When I asked her why, she said her kids are going to get tired - that park is so big!!! :D
Val, Co-CL Disney Vacations
Another plus I forgot to mention about strollers is they hold your spot for parades.
We've taken a stroller every year that we've gone to Disney. Our last trip was Sept of 2005, and my youngest DS was 6. We borrowed an umbrella stroller from a friend, and my DS fit into it (he's rather small for his age). We used it the first day, and then he decided that he'd rather walk, so he didn't have to waste time buckling and unbuckling when he saw a character or whatever.
Up till last trip, though, he sat in the stroller and even napped. (at the ages of 3 and 5).
We found the stroller most useful at the end of the day, when trying to get a sleepy(ing) kid out of the park and onto the bus and back to the resort. You can't use the rentals in the parks for this. (sleeping kids magically gain about 100 lbs...did you ever notice that? LOL)
My suggestion is to find a cheap used stroller at a consignment shop at home, bring it with you, and if you find that you don't use it, just leave it in the room.
Disney is a TON of walking. If you've never been, you don't realize just how tiring of a trip it is. Even if your kids are used to going going going from dawn to dusk, I think they will be tired in Disney.
Have fun!
I've not read the replies so I apologize if it's a repeat. First, I think a lot depends on the child. I will say though that when we were there this past Aug. neither on of my kids asked for a stroller or complained about being tired.
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