[buzzsmommy]

I going to WDW in Nov. with a 2yr and 3yr old and staying at Wilderness Lodge. Should we bring our double stroller from home or rent by the day at the parks. We are flying and I'm concerned about "lugging" one more thing to the airport. It does fold (not the smallest) so we could go on DW transportation. It is comfortable for the kids but does not have sun shades. Any feedback from parents with little ones would be big help. Thx!!

[mickey]

Buzzsmommy, welcome to DisneyCentral!

We have done everything imaginable with strollers. We have brought our own, rented them and purchased them. I have found the easiest is to make a trip to Wal-Mart when we arrive in Orlando and purchase two cheap fold up strollers. They cost $9 each, and we just leave them when we depart. Second would be to bring your own. You are used to it and like it, and the ones in the park are fairly expensive ($8 per day, at last count), and you have to wait in line to pick them up or drop them off. We only use rentals when we are only going to be in the parks for a day or so, and usually at Disneyland.

If you bring your own, I would try to check it at the gate. You can use it all the way to getting on the plane, drop it off, and it should be there waiting for you when you get off. Beats lugging two kids around the airport.

[BDavis932]

Definatley bring your own. I would be a little concerned about not having an umbrella over the kiddos, though. The sun can bake you anytime of the year (we went in Dec. of 2000 & we were in the mid 90's our whole trip!) I know we can purchase "umbrellas" for strollers at our local baby "supercenter".

Mickey had a neat idea for an umbrella stroller from WalMart. Our problem with those are we tend to hang our backpack from our stroller and everytime our kids get up, it falls over! I know there are some weights made for umbrella strollers that go over the front wheels that prevent that from happening. Also, we stay in the parks all day (don't go back to our room for naps) So our kids nap in the strollers. The WDW strollers are next to impossible to nap in, and umbrella strollers don't lean back. So it just depends on your kiddos and your plans. And like Mickey said, the strollers are $8/day to rent (I think double strollers are even more) If you plan on being there several days, you may want to purchase a new double stroller with umbrella covers. We recently saw one for about $75. Then you can use it over the next few years. (Our six year old still uses a stroller at WDW!)

Also, walking from your resort to the bus stops and from the bus stops to the front gates to the parks can be quite a trek, especially at the end of the day when EVERYONE is beat. You may want your own at that point rather than giving it up at the gate.


There is another thread already going on strollers. It may give you a lot of tips. From the "home" page of Disney Central, type "strollers" in the search function.

Have a great time planning and a wonderful trip!

[mmouse67l]

Originally posted by BDavis932
Our problem with those are we tend to hang our backpack from our stroller and everytime our kids get up, it falls over!

:laugh I can't remember how many times that happened to us.:laugh I don't know how the system is a WDW, but we never had any problems with renting strollers at Disneyland... we really liked theirs. Buying your own is a good idea, but I found that some of the cheap umbrella strollers were really hard to navigate with larger toddlers weighing them down so be careful.

[buzzsmommy]

Originally posted by mickey
Buzzsmommy, welcome to DisneyCentral!

We have done everything imaginable with strollers. We have brought our own, rented them and purchased them. I have found the easiest is to make a trip to Wal-Mart when we arrive in Orlando and purchase two cheap fold up strollers. They cost $9 each, and we just leave them when we depart.

Thanks for the tips. I think we'll end up taking ours. We are very tall people and very few strollers (no cheap umbrellas) offer long enough handles so that we adults don't have to bend and break our backs pushing (even short distances). I forgot about being able to take the stroller right to the gate at the airport. It will be handy having it along for the long airport walks and it can double as a luggage cart if we make the older one walk!!

[LRTJS]

Just returned and we would never have survived without the stroller! GD was alost 6 but the heat and walking would have done her in. The stroller was one we brought from home and it was no problem until the last day at Universal. There was another one at the stroller parking like hers. We put hers far down from it but when we returned hers was gone and the other one left. We waited a while and then took the one left. It seemed newer than hers and I am sorry for the other people. She carried a fan/water squirter and loved using it. We did great even without a shade on the stroller. Whatever you do...Have a stroller!!

[LadyJena]

Hi,

Ok form someone who was just at WDW and thought that WDW should be beat with a stick for having double wide strollers I would say bring your OWN. Or buy a stroller that sit front/front to back, not side by side. I saw soooo many people trying to get into places with those strollers then get stuck. Parents seemed to be frustrated with the size they didn't look all that easy to get around with.

I also can not count how many times the back of my heals were run over by them.

I would say Mikey had a great idea purchase 2 strollers there for cheap then leave them once the trip is over. If you didn't want to waist it there are lots of parents with small children around who you could ask if they wanted your strollers since you are only going to toss them. You may be saving them a little money as well.

Jena :)