First time to Disney with a Toddler - Help!

Hello, I am a newbie here but I have been to WDW over 20+ times since I was a child. This year, my fiance and I are taking his kids and grandkids. This is the first time I have been to Disney with kids, believe it or not! So, I need some advice on how things work with riding rides and parking a stroller. How hard is it to find said stroller once you are off the ride?
I’m a planner but the whole thing with the stroller has me confused since I’ve read that you can park it in one place when you get on a ride but CM’s can move them while you are on the ride during peak times. We are going the first week of December so hopefully, this won’t be too much of an issue?

Any tips or advice would be welcomed!

We are staying at Pop! and will not have a car and bringing our own stroller (not renting one).

Add a unique ribbon, or scarf, to the stroller handle. Or buy a stroller flag. A flexible rod that clamps on and sticks up a couple of feet.

Stroller theft is very rare, but don’t leave anything irreplaceable in this underside. Put everything in a bag or backpack, that you can pull out quickly to carry into an attraction.

You will need to fold up your stroller on Disney transportation. On the buses, I like to stand near the exit door and hold the stroller, out of the aisle.

At night it can be particularly difficult to locate a stroller. We tie a LED strip around the handle and it works wonderfully. Here is a link to the product we use.

It is also very helpful for locating your party when exiting the parks.

Here is some info on rider switch:
https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/rider-switch

If you make a custom TP know that it will take longer than estimated to do a swap.

The strollers are in the same general area, but CM will rearrange and consolidateto make more space. For example, your stroller will still be near the carousel, just not the 5th stroller in the second row.

When it comes to strollers, I recommend going with something SLIGHTLY more than a traditional umbrella stroller, but not a full size stroller. Having something that allows some under-the-seat storage is nice. (We tried one of those snap-on bags for umbrella strollers, but it is awkward, and you have to be careful not to overfill. I can’t recommend a specific one, since there are more options now than when we had kids in strollers, but we did have a lite travel stroller for trips to Disney, the zoo, etc.

It is KEY that you don’t leave anything valuable in the stroller, however. People won’t steal your stroller, but they will steal things IN your stroller (we’ve seen it happen). But definitely, as recommended, tie something easily identifiable to it during the day. You might also get from the Dollar Tree some glow bracelets and add them to the stroller for the evening…especially since you will be going in December, when daylight is at a minimum. (We also weave the glow bracelets into the shoelaces to make spotting the little ones…and even the teenagers…all the easier in the dark.)

We brought our full modular stroller for our DS1 and were very happy with it. It had a full recline, giant canopy and giant basket underneath. We drove however, so never had to fold it for the bus. (You don’t need to fold for the ferry or monorail.) I would suggest bringing the most fully loaded stroller you think you can tote around on transportation.

We never had trouble finding our stroller if that helps ease your mind. They may move it within the same “stroller parking lot” but they don’t move it THAT far. Like others have said, just try and make it easily identifiable and don’t keep valuables in the basket.

I am glad you are bring your own stroller. Your little one will be happier in it than in a rental.

Thank you so much for your feedback and ideas (especially for the lights!)

Agree with everyone who suggested to do something different to make it stand out. We bought a roll of pink princess duck tape from the dollar store and decorated it in obvious places…made it stick out and very easy to find.