I’ve got a 9 month old and a 6 year old…and I’m debating on whether I need to purchase a sit and stand stroller for the parks. My 6 year old can’t walk 10 minutes before he’s complaining. Lol.
The other option would be to rent a double stroller but I’m wondering how cumbersome this will be in the park. I think I might get a cheaper umbrella stroller and see how my 6 year old does that 1st day. If it’s too much for him, maybe I can just rent a double stroller from one of the offsite vendors. Is it hard to get a next day rental or do they need to be reserved well in advance? Any advice?
I would definitely either buy a sit n stand or rent. It’s not worth having them whine and complain about being tired. It’s a lot of walking even for adults. We’ve rented from Orlando stroller rental every time we’ve gone and we’ve loved their strollers. Last trip our kids were 2,5, and 7 and we rented a double and single that way we didn’t have any fighting over the stroller and we could get to where we were going quickly by pushing them instead. Sometimes we’d leave the single back at the hotel if we were just going to be at park for a few hours.
We loved our sit n stand when we traveled with kids ages 3-5. We actually could fit three on there in a pinch! we got ours used for $25, which was way more cost effective than renting. But then maybe it would be more convenient to not have to worry about it while traveling. I do think it’s better to rent from somewhere besides Disney because you will probably want it for getting to and from the parks. That end of day slog from the park to bus and bus back to resort can be a killer with a tired kid. If you rent a stroller fromdisney you can only have it in the park.
Rent a double from Kingdom Strollers or similar. They will drop it at your hotel. They only have super comfy, top of the line, easy to push and fold strollers that the kids can sleep in. Disney strollers are more expensive, uncomfortable and can’t leave the parks.
I just purchased a used sit and stand. Hopefully it won’t be too bulky or difficult to handle. I’m practicing the fold up and down mechanisms now. I also bought a used baby carrier for the lines when I have to park the stroller. Thanks for all the insight.
You will thank yourself for getting a stroller for your 6 year old! Trust me! I took my 6yo in December. She would have never lasted anywhere near the 10-12 hours we spent in the park each day without it! Not to mention the whining about walking would have made our trip miserable! Oh, and she never would have kept the pace we’d need/want to keep.
We did rent from the parks, though. We didn’t want to have to worry about lugging a stroller around from our hotel onto the bus/monorail.
If you decide to go with the umbrella stroller, test your son out in it first. We found my son would put his feet on the plastic foot rest, but, as he was older and with longer legs, the plastic rubbed against the wheels, making it harder to push. Also, if he’s over the weight recommendation (cheap Walmart ones have a lower weight), make sure he never flops into the seat, but carefully sits down, so the fabric or frame doesn’t get wrecked. My 6 year old was in one, even though he was over the weight restriction, but we bought a sturdier one for him that actually had telescoping handles so his tall dad could push without getting a backache.
We always purchase a stroller or two from the parks when we get there. They are $40 and always last us at least a year after we bring them home. In January we used two for our 4 and 6 yr olds. The comment about the feet resting on the strip and causing the difficulty in pushing only happened for us when we tried to put both boys (4 and 6) in one stroller. My 6 yr old weighs 45ish lbs. I seriously love these strollers. They are in the front of most if not all of the parks. Red and Black. I have a garage with 4 of them now. Its late and Im rambling.
To aaeaglin, what month will you be going to Disney? If you are going in less crowded season, you can probably rent one from one of the offsite stroller rental company when you get there. Offsite stroller rental companies are many. Here is a list of them: Best Disney World stroller rental options - WDW Prep School
You definitely need a stroller for your 6 years old. If you use Ergo, bring it, especially for waiting in line. My son lived in Ergo until he was 2 years old.
We went for the first time when my youngest was 3 and my oldest had just turned 6, rented the double stroller in the parks, I know they’re expensive but it made things so incredibly easy! Love how easy it is for kids to get in/out of those strollers on their own too!