Strollers About This Page:

[aljtwnmom]

Hi all! We're going in May and will definitely need a stroller for at least one of our children. I'd rather not take ours because of the whole checking it and folding it for buses and such. My main question is does anyone know if the rental strollers have storage areas of any kind (like a basket). I have a special needs child and we'll need to have some medical supplies on hand with us, we'll probably end up backpacking them but it would be a plus toward convincing hubby to rent if I knew the rentals have storage areas. If we bring our own I'll only want to bring the umbrellas and those have no storage. Thanks [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[TiggGrrrl]

Hi and welcome to the Passporter family! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I've never rented the strollers at the World, but I'm pretty sure they have a cargo net kind of thing on them. Our son is 13 months old and we've been there twice with him, both times we used our own stroller. We do this for several reasons - mostly because he's most comfortable in it and it makes life alot easier at the end of the day...it would be really tough to have to give the stroller back and carry a tired baby and all our stuff out of the park and to the car (or to the bus). We've got the Graco Citisport ultra lightweight stroller, it's light like an umbrella stroller and it's got a nice big basket, reclines and folds really easily with one hand. We found getting on and off the tram to the parking lot a piece of cake with it on our last trip.

Hope this helps! Have a wonderful trip [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Peace, love & ºoº

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: TiggGrrrl ]

[Kruggie]

I give WDW stollers two thumbs up! Though I only have one baby, I would always rent the double stroller for the extra space! It had plenty of room for drinks, the ton of bags i carried, the diaper bag, the cameras, the shopping....very spacious. I would fold a towel around my diaper bag and the baby could lay down and nap comfortably. My eight year old also fit in there with the baby comfortably! My baby was fifteen months at the time of our visit. The stollers themselves are made in such a way that the child will be sitting rather close to the ground, which was nice for the baby, he could climb in and our himself (with a little hand from me) they do have saftey belts but are constructed out of a hard plastic. I got around that with a blanket or towel.

If my son were any younger, I would probably have stuck to my own stroller, which wasnt as spacious! but probably more comfortable for a smaller one.

These strollers seem to have enough bells and whistles for me, a canopy (retractable with peek a boo window) and drink holders/storaged compartments.

Definate two thumbs up!

I did utilize my own stroller on several occasions. It was more a hassle to me to fold it up and lug it than to gather the belongings and carry them seperatly, of course I had the extra hands of an eight year old and a ten year old to hold bags!

You can wheel your own stroller onto the monorail too! That is a big plus if you are staying at a monorail resort!!

I have to add that I found my stroller to be most useful at the resort, came in handy poolside, and for the longs walks we took! You may want to bring your own also if you plan to visit downtown disney, I don't believe they rent them there.

Hope I helped you! I also hope you have a great time!!!

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Kruggie ]

[DisneyEveryJanuary]

I personally don't like the rental strollers because they don't recline for my son to sleep comfortably. They are also made of a hard plastic and are uncomfortable. We have a combi savvy stroller which only weighs 5-7 lbs and fold up very small. It cost us about 200.00 and was wonderful. It is so compact it fits in the overhead compartment of a plane or train. It also can be brought on the WDW train and other rides since it folds up so small. It even has a strap to carry it. We got ours at babies r us. They also have other models that are less money but do not fold up compact. www.combi.com
Hope this helps.

Only 14 more days to go!!!!!
WHOOOOOOHOOOOOOO [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[aurora1429]

I would recommend you bring your own. It can be used while in the airport and around the hotel. It also makes is much easier to get a tired child back to your room. I personally think it would be much easier.

[rockyne]

We were just at the World in September 2001 with ages 8, 6, and 18 mo. I, too, went back and forth over renting at the World or toting my own stroller. We decided at the last minute to take our own stroller. SO GLAD WE DID!! I don't know how old your child is, but our stroller was much more comfortable than the rental. All of the parks seem to being going to the hard molded plastic strollers. There is no way that my 18 mo. old would have made it through a day at the park in a hard plastic stroller. True, he was sitting up and awake a lot in it, but since we had ours he could just nap whenever he was ready!
Packing up the stroller for buses and airlines was MUCH easier than anticipated. We flew Delta, and I just walked up to the gate and "gate checked" the stroller. This means that they tag it, you leave it folded up at the door to the aircraft, they put the stroller in the front of the aircraft for you, and when you depart the plane the stroller is right there at the door waiting for you! Perfect!! Also, A MUST WITH YOUNG ONES [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] (easier to keep track of them) when walking around the airports!
I highly recommend you take your own stroller. You'll be glad you did!
My $0.02 worth.
Enjoy your trip! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[MagicLover]

Here is another vote for taking your own stroller. It is just so much easier in Airports, Downtown disney, as well as to and from the parks. My kids nap much better in their own stroller too.

The first time we went, we did the rental thing, and ever since I have brought my own.

Have a great trip!

[AKLRULZ]

We specifically purchased a compact fold down umbrella stroller for our trips that was relatively inexpensive, lightweight AND it had a storage net on the back - I think it's by Graco (?). I'd recommend going that route - you won't have to wait in any additional lines, you won't have to pay for stroller rental, and you'll have it with you everywhere you go. The strollers at WDW have storage and the parks have recently replaced their old strollers with new ones, but if you have a special needs child, he or she may prefer their own.

[ 01-12-2002: Message edited by: Dadtojbj ]

[aljtwnmom]

Thanks to everyone for your input. Our children will be 4.5 when we go so it's really a tough call. Sleeping won't be so much of an issue, except maybe at the end of the day, they don't spend too much time in strollers now, just my dd every now and then. I know I'm going to need them. Anyway, thanks for everyones input, I'm going to read all your suggestions/ideas to dh tonight. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Disney Fan]

Thanks everyone for their input. We've been struggling with this issue as DD will be 18 months. I was just going to buy a cheap umbrella stroller ($10). I can't afford to spend too much. Any recommendations on one that is lightweight, comfy and affordable (I know I want the entire cake here)? Thanks!

[Babymoon]

I know I'm a little late here but JC Penney has the best umbrella strollers! They're on sale until 1/26 for $15. I haven't seen any for under that price. You can get an additional 10% off by using your JC Penney credit card to pay for it.

When we went to WDW last year, we brought two umbrella strollers and a connector. It's a good thing we brought the connector because when we got to the park, we realized the wheel had broken off of one of the strollers. By using the connector, we were able to push both strollers together. We replaced the broken stroller with a $10 one from Wal Mart and it's a piece of junk. I've been so happy with the Okie Dokie one from Penney's.

[DreaminDisney]

aljtwnmom, We are also going in May 2002 (with 2 small kids) and I too think I am bringing my own double stroller, We are also staying at Contemporary the end of May. please let us know how you liked it. It's our first family vacation to Florida WDW [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img] really EXCITED! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Deb

[TINKN]

Bump

[MrsM]

We're going in Oct & our youngest will be 18 months and not quite 3. We're driving and planning on taking our double stroller. Has anyone had experience with their own double stroller, getting it on and off the buses, etc.? Even though it folds pretty compactly it's still a large piece of equipment!