Need help transitioning from stroller, how do I carry everything?

I have twin 10 year old boys. We have always had at least 1 stroller with us which brings the luxury of packing water, snacks, ponchos, wipes, their medicines, etc. They have disabilities (one with mild cerebral palsy). He gets around very well and is active but I'm still not sure if he can handle a whole day in the parks. Plus, he has epilepsy so it's not good to let him get too fatigued.

I'm still in the fence about whether to get a stroller or not, he is a big boy. But if we don't I'm wondering how you deal with going from bringing everything you need in the parks to not? Backpacks? I bet they get really hot on people's backs in that heat!

TIA!

If you decide on not using a stroller your options are pretty much backpack or locker. For our family of 4 we use 2 backpacks. My son has to carry his diabetic supplies so he carries one backpack and I do the other which leaves my wife and younger son without having to carry anything. We also learned to downsize big time when we stopped using strollers. It was nice to be able to carry some stuff in the parks, but now we only take exactly what we need each day.

If a full day in the park might be too much for your son, you might want to consider renting a wheelchair. Since he is getting older (and larger) that might be a more comfortable option for him than trying to squish into a stroller.

As for carrying stuff, I've never personally taken a stroller into the park. I've been able to fit what I need into a crossbody bag. If I need to carry an umbrella, I might loop it through my belt which is typically the same way I would carry a water bottle snuggled inside a cover that help keep it a bit cooler.

Another possibility for transitioning is to spend the morning in a park, returning to your resort for a brief respite at midday and then doing another few hours in a park. This works well for kids who think they're too big to be in strollers but who might get worn out walking all day.

Even when we were bringing strollers we learned to downsize what we brought. We had a major breakthrough when we realized we're only in the park for a few hours, we don't need the whole diaper bag.

In your case, by breaking up your park time you can skip many of the snacks, some of the water and, if the weather forecast is nice, the ponchos.

If your son does get too tired in the park despite your precautions, you could possibly rent a wheelchair to get you out of the park.

On one trip we had a sudden situation with one of our group needing a wheel chair at MK. We were assured by CMs that we did not have to return the wheel chair to the park rental facility but could use it to return safely to WL. I don't know if that might still be the case but we've always found CMs to be accommodating when an unexpected situation arises.

Jan

I was very sad when we gave up the stroller. I still miss my drink holders. ;)

Breaking up the day is definitely a good idea and it does allow you to bring less.

The first time we went without a stroller, we did backpacks. I found it to be very annoying and we passed ir back and forth all day.

Now, we try to bring as little as possible. My husband tends to wear cargo shorts which are good for a couple of bottles of water , some snacks and sometimes even sunscreen. I also carry a small crossbody bag.

We only carry ponchos if we are pretty sure it is going to rain.

Every now and then we don't have something we need, but it is much easier than toting a back pack around.

Our rule has always been: "if you want it, you carry it". My daughters carry their own bags with anything that they want. This frees me and DH to carry the essentials. Buy travel-sized bottles of things like sunblock and only carry what you need for the day. While many people do, we do not carry snacks, water, etc as I'd rather pay for it as we need it than be a pack-mule. We use drawstring backpacks, small backpacks, or crossbody purses to carry our stuff.

When the girls got too big I would still bring one of those fold up cheap umbrella strollers. We would pile all our items for the day and I would push it along. With our stuff and grandmas it was very nice not to have to carry it all. At the end of the trip I did nt bring it home- would give it to someone our last park day. One less thing to bring home on plane. Worth the $20 to get one once a year.

Cargo pants/shorts for everyone. I only carry a wallet, cell phone and a small sunscreen. Aspirin and band aids can be obtained at a parks first aid station free.

Great ideas! Thanks! I think we may try one more year with the stroller. Maybe. I like the idea of taking a break during the day, and I really want to try it, but once we are there I'm not sure if it will happen. We go with others in the family, and I'm not sure if it will work. But I want to try. If we did that we wouldn't need the stroller.

Lol, I can just imagine packing my husband's cargo shorts down with bottles of water and supplies. Better remember a belt!

You could also try the Britta water bottles that have filters in the cap, that way you can fill with water when you need and you are not carrying extra weight. You can get ice water at any of the counter service restaurants. I would only pack poncho's if you think there is going to be rain...and I'm not sure how many snacks you pack, but only pack what you are sure will be eaten, or just buy snacks in the parks, although I know that can get pretty pricey.

I also like cargo shorts, those pockets can hold some stuff.

Maybe even consider leaving some stuff in a locker at the front of the parks.