Ease of stroller in parks

[obsessive planner]

We are going this month and have a 3 1/2 year old boy. He doesn't like riding in a stroller but he is a slow walker and after about ten minutes just wants to be carried. I really didn't want to deal with a stroller but I also don't want to carry my giant son around the parks all day. So my question is how easy is it to push a stroller around Disney? Is it hard to manuever through the crowds? Is parking it for attractions easy? I wonder if these are silly questions but I was ecstatic the day we were able to leave the stroller at home whenever we went anywhere because my son could finally walk on his own.

[Pocahontas]

My daughter is 19 so it's been a few years since we've needed a stroller, but I do remember a stroller is a must have at WDW. We used the park's strollers with her up through age 5 or 6. There is obviously a lot of walking and would have worn out my husband and me if we had to carry her. Even though at that age we never used a stroller at home, she was glad to use it at the parks. Stroller parking was easy, just be aware that while you're on a ride a CM may move your stroller (not very far) to make more room for others. The first time this happened I thought someone took our stroller! We would even keep our backpack in it (money with us), and no one ever bothered with it. It may be a little challenging pushing it through crowds, but IMO well worth it.

Have a great time!

[kakn7294]

When my girls were a little older - around the age of your child - we found that an umbrella stroller was great. We pack light so the little storage basket under the seat (yes, I had one with a real storage basket small as it may be) was big enough for our small bag. It was small and lightweight so it was easy to maneuver around and did not take up a bunch of room on the buses or in our room. I do not care for the Disney strollers - I find them large and awkward to maneuver through crowds plus I always managed to hit the brake mechanism and nearly kill myself several times a day. I also felt it was silly of me to pay for a stroller everyday when we already owned a perfectly good one. Bear in mind though that we almost always drive so it's easy to throw whatever we want to take in the Jeep as opposed to worrying about checking luggage and paying fees.

[tdk316]

Bring your own stroller if you can swing it. My oldest was 2.5 when we went and he walked a lot, but when it got crowded he was just as happy to be in his familiar stroller and let us do the pushing. It was kind of a safe, happy place for him when it got a little too nuts and I didn't have to worry about him being trampled.

I didn't find many problems with pushing it around. Only one guy rammed us with his stroller, but his wife was screaming at him so I think there was more going on there...

[tdk316]

Oh! Most airlines (at least Delta, Spirit and NWA) allow you to check a stroller for free. Just take it to the gate and check it there right before you get on the plane. So no worries about $ there, at least yet...

[obsessive planner]

Thank you for the responses. We are actually driving so we will be bringing our own stroller my issues were more with the park themselves. I get very frustrated pushing a stroller in crowds. I assume stroller parking is clearly marked and everything?

[faline]

Stroller parking is readily available and well marked.

[kakn7294]

A couple of other hints now that I know you are bringing your own. Mark it with something to clearly designate it's yours. We always had a handmade Steeler bag that hung between the handles but some people use scarves, ribbons, etc. I also always bought a luggage tag that had a cover over the info window and put my name and cell # on it. They will tell you that you cannot take it inside TS restaurants but if your little one has fallen asleep, they will sometimes make an exception. On the MK and AK trains, you can bring your stroller with you but it must be folded. You can take it open on the transportation boats and monorails around property but it must be folded for buses. DH and I always had the stroller folded and ready to board before the buses arrived. One of us dealt with the stroller and bags while the other handled the kids. That way, if we were separated, we didn't have to worry about who had what and where the kids were.

[biodtl]

I assume stroller parking is clearly marked and everything?

It is, but be aware that sometimes CMs will move the stroller around a bit to consolidate for space. I learned this the hard way the first time we had a stroller - we came off an attraction and thought the stroller had been stolen.

It helps to tie or hang something on your stroller to make it easily identifiable.

[javamama]

At times it gets busy/crowded while pushing depending on if it's during parade time or just a busy time of the year. Honestly it's very managable, and I have a double umbrella, I haven't had an issue yet(and I'm 5'1). Tons of guests have strollers, so lots of us are in the same boat as you. You definately will need it for your ds, my ds is 6 and he stilll has moments where he likes to take a little rest--in his own words You'll be fine with it, people are understanding, they're on vacation!!!

[kemps@wdw]

Although, we never used a stroller (why, I do not know), it seemed the collapsable, umbrella strollers were the choice for all our friends. Easy on and off the bus, and ALWAYS welcome!

[Disney Doll]

I think it depends on the stroller. IMO a small umbrella is not a big deal. However, I have seen plenty of people struggling with mammoth strollers.

[stitch34]

Big fan of strollers! It holds all of the stuff I need for the parks because I tend to take way to much stuff...Last year I managed two strollers at the parks cause I had my 6 mth old who had his cadillac stroller and my 5 yr old we bought a cheap umbrella stroller for her because I didn't want to get caught carrying her non-stop if she fell asleep or got tired of walking...Actually the big debate I am having this year is I told her she is to old for the stroller at disney (she only uses it here) and that she would have to walk, but am terrified of her getting tired and needing to be carried at the end of a long day...Also I agree with everyones comments mark your sroller to find t easier and stroller parking is easy...My only advice is the umbrella type strollers are way easier to manage on and off the bus then the cadillac strollers they are very hard to fit in between aisles in the bus...

[Urbss]

Take the stroller!!!

My 5 yr old has not really used a stroller in a couple years, but he used it a lot this past Oct. at WDW. Our problem was that he is outgrowing the ones he has, so we just purchased a "Jogging" stroller for us to use this fall. It is really nice, similar to the ones that companies around WDW rent out. And, it is extremely manueverable (and has great storage places).

Little have to take twice as many steps as we do as adults. Last year we spent the entire day at EPCOT and then went to MNSSHP in the eventing. My pedometer registered over 25,000 steps (that's over 12 miles). LIttle ones just can't handle that!!

[azcavalier]

Getting a stroller around the parks has never been a problem for us. Finding parking for it has, on occasion, been a little more problematic. And then when they move them....trying to find it again...whew!

And, as others have said, a collapsible umbrella stroller is the best. It's not hard to take on Disney Transportation, and it's very light. I would never take anything bigger or bulkier to the parks. It drives me nuts when someone gets on the bus with a huge stroller (even folded up), because it takes up so much space. An umbrella stroller is less than $25 at WalMart. It is so worth it.

[DadTriton]

Easy to push a stroller around Disney. Many people have them.
My youngest is 8 and I will be renting one of their big blue ones. It also holds all the junk when we are on attractions. By the end of the day after walking 7 miles my 10 and 12 year old will be asking to have a turn.

[Goes4FastPass]

We have what amounts to a better than an umbrella but still folds to small and light stroller that an adult can carry on his/her back with a sling.

This seems to work for 3 1/2 year old who walks a lot but tuckers out. A big stroller in big crowds is a big hassle.

and renting from WDW is (1) expensive and (2) inconvenient - you have to leave the stroller in the park and drag/carry the child back to your room and (3) expensive and (4) bulky to push through crowds and (5) expensive and (6) costs too much.

[DadTriton]

We have what amounts to a better than an umbrella but still folds to small and light stroller that an adult can carry on his/her back with a sling.

This seems to work for 3 1/2 year old who walks a lot but tuckers out. A big stroller in big crowds is a big hassle.

and renting from WDW is (1) expensive and (2) inconvenient - you have to leave the stroller in the park and drag/carry the child back to your room and (3) expensive and (4) bulky to push through crowds and (5) expensive and (6) costs too much.

This is probably true if you have 1 child but as I stated I have 3 close in age. When they we little we tried it once with our own double stroller and it is very difficult to get a double on/off monorail, boats, buses etc. So one adult ends up carrying all the bags and one child because the other has to deal with the folding and carrying of the stroller and the other two kids walk. So leaving the rental at the park was a convenience for us.
In addition there is dealing with it as extra luggage and it depends if you already have one or not.
The multi-day discount for a single stroller is $13 a day so you would be out $50 for a 4 days at the park. The multi-day pass can be used at all parks so there is no extra charge if you are a park hopper.