Stroller for a 4-year-old?

[smiths02]

I think it depends on the kid. I was a single mom and not a pack horse so my son was very independent. He did not have to hold my hand all the time, as a matter of fact the only time he had to hold on was if we were in lines at QS or when I was carrying a tray. He had to hold some part of my body then, my shirt or my pants leg or something that I could feel him holding on to when we were walking. Standing in line he just had to be in front of me. When we were walking around he just had to stay close enough to me so I could grab him if necessary. If it was too crowded for words, say after a parade or FWs, I would make him hold my hand or I'd just pick him up (and yes he was bigger than me after about 3 but it was only for a short walk and we managed). As far as wear and tear on little muscles, don't kids get out and run and play any more? I don't think my son knew how to sit on his bottom until he was a teenager, until that point even when he was eating he was perching on the side of the chair. He never once had a meltdown at WDW until he was a grown up adult man and he and his wife weren't getting along. The key for us was me paying attention to him and his moods. If I knew he was getting tired, we stopped and rested, more often than not I got more tired than he did. We went slow, no reason to run, nothing is going anywhere so it will be there when we get there. He would fall asleep in my lap on the monorail (when was real young there were only two parks, MK and Epcot so no buses. But then he fell asleep any time travelling in any vehicle and still does scared the crap out of me when he started driving but evidently he can drive and not fall asleep).

I think it also depends on the time of year. We have always gone June/July. The stroller provides shade and a place to sit and hydrate (we are more likely to have a drink immediately accessible if we have a stroller because they are easier to tote)
Maybe it wouldn't matter as much other times of year.

My children are on their feet a lot and go outside some, but 10 miles in 90+ degree heat is different (I've seen many adults laying on the ground with medical people around them while at Disney!)

 

[ThanksforNoticinMe]

I had my 5 year old son in a stroller the entire time on our last trip in July. He is on the small side about 40 lbs. He will be 6 on our trip in April and he will still be in a stroller. He wouldn't be able to handle all of that walking.

 

[maxiesmom]

If you buy an umbrella stroller, make sure it is one that is comfortable to push for hours on end. Many have handles that are too short, and you end up stooped over a bit, and wind up with a sore back.

 

[Disneyfan819]

We had a stroller for my almost 4 year old last year and will again when we go in February; she will be 5 in May. We rented a stroller from an outside company. It was much cheaper then renting from Disney and much, much more comfortable for her. They delivered to and pick up from your resort and you don't have to worry about bringing a stroller with you. We have done umbrella strollers in the past and in my opinion not very comfortable for them, especially as they get older.

 

[happymommy]

I used one until my kids were much older than 5, so my suggestion is to either bring yours or rent a GOOD one that reclines from an outside company. The ones at Disney are okay in a pinch, but are hard plastic, so a preschooler (or second grader) who is going to doze for a bit will be much more comfortable in a reclining one. And that, in turn, will make Mom and/or Dad much happier.

Umbrella strollers are crap. I'm 5'7" and no way could push one of those things.

 

[DisneFamily]

I definitely recommend renting a stroller. My DS is 5 and we still rented one for our Feb trip. We have rented every year since he was a baby and we went. We use Orlando Stroller Rents and have never had an issue. As pp have said, it really is a life saver. Even though he can walk a lot and has a ton of energy, the stroller was needed. Plus, we throw a mini cooler underneath and I can hang my backpack off the handle. Win win in my book.

 

[AshleeH]

I think it also depends on the time of year. We have always gone June/July. The stroller provides shade and a place to sit and hydrate (we are more likely to have a drink immediately accessible if we have a stroller because they are easier to tote)
Maybe it wouldn't matter as much other times of year.

My children are on their feet a lot and go outside some, but 10 miles in 90+ degree heat is different (I've seen many adults laying on the ground with medical people around them while at Disney!)

This, exactly. My kids get out and run and play all the time. But not over 10 miles a day (15 for us, according to my Fitbit). If it makes an in-shape adult sore to walk that much, it's going to make a kid sore.

I also love strollers at the end of the night in the crush that is trying to exit the parks. There have been times where I had genuine fear that my son was going to get swallowed up in the crowd. One time it was so bad (in October!) that his shoes got knocked off his feet and he was riding in the stroller!

 

[smiths02]

I used one until my kids were much older than 5, so my suggestion is to either bring yours or rent a GOOD one that reclines from an outside company. The ones at Disney are okay in a pinch, but are hard plastic, so a preschooler (or second grader) who is going to doze for a bit will be much more comfortable in a reclining one. And that, in turn, will make Mom and/or Dad much happier.

Umbrella strollers are crap. I'm 5'7" and no way could push one of those things.

My DH and I are both short. So I didn't think about that when recommending buying a cheap stroller. We bought one like this (only it was like $35 when we bought it in 2009).

https://www.amazon.com/Jeep-Brand-M...1484142908&sr=8-2&keywords=jeep+stroller&th=1

For my twins, we bought a good double stroller used from a friend for $50 (maclaren twin traveller). It was 10 years old when I got it, but it did the job for 2 Disney trips.

 

[ForeverDance]

Totally depends on your child.

We don't bring a stroller. DD was just shy of 4 years old the first time we went and by then we had given away the stroller at home because we simply didn't use it.
We knew we could rent one if we needed but never ended up doing it. However, we did have to stop on occasions to sit and let her rest and there were a few nights that I carried her out of the park. I was okay with that so it worked for us. As someone did mention though it is a lot of walking, heck even I get tired, so you need to be understanding of your little one's needs. If they need to rest, will you be willing to sit and relax for a while? If you'd prefer to keep going then you'll want that stroller.

 

[Imagineer5]

I haven't read the comments, but my dd is about to turn 5 and our next trip (she'll be 5.5) will be her first without a dedicated stroller seat (thanks to baby sis coming along) - but she will have a Glider board attachment for the stroller. I can't imagine her walking all day long. She has been to Disney a ton, but has always enjoyed her stroller. (And, up until age 4, she still took a daily afternoon nap well in it!).

 

[amandaleigh2]

For our trip next year I'll have a 4 year old and an 8 year old. I wouldn't even think of going to Disney without a stroller for the 4 year old. In fact, I keep going back and forth on whether I'm renting a single or a double so my 8 year old can take breaks, too. We are park opening to park close people. We averaged over 15 miles a day on our trip last January, and my husband and I are both tall and walk fast. I get tired myself by the end of the day, so I can't imagine how tired my boys would be if I made them walk the 7 days we're there, even with frequent breaks.

 

[jvz82]

Bring a light umbrella stroller or rent something from Disney. We just got back from our trip, we had a double stroller for my boys who turned 2 and 4 about a week after our trip. They definitely needed it! And actually there were a few times where my almost 6 and almost 8 year olds took turns in the stroller, especially on the last day. It's a pain to have a stroller, but whiney over-tired children are worse IMO.

 

[Madteaparty001]

My DD never uses a stroller at home but we take one to Disney because the pull down shade let's her escape the crowds when she's overwhelmed. She was 3 last time we went, she'll be 5 when we go again. It definitely saved us from meltdowns that's for sure, couldn't imagine going without it at her age.

 

[han22735]

I would definitely bring a good umbrella stroller. Our DD was 4 the last time we went and she used it quite a bit with all the walking. It was also great to have a place to hang a backpack or coats/ponchos over the top of.

 

[yankebabie]

Is an umbrella stroller actually big enough to fit a 5 year old comfortably. That might be a good idea for my trip with my grandson. Thought he would be too big for an umbrella stroller

 

[bubblebrown]

I would absolutely bring a stroller, it was a life saver for us at the end of a long day for my 5 and 8 year old (purchased a cheap used sit and stand just for our latest Disney trip). It was great having a place to stash a bag of extra layers/change of clothes and a cooler with snacks and drinks and have a little shade if you have a top for it. We ended up just leaving it near the carousel most of the day in the magic kingdom and then moving it a bit more with us when in epcot (we tied a yellow handkerchief to it so that it would be easily seen even if the stroller was moved by a CM). They walked throughout the day when in MK, but at the end of the day it was nice for the girls to have a place to sit waiting for the fireworks and then made it easy pushing them to wait for the resort bus. It was also a bit overwhelming seeing the mass of humanity trying to hurry out after the fireworks so we chose to stay back, relax for a bit to let the park quiet down, and then head to the buses. If you rent in park you have to return the stroller before you leave, so you may have to carry a sleepy child the whole way back.

 

[AA.Appeldoorn]

We scoffed - literally scoffed - at the thought of renting strollers on our last trip with a 4 and 6 year old. First day at the parks (on a relatively quiet day), we realized that the kids could not weave through crowds, their legs tired out, there were melt downs ... it was one of those classic moments when you realize how foolish you were before you knew better! Needless to say, we rented strollers ... best $ we ever spent!

My frugal self was a bit putout that we paid full price, renting those strollers onsite, at the last minute but still ... in the face of whiney, tired, cranky children at Disney ... best money we ever spent!

Now, we are planning to go to Disney again ... same kids ... 8 and 9 this time and I am trying to figure out how to talk them into strollers again . That's a joke .... (unless I thought I could get away with it!)

 

[Goosehonkhonk]

My son's 4th birthday will be our first day at Disney. He usually doesn't use a stroller but I know this is a lot of walking. He's a little on the small side- about 35 lbs and right at 40" tall. Should I worry about renting a stroller or bringing the jogging stroller that's been stored in my garage collecting dust (it's big). Anyone have experience taking a 4-year-old and did you use a stroller?

We'll be bringing our $25 umbrella stroller for the 4 year old, it can hook onto the back of the giant Uppa stroller we have for the 18 month old. Those parks are enormous for little legs, and even though our 4yo doesn't nap anymore (not consistently) he is always wiped out by the time we make our way about 3/4 of the way around MK. Epcot seems even bigger. But, we drive from Atlanta so it's easy to throw on the pile in the back of the minivan.

 

[Amanda Hall]

Our son was 4 last trip. We used a City Jogger Mini. He was in it half the time. Mostly when we needed to get somewhere quick or there were a lot of people. He probably could have walked but this worked for us. It also gives us somewhere to put our stuff / drinks. City Jogger was great. So easy to fold on the bus!

 

[Madteaparty001]

Our son was 4 last trip. We used a City Jogger Mini. He was in it half the time. Mostly when we needed to get somewhere quick or there were a lot of people. He probably could have walked but this worked for us. It also gives us somewhere to put our stuff / drinks. City Jogger was great. So easy to fold on the bus!

We used a city jogger lite, great stroller, bought it when it was $105 on amazon. The huge pull down shade they have was worth every penny.