Necessity of stroller for 6 year old in November?

[JenB1104]

We went to WDW in June this summer and I was so thankful I listened to advice and rented a stroller. We are going to DL in November when it is cooler. Should we still rent a stroller? Is the amount of walking comparable to WDW? Thanks for any advice

 

[meggles]

It likely won't be hot but may be rainy. If so, having a stroller might be cumbersome. It would be easier to dress in rain gear and take inside breaks when needed. That said, it depends on your kid and their ability to walk several miles a day. I'm not planning on bringing a stroller for my newly 4 year old in November because he's a good walker and we are planning on taking an afternoon break each day. We brought one last year when he was 3 and pushed it around empty or parked it most of the time anyhow.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

DLR is much more compact than WDW (especially if you are staying at a nearby hotel), but DLR still requires quite a bit of walking. That said, we stopped using strollers once the kiddos passed the four-year mark. Our family tried to start taking evening strolls a couple of months before the trip. (Some weeks were better than others in regards to our consistency, though!). We also stayed on-site when our daughters were that age, and made a point of taking mid-day naps, having pool time and taking dinner breaks in DTD before heading back in to the parks.

Are you staying close enough to take breaks during the day? If not, I'd highly recommend mixing in more sit-down activities throughout the day (i.e., a circuit around on the railroad, Monorail, Tiki Room, Aladdin, Animation Studio, etc.). I also made sure the kids had two comfortable (and broken in!) pairs of walking shoes and tried to alternate the footwear each day. The stroller was convenient for storing items (though we had a jacket and a hat stollen out of them,so be careful!), but overall I'm so glad we don't have to deal with maneuvering a stroller through crowds or deal with parking one anymore.

Bottom line, though, always do what's best for you and your family. You know your child and your child's stamina best.

 

[Indiana Scott]

You wont walk nearly as much as you do at WDW. We used an app on the iPhone to track us a couple of times on our last visit and we averaged 6~6.5 miles a day.
But as Stephanie indicated, you know your childs stamina the best.

Hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

We used a stroller for our dd until she was 7... I brought our own mostly for the walk to and from the hotel and parks... Then we would park it in whatever land we were in and only used it for between lands. It came in most handy for a place for her to sit while waiting for parades, WOC, fireworks etc... And for the long walk back at night when we were both tired. We never used a stroller at home after she was about 2... Strollers were strictly a Disneyland thing.

 

[Happyjenz]

We would always bring a stroller for our kids until about 7. We'd leave it at the hotel for the morning, then take it for the evening after our afternoon break. That way kiddos had a spot to sit for fireworks/parade, and they could fall asleep if needed. We could get a lot of rides at night with rider switch as a little person slept. Also, walking back out of the park and to the hotel is a lot easier with the stroller when we are all tired.

 

[scrapshappen]

Using a Fitbit to track my steps, I averaged about 18-20K steps a day at WDW and at Disneyland, I've gotten as many as 30K, but usually closer to 20-24K. At WDW, we didn't park hop and didn't crisscross the park as much as we do at DL. And we used the transportation system at WDW and at DL, we usually walk to/from our hotel. That being said, we have never used a stroller for a kid older than 4 at either park. You can always rent one when you get there if you decide it's necessary.

 

[Brina]

Our family rule was no stroller one they turned 5. At WDW there was a little whining about being tired, which led to a trip back to the hotel for a nap. At DLR no whining at all.

 

[niffer5150]

i wouldn't bother getting a stroller. it's a huge hassle parking the thing, finding it later, and maneuvering through crowds. we just held hands when walking in crowds and took a couple of breaks for feet resting and a treat.

 

[valerie160]

We had a stroller for our 2 year old son that my just turned 7 year old daughter would get in and use just at the end of the night when we were walking back to the hotel (my husband or I just held our son). She did just fine at the parks, walking everywhere without complaint. There would probably have been a whole lot of whining on the way to the hotel every night if we didn't have it. But that being said, she could absolutely have done it without a stroller. There is a lot of walking (plus we were offsite, so that made it more walking for us!), but we definitely took a 3-4 hour break everyday back at the hotel to recharge/sleep/etc. That helped keep us/her energized for the remainder of the evening.

If you do decide to bring a stroller, I would highly recommend a stroller tag for ease of finding it in the sea of strollers. I found some free and super cute disney-related printables online and printed it on neon 8x11 cardstock. It said said something like "This stroller belongs to the ________ Family." I punched a hole in the top and used a binder ring (or whatever those things are) to keep it on the handle of the stroller. There were so many other strollers that looked exactly like ours, but we never even had to search for our stroller because it immediately stood out thanks to that neon sign!

 

[jina]

We stopped bringing the stroller when DD turned 5. We are rope drop to midday, back to hotel, then dinner and a few rides at or near the park in late afternoon to early evening. We have not missed the stroller. She also did the Neverland 5K this past May so we figured if she can run a 5K, she does not need a stroller anymore. If we were rope drop to close folks I'd definitely have a stroller though - the only time we carried her on our last trip was the one night we decided to stay up for the 9:30pm fireworks at DL.

 

[disneychrista]

I see very few situation where a child (older than 5) should need a stroller while at Disneyland. Everything is so close together. The stroller sits more than it is used.

My daughter didn't use a stroller on our first trip, she was 3. The one day we did get her a stroller because we planned to zig-zag the park doing everyones favorites, shopping, etc she wouldn't use it.

 

[agamble]

June 2014 we brought our double stroller for our 1 y/o son and our newly 4 y/o daughter. She didn't sit in it much as she preferred to walk with her older cousin. When we went this May we brought our single for just our son. We told our daughter, who was almost 5, upfront that she'd have to walk. She was okay with it and did fine. We also did many evening walks before our trip and our 2 y/o would walk a lot with us too. He prefers not to sit in the stroller if he doesn't have to. We were of the type that parked it in a land and didn't use it again until we went to the new land. Unless it's a long walk from your hotel, I don't see why you'd need a stroller. Also, if you use the ART you'll have to fold it up. You can always rent one at DL during the trip if you feel she needs one, though that won't help you get to your hotel.

 

[bumbershoot]

We didn't even use a stroller at home (except a proper jogging stroller for when I was going for a jog), but we used one at DL. I can't remember if DS was a late 5 or very early 6 on our last DL visit before we started going to WDW, but we still had the Volo for him. Left it at the room (second furthest away room at the Grand...nearly as far to the center of the esplanade from that room as from the sidewalk outside HoJos, yes I worked out the distance) and the one day he was wiped out we had to go allllll the way back to get it.

So for WDW we brought it and let it be his decision (6.5 years old by then). He chose to not use it, each day. So that was cool, and he hasn't used it since. But I let it be his decision! It was his feet and leg bones, and he knew by then how we tour parks.

 

[8lovesmickey]

We rented one when our son was 6 - we didn't need it every day, but by the end of the trip he was pooped. It wasn't a hassle to rent, although it's not super price-effective. I would say if you're not sure, leave yours at home and rent one if you need it.

 

[offwithyourhead]

Unless your child has a specific reason where you'd need a stroller (medical, or I've heard parents of younger autistic kids like strollers because a stroller, blanket over top and some earplugs help deaden out most sensory stuff if needed) I think your child will be fine without one. If he gets tired there's always the train to get you around the park and the monorail to get you to DTD.

You know your child best, though. If he's a good walker, you could easily go without. And if worse comes to worst, there is always rentals available. If the first day wipes him out, decide then whether to get a stroller.

 

[Blondie Mom]

DLR is much more compact than WDW (especially if you are staying at a nearby hotel), but DLR still requires quite a bit of walking. That said, we stopped using strollers once the kiddos passed the four-year mark. Our family tried to start taking evening strolls a couple of months before the trip. (Some weeks were better than others in regards to our consistency, though!). We also stayed on-site when our daughters were that age, and made a point of taking mid-day naps, having pool time and taking dinner breaks in DTD before heading back in to the parks.

Are you staying close enough to take breaks during the day? If not, I'd highly recommend mixing in more sit-down activities throughout the day (i.e., a circuit around on the railroad, Monorail, Tiki Room, Aladdin, Animation Studio, etc.). I also made sure the kids had two comfortable (and broken in!) pairs of walking shoes and tried to alternate the footwear each day. The stroller was convenient for storing items (though we had a jacket and a hat stollen out of them,so be careful!), but overall I'm so glad we don't have to deal with maneuvering a stroller through crowds or deal with parking one anymore.

Bottom line, though, always do what's best for you and your family. You know your child and your child's stamina best.

We have been doing the same thing with an evening family walk the past few weeks, trying to get them used to more walking. We have always done WDW with strollers, but the kids are just too big for that now! Hoping the fact that DLR is more compact will help us. Also, we are planning on taking afternoon breaks, which we don't usually do....but we are going to have to change our commando-touring ways this trip with no strollers, late nights, and the time change (we are coming from the East Coast). I'm hoping with 5 days in the parks, we will still be able to accomplish a lot, even with the afternoon breaks.

 

[dotfurio]

We used a stroller well though age 5. When she outgrew our own stroller we wouldn't start out the day renting one but might get one later in the day if she pooped out. She just turned 7 and we didn't need one at all our last trip.

 

[dadofnicholas]

I agree with a previous poster. You know your child best. After saying that, my son (when he was 4, now 7) didn't like walking much back home but in Disneyland, he could go on, and on, and on, and on, etc. Disneyland brings the Energizer bunny out of him So never used one for him. It will be interesting with my daughter (2) but she loves walking and walking and walking so I can't see an issue in Disneyland. She is 2 though so a stroller will help her manage energy throughout the day even with afternoon nap back at the hotel.

 

[Spyral]

Agree with others. My son is 5, and I think he will be ok without, but we may go ahead and rent one anyways just to help him get through a full day (we do plan on taking afternoon breaks as well), but if he can sit for awhile during the day, I am sure that will help with his energy levels/mood