The sheer amount of things you carry when you have young kids (snacks, drinks, jackets, sunscreen, etc.) make a stroller so nice to have on a day trip. Not to mention the actual child. My kids are petite, but they get heavy fast!
Thanks everyone, I've really appreciated all the info and especially the details as to why for your family a stroller was great/a pain/not needed... this was exactly what I was looking for! And I'd love to hear more if anyone else has more to add!
Anyone go without a stroller and then end up renting one later in the day/trip?
@DSLRuser thanks for the follow-up with more info, it was helpful to better understand the downsides and I know you weren't picking me!
I'm looking for advice on strollers for older kids. DD(8) and DS(6) haven't ridden in a stroller for a long time but I'm considering it for summer WDW trip because I've heard it's a lot of walking and I'd much rather push a kid then carry one or listen to non-stop whining about walking. But it's hard to think about a stroller with an 8 year old...
So if we go for it, I'm thinking we'd just do the Disney ones because those should fit the older kids. Reading through the threads I'm thinking single because people seem to indicate doubles are harder to maneuver in the parks.
But I'm really interested in others thoughts/advice on the topic, this will be our first trip to the parks! Thanks!
Oh goodness. You're opening a can of worms by asking people about strollers for older kids... From what I've seen, some people have REALLY strong opinions about this topic.
To answer your questions, I'd say that, given the ages of your kids, I'd do a Disney stroller based on the day and your kids' energy level/needs - perhaps you won't need one on Day 1 of your trip, when everyone has energy to spare, but as the vacation wears on and the kids are a bit footsore before the day even begins, rent one and see how it goes. (Some 6 or 8 year olds will refuse to get into a stroller. Others are perfectly happy to climb in and rest their aching feet. You know best what your kids will do!) If that's what it takes for you to have a sane, whining-free trip, go for it. A single is definitely easier to maneuver. Remember that the Disney strollers are all identical - probably wise to bring something bright (scarf, ribbon, etc) to tie to the handle so you can spot it among all the other Disney strollers in stroller parking.
Have a magical trip.
Forget about the haters!