Strollers at Disney and Why you need one!
Short answer. Maybe.
This is just my opinion on strollers. You know your kiddos, and you have to decide for yourself what you think is best for them. My perspective is also a little different because I am traveling with multiple younger children, we are outnumbered, and we do not go hard at the Parks because we are frequent travelers.
When we go to the parks, we like to close them down. It also varies on the combination of strollers we take; sometimes, we take a single, double, and sometimes both.
what you should consider when deciding if you need a stroller:
Seven Rule: Anyone 8 years and younger need a stroller. (GASP—A EIGHT-YEAR-OLD!) Yes, my ten-year-old is crawling into the stroller by the end of the day most nights. Disney is the one place where I throw all my internal rules on strollers away. I will bring whatever I need to ensure I am not carrying any giant children at the night's end.
Animal Kingdom - 2022
Miles: On average, you are walking 8 - 10 miles A DAY. Get ready for that Disney Burn. I don't care how in shape you are; on day two, even the adults' feet are burning.
Storage: There is no better storage for the day when you have a diaper bag, change of clothes for toddlers, wet shoes, etc. A stroller can hold all of that for you. Your stroller may be empty all day, but you will be glad you have to keep all your items.
Length of Day: Where else are you going for 12 hours a day? Kids do not do that at school or on the weekends. There is so much overstimulation at the parks, and the days are long. They are exhausted by the end of the day. Also, if you are an outnumbered parent like us, we only have so many arms for carrying. (If we only plan a half-day, we only take a single stroller for the baby, kids can make it 3-5 hours walking. But that 6th hour, the decline begins, as I know from experience and own not one but two Minnie & Mickey umbrella strollers that cost $40 in the parks!)
Magic Kingdom - March 2021 - $40 Minnie Stroller bought from the Baby Care Center
Your Back: Back to the topic of carrying, have you ever carried a 60-pound child dead asleep through a park? So why start now. You want to see Disney Enchantment or Harmonious correct? After a long park day, who plans to carry that child back to the hotel room when they fall asleep? Definitely not me, because I have a stroller.
Disneyland Paris - 2019
Number of Children: If you have three or more children under eight years old, you need a stroller, in fact, a double stroller, and a baby/toddler carrier. You will thank me later. Head over to Strolling through Disney for my specific tips on strollers.
Disneyland Paris - 2019
Additional benefits to the strollers:
In Jan 2022, we had two babies, two years old and under, and both would take 2 -3 hour naps mid-day in their stroller.
Maneuverability, when you are rushing to your next Lightning Lane attraction, or you just realized that the Frozen Sing-along show starts in 10 minutes and you are in the back of Galaxy Edge. You will be able to get up and go with a child in the stroller.
A place to snack, eat and watch parades.
Storage for items, we have talked about this a little, but save you back. If you do not have to carry things, don’t.
No whining, my feet hurt, or asking for you to carry them.
I will be honest with you, when they are a little older and want to walk, that stroller may be empty ALL day. But when I never regret it in the evening. I am always so happy I have brought it. The twins are now 7 and this will be the last year that I bring a stroller for them. We still have about 5 more stroller years with our tiniest tot. I meat a family that had the same order and age gaps as us and they had just completed their first ever Disney trip without a stroller, the mom said, it was awesome for the first time in 16 years no stroller, but she missed the storage!
I hope this helps you decide! Have a magical day! And head over to Strolling through Disney for tips, and info on bringing your stroller or renting a stroller!
