Hi Valerie!
Thanks for your question. I vividly remember the pure joy and excitement in my children's eyes when they visited
Walt Disney World at the age of 5. To see the joy on their faces always made me smile, and being at the "Happiest Place on Earth" is nothing short of pure joy! :-)
The theme parks are
large. I would
highly encourage a stroller for them, even at 5 years old. An umbrella stroller or stroller with decent covering would be great, as Florida is pretty balmy nearly the entire year. When my kids were that age, having a stroller took immense pressure off those little legs, and usually reduced the complaining and exhaustion of constant walking everywhere. Also, at age 5, they may want a little nap if you're there all day, and there's really no place in the parks they can lay down, so the stroller is a perfect solution.
I might also suggest consider
renting a stroller at the parks. There is a cost, but it really saved us the time and headache of having to carry the stroller around between bus, to monorail, to park entry.
May you and your child have a magical time at
Disney World Parks!
Terry