Hello Suzanne!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel with an excellent question!
As the mother of a 7-year-old girl currently planning our next visit my answer is that it highly depends on your child, how your family prefers to travel, and even what time of the year you are planning on visiting.
We have never visited without
renting a stroller from one of Disney Featured Providers. They offer a great variety of options that can accommodate older children. In addition, you can travel with these strollers throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, and take them with you while using Disney transportation. Please note that the strollers you rent inside the parks are not as comfortable and must be returned at the end of the day.
We have recently traveled with our daughter and I am very grateful we decided to take a stroller again. Visiting theme parks will require a lot of walking during the day, and children usually get tired, especially during summer months. A strategy that has worked for us was visiting in the morning, resting in the afternoon and then returning to the theme parks in the evening. We noticed that she hardly used the stroller. We might not rent for our December visit, but we know we need to give her time to rest during the afternoon. I believe that you know your child better than anyone and how your family prefers to travel. If you are planning on staying all day long at the parks with a very active schedule and during a hotter month, then it might be a good idea to rent a stroller if you know that your child tires easily. When my sister was 6 we had to carry her at the end of the day because she was super tired – we really wish we had a stroller back then!
I hope this helps you while planning, Suzanne! Please stop by real soon if you have additional questions.
Best magical wishes,
Thiana