Hi Kim! What a wonderful experience for your grandsons to travel to Walt Disney World with their grandmother! Some of my most cherished vacation memories are of those spent with my own grandparents. My grandfather still tells stories about holding my hand on the
Haunted Mansion and raising his arms in the air with me on
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
I have two children of my own who were exactly the same ages as your grandsons on our recent Walt Disney World vacation, and I have some good insight into the stroller situation. Although my five year old son doesn't use a stroller anymore in the "real world," we find that it is invaluable at Walt Disney World. There are a lot of magical miles to cover! Sometimes, my kids need a break from all of the excitement of the theme parks, and sitting back in a stroller is a great way to achieve that.
Strollers are available to rent at all Walt Disney World theme parks and
Disney Springs. There are options for both single and double rentals. The strollers are easy to use, clean, and well-maintained. You are able to purchase a length of stay rental for the duration of your vacation, and upon visiting a theme park present your receipt for easy pick up. If you choose this route, you will not have to find a place to store a stroller in your resort room, as you will return your stroller each day before exiting a theme park.
Alternatively, Scooterbug is the Disney featured provider for private stroller and mobility rentals. As a guest at
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort, you do not need to be present when the stroller is delivered to the resort. ScooterBug will work with Disney Resort Cast Members to manage deliveries and returns of rented strollers.
Kim, based on my own experience and knowledge of theme park and resort layouts, I suggest renting through Scooterbug. Sometimes the longest walks of the day occur outside of the theme parks. If you rent stroller at a theme park, you will have to return it before exiting the park, at which point you may have a long walk to your resort bus stop. If you rent through Scooterbug, your stroller will be available for you to use at all times - strolling through the resort, walking to the
End Zone Food Court, heading to the bus stop at your resort, and trekking from the bus stop to the park entrance upon arrival.
Also in my experience, strollers offered by private rental companies are generally easy to fold before boarding a bus, although I do recommend practicing this a few times before leaving your resort room. Once you get the hang of it, you'll have no problem. Luckily if you do, there are always dozens of stroller-expert parents nearby who will be glad to assist. My own parents have had to enlist help folding one of our personal strollers!
I'm so excited for your vacation with your grandsons, Kim. I wish you all a fun and magical vacation!
Happy memory-making,
Betsy