Hi Robert!
Your wonderful vacation to the
Walt Disney World Resort is quickly approaching – how exciting! Thanks for coming by planDisney for some advice on strollers for your six-year-old. My family has logged many miles with strollers around this vast property and I’m delighted to share my experience and opinion with you to help finalize your trip details.
I chose to use a stroller on Walt Disney World Resort vacations for as long as my son would fit in one. This was long after he had outgrown a stroller for routine use in our daily lives at home, but for the extreme activity and hustle-and-bustle of these trips, a stroller made sense for us. It's also a comfy seat for parades or snacks! Every family is different, but here are some factors to consider for making the most of your experience together.
If your child can comfortably sit still in a stroller, it is a safe and efficient way to move around the theme parks. You’ll find stroller parking at many convenient locations, such as outside bathrooms and around major attraction locations, so you don’t have to use it constantly. You can safely stow your stroller there for a bit, enjoy some attractions or a meal in the area, and then use the stroller again for the longer walks to another land or area of the park. I also loved using a stroller for the cup holder and a place to store my bags or packages purchased rather than carrying them. One of my favorite tips is to purchase an inexpensive "emergency poncho" at your local convenience store and keep in your park bag to use as a stroller cover during meals or attractions. Florida thunderstorms can appear without warning, and you'll all be grateful for a dry seat when you return to your parked stroller and find it's been raining.
Stroller rentals are available at each theme park for a daily fee or offer some savings for a length-of-stay rental. These are returned to the same theme park entrance upon exiting for the day, so your child can then walk to any transportation option back to your resort. With a daily rental, you can see how your family adapts to using a stroller again or perhaps begin using one as it’s needed during your stay without committing to a rental for the whole vacation. You may also choose to bring your own stroller from home or rent one from a recommended outside partner who can deliver the stroller to your resort. In these cases, you would have the stroller to and from your resort each day and on transportation. Please note that strollers must be folded on
watercraft and
buses but can be rolled onto the
monorail and
Disney Skyliner.
My family typically walks about 15,000 steps a day on a Walt Disney World vacation, Robert. That count is even higher for our little ones with shorter legs than a typical adult stride. If you think your family can comfortably get back into the groove, I think a stroller rental is a great idea to keep everyone together on these active trips. Your little one may not be so little anymore but keeping them comfortable and secure is a great option balanced with new thrills as they reach exciting milestones of height requirements for some bigger kid attractions on this visit.
Please let us know what other questions you have; we’d love to help you make the most of your Disney experience!
Wishing you a magical vacation,
Amy