Hi Megan!
I love your question because I have real world experience with it.
When my son was four years old and my daughter was six, we flew to
Walt Disney World Resort. While we were in Dallas, our stroller was left on the jet bridge. The stroller had a fun little trip to Miami and then finally joined us late in the evening on our second day of vacation.
We had options. We could have
rented a stroller or we could have purchased one. (I'll spare you the details but we had to buy three different strollers during two different vacations to Walt Disney World Resort. By the time my kiddos aged out of strollers, we had seven strollers and two kids.) However, my super trooper kiddos pressed forward and made it without the stroller the first two days. After that, we left it in our room.
Were they exhausted? Yes. Was there a bit of whining? Yes. (And not just from the kiddos.) Were we a bit lost at first because we didn't know what to do with all of our stuff that is normally stored on the stroller? Yes. Would we have done it differently? No. It ended up being one of the most freeing experiences we have had as parents. We no longer had to maneuver through crowds as I apologized for rolling over someone's toes or hitting the back of someone's foot. We no longer had to find stroller parking when we went into attractions or restaurants. We no longer had to try to find our stroller when we came out of those same attractions or restaurants. It was great! The kids loved it too as they were able to do more without going back and forth to get the stroller.
All of the above being said, even with your kiddos out of a stroller, you will all do A LOT of walking (when our kiddos were younger, we typically walked seven or more miles per day). They are going to get tired. The mornings of day two and three may be rough. If it gets to be too much you have several stroller rental options. You can also bring one if you feel like you may need it as a backup. If you decide to bring a stroller, there is some important information you need to know. For further details, you can review the
Walt Disney World Resort Property Rules. To highlight the policy, effective May 1, 2019, "strollers that are greater than 31" (79 cm) in width and 52" (132 cm) in length will be prohibited. Stroller wagons will also be prohibited."
Given that your kiddos have not been using a stroller for a couple of years, I really think they will be fine without one. There were a couple of trips that my oldest didn't want to ride in the stroller so she walked as we pushed her little brother.
Comfy shoes will be a must for all and breaks are never a bad thing. Enjoy all that there is to take in, but when you need a break, know that it's OK to take one. We love break time. It usually either means eating ice cream while sitting on a bench in a theme park or a dip in our Resort hotel pool. Both are great options!
I really couldn't be any more excited for you! You are visiting Walt Disney World Resort at a time when your kids are going to love it! You will be awe-struck as you see everything through their eyes! Enjoy every magical moment!
Thanks so much for sharing your question with the Disney Parks Moms Panel! Please let me know if you need any other information as you plan your magical Walt Disney World Resort vacation!
Kari