Hi, Meredith! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
I would definitely recommend bringing your own lightweight folding umbrella stroller from home. We have always brought our own stroller when vacationing at Walt Disney World Resort - it has been a lifesaver on my occasions for our tired princess!
The
rental strollers available at the Disney World theme parks and Downtown Disney area are perfectly fine and will certainly do the job, but they do not recline per se, although they do feature a stationary backrest that is sloped (angled back). The single rental strollers are larger (wider) than the average single umbrella stroller, but they are made of molded plastic and have no padding in the backrest or seat. Your little princess may be more comfortable in the stroller she is already familiar with from home.
In my opinion, the most important thing to consider is that rental strollers cannot be removed from the theme parks and must be returned prior to exiting. This means that you would not have a stroller to get from the theme park exit to your means of transportation (monorail, bus, boat, rental car) back to your resort hotel. This can pose a problem when your toddler is worn out at the end of the day. Since you'll likely also be tired from a full day of active fun in the theme parks, the last thing you'll want to do is
carry your daughter a long distance. To see photos of the rental strollers, visit the independent website AllEars.Net and type in "rental strollers" in the Search feature (located to the far right in the menu bar at the top of the home page).
Wishing you a
magical vacation, Meredith! Please write me back if I can assist you further as you plan your October trip.