Yet another stroller in Disney question!

[magnoliaparadise]

I would love your advice.
I have a Valco Snap (which I LOVE - thank you BBB) for my 3 yo. I have tried to put a stand up board on it for my 7 yo and it just didn't work well with this model so I gave up.
So... going to Disney... if we were staying at one on Disney property and at one of the deluxe hotels (ie access close to MK, which is where will be 3/4 of the time, so only long walks are generally IN the parks not in getting to our hotel), would you get a double stroller??

I mean... my 7 yo HATES to sit on a stroller (the shame the shame) so I doubt she would want to anyway. And she is big - about the height of an 8 or 9 yo - so I just assume that her legs can do the walking :). But... so many posters here and elsewhere have said that a stroller is important EVEN for a 7 yo...

I really don't want to rent a double from Disney - I think it's $30 a day and for that, frankly, I'd rather just buy a double Valco and re-sell it when I got home if I wanted, for that amount taken off the price.

But... buying a stroller last minute like this feels kind of insane, especially when my 7 yo DD1 says she doesn't want one.

********* For those of you who have been to Disney, do you find your 7 yos really need a stroller sometimes?
********* If yes, would you suggest any stroller in particular? Would you buy a stroller?

Thanks!

[egoldber]

Well, FWIW, when my 7 almost 8 year old was at WDW in August (so very hot, and we had long days in the park) I ended up renting a stroller for her one day. It was mid week, she was footsore, and it gave her a break from walking. She has not used a stroller on a regular basis since she was 2 at any place except WDW.

You walk a LOT at WDW. A LOT! And the distances are not small, even from the front of the park to your car. Getting from the back of Epcot, for example, to the exit and the parking lot is probably a good half mile if not more.

But I would not bring a double. I would take the single and have the 3 year old walk occasionally (or be carried) while the 7 year old rides. If it gets to be too much for her, I would rent a single for one day or maybe 2. They also have cheap umbrella strollers there that you can buy. They are too small for the 7 year old, but the 3 year old could use that and the 7 year old could use the Valco. You could fold the umbrella and stick it on the Valco when not in use. I see a lot of people doing that.

[melwe]

We went last year with DD who had just turned 7 and DS who was a little over 2. DD never used the stroller. She was so excited to be there, she never once complained about walking. Very unusual for her!

However, we went in January when the weather was very comfortable, so we may have had a different experience in the heat of summer.

[BunnyBee]

We don't go in the heat of summer, and I haven't brought a stroller for over a 4 yo. We walk 6-8 miles a day and usually stay the full day.

[123LuckyMom]

We don't go in the summer, and my 6 year old has no shame, so when we go next year when he is 7, we will bring our double. I have no desire to deal with a footsore, overtired kid who's jealous that his sister gets to ride and he doesn't. On our last trip, we clocked our average daily walking distance at 14 miles per day! Having said that, if your DD thinks riding is shameful and would rather die than ride, don't bring a double. It's a PITA to take on the buses when you go to AK and DHS. If you get there and find you need it after all, you can rent one.

[KrisM]

We went in April and did not use a stroller for my 5.5 year old. He hadn't ridden in one in ages. The only time he complained was early morning when we were walking fast for the first ride and late at night. Only one night was particularly late though. In the mornings, DH or I carried him a bit, and let him jog a bit. It was just keeping up as we were all faster! Otherwise we found there are lots of standing, sitting, etc times and while you walk a lot, it's not all at once.

[Cam&Clay]

We rented from Magic Strollers when DS2 was 4 and it was wonderful. We went last month and didn't get one. He's a very unathletic 7 year old and he did fine without one. BUT, it wasn't hot at all.

[SummerBaby]

When we went we used one for my 5 year old part of the time- she is slow and in crowds it was just easier to move with her in one. My older DD was 8, and she hates to walk- she complains about walking in the mall- however she was soooo excited to be at Disney she walked all day and never complained one time. I would just try without a double -and if your 7 year old is miserable you can just rent another single.

[belovedgandp]

I wouldn't want to mess with it. We just went, so super nice weather. Almost 5 YO hasn't been in a stroller for over 1 1/2 years but did use it for WDW. 7 1/2 YO hoofed it without a problem. A few times the stroller was farther back from where we'd walked, so one of the adults would run back and get it instead of having everyone backtrack.

7 1/2 YO did sit in the stroller a couple times instead of the ground for breaks while we were waiting for buses or parades, but never rode in it.

[magnoliaparadise]

Hi,
OP here... thank you for all your advice. I appreciate it!

I can't decide what to do now - I'm so torn!
I went to a store to look at strollers - what was I THINKING? I cannot be trusted in such stores.
So.......... OK, here are my decisions. What do you think?
I could buy TONIGHT (or by tomorrow morning - Tuesday - latest) a Valco Duo Snap - I have the single and love it. The double is only $300, but final sale.

I posted my meandering thoughts here just now on the stroller thread:
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?485344-Help!-Need-to-decide-if-this-is-a-good-deal-to-buy-by-first-thing-TUESDAY!

But sounds like posters think it might be overkill for my 7 yo?

I could also buy an umbrella stroller, but... I tried to 'hang it' onto my Valco Snap (I have the 3 wheel) and it.did.not.work at all - the Snap is just too low for an umbrella stroller to hang at all. So... hmmmmmm. I could buy an umbrella stroller and bring both and just know that if we WANT to have the umbrella stroller for the day, we can (ie have my single Valco Snap and the umbrella stroller) and if we don't, I'll just leave the umbrella stroller at home. We have 3 adults, so that shouldn't be a problem.
But... the only umbrella stroller I fell in love with was the MacLaren Mark which was AMAZING (light, nice feel), but ugh, $195, crazy.
And while an umbrella stroller IS really good in the sense that I can use it when traveling with the kids elsewhere (non-Disney), it isn't a double if I ever want a double for things.

Any advice would be great - thank you for your advice already!

[MSWR0319]

We just got back from a week there. I have a 6 yo and a 2yo. My 6yo will not walk and I knew that. He could walk but I didn't want to deal with him whining and getting tired. We rented a City Mini GT double from Kingdom Strollers for 7 days for $100. I was so happy we did it. It was so nice to have it there waiting for us and then we just dropped it off at the front desk when we were done. You could always rent a single that way you wouldn't have to take it if you didn't think you needed it but would have it if you did (I"m assuming you were taking your own for your 3 yo?). I told DH while we were there that I'd take a stroller next time too just so I didn't have to carry a backpack! I wouldn't go without one, but then again my older one likes to stroller ride. He did walk some but also rode quite a bit. Honestly it was easier to have him in the stroller trying to maneuver through crowds vs having to keep track of him.

[egoldber]

Take your single and rent a single while there if you need one. You may not need it at all.