At what age did you stop using a stroller all together for your child?

[DisneyOma]

Haha.... same here. My DS7 only use the stroller when we go to Disney. And I totally agree it's mainly for him to escape the heat and to give me a break (from whining and dragging him to walk).

Also, we can keep our water and heavier items in the stroller too (easier for the adult to walk in the heat).

We are planning to rent a stroller for the upcoming trip too...

How is sitting in a stroller getting out of the heat? I'd think the fabric blocking the back from getting air would be more hot, and the heat reflected off the pavement would bounce up and around under the shade canopy? They look like stuffy, sweaty little places to be stuck, IMO.

 

[stephk1981]

How is sitting in a stroller getting out of the heat? I'd think the fabric blocking the back from getting air would be more hot, and the heat reflected off the pavement would bounce up and around under the shade canopy? They look like stuffy, sweaty little places to be stuck, IMO.

Hers may be like ours, my stroller back flap opens to let a breeze blow through it...I am thinking only the older versions don't have this now...or maybe we have just always bought stroller models with this option. We also keep a fan in ours for DD so she's in the shade with a misting fan....it definitely helped in the heat last month!

 

[SCSL]

Hers may be like ours, my stroller back flap opens to let a breeze blow through it...I am thinking only the older versions don't have this now...or maybe we have just always bought stroller models with this option. We also keep a fan in ours for DD so she's in the shade with a misting fan....it definitely helped in the heat last month!

Yes, the back has flap open and also, having a shade is a big help. And of course the fan helps too. My DS told me it’s comfy and so I assume it’s lol good

 

[DisneyOma]

Hers may be like ours, my stroller back flap opens to let a breeze blow through it...I am thinking only the older versions don't have this now...or maybe we have just always bought stroller models with this option. We also keep a fan in ours for DD so she's in the shade with a misting fan....it definitely helped in the heat last month!

What do they lean against, or do they have to sit up the whole time? What keeps them from falling out the back?

 

[stephk1981]

What do they lean against, or do they have to sit up the whole time? What keeps them from falling out the back?

Ours has a vented black mesh part on the top back and goes part down the top sides. The other part is solid......so yes, they can still lean back and ours does go completely down( so that DD1 can lie flat to nap if needed.) My oldest is DS10 and the stroller we had for him at 1 did not have this back mesh flap opening. I don't know if it was just the way strollers are made now, or if they just didn't make them like that ' back then' lol. This is one good thing about having children nearly a decade apart though.....so many nifty new inventions!

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

By the time my son was 3, we were done with the stroller.

 

[DisneyOma]

I just remember it being more hot under the canopy for my younger daughter when we used a stroller for her - the heat reflected up off the pavement and got trapped under the canopy, and the seat back would trap her body heat and make her more sweaty. Glad they make better strollers now.

 

[Lalalyn]

I have a 9 year old and 6 year old twins. The 9 year old last had a dedicated stroller for her when she was 5. This next trip I intend to rent a double for our twins. They get tired more easily than our older one ever did. And one is a painfully slow and distracted walker.

I’m sure it is nice not having to deal with a stroller in some respects. But we are use to it and just don’t think our twins would do well without one this year. If we were to go next year, guessing we’d go stroller-free.

 

[highlander4]

My 8 year old does fine walking. We use it to get to rides faster and so she can have breaks. We also pack food and drinks into the parks.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

We have two children and since the youngest is still stroller age we just bring the double.

We bought our stroller (Joovy x2) mainly for Disney trips and will probably bring it until we’re being stared at funny.

We like it for three main reasons:
1. We both get anxiety in crowds and the peace of mind after fireworks and such is immeasurable. It’s much harder for them to get hurt or lost in a stroller.
2. It’s a great place to nap or sleep. We take it to the drive in too instead of chairs and they enjoy the recline.
3. The rain cover keeps them both nice and dry in downpours.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

I think it depends on the time of year you travel. My son (5) definitely benefited from an umbrella stroller in June to deal with the heat and random rainstorms, but if I were bringing him in say, January, I’d probably skip it at this point.

 

[juxtapose]

We stopped taking a double when my daughter was a new 6 and son 2. I can’t decide if we’ll take a single when we go next, they’ll be 7 and 4.

 

[DisneyMom21]

Real life by 5, but at Disney I would say 7-8. We got a double for my 4 yr old, and my other 2 were 7 and just turned 8 at the time and they both kept fighting for the extra seat. They both were long out of strollers and would never do that at home, but they appreciated the break in the parks! I thought they might use it if tired, but they both really wanted it more then I expected it! I was so glad I rented a double stroller that trip. I figured at the least the extra seat could hold our bags, but it was well used!

 

[DLgal]

4. We took the stroller to WDW the month after my youngest turned 4 and he hardly used it. When we came home, I took the kids to Disneyland for the day without a stroller (we live very close, and I left it in the car in case I really needed it.) He made it 6 hours without it, so I knew we were done. I sold it a few days later and never looked back.

 

[Smbmoyers]

Our next trip our sons will be seven and three and I have a double stroller on my thrift store watchlist. My seven year old may NEVER need it but I think it’s better to be well prepared and not need something than underprepared and need something. My son also has asd and adhd so sensory wise having a stroller helps us keep him in a contained environment and avoid sensory overload.

 

[Crystal824]

Regular life 3. Disney - 8.

 

[North of Mouse]

At home - 2 1/2 yrs.
At Disney - Same

 

[SillySallySews]

We have five kids but the youngest three are 8, 7, and 2. We have a double umbrella stroller we use just for Disney. The 2yo will definitely use it and I expect the 8 and 7yo will switch off. My oldest daughter was 4 on her first trip to Disney and she didn’t need a stroller at all. My 8yo daughter gets tired quickly and irritated in the heat and so I’d rather just let her sit in the double stroller when she’s “in a mood” and get a few odd looks, than take a single stroller and make her walk the whole time. The older kids sitting with the 2yo also helps me out because if it was up to him, the 2yo would want to be walking (a.k.a. running off) like everyone else.

 

[ugagal07]

We are taking our 6 and 4 year old and plan on taking a toddler sized SSC packed in a backpack for when needed. 6 year old will be right at or slightly above the weight limit but in a pinch it could work. Less to maneuver.