Which Stroller And Where to Get It!
We have a couple of strollers, but we use our Citi Mini double stroller. Certainly not an ad or anything, but we've liked this one:
I think the most important thing about your stroller is that it can fold quickly and easily. Unless you're staying on the monorail, you will have to fold and unfold it a few different time (and even then, you'll need to fold and unfold to go to parks other than the Magic Kingdom).
Because of all of the folding and unfolding, I suggest that you pack the underside of the stroller in bags that are easy to grab out of the stroller. So you can do a quick snag of the bags, fold, and board the bus/boat/etc.
If you sold your stroller on your local FB yardsale site already, but you don't think your little one is up for trekking around all of Disney World, you can rent strollers. Your friendly travel agent (ME!) can take care of this for you if you want. Disney does have stroller rentals inside the parks. They are not the most comfortable strollers though, so if you want to look for something that might encourage a nap, or you want to have it at your resort, you would use a stroller rental company. They will actually deliver the stroller to your resort and then you just drop it back to the concierge desk before you leave. It's a pretty good set up, honestly.
Buses
If you're staying on Disney property, you will probably take their transportations a lot. Buses are the most common way to get from place to place on property. You do have to fold your stroller to get on the bus. There isn't really anywhere to put them, so you have to kind of fold them in front of you. On a crowded bus ride, this can get a little dicey, but it's what you have to do. These guys make it look easy.
Note that if your kids are asleep, just park yourself in the park somewhere and grab a snack or a drink in the shade. They won't let you keep your stroller unfolded just because your precious is asleep.
Boats
If you're staying at the Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness (or if you want to GO to WL for FL), you you might take a bus to the Magic Kingdom. The Polynesian and Grand Floridian also provide boat transportation to MK, which is great if the monorail isn't running yet, or if it's broken down. The Contemporary also has a boat that goes to Fort Wilderness or Wilderness Lodge.
My guys love the boat ride in a regular seat.
If you're still with me, you might even hop on a boat if you're staying at Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, or Saratoga Springs or Old Key West to Disney Springs (which is going to be a whole other post because I LOVE Disney Springs).
If you are in one of the Epcot resorts, you might also use a boat to get to Epcot or Hollywood Studios.
Basically, you have lots of options to hop on a boat! For the most part, these boats will require you to fold up your stroller and ask you to sit in a particular place on the boat. Sometimes in the busier times, you might actually get one of the bigger boats where you get to just roll the stroller on. Those are some good times! We stayed at Wilderness Lodge recently, and it was about 50% of the time that we got the big boat.
Monorail
This one is short, easy, and great! You can just roll your stroller right on. To be fair, it's tight on there, so plan on cramming your stroller in as far as you can Now, since my guys think that the monorail is the most awesome ride ever, they insist on hopping out of the stroller and sitting in a seat. So we take up about twice the amount of space. Whoops!
In the Parks
So I have a few tips about your stroller going through security and getting into the parks.
When you are going through security, you'll need to empty out the bottom of the stroller. This is another reason to just have your extra things in a bag and not loose in the bottom. They will also open up the "hood," so make sure you don't have anything tucked in there or it will go flying.
Every attraction has a specific stroller parking area. You can't bring your stroller into any of the lines, so be ready to park and then walk into the line. If you have a tiny one, this is probably a good time to wear a baby. Your smaller kids can just be crazy in the lines. Great ;-)
There's no way that this turned into an all out wrestling match in the line for Talking Mickey....
Another little tidbit is to have ponchos for your stroller. If you are going inside, pull the cover over your stroller. Maybe even throw ponchos on it. Florida is known for a storm rolling through in the time it takes you to watch Festival of the Lion King. You come out thrilled with the cool show and now your kiddo has to sit in a puddle. Not great. Just be ready. Here's my guys after getting soaked at the Halloween party!
In the Resorts
Some of the resorts are gigantic. You probably will want to bring your stroller to your room. We usually fold ours (again) when we get to the room.
Random other tips!
So I have a great story! We were in Hollywood Studios when we realized that one of these wheels was missing!
It could have been the folding and unfolding, or maybe even this game that George likes to play with boys. Who could know?!
Anyway, I went to Guest Services (inside the park and directly on the left). A cast member checked the lost and found and it wasn't there. They told me to check back later. We checked back, and no dice...or wheel. They gave us a number to call or told us to check central lost and found at the Ticket and Transportation Center. We were going to the Magic Kingdom the next day, so when we parked we just dropped in. They asked what park, what time, and the exact wheel size. I asked if this was common, and they just laughed and laugh. It happens all the time apparently! Like total magic, they brought me the wheel, and we rolled out happy campers! So, my insider tip is that you should totally check with central lost and found if you lose something!
In Conclusion!
We have travelled quite a bit with these little nuggets. I will say that going to Disney is SO easy when you have a stroller. Because almost everyone has a stroller, it really makes you just fit in! Sometimes you have to be careful in crowds that you don't nip anyone on the ankle, but otherwise, it's a breeze!
If I can help you plan your trip, send me an email to kacietravelplanner@gmail.com
Happy Travels!
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