Nancyg56
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2005
It seems parents questioning whether to use a stroller for 6-7-8 year olds want confirmation that it’s acceptable. To some it is and to some it isn’t.
Think it’s just easier for some to get one for the older child for the ease of getting through the day. Others just have kids walk and tour at their pace.
Not implying this to any poster but kids today just don’t seem to be as active. Sadly schools cut physical education and recess. Kids don’t get activity at school. Then some just go home and veg playing video games or on computer. Sadly electronics and phones are the norm when you see families out at the store (kids in cart watching videos on cell phone), families out eating each on cell phone.
It’s only a decision you can make for your family whether you get a stroller or not. If your 6-7-8 year old wants to ride in one great - mine wouldn’t have been seen in one but that’s the way we were. Never thought of getting one. Also this was in early 2000s when parks weren’t nearly as packed and it was slow in September.
Oh my, this is a generallity that I can attest is not at all true in my town. This town supports gymnastics classes and we pay for them. We also have just implemented a slight pay for play for extracurricular sports, and that was very sadly put into place when it was clear that the Ed budget could nto support it fully any longer.
I think people come here to get an idea what they may face if they choose to rent a stroller in WDW. From the range of answers, it makes sense to check ahead and buckle up, IMO.
I think it is easy to post here, passing all kinds of judgment onto strangers who are honestly looking for feedback to help them plan a vacation that is way different than many other destinations. We rented a stroller for my DGD and for my two little Princesses, all when they were out of strollers at home. These girls had more energy and stamina than I ever had, and could run circles around me. What they could not do (each was different) was manage the heat in DAK, outrun the torrential rain in MK and DHS, or get away from the over stimulation in some of the parks. We knew our kids, we knew what was the best decision for any one of them, and we made a decision that worked best for our family dynamic on any given park day.
I think it's great that your (in general your) kids walked all day and were just peachy at the end of the day. I have seeen other families dragging drooping children out at 3 and those kids were done. That's fine too. I wanted to manage my trip so that when we left the kids were still in one piece, having as much fun as the adults. I figure other parents want that as well.
I have vacationed in many kinds of destinations, and WDW is the only one that I would have even thought about a stroller over the age of 3 for any number of reasons. I would never tell another parent that their decision is "just wrong" when I have no idea why their decision was made, and figure that a little respect goes a long way.