WOOHOO!! You’ve finally booked your Dream Disney vacation and have everything ready to go – everything except the dreaded stroller! If you have one or more children, you are certainly considering whether you should bring your own or rent one; this in itself can be as daunting as choosing a new car! You need not worry, my friends, for after 2 kids and (ah-hem) multiple strollers tried and tested at Disney, I can now say I am somewhat of a stroller aficionado. I have compiled all of my experience with that of my clients and friends to bring you the top choices in strollers to make your stroller choice a breeze.
You may think any stroller will do at Disney, but I have learned the hard way that there are a few that really are the Rolls Royce of strollers. You can take a bus or choose to drive but regardless of your preference, you will be met with the challenge of needing to fold up your stroller as compactly as possible in order to travel to and from the park with it. For this reason you will want to steer clear of bulky strollers such as travel systems and excessively heavy strollers. These larger options tend not to store compactly or fold as well so that once you do fold them, those blankets, toys and leftover Mickey cookies come falling out.
Another option is the umbrella stroller. Umbrella strollers are great for their convenience. For those of you that have an older child and don’t need space for a diaper bag, snacks, toys, etc., it is a great option for you. However, for the groups with younger children, the umbrella just never seemed to work for us. They only carry one child at a time, they lack ample storage space, and they don’t provide adequate shade. We never could find enough space for all our stuff, and when we would hang the diaper bag over the handles it inevitably would flip the stroller over.
After trying to fold our stroller up to get on the tram and items falling out or tripping people with how bulky our stroller was on the bus. We knew there had to be a better way. We shopped (and by shopped, we perused Walt Disney World) in search for the ideal stroller. There seemed to be a popular choice in stroller, which was the Baby Jogger City Mini, which is available in both a single and double model.
This was enough proof for us, we left the park headed to the store and bought one, and it made a world of difference. I cannot say enough good things about this stroller; it folds completely flat while securing your personal items so that they remain safely stowed. I can also lift this stroller and single-handedly open it which comes in handy when I have one child running for the entrance and the other in a carrier. The seats on the City Mini fold down and there is a generous shade that covers your child.
One great option is to rent your stroller. That’s right! You can rent the strollers. Don’t think you are required to purchase a stroller because there are many different places that allow you to rent one, often for a great deal. They deliver them to your hotel and retrieve them when you are done. No need to fuss with cleaning the melted Mickey bar off the stroller, or worrying about where to return the strollers. When renting from a company in Orlando, they provide snack trays, cup holders, and most importantly, rain covers This is a great way to get a great stroller, and at a cheaper price than renting one from Disney each day.
Most rental places near Walt Disney World rent both the single and double version of the Baby Jogger City Mini, and around a cost of $60 – $70 for a week stay, quite a bit less than Disney.
To compare, to rent a stroller directly through Disney at Walt Disney World, the cost is $15 per stroller per day for a single stroller, or $31 per day for a double size. The Disney strollers are also extremely durable, which means the opposite of comfortable. The other downside of renting directly through Disney is that you only get the strollers in the parks, you can’t take them to your resort, or even on the monorail or buses if you are going park to park.
Now that we’ve explored some of the different options for strollers, I hope I have made it easier for you to narrow down your choice and further organize your plans.
Hi, my name is Morgan Reardon, and I adore everything Disney. I have been traveling to Disneyland since I was a toddler. My love for Disney World began when my husband, and his family took me for my first time in 2005, and now we share that love with our children. We try to go to Disney at least 3 times a year, and try to experience something new every time. I always stay up to date on everything Disney, It would be my pleasure to help you plan a magical trip.