Strollers in the Disney Parks

This is a super fun stroller but not the most practical.

By: Justin

There are a lot of options out there when it comes to strollers and I’m not going to pretend to be an expert but I can share what we found worked well for us when our kids were stroller sized.  There’s a lot of walking involved in a trip to Disney so if your child isn’t too big for a stroller, it’s a great way to keep them from getting overly tired.  Additionally, the parks can be pretty busy and having your kids in a stroller keeps them safe and where you can’t lose them in the crowd.  Plus, it’s a wonderful thing when your child snuggles up in the stroller and takes a quick refreshing nap.  Meanwhile you can stroll around, sit in the shade, or relax and have a beverage.

My first advice is to leave that giant expensive stroller that every first time parent requires at home.  You want a stroller that can be quickly folded up and put on a parking lot tram.  You don’t want to be that guy standing by the tram attempting to fold up a trunk sized monstrosity, and then trying to find a place to put it on a full tram.  You don’t want to be panicked or annoyed when you exit an attraction and your Cadillac of strollers isn’t where you left it. Disney Cast Members will gather up and arrange the strollers outside of an attraction, giving them order and getting them out of the way of walkways.  It’s fine.  Just go with it.

The most obvious stroller option is to rent a stroller at Disney.  Each park has single and double strollers to rent at the front of the park.  At Walt Disney World you can rent a single stroller for $15 per day, or $13 per day for the length of you stay.  A double stroller will run you $31 per day, or $27 per day for the length of your stay.  If you park hop, your daily stroller fee is good for the next park.  Note that all of these strollers look alike, so a piece of colored string or something on the handle will make it slightly easier to find outside attractions.  Remember, the strollers get rearranged by the cast members and yours might not be exactly where you left it.

There are third party companies that will rent you strollers while you’re in Orlando.  We saw the most awesome Cinderella pumpkin carriage stroller on a previous trip that was a third party rental.  It was like a big wagon, and had metal scrollwork all welded up to make a beautiful carriage.  Unfortunately it really was huge, and heavy, and did not fold, nor will it work with the new stroller rules.  It was a cool idea but… 

If $91 rental for a single stroller for a week sounds outrageous or wasteful to you, there are all kinds of options for great vacation strollers. Now, what kind of stroller is best?  We think the best bet is a lightweight stroller that folds easily and compactly.  When our kids were small we really got good at the stroller/diaper bag/child unload for the parking lot tram.  One of us could pick up the kid and the diaper bag, and the other could fold and pick up the stroller all in one motion.  Nobody was waiting on us. Any stroller also gets extra points if it has a nice storage area so you have room for diapers, snacks, etc.  I would go with something like the Kolcraft Cloud Plus LightweightStroller. I am not really recommending that exact brand or model, just the design.  It has a big basket, looks comfortable, folds quickly, and costs less than a week of rental.

And speaking of items you need for your child, check out our shop for some stroller sized blankets – they are small enough for your stroller but large enough to keep your child snuggly on those chilly mornings or evenings at the park.  They give your child something to snuggle up to and maybe grab a quick nap.  A great blanket in a comfy stroller provides a comfortable little fort for your child, locking out the noise and hubbub and allowing them to recharge and even nap.

See you at Disney some time.  I wish I was there now.