I know traveling as a minimalist can be appealing but it doesn’t work well at Walt Disney World with little kids. Trust me. If the thought of using a stroller on your Disney trip crossed your mind even once, then you NEED one.
Walt Disney World is HUGE, with 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, and additional areas to explore like Build-a-Dino in Disney Springs. You will be doing a lot of walking on your trip. Seriously the Animal Kingdom is 500 acres just by itself. For me, the biggest benefit of a stroller is NOT carrying your exhausted kids out of the park at the end of the day. Carrying Elliot (much less Quinn) at the end of the night is not an option for me or my back.
Guaranteed Seating
A stroller provides seating for your kids anywhere you need it. Grabbing a bench can be tough on a busy day but with a stroller, your kids have a guaranteed seat. Plus a stroller put kids at a great height for watching parades.
Storage
You can bring EVERYTHING you want into the park, including the kitchen sink. 😉
I don’t really recommend overpacking but you do have leeway to bring extra things when you have a stroller. We usually keep sweatshirts, ponchos, wipes, snacks, and water stashed in the bottom of the stroller. We only need to carry a few essentials, a small bag with phones, cameras, wallets, etc, on rides. Trust me carrying less on rides is a bonus and having a few extra snacks (stashed in the stroller) will definitely save you money.
Weather Protection
On rainy days or really hot days, the stroller’s canopy is a necessity. Little ones (and not so little ones) can get a break from the weather. We had to hide out at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a crazy thunderstorm on our trip. It was really nice to have a place for the boys to sit, while we waited for the downpour to die down. A stroller can also be a great place for little kids to grab a mid-afternoon nap in the park.
You can rent strollers at Walt Disney World but they aren’t great. They are hard plastic strollers with limited shade. They are expensive, costing $15 a day for a single stroller and $31 a day for a double. The worst part about renting a Disney stroller is that you can’t take them out of the parks. If you’ve been to Walt Disney World before then you know that half of the wait/walk can be just getting between parks or back to your room. You MUST have a stroller you can use all the way back to your room at night.
Magic Strollers is an awesome option!
I love our Phil & Ted double stroller and we always use it at Disneyland. I know airlines aren’t super careful with luggage, so I wasn’t sure I wanted to ship our good stroller across the country. Luckily Magic Strollers, an Orlando-based stroller company provides an excellent alternative to renting strollers from Disney. They are a great solution if you don’t own a stroller or don’t have enough room in the car to pack one.
Why Magic Strollers?
1. They offer high-quality single and double stroller options. We rented a City GT Double Stroller which is much more comfortable than the Disney strollers and they have a great canopy for shade (or rain in our case).
2. Their strollers are cheaper than Disney’s. A single stroller costs $64 for 7 days, even with a multi-day discount, the hard plastic Disney stroller will cost $91 for 7 days. Plus you can’t use it outside the parks.
3. Magic Strollers is a preferred Disney vendor meaning they can leave your stroller with bell hop at your resort. You don’t have to be available to receive it and you can leave it with the bellhop when you check out. Not all stroller companies offer this service.
4. They don’t charge your card until 14 days prior to your arrival and you receive a full refund if you cancel 48 hours in advance. This works great for vacation planners, there’s no need to wait until plans are set before reserving a stroller.
5. Our stroller was in excellent condition, it didn’t feel like a loaner piece of equipment. Each stroller is cleaned and sanitized between customers and the strollers are delivered in a canvas travel bag keeping them clean during transport.
6. You can use their stroller to and from the parks, in downtown Disney, around the resorts or anywhere else you choose to visit while in Orlando.
A Few More Disney World Stroller Rental Tips
- Tip the bellmen if you do use them for stroller delivery – remember they are helping you out!
- Request a rain cover if the weather calls for it. We missed the boat on this one.
- Tie a balloon, ribbon or another unique item to make your stroller easier to find in the sea of stroller parking!
Save On Walt Disney World Tickets & Packages
I am proud to partner with Get Away Today and share their deals on Walt Disney World tickets and Orlando vacation packages. My family has booked Disney vacations through Get Away Today since I was a kid, so I know it’s a well-established travel agency. Plus they are a Select Tour Operator with Disney Parks and is approved by the Better Business Bureau. They pride themselves on saving families money and helping plan your perfect vacation.
Book online or call Get Away Today at 1-855-GET-AWAY. Mention my promo code DCHICA to get the best prices and you can even save $10 on any 2-night or longer Southern California vacation package. If your trip is a little further out you can use their layaway program and save towards your next Disney trip all year long.
Disclosure: Magic Strollers provided us with a stroller during our trip in exchange for sharing our honest experience with you. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I plan on renting a stroller from them on future Walt Disney World trips.
Disney World Trip Tips
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort Review
- Disney World Port Orleans Riverside Review
- Pop Century Resort Disney World Review
- Disney World Yacht Club Review
This post was originally published July 10, 2014.
Andy says
Wow. Never really thought about renting when we came over from the UK! Great tip thanks! Yes -WDW is massive and busy and often either very hot or very rainy!
Linda Trinklein says
Would you say it is a “must” for disney land as well? thanks!
Karen says
I would. We always bring our own stroller and have never regretted it.
Lindsay says
If you don’t mind me asking, how tall are your boys? I need a frame of reference for my kiddos for our trip in December 2015. Thanks!!!
Lanez says
i have a 1 year old and 6 year old. Should I get a double stroller? If so and I rent one then I don’t need to bring mine just to go through the airport right? Thanks
Karen says
Exactly, if you rent one they will deliver it to your hotel (or at least many in the area) and pick it up from you. So you can use it from the hotel to the parks and back to your room.
Stephanie says
How old do you think is too old for a stroller? Just curious.
Karen says
My tall 6 1/2 year old used it on and off on our trip. Definitely useable at the parks because it’s way too much walking for those little legs!
amber says
Are you able to “park” the stroller for a period of time if you dont want to push it around all day at a park?
Karen says
There are lots of stroller parking options available. We usually parked it once we arrived in a new land (like Fantasy Land) and left it there while we rode the rides in that area.
Erin says
We are going to WDW in Feb with my 18 months old and almost 4 year old. Would you suggest two single strollers (bring one and rent one) or rent hust one double? Is it easier with single strollers to navigate crowds and get on/off transportation? We have 5 adults going so plenty of pushers if needed! Thanks!
Karen says
If you plan on splitting up at some point, then 2 singles would be smart. We didn’t have any trouble navigating or using transportation with the doubles though.
Renee says
We are WDW APH & go a few times a month. I baby wear our 18 month old (its great for waiting in LONG lines)… but we bring the stroller too, my 5 year old usually hitches a ride when she gets tired or if we are quickly trying to get somewhere.
In the summer months we clip a little fan on it to keep them cooler, and attach “mommy hooks” to the handlebars to hold our shopping bags.
Karen says
Big kids definitely need to a little ride when you are dragging them all around Walt Disney World! And we love mommy hooks too!
Lacey says
Good Reviews! I like that you take your babies with you to exercise that is what I love about double strollers.
kara says
is it easy to get on and off the disney world bus with a stroller?
Karen says
I was concerned with that the first time but we’ve never had any trouble. You definitely want one that folds down easy (the one I rented definitely did). We kept everything we brought in a bag in the bottom of the basket, so I could easily pull the bag out and hold it when my husband folded the stroller down.
Jen h says
Your older son looks tall mine is 54 inches ….was wondering how tall your son is in the picture to get a sense of how he will fit
Karen says
Hi Jen,
I think he was about 51 inches in that picture.. that’s my best guess based since it was last year. I hope that helps!
Karen says
I’m bringing my 3, 5 &9 year old to Disney World this summer and am NOT brining a stroller. When I was a girl my mom and dad brought us to Disneyland every year. I don’t remember a stroller after the age of 3. If we got tired, we sat on the bench for about 5 minutes or took a lunch break. I can’t imagine sitting a child in a stroller who would not normally be in one at the mall.
Karen says
Awesome! I can’t imagine carrying my extra tall 5 year old out of the park at the end of a long Disney day. I hope your family has a great trip to Walt Disney World.
Donna Neace says
Thanks “KAREN” for sharing an informative post. This post is very important for Disney Lover and who wants to make a plan of a Disney tour. As a Disney lover, I know it is very difficult to handle babies in Disney world for its huge crowd. In my past experience I suggest please bring your own stroller to spend a great tour with your babies
Donna Neace says
Very effective post. As a Disney lover and mom, I really think, the stroller is a highly recommended thing for Disney world trip. Before your trip, you must select the best one stroller for your kids.