Visiting Disney Parks (Disneyland and Walt Disney World) is a dream come true for most kids and for some adults like me. Personally, I still remember all the excitement and joy my kids experienced the very first time they visited a Disney Park. It’s definitely one of those precious moments that you won’t trade for anything else in the world! Looking back, the attractions, experiences, and my kids’ favorite characters – Mickey Mouse – definitely played a major role in them having a wonderful experience. However, one thing that also played a part was the fact that my husband and I did lots of preparation beforehand. From what I’ve heard, the Disney Parks with a stroller can be a nightmare for both the parents and children in Disney Parks; and since I’m (kind of) a stroller geek, my main task was to figure out the best way to go about using strollers in the park. (Grab some Park tickets with my affiliate link here from Get Away Today!)
#1 Decide on Renting vs. Bringing Your Own Stroller
When it comes to strollers for Disneyland or Walt Disney World, the very first thing you need to decide on is whether you’ll be bringing (or buying) your own stroller, or renting one. Like everything else, both have their pros and cons, so let me break it down for you. Below are some key points to consider for both options.
Renting a Stroller
- Travel Light – If you’re flying in or taking public transportation to the park, renting is a big plus since you don’t have to “lug” your stroller around with you.
- Convenient – Another nice thing about renting a stroller is that it is much more convenient. Some stroller renting services even deliver the stroller of your choice to the hotel that you’re staying. One less thing to worry about!
- Costs Add Up Quickly – While most stroller rental services are a fairly affordable, if you’ll be renting a stroller for an extended period of time, the costs can add up pretty quickly. For example, at Disney World, one of the stroller rental companies offer double strollers for $40 for the first day and $7.50 for subsequent days. While this may seem inexpensive, keep in mind that the cost of this could potential be spent somewhere else, like this awesome souvenir you can get there!
- High Quality Strollers – If you decide on going with a third-party stroller rental company, most of the strollers available are Baby Jogger strollers, which I consider good strollers. As such, these strollers should be fairly easy to maneuver, even if it’s a double stroller.
Bringing Your Own Stroller
- Familiarity with Your Stroller – By bringing your own stroller, you don’t have to spend time learning about the rented stroller’s features. You’ll also likely feel more comfortable in maneuvering the stroller around crowds. Most importantly, you don’t have to figure out how to fold and unfold a stroller, which I’ll explain more later. If you don’t already have a stroller for traveling, I’d recommend getting a lightweight stroller, which are portable and easy to carry around.
- Saved Costs Can Help Cover Some Expenses – As described, if you do end up bringing your own stroller, you’ll be able to avoid the cost of renting a stroller. I personally did this to help reduce the overall cost of the trip. After all, admission tickets to Disney Parks are not cheap!
#2 Make Your Stroller Stand Out
Especially during summer months, Disneyland and Disney World can be extremely crowded…not only with people, but also with strollers. Just take a look at this photo below. You can add these clean-remove stickers from HelpSticker that are perfect for rentals and pull off with ZERO residue. You can write on them and they repel those summer showers!
How does one figure out which stroller does belongs to who? To make things worse, all of the stroller rental companies I’ve looked at have the same type of strollers available! So inevitably, you’ll find multiples of the same stroller, regardless of whether you rent or bring your own stroller.
Of course, there are tags that are provided to help you identify your stroller, but that doesn’t really help if you’re looking for your stroller from afar. To make your stroller easily identifiable, I recommend “decorating” your stroller. You could use different colored ribbons, but for me, I personally like to tie a balloon to my stroller’s handle bar which allows me to easily spot my stroller. This also makes it easier to regroup if any of your family members break out.
#3 Be Familiarized with the Features of the Stroller
Regardless of whether you end up renting or bringing your own stroller to Disney Parks, every parent should be familiarized with the features of the stroller and how the stroller works. Notably, you should know how to fold and unfold the stroller, extend the canopy, recline the seat(s) and activate the parking brake. For me, a skill that every parent must master when it comes to strollers at Disney Parks has got to be the folding and unfolding of the stroller. Every time you hop on a Disney tram or bus, you are required to have your stroller folded.
#4 Take Your Valuables with You
Many parents are so caught up with the idea of stroller theft that they forget about any valuables – phones, keys, and wallet – that they usually keep in the stroller pockets/storage. While stroller theft does happen, what’s more common is the theft of smaller items. So be sure to bring all your valuables with you before you leave your stroller in the parking area.
#5 Keep Your Stroller Cool
Disney Parks are a popular destination during the summer months, which can make the hot and sunny weather more unbearable as it can get “stuffy” at times. What’s worse is that if you use a black or a dark-colored stroller which tends to absorb more heat, it can get extremely hot for your little one(s) in the stroller.
To remedy this, I recommend wiping down the interior of the stroller from time to time as well as to bring along a handheld/portable fan for the stroller to keep your kid(s) cool. I have a fan that can be clipped onto the interior of the stroller and it is definitely worth the small price you pay – most of these portable fans cost less than $25.
Closing Words
And there you have it – my top 5 stroller related tips for your adventure in the Disney parks with a stroller. I hope this post has been helpful in preparation for your family’s Disney adventure! Over to you now: which of the 5 tips above did you find the most useful? What other useful tips do you practice?
Who’s the Writer?
Evelyn is the main person behind Mommy Stroller, which focuses on helping parents figure out which stroller they should get. Evelyn and her husband, Paul, decided to blog about strollers after the overwhelming feeling they experienced when trying to pick out their first stroller. Both of them enjoy spending time with family and friend, live music, and going on jogs with their kids (in a stroller).
You can also connect with the Mommy Stroller crew on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
When we first started taking our son, I looked around for a lightweight stroller that reclined, had a tray and a basket underneath. That became our Disney stroller until I couldn’t push it around easily anymore. Now he is about to be 5 and we just rent the Disney strollers and bring a towel that he can use as a pillow if he gets tired. We haven’t ever used the rental companies but we only live a few hours away so we have always brought our own. Great tips!
These are all really great tips! Making your stroller stand out is such a good idea!
I remember when we went trying to spot our stroller. Decorating it is a great idea.
I love the idea of attaching a balloon to your stroller so you can easily tell which one is yours. That’s a great tip.
I’ve never had to go with a stroller but I went recently with kids and you definitely have to have a plan!
This is some really helpful advice. It’s nice that the parks are so accessible for parents renting or bringing strollers.
These are great tips. You really don’t stop to think about navigation with a stroller sometimes.
These are great tips. Even though my kids are older, I like having a stroller anyway to hold things.
If you’ve got a small child a stroller is def a must. I think the times we’ve take our oldest he was walking.. But yeah I’d totally take a stroller for my crabby 4 yr old..
These are some really great tips. I will have to pass these on to my sister for her trip!
These are really great tips. I like to go to Disney and bring my son someday.
These are very helpful. Strollers are a must when visiting Disney!
We rented our first trip to Disney World and brought our own the second time. I see pros and cons to both, and agree wholeheartedly with your list. We found that napping was more uncomfortable for our baby in the rented Disney stroller, which is why we opted to bring our own.
Practical tips, though I expect all parents to naturally be cautious instead of learning it through the internet instead. Still, renting beats bringing your own in my opinion just for the convenience factor alone. You’ll want to go home with souvenirs, not baggage.
I like reading posts with tips. These are really helpful tips, it is worth to share.
You definitely want to be familiar with the features. The strollers go up and down a lot at Disney. I miss Stroller Days. We have to carry everything now. :/
These are all great tips. I will swear by the portable fan for the stroller. It will save you from have a cranky hot baby.
Great tips! One more note about the strollers…the Disney people will often move them around so that even if you remember exactly where you parked it, it may be in a different spot the next time. It will still be in the same general area but you’ll have to do some searching. That’s yet another reason why it’s good to mark your stroller.
I recommend a big ribbon as opposed to a balloon. When we went on a windy day, the balloon kept hitting me in the face and drove me crazy (I couldn’t make it higher because then it kept blowing down and hitting other people in the face). It was funny to my kids though LOL!
Thanks “Lindsey” for your very important post. As a mom of two little babies and as a Disney world lover I know without stroller it is so much difficult to handle babies of Disney world for it’s a huge crowd. As a mom, my advice is you should not only take the stroller but also you should choose the best one for this trip.