Stroller for 4 year old?

[BugsMomma]

I'm up in the air over whether or not to bring a stroller for our 4 year old. If we did we would need to shop for something new. The ones we have now are getting a bit small for her.

 

What do you do? Do you bring one for older children? Any strollers you suggest for taller kids?

[Kerry's Girls]

I'm on my own with my girls, and carrying one of them when they're tired was out of the question, which would happen in port or walking the length of the ship at the end of the night from the kids club back to the cabin. We took a stroller until they were 6 and never regretted having it. If nothing else, it's a rolling cart for all our stuff! But it always came in handy for check in when the line can be long and in airports where the distances car be far, especially with a tired kid. Also, it's nice to be able to keep going in port even when the kids are tired of walking.

 

Best,

Mia

[Scrapnana]

Could she manage in the old stroller one more time? It seems a shame to buy a new one when it sounds like she does not use a stroller often.

 

My daughter and son-in-law took my granddaughter to WDW when she was four. They did not take the stroller because she never rode in one at home anymore. By the middle of the first day they had to rent one - she just couldn't keep up.

[jinty3108]

Hi we are going on our very first cruise in July and I have just bought an umberalla stroller for my 4 year old. It was really cheap and I reckoned it would save carrying her in the intense heat! I decided to buy it after reading posts on here saying it would be a great help even if its just for containing her when places are really busy;)

[Tiggertastic]

It's better to take it and hardly use it than regret not taking it. I'd suggest you borrow one froma friend or pick up a 2nd hand one

[mjkacmom]

On our first cruise, our twins were 4. We went to WDW for a week before the cruise, and rented a double for the twins, plus for dd6 to squeeze in. It never occurred to me to bring a stroller on the cruise. WDW is like 10 miles of walking per day. Even off the ship, we didn't need a stroller (and we didn't use one at home). We certainly didn't need on one the ship.

[chipperberg]

I just have to say, I am super jealous. My 2 year old will not go in a stoller. He has never loved the stroller, but ever since he learned to walk, forget it. Oh, how amazing it would be if he would go in a stroller. Luckily, he will reluctantly go into a back pack carrier. I get a pretty decent workout walking around with him on my back....

[gymbomb]

When we cruised with my SIL last summer she mentioned wishing she'd brought a stroller for her 5 year old who does not use one at home. I second the suggestion of either squeezing into the old one one last time or looking for a second hand one.

[pinkgirlmommy]

I was going to post this exact same message! My little one is turning 4 the day before we go, but she LOVES her stroller and naps well in it. She is very clingy sometimes so I would rather put her in the stroller than have to carry her. Especially since DH just had knee surgery and will be on crutches most likely. I am thinking about bringing my Maclaren but I am not sure if it will be more hassle than help? At least it folds up small. Does anyone know what the strollers are like that you can rent on the boat and for how much? We aren't flying so we wouldn't need it for the airport but for embarking and disembarking and ports it might be handy.

[cb at sea]

If you use it at home, you will need it on the ship. I don't know of any line that "rents" strollers.

[sunshine252]

We are taking our 3 and 5 year old DC on the Carnival Fantasy out of Charleston in July and we're not taking strollers. They haven't used them in so long, I'm not sure if we even still have any. LOL

[sherryf]

I just have to say, I am super jealous. My 2 year old will not go in a stoller. He has never loved the stroller, but ever since he learned to walk, forget it. Oh, how amazing it would be if he would go in a stroller. Luckily, he will reluctantly go into a back pack carrier. I get a pretty decent workout walking around with him on my back....

 

Only my first liked strollers, and even then only until about 2. The other two never liked strollers. I used a sling for both until they were about 2 and that was it. We cruised with my kids when they were 8, 5 and 2. I never considered a stroller. I used a sling for my daughter occasionally, but they mostly just walked.

 

Mine never napped much either, so the whole "napping in the stroller" thing was a moot point. Now, as teenagers, they nap more than they did as toddlers. :rolleyes:

[c-cruise]

We just did the Disney Fantasy a couple weeks ago with our 3 and 6 years olds. We brought our Maclaren stroller, but never used it on the cruise. We did take it to Disney World afterwards, but it mostly sat parked waiting for us to come find it. I wasn't sorry we brought it, but we could have managed without it as well.

[luvsviola]

My kids still ride (6, 4, 2). My daughter is 6, but sometimes in long lines or crowded places, she appreciates getting to sit. The 4 year old rides constantly for crowd control (he is a runner). We will be taking 2 strollers with us. We need one for the 4 year old when in port. He runs away, and having him strapped in makes everything much less stressful.

 

I would take a Maclaren umbrella or a Baby Jogger City Mini. The City Mini has a great sun canopy, which the Mac doesn't.

[Magical Dreams]

I had the same question :) My 4 1/2 year old almost never uses a stroller anymore. However... I'm thinking a day walking around Atlantis may change that :) She's ridiculously tall for her age. I was just going to bring our cheap little umbrella stroller, but we will be spending a week at WDW after the cruise and I wanted something that would have a little storage space and would give her a little more protection. I spent hours researching strollers on-line, narrowed it down to my favorites (had to be under $100), and then took her on a marathon stroller shopping experience. She was too tall for every single stroller I had picked :eek: Finally, I found the Chicco Echo at Target. It fits her perfectly, folds up very small like an umbrella stroller, still has some small areas for storage, and was $80. I had also stalked Craigslist for weeks, but was unsuccessful in finding something used. We've tried this stroller out a few times at the zoo and I actually really like it. I'm excited to use it on the cruise/WDW trip. I agree with the other person who said even though they didn't really use the stroller, they were glad they brought it:) Hope you find the perfect fit for your family!!

[Prinycesa07]

Depends on your child. For me, personally, no i wouldnt bring one. We just cruised last week with my 2 and 3 year old. We barely even used it. Maybe twice on the ship and didnt use it in port becuase they were beaches and you cant really push a stroller through sand. If i was going to a port where we would be walking more i would have brought it for the 2 yr old but not for the 3 yr old. We are cruising next year when they are 4 and almost 3 and i will not be bringing any stroller. It took up too much space in our tiny room and just was barely used.

[BugsMomma]

I had the same question :) My 4 1/2 year old almost never uses a stroller anymore. However... I'm thinking a day walking around Atlantis may change that :) She's ridiculously tall for her age. I was just going to bring our cheap little umbrella stroller, but we will be spending a week at WDW after the cruise and I wanted something that would have a little storage space and would give her a little more protection. I spent hours researching strollers on-line, narrowed it down to my favorites (had to be under $100), and then took her on a marathon stroller shopping experience. She was too tall for every single stroller I had picked :eek: Finally, I found the Chicco Echo at Target. It fits her perfectly, folds up very small like an umbrella stroller, still has some small areas for storage, and was $80. I had also stalked Craigslist for weeks, but was unsuccessful in finding something used. We've tried this stroller out a few times at the zoo and I actually really like it. I'm excited to use it on the cruise/WDW trip. I agree with the other person who said even though they didn't really use the stroller, they were glad they brought it:) Hope you find the perfect fit for your family!!

Thank you! This stroller sounds perfect. I wanted something with a little bit of storage but not huge and bulky, plus one that fits her long legs!