?s about strollers and busses

[Krisj]

Okay, it is 5:30 am here and I have been up thinking of more questions. We leave in 6 days!

We have a double stroller a graco side by side one. How much of a pain will that be getting on busses? I have a 9 mos old and a 3 yr old that will be using the stroller. I would much prefer having a double stroller than 2 single ones cause dh and I have 3 other kids we have to hang on to.
Do they rent double strollers there?
What about driving? We will be staing at FQ and I understand busses to MK are the best. What about MGM, Epcot, AK, BB, and TL? IS is better to drive there? or take the busses?

 

[Barb D]

You have a couple of options.

1. First, yes, they do rent double strollers. I think they're about $12 or $13 a day, and if you keep your receipt you can replace them free all day (if you go to another park, etc.) They are nice and big, and even your bigger kids might be able to trade off and ride in them. The only problem with them is that you won't have them to go from the park entrance to the bus stop, when you and your kids will be exhausted. (Picture you and your husband each carrying a little one and all your stuff, with 3 other kids dragging behind, and then having to wait and wait for a bus. You'll really wish you had a stroller. Trust me on this.)

2. Option 2 is to bring your double stroller. Yes, it will be a pain getting it on and off the buses, but really you only do this a couple of times a day and you'll be pushing the stroller all day.

3. Option 3 is to buy two umbrella strollers. If you get two of the same brand you can also buy connectors to hook them together. That way if one parent wants to push both kids you can connect them, or if you want to "divide and conquer" you can separate them. They sell the connectors at Babies R Us (I just saw them the other day.) There are several brands of umbrella strollers with canopies that recline.

One more thought....remember that you can't bring strollers in lines, so you might want to bring a sling or backpack to carry your little one in. I'll be using a sling for my almost-2yo.

 

[erica_mutterer]

we have the same double stroller and have used it our last 2 trips to disney and taking it this november as well. Yes the busses are a very very big pain trying to handle the stroller on. (folding, taking everything out of the basket, carrying the stroller, stuff that was in it and the 2 kids while the bus is standing room only!!! no fun... and we go in off season. however the monerails are great...you just wait for the wheel chair access car. you may have to wait a monerail or 2 if 2 wheelchairs are are allready there or come up but we have found this very convenient. we drive to disney so we take our van when the only transportation option is the bus.... i would not rent a stroller over taking our own though...kids are more comfortable in ours and it is much easier to spot in the stroller parking areas....our kids (now 4 & 2) still sleep good in it which makes for some nice relaxing strolls at the end of a park day or a nice quiet lunch (restaurants will let you bring it in if they are asleep and you ask). we never took the stroller to BB even when they were younger and did fine there without it...we did see some strollers there though but it looked harder to get a stroller around there. driving and parking for MK is the least desirable though since we go during off season we have usualy planned a breakfast at poly or GF and parked there and took the monerale to MK for a few hrs (never been issued one of those limited hr parking passes yet) for MGM & EPCOT you can park at the board walk and take a boat (i have sometimes been asked to take kids out of stroller and sometimes not) or walk (we usually walk, not a bad stroll, of course we haven't tried it in 90 degree weather either. hope this helps

 

[robinb]

Kris,

I would take your double stroller with you. You have enough to worry about with 5 kids! Believe me, any stroller is a pain to get on and off the buses with, even a small lightweight one with only one child. I've found that the kindness of strangers is a beautiful thing at WDW .

I always drive to all the parks except for the MK because I can't stand the Ticket and Transportation Center. You'll still need to fold your stroller to get on the tram, but you'll have a lot more time when the tram stops v/s the bus.

 

[skeezixspud]

That is the thing that most complicates transporting strollers -- what do you do with the stuff that was in the basket? Best strategy is to use a bag that hangs on the stroller handles to hold the babies' necessities; the older kids can have waist packs of their own.
This way you can just grab the bag off when the bus comes and fold the stroller without having to wrestle things out of the basket.

Also, whenever possible, try to sit in the seats opposite the back doors of the bus; that is the best spot for getting out with bulky loads. (Some drivers will open the back doors for loading large strollers, but some won't.)

 

[SueM in MN]

The seats in the back of the bus just opposite the back door (where you sit facing the back door) are the ones that fold up to accomidate wheelchairs or ecvs. If you sit in those rows and someone who uses a wheelchair or ecv needs to get on, you will need to move. There is a sign above the seats that are affected.
It's better to sit in the seats that are at the very back of the bus that face forward or the seats that face each other at the very back.

 

[skeezixspud]

... with, "unless they are reserved for disabled access." I hadn't seen folding seats in that location on the Disney busses, so I didn't think about adding that. I was referring to ordinary fixed-position seats.

 

[candyht]

I also have the same stroller. I have considered the 2 options of renting a stroller at Disney or buying 2 cheap umbrella strollers. Renting a double stroller at Disney is expensive. If you're there for several days, it adds up to quite a lot of money. Also the strollers they rent at Disney do not look very comfortable. I've only seen pictures of them and they are made of hard plastic. We are taking our big Graco with us because our twins love the stroller. They find it very comfortable. Also, umbrella strollers do not recline. My kids are used to a reclining stroller. My kids are 4 years old, but they still nap in their stroller whenever we go out. I figure if my kids are more comfortable in the Graco, it's worth the hassle. The more comfortable they are, the less fussy - hopefully....

 

[SueM in MN]

That's OK, skeezixspud. A lot of people miss those signs. Most people don't even know those seats fold up unless they see a wheelchair or ecv sitting there.
All the seats that face the back door and are across from it fold up to make a place for wheelchairs. Since most of the WDW buses are wheelchair accessible, it's best to avoid those seats unless there is nowhere else to sit and no one waiting with a wheelchair or ecv. That is one of the reasons that wheelchair and ECV users are boarded first.
The sort of "U" shaped area of seats at the back where some of the seats face each other and some face the front are OK to use.