Stroller Rental 101

One of the most talked about topics in our circle of families traveling to Walt Disney World with young kids is about Strollers. Where to rent one or should you bring one from home, and how do you know which one will work best for your family? Well I am going to give you a little run down on what we’ve come to learn and love over the years traveling with our four boys.

First off, do yourself the favor and get the stroller! If you have a kiddo aged 7 or under, get the stroller, don’t even think twice. Disney is exhausting, like so exhausting that by the end of the day you’ll wish you had a stroller to sit in too. We are talking upward of 10 miles a day on average in these parks. Little legs get tired quick, and it’s especially helpful when you’re trying to maneuver your way through a crowd to get somewhere in a hurry. There is nothing worse than carrying your tired cranky kid around the park because it’s either that or leave them laying in the middle of Fantasyland (if you know, you know.) Not only should you have a stroller but make sure you have a seat for every little tush in your group! As a mom of multiple kiddos, we’ve tried the sharing of one stroller in the past and it was a complete fail. Not only did my kids fight over who was going to sit when, it started to pour one day and one kiddo was left out from the rain cover. Needless to say our friends over at Kingdom Strollers bailed us out that trip and we’ve become a two stroller family ever since and never looked back.

So now that you know you’re going to need the stroller, where are you going to get it? Many families bring their own as it can be convenient in the airport depending on how young your kiddos are. You’re already familiar with it and its functions so no learning curve, and your kiddos are already used to riding in it. If this sounds like you- I wouldn’t think twice, if you have a good at home stroller that you love, bring it!

Kingdom Strollers-

If you don’t have a stroller to bring or maybe you’ll need a double stroller for this trip we’ve got an easy solution for you too. Kingdom Stroller Rentals, let me say it a little louder for the parents in the back…Kingdom Stroller Rentals! This company is hands down amazing, from their customer service to their spotless products. I have personally worked with Kingdom Strollers for over 3 years and I honestly have nothing negative to say. The stroller are always clean, their staff is friendly and professional, and the arrangements they make for drop off and pick up are easy and seamless. Kingdom Strollers offers a variety of equipment like strollers and cribs for guests to rent for the duration of their vacation. You arrange a pick up and drop off time to meet one of the designated delivery staff and you’re on your way in no time. They’ll deliver to any of the Walt Disney World properties and offer airport pick up and drop off off as well. The overall process to rent with them is just too easy!

So now you’re probably wondering what stroller is the stroller for you? Well, the two most popular “Disney Strollers” if you will, are the City Mini GT and the BOB. We recently used both on our last trip and were able to do a head-to-head comparison. For reference we used the double version of each product and my boys are currently 8, 7, 5, and 1. This is what we found:

City Mini GT-

I’ll start by saying that the City Mini GT was not roomy enough for my bigger boys. Dominic (8) is about 52 inches, Anthony (7) is 49 inches and their head were too tall that they would need to duck under the sun shade. Their arms were also squished when they were down by their sides as the seats we found to be narrow. Vincent (5) is about 42 inches a little on the smaller side for his age and he fit pretty well along with Lorenzo at 11 months. The sunshades are nice a long and offer phenomenal coverage although, we did find them to be on the narrow side as well. The seat recline is very deep, pretty much almost flat and it was perfect for the baby. The storage is decent, accessing it from the sides of the stroller instead of straight on is helpful but we found it to hold a good about of stuff. There weren’t as many little zipper compartments as the BOB and the two things we did miss were the elastic pockets inside the seats where the kids are. We didn’t realize how much we used those for waters/snacks etc. until they weren’t there. The sun shades have a peek a boo window but it’s clear plastic the whole way, I definitely like that the BOB has a vented area on theirs so we could easily speak to and hear the kids. The biggest complaint I have about this stroller is the buckle, it’s too many pieces to get together and with a fidgeting kid in the heat I found it extremely frustrating. The handlebar is easily adjustable and I don’t think tall or short folks would have an issue finding a comfortable push with this stroller. The fold on this stroller is a piece of cake, one step and you’re done and it’s not very bulky or heavy which makes for an easier time on transportation.

BOB:

First and foremost, the Double BOB is much roomier for the bigger kids, if you are looking for a stroller for older/bigger kiddos this is the one! The seats are wider and while they may not be taller the fit is just better overall where everything isn’t so narrow. Even the sun shades are wider and my boys fit under them much easier. Lots of pockets including in the kids seats as well as little zipper pockets behind the seats great for holding phones or sunglasses. The peekaboo window has some ventilation with plastic which I prefer over the City Mini design, the storage is good and comparable with the City Mini. The recline isn’t as deep as the City Mini stroller but still good and comfortable for stroller snoozing. The handle bar is easily adjustable and again I don’t think anyone with height or lack of would have a problem finding a setting for a comfortable push. The wheels are very large which makes the ride so smooth and the ease of pushing is my favorite part. Even with my two bigger boys in the stroller together I can manage a one handed push which is so nice. The fold on this one is a bit more of a pain with a two step process and I’m not going to sugar coat it, this stroller is bulky and heavy.

Takeaway-

Overall, my go to choice is the BOB, there is so much I love about this stroller that it’s easy to look past the folding and weight of it. Remember that in the big scheme of things, and the hours upon hours you will spend in the parks with the convenience of the stroller, the time spent on transportation is so minimal and the pros certainly outweigh the cons here. We did a quick little video with some real time footage of these strollers you can check out here- https://fb.watch/9E4v5vsNrQ/

TIPS-

• All Stroller Rentals from Kingdom Strollers come with a complimentary parent console organizer that is attached to the handlebar, a complimentary rain cover fit for the stroller, and a small cooler bag. Stroller hooks as well as snack trays can be added to your rental at an additional charge.

• Remember: Strollers need to be folded on all Disney busses and double strollers must be folded on the Skyliner. Larger ferry boats as well as the monorail do allow you to keep strollers open where the smaller water taxi boats do require them to be folded.

• Pro Tip: Do not rent the in park strollers Disney offers, these rentals can only be obtained on the day of and are on a fist come first served basis. They are hard plastic, not always in tip top shape, and are very uncomfortable for young kids.

• Bring yourself an empty reusable bag to carry all of the scattered items collected in the stroller throughout the day- We like to call this the “Oh Shit!” bag… Like “Oh Shit, the bus is coming!” It’s that moment of panic as you try to gather all of your belongs and get the stroller folded and bus ready that this reusable bag is key! Toss all the loose stuff in and then when you get back to your resort you can reorganize and prep for the next day.

• Get the rain cover that is made for the stroller, when it rains in central Florida it R A I N S! There is nothing worse than trying to rig up some dollar tree shower curtain or ending up with soaked unhappy kiddos.

• Rechargeable stroller fans can easily be purchased on Amazon and they are a necessity especially during the hotter months.

• Carabiner hooks or “Mommy hooks” are not very costly and are worth bringing along to attach to your stroller. We hook our water bottles right on these for easy access. Kingdom Strollers also offers these for an additional cost to add on to your rental.