Umbrella stroller or regular stroller

CKMinnieBows

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Hey everyone! Debating bringing my full sized stroller to Disney for comfort and shade for my 14 month old. Anyone else do this and did they prefer it? Or did you stick with your lightweight stroller? Thanks in advance!
 
Full size. Strollers are nice for carrying diaper bags, snacks, anything you buy in the parks, etc. Also easier for naps. DH prefers a bigger stroller too because he is tall and has to lean over some for a small umbrella stroller, which can get uncomfortable after a day of pushing it!
 
Agree on full size for a child that age, over 2 or 3 (depending on size of child) I think umbrella is the way to go since it's easier to get around but a lot less comfy for your baby. Also most of the umbrella strollers have pretty weak shade covers and a 14 month old needs shelter from the sun for sure. My biggest pet peeve with inexpensive umbrella strollers is when you hang your bags from it, and your older child steps out, they tip back, grrrr. BUT if you have a little nicer umbrella with the net under it, that can help with the tipping.
 
Problem with a full size vs. umbrella is trying to locate the stroller in the "corrals" after the "sheriff" has relocated it for you. I like the umbrella so we can fold it up and either hang it on or lean it up against a fence. Very rarely gets moved like that.

BUT ... with a 14 month old, for comfort, shade, and storage, a full size might be a better option for you.
 
Another vote for full size stroller.

We've now used it 3 times and will do again in November. So useful for all you need to have with you in the parks :)
 
Another vote for full size. Take what is most comfortable for the child and what is most comfortable/useful to push all day. Any hassle getting it on or off the bus or in and out of the trucks is so minimal compared to the hours and hours you are spending with it in the parks!
 


I always preferred umbrella but at that age we only spent a couple hours at the park before returning for naps/breaks.
 
Definitely full size. It's a hassle to deal with parking and finding it and folding it for the buses, but worth it for the increase in comfort and the ability for the child to nap in it.
 
I agree with everyone else - the full size stroller. I still take the full size for my 4 year old and will take it again on our upcoming trips. Since we tend to take trips when it's warm out, the shade on the full size stroller is well worth it. She doesn't nap so the ability to recline the stroller at the end of the day is great for having her fall asleep. Also we tend to bring a small soft sided cooler with water bottles and a few small snacks so we use the basket to carry the cooler.

So we can find our stroller easier (since it's black), what I have done is decorate and laminate an 8.5x11 piece of paper with our last name on it and princess stickers (since we have a princess obsessed little girl). Used a hole punch to punch a couple of holes and use zip ties to attach (so then we can remove it once our trip is over). We also tend to splurge and buy a balloon and tie that to the stroller. That way when we get back to the stroller area we can start by looking for balloons which greatly cuts down the number of strollers that could be ours. Between the balloon and our name plate finding our stroller is normally a cinch.
 
I'm the opposite. I always brought a smaller stroller for easy portability. That said, it was always a comfortable small stroller, def. a step up from basic umbrella. The seat could recline a bit for naps(just a bit) and I attached a mesh bag to handles for carrying things. I made sure it had a sunshade also,which doubled as a place to place the raincover on rainy days. Never had any issues,but I like to travel light.
 
I have an in between stroller, maclaren volo. it's more substantial than the cheapie umbrella strollers, but it weighs less than ten pounds. My kids were never good stroller nappers unless absolutely exhausted so that was less of a concern.
It's important to me that I can lift, carry and fold a stroller easily. If you are at a resort where you will need to take the bus you will have to do a lot of that. If I can carry the kid in one arm and fold the stroller with the other we are all good.

If your child loves the big stroller, loves to nap in it, and you are strong enough to haul it then you'll want the bigger stroller. If you have a helpful partner who has a clue, you will also have an easier time with the big stroller.
 
If you do an umbrella stroller make sure its a good one. I have a cheap one and every time i used it even just for trying to keep my son contained during a doc appointment I would regret it. We use a double running stroller right now but if I go to an umbrella I want a good one.
 
Hey everyone! Debating bringing my full sized stroller to Disney for comfort and shade for my 14 month old. Anyone else do this and did they prefer it? Or did you stick with your lightweight stroller? Thanks in advance!

I would say it depends on what full sized stroller and what umbrella stroller. Some full sized strollers are 16/18 pounds (City Mini, Bugaboo Bee) and others are considerably heavier. On the opposite side, there are different features with umbrella strollers. Some umbrella strollers are lightweight but still quite comfortable (Zoe, Maclarens, Baby Jogger Vue or City).
 
Another vote for full size. Not only more comfortable for child but probably for you, as umbrella strollers are often shorter, causing the person pushing to be at a weird angle.

Also, nice to have storage and just be in your "home" stroller. I used our baby jogger regularly at DL and rented a City elite at WDW and had no problem folding and carrying onto busses.
 
Mimi here... Full size stroller, not only comfort for the child but you to... this way they can lay down, and its there normal rider so its part of their everyday normal. If your in the airport it gives the baby a place to sit and nap which means you aren't having to hold the baby if the fall asleep... My DD's hated the umbrella stroller until they got big enough to get out of it on their own.
 
I had this exact same question a few months ago. I was pretty sure I wanted the umbrella for the easy folding and didn't worry about the airport damaging it since it's less expensive. I even did tons of research and bought a nicer one that had a few bells and whistles (one hand collapse, bigger wheels, good undercarriage storage, reclines flat etc.. I tried it out this summer at the zoo, on a few walks, the mall, etc. Results - I would HATE it in Disney. My stride is completely different in the umbrella and I don't want that frustration in the miles you walk at Disney. It doesn't have a tray for my 22 month old's snacks and drinks, and the canopy coverage isn't great for a small child since he sits lower.
 
Always took the bigger stroller when kids were little. Bought a Maclaren Volvo and loved it as the kids go older. Even when my youngest was 5-6 we took the Maclaren as she had a place to sit esp when waiting for parade etc. It was nice to have for storage and get out of the parks faster with 1 million other people.
 
Look into an Uppababy G-Luxe. A huge feature is that it has a really big extendable sunshade that is SPF 50+. We left our big stroller at home and brought this to use for our 7 month old and we'll be bringing it again for him in December when he's 16 months. Not sure if any companies rent them but we absolutely love having this as our smaller stroller, and it's perfect for Disney.
 
I bought a cheap stroller at BRU for like $30 when ODD was little. I think the brand was Trendsport. It was an in between stroller that was great for travelling. It had a decent recline & canopy, snack tray & huge basket. It was perfect for Disney. When YDD was born we started renting.
 

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